MINNEAPOLIS — The skid is over. But for the Cleveland Guardians, the real work may have just begun.

The American League Central leaders concluded a seven-game losing streak – their longest since 2022 – with a 2-1 win on Saturday night at Target Field. The victory put them back to 2 1/2 games ahead of the Twins and, maybe more importantly, halted an enthusiasm-sapping streak that saw a pair of doubleheader sweeps spread across two days and a division lead that once stood at nine games come close to disappearing.

If the Guardians (68-49) have learned anything the past week, it’s that holding off Minnesota (65-51) and Kansas City (65-53) between now and the end of September will likely be taxing.

“Everybody goes through these struggles,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We have to go one day at a time. We were able to pull out a win today. It feels good. Obviously winning always feels better than losing, but I think especially just given the last seven games and how they’ve gone with the two doubleheaders, it was a much-needed win.”

After a Sunday afternoon finale at Target Field, the Guardians have two more series with the Royals Aug. 26-28 in Cleveland and Sept. 2-4 in Kansas City. Minnesota heads to Cleveland for a likely pivotal four-game series Sept. 16-19.

As October draws closer, Cleveland would be thrilled to replicate Saturday’s pitching performance.

Perhaps no Guardian could’ve used a bounceback Saturday night more than starting pitcher Gavin Williams. Six days after allowing a career-high six earned runs on eight hits, the righty from Fayetteville, North Carolina, held a hot Twins lineup to one earned run on four hits across six innings.

“It’s awesome,” Williams said. “I mean, [losing streaks happen] every once in a while. It’s baseball — can’t win them all, so it’s nice.”

Offensively, Steven Kwan‘s fourth career leadoff homer and a solo shot from Bo Naylor in the sixth was all Cleveland would need, as a trio of relievers fired three hitless innings to seal the victory, punctuated by Emmanuel Clase’s 34th save — second most in the Majors.

According to Baseball Savant, Williams entered Saturday throwing his fastball 56.4% of the time. His high-90s, go-to pitch was in top form against the Twins, but he mixed it with just enough curveballs, sliders and the occasional changeup and cutter to keep Minnesota mostly off balance.

Vogt said Williams had a different look about him ahead of Saturday’s game, which started about 40 minutes late due to the Twins’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony and lasted just 1 hour and 58 minutes once it did get underway.

“The way he walked in, I could tell he was ready,” Vogt said. “The way he got on the bus, the way he got here, it just seemed like a different demeanor out of him. Not that it’s bad normally, but just something a little different today. Man, he was special.”

Said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli: “He has good stuff. If he’s going to throw most of his pitches in the zone and force you to swing, it’s tough. … He got some quick outs. He was able to get through innings fast, I think that’s when he’s going to throw the ball well.”

Struggling Cleveland starters have stressed one of baseball’s best bullpens as of late. Saturday, relievers Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Clase combined for three innings of scoreless relief, ensuring a pair of home runs was all the support Williams needed to improve to 2-4 this season.

It took Kwan two pitches from Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson to give Cleveland the lift it’s been seeking most of the month.

The All-Star left fielder squared up a 1-0 fastball and belted it 396 feet past the flowerpots in right-center field. It was Kwan’s 12th home run this season and the fourth leadoff homer of his career.

“It was awesome to get the dugout that pumped that quick,” Naylor said of the quick start provided by Kwan.

Naylor followed suit on Woods Richardson’s first pitch of the sixth inning, pulling a fastball hung on the outer part of the strike zone into the right-field seats.

“The vibes have been really good, even through what might be called a tough stretch,” Naylor said. “I think that’s what makes us great. I think that’s what’s kind of helped us to some of our success to this point, the mindset through good or bad, up or down, we’re always going to continue to push through.”