Twins 4, Indians 3: Oswaldo Arcia slugged a two-run homer to cap a four-run fourth inning as visiting Minnesota upended Cleveland in the opener of their three-game series.
Kennys Vargas and Trevor Plouffe each drove in and scored a run for the Twins, who improved to 18-66 in games in which they were outhit (9-5). Trevor May (2-4) notched his second win in as many starts after beginning his major-league career with four losses in five outings, as he held the Indians to only two runs despite allowing five hits and four walks over five innings.
Yan Gomes drove in a pair of runs while rookie Jose Ramirez tied a career high with three hits for Cleveland, which trails Kansas City and Detroit by five games in both the American League Central and the race for the second wild-card spot. Trevor Bauer (5-8) struck out eight over a career high-tying eight frames but suffered his fourth loss in five decisions after giving up all of his runs and all four of his hits in succession in the fourth.
After Carlos Santana singled and Jason Kipnis doubled to open the second, Cleveland used a RBI groundout by Lonnie Chisenhall and a sacrifice fly by Gomes to take a two-run lead. Bauer, who picked off Jordan Schafer after issuing him a free pass to begin the game, retired 10 in a row thereafter before Minnesota caught fire with two outs in the fourth.
Joe Mauer doubled and scored on Vargas’ two-base hit, Plouffe knotted the game with a single to left that scored Vargas and Arcia broke the tie on the next pitch as he launched a changeup into the seats in right-center field. Gomes singled in Santana in the eighth to pull the Indians within a run, but Jared Burton needed only six pitches during a flawless ninth to record his second save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Three of Arcia’s four career hits against Bauer are home runs. … Ramirez has posted three hits three times in nine September games, but is hitless in the other six contests. … Indians All-Star LF Michael Brantley, who went 0-for-3 to snap a 12-game hitting streak, is 1-for-22 in his last six games against Minnesota.
Minnesota | Cleveland | |
Trevor May | Player | Trevor Bauer |
Win | W/L | Loss |
5.0 | IP | 8.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 8 |
5 | Hits | 4 |
3.60 | ERA | 4.50 |
Minnesota | Cleveland | |
Oswaldo Arcia | Player | Jose Ramirez |
2 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
5 | TB | 4 |
.500 | Avg | .600 |