SAN FRANCISCO -- For someone who had played just four previous games in his career at AT&T Park, Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier sure demonstrated a knowledge of the 18-year-old ballpark Saturday afternoon.

Then perhaps even more surprisingly, he demonstrated an ability to take advantage of the knowledge.

The diminutive Dozier watched as the wind blew his high fly ball over the left-field fence in the fifth inning, a two-run homer that broke a tie and sent the Twins to a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the second game of their interleague series.

Right-handers Tyler Duffey, Matt Belisle and Brandon Kintzler protected a one-run lead with 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief as the American League Central-leading Twins improved to 6-3 on their 10-game Western swing that ends Sunday.

"I like the question," Dozier responded when asked to explain why the Twins, who became baseball's fourth 20-game winner on the road this season, were playing so well away from home. "The question is usually: Why can't you win at home?

"We've got to start winning at home. But if we keep winning on the road, I'll take it."

Brandon Belt homered for the Giants, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine home games.

"We really played a good game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We have a hard time here at home. Wish I could put my finger on it. Right now, it's a challenge for us."

Kennys Vargas belted the second-longest home run of the 2017 season, a 471-footer off Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija, to offset Belt's first-inning homer and draw the Twins even at 1-1 in the fourth.

Chris Gimenez then led off the fifth with a single and, with two outs, Dozier lifted a high fly that, given the way Giants left fielder Austin Slater seemed to be tracking it, appeared destined to die on the warning track.

But the ball carried into the second row of the bleachers for Dozier's 10th homer of the season, giving the Twins a lead they never relinquished.

"Look at the flags," Dozier observed. "The flags at the top, they blow out. The lower flags blow in. It swirls.

"You've got to get it high. The ball flies here during the day."

The homer was Dozier's third in his last 19 interleague games, a stretch during which he has hit .310 (26-for-84) and driven in 16 runs.

"I like interleague play," he said. "There's a lot more switching."

Once his team got the lead, Twins manager Paul Molitor switched pitchers three times, with all three moves working to perfection.

Buster Posey's infield out plated Eduardo Nunez in the fifth to draw the Giants within 3-2, but San Francisco had only one hit the rest of the way against Twins starter Jose Berrios and three relievers.

Duffey came on after Austin Slater's second of two hits, a single, put the potential tying run aboard with one out in the sixth.

Duffey got pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson to ground into a double play to end the sixth, then retired the Giants in order in the seventh.

Belisle needed just nine pitches to set down the middle of San Francisco's lineup in the eighth before Kintzler worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save.

"I have to credit my teammates today," Berrios said. "I didn't pitch that well."

Berrios (5-1) improved his road record to 4-0, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight, giving him 39 strikeouts in 38 innings this season.

In winning their third in a row, the Twins managed just five hits off Samardzija and two Giants relievers.

Samardzija (2-8) allowed all three Twins runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one, just his second walk since May 1.

"He's throwing the ball great," Bochy said of Samardzija. "Occasionally, you're going to give up three runs, maybe four, but you have to pick these pitchers up sometimes. I know this is more of a pitchers' park, but still that shouldn't happen."

Slater and Belt had two hits apiece for the Giants, who outhit the Twins 6-5.

NOTES: The Twins improved 193-174 all time in interleague play, the ninth-most wins in the majors since the concept was introduced in 1997. ... The Giants have lost 12 of their last 16 interleague games. ... Giants 1B Brandon Belt's home run was a "Splash Hit" into the San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall, the 73rd for a Giant since AT&T Park opened in 2000. Belt has seven of those blasts, tying him with 3B Pablo Sandoval for second among Giants. LF Barry Bonds is the leader with 35. ... The Twins are expected to promote LHP Nik Turley, a former Giants farmhand, from Triple-A Rochester to start the series finale Sunday. LHP Randy Rosario was informed after the game that he had been sent to Double-A Chattanooga to create a roster spot.