Mitch Garver hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the visiting Cleveland Indians 5-4 Monday night in Minneapolis.
Miguel Sano opened the inning by drawing a hard-fought walk against Neil Ramirez (0-1), and pinch runner Ehire Adrianza was sacrificed to second by Jake Cave. Two pitches later, Garver lifted a 1-0 fastball over left fielder Michael Brantley's head and was met at second base by his teammates.
Garver's first career walk-off hit gave Minnesota its fifth game-ending win of the year. Three of those victories have come against the Indians.
Before Garver delivered, closer Fernando Rodney (3-2) survived a high-wire top of the ninth. With Francisco Lindor on third, he struck out Jose Ramirez -- who homered twice earlier -- and fanned Yonder Alonso on a 98 mph fastball after walking Edwin Encarnacion.
The Twins beat the Indians for the seventh time in 10 meeting, recording the win after dealing Lance Lynn to the New York Yankees and Zach Duke to the Seattle Mariners earlier Monday.
Before Garver's dramatic hit, Ramirez recorded his ninth career multi-homer game by hitting solo homers in consecutive at-bats off Ervin Santana. Yan Gomes also homered for the Indians, and Alonso hit a game-tying single in the sixth.
Sano went 2-for-3 and hit an RBI double in his first home game since returning from the minors. Robbie Grossman lifted a sacrifice fly and Jorge Polanco had a two-run single for Minnesota.
Cleveland rookie Shane Bieber allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
In his second start back from the disabled list, Santana allowed four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and fanned one.
The Indians jumped ahead three batters in when Ramirez snapped a 0-for-17 slide by driving Santana's full-count fastball over the right field fence.
After Sano's RBI double in the second put the Twins ahead 2-1, Ramirez struck again, slugging a full count breaking ball into the right field seats in the fourth.
Cleveland grabbed a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Gomes slugged a 1-0 breaking ball into the left field seats, but Minnesota answered in the fifth on Polanco's single to right.
The Indians tied the game in the sixth when Cave mistimed his dive on Alonso's bloop to center field and Encarnacion easily scored.
--Field Level Media
Cleveland | Minnesota | |
Shane Bieber | Player | Ervin Santana |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
6.1 | IP | 5.1 |
7 | Strikeouts | 1 |
7 | Hits | 6 |
5.68 | ERA | 6.75 |
Cleveland | Minnesota | |
Jose Ramirez | Player | Miguel Sano |
2 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 1 |
2 | HR | 0 |
8 | TB | 3 |
.500 | Avg | .667 |