Delmon Young, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel all homered as the Minnesota Twins opened a four-game series with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.
Young hit a two-run homer and a double off Doug Fister (3-3), who went 7 2/3 innings, allowing all five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
Cuddyer, normally a right fielder playing second base for the first time in five years as a substitute for injured Orlando Hudson (left wrist), and Kubel hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning off Fister for a 5-1 lead.
Fister entered the game as the ERA leader in the American League and had allowed only two homers in 62 innings.
The Mariners threatened in the ninth when Jose Lopez hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Josh Wilson, who had three hits. Casey Kotchman, however, grounded into a game-ending double play as Jon Rauch earned his 13th save and the Twins won their fifth in a row.
Francisco Liriano (5-3) ended a three-game losing streak by going six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out seven.
Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, the AL batting leader, was 3-for-4 with two doubles, raising his average to .377.
Minnesota | Seattle | |
Francisco Liriano | Player | Doug Fister |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 7.2 |
7 | Strikeouts | 6 |
8 | Hits | 8 |
4.50 | ERA | 5.87 |
Minnesota | Seattle | |
Justin Morneau | Player | Josh Wilson |
3 | Hits | 3 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 0 |
5 | TB | 3 |
.750 | Avg | .750 |