A Minnesota Twins player, right, congratulates Max Kepler after he hit into a bases-loaded fielder’s choice, allowing Joe Mauer to score on an error by Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes in the 11th inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Minneapolis. Kipnis and Tyler Naquin each had two hits.Eduardo Nunez, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario each had two-hit nights for Minnesota and Dozier had two RBIs.Duffey struggled out of the gate, allowing a leadoff single to Santana and walking two to load the bases with one out.
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Gomes was tended to for several minutes by medical staff before leaving the field on a motorized cart due to a shoulder injury. “I had a chance there to still make a pitch and to get a guy who I’ve faced before and, you know, I just didn’t make a pitch”. “I’m going to Cleveland to be checked out and we’ll know more later”.
Gomes said after the game he feared a separated shoulder, and backup catcher Chris Gimenez couldn’t help but crack about the ritual.
“I was just trying to throw strikes to make them work because they played great behind me”, Tomlin said.
Gimenez replaced Gomes and hit a two-run single in the sixth for a 4-0 lead. Despite the inconsistencies, the Twins have won three of his last four starts and were in line for a victory in the other before a late bullpen meltdown against the Texas Rangers his last time out on July 8, when he surrendered four runs in five innings. He struck out four.
Minnesota had two runners on in the first, but just three over the next four innings as Tomlin breezed through the Minnesota lineup.
Minnesota Twins’ Juan Centeno hits an RBI double off Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Minneapolis.
“I think mainly the offence put up enough runs and just let me go out there and settle in a little bit”, he said. He pitched 7.2 innings, allowing only 6 hits and a walk. He struck out four.
First baseman Mike Napoli led off the top half of the second inning with a 408-foot home run to left field.
Leading 1-0 in the fifth, Cleveland strung together three straight two-out singles by Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor to ultimately drive in Santana to double its lead.
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Indians: RHP Tommy Hunter was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a non-displaced fracture in his lower back. Francona said Hunter was carrying his child during the All-Star break and tripped on a stair, injuring his back protecting the child. With Josh Tomlin set to face Kyle Gibson in the pitching matchup, the over/under for today’s game sits at 9 runs. They scored another run in the 5th, and two more in the 6th.
