Minnesota, which outhit the Indians 19-6 while swatting five home runs – three from right fielder Max Kepler – has won six of 10 meetings with Cleveland this season.
Advertisement
Kepler hit three homers – all two-run shorts and drove in six runs – in the game.
Kepler connected twice off 94-mph fastballs from Indians ace right-hander Danny Salazar, in the first and third innings. He grounded out in the fourth, and hit a two-run homer off Cody Anderson in the sixth. He grounded out to first in the eighth inning and singled in the ninth.
Joe Mauer was 4 for 4 and homered in the eighth off Andrew Miller, who was making his first appearance with Cleveland after being acquired Sunday from the Yankees. Altuve homered in the sixth inning, and Russell Martin went deep for Toronto in the ninth. Berrios, who was 1-1 with a 10.20 ERA in four starts with the Twins earlier this season, could get the start in place of Duffey.
“There’s something in my elbow that’s been there for a while, but it’s getting worse”, said Salazar, who lost for the first time since May 22.
Not all good things come in threes, and the Cleveland Indians found that out the hard way against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field Monday night. Tuesday night’s pitching matchup will feature Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco (7-4, 2.45) vs. Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson (3-6, 4.54).
“He obviously doesn’t look like himself the last couple games, so what we’re going to do is we’re going to get him looked at tomorrow, mostly, I hope, just for his peace of mind”, Francona said. Kepler then blasted his third home run of the game, into the seats in right-center field to make it 10-3.
Berrios gave up three runs in the first innings, then went on a stretch in which he retired 15 batters in a row and 16 of the last 17 batters he faced.
Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Indians, whose lead in the AL Central over idle Detroit was cut to four games.
Salazar didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game because the Indians wanted to rest his arm. In his last five starts he has a 7.88 ERA and has allowed 35 hits, including seven home runs, in 24 innings.
Salazar was in nearly constant trouble in the two innings he pitched. With one out in the first inning Mauer walked and Kepler hit the first of his two home runs, giving the Twins a 2-0 lead.
Cleveland Indians’ Lonnie Chisenhall watches his two run double off Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Jose Berrios during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in Cleveland. Miller made his Indians debut on Monday and served up a solo home run to 1B Joe Mauer while recording one out.2. Mauer led off the inning with a single, and he rode home on Kepler’s second home run, a booming shot over the wall in center field, his 13th of the year.
The Twins, who have won four of their last five games, are riding a rejuvenated offense in recent games. Shortstop Eduardo Escobar singled to right field and moved Vargas over to third base, and Rosario drew a walk that loaded the bases. Rosario walked, loading the bases. Jorge Polanco had a three-run triple in the third and tripled again in the fifth.
The loss dropped the Indians to 60-43 on the season, while the Twins improved to 41-64.
Advertisement
After the game, Indians manager Terry Francona said the club is having Salazar undergo an MRI to see if they can identity an issue.
