“You’ve got to enjoy these things whenever they come along”, Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
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Minnesota Twins’ Max Kepler and Brian Dozier (2) celebrate the team’s 10-6 win over the Cleveland Indians in a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, in Cleveland. “They’ve beat us around”.
Indians manager Terry Francona admitted his ace hasn’t pitched well of late, but added, “He doesn’t look like somebody that’s hurt to me”. Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer didn’t make it out of the third inning, giving up seven earned runs on five walks and eight hits. “It doesn’t really matter how well you pitch when you put up runs like that”. Minnesota is also 5-1 in their last six road games, and 6-1 in their last seven games on grass.
Braun hit his 15th homer to break a 1-1 tie and Hernan Perez had three hits and scored twice Tuesday night as Milwaukee defeated San Diego. In the series, Mauer is hitting. In the series, Mauer is 10-for-15 with five doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBIs.
“Another good night”, Molitor said.
Eddie Rosario added three hits and three RBIs for Minnesota. He never hit more than 10 home runs in a minor-league season.
The lone bright spots for Cleveland were Mike Napoli and rookie Tyler Naquin.
Cody Anderson, 25, could join the rotation while Salazar is out. The Indians led the division by as many as 7 1/2 games on July 20, but their lead over the Tigers is now down to two games. “You can understand the reaction because that’s a big play in the game”. But I think in the back of his head, he’s a little nervous he’s going to feel it or he can’t quite let loose or he’s not quite the same.
American League Central-leading Cleveland fell to 4-8 against last-place Minnesota. Yes, the Twins, 8-4 against the Indians this year, have tacked a quarter of a run onto that figure this week.
Addison Russell supplied a two-run single in the first inning and Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks took it from there en route to a complete-game shutout.
Kepler hit his fourth two-run homer of the series in the third inning, two batters after Brian Dozier’s two-run shot.
Salazar has been bothered by elbow soreness since shortly before the All-Star break, struggling mightily over his last five starts – 21 earned runs over 24 innings. He also doubled in the first and walked in the sixth. Bauer walked five batters and struck out just one Minnesota hitter and threw only 45 strikes on 80 pitches.
Mauer had an RBI single in the second, a two-run double in the third and an RBI triple in the eighth. Francona and Callaway were tossed by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez.
“I knew I was going to get thrown out because you can’t go out and argue those”, Francona said.
Kepler began the season at Rochester but leads AL rookies in homers (14) and RBIs (44).
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In Thursday’s game, the Twins will start left-hander Hector Santiago, who will be making his Twins debut, after being acquired earlier in the week in a trade with the Angels. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, it’s the first time in franchise history that they’ve had at least nine extra-base hits in consecutive games. The Cleveland Indians still can not figure out the Minnesota Twins, and it cost them their third blowout loss in a row.
