By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) –
CLEVELAND — The Minnesota Twins stretched Cleveland’s losing streak to 11 games Tuesday night, coming from behind for a 7-5 victory at Progressive Field.
Trailing 5-1, the Twins capitalized on two Cleveland errors to score three runs in the seventh inning.
Clinging to a 5-4 lead in the ninth, the Indians turned to closer Chris Perez, who had blown a three-run, 10th-inning lead in Sunday’s loss at Detroit.
This time, Josh Willingham hit a one-out single, and pinch runner Darin Mastroianni stole second base. Justin Morneau hit a spinning grounder down the first-base line, and the Indians’ Casey Kotchman misplayed it for yet another error, as Mastroianni came around to score the tying run from second.
Ryan Doumit followed with a double into the right-center gap, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka gave the Twins the lead with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Nishioka is 0-for-8 with a walk since getting promoted from Class AAA Rochester, but he’s in the books with his first game-winning RBI. Brian Dozier added a run-scoring single, giving Glen Perkins some extra cushion as he came on for his seventh save.
The Twins improved to 9-3 in their past 12 games and can pull into a tie with Cleveland for third place in the American League Central with another victory in Wednesday’s series finale.
The Indians have been outscored 95-36 in their longest losing streak since 2009. With another loss, Cleveland would match its franchise record of 12 games, set in 1931.
Dozier started the Twins’ seventh-inning rally with a bloop double down the right-field line, and then Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera booted a grounder by Jamey Carroll. That was the last batter faced by Indians starter Corey Kluber, who held the Twins to one earned run over six innings.
Ben Revere made it 5-2 with an RBI groundout against Tony Sipp, and the Twins loaded the bases on a walk by Joe Mauer and a hit-by-pitch by Willingham.
Morneau came up against Joe Smith and hit a hard grounder to second base — right through the wickets of Jason Kipnis, scoring two runs. But Indians lefthander Chris Seddon came on to retire Doumit, ending the inning.
The Twins put runners at first and second in the eighth inning, but Revere grounded to shortstopp, ending that threat. Revere extended his hitting streak to 21 games in the first inning, but went hitless in his next four at-bats.
Twins starter Sam Deduno lasted only four innings, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks.
The Indians were the first team to get a second look at Deduno after he held them to two hits (and five walks) over seven innings on July 28. Handed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Deduno fell behind 4-1 by the second.
He issued a leadoff walk to Michael Brantley in the second, and two batters later Shelley Duncan hit a two-run homer into the left-field seats.
Cleveland added three rus in the second inning. Michael Brantley drew a leadoff walk and two batters later, Shelley Duncan hit a two-run homer into the left-field seats. Cabrera made it 4-1 later that inning with a two-out RBI single.
