Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Matt Tolbert went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two driven in and Scott Baker pitched into the eighth, as the Minnesota Twins won, 6-4, to hand the Cleveland Indians a seventh straight home loss.
Delmon Young added two hits, a run scored and an RBI, while Baker (3-4) was charged with four runs — three earned — on nine hits over his seven-plus innings to extend Minnesota’s season-high win streak to five.
Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera each homered during three-hit efforts for the Indians, whose starter, Josh Tomlin (7-3) was roughed up for six runs on nine hits in six frames.
Brantley sparked Cleveland early, doubling in front of Cabrera’s 12th home run of the season in the first inning, then adding a solo shot in the fifth.
But between the Indians’ power display, the Twins moved runners station-to- station and pushed five runs across.
Two came in the second frame when Tolbert’s two-out hit brought in Michael Cuddyer and Young, the latter sliding just in front of Shin-Soo Choo’s throw from right field.
Luke Hughes led of Minnesota’s three-run fifth with a double, moved to third on Tolbert’s bunt single and raced in when Drew Butera put down another bunt that went for a base hit. Tolbert later crossed home on Alexi Casilla’s double-play ground ball, and Butera scored on a wild pitch.
Doubles from Young and Cuddyer made it 6-3 in the sixth.
Baker was pulled after putting the first two hitters on in the eighth, and Jose Mijares induced a double-play before Choo beat out an infield single to score Cabrera.
Alex Burnett struck out Matt LaPorta to strand Choo on second, and Matt Capps worked around a leadoff walk to earn his eighth save of the season.
Minnesota came into the three-game series 12 1/2 games behind the American League Central-leading Indians…Cleveland last lost seven straight at home from June 12-26, 2003…The Twins have won eight straight in the series dating back to last year…Justin Morneau, who sat out the previous two games with a sore left wrist, went 0-for-4 in his 1,000th game with the Twins, the 16th player in franchise history to hit that mark…Over the weekend, Cleveland dropped four to Texas while Minnesota won four in Kansas City.