Minneapolis, MN – Oswaldo Arcia hit his first career home run -- a three-run blast -- and Kevin Correia tossed seven solid innings as the Minnesota Twins edged the Miami Marlins, 4-3, on Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Target Field.
Justin Morneau drove in one run and Brian Dozier went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored for the Twins, who have won five straight. Correia (2-1) yielded two runs on five hits and struck out five in the victory.
Joe Mahoney had two hits and plated two runs and Greg Dobbs had one RBI for the Marlins, losers of three straight.
Jose Fernandez (0-2), making just the fourth start of his career, lasted five innings for Miami and gave up all four runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out a pair in defeat.
Dozier helped Minnesota jump on the board in the first inning. He ripped a triple to left-center to lead off the frame and two batters later, Morneau hit a fielder's choice to short to bring Dozier home and make it 1-0.
Miami, though, got two runs back with a two-out rally in the fourth. Dobbs hit a single and Justin Ruggiano followed with a double to put both players in scoring position. Mahoney then came through with a single to right to bring home both runners and give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Consecutive singles from Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe kick-started the bottom half of the fourth for the Twins. Arcia then crushed the first pitch he saw from Fernandez well over the right-field wall to give Minnesota a 4-2 edge.
Miami didn't threaten again until the eighth. With one out, Juan Pierre knocked a double to right off of Minnesota reliever Jared Burton, who drilled the next two batters he faced to load the bases. Dobbs drove in Pierre with a line drive off Burton's glove, although he was thrown out at first.
The Twins got out of the jam when Burton forced Ruggiano to ground out to third to end the frame.
Glen Perkins then struck out the side in the ninth for his sixth save of the season.
Game Notes
The first test of a original three-game set was scheduled for Monday night, but was postponed by inclement weather ... The Twins have now equaled their longest winning streak of last season, which occurred from June 30-July 3 ... Correia is 4-4 in nine starts versus Miami in his career ... Game-time temperature was 38 degrees.
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