The Minnesota Twins look to string together back-to-back wins and take a three-game series from the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday in the second portion of this set from Target Field.
Justin Morneau stroked a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie on Tuesday and Glen Perkins shut the Phillies down in order in the bottom of the ninth for his 14th save.
"To get a big hit there and come in and shut it down, (because) we've been playing a lot of long games and extra-inning games, is good for the team," Morneau told the club's website. "It's good for everybody, and hopefully gets us rolling in the right direction."
Morneau ended 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, as the Twins halted a two-game slide and won for the second time in six tries.
P.J. Walter pitched well in the no-decision for Minnesota, charged with two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in 7 1/3 frames.
"Our starter was fantastic, threw the ball great, and gave us a great opportunity," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Unfortunately we couldn't hold it there, but a good baseball game."
The Twins opened their nine-game homestand in good fashion and hope Mike Pelfrey can find some consistency on the mound Wednesday. Pelfrey's first season with Minnesota hasn't been what most have expected and he looks to stop a personal winless drought versus the familiar Phillies.
Pelfrey, a former starter for the New York Mets, is 0-3 with a 6.44 earned run average in his last six starts -- all Minnesota losses. Pelfrey pitched well for a no-decision last Thursday in a 7-3 loss at Kansas City, where he permitted three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander is 3-6 in 12 starts with a 6.40 ERA and 2-3 in six trips to the Target Field mound.
In 20 career starts against the Phillies, Pelfrey is 7-7 with a 5.16 ERA.
Philadelphia is mired in a four-game losing streak after winning a season-best five in a row and once again couldn't come through for starter Cole Hamels on Tuesday. The Twins scored two runs off of Hamels, who lasted six innings, struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Mike Adams was dealt the loss for giving up Morneau's hit in the eighth.
"If I can get that first batter out of the way then I'm fine," Adams said. "It seems like after the first batter, it's a totally different pitcher and it's just frustrating that it's putting me in a bad situation every time I go out there."
Ryan Howard had two hits and an RBI and hasn't homered since May 7. Michael Young was credited with the other RBI for the Phillies, who are 1-4 on a 10- game road trip and eight games off the lead in the NL East.
Phillies center fielder Ben Revere, who spent his first three seasons in the majors with the Twins, returned to Minnesota for the first time since being traded to the Phillies in the offseason. He went 1-for-4.
Also, the Phillies' streak of 14 straight games with a homer ended.
Tyler Cloyd enjoyed one of the sharpest outings of his early major league career the last time out and gets the ball again Wednesday for the Phils. Cloyd tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings in last Thursday's 5-1 win at Milwaukee and scattered four hits. He did have a career-high five walks and struck out two.
Cloyd, of course, is taking the rotation spot of injured veteran starter Roy Halladay (shoulder).
"I don't think you can fill in for Roy, a pitcher with that status and how great he is," Cloyd said. "For me, it's just go out there and compete and give the team a chance to win every time. That's been my main goal ever since I got up here. That's all I concentrate on."
The right-hander, who is 2-2 in five starts and lowered his earned run average to 3.68 against the Brewers, has never faced Minnesota. Cloyd is 2-1 in four road assignments this season.
Minnesota lost two of three meetings with Philadelphia last season.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.