Cleveland, OH – Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham each knocked in two runs and the Minnesota Twins held off the Cleveland Indians, 5-3, to avoid a three-game series sweep.
Trevor Plouffe had one RBI for the Twins, who had 12 hits.
Pedro Hernandez (3-1) got the start for Minnesota due to Mike Pelfrey being placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game. He allowed two runs on three hits while walking six over five innings.
Drew Stubbs hit a solo homer for the Indians, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Jason Kipnis and Yan Gomes added an RBI apiece.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (0-3) gave up three runs on six hits while walking four over 4 2/3 innings.
The Twins got on the board in the first inning. Joe Mauer doubled down the left-field line, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Willingham's single to left.
Cleveland scored one run in the second and third frames to take the lead. Mark Reynolds, Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn worked three straight walks to start the second. Gomes' sacrifice fly tied the game. Hernandez, however, retired the next two batters to limit the damage.
Mike Aviles walked to begin the third and raced home on Kipnis' double off the wall in left-center field.
Minnesota scored a pair of runs in the fifth to take the lead back. Clete Thomas singled and Mauer walked. Following two quick outs, Arcia and Plouffe hit consecutive RBI singles to make it 3-2 Twins.
The Twins tacked on another run in the seventh. Mauer singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Ryan Doumit's infield single and raced home on Willingham's base hit to left.
Stubbs led off the bottom half of the frame with a homer, cutting the gap to 4-3. Stubbs, however, grounded out with runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth.
Minnesota tacked on an insurance run in the ninth. Ryan Doumit singled and scored on Arcia's two-out double to left.
Glen Perkins worked around a two-out double in the ninth to pick up his 19th save of the season.
Game Notes
The Indians fell to 4-2 against the Twins this season ... Cleveland first baseman Nick Swisher returned to the lineup after missing six games with a sore left shoulder. He went 0-for-5 ... Pelfrey landed on the DL with a back strain ... Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Rochester prior to the game ... The Twins had homered in seven straight games.
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