Miami, FL – Placido Polanco and Jeff Mathis each hit two-run homers to help lift the Miami Marlins over the Minnesota Twins, 5-3, to complete a two-game sweep at Marlins Park.
The homers were the first of the season for both Mathis and Polanco, with Polanco finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Giancarlo Stanton added the other RBI for the Marlins.
Kevin Slowey (3-7) pitched three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win, scattering just four hits.
Miami has now gone 10 straight games allowing just three runs or fewer, having recorded a 7-3 record during that span.
Scott Diamond (5-7) yielded four runs on eight hits while fanning four in five-plus innings for Minnesota. He's given up 17 earned runs in 20 innings over his last four road starts.
Joe Mauer went 3-for-5 with a run batted in, while Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia each had an RBI as well for the Twins, who open up a four- game series versus the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
With the game tied in the sixth inning, Polanco came through with a home run off Ryan Pressly that just cleared the left-field wall to put the Marlins up 5-3. Logan Morrison singled to begin the frame to chase Diamond from the mound.
Minnesota's only runs of the game would come in the first frame.
Clete Thomas worked a walk to begin the game and advanced all the way to third on Tom Koehler's throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Brian Dozier then drew a walk before Mauer's RBI single up the middle scored Thomas. Willingham delivered on a line drive to center to bring in Dozier and move Mauer to third, and an Arcia groundout to first made it 3-0 Twins.
Diamond retired 10 straight batters until Polanco singled to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Two batters later, Mathis connected on a two-run homer to bring the deficit to one. Slowey, Justin Ruggiano and Ed Lucas each singled later in the inning, and Stanton's groundout to first scored Slowey to tie the game.
Steve Cishek faced the minimum in the ninth to collect his 14th save of the season.
Game Notes
Marlins catcher Mathis has thrown out 10-of-15 runners who've attempted to steal against him this season ... Miami now has a 3-8 record in interleague play this season ... The Twins went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, while Miami went 1-for-6 ... Marlins starter Koehler allowed three runs on four hits in four innings ... A Miami starting pitcher has only won two straight starts twice the season ... Mauer extended his hitting streak to eight games.
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