CLEVELAND – Scott Diamond allowed three unearned runs over seven innings as the surging Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 5-3 Sunday.
Joe Mauer hit an RBI single in the first off Justin Masterson (2-5). The Twins star left in the ninth with a sprained right thumb.
Diamond (4-1) gave up seven hits and didn't issue a walk. In six starts since being recalled from the minors May 8, he has walked only four.
Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances as Minnesota took two of three in the series.
Minnesota made three errors, but improved to 5-1 since a five-game losing streak.
Cleveland fell to 2-7 since sweeping three straight at home from Detroit.
Alexi Casilla hit two sacrifice flies and the Twins got five infield hits, including three bunt singles.
Mauer drew a two-out walk in the third, went to third on a double by Josh Willingham and scored on an infield single by Justin Morneau to make it 2-0.
The teams exchanged sacrifice flies in the fourth. Casilla gave the Twins a 3-0 lead in the top half, then Jose Lopez countered for Cleveland. Shelley Duncan's RBI single later in the inning got the Indians within 3-2. Twins shortstop Brian Dozier's second error of the game fueled the rally.
Masterson gave up three runs and seven hits over six innings in one of the better outings by a Cleveland starter of late. In their previous eight games, Indians starters went 2-6 with a 9.52 ERA. That included a poor outing by Masterson on Tuesday when he gave up nine hits and all the runs in six innings of an 8-2 loss to Kansas City.
Willingham and Ryan Doumit singled home runs off reliever Nick Hagadone in the seventh. Ben Revere reached on a bunt and stole second. After replacing his belt, broken on the slide into the bag, Revere scored easily on Willingham's single.
Matt LaPorta reached on an error by Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe to start the seventh and scored on Lou Marson's one-out double.
NOTES: LHP Glen Perkins worked a scoreless eighth for the Twins. Minnesota relievers have held Cleveland to a .175 average and allowed one run in 18 innings this year. ... Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire is awaiting tests on RHP Carl Pavano's sore right shoulder. He opened a notebook and showed a sheet of paper to reporters, saying it listed his upcoming rotation. It was blank. Gardenhire said RHP Nick Blackburn, out since May 17 with a strained left quad) could be back soon. ... Indians manager Manny Acta is hopeful C Carlos Santana, sidelined since May 26 with a concussion, will return Tuesday. ... Indians CF Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 12 games. ... Plouffe went 3 for 4 and is hitting .423 (11 of 26) in his career at Progressive Field. ... The Indians go to Detroit for three games, opening a nine-game trip Tuesday. ... The Twins start a three-game series in Kansas City on Monday.
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