Twins take fifth straight, sweeping Brewers in home-and-home
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MILWAUKEE -- Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer each had three singles and the Minnesota Twins beat the Milwaukee Brewers for the fourth consecutive game, 7-2 on Thursday night.
The Twins, who have won five straight and are 7-3 in August, had 12 hits -- 11 singles and a double -- to sweep a home-and-home, four-game set with Milwaukee. The Brewers are 7-17 since July 16 and fell into third place in the NL Central with the loss.
Rookie Alan Busenitz (1-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief for his first major league win.
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Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (13-6) allowed seven runs, six earned, a career-high 11 hits and two walks while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struggled after allowing just three earned runs and 19 hits over 28 2/3 innings his past four starts.
Mauer came into the game in a 1-for-20 slump. He went 3 for 5 with singles in the third, fourth and sixth innings.
Buxton was 6 for 27 since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 1. He was 3 for 4 with singles in the second, third and fifth innings.
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The Twins scored three runs in the second and third innings off Davies. Minnesota strung together four consecutive hits to open the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Keon Broxton homered with two outs in the second, his 16th, for Milwaukee to make it 3-1. The homer snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak for the Brewers.
Mauer led off the third with a single, and the Twins had five singles in the inning to open a 6-1 lead.
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DIDN'T ENNS WELL
Minnesota starter Dietrich Enns, making his major league debut after joining the Twins organization July 30 in the trade that sent Jaime Garcia to the Yankees, lasted only 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, five hits and a walk. Minnesota manager Paul Molitor pulled him after just 53 pitches. The left-hander regularly threw 85-95 pitches in his minor league starts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
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Twins: LHP Glen Perkins (left shoulder strain) pitched one inning in a rehab outing for Double-A Chattanooga on Thursday night against Birmingham. The three-time AL All-Star, who hasn't pitched in the majors since April 10, 2016 due to injury, allowed one hit in 11 pitches.
Brewers: 3B Travis Shaw rejoined the team Thursday after missing a game due to personal reasons. . . . C Stephen Vogt (left knee strain) participated in baseball drills Thursday and is expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
UP NEXT
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Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (6-9) takes the mound at Detroit, his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 4.
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-5) pitches when the team opens a three-game series against Cincinnati.