Recap: Cleveland vs. Minnesota
Sports Network | September 17, 2008
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Jhonny Peralta and Shin-Soo Choo finished with two RBI apiece, as the Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep with a 6-4 victory over the struggling Minnesota Twins.
Travis Hafner added a solo homer, his first since May 16, for the Indians, who completed the sweep on the heels of a three-game skid.
Cliff Lee was dealt just his sixth no-decision of the year after going 6 1/3 and yielding four runs -- three earned -- on 10 hits. His 2.41 ERA still leads the majors and the lefty has not lost in his last 13 starts. Edward Mujica (3-2) took the win by recording the final two outs in the seventh. Jensen Lewis grabbed his 10th save with a scoreless ninth.
Justin Morneau went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, and now has 24 RBI in his last 16 games, as the Twins dropped their fourth straight and fifth in seven games to find themselves 2 1/2 games behind the White Sox for the lead in the AL Central. Delmon Young drove in a run in defeat and Carlos Gomez had a solo homer.
Scott Baker, pitching on three days rest, threw his second shortest outing of the season at 4 2/3 innings and was touched for four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk to get the no-decision. Jose Mijares (0-1) absorbed the loss after giving up a run while recording just two outs in the seventh.
The Tribe rallied to take a 6-4 lead in the home seventh. With Mijares on the hill, Jamey Carroll reached base on a fielder's choice, stole second on a wild pitch and landed at third as Joe Mauer's throw travelled into the outfield. Choo went down looking at the third strike, but Matt Guerrier was called in from the bullpen and gave up consecutive RBI doubles to Peralta and Victor Martinez.
Lewis came in for Cleveland in the ninth and worked around a two-out single by Nick Punto to finish the game.
The Twins broke a scoreless tie in the first inning. Denard Span led off with a walk, moved to second on Alexi Casilla's single, advanced 90 feet as Mauer grounded into a double play and crossed home as Morneau stroked a single to left field.
Gomez's two-out solo homer to left field gave Minnesota a 2-0 advantage in the fourth stanza.
However, Peralta and Hafner made it a new ballgame in the home half, as they both clubbed solo homers.
Cleveland took the lead in the fifth inning. Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore tallied back-to-back one-out singles and Carroll advanced them both into scoring position with a ground out. Choo then slapped a two-run double to left, giving the Tribe a 4-2 lead.
Casilla led off the seventh as he reached on Carroll's fielding blunder and Mauer followed with a double. Morneau then plated a run with a ground out and Young followed with an RBI single, tying the game at 4-4.
With the no-decision, Lee was denied a bid to become the AL's first 23-game winner since Barry Zito went 23-5 with the Oakland Athletics back in 2002...Mauer has a six-game hit streak...Sizemore has a seven-game hit streak...Minnesota has won 10 of its 18 matchups with the Indians this season, but has dropped six of nine meetings in Cleveland.
