Sano's Single Gives Twins 6-5 Walkoff Win Over Cleveland
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sano singled in a run with one out in the ninth inning, giving the Minnesota Twins a 6-5, walk-off win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.
Minnesota rallied after Mike Napoli homered off Kevin Jepsen (2-3) in the top of the ninth to tie the game 5-5. It was Jepsen's third blown save in five chances.
The Twins came back against closer Cody Allen (0-2). Minnesota's Brian Dozier doubled with one out in the ninth and intentionally walked Joe Mauer. Sano followed with a line drive to center field to score Dozier.
Minnesota is now 6-4 at Target Field and 1-10 on the road.
Twins starter Ricky Nolasco allowed four runs on five hits and struck out nine over 7 1/3 innings. He has pitched at least seven innings in three of his four starts this season.
Jason Kipnis and Juan Uribe hit solo homers for Cleveland.
Cleveland starter Cody Anderson allowed five runs for the third straight start. He departed after Eddie Rosario's two-out, tiebreaking homer in the sixth while giving up 10 hits.
Cleveland had tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth. After two groundouts, Rosario hit the first pitch he saw into the overhang in right field for his third homer in seven games.
Kipnis hit his second home run of the season to open the scoring in the first. Uribe led off the third against Nolasco with his first homer for Cleveland after the 37-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Indians in the offseason.
REACHING REGULARLY
Mauer had an RBI double and a walk and has now reached base safely in all 21 games he's played this season. The streak is the longest in baseball to begin this season.
Last year, St. Louis' Matt Holliday started the season by reaching base in his first 45 games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: Manager Terry Francona said RHP Tommy Hunter could be nearing a return from abdominal surgery. Hunter, 29, has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus where he is 0-1 with a 1.12 ERA in seven games.
Twins: 3B Trevor Plouffe (right intercostal strain) is improving and the team expects he will be activated from the 15-day disabled list when he's eligible on May 3. General manager Terry Ryan said Plouffe is likely to go on a short rehab assignment before he's activated.
UP NEXT
The Indians will start RHP Josh Tomlin (2-0, 1.54 ERA) on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series, but Minnesota had yet to announce its starter. The Twins placed Kyle Gibson on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain on Tuesday and selected the contract of RHP Jose Berrios. Berrios, considered one of the top pitching prospects in the game, could make his major league debut, but Ryan wouldn't confirm the starter prior to Tuesday's game.
(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
