Lindor’s shot helps Indians top Twins in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO » Francisco Lindor homered in his native Puerto Rico, Corey Kluber allowed one run in 6.2 innings and the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Tuesday night.
Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez each had three hits for Cleveland in the first regular-season game on the island commonwealth since 2010. Brantley and Ramirez hit consecutive homers in the sixth, and Yonder Alonso added a solo homer in the eighth for Cleveland.
Kluber (2-1) gave up five hits and struck out six, lowering his ERA to 1.52.
Lindor and Minnesota’s Eddie Rosario were the Puerto Ricans in the lineup, and favorites of the sold-out crowd of 19,516. Fans at Hiram Bithorn Stadium will have more cheering options in Wednesday’s series finale, with the Twins sending righthander Jose Berrios to the mound and the Indians set to start Roberto Perez at catcher.
Lindor finished 1 for 5, the homer flanked by a par of warning-track flyouts. Rosario was 1 for 4.
The series was scheduled before Hurricane Maria hit last September. The recovery from the catastrophic storm has been the focus of this trip for the Twins and Indians.
“These people need to cheer,” Lindor said. So in the fifth, he made it happen. As horns blared, inflatable thundersticks clanged and fans screamed, he turned on an offering from Odorizzi and lofted a long fly to right.
It barely cleared the wall, but was enough. NATIONALS 5, METS 2 » Gio Gonzalez improved to 11-1 at Citi Field, Trea Turner kept Washington in gear all game and the Nationals beat New it York. ROCKIES 2, PIRATES 0 » Chad Bettis pitched into the eighth inning and combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, and Colorado beat Pittsburgh on a snowy night.
The announced attendance was 8,869, but there appeared to be fewer than 2,000 fans at PNC Park. The Pirates offered ticket vouchers for games later in the season to fans who came through the turnstiles. MARLINS 9, YANKEES 1 » J.T. Realmuto homered and drove in four runs in his season debut after coming off the disabled list, leading Jarlin Garcia and Miami to a blowout of sloppy New York.
Slumping slugger Giancarlo Stanton struck out two more times and grounded into a double play, finishing 0 for 4 and drawing boos from Yankees fans again. Stanton is 3 for 35 (.086) with 20 strikeouts at home this season. RANGERS 7, RAYS 2 » Matt Moore allowed an unearned run over seven innings in his first start against his former team and Texas beat Tampa Bay. TIGERS 4, ORIOLES 2 » Victor Martinez homered for the first time since August, and Detroit snapped a fivegame losing streak with a victory over Baltimore.
Martinez hit a two-run shot in the second, and Jeimer Candelario hit a tiebreaking triple in the fifth for Detroit.
Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 2 with two walks before leaving the game with back tightness. BLUE JAYS 5-11, ROYALS 4-3 » Luke Maile singled down the right-field line with the bases loaded in the 10th inning, and Toronto walked off with a victory over Kansas City to sweep a rare doubleheader at Rogers Centre.
Toronto won the opener 11-3 and has swept all three doubleheaders at its retractable-roof stadium.