Split ends Indians’ win streak
MINNEAPOLIS — Max Kepler made up for a fielding mistake in the top of the inning with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh, sending the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 victory over Cleveland in the second game Thursday night to salvage a day-night doubleheader split with the Indians.
Twins starter Aaron Slegers sailed through 6 innings in his major-league debut, helping stop Cleveland’s six-game winning streak. The Indians had also won 10 straight games in Minnesota, all but one this season.
Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis each homered and had three hits for the Indians in a 9-3 victory in the opener as the Twins set a franchise record with 19 strikeouts.
Recalled from tripleA Rochester as the 26th player for the nightcap, Slegers allowed only two hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts. The 6-foot10 right-hander lost the lead when he left a runner on with one out in the seventh and Carlos Santana greeted Trevor Hildenberger (2-1) with an RBI triple when Kepler slipped in the right-field corner trying to grab it.
But Kepler responded with his 15th homer, off Mike Clevinger (6-5) in a spot relief appearance, and Matt Belisle recorded the last two outs for his third save.
Jay Bruce homered with two outs in the fourth inning for Cleveland’s first hit off Slegers, giving the veteran right fielder five extra-base hits and six RBI in eight games since being acquired in a trade with the New York Mets.
Right-hander Ryan Merritt, the 26th player for the Indians who was summoned from the Clippers to start, hung in there until the fourth as the Twins built up their total of 13 men left on base.
In the opener, Gomes hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for his first three-hit game since April 23, 2016.
Kipnis homered two batters later to make it 7-2.
Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (12-5) allowed five hits in five innings. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Carrasco struck out the next two hitters.
“We’ll take it because that had a chance to be a complete bullpen game,” manager Terry Francona said.
Kyle Gibson (6-10) allowed three runs and seven hits in four-plus innings for the Twins. It was the 15th time in 21 starts this season Gibson didn’t last six innings.
Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez left the game in the second inning after being hit by a pitch, but X-rays on his right forearm were negative.
“It hurt really bad, and I thought that I broke it. But I’m fine, thank God,” Ramirez said through a translator.
He sat out the second game.