The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Tribe bats go silent in loss to Minnesota
The Indians wasted an outstanding performance by Josh Tomlin as they were blanked by the Twins.
Ervin Santana allowed two hits in seven innings, Miguel Sano homered and the Twins beat Cleveland, 1-0, in the first shutout against the Indians this season.
Santana (6-1) walked a seasonhigh five and struck out four, lowering his ERA to 1.50.
After Cleveland loaded the bases in the fifth on a single and two walks, Santana retired Edwin Encarnacion on an inningending flyout.
Taylor Rogers got the first out of the eighth, Matt Belisle finished the inning and Brandon Kintzler pitched a perfect ninth to complete the three-hitter and earn his ninth save in 10 chances.
Cleveland, coming off a 4-5 trip, went 0-for-5 with runners scoring position and stranded eight runners.
Sano homered to right with two outs in the first off Josh Tomlin (2-4), who gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked one in a season-high eight innings.
Minnesota has homered in 13 consecutive games, its longest streak since 14 in a row in 1988.
The Twins (18-14) have won 10 of 14 and lead the AL Central after losing a major league-high 103 games last season, when they started 8-25.
Santana was coming off his first loss this season, a start in which he allowed six runs in six innings against Boston on Sunday. He is 3-7 at Cleveland, including a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels on July 27, 2011 at Progressive Field.
Michael Brantley, in the Cleveland lineup after missing three games because of a sprained right ankle, singled in the first and again with one out in the eighth.
First baseman Joe Mauer dropped Encarnacion’s
eighth-inning popup after colliding with shortstop Jorge Polanco, but Brantley had to hold at first and was thrown out trying for second.
Trainer’s room
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (lower back strain) has yet to throw on the mound since going on the 10-day disabled list on May 3. He has been throwing off flat ground and running.
Up next
Twins: RHP Jose Berrios will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester to make his first big-league start of the year Saturday. He went 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA for the Red Wings. Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger allowed one hit in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his first start of the season on May 7, earning a 1-0 win at Kansas City.