Twins score five in fifth inning and lead Indians, 5-4, through six.
Cleveland Indians Michael Brantley slides into third base with a triple as MInnesota Twins third baseman Danny Valencia waits on the relay throw in today's game in Cleveland.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe plays host to the Twins in the finale of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
Pitching matchup: LHP David Huff (2-10, 5.97 ERA) vs. LHP Brian Duensing (4-1, 2.10).
In-game updates:
The Twins led the Indians, 5-4, through six innings.
The Tribe scored three in the first.
Michael Brantley opened with a triple -- the first of his career. He hooked Duensing's pitch into the right-field corner.
After Asdrubal Cabrera grounded the first pitch to third, Shin-Soo Choo picked him up with a first-pitch single to center.
With two outs, Matt LaPorta kept the hands back and launched a changeup over the left-field wall. LaPorta hit a walkoff homer Friday night.
The Tribe made it 4-0 in the second when Trevor Crowe scored on Lou Marson's double-play grounder. The run was unearned because of an earlier throwing error by second baseman Orlando Hudson.
Huff cruised into the fifth, having allowed two singles. The game got away from Huff in a hurry.
Michael Cuddyer led off with a walk. Designated hitter Jim Thome dented a 1-0 pitch with a smash into the right-field seats for his 578th career homer.
The RBIs were Nos. 1,600 and 1,601 for Thome, giving him sole possession of 31st on the all-time list. Nap Lajoie now ranks 32nd with 1,599.
Danny Valencia struck out looking. J.J. Hardy reached on an infield single near second and sprinted to third on Jason Repko's double into the left-field corner.
Orlando Hudson drove in two with a double to right-center. Hudson (right oblique) was activated earlier in the day.
Hudson advanced to third on Huff's wild pitch during Joe Mauer's at-bat. Huff walked Mauer when a full-count fastball missed several inches inside.
Indians manager Manny Acta popped out of the dugout and signaled for Justin Germano.
Germano appeared to have made the pitch to keep it 4-4, getting Delmon Young to ground sharply to third. But Andy Marte fumbled the ball, ruining the possibility of a double play. Marte recovered in time for the force at second as Hudson scored.
Pregame notes: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, as much as anybody on the Indians, deserves good luck on the health front.
Earlier this season, Cabrera fractured his left forearm when teammate Jhonny Peralta crashed into him while attempting to field a grounder at Tampa Bay.
Cabrera missed two months' worth of games.
Saturday night, Cabrera caught a break instead of suffering one. He fouled a ball directly off his lower-right leg late in the Tribe's 7-2 loss to the Twins, but he returned to the lineup Sunday afternoon.
"I feel fortunate,'' he said. "It could have been worse.''
Cabrera fouled the pitch from Jon Rauch below the knee and slightly above a shin guard designed to prevent just such a calamity. Cabrera hobbled briefly, stayed in the game and drew a walk.
"I iced it after the game and waited to see how it felt in the morning,'' he said. "It was good enough to go.''
Cabrera put a sleeve over the bruised area.
O-Dog returns: The Twins activated second baseman Orlando Hudson (right oblique) Sunday. Hudson batted second.
Mauer power: Minnesota hitting machine Joe Mauer started at catcher for the first time since July 31, the day he received a cortisone shot for right-shoulder tendinitis. He has been the Twins' designated hitter.
Mauer is hitting .553 (21-for-38) since July 26 at Kansas City. The three-time AL batting champion ranks seventh in the league with a .322 average.
Former Indian Jim Thome started at DH and batted seventh.
Lineups:
Twins (62-49) -- 1. Jason Repko cf; 2. Orlando Hudson 2b; 3. Joe Mauer c; 4. Delmon Young lf; 5. Jason Kubel rf; 6. Michael Cuddyer 1b; 7. Jim Thome dh; 8. Danny Valencia 3b; 9. J.J. Hardy ss; and Duensing.
Indians (47-64) -- 1. Michael Brantley cf; 2. Asdrubal Cabrera ss; 3. Shin-Soo Choo rf; 4. Shelley Duncan dh; 5. Matt LaPorta 1b; 6. Andy Marte 3b; 7. Trevor Crowe lf; 8. Jason Donald 2b; 9. Lou Marson c; and Huff.
Umpires: P -- D.J. Reyburn; 1b -- Greg Gibson; 2b -- Scott Barry; 3b -- Gerry Davis.