Twins score five in fifth inning and defeat Indians, 5-4. Former Indian Jim Thome hit a two-run homer.
Jim Thome's 578th career homer scored Michael Cuddyer in the fifth inning and kick-started the Minnesota Twins' comeback from a 4-0 deficity Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. The Twins scored five times in the fifth and held on for a 5-4 victory.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lefty Brian Duensing recovered from a rocky beginning to work a career-high 7 1/3 innings as the Twins defeated the Indians, 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Duensing gave up four runs through two, then dominated.
Minnesota (63-49) won the final two of a three-game series. They overcame a 4-0 deficit through four innings thanks in part to Jim Thome's two-run homer.
The Indians slipped to 47-65.
Tribe lefty David 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, who 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.
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 change-up over the left-field wall. LaPorta had 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 Hudson.