Indians Rally To Beat Twins In 12 Innings
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Brantley hit a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning and the Cleveland Indians rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 9-8 Wednesday.
Joe Mauer tied a career high with five hits for Minnesota.
Carlos Santana and Jason Giambi homered for the Indians, who won for just the third time in 10 games.
Nick Swisher and Jason Kipnis singled off Ryan Pressly (3-3) to open the 12th. Swisher moved to third on a fly out and scored easily on Brantley's fly out to center field.
Chris Perez (5-2) blew a save but got the win. Joe Smith earned his second save.
Santana homered off Glen Perkins in the 10th to give Cleveland an 8-7 lead. Mauer responded in the bottom half with a shot off Perez.
Cleveland trailed 7-3 entering the eighth inning. After the first two batters reached base against Casey Fien, Brantley had an RBI single and Giambi followed with a three-run homer that tied it.
Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson allowed six hits and three earned runs in 5 1-3 innings, the fourth straight start he's failed to go at least six innings.
Josh Roenicke, Caleb Thielbar and Jared Burton pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief before Fien struggled in the eighth.
Looking to build on the confidence gained from pitching one-hit ball in five relief innings last Friday, Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco allowed 10 hits and four earned runs in 4 1-3 innings.
Mauer, who singled and moved to third on a double by Justin Morneau, scored on a first-inning sacrifice fly by Josh Willingham. Morneau then scored on a double by Oswaldo Arcia. Brain Dozier and Mauer had RBI singles in the second to give Minnesota a 4-0 lead.
The Twins went 6 for 13 with runners in scoring position after going 3 for 48 over their last six games. Minnesota entered the game last in the American League, hitting .230 in such situations.
Mauer hit a two-run single in the sixth and Chris Colabello an RBI single in the seventh to make it 7-3.
NOTES: Mauer has five five-hit games in his career. The previous one was July 26, 2010, at Kansas City. ... The Indians have signed Cuban free agent RHP Leandro Linares to a minor league contract and sent the 19-year-old to their player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz. ... Twins GM Terry Ryan said that C-DH-OF Ryan Doumit is expected to be activated from the seven-day concussion DL "in the next couple days." ... Twins SS Pedro Florimon singled in the second to end his 19 at-bat hitless streak. ... Minnesota is scheduled to send Mike Pelfrey (4-10, 5.32) to the mound Thursday in the opener of a four-game home series against the White Sox. Chicago is scheduled to counter with Andre Rienzo (0-0, 2.95). ... Cleveland opens a three-game series Friday in Oakland with Justin Masterson (13-8, 3.59) scheduled to face the A's A.J. Griffin (10-8, 3.88).
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
