Polanco Goes 4 For 5, Homers As Twins Beat Cleveland 5-2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jorge Polanco hit a solo homer and doubled three times, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 5-2 on Monday night.
Polanco connected for his 27th homer in the third. He doubled in the first, fifth and seventh, and then struck out in the ninth.
The 28-year-old Polanco is three homers away from tying the Twins' single-season record for a switch-hitter set by Chili Davis in 1991.
Franmil Reyes connected to give the Indians at least one homer in a franchise-record 20 straight games. The team's previous single-season record was set in May 2000.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli returned to Minnesota on Sunday for the birth of his child. Coach Bill Evers is filling in for Baldelli.
The Twins got two in the first against Logan Allen (1-6). Byron Buxton singled, Polanco doubles and Rob Refsnyder drove both of them in with a double to right.
Buxton made it 4-2 with a one-out solo shot in the fifth for his 11th homer.
Michael Pineda (5-8) pitched three scoreless innings for the win, and Alex Colomé worked the ninth for his 12th save.
Pineda was activated from the injured list before the game. He had been sidelined by a strained left oblique.
Reyes' drive to the bleachers in the fourth came after José Ramírez's bunt hit and cut Minnesota's lead to 3-2.
Reyes has homered in three straight games. He was 1 for 20 before connecting for a pinch-hit homer Saturday in Boston.
Allen allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
CLOSE CALL
Indians reliever Justin Garza had his glove knocked off his right hand by Josh Donaldson's line drive in the seventh. Garza got his glove in front of his face and the ball bounced to the left side of the mound. Ramírez fielded the ball and threw out Donaldson at first.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: 1B Miguel Sanó returned after not playing Sunday because of a bruised left shoulder. He was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
Indians: RHP Shane Bieber had a bullpen session before the game and could pitch in a simulated game this week. Bieber, the AL Cy Young Award winner last season, hasn't pitched since June 13 because of a strained shoulder.
UP NEXT
Right-hander John Gant (4-9, 3.98 ERA) will start the second game of the series for Minnesota on Tuesday night. Right-hander Aaron Civale (10-2, 3.32 ERA) pitches for Cleveland. Civale is coming back from a sprained middle finger on his right hand.
(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
