Morales, Blackburn Lead Twins' Sweep Of Indians

(Sports Network) – Jose Morales singled, doubled and knocked in three runs to back seven solid innings from Nick Blackburn, as the American League Central champion Minnesota Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with a 5-1 win at Target Field.

Matt Tolbert and Ben Revere each added an RBI single for Minnesota, which clinched the title for a second straight year and for the sixth time in nine seasons with Tuesday’s 6-4 win, coupled with Oakland’s victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The Twins improved to 17-4 in their last 21 games.

Blackburn (10-10) yielded one run on five hits, struck out two and walked a pair.

Shelley Duncan accounted for the lone run with an RBI single for the Indians, who have dropped four straight.

Carlos Carrasco (1-1) suffered the loss after giving up three runs on six hits and three walks while fanning four over six frames. The young right-hander picked up his first big league victory on Friday at Kansas City.

Duncan’s two-out single up the middle in the first scored Drew Sutton, who reached on a walk, to give the Indians an early lead.

With the bases loaded for the Indians and one out in the second, Blackburn got Sutton to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep it a 1-0 game.

Minnesota finally put up three against Carrasco in the sixth. Alexi Casilla led off with a base hit, stole second and scored on a two-out double by Morales. Tolbert followed with an RBI two-bagger before Revere singled to center to chase in another.

Morales’ two-out two-run single in the seventh upped the Twins’ lead to 5-1.

Brian Fuentes and Matt Guerrier each threw a scoreless inning to finish out the victory.

Game Notes

Twins catcher Joe Mauer sat out his third straight game due to a left knee injury…The Twins improved to 12-6 against the AL Central-rival Indians this season and have won seven of the previous eight matchups between the clubs.

Twins, Indians Conclude Three-Game Set At Target Field

(Sports Network) – Having already clinched the American League Central title for a second straight year and for the sixth time in nine seasons, the Minnesota Twins can focus on locking up home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Twins shoot for a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians this afternoon from Target Field and clinched the division thanks to Tuesday’s 6-4 victory combined with Chicago’s loss in Oakland. Trailing 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Twins scored four runs to take the lead for good.

Delmon Young and Denard Span each had an RBI single, while Jose Morales added a sacrifice fly and Orlando Hudson doubled in a run for Minnesota, which is 16-5 in its last 21 games. Jim Thome homered and Glen Perkins picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Matt Capps posted his 15th save in the ninth and starter Scott Baker lasted five innings, allowing two runs, one of which was earned, with seven strikeouts.

“Considering we’ve been to Game 163 the last couple years, I think this might work out a little bit better for us,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on the team’s website.

Minnesota, which locked up the AL Central with 11 games left in the season, has played without MVP catcher Joe Mauer the last two games because of a left knee injury. He’s expected to miss today’s bout with the Tribe and may rest even more now that the Twins have locked up the division. An MRI on the knee revealed some tissue inflammation but nothing more serious.

The Twins, 45-18 since the All-Star break, look to Nick Blackburn Wednesday to complete the sweep. He’s 9-10 with a 5.43 ERA in 25 games (23 starts) and lost his most recent appearance last Friday in a 3-1 setback versus Oakland. He gave up three runs in seven innings and surrendered eight hits.

Blackburn recently tossed eight shutout innings in a no-decision against the Indians on September 11 at Progressive Field and is 5-3 in 12 career games (10 starts) in this series.

Cleveland will try to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak and salvage the finale of this set. Fausto Carmona took the mound last night and did not record a decision after he limited Minnesota to a pair of runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Justin Masterson was saddled with the loss for giving up three runs in the decisive four-run eighth inning.

“Good effort by Carmona, he pitched very well,” said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. “We couldn’t get it done tonight.”

Drew Sutton and Travis Hafner each had two hits and an RBI in defeat. Hoping to bring the Tribe back into the win today will be youngster Carlos Carrasco, who’s 1-0 with a 2.70 earned run average in four starts this season. He won his first major league game the previous time out in an 11-4 triumph at Kansas City last Friday, as he yielded three runs in six innings with six K’s.

Carrasco faced the Twins for the first time on September 11 this season and did not post a decision, despite pitching 7 1/3 shutout innings in a 1-0 loss.

The Twins are 11-6 against the AL Central-rival Indians this season and have won six of the previous seven matchups between the clubs.

Minnesota Twins Clinch AL Central Title

Can we take that the 2010 American League Central Division championship and. . .to borrow a phrase. . .put it on the board?

Why yes. . .yes, we can.

The Minnesota Twins became the first team in Major League Baseball to clinch a post-season berth this evening, thanks to the Chicago White Sox dropping a 7-2 decision to the Oakland Athletics this evening. Earlier tonight, the Twins put together a four-run eighth inning to defeat the Cleveland Indians and reduce their magic number to 1.

The 2010 division title is the Twins’ sixth since Ron Gardenhire took over the club in 2002. Despite his track record of success, Gardenhire has only been named AL Manager of the Year one time. . .he’s finished as the runner-up, however, on four separate occasions, and will no doubt be in the running for the award again this season.

The Twins also trail the New York Yankees by one game for the best overall record in the American League, which would give them home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Minnesota’s likely opponent in the first round of the post-season is the Tampa Bay Rays, as the wild card from a particular league can not play a team from the same division in the first round. As a result, the likely first-round matchups are the Twins against the Devil Rays and the Yankees against the Texas Rangers.

Congratulations to the 2010 American League Central Champions, the Minnesota Twins. Our good friends over at Twinkie Town will no doubt be popping the champagne corks any time now.

Span, Hudson Rally Twins To Victory, 6-4, Over Cleveland

(Sports Network) – Orlando Hudson’s RBI double capped a four- run eighth inning, as the Minnesota Twins rallied to beat Cleveland, 6-4, and close within the American League Central title.

With the win, the Twins lowered their magic number to clinch a playoff spot to one, and a loss by the Chicago White Sox in Oakland later Tuesday will give Minnesota its second straight division crown and sixth in the last nine seasons under Ron Gardenhire, who picked up the 800th managerial win of his career.

Trailing 4-1, the Twins got a run in the sixth when impressive rookie third baseman Danny Valencia drove in Jim Thome with his two-out single. Rafael Perez replaced Cleveland starting pitcher Fausto Carmona and Nick Punto grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Thome singled off Justin Masterson (6-13) to open the eighth, and Delmon Young hit a sinking line drive to center field that caromed off an indecisive Michael Brantley. Young was credited with a double that scored pinch-runner Trevor Plouffe. A single by Valencia put men on the corners for Punto, who flied out to left field.

Tony Sipp took over on the mound for Cleveland and yielded a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Jose Morales that tied the game. Denard Span then slapped a single to left, plating Valencia with the go-ahead run, and Hudson split the gap in right-center to make it 6-4.

Matt Capps tossed a perfect ninth for his 15th save with the Twins and 41st of the season.

Thome homered in the second inning for Minnesota, which improved to an MLB- best 45-18 since the All-Star break.

Scott Baker got the starting nod for the Twins, his first since September 2 because of elbow tendinitis, and allowed two runs — one earned — on four hits and struck out seven over five full frames. Glen Perkins (1-1) earned the win after pitching the eighth.

Travis Hafner and Drew Sutton both had two hits and knocked in a run for the Indians, while Carmona gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Cleveland scratched out a run in the first. Shin-Soo Choo drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on catcher Drew Butera’s errant pickoff attempt. Hafner then put the Indians on the board with a double to left.

After Thome’s blast — his 25th of the season and 589th of his career — tied the game in the second, Sutton restored the lead in the fifth for Cleveland with a two-out single that scored Brantley.

Jose Mijares was on the hill to begin the sixth for Minnesota and promptly gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases. Trevor Crowe grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to produce a run and Luis Valbuena followed with an RBI double to give the Indians a three-run lead.

Game Notes

The Twins’ J.J. Hardy missed the game with a migraine headache and was replaced by Punto at shortstop…Minnesota outfielder Jason Kubel returned to the lineup after missing four games with a sore left wrist…The Twins improved to 51-25 at Target Field…Minnesota is 11-6 against Cleveland in 2010.

Twins Can Clinch AL Central Tonight

(Sports Network) – The Minnesota Twins can become the first team in the majors to clinch a postseason berth tonight, but will need some help doing it. They will shoot for a second straight win versus the Cleveland Indians in the continuation of a three-game series at Target Field.

Another victory for the Twins coupled with a loss by the Chicago White Sox would give them their second straight division title and sixth in the last nine seasons. The Twins are 11 games ahead of the White Sox for the American League Central lead with 12 to go and have a magic number of two for a division crown.

In Monday’s 9-3 victory over the Indians, Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run homer and scored three times for the Twins, who got a solo homer from Danny Valencia and two RBI from both Denard Span and Delmon Young. Brian Duensing pushed his mark to 10-2 with six innings of three-run ball and struck out six batters.

“At first, it was a pretty intense game, until we broke it open there,” Cuddyer said after the game. “It was a big win, we needed it. Hopefully, we can get the next two.”

The Twins played without catcher and reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer because of a sore knee suffered on Sunday against Oakland. Mauer is expected to undergo an MRI after the swelling goes down and is day-to-day. Outfielder Jason Kubel could return to the lineup Tuesday and has missed four straight games with a balky left wrist.

Scott Baker gets the call for Minnesota tonight and hasn’t pitched since September 2 because of elbow tendinitis. The right-hander is 5-0 in his last eight starts and did not record a decision his last time out against Detroit at Target Field. In the 10-9 loss to the Tigers, Baker lasted just two innings and allowed two runs on three hits to remain at 12-9 through 27 starts.

Baker lost to the Indians on July 19 this season and is 7-7 with a 3.85 ERA in 18 career starts against them.

Cleveland has dropped back-to-back games since a three-game winning streak and received a poor outing from Jeanmar Gomez last night. Gomez was slapped with the loss for permitting eight runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.

“Gomez struggled with his command,” said Indians manager Manny Acta. “He was down in the count a lot today. He has had some issues finishing innings off in the last couple outings, including today. Most of the runs he gave up were after two outs.”

Andy Marte ended with two hits and two RBI, while Drew Sutton had an RBI in defeat.

Acta hopes Fausto Carmona can keep the Twins from moving closer to a division title when takes the rubber tonight. Carmona is 1-0 in his last two starts since a personal six-start losing streak. He posted a no-decision in last Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Angels, as Carmona was touched for a pair of runs and four hits in seven innings.

The righty is 12-14 with a 3.81 ERA in 30 starts this season and 6-5 in 12 road outings. Carmona just beat the Twins on September 10 with a three-hit shutout, the third of his career, but is 4-8 in 17 career games (13 starts) against Minnesota.

The Twins are 10-6 against the AL Central-rival Indians this season and have won five of the previous six matchups between the clubs.

Magic Number Is 3 As Twins Defeat Indians 9-3

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Danny Valencia and Michael Cuddyer both homered to lead a 13-hit attack, and the Minnesota Twins routed the Cleveland Indians, 9-3, to move closer to their second straight AL Central crown.

Delmon Young and Denard Span each added two hits and two RBI for the Twins, whose magic number to clinch the division dwindled to three, with the White Sox in action against the A's. J.J. Hardy went 3-for-4 and scored three times in the victory.

Brian Duensing (10-2) reached double-digit wins for the first time after allowing three runs, six hits and four walks while fanning six in six frames.

Andy Marte went 2-for-2 and drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which has lost two straight following a three-game win streak. Jeanmar Gomez (3-5) lost his fifth straight decision after getting pounded for eight runs and 10 hits over 5 2/3 frames.

Twinkie Town has your full recap.

Twins Continue Homestand Against Indians

(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins are on the verge of their second straight American League Central title, but may not have reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer in the lineup tonight in the opener of a three-game series versus the Cleveland Indians at Target Field.

Mauer left Sunday's 6-2 loss to Oakland with a sore knee suffered in the sixth inning after grounding out. According to manager Rod Gardenhire, the injury isn't believed to be serious and the catcher is day-to-day.

"I was running down the baseline," Mauer said on the Twins' website. "It started getting a little worse and worse, and I thought it was the right time to get out of the game."

Mauer went 1-for-3 at the plate, while Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome both homered for Minnesota, which entered the Oakland series on a five-game winning streak. The Twins lost two of three to the A's and still sit 10 games ahead of Chicago for the AL Central lead.

Twins co-ace Francisco Liriano was hammered for five runs and seven hits in five innings to absorb the loss.

Minnesota lefty Brian Duensing hasn't suffered defeat in almost a month and shoots for his third straight win Monday. Duensing began the run with eight innings of one-run ball versus Kansas City on Sept. 8, then topped the White Sox last Wednesday with six innings of two-run ball.

Duensing pushed his record to 9-2 in 50 games (10 starts) this season to go along with a 2.07 earned run average. He is 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA in five career games (1 start) against the Indians and beat them on August 8 this season.

Cleveland is playing out the string and had a chance for a three-game sweep of Kansas City over the weekend before losing Sunday's series finale, 6-4. Shin- Soo Choo's two-run homer in the first inning didn't hold up for the Indians. Choo also stole a base and now has 20 homers and 20 stolen bases for the second straight season.

"Last year, I did it in my first full year in the big leagues. A lot of people said I was lucky. I showed this year I can do it again," Choo said.

The Indians got three hits out of Drew Sutton and a rough start from Josh Tomlin. Tomlin was touched for six runs in five innings to suffer the loss.

Jeanmar Gomez gets the nod for the Tribe Monday night and he's 3-4 with a 4.02 earned run average in nine starts. In his first season in the big leagues, Gomez has lost two straight starts and four decisions in a row. He is coming off last Wednesday's 7-0 loss versus the Angels in which he allowed all seven runs -- six earned -- in just three innings.

Gomez did not record a decision in a 7-6 win over Minnesota on August 6, when he threw 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. The Venezuelan right-hander is 1-3 in four starts away from Progressive Field.

The Twins are 9-6 against the AL Central-rival Indians this season and have won four of the previous five matchups between the clubs.