MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Miguel Sanó hit a pair of homers and Kenta Maeda pitched six scoreless innings in his home debut for Minnesota as the Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0 on Saturday.
Eddie Rosario added a solo homer for Minnesota, which got another strong start from a veteran newcomer to its starting rotation. Maeda (2-0) retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until Bradley Zimmer beat out a weak ground ball to second base in the fifth inning.
Carlos Carrasco (1-1) gave up six hits in six innings for Cleveland and was done in by three solo home runs from the Twins.
Maeda, acquired in an offseason trade from the Dodgers that sent prospect Brusdar Graterol to Los Angeles, was one of three key additions to strengthen Minnesota’s rotation along with Rich Hill and Homer Bailey.
The focus on pitching came after the Twins were second in the majors in runs scored last season and set a single-season record for home runs. Maeda, Hill and Bailey have combined for 21 innings in four starts this season, surrendering just four runs with 18 strikeouts.
Maeda has allowed just two runs in 11 innings in his two starts. The Zimmer infield single was the only hit he allowed on Saturday. His softer mix of changeups and sliders had the Indians batters off-balance, while he could be heard grunting from the mound with no fans in the stands for his home debut.
Trevor May, Cody Stashak and Taylor Rogers finished off the second shutout for Minnesota this season, with Rogers securing his third save.
Sanó entered the game with one hit in 17 at-bats, a slow start after recovering from COVID-19 during summer camp. He connected on a line drive homer that reached the back of the bullpens in center field during the third and added his second of the game in the fifth, hooking another line drive just inside the left-field foul pole.
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