MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Byron Buxton homered for the second straight night, Rich Hill got his first win since July and the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 8-4 on Saturday.
Minnesota won for the ninth time in 11 games since it closed August with a six-game slide. It remained a game back of the AL Central-leading White Sox, who pounded Detroit in a 14-0 victory.
Hill (2-1) struck out seven while working five innings of two-run ball. It was his first win since his first start of the season July 29 against St. Louis.
Buxton’s two-run shot deep to the bullpens in left-center field was his eighth of the year and third in four games. Marwin Gonzalez and Willians Astudillo hit consecutive homers off Zach Plesac in the second. Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano then went back-to-back in the ninth inning for the Twins.
Plesac (3-2) surrendered a season-high five runs in seven innings. He was making his third start since being recalled from the team’s alternate training site following a violation of the team’s coronavirus protocols.
A year after setting the major league record for home runs in a season, Minnesota’s “Bomba Squad” hasn’t gone deep with the same regularity, despite adding Josh Donaldson to the mix. But the Twins have shown signs of returning to their powerful 2019 form since Donaldson and Buxton returned from the injured list.
Buxton had one of two homers against Cleveland’s Shane Bieber on Friday night, and Minnesota has 21 home runs in its past 11 games.
Jose Ramirez homered for Cleveland for the second straight game, but the Indians dropped their fifth straight. They have scored six runs over their past four games.
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