Bucs Drop 7th Straight Game
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PITTSBURGH -- Minnesota's Randy Dobnak dominated in his homecoming, allowing three hits in six innings as the streaking Twins topped the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Wednesday night.
Dobnak, who grew up a half-hour south of PNC Park in the Pittsburgh suburb of South Park, didn't walk a batter and struck out just one. The 25-year-old relied on a heavy fastball the Pirates pounded into the ground. Pittsburgh managed just four balls out of the infield against Dobnak, who dropped his ERA to 0.60.
Marwin Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Twins. Max Kepler gave Minnesota some breathing room in the ninth with a three-run home run off Pirates' reliever Dovydas Neverauskas.
Pittsburgh's Trevor Williams (0-3) became the first Pirate this season to pitch seven innings. Williams allowed just one run, a flare to left field by Gonzalez in the second that scored Jake Cave. The ball was initially ruled foul, but that was overturned by replay, with Cave being awarded home because he was well past third by the time the ball fell in.
Williams struck out five against one walk and three hits, but Pittsburgh's overworked bullpen faltered in the ninth. The Pirates have dropped seven consecutive games, and their 2-10 record is the worst in baseball.
Minnesota improved to 10-2 following its sixth straight win, matching the best start in franchise history set by the 1930 Washington Senators.
Indians 2, Reds 0
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Mike Clevinger didn't have his best stuff but did enough to pitch into the sixth inning and lead Cleveland to a win over the Cincinnati Reds as the Indians wait for manager Terry Francona's return.
Clevinger (1-1) worked around five walks, including three in the sixth. The right-hander's strong start -- he gave up just two hits -- continued a pattern for the Indians, who have had great pitching while their offense remains in a team-wide funk.
The Indians got just four hits after winning with only three Tuesday.
Cesar Hernandez hit an RBI single off Reds rookie Tejay Antone (0-1) and Oscar Mercado scored with some daring baserunning to give the Indians a 2-0 lead in the fifth.
Cleveland played its fourth straight game without Francona, who remains away from the team to rest while dealing with a gastrointestinal problem he's had for months. Team president Chris Antonetti expects Francona to be absent for a least "a few more days," so it's likely he'll skip the team's upcoming trip to Chicago.
After Clevinger left, the Indians' bullpen did their part with 3 1/3 scoreless innings to close the combined three-hit shutout. Brad Hand struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save.
Cleveland's relievers have not given up a run in 14 consecutive innings.
Making his first major league start, Antone blanked Cleveland on just two hits until the fifth, when his third straight walk to open an inning finally bit him.
Antone walked Jordan Luplow and was lifted with one out by Reds manager David Bell, who didn't want to push his right-hander any further. Reliever Michael Lorenzen came on and walked Mercado before Hernandez delivered a run-scoring single.
Jose Ramirez followed with a slow grounder that shortstop Freddy Galvis fielded and threw to second for a force, but Mercado never slowed at third and beat second baseman Josh VanMeter's relay to the plate with a headfirst slide.
Clevinger got himself into trouble with the three walks in the sixth, but after he left, Dominic Leone came in and struck out Nick Senzel with two on.