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CLEVELAND (AP) — Jorge Polanco drove in three runs in his first game back from the injured list and rookie Josh Winder pitched six stellar innings as the Minnesota Twins earned a day-night doubleheader split with a 6-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Amed Rosario’s clutch two-run single in the eighth inning rallied Cleveland to a 3-2 win in the opener, snapping the Guardians’ five-game losing streak.
Polanco came off an IL stint for lower back tightness between games and cracked a two-run homer in the third inning off rookie Konnor Pilkington (1-1) as the Twins restored their lead in the AL Central to three games over the Guardians.
Byron Buxton hit his 20th homer and José Miranda connected in the second game for the Twins, who have taken two of three in this five-game set between division rivals.
Winder (3-2) was brought up as the club’s 27th man for the doubleheader and excelled in just his fourth major league start — and first since May 27. The right-hander allowed four hits and one walk.
Tyler Duffy (one inning) and Jovani Moran (two) completed the combined five-hit shutout— the second time Minnesota has blanked Cleveland in a week.
Polanco’s eighth homer gave the Twins a 3-0 lead in the third.
Carlos Correa walked with two down and Luis Arraez, who entered the day leading the AL with a .342 average, ripped a triple into the right-field corner to make it 1-0. Polanco followed by lifting a 1-1 pitch over the 19-foot-high wall in left.
It was Polanco’s first homer since June 7 and before the infield mainstay was forced to go on the injured list for the first time in his nine-year major league career.
Cleveland’s defense prevented the Twins from tacking on more runs in the fourth, when Ryan Jeffers was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single and Miranda got caught off third after a failed safety squeeze.
Polanco, though, made it 4-0 in the fifth when he avoided a double play by legging out a grounder. Miranda’s fifth homer made it 5-0 in the sixth.
Down 2-1 in the opener, the Guardians came back against reliever Emilio Pagán (1-3), who walked Myles Straw and rookie Steven Kwan before facing Rosario.
Cleveland’s shortstop then slapped a 3-2 pitch through the middle to give the Guardians a major lift. When he rounded first, Rosario, who went 3 for 4 and has five three-hit games in June, skipped in the air.
Correa’s homer leading off the eighth had given the Twins a 2-1 lead. Correa connected on a 1-0 pitch from reliever Sam Hentges (2-0), driving his ninth homer — and fourth in five games against Cleveland this season — just over the railing in left field.
Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 18th save in 20 tries.
Minnesota starter Devin Smeltzer held the Guardians to just one run and struck out a career-high nine in six innings.
NEW, OLD GUY
Sandy León caught the opener for Cleveland after being reacquired in a trade from Cincinnati before the game. The Guardians were in a bind with catcher Austin Hedges going on the injured list with a concussion sustained last weekend.
León was with Cleveland for 25 games in 2020.
ON THE MOUND
Looking to save his bullpen for the doubleheader, Guardians manager Terry Francona used utilityman Ernie Clement to pitch the ninth in Monday’s 11-1 blowout loss. Clement gave up two runs but got an inning-ending double play.
Francona had a similar experience, pitching as a position player for Milwaukee against Oakland in 1989.
“If you look, we had one strikeout as a staff that day,” he said with a smile. “It was me. Struck out Stan Javier. Then it kind of got me going. Went up to Seattle the next day and hit a home run. For about the next month kind of swung the bat a little better. It was kind of fun.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: OF Trevor Larnach (core muscle strain) had successful surgery in Philadelphia. The 25-year-old had been bothered by increasing pain and opted for the operation. He’s expected to resume baseball activities in six weeks.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Dylan Bundy (4-4, 4.80 ERA) starts Wednesday against Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill (4-4, 3.76) (5:30 PM, 1060/103.1 KGFX).
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