Talbot pitches well in Tribe win over Twins

By PAUL HOYNES

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.

The first two games at the Twins’ new playground did not go well for Asdrubal Cabrera and the Indians’ starting pitchers. Things went much better Thursday afternoon at Target Field.

Cabrera re-ignited the offense by doubling and scoring only the team’s second run in 25 innings and Mitch Talbot pitched six effective innings in a 8-1 victory that prevented manager Manny Acta’s ballclub from getting swept by the AL Central leaders.

In Tuesday’s 5-1 loss, Cabrera let a ball go through his legs at shortstop for an error that set up the Twins’ four-run third inning. In Wednesday’s 6-0 loss, he came to the plate in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and Twins leading, 3-0. He sent the first pitch he saw to third base to start a 5-4-3 double play.

“That’s baseball,” said Cabrera.

The other side of the baseball coin had Cabrera going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs on Thursday. Not to mention triggering three of the Indians’ four double plays. The fourth came in the seventh inning as Cabrera made a diving stop in the hole against Michael Cuddyer, rose to his knees and fired to second, where Luis Valbuena made a quicksilver turn and throw to first.

“To have a guy like that, with that glove, playing behind you is a huge relief,” said Talbot. “Especially for me, a ground-ball pitcher. He’s just huge for us.”

Talbot walked three, but held the Twins to one unearned run on two hits in six innings. He threw 99 pitches, 57 of which were strikes. His 11 ground-ball outs counteracted the walks.

Six of the Tribe’s 11 hits were doubles, two each by Cabrera and Valbuena.

Andy Marte’s two-run homer made it 3-0 in the fourth.