Poor start dooms Pirates against Twins

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Brian Dozier smiled and summed the biggest moment of the game in an unusual but succinct way.

“It was a backbrrrreaker,” the Minnesota Twins second baseman said, rolling the rs for emphasis.

Dozier scored all the way from first base on Joe Mauer’s three-run single during a six-run second inning as the Twins built an early 7-0 lead the held on for an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

The highlight for the Pirates came in fourth inning, trailing 8-1, when Pedro Alvarez hit a 461-foot home run that landed in a boat docked along the Allegheny River beyond the right-field stands. Alvarez became just the third player to reach the water on the fly since PNC Park opened in 2001.

“Losing trumps everything else,” Alvarez said.

After Dozier’s solo shot in the first inning opened the scoring and ran his hitting streak to 10 games, Mauer’s single keyed the big second inning that was capped by Trevor Plouffe’s two-run home run.

Left fielder Starling Marte was late getting to the ball that dropped in short left-center field and Dozier raced home all the way from first base and beat a throw that was well off target.

“How about that? A three-run single,” Mauer said with a grin. “That was a great piece of baserunning by [Dozier].”

Plouffe, Kurt Suzuki and Aaron Hicks each had two hits for the Twins, who won for the third time in four games.

Ricky Nolasco (4-1) made it through 51/3 shaky innings to win his fourth straight start since being on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. He gave up four runs — three earned — and 10 hits and has yet to pitch into the sixth inning in any of his five starts this season.

Nolasco struck out eight with only one walk.

Glen Perkins recorded his 14th save in as many opportunities by pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Francisco Liriano (1-4) gave up both home runs and was tagged for seven runs in just two innings while losing his third consecutive start. He spent his first eight seasons with the Twins from 2005-12.

The Pirates lost for the fifth time in six games.