Twins finally get to Tribe’s Kluber

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

Phil Hughes pitched five scoreless innings in his return to the rotation, and the Minnesota Twins had rare success against Corey Kluber in a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night to move within a game of the second AL wild-card spot.

Minnesota trails Houston by a game after the Astros lost to the Angels earlier Wednesday.

Hughes (11-9) allowed four hits and struck out four. Brian Dozier homered and Trevor Plouffe had two doubles, a single and an RBI for the Twins (78-73).

Kluber (8-15) gave up four runs on five hits and struck out six in 32/3 innings for the Indians. Cleveland played without star outfielder Michael Brantley, who injured his shoulder while diving for a ball on Tuesday night.

Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Indians (74-76), who now trail the Astros by 51/2 games with 12 left to play.

Some light rain greeted the teams as the game began, but the forecasts called for heavier storms later in the night that led some to wonder if the game would be finished.

Even more ominous for the Twins was seeing Kluber on the mound. They went 4 for 53 against him in his first two starts at Target Field this season, but matched that hit total in their big four-run fourth inning alone.

Dozier led off the inning with an opposite-field homer, Mauer doubled to tie Bob Allison’s franchise record of 42 straight games reaching base and Plouffe sneaked an RBI-double past a diving Jose Ramirez at third base. After Torii Hunter curiously jawed at Kluber after getting hit on the arm to load the bases, Eduardo Escobar broke the game open with a two-run single to make it 4-0.

Last year’s AL Cy Young winner left with one out to go in the third. He has now pitched 7 2-3 innings in two starts since returning from a strained right hamstring.

The unexpected outburst backed a sharp outing from Hughes, who was removed from the rotation last week after a shaky return from a back injury. With the Twins trying to chase down their first postseason berth in five years, manager Paul Molitor didn’t think he could afford to let Hughes work through the rust.