Twins’ Kepler homers three times to beat Bauer, Tribe

OF homers three times to deny Tribe sweep

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Max Kepler homered three times and Jose Berrios locked up Cleveland’s lineup into the seventh inning as the Minnesota Twins avoided a sweep — and their first three-game losing streak — by beating the Indians 5-4 on Thursday night.

Kepler, who entered hitless in his previous 21 at-bats, connected in the first, third and seventh innings off Indians starter Trevor Bauer (4-6). Kepler also walked in the fifth.

The 26-year-old outfielder came up in the ninth with a chance to become the 19th player in history to hit four homers in one game — a feat rarer than a perfect game. But left-hander Josh Smith kept the left-handed swinging Kepler in the park, getting him to hit a hard grounder to the right side that he beat out for a single.

It was Kepler’s second career three-homer game. The other one also came against the Indians on Aug. 1, 2016.

The AL-Central leading Twins took the series finale and again moved 101/2 games ahead of Cleveland, whose run of three straight division titles could be coming to an end.

Berrios (8-2) had another strong outing against the Indians. The right-hander allowed just one run — a homer by Roberto Perez — and two hits before being replaced after a leadoff error in the seventh. Berrios beat Cleveland on opening day, when he struck out 10 in 72/3 shutout innings.

Indians rookie Oscar Mercado’s pinch-hit homer in the ninth pulled Cleveland to 5-4 before Taylor Rogers retired Perez on a groundout for his sixth save.

Baseball’s biggest surprise in 2019, Minnesota has only lost two in a row four times this season. Just one Twins team has gone longer without losing three straight this late: the 1970 squad, which dropped three in a row from June 17-20.

The Indians were hoping to cut into a deficit they never imagined would be so big, so early. But Bauer wasn’t sharp again and the right-hander remained winless since April 30 — a span of seven starts.

Bauer gave up a home run to Kepler on his second pitch and finished allowing five runs and five hits in eight innings. Not bad, but not what Cleveland needed with three full-time starters sidelined with injuries.

Kepler’s second homer gave the Twins a 3-0 lead in the third. After No. 9 hitter Willians Astudillo singled leading off, Kepler ripped a 1-2 pitch just inside the foul pole in right.

Kepler made it 5-1 in the seventh, hitting Bauer’s first pitch over the wall in right-center for his 15th homer.

Bauer has given up 13 homers in 912/3 innings. He allowed just nine over 1751/3 innings in 2018.