MLB: Twins stay hot, take out Tribe

CLEVELAND - Mike Pelfrey pitched seven strong innings, and Torii Hunter had four hits, including two doubles and a home run, and four RBIs as the Minnesota Twins rolled to a 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians Friday night at Progressive Field.
The right-hander Pelfrey (3-0) held Cleveland to two runs on six hits, with two walks and no strikeouts, retiring 15 of the last 18 batters he faced.
Right-hander Trevor Bauer (2-1) pitched five innings and gave up five runs on nine hits to take the loss.
Leading 4-2, the Twins blew it open with a four-run sixth inning. Catcher Kurt Suzuki led off the inning with a double, which knocked Bauer out of the game. Designated hitter Kennys Vargas singled off left-hander Nick Hagadone, sending Suzuki to third. With one out and runners at first and third, center fielder Jordan Schafer bunted toward first baseman Carlos Santana, who booted the ball for an error.
Suzuki scored on the play, Vargas went to second and Schafer was safe at first. Shortstop Danny Santana drew a walk, loading the bases. Right-hander Zach McAllister relieved Hagadone and struck out second baseman Brian Dozier for the second out.
But right fielder Hunter ripped a double into the gap in left-center, scoring all three runners and giving the Twins an 8-2 lead.
Left fielder Michael Brantley homered in the eighth inning off right-hander Michael Tonkin to give the Indians their final run.
The Twins’ last run came on a run-scoring wild pitch by right-hander Ryan Webb in the ninth inning.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Hunter, in his first career at bat against Bauer, doubled to center with one out. First baseman Joe Mauer singled to left, scoring Hunter with the first run of the game.
Minnesota made it 2-0 in the second. Suzuki led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by left fielder Eddie Rosario.
Cleveland scored twice in the third against Pelfrey. Second baseman Jason Kipnis led off with a walk and scored on a double off the left field wall by Santana.
Santana went to third on a groundout by Brantley and scored on a two-out single by third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to make it 2-2.
The Twins broke the tie in the fourth, which began with a double to left-center field by third baseman Trevor Plouffe. One out later, Vargas’ bloop single to center scored Plouffe to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead.
The Twins scored again in the fifth on Hunter’s fourth home run of the season, a solo shot over the wall in left field, to extend the lead to 4-2.
NOTES: The Indians signed RHP Carlos Marmol to a minor league contract. Marmol, 32, was 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in 15 relief appearances for Miami last year. He will report to the Indians’ extended spring program in Goodyear, Ariz. ... Before Friday’s game, the Indians placed INF Mike Aviles on the family medical emergency list and recalled INF/OF Zach Walters from Triple-A Columbus. ... LHP Bruce Chen’s contract will be purchased from Columbus on Saturday and he will start against the Twins. The Indians will be the 37-year-old Chen’s 11th major league team. ... LHP Glen Perkins is sixth on the Twins’ career list with 98 saves. He needs seven more to pass Jeff Reardon (104) for fifth place.