Twins 2 - 4 Guardians
Final
  for this game

Twins aim for fourth straight win against Indians

May 6, 2014 - 3:00 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Right-hander Samuel Deduno gets his first start of 2014 on Tuesday night when the Twins visit Progressive Field for game two of a four-game series with the host Cleveland Indians.

Deduno steps in to fill the slot of rotation regular Mike Pelfrey, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an injured groin.

The Twins have won three straight games thanks in large part to a solid effort from their starting pitchers, who've combined to compile a 1.84 earned run average in their last four games - including one complete game.

Deduno starts for the first time since August 2013. He was 7-4 through his initial 13 starts last season, but slumped badly in his last five and underwent shoulder surgery in September.

He allowed three runs in 14 2/3 relief innings to begin this season, then was nicked for three runs in four innings in an appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

He is 3-2 in seven career meetings with Cleveland.

The Indians have been as poor offensively as the Twins have been good on the mound, managing just a .202 batting average in a skid that's seen them drop eight of 10 games while scoring 30 runs - 12 of them in one game.

"We're fairly inconsistent right now," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "Even in hitters' counts, we're not getting real good swings."

Josh Tomlin gets the start for the Indians for the first time since undergoing ligament-replacement surgery in 2012.

He gets the call in place of Carlos Carrasco, who was demoted to the bullpen.

Tomlin threw two scoreless innings in a single big-league relief appearance in 2013 and was 2-1 with a 2.06 earned run average at Triple-A Columbus this season.

On Monday, Eduardo Escobar's 10th-inning solo homer was the only meaningful offense in the contest, and sent Minnesota to a narrow 1-0 victory.

Sam Fuld collected two hits for the Twins.

Escobar greeted John Axford (0-3) with a long blast to right which landed several rows back in the bleachers to give the Twins a 1-0 edge. Brian Dozier walked and Fuld's single moved him to third, but Dozier was erased at home on a Trevor Plouffe grounder. Chris Colabello flied out and Marc Rzepczynski induced a groundout from Jason Kubel to keep it a one-run margin.

Glen Perkins fanned two in a scoreless home half to earn his eighth save.

Calbe Thielbar (2-0) held down the fort in the ninth for the win.

Minnesota took two of three from the Tribe in early April.






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