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Aviles, Indians down Twins

May 8, 2014 - 4:30 AM Cleveland, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Aviles ripped an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the third installment of a four-game set.

Aviles finished with three hits and a run scored and Michael Brantley went 2- for-4 with a double and two RBI for Cleveland, which has won four of its last six. Yan Gomes stroked a solo home run in the victory.

Cleveland starter Danny Salazar allowed three runs on six hits through 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven. John Axford (1-3) got the win after working around a two-out double and a walk in the top of the ninth.

Brian Dozier had an RBI double and Danny Santana had two hits and an RBI for the Twins, who watched starter Ricky Nolasco give up three runs on six hits while fanning nine through six frames.

"We played well," Nolasco said. "We just came up short at the end."

Casey Fien (3-1) took the loss for the Twins, who have dropped six of nine.

Asdrubal Cabrera led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lonnie Chisenhall. With the infield in Gomes grounded out, keeping Cabrera at third, but Aviles ripped his RBI single up the middle.

"I was just looking for a pitch that I could hit," Aviles said. "A bloop would have worked."

After recording a flyout and strikeout to start the top of the ninth, Axford gave up a double to Santana. Axford then issued a walk to Dozier before inducing a flyout from Sam Fuld to send the game into the home half tied 3-3.

Dozier got the scoring started for Minnesota with a two-out RBI double in the top of the third. Pedro Florimon drew a two-out walk and stole second, but an errant throw by Gomes sent Florimon to third before Dozier's double to left- center.

Cleveland responded in the home half of the third, despite starting the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Aviles and Nyjer Morgan countered with consecutive singles and Nick Swisher walked to load the bases. Brantley then ripped a double down the right field line to drive in Aviles and Morgan.

Gomes stroked a 1-1 fastball into the left-field stands leading off the fifth to give the Indians a 3-1 edge.

The Twins knotted the game at 3-3 in the seventh. Josmil Pinto hit a one-out single before a double to left-center by Eduardo Escobar. Santana drove in Pinto on a line drive single smoked up the middle. Then, Escobar scored on a Dozier sacrifice fly to right.

Game Notes

Brantley extended his hitting streak to seven games ... The Indians have won eight of their last 11 home contests ... Cleveland left six men on base, while the Twins stranded eight.