• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Indians, Twins close brief series at Target Field

May 15, 2012 - 3:05 PM (Sports Network) - After snapping a three-game slide in Tuesday's opener, the Cleveland Indians turn to veteran Derek Lowe, who aims for a fourth straight victorious decision this afternoon in the finale of a two-game series with the Minnesota Twins.

Lowe has allowed more than two earned runs in just two of his seven starts this season, giving him a 5-1 mark and 2.47 earned run average. This comes after he went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA in 34 starts last season with Atlanta.

The 38-year-old beat his former Boston team on Thursday, pitching six innings of two-run ball while working around nine hits and a walk.

Lowe is 1-4 with five saves and a 5.97 ERA in 21 career games against the Twins, including seven starts.

The Twins hope Jason Marquis can avoid a third straight loss this afternoon when the right-hander looks to rebound from a short outing last time out.

Marquis lasted a season-low four innings on Thursday versus the Blue Jays, as he was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and three walks. That came one start after he walked six in a 7-0 defeat in Seattle.

He is 2-2 with a 6.26 ERA in five starts on the year.

"I'm just trying to find my arm slot more than anything," the 33-year-old righty told Minnesota's website. "I'm getting on the side of the ball and so it's more run than depth than I'd like Obviously, the results have shown that."

Marquis has made 272 starts in his career, but only one has been against the Indians. Hew as drilled for seven runs on nine hits and three homers over six innings in a loss, which came back on June 26, 2006 with St. Louis.

Cleveland picked up a 5-4 win last night, with Shin Soo-Choo knocking in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning.

With Matt Capps on the mound, Casey Kotchman started the rally with a one-out single. After Aaron Cunningham popped out, Kotchman advanced to second on a wild pitch by Capps, and Choo ripped a 3-2 two-seam fastball into right field to bring home pinch-runner Lou Marson.

"That last pitch just ran back over the plate," remarked Capps. "I made a nice pitch two pitches before that kind of froze him and I was trying to throw that same pitch."

Chris Perez worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to nail down his 12th save of the season.

Kotchman crushed a two-run homer, while Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner each added a run batted in for the Indians, who had lost five of six.

Jeanmar Gomez went seven strong innings in the start for Cleveland, giving up one unearned run on three hits and three walks while fanning two in the no- decision.

"Gomez did a very good job, he threw a lot of strikes and had good life on his fastball," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He threw a lot of ground outs and did a very good job. I feel bad he didn't get the win, but I'm glad we were able to pull it out."

Ryan Doumit clubbed a two-run home run and Josh Willingham added an RBI double for the Twins, who have dropped seven of their last 10.

The Indians have won nine of their past 10 against the Twins.