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Lowe, Indians open set with Twins

Jun 1, 2012 - 3:02 PM (Sports Network) - Early-season ace Derek Lowe seeks a second win against Minnesota in less than a month tonight when the Cleveland Indians host the Twins in game one of a three-game weekend series at Progressive Field.

Lowe had his best outing of the season in his initial encounter with the Twins on May 15 in Minnesota, scattering six hits and four walks over nine scoreless innings in Cleveland's 5-0 win.

It was the first complete game of the season and 10th in what was then 364 major-league starts for Lowe, who turns 39 today.

In two starts since the gem, the Michigan native has lost twice while giving up 16 hits and 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings against Miami and the Chicago White Sox.

The Indians enter the weekend 1 1/2 games behind the streaking White Sox -- who have won eight straight -- in the American League Central Division.

Minnesota is last in the five-team loop and trails Chicago by 10 1/2 games.

The Twins oppose Lowe with fellow veteran Carl Pavano, who makes the 284th start of his career and 12th against Cleveland.

Pavano got a no-decision against the Indians a day before Lowe's shutout win, allowing four runs on six hits in six innings of a game the Twins lost, 6-4.

In his 11 previous outings against Cleveland, he's split six decisions while posting a 3.08 earned run average across 76 innings.

Pavano is winless in four starts since May 4 in Seattle, when he allowed two runs in six innings of a 3-2 triumph.

He's 0-2 since and has seen his ERA swell from 4.62 to 5.46.

On Wednesday in Minnesota, Francisco Liriano picked up his first win of the season and the Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Athletics with a 4-0 victory.

Liriano (1-5) began the year with five straight losses before being moved to the bullpen earlier this month. He returned to the starting rotation and allowed just three hits over six innings.

He struck out nine, walked two and retired the final 11 batters he faced.

Josh Willingham had a two-run homer and drove in three for the Twins, who had lost five straight entering the series.

In Cleveland, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon both had an RBI double and the Royals defeated the Indians, 6-3, in the finale of a three-game series.

The Indians, losers of five of their last six, scored all of their runs in the second inning, getting RBIs from Casey Kotchman, Luke Carlin and Shin-Soo Choo.

Jeanmar Gomez (3-4) allowed five runs on 10 hits over a five-inning start.

The Indians left the bases loaded in the third inning when Kotchman went down swinging. In the ninth, Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera walked around Jason Kipnis' single but Jose Lopez grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

"We scored three runs. We had some other opportunities but we couldn't do anything," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Cleveland won two games at Minnesota in mid-May and has prevailed in 10 of the past 11 meetings between the teams.