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Twins top Indians, snap six-game skid

Jun 12, 2008 - 5:42 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins finally got a chance to shake hands after a game.

Nick Blackburn pitched six strong innings and the Twins defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-5, on Wednesday night to snap their season-high six-game losing streak.

Jason Kubel hit a two-run homer and Justin Morneau drove in three runs for Minnesota.

"It was a nice a win," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It has been a long time since we were able to shake hands. That was a good feeling."

"It has been a tough week for us," Kubel said. "We were able to play a good game and we were able to finish."

Minnesota took control of the game with a five-run third to take a 6-1 lead.

Carlos Gomez started the inning by extending his hitting streak to 12 games with a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt, Joe Mauer drew a walk and Morneau lined Paul Byrd's pitch into the right-center field gap to score two runs.

Michael Cuddyer doubled off the left field wall and Kubel followed by blasting Byrd's 3-1 offering into the Indians' bullpen in center field to cap the scoring in the third.

"I was just trying to work the count and get something to drive," Kubel said.

Blackburn (5-4) took it from there as he bounced back from his worst start of his career to hold the Indians to two runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one en route to his first win since May 16.

"The big inning helped me relax," Blackburn said. "It helped me concentrate on throwing strikes. I had a good mix of pitches working."

But the win didn't come easy for the Twins. Cleveland closed the gap to 6-5 on a solo home run by Kelly Shoppach in the sixth and a three-run homer by Grady Sizemore in the seventh.

"When you are in a slump you don't give up singles, you give up three-run homers," Gardenhire said. "It was important to win this game, because weird things happen when you are in long losing streaks."

However, Minnesota added a pair of insurance runs in ninth on an RBI single by Alexi Casilla and an RBI double by Morneau.

Closer Joe Nathan worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 17th save in 18 opportunities this season.

Byrd (3-6) failed to make it out of the fifth for the second time in his last three starts. The righthander yielded six runs - five earned - on six hits.

"It was like a pinball machine," Byrd said. "Balls were flying all over the place. I'll shoulder the blame. It's pretty much all on me. I am frustrated."

Cleveland received more bad news after the game when it was revealed that All-Star catcher Victor Martinez will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday on his right elbow.

Martinez, who has been battling a strained left hamstring all season, winced after a swing in the first inning. He was lifted after grounding out to short with inflammation in his right elbow.

"It nicked him up on one of his swings," Wedge said. "(The elbow) is something that's been bothering him on and off all year. It must have been one of those swings that bit him a little more than usual."