After serving up a lead-off home run, Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar proceeded to retire the next 21 consecutive hitters he faced. He also got plenty of offensive support as the Indians routed the Minnesota Twins 8-2 Sunday afternoon.
Salazar (W: 4-1, 3.27 ERA) served up Brian Dozier's fourth home run to open the game. He then did not allow a single base runner for the seven innings that followed, and he left the game with a very comfortable 8-1 lead. Salazar struck out 11 Twins, including six straight in the fifth and sixth. He had at least one in each if his seven innings.
After getting a single run in the bottom of the first (Carlos Santana RBI single), Cleveland rallied for five in the fourth, capped by Lonnie Chisenhall's three-run home run (3) into the right-field stands that got out in a Major League hurry (video). Earlier in the inning, Jason Kipnis hit an RBI triple, and Sanatna drove him in with another run-scoring single. Kipnis (RBI single) and Santana (sacrifice fly) each drove in a run in the sixth to put the game well out of reach.
Santana and Chisenhall each ended the day with three RBI, and Kipnis had two. This day, though, belonged to Salazar.
Minnesota tacked on a run in the top of the ninth when Joe Mauer found a hole up the middle and brought home Torii Hunter. Otherwise, it was a very tough afternoon for Twins hitters.
Trevor May (L: 2-3, 5.40) allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings of work. He also walked three, fanned four, and served up Chisenhall's three-run home run.
Both teams get Monday off. On Tuesday, Cleveland hosts the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of three while Minnesota travels to take on the Detroit Tigers.