Plouffe Lifts twins Past Indians In 10th

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Plouffe singled in Danny Santana in the 10th inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 5-4, comeback victory over Cleveland on Friday night, further damaging the Indians' already slim playoff hopes.

Santana led off the inning with a single off Kyle Crockett (4-1) and advanced to third on Brian Dozier's single to right-center. Joe Mauer was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Crockett struck out rookie slugger Kennys Vargas, who homered in the game.

Josh Tomlin entered the game to face Plouffe, who dropped a two-strike pitch just in front of lunging center-fielder Michael Bourn.

With Minnesota trailing 4-3 in the ninth, Kurt Suzuki hit a one-out double off closer Cody Allen and was replaced by pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez. Nunez moved to third on Oswaldo Arcia's single and scored to tie it when Aaron Hicks grounded into a fielder's choice.

Jared Burton (3-5) stranded Michael Brantley at second base to end the top of the 10th.

Game two tonight 5:40 pre-game, 6:10 first pitch on 1340 KROC AM.

Kershaw shaky in 20th win

UNDATED (AP) — It was one of Clayton Kershaw's worst outings of the season, but it was good enough for him to become the majors' first 20-game winner.

The lefty is 20-3 after giving up three runs and seven hits while striking out nine in five innings of the Dodgers' 14-5 blowout win over the Cubs in Chicago on Friday. The Cubs tagged him for three runs in the first inning, but that was after Matt Kemp launched a three-run homer while the Dodgers were building a 6-0 lead.

Kershaw tied his second-shortest outing of the season and allowed more than two runs for only the seventh time in 26 starts.

Yasiel Puig added another three-run blast in the sixth to help Kershaw win his sixth consecutive start. A.J. Ellis added a pair of two-run shots for Los Angeles, which now leads San Francisco by 3 ½ games for first in the NL West. With the victory and Milwaukee's loss at Pittsburgh, the Dodgers clinch a playoff spot.

Tim Hudson allowed four runs in the first inning and San Francisco Giants were held to three hits in a 5-0 loss to San Diego. Even so, the Giants' magic number to clinch a wild-card spot dropped to four thanks to Pittsburgh's victory over Milwaukee.

Detroit has a little more breathing room in baseball's tightest division race. The Tigers top the AL Central by 1 ½ games over the Royals after Ian Kinsler went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBIs in Detroit's 10-1 laugher at Kansas City. Kinsler's blast was part of a five-run fifth that gave the Tigers a double-digit lead.

Justin Verlander carried a shutout into the eighth as the Tigers improved to 12-5 versus the Royals this season.

The loss drops the Royals to just a half-game ahead of Seattle for the AL's second wild-card berth.

The Mariners were 10-5 winners at Houston as Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager belted three-run homers and Dustin Ackley delivered a pair of solo shots. Astros designated hitter Jose Altuve leads the majors in hitting at .343 after going 3-for-3.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Oakland has regained control of the AL's first wild-card berth after John Lester struck out seven and allowed a run and five hits in seven innings of the Athletics' 3-1 triumph against Philadelphia. Derek Norris, Eric Sogard and Coco Crisp hit consecutive RBI singles in the second inning before the A's hated a three-game skid.

— St. Louis still leads the NL Central by 2 1/2 games over Pittsburgh after Randal Grichuk and Matt Holliday hit back-to-back homers in the first inning of the Cardinals 2-1 win over Cincinnati. Winning pitcher John Lackey held the Reds to a run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings.

— Russell Martin belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to fuel Pittsburgh's 4-2 win over Milwaukee. Yovani Gallardo held the Pirates to five hits while striking out 11 in seven scoreless innings before the Brewers fell 4 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the NL's second wild-card berth.

— Jake Smolinski hit a two-run homer in the first to help Texas roll over the Los Angeles Angels 12-3. The Rangers roughed up starter Hector Santiago for seven runs in an inning plus.

— Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run homer and had three RBIs before suffering a strained right hamstring in the New York Yankees' 5-3 triumph over Toronto. Ellsbury hurt himself beating out a double-play relay in the fourth inning.— Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer and Doug Fister picked up his 15th victory in Washington's 3-2 triumph at Miami. Fister allowed two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings.

— David Ortiz homered twice, including a tiebreaking, two-run blast in the 10th inning of Boston's 5-3 victory in Baltimore. Ortiz and Yoenis Cespedes hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning.

— Lucas Duda smacked a two-run homer and Zack Wheeler scattered five hits in six innings of the New York Mets' 5-0 shutout of the Braves in Atlanta. Wheeler is 8-2 with a 2.56 ERA in his last 15 starts.

— Avisail Garcia lined a two-run double to cap the Chicago White Sox's four-run fifth in a 4-3 comeback win over Tampa Bay. Jose Quintana allowed just one earned run over 7 1/3 innings to get his ninth win.

— Former Twin Michael Cuddyer swung a productive bat in Colorado's 15-3 rout of Arizona, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam, seven RBIs and three runs scored. Rafael Ynoa drove in three runs while providing four of the Rockies' 16 hits.