Kepler hits three home runs, Twins beat Indians 5-4 to avoid sweep

CLEVELAND — Max Kepler homered three times and José Berríos locked up Cleveland’s lineup into the seventh inning as the Minnesota Twins avoided a sweep — and their first three-game losing streak — by beating the Indians 5-4 on Thursday night.

Kepler, who entered hitless in his previous 21 at-bats, connected in the first, third and seventh innings off Indians starter Trevor Bauer (4-6). Kepler also walked in the fifth.

The 26-year-old outfielder came up in the ninth with a chance to become the 19th player in history to hit four homers in one game — a feat rarer than a perfect game. But left-hander Josh Smith kept the left-handed swinging Kepler in the park, getting him to hit a hard grounder to the right side that he beat out for a single.

It was Kepler’s second career three-homer game. The other one also came against the Indians on Aug. 1, 2016.

The AL-Central leading Twins took the series finale and again moved 10½ games ahead of Cleveland, whose run of three straight division titles could be coming to an end.

Berríos (8-2) had another strong outing against the Indians. The right-hander allowed just one run — a homer by Roberto Pérez — and two hits before being replaced after a leadoff error in the seventh. Berrios beat Cleveland on opening day, when he struck out 10 in 7 2/3 shutout innings.

Indians rookie Oscar Mercado’s pinch-hit homer in the ninth pulled Cleveland to 5-4 before Taylor Rogers retired Pérez on a groundout for his sixth save.

Baseball’s biggest surprise in 2019, Minnesota has only lost two in a row four times this season. Just one Twins team has gone longer without losing three straight this late: the 1970 squad, which dropped three in a row from June 17-20.

The Indians were hoping to cut into a deficit they never imagined would be so big, so early. But Bauer wasn’t sharp again and the right-hander remained winless since April 30 — a span of seven starts.

Bauer gave up a home run to Kepler on his second pitch and finished allowing five runs and five hits in eight innings. Not bad, but not what Cleveland needed with three full-time starters sidelined with injuries.

Kepler’s second homer gave the Twins a 3-0 lead in the third. After No. 9 hitter Willians Astudillo singled leading off, Kepler ripped a 1-2 pitch just inside the foul pole in right.

Kepler made it 5-1 in the seventh, hitting Bauer’s first pitch over the wall in right-center for his 15th homer.

Bauer has given up 13 homers in 91 2/3 innings. He allowed just nine over 175 1/3 innings in 2018.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: DH Nelson Cruz was not in the starting lineup. The club is being cautious with his workload after he missed 18 games with a strained left wrist.

Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (strained back muscle) threw 58 pitches in a rehab start at Triple-A Columbus. He’ll likely pitch again for the Clippers before being activated. … OF Bradley Zimmer had another setback in Goodyear, Arizona. Slated to start a rehab stint this week, Zimmer felt something in his surgically repaired right shoulder while throwing last weekend. Zimmer was nearing a return in March before straining an oblique.

UP NEXT

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli hasn’t decided on his starter for the series opener in Detroit, but a likely option is RHP Michael Pineda (4-3, 5.34 ERA), who is eligible to return from the injured list after being sidelined with right knee tendinitis.

Indians: Rookie RHP Zach Plesac (0-1, 1.46 ERA) makes his third career start in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Yankees, who will send Domingo Germán to the mound.