Twins win fourth straight, 7-1 over Indians
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Kyle Gibson pitched six shutout innings and Torii Hunter had a three-run double as the Minnesota Twins gained ground in the AL wild-card race, winning their fourth straight with a 7-1 victory over the fading Cleveland Indians in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday.
Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton hit a solo homers for Minnesota, which entered play trailing the Angels by 1 1/2 games for the AL's second wild card.
The loss dealt another setback to Cleveland's slim playoff hopes. The Indians began Wednesday five games behind the Angels, who host Oakland in a night game.
Gibson (11-11) wasn't affected by having his start pushed back by Tuesday night's rainout. The right-hander struck out nine, matching a career high, and held Cleveland to four hits.
Carlos Carrasco (14-12) was roughed up in his final start of the season, allowing five runs in three-plus innings. The right-hander, who pitched a one-hitter with a career-high 15 strikeouts against Kansas City last week, faced six hitters in the fourth.
The Indians announced before the game that left fielder Michael Brantley has been shut down for the season because of a sore right shoulder.
Rookie Buxton hit his second major league home run in the ninth and had two RBIs.
Gibson was coming off a rocky outing against the Indians last week when he allowed six runs in a season-low 2 2-3 innings.
Mauer homered to dead center in the first. Carrasco retired the next eight hitters before getting rocked in the fourth. After Mauer and Miguel Sano singled, Trevor Plouffe's RBI single made it 2-0. Eddie Rosario walked, and Hunter's double scored all three runners.
Jason Kipnis drove in Cleveland's only run with a seventh-inning single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: RHP Phil Hughes (virus) and RHP Trevor May (back) both feel well enough to work out of the bullpen. Hughes was scratched from his Monday start, while May last pitched on Sept. 26.
Indians: 3B Giovanny Urshela (sore right shoulder) could return to the lineup Thursday. He hasn't played since Sept. 17.
