CLEVELAND (AP) — César Hernández hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning off Alex Colomé, giving the Cleveland Indians a 5-3 victory over Minnesota on Saturday that dropped the Twins to 0-8 in extra-inning games this season.
Hernández’s first career game-ending home run led off the 10th and sliced over the right-field wall to score Austin Hedges, who started at second base under pandemic rules.
“I wanted to be aggressive, but I told myself to remain calm because this was the most important at-bat of the day,” Hernández said. “There is a shared mindset we have to win as many games as possible and the passion to play the best baseball we can.”
Colomé (2-4) also gave up Jordan Luplow’s leadoff homer in the 10th inning of a 5-3 loss at Cleveland on April 26, prompting his removal as Minnesota’s closer.
James Karinchak (2-0) got four outs, finishing a 4 2/3 inning hitless, scoreless performance by the Indians bullpen behind AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.
Bieber allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, ending his 23-game streak of at least seven strikeouts, the second-longest stretch behind the 34 by Arizona’s Randy Johnson in 1999-2000.
“We know what it’s like when Bieber is dialed in, and we went out there and got him and had a good chance to win,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We just couldn’t come up with a big hit later in the game.”
Minnesota, which trailed 3-0 after two innings, tied the score in the sixth on rookie Alex Kirilloff’s RBI single that chased Bieber. Nick Sandlin loaded the bases with two outs, then fell behind Andrelton Simmons 3-0 in the count before striking him out.
Kirilloff has hits in nine straight games and 14 RBIs in his first 14 games in the majors.
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