CLEVELAND -Justin Morneau dropped in a three-run double just out of center fielder Grady Sizemore's reach with two outs in the 11th inning, sending the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Indians last night.
After falling behind 0-2 to Scott Sauerbeck, Morneau hit a soft liner toward the gap in left-center that a diving Sizemore couldn't snag, clearing the bases to propel the Twins to their fifth win in seven games.
Jesse Crain (4-0) pitched two innings, and Joe Nathan worked the 11th for the 13th save in 14 tries.
Sizemore and Jody Gerut homered for the Indians, who had their winning streak stopped at three. They have not won four in a row this season.
Nick Punto opened the 11th with a double off David Riske (1-1), and Juan Castro sacrificed. Shannon Stewart walked before Indians manager Eric Wedge brought in Sauerbeck, a left-hander, to face Joe Mauer.
The Twins catcher struck out, but Sauerbeck walked right-hander Lew Ford, and Morneau made him pay with his clutch hit. Morneau also had an RBI single in the seventh.
Before Minnesota scored, Sauerbeck had stranded all 17 runners he inherited this season.
Minnesota starter Joe Mays was four outs from an overdue first career win against Cleveland when the Indians rallied to tie it 3-3 in the eighth with an unearned run off reliever Juan Rincon.
Mays came in 0-7 with a 5.58 ERA in 18 games against Cleveland, the only AL team he has not beaten since making his major league debut in 1999. He gave up two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Mays was helped by two inning-ending double plays and some strong defense in the fifth when Mauer threw out Jose Hernandez trying to steal and the Twins completed a gorgeous relay to cut down Jhonny Peralta at third trying to stretch a double.
Twins reliever Terry Mulholland got the final out in the seventh. It was the left-hander's first appearance since he scratched his right eyeball on a feather that was sticking out of a pillow in his hotel room.
Indians starter Jake Westbrook again pitched well and came away with nothing to show for his effort.
He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, leaving with the score tied 2-all. Westbrook, who won 14 games and made the All-Star team in 2004, has lost three one-run games this season and twice when he pitched a complete game.
In his previous outing, Westbrook took a two-hit shutout into the ninth before losing 2-1 to the Los Angeles Angels.
Gerut evened it at 1-1 in the fifth with his first homer since Sept. 8, a shot into the right-field seats. He began the season on the disabled list after tearing a knee ligament while playing right field last Sept. 17.
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