MINNEAPOLIS _ Eddie Rosario launched a majestic home run to right in the sixth inning, putting the 2019 Twins in record books for hitting the most home runs in club history. That answered one question on Friday: Just how soon would the BombaSquad hit its 226th home run of the season.
Other questions went unanswered. Like when will they beat the Indians _ or anyone _ again? And when will a starter pitch longer than six innings and give up fewer than five runs?
Shane Bieber pitched like the All-Star Game MVP he is. Cleveland hitters poked, prodded then battered rookie left-hander Devin Smeltzer, knocking him from the game in the fifth.
The Indians looked like a first-place team on Friday. And that's because they are.
Cleveland used a strong all-around game to defeat the Twins 6-2 and elbow them to the side in the American League Central. For the first time since April 26, Cleveland is in a first-place tie with the Twins. Local fans will lament the vanishing of the Twins' 11 {-game lead back in June. And the state of the starting pitching couldn't be any worse. But there are eight games left with the Indians and 46 games remaining in the regular season. The Twins have plenty of time to show what they are made of.
Right now, it doesn't look like they have much to offer. They have lost four consecutive games for the first time this season and have lost three straight against the Indians. Right-hander Jake Odorizzi will start Saturday, the latest Twin to attempt to halt the slide.
Smeltzer, the apprentice finesse left-hander, got through the first inning unscathed but Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the second when Franmil Reyes _ one of two hitters acquired before the trade deadline _ ripped a Smeltzer pitch to left for a run-scoring double.
Smeltzer avoided trouble over the next two innings, but Cleveland was hitting some loud outs. Trouble was brewing, and Smeltzer couldn't hold Cleveland off as they got more aggressive against him in the fifth.
Oscar Mercado made it 2-0 with an RBI single, the first of four consecutive hits by the Indians against the southpaw. Tyler Duffey replaced Smeltzer but gave up a RBI single to Roberto Perez and a sacrifice fly to Jason Kipnis as Cleveland scored five runs in the inning to take a 6-0 lead.
Does that sound familiar? Over the past four games, the Twins have fallen behind 6-0, 4-0, 7-0 and 11-0. Twins starters over that stretch have an 11.51 ERA, with 31 hits and 15 walks allowed over 20 1/3 innings.
The offense, once again, was tasked to mount a rally. But Bieber was at his best. With pinpoint control and a sharp breaking ball, Bieber held the Twins to two runs, seven hits and one walk over the first seven innings, with 11 strikeouts. Jason Castro homered in the fifth for the Twins' first run, followed by Rosario's record-breaking shot in the sixth.
The video board immediately messaged the announced crowd of 36,641 of the milestone. Then everyone sat down to watch the Twins struggle to put together a rally.
Smeltzer gave up six earned over 4 1/3 innings on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Duffey got the final two outs of the fifth before right-hander Randy Dobnak made his major league debut in the sixth.
Dobnak impressed, pitching four shutout innings, but it wasn't enough for his team.
