MINNEAPOLIS _ Target Field used to be Kyle Gibson's best friend. But they don't seem to get along so well anymore.
Gibson closed his fourth major league season with a 1-8 record in his home ballpark on Friday, and while he only allowed two runs in the Twins' 10-1 loss to the Mariners, it could have been worse. Byron Buxton robbed Nelson Cruz of a home run with two runners on base, reaching above the center field wall to keep the game close _ temporarily.
If Buxton's outfield play helped out the Twins' starter, Robbie Grossman's made things worse for the bullpen. And, oh yeah: Cruz got his revenge, too.
Grossman turned a sinking line drive into a two-run nightmare, first by allowing the ball to glance off his glove and scoot by him, then by sliding toward the ball and kicking it onto the warning track as he scrambled to catch up to it. That was the cap to an ugly six-run inning that helped turn a close game into the 20th time the Twins have allowed 10 or more runs this season.
Cruz got Seattle to double digits with a soaring home run off Tommy Milone that glanced off the sandstone facing high above the batter's eye, his 38th homer of the season.
For Gibson, though, the loss wrapped up a tremendously disappointing season at home, where he had won a half dozen games in each of the past two seasons. On Friday, the right-hander needed 99 pitches to get through those five innings, partly due to the four walks he issued, and partly because he allowed at least one hit in four of those innings. Saved three more runs by Buxton, Gibson, now 6-11, managed to reduce his season ERA to 5.04 with one start remaining, next week in Kansas City. But he still owns a 5.21 ERA in his home park this season, and his lone victory in Minneapolis came on July 3 against Texas.
Robinson Cano singled home Nori Aoki in the third inning to give Seattle an early lead, and Mike Zunino produced an RBI single in the fourth to give the Mariners a lead that mushroomed once the Twins turned to their overworked bullpen.
Meanwhile, Mariners left-hander James Paxton, who had not recorded a victory since Aug. 7, looked like a pitcher trying to reach the postseason. He shut the Twins out on just three singles, two of which didn't leave the infield, over six innings, before finally allowing a triple to Miguel Sano and RBI single to Kennys Vargas in the seventh.
Still, the Mariners kept pace in the AL wild-card chase, remaining two games behind Detroit for the final playoff spot.
