MINNEAPOLIS -- Andrew McCutchen hit a home run and turned an RBI single into a race around the bases while Minnesota made two errors in a five-run sixth inning, helping Francisco Liriano and the Pittaburgh Pirates beat the Twins 10-4 Wednesday for a two-game sweep.
Jung Ho Kang homered for the second straight day for the Pirates, after going deep for the go-ahead run in the ninth the night before. McCutchen's two-strike, two-out drive off Ervin Santana (2-1) in the fifth inning tied the game at 3, and the Twins unraveled in the sixth.
One run scored on a wild pitch. Then Santana walked two straight batters. Starling Marte hit a sacrifice fly, and McCutchen hit a sharp single that bounced in front of left fielder Eddie Rosario. The ball skipped past him to the warning track, allowing another run to score and McCutchen to reach third.
The slow-rolling relay throw scooted underneath Eduardo Nunez's glove for another error that allowed McCutchen to score -- but not before he collided with Nunez, contact that was hard enough to knock them both to the ground and cue the blooper-tape soundtrack.
"Definitely a foul, 15-yard penalty, roughing the passer, automatic first down," McCutchen said, alluding to his high school football days in Fort Meade, Florida.
Liriano (7-6) improved to 3-0 in his last six starts despite allowing 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings. He was charged with three runs, two earned, and struck out four in his fourth appearance against the Twins, his team from 2005-12.
"Frankie was in a fistfight all day," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Cubs 3, Rockies 2
CHICAGO -- Jon Lester struck out 14, one shy of his career high and the most for a Cubs pitcher in more than a decade, leading Chicago over Colorado.
A day after he was acquired from Toronto, Jose Reyes was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base in his Rockies' debut. The four-time All-Star, obtained in a trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto, batted second and singled in his first at-bat for Colorado, then was caught stealing.
Lester (6-8) struck out seven of his first eight hitters and nine of the first 14. He allowed two runs, five hits and one walk in eight innings.
His strikeout high was set for Boston on May 3 last year against Oakland. Lester became the first Cubs pitcher to strike out 14 since Mark Prior had 16 on Sept. 30, 2004.
Hector Rondon worked around Carlos Gonzalez's two-out walk in a hitless ninth for his 13th save in 16 chances.
Indians 12, Royals 1
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber took a shutout into the ninth, rookie Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer and had a career-high four RBIs, and the Indians avoided a winless homestand.
Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes and rookie Giovanny Urshela hit solo homers for Cleveland, which had been outscored 37-10 in losing the first six games of the homestand. Michael Bourn was 4 for 5.
Kluber (6-11) held Kansas City to five hits. The reigning Cy Young Award winner retired the first 12 batters before Eric Hosmer's leadoff double in the fifth. Alex Rios' RBI groundout in the ninth scored the Royals' only run.
Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie allowed three home runs, all in the sixth inning, and hit three batters, including Brantley in the fifth. Brantley got even with his home run, which he admired from the batter's box before slowly trotting around the bases.
Giants 5, Brewers 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Hunter Pence doubled in Matt Duffy to break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning for San Francisco.
Pence also made two sparkling defensive plays in the outfield as the Giants bounced back from their only loss on this six-game homestand. Ehire Adrianza added a two-run single and Brandon Crawford had a sacrifice fly for the defending World Series champs, who scored all of their runs in the fourth.
San Francisco has won 10 of 12 games since the All-Star break.
Hunter Strickland (1-1) retired three batters for the win, his first since Sept. 27, 2014.
Tigers 2, Rays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Justin Verlander outlasted Chris Archer for his first win this season and Detroit avoided a three-game sweep.
Verlander (1-3), who retired his first 14 batters before Asdrubal Cabrera homered on an 0-1 pitch with two outs in the fifth, gave up one run, four hits and had 10 strikeouts.
Archer (9-8) lost a perfect game bid and the lead in the seventh. The right-hander, 0-4 over six starts since beating Toronto on June 23, allowed two unearned runs, three hits and struck out 11 in seven innings.
Jose Iglesias became the first Tigers' base runner with a one-out infield single. After Cabrera was charged with an error for misplaying Yoenis Cespedes' grounder, the Tigers took a 2-1 lead on RBI singles by J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos, whose liner deflected off Cabrera's glove.
D'backs 8, Mariners 2
SEATTLE -- Welington Castillo homered twice off Seattle ace Felix Hernandez, including a two-run shot in the first inning, and Arizona won its fifth straight.
Castillo hit a two-run homer off Hernandez (12-6) as part of Arizona's four-run first inning, then added a solo shot leading off the fourth. He became just the sixth player to homer twice in the same game off Hernandez.
Patrick Corbin (2-3) allowed just one run and three hits in six innings, winning for the first time since his season debut on July 4 as he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery.
Paul Goldschmidt added a two-run single and David Peralta added a two-run triple as the Diamondbacks won for the seventh time in 10 games.
Dodgers scratch Kershaw
LOS ANGELES Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday due to hip soreness.
Kershaw will start Friday in the Freeway Series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, the Dodgers say. Mike Bolsinger (5-3) stepped in for the start against the A's.
Sports on 07/30/2015