By Craig Gifford

During the offseason, the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins both signed a veteran pitcher in the hopes of bolstering their starting rotations. For the Tribe it was Derek Lowe. For Minnesota in was Marquis. Lowe has worked out for Cleveland much better than anyone could have anticipated. Marquis has been an early-season disappointment for the Twins.

The two squared off Tuesday afternoon in the second game of a short, two-game series between the AL Central Division rivals. Lowe continue his surprising torrid start to the year, while Marquis continued to struggle. It spelled a 5-0 victory for the Indians, who improved to 20-16 and maintain a 2.5-game lead in the division.

Lowe, who improved to 6-1 and saw his earned run average drop to 2.05, was dominant on Tuesday in Minnesota. He tossed his first complete game of the season, throwing 127 pitches. The right-hander shut the Twins out on just five hits and two walks. He didn’t strike anyone out, but it did not matter.

Cleveland’s offense provide a fifth-inning punch, unseen from the Tribe this year. The Indians hit three home runs in the frame off Marquis. Solo shots from Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana made it 5-0 for a Cleveland team that had score twice early in the game. It was the first time this year the Indians hit three long balls in a stanza.

Choo, who struggled early in the year, has picked up the pace lately. The tater was his second of the year. He doubled earlier in the game and scored on a thrid-inning single from Cabrera, whose two RBI give him 15 for the season. Santana also doubled and scored in the second on a Casey Kotchman hit.

The damage was all done to Marquis, who fell to to 2-3 with an ERA that ballooned to 6.68. Minnesota, now at 10-26 and 10 games in back of Cleveland.

Along with the big offensive outputs from Choo, Santana and Cabrera, Brantley also had a pair of hits. He hit his second triple of the season and continues to shine ever since being moved down in the lineup from lead-off upon Johnny Damon‘s May 1 inclusion to the team.

Cleveland continued it’s surging ways on the road, improving to 12-6 away from home. Entering Tuesday, the Tribe’s road mark was third best in all of baseball.

The Indians will now return home Wednesday after sweeping the two games in Minnesota and going 6-6 on a road trip that included a 1-3 hiccup over the weekend in Boston. The Tribe will again have a quick two-game set as they welcome the Mariners for a pair starting Wednesday. Seattle will throw its ace, Felix Hernandez against Ubaldo Jimenez, who will toe the rubber for Cleveland. Game time is 7:05 p.m. The Indians will look to improve on a sluggish 8-10 Progressive Field record as they open an eight-game home stand, the team’s longest of the year.

Photo: Associated Press

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