Lindor's 9th-inning blast sends Indians past Twins

Francisco Lindor hit a three-run walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cleveland Indians a 5-2 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

Lindor, who earlier hit his American League-leading 37th double, lined the first pitch from reliever Trevor Hildenberger (2-3) down the right field line for his 29th homer of the season, driving in Jason Kipnis and Brandon Guyer, who had both singled earlier in the inning.

It was the second straight game that Lindor homered off Hildenberger. Jose Ramirez singled, walked twice and stole his AL-leading 27th base, and Guyer also had two hits for Cleveland, which improved to 34-16 against AL Central teams, including 20-5 at home.

Cody Allen (4-4) picked up the win after giving up a game-tying home run to Miguel Sano in the ninth, his third blown save in 24 chances.

Sano homered, doubled and scored two runs, and Logan Forsythe had two hits and an RBI double for Minnesota, which suffered its major-league-leading 11th walk-off loss.

Cleveland took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by Twins center fielder Jake Cave to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Lindor started the inning with a double after Cave initially broke in on his soft liner and allowed the ball to sail over him as he tried to make up the lost ground. Lindor then advanced to third when Michael Brantley's liner bounced off the center of Cave's glove for an error and then scored one out later on a sacrifice fly by Edwin Encarnacion.

The Twins tied it, 1-1, in the fourth on Forsythe's one-out double off the middle of the left field wall, driving in Sano, who opened the inning with a double.

The Indians regained the lead in the fifth when Yan Gomes singled, went to second on a bunt single by Guyer, advanced to third on a forceout by Lindor and scored on a groundout by Brantley.

Sano led off the ninth with his eighth home run of the season off Allen, a 393-footer just over the wall in right-center, to tie it 2-2 and set the stage for Lindor's heroics.

Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger allowed one run on five hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out five. Twins starter Jake Odorizzi allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings, needing 101 pitches.

--Field Level Media