Twins 4, Marlins 3
MINNEAPOLIS -- Rookie Oswaldo Arcia's first major league home run in the fourth inning lifted the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday.
In what is becoming a chilling theme at Target Field this season, the game started in frigid temperatures -- 39 degrees at first pitch. But Twins' starter Kevin Correia was the warmest player on the field, pitching seven strong innings for the fourth time this season.
The Twins nearly pulled him too soon.
In the eighth inning, the Marlins chipped into a 4-2 Twins' lead when Jared Burton came into relieve Correia. He gave up a one-out double to leadoff man Juan Pierre, and then hit two consecutive batters -- Placido Polanco and Giancarlo Stanton -- to load the bases.
Designated hitter Greg Dobbs next hit a screaming liner back at Burton, who got a glove on the ball, and shortstop Pedro Florimon made a barehanded pickup to get Dobbs. Pierre scored to tighten the game at 4-3.
Closer Glen Perkins came on in the ninth and struck out the side to close for his sixth save this season.
Marlins starter Jose Fernandez pitched five innings, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks, with two strikeouts. He made one big mistake -- the home run to Arcia.
Second baseman Brian Dozier led off the Twins' first inning with a triple, his first of three hits. Joe Mauer walked and was forced out at second on Justin Morneau's fielder's choice to short, which allowed Dozier to score the game's first run.
Correia scattered two hits in the first three innings, while striking out three.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, the Marlins busted out with three two-out hits. Dobbs blooped a single to short left, then moved to third on Justin Ruggiano's double off the leftfield wall. First baseman Joe Mahoney singled home both runners, and the Marlins led 2-1.
The Twins responded in the bottom of the inning when Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe singled and scored on a three-run home run by Arcia -- the first in his career.
Notes: Tuesday's afternoon game, the first of a day-night doubleheader, marke the first trip for the Marlins to Target Field. ... Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco was originally scheduled to pitch the first game, but he was switched to the nightcap with Fernandez starting the early game.
