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 A performance like the one against the Cleveland Indians on
Thursday is what makes him a true ace.
Hughes pitched seven innings of one-run ball against one of the best
pitchers in baseball this season, backstopping the Twins to a 4-1
win over the Indians at Target Field.
The Twins, losers of four straight entering the game, salvaged the
final game of a three-game series. Hughes struck out eight, walked
none and allowed only five hits in improving to 14-8 this season.
"Going against a guy (like Corey Kluber), trying not to get swept,
and all those things, you go out there and give it the best shot you
have," Hughes said. "It's nice to get this one."
Hughes was rarely in trouble, allowing only a home run to designated
hitter Zach Walters in the fifth inning, a solo blast that tied the
game at 1-1. Other than that, it was four singles against the
right-hander, who lowered his season ERA to 3.65.
"He's back to the basics now," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of
Hughes. "He's pounding the strike zone, a nice little breaking ball
when he needed it and moved the ball in and out. He was in control
of the game."
Indians manager Terry Francona said, "I thought Hughes was really
good. The ball was jumping up on you a little bit. He could cut it
and was painting away and the ball was getting past out barrels. Saw
a lot of lazy fly balls. He just has that ability."
Kluber was solid too, but walked four and allowed six hits and three
runs over seven innings, losing for the first time since June 30 --
a span of six decisions and eight starts.
"I was a little off, just wasn't quite able to reel it in and find
it," Kluber said. "Did a good job battling, trying to keep the team
in the game but just didn't quite have enough to pull out the win."
Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas had three hits, including a
solo home run to the opposite field in the fourth inning, a blast
that gave the Twins a brief 1-0 lead.
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The difference came in the sixth, when following a ground-rule double and
a walk, Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe slapped a chopper down the
third base line that reached the corner for his 33rd two-base hit of the
season, driving in both runners and giving Minnesota its second and
final lead of the day.
"Kluber's got such good stuff, you really have to let the ball travel.
His slider, his main pitch, comes out just like a fastball," Plouffe
said. "That was my approach, just see it as long as I could. That one
backed up on him and caught a lot of the plate and I just shot it down
the line."
Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia doubled in a run in the eighth inning to
provide the final margin.
Right-hander Casey Fien worked a scoreless eighth inning ahead of closer
Glen Perkins, who pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save.
NOTES: Indians RHP Corey Kluber's strikeout of Danny Santana in the
third inning gave him 200 strikeouts this season. Kluber is the ninth
Indians pitcher to reach the 200-strikeout plateau in franchise history.
... Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe's double was his 33rd of the season, moving
him into a tie for eighth in all of baseball in that category. ... Twins
DH Kennys Vargas' homer was his fourth in 19 games in the majors this
season. He has 17 RBIs in that span.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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