Minnesota Twins vs San Francisco Giants Match Player Stats On Jun 10, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 10, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brian Dozier broke a tie with a two-run home run in the fifth inning, sending the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in the second game of their interleague series Saturday afternoon.

Right-handers Tyler Duffey, Matt Belisle and Brandon Kintzler protected a one-run lead with 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief, as the American League Central-leading Twins improved to 6-3 on their 10-game Western swing that ends Sunday.

Brandon Belt homered for the Giants, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine home games.

Kennys Vargas belted the second-longest home run of the 2017 season, a 471-footer off Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija, to offset Belt's first-inning homer and draw the Twins even at 1-1 in the fourth.

Chris Gimenez then led off the fifth with a single and, with two outs, Dozier smacked his 10th homer of the season to left field, giving the Twins a lead they never relinquished.

The homer was Dozier's third in his last 19 interleague games, a stretch during which he's hit .310 (26-for-84) and driven in 16 runs.

Buster Posey's infield out plated Eduardo Nunez in the fifth to draw the Giants within 3-2, but San Francisco had only one hit the rest of the way against Twins starter Jose Berrios and three relievers.

Duffey came on after Austin Slater's second of two hits, a single, put the potential tying run aboard with one out in the sixth.

Duffey got pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson to ground into a double play to end the sixth, then retired the Giants in order in the seventh.

Belisle needed just nine pitches to set down the middle of San Francisco's lineup in the eighth, before Kintzler worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save.

Berrios (5-1) improved his road record to 4-0, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight, giving him 39 strikeouts in 38 innings this season.

In winning their third in a row, the Twins managed just five hits off Samardzija and two Giants relievers.

Samardzija (2-8) allowed all three Twins runs on four hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked one, just his second walk since May 1.

Slater and Belt had two hits apiece for the Giants, who out-hit the Twins 6-5.

NOTES: The Twins improved 193-174 all-time in interleague play, the ninth-most wins in the majors. ... The Giants have lost 12 of their last 16 interleague games. ... Giants 1B Brandon Belt's home run was a "Splash Hit," the 73rd for a Giant since AT&T Park opened in 2000. Belt has seven of those blasts into the San Francisco Bay, tying him with 3B Pablo Sandoval for second among Giants. LF Barry Bonds is the leader with 35. ... The Twins are expected to promote LHP Nik Turley, a former Giants farmhand, from Triple-A Rochester to start the series finale Sunday.