Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins Box Score on Aug 14, 2018

Jake Cave drove in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning, and Miguel Sano added a late two-run home run Tuesday night as the Minnesota Twins downed the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs for the Twins, who had lost four of their previous five games.

David Freese was 3-for-4 with a run for Pittsburgh, which lost its second straight and fell for the third time in four games.

Minnesota right-hander Jake Odorizzi (5-7) struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs and four hits, and he walked two.

Trevor Hildenberger pitched the ninth for his second save.

Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon (9-9) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings, with four strikeouts and one walk. He has given up 12 runs in 40 innings over his past six starts, a 2.70 ERA in that span.

The Pirates scored twice in the second inning. Freese led off with a single, and Josh Bell followed with a walk. Francisco Cervelli -- back in the starting lineup after taking a foul tip off his catcher's mask Saturday at San Francisco -- doubled to left-center to drive in Freese. Bell scored on Colin Moran's groundout for a 2-0 lead.

Taillon was perfect through three innings, but the Twins broke through in the fourth.

Joe Mauer led off with a base hit to left and went to third on Eddie Rosario's double to the corner in right. Polanco drove in both with a single to right for a 2-2 tie. Polanco advanced to second on Sano's groundout and to third on Max Kepler's single, then scored one out later on Cave's single to center for a 3-2 Minnesota lead.

Pittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer left for a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth because of left calf discomfort.

In the eighth, Polanco led off with a double to shallow left before Sano launched his ninth homer, to right-center, to extend the Twins' lead to 5-2.

--Field Level Media