Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins Box Score on Mar 31, 2019

Nelson Cruz had three hits including a two-run homer and Willians Astudillo had two doubles and two RBIs to highlight Minnesota's 15-hit attack as the Twins cruised to a 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Byron Buxton, Jonathan Schoop, Jorge Polanco and C.J. Cron each added two hits for the Twins, who took two out of three games in the season-opening series against the three-time defending American League Central champion Indians.

Martin Perez (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Michael Pineda, allowing three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six.

Pineda, making his first start since July 5, 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was brilliant, facing the minimum 12 batters over four shutout innings. He allowed one hit and a walk while striking out five, throwing 28 strikes on 40 pitches.

Carlos Santana had four hits, including a three-run double in the eighth, for the Indians. Carlos Carrasco (0-1) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and six runs before departing after 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Astudillo's RBI double to left-center, driving in Cron who had singled.

The Twins extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth on Buxton's third double of the season, a line drive off the bottom of the left field fence that drove in Schoop, who had singled, and Astudillo, who hit a ground-rule double to left-center.

Minnesota broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by Cruz's first homer with the Twins. His 427-foot drive off the facing of the second deck above the bullpen in left-center drove in Polanco, who had singled, to make it 5-0. It was Cruz's 204th homer since 2014, most in the majors.

Cron followed one out later with a double to left, chasing Carrasco. Reliever Neil Ramirez then walked Marwin Gonzalez and Schoop followed with an RBI double to left. Astudillo followed with a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Gonzalez and Schoop, who tagged and went to third, also scored on an overthrow by cutoff man Santana.

Santana's bases-clearing double cut it to 8-3 in the eighth.

Jake Cave ended the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, driving in Astudillo.

--Field Level Media