Gant wins, Rooker homers as Twins blank Indians 3-0

CLEVELAND (AP) — One of the Twins' expectant fathers delivered.

Hours after manager Rocco Baldelli's wife gave birth, Brent Rooker homered as he awaits a call from home for an arriving baby and Minnesota beat Cleveland 3-0 on Tuesday night, spoiling Indians starter Aaron Civale's return from injury.

Rooker's 421-foot shot in the seventh off reliever Alex Young made it 2-0.

“I was looking for something up in the zone and got it,” Rooker said.

John Gant (5-9) pitched five solid innings to get his first win since joining the Twins, who beat the Indians for the sixth time in seven games.

“The boys scratched and clawed and made some plays tonight, and pushed some runs across," said Gant, who came over from St. Louis in a July 30 trade. “All in all a good team win.”

Gant (5-9) didn't allow a run on three hits. The right-hander, who had been winless since May 26 — a span of 27 appearances — had to survive a scare in the third inning when Indians slugger Franmil Reyes flew out to the base of the wall in left-center with the bases loaded.

Gant later found out the deep shot came during a grand slam promotion the Indians were running that inning.

“It was nice to not give that one up,” said Gant, who admitted he wasn't sure when it left Reyes' bat. "I didn't think he got it full on, but he’s a big ol’ boy so he doesn’t have to get it full on for it to go.

"I didn’t really know what was going to happen. I was hanging on the edge of my seat if you will.”

Four Twins relievers finished the combined seven-hitter — Minnesota pitchers had 13 strikeouts — with Alex Colomé working the ninth for his 13th save in his fourth straight game.

“We did tell him tomorrow he can watch the game,” joked interim manager Bill Evers.

The Indians failed...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gant-wins-and-spoils-Civale-s-return-Twins-down-16441797.php