 retired both batters he faced in the eighth for his first career victory.It was 1-all when Carlos Santana singled with one out in the ninth and reliever Blake Parker (0-1) threw two wild pitches. Allen's drive to deep center field scored Allen.Twins starter Jake Odorizzi tied a career high with 11 strikeouts over six innings. He allowed just one hit and two walks. It was a promising start to the season after Odorizzi posted a career-worst 4.49 ERA last year, his first season with the Twins.Indians starter Trevor Bauer began his season in style, giving up one run on one hit with a walk and nine strikeouts over seven innings. Bauer finished second in the AL with a 2.21 ERA last year.Hanley Ramirez put the Indians on top 1-0 with a solo homer in the fourth inning. Ramirez hit a 3-0 pitch deep into the second deck.The Twins got that run back in the bottom of the frame when Polanco hit a one-out triple and scored when Cruz grounded out.TRAINER'S ROOMIndians: Manager Terry Francona said Lindor (sprained left ankle) will visit Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday. The orthopedic surgeon specializes in working with professional athletes. ''They felt having the best look at it makes sense, and I commend them for that,'' Francona said.UP NEXTIndians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (17-10, 3.38 in 2018) makes his season debut on Sunday when Cleveland and Minnesota close out their three-game series. He's coming off a year in which he set a career high with 231 strikeouts in 192 innings pitched.Twins: RHP Michael Pineda will step onto a major league mound on Sunday for the first time since July 5, 2017, when he was pitching for the Yankees. He underwent Tommy John surgery later that month, signed with the Twins in the offseason, and spent all of 2018 on the disabled list. Pineda pitched a team-high 20 1/3 innings in spring training and struck out 20.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Bauer to start perhaps last go-round with Indians What is expected to be the last lap around the track with a vaunted one-two punch in the rotation began Thursday afternoon for the Cleveland Indians. On Saturday, the pitcher least likely to remain with the team beyond this season, Trevor Bauer, will make his season debut when he takes the mound against the host Minnesota Twins at Target Field.The Twins won the season opener Thursday, when Jose Berrios allowed just two hits over 7 2/3 innings and earned the victory in a 2-0 win. Berrios outdueled two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who gave up both runs on just four hits over seven innings.Bauer (12-6, 2.21 ERA last season), who may have succeeded Kluber as the AL Cy Young winner if not for a late-season injury, is scheduled to oppose Jake Odorizzi (7-10, 4.49 ERA last season) on Saturday.While Bauer and Kluber both were the subject of trade rumors over the winter, there's a far smaller chance of the 28-year-old Bauer staying with the Indians beyond 2019 than Kluber, who turns 33 in April and is under team control through 2021.Bauer is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season and has no interest in signing a long-term deal with the Indians or anyone else. The right-hander told Yahoo Sports in 2018 that he told a friend he could shoot him in a, ahem, painful spot with a paintball gun if he ever signed a multi-year deal. Bauer backed those comments up during offseason interviews in which he said going year-to-year would maximize his earnings."How much would Bryce Harper be worth on a one-year deal?" Bauer told USA Today in February. "Or Dallas Keuchel? How much would Max Scherzer be worth last year to the Brewers, who were one game away from the World Series and needed an ace?"If players are willing to take more risk and shorter term, they can really drive the value up." The outing Saturday will serve as Bauer's first true regular-season start since he suffered a broken leg after being hit by a line drive against the Chicago White Sox last Aug. 11. While Bauer returned to make three appearances (two starts) totaling 9 1/3 innings in late September, the injury derailed what was could have been an award-winning season for Bauer, who finished second in the AL in ERA behind Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who only threw 4 2/3 innings more than Bauer.While Odorizzi posted a career-high ERA last year, he enters his final season prior to free agency as one of the most durable starters in the game. The right-hander, who turned 29 on Wednesday, is one of just five pitchers to make at least 28 starts in each of the past five seasons. Odorizzi's peers in the group include Kluber and Scherzer, who have combined to win five Cy Youngs.He had a rough season by his standards in 2018 and committed to working on his mechanics in the offseason. He posted a 13.50 ERA in limited spring training action, but he wasn't worried after the Toronto Blue Jays took their cuts at him in a March 10 spring training game."I thought I executed a lot of quality pitches. They weren't called strikes today. It wasn't a big deal," Odorizzi said after that game. "As long as I'm happy with the shape of them and how they were coming out, that's about all I need to get out of spring training. Sure, would I have liked to get some outs or faced more batters? But it's not going to make me miss a bit of sleep tonight." Bauer is 6-7 with a 4.46 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) against the Twins, whom he's faced more than any other opponent. Odorizzi is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA in nine career starts against the Indians.--Field Level Media
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