 with one out the fifth and put Chicago ahead for the first time, 6-5. The shortstop's deep fly to left was pushed by a steady southwest wind as it narrowly reached the Wrigley Field bleachers.Joe Mauer homered among three hits and finished with a season-high five RBIs. Coming through twice with two outs, Mauer hit a three-run shot in the second and lined a two-run double off Cubs starter Mike Montgomery in the fourth.Montgomery (3-2) lasted five innings and earned the win despite giving up five runs (three earned) and seven hits with three walks. Three Cubs relievers followed with a scoreless inning each before Justin Wilson allowed the Twins' final run in the ninth.Brandon Morrow came in to get the final out for his 17th save.Berrios lacked his usual velocity as he yielded a season-high six runs and four walks. The right-hander was 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA over his previlous five starts.Mauer's homer was just his second this season, following a solo shot on May 1. The 35-year-old first baseman last drove in five runs in a game last Sept. 17 against Toronto.After Max Kepler and Mitch Garver led off the second with singles, Mauer's drive with two outs made it 3-0. His fly carried into the left-field basket with help from the wind.With Albert Almora, Jr. on first, Heyward lined Berrios' first pitch to him in the third into the right-center bleachers to cut it to 3-2.Mauer's double to center field got past Almora in the fourth and plated two runs to extend the Twins' lead to 5-2.After the Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth, Russell's fifth homer put them ahead. Zobrist added his two-run shot to right in the sixth off Matt Magill to make it 8-5.BABY BOY BAEZINF Javier Baez wasn't in the lineup following the birth of his son Friday morning. Baez, tied with Schwarber for the team lead with 16 homers, pinch hit in the seventh and struck out.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: INF/OFTaylor Motter was placed on the disabled list with concussion like symptoms after hitting his chest hard against right field wall at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday while trying to make a catch. ... Minnesota recalled C/INF Willians Astudillo from Triple-A Rochester to take Motter's roster spot. ... The Twins designated RHP Felix Jorge for release or assignment.Cubs: RHP Yu Darvish travelled to Texas to see orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister for a fresh opinion on his sore right triceps. The injury flared up in a bullpen session on Thursday in Los Angeles and forced the Cubs to scrub Darvish's return to the rotation this weekend. . INF/OF Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) hit off a tee and took infield practice on Friday. He could return on Tuesday when he's eligible to come off the disabled list. ... RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to make a rehab outing at Triple-A Iowa on Friday and is nearing a return from the DL.UP NEXTTwins LHP Adalberto Mejia makes his first major league appearance of the season and faces Cubs RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 3.95), who comes off the paternity list. Mejia is 4-2 with 2.74 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) for Triple-A Rochester, and was 4-7 with 4.50 ERA in 21 starts for the Twins in 2017. Chatwood leads the majors with 63 walks.---For more baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
TICKETSTICKETSCubs open extended homestand vs. Twins 4h ago• 3 min read CHICAGO -- If the Chicago Cubs were looking for a glimmer of hope in an otherwise forgettable road trip, a seven-run seventh inning provided a spark.A day before the Cubs open a nine-game homestand on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday's seven-spot helped deliver an 11-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers that helped the Cubs earn a split of the four-game series.The Cubs lost six of the eight games on that road trip, but that victory in Thursday's series finale may have been just what the Cubs needed. Despite their recent struggles, the Cubs won't get too wrapped up in their recent skid."We're in June," center fielder Albert Almora Jr., told reporters. "Obviously, we want to get on a roll and start playing good baseball and this is a good way to move into our home (stand) now."We're not where we want to be obviously, but this is a step in the right direction." Thursday's outcome was better than the news that came earlier in the day.Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish experienced pain in his right triceps during a bullpen session Thursday, which will prevent him from returning to the starting rotation this weekend."It didn't go that well and he wasn't able to cut it loose," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters, according to the Cubs' official website. "We'll re-evaluate once we go back to Chicago and let you know the next step. For right now, he's not going to be able to pitch on Saturday." Darvish's injury has opened the door of opportunity for Mike Montgomery, who will open the series against the Twins. Montgomery (2-2, 3.39 ERA) transitioned into the rotation from the bullpen in late May and has been effective. But after allowing no more than one earned run in each of his first five starts, Montgomery struggled in his last outing when he allowed four runs over six innings against the Cincinnati Reds.Montgomery is 0-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two career appearances, including one start, against the Twins. The lone start came in 2015, when he allowed one run and four hits over six innings, but did not get a decision.The Twins enter this weekend's series off a marathon 13-inning, 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Minnesota avoided a sweep while playing the third of six games they will play in Chicago this week.After Fernando Rodney allowed the tying run to score in the ninth inning, the Twins pulled out the victory with a bases-loaded walk to Max Kepler. The Twins will face the Cubs having lost five of their past seven games.Like the Cubs, the Twins hope a win can build momentum after Minnesota's recent slide erased any positive energy that came earlier this month in series wins over the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox."Obviously, this series and the last series have been unfortunate coming off two huge series wins," second baseman Brian Dozier told reporters Thursday. "But that's kind of how we've played the first few months of the season, which is not good. But I keep saying this team has potential to catch fire and do good things. I know we keep waiting on that and waiting on that, and in a perfect world, it would start today. But I think the mindset is where it needs to be. We just have to start winning more games." Jose Berrios will start for the Twins. Berrios (8-5, 3.15) has not lost since May 27 and is coming off a strong seven-inning effort against the Texas Rangers in which he allowed no runs and two hits and struck out 12.Berrios will face the Cubs for the first time in his career on Friday.
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