, who hit Gomes with a pitch and the bases loaded in the fourth to force in a run. Gomes later connected for his 14th homer to make it 4-0.Mike Clevinger (12-5) replaced Salazar in the fifth and got his first win in relief this season.The Twins came in needing just one win to grab the AL's second wild-card position - the New York Yankees already have the other - and complete a remarkable one-season reversal after losing 103 games in 2016.Minnesota could be the first team to lose at least 100 games and make the playoffs the following year.Before the game, attendants in Minnesota's clubhouse stashed away cases of beer and some champagne for a potential celebration.Salazar allowed one hit and struck out nine in 4 2-3 shutout innings of his last - and perhaps most important - start of the regular season. Manager Terry Francona lifted the right-hander one out before he qualified for the win, a curious move because Salazar was dominating.Salazar isn't guaranteed a spot on Cleveland's postseason roster, but he made any decision not to include him a little tougher. He's had a disappointing season, which included a lengthy stint in the minors to work out some issues.Clevinger will pitch out of the bullpen in October, and Francona may have wanted to get him into a situation like he might face in the playoffs.Edwin Encarnacion picked up his 104th RBI in the first inning and the Indians made it 2-0 in the fourth when Mejia plunked Gomes.A throwing error by Minnesota third baseman Eduardo Escobar gave the Indians a 3-0 lead in the fifth.TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: 3B Miguel Sano (left shin stress reaction) took 60 swings at Target Field, raising the possibility he could be on the playoff roster. The first-time All-Star has been on the disabled list since Aug. 20.Indians: OF Michael Brantley's postseason hopes took a positive turn. The All-Star did some running Wednesday in a simulated game and could be playing by the end of the week. Brantley's chances to help the Indians in October were fading with every passing day, but the 30-year-old is going to make one last push. Brantley was having a strong comeback season after missing Cleveland's World Series run in 2016 following two shoulder surgeries.UP NEXTCarlos Carrasco goes for his 18th win in his final start of the regular season against Twins right-hander Ervin Santana, who is 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in three starts against the Central champions this season.)
Twins would wrap up playoff spot with win over Indians 6h ago• 2 min read CLEVELAND -- The Minnesota Twins are so close to the postseason that they can't wait to play their next game.Minnesota's magic number for claiming the American League's second wild-card spot is one. A win Wednesday night over the Cleveland Indians or a loss by the Los Angeles Angels to the Chicago White Sox would send the Twins to the postseason for the first time since 2010."It's all coming together for us," Twins center fielder Byron Buxton said. "We're playing great baseball. Now we've got to keep it going." The Twins (83-74) have won five games in a row and are one of the few teams that have been able to consistently beat the Indians at home. Although Minnesota is 7-10 against Cleveland overall, the Twins are 6-1 vs. the Indians at Progressive Field."We know them pretty well, and I think that helps," Buxton said."We're just trying to take care of business," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.So are the Indians. Although they have clinched the AL Central, they are trying to hold off the Houston Astros for the best record in the AL, and they haven't given up hope of catching the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the majors.Cleveland (98-59) is one game ahead of Houston (97-60) and 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers (101-57).One of the ring leaders of the Indians' offense is designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs in an 8-6 loss to the Twins on Tuesday.A free agent last winter, Encarnacion signed a three-year, $60 million contract with Cleveland, and he has delivered.With less than a week left in the season, Encarnacion is hitting a modest .258, but he has belted 38 home runs with 103 RBIs and 101 walks. He is the fifth player in Indians history with 100 RBIs and 100 walks in the same season. The last to do it was Travis Hafner in 2007."As long as he's healthy, he'll do that. It's been fun to watch," Indians manager Terry Francona said.Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48 ERA), who has had an injury-plagued season for the second year in a row, will start for Cleveland on Wednesday night.He has made two trips to the disabled list, once for a sore shoulder and the other for elbow inflammation. In 18 starts, he is 5-6 with a 4.66 ERA. In four relief appearances, he has a 1.59 ERA.Because of his inconsistent performances and injury history this year, Salazar is probably on the bubble for a spot on the Indians' postseason roster.He hasn't won a game since Aug. 15, but it was an 8-1 victory over the Twins in which Salazar pitched seven innings, gave up one run on three hits and struck out 10 with no walks. He is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against Minnesota this year and 5-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 12 career starts against the Twins.Salazar started Thursday at Anaheim, and he gave up one run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings.Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48 ERA) will start for the Twins.Mejia has made two career starts vs. Cleveland, and they were back-to-back on June 17 and 23. In those outings, Mejia was 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA, giving up two home runs, seven hits and eight walks in 9 2/3 innings.In his most recent outing, Mejia last just 4 2/3 innings Thursday at Detroit. He yielded one run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
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