Kluber strikes out 14 for 2nd consecutive start, keeps Indians alive in wild-card hunt

Minneapolis, MN - Corey Kluber made another case for the American League's Cy Young Award by striking out 14 batters over eight stellar innings, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Kluber (17-9) upped his season strikeout total to 258 while holding Minnesota to two runs on seven hits to win his fourth straight start. More importantly, the effort ensured the Indians wouldn't lose ground in the AL Wild Card race entering the final week.

Cleveland began the day 3 1/2 games back of Oakland and Kansas City in the standings. The Indians host the Royals for a crucial three-game series beginning Monday.

Michael Bourn went 3-for-5 with three runs scored to help the Indians to a fifth victory in six games. Michael Brantley also collected three hits while knocking in two runs, with Jose Ramirez contributing two RBI on a pair of hits.

Chris Herrmann doubled twice and drove in a run for the Twins, while Danny Santana had an RBI double in the loss.

Minnesota starter Anthony Swarzak (3-2) lasted just 4 1/3 innings, permitting five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits while walking two.

The Indians were put in an early 1-0 hole after Herrmann followed a Josmil Pinto single in the second inning with an RBI double, but struck twice in the third to move in front for good.

Three straight singles by Mike Aviles, Bourn and Ramirez knotted the score before Brantley stroked a double to right that brought home Bourn for a 2-1 edge.

Kluber yielded just one hit over the next two innings, striking out the side in order in the fourth, and his teammates broke the game open with a three-run fifth.

After Bourn and Ramirez reached via singles, Twins second baseman Brian Dozier and Santana both committed throwing errors on Brantley's potential double-play grounder, enabling Bourn to score while placing runners on second and third.

Swarzak then balked in a run for a 4-1 lead, with Brantley later crossing the plate on a Yan Gomes sacrifice fly.

Doubles by Herrmann and Santana in the bottom of the fifth trimmed the margin to 5-2, but the Indians put up two more runs in the sixth. Ramirez knocked in Lonnie Chisenhall with a sac fly and Brantley plated Bourn with a single off Aaron Thompson.

Kluber's 14th strikeout came against Joe Mauer in the bottom of the eighth. That matched a career-best set just five days ago in Houston.