MILWAUKEE – Eddie Rosario hit a grand slam, Randy Dobnak pitched five strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Monday night to snap a four-game skid.
Rosario’s slam in the third inning erased an early 1-0 deficit and gave Dobnak and the Twins bullpen all the runs they needed.
Keston Hiura homered and Orlando Arcia hit an RBI double for the Brewers.
Dobnak (3-1) struck out three, allowed four hits, walked one and retired his last eight batters to continue his hot start to the season. The right-hander has given up just two runs over 20 innings in his first four starts.
This game matched two starters who entered the night with ERAs below 1.00. Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser came in having yielded just one run over 12 innings.
The Brewers staked Houser to a 1-0 lead in the second as Orlando Arcia hit a two-out drive that eluded a leaping Rosario and went off the left-field wall for an RBI double. Arcia’s big hit snapped Dobnak’s string of 13 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
Minnesota countered qucikly.
Alex Avila hit a leadoff single in the third and Max Kepler followed with an infield hit. After Jorge Polanco grounded into a fielder’s choice, Nelson Cruz was hit by a pitch.
That loaded the bases for Rosario, who blasted a pitch over the wall in right center for his fourth career grand slam.
Milwaukee star Christian Yelich singled and was left stranded at third in the bottom of the third inning, and the Brewers didn’t put another runner on base until Avisail Garcia hit a two-out single in the sixth.
The Brewers cut Minnesota’s lead to 4-2 when Hiura led off the eighth by homering to left center on an 0-2 pitch from Sergio Romo. The Brewers brought the tying run to the plate when Manny Pina hit a two-out double in the ninth, but Taylor Rogers struck out Mark Mathias to earn his fourth save.
Houser (1-1) pitched five innings and gave up only those four runs on Rosario’s grand slam. Freddy Peralta struck out eight and allowed only one hit and one walk in four innings of shutout relief.
SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR?
By dropping four straight games before Monday, the Twins their matched longest losing streak from last season. Their four-game skid last year covered the exact same dates (Aug. 6-9) as this one.
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson has taken ground balls and is swinging the bat and running, but manager Rocco Baldelli cautioned that the team would remain cautious with him. Donaldson is on the injured list with a strained right calf. “They’re not injuries you really want to mess with,” Baldelli said. “You can’t really go out there and play with a calf that’s kind of coming back. It’s something that is going to have to be 100%.”
UP NEXT
The Twins and Brewers continue their three-game series Tuesday in Milwaukee. Josh Lindblom (1-0, 4.15) will pitch for Milwaukee. Minnesota hasn’t named a starter.
