The Twins beat Cleveland 7-5 Wednesday afternoon to earn a split in the 4-game series at Target Field.  Minnesota scored 3 runs in the 8th inning to break a 4-all tie.  Danny Valencia drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the 8th inning before Tsuyoshi Nishioka added a 2-run single.

Alexi Casilla was 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI and Joe Mauer was 2-4 with a run scored and 1 RBI.  Mauer was 9-15 in the series and is batting .297 this season.  Matt Capps threw 2/3 of an inning to get the win in relief and Joe Nathan allowed 1 run in the 9th inning to get his 6th save.

Minnesota is 46-51 and is 5 games back of Cleveland and Detroit for first place in the American League Central.  The Twins will host Detroit beginning a 4-game series tonight at 7:10, pregame on WJON at 6:40.  Righthander Carl Pavano (6-6) gets the start on the mound for the Twins and righthander Justin Verlander (12-5) toes the rubber for the Tigers.

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