Solano hits 3-run triple, Twins do late damage, beat Guardians 8-3 to open 7-game lead in AL Central

Jorge Polanco hit a sacrifice fly and Donovan Solano added a three-run triple in Minnesota’s five-run eighth inning as the Twins pushed their lead in the AL Central to seven games over second-place Cleveland with an 8-3 win over the Guardians on Tuesday night.

Polanco hit a shot deep enough to right off Trevor Stephan (6-6) to score pinch-runner Joey Gallo and break a 3-3 tie. Later in the inning, Solano’s liner to center skipped past outfielder Myles Straw and rolled to the wall, clearing the bases.

By winning the first two games of the critical three-game series, Minnesota moved seven games above .500 for the first time in 2023.

More importantly, they probably put away the defending division champion Guardians with just 23 games left.

Minnesota’s Christian Vázquez, who homered in the sixth off Guardians reliever Matt Moore to tie it 3-all, led off the eighth with a single and Willi Castro doubled down the left-field line. Gallo came on for Vázquez and scored easily on Polanco’s fly ahead of Will Brennan’s throw.

Stephan’s wild pitch made it 5-3, and the right-hander walked two and hit a batter to set up Solano’s knockout blow.

Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer for the Guardians, who were blown out 20-6 in Monday’s series opener.

Griffin Jax (6-8) struck out two in one inning after coming on for starter Sonny Gray. Caleb Thielbar worked the eighth and Emilio Pagán finished up for Minnesota.

With one out, Vázquez belted Moore’s first pitch down the right-field line, the ball ducking into the seats just inside the foul pole.

The Guardians got a solid outing from rookie Tanner Bibee, who held the Twins to two runs and four hits in five innings one night after Minnesota unloaded on Lucas Giolito — nine runs, three innings — in his Cleveland debut.