MLB

• Blackburn's arm, Morneau's bat lift Twins over Tribe

  
  

  Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Nick Blackburn pitched nearly eight scoreless innings, and Justin Morneau hit a two-run home run, as Minnesota shut out Cleveland, 3-0, at the Metrodome.

  Blackburn (1-1) scattered eight hits in 7 2/3 innings, with one strikeout, for the Twins, who snapped a two-game losing streak. The win was Minnesota's second in the club's past seven games.

  Morneau was 2-for-4 overall, while Craig Monroe finished 2-for-3 with a double.

  Jake Westbrook (1-2) struggled early but went seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Ryan Garko went 2-for-3, while Asdrubal Cabrera doubled twice for the Indians, who had a two-game win streak snapped.

  The Twins jumped out to a lead in the first inning. Brendan Harris singled with one out, and after a fielder's choice left Joe Mauer on first, Morneau hit his fifth homer of the season to right field.

  Minnesota tacked on another run in the second, on a Carlos Gomez RBI single, scoring Mike Lamb.

  Cleveland had a chance to get a run back in the third. Cabrera doubled with one out, and was followed by Casey Blake, who singled. But Delmon Young's throw home beat Cabrera for the second out, and the inning ended on a Grady Sizemore ground out.

  Blackburn didn't face more than four batters in any of his first seven innings, but got help from his defense, as the first, second, fifth, and seventh innings ended with double plays.

  In the eighth, Cabrera smacked his second double to right with one out, and advanced to third on a Blake ground out. Blackburn was then lifted in favor of Dennys Reyes, who got Sizemore to end another inning, on a fly out to right.

  Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth inning for his sixth save of the year. Game Notes

  The teams have split the first two games of the series that concludes Sunday. Scott Baker (2-0) gets the start for Minnesota, while Paul Byrd (0-2) goes for Cleveland...Fourteen of Blackburn's 21 outs were ground outs...Sizemore's lone hit was a double.

  04/19 19:03:23 ET