Joe Mauer hit a three-run homer and a two-run double but his five RBI wasn’t nearly enough as the Chicago Cubs beat the Twins 10-6 Friday in at Wrigley Field.
Minnesota, playing at Wrigley for the first time since 2009, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Mauer’s blast in the second inning, and increased the lead to 5-2 on Mauer’s two-run double in the fourth inning.
It all unraveled in the fifth when Jose Berrios, who had been dominant over his past eight starts. served up a grand slam to Addison Russel to give the Cubs a 6-5 lead that wouldn’t give back.
Ben Zobrist hit a two-run shot in the sixth and Kyle Schwarber launched a solo homer in the seventh – the fourth long ball of the game for Chicago – and the Cubs went on to win going away.
The Twins have dropped six of eight and are now 8 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central division.
First pitch Saturday in Chicago is set for 1:20 p.m.
