Samuel Deduno pitched six strong innings, and Brian Dozier hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to help the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night at Target Field.
Deduno gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over six innings to get his first win of the year. The Twins (21-20) have now climbed above the .500 mark on the season.
The Twins scored one run in the first, and the Mariners scored both their runs off Deduno in the third inning.
Minnesota went ahead for good in the fifth inning on Dozier’s three-run blast. Aaron Hicks and Eduardo Escobar singled ahead of Dozier to set up the score.
With 11 homers through the first 41 games, Dozier is on pace to surpass his career-best 18 homers from a year ago, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Dozier is now tied with Boston’s David Ortiz for third in the American League home run race.
The Mariners got to within one run in the eighth on a solo home run. But Twins closer Glenn Perkins shut out the Mariners in the ninth inning for his 12th save in 14 chances.
The two teams finish out their three-game series on Sunday at Target Field. Game time is 1:10 p.m.
