Marlon Byrd smoked a two strike pitch into the deepest part of Progressive Field on Friday night, plating two runs and giving the Indians a come from behind eighth inning lead that they would preserve (just barely) in a back and forth battle to open the weekend series with the Minnesota Twins. The 7-6 victory over the Twins put the Indians at 17-15 for the season, five games behind the streaking Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.
The Indians and Twins came into the game dead last in the American League in home runs (27 for the Indians, 28 for the Twins), but both teams quickly put the scouting reports to bed and started banging long home runs to the bleachers in left field from the very first inning.