CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trevor Bauer's cleats betrayed him in a big spot Thursday at Target Field.
Pitching to Minnesota's Jason Castro with Twins on every base in the bottom of the fourth inning, Bauer's right cleat slipped on the pitcher's rubber, causing him to spin out of his delivery.
Bauer was charged with a balk, his first of the season, that allowed Joe Mauer to score from third base for a 1-0 Twins lead.
Jorge Polanco followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left that scored Max Kepler for a 2-0 lead.
It was Bauer's first balk since 2015 and only the second of his big league career.