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MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins decided the opener of a big series with some small ball. Cristian Guzman drove in the winning run with an infield single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Twins began a marquee series with an 11-10 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Guzman chopped a ball to the left of the mound, allowing Luis Rivas to score easily from third base with one out and Minnesota to escape with a win in the opener of the four-game set. "I don't want to bunt," Guzman said through an interpreter. "I just want to put the ball in play and it worked out." While the Indians had five homers among their 14 hits, the Twins had six infield singles and a bunt single among their 16. "It's the first time I can remember being outhomered 5-0 and winning," manager Tom Kelly said. "We have two styles of teams," Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel said. "We are waiting on the long ball; they rely on infield hits, stealing bases and hitting and running. You really have to watch out for them." The blazing Guzman went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI. He had three infield singles and a memorable bunt that finished with him crossing the plate after a three-base error. "Guzman is really fast so you have to move in, and then anythig to the side is much tougher," said Vizquel, who was the victim of two of Guzman's singles. Matt Lawton doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Twins, who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Indians atop the American League Central. Although it is early June, the Twins are in the midst of their most important series in some time. They have not finished over .500 since winning the World Series in 1992. The Indians won the Central every year from 1995-1999. "This is a really important series," Vizquel said. "We have to show them we can beat them and play good baseball." Eddie Guardado (5-0) picked up the win in relief for Minnesota (37-18), which is off to the best 55-game start in franchise history and is 19 games over .500 for the first time since August 11, 1992. The Indians rallied from a six-run deficit, tying it at 10-10 on Jim Thome's two-run single in the seventh, before losing for just the sixth time in their last 25 road games. The Twins managed seven hits during a six-run second inning that gave them an 8-2 lead. Lawton had the big blow, snapping a 2-2 tie with a three-run double down the left-field line off starter Dave Burba. Minnesota had four infield hits alone in the second. Second baseman Roberto Alomar ran and dove to his right to stop A.J. Pierzynski's liner on a hop, but his throw pulled Thome off first base and two runs scored for an 8-2 Twins lead. The Indians used the long ball to chip away. Juan Gonzalez homered in the third, Thome went deep in the fifth and Gonzalez and Ellis Burks added solo shots in the seventh to get Cleveland within 8-7. "We didn't make good pitches and they showed it to us by blasting them," Kelly said. "If the next three games are like this one, I'll have to put in for a hair transplant." Minnesota countered with its speed and scored twice in the seventh for a 10-7 lead. Rivas reached on a fielder's choice and stole second before going to third when catcher Eddie Taubensee's throw ended up in center field. One out later, Guzman dropped down a bunt that pitcher Ricardo Rincon fired down the right-field line as Guzman dove into first. Gonzalez misplayed it and chased it to the wall, allowing Guzman to race around the bases and provide the Twins with a 10-7 lead. "He dove into first base and still scored," said Kelly, who called Guzman the fastest player he's ever had. The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Alomar collected one of his four RBI with a high chopper to shortstop and Thome followed an intentional walk to Gonzalez with a broken-bat, two-run single to right. Thome's hit prevented Joe Mays from becoming the secone eight-game winner in the AL. Mays allowed five runs and nine hits over six-plus innings. Rivas and Jacques Jones had consecutive one-out singles in the ninth before Guzman collected his game-winning hit off Paul Shuey (4-2), who took the loss. Burba was awful in the start for the Indians, who are without two-fifths of their rotation. He gave up eight runs -- six earned -- in 1 2/3 innings. Chuck Finley is on the disabled list with neck spasms and Bartolo Colon has an elbow problem.
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