Josh Donaldson's players-only meeting spurs another Twins victory

Jun. 27—The Twins insist they're not dead yet, and spurred by a players-only meeting called by veteran infielder Josh Donaldson, they played like it Sunday.

Donaldson hit one of three Twins home runs, and J.A. Happ pitched his best game in a month as Minnesota beat Cleveland 8-2 in front of 20,215 at Target Field.

The Twins have won two in a row and seven of their past nine heading into a crucial four-game series at first-place Chicago starting Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field. It's the fourth in a stretch of 23 games against American League Central opponents that started last week against Cleveland.

The Twins took two of what became a three-game series with Saturday's rainout.

Coming off consecutive AL Central titles, the Twins were expected to be among the division's best teams. Instead, they started Sunday in last place, 12 games behind the White Sox.

"I just wanted people to understand the opportunity that's at hand right now and possibly get our mentality back to where it's focused on winning ballgames and what I believe that to be," Donaldson said.

Donaldson was 2 for 5 and played his usual sharp defense, and Andrelton Simmons and Nelson Cruz added big home runs as the Twins drove in seven of their runs with two out. Manager Rocco Baldelli was quick to credit Donaldson for leading the way with a frank, closed-door talk with teammates.

"The straightforward message? That works, and that can help," Baldelli said. "We did some things that we haven't seen a ton of this year; I don't think it's by accident. It was a very well-played game, and I think our guys came out sharp."

Happ (4-3) struck out seven and didn't walk a batter in six innings, his longest stint since he pitched six in a no-decision against the Indians on May 23. He was charged with two earned runs on six hits for his first win since May 29 against the Kansas City Royals.

Cruz had the big blow, a two-out, three-run home run that put the Twins up 7-1 in the fourth inning. But Trevor Larnach hit a two-out RBI single in the first, Simmons hit a two-out, two-run homer in the second and Luiz Arraez drove in a run with a two-out bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Donaldson's solo home run off Cleveland starter Sam Hentges (1-2) of Shoreview, which traveled an estimated 417 feet into the second deck in left field, accounted for the only Twins run to plate with less than two out.

"All you need is a few at-bats like that in a game, in the biggest of the moments, to get it done," Baldelli said. "When you stack them up a little bit, you end up with the result we had today. This is what we were looking for."

The game was marred by a scary injury to Cleveland right fielder Josh Naylor in the fourth inning. Simmons was on first base with a leadoff walk when Jorge Polanco's check swing popped high into right field. Rookie second baseman Ernie Clement pedaled back for it, and Naylor charged in at full speed for what should have been an easy out. Instead, the players collided, spinning Naylor into the air. He landed on his right leg, and his ankle buckled.

Twelve minutes later, Naylor left the field on a stretcher, his right leg immobilized.

"We know that there's a fracture. Other than that, he's being evaluated over at the hospital right now," said Cleveland manager Terry Francona, one of several who raced to right field to check on Naylor. "We'll know more, I hope, in a couple hours. We're not even sure if he can travel home with us."

With Polanco and Simmons still on first and second, Francona replaced Hentges with rookie Justin Garza. Making his big-league debut, Garza fanned Donaldson looking on a high, outside fastball, but Cruz followed by taking a 1-0 pitch 424 feet into the second deck for his 17th homer of the season and a 7-1 Twins lead.

Tyler Duffey (one) and Caleb Thielbar (two) cleaned up with three innings of scoreless relief.

Now come 21 straight games against the AL Central, 10 against the White Sox, a stretch that can save or kill the Twins' season.

"I feel like the last couple weeks, we've been putting some games together and playing better baseball, and I just wanted to emphasize, hey, this is the moment right now," Donaldson said. "Everybody else is starting to get tired; we need to go out there and pick it up a notch."