Glen Perkins leads Twins over Pirates in first start off the disabled list

Perkins wins in first start off DL

MINNEAPOLIS — Glen Perkins won his first start off the disabled list, Joe Mauer backed him with his second four-hit game of the season and Minnesota Twins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 Tuesday night to keep up their impressive interleague play.

Perkins (2-3) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one to win for the first time in seven starts since defeating the Los Angeles Angels on April 19. Perkins had been on the disabled list since May 19 because of left elbow inflammation,

Mauer had three singles and an RBI double, raising his average to .429. The defending AL batting champion, sidelined in April because of a back injury, also had four hits against Kansas City on May 2.

Minnesota had 16 hits and improved its interleague record this year to 6-1.

Paul Maholm (4-3) have up eight runs and a career-high 14 hits in five innings, and he threw two wild pitches. It could have been worse — Pittsburgh turned three double plays in the first four innings, one with the bases-loaded, and Jason Kubel was thrown out at the plate. Minnesota hit into five double plays in all.

Pittsburgh played its first game on artificial turf since July 11, 2004, when it faced the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The span of 786 games had been the longest in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Nyjer Morgan homered for the Pirates in the third, his first home run since Sept. 25, 2007. Andy LaRoche nearly homered in the fifth, but Delmon Young robbed him with a great catch at the fence.

Perkins allowed four runs in his first 24 innings this year, then gave up 24 in his next 23. He looked like his early April self, retiring the Pirates in order three times and, with the bases loaded in the fifth, induced Adam LaRoche to hit into an inning-ending double play.

With the score 2-all, Minnesota went ahead in the third on Justin Morneau’s RBI single and a run-scoring double-play grounder by Kubel.

Joe Crede was credited with an RBI double in the fifth when rookie center fielder Andrew McCutchen lost a ball in the Metrodome roof.

NOTES: Struggling reliever Jesse Crain was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Perkins, leaving the Twins with six relievers.