MLB: Minnesota 5, Boston 2

MINNEAPOLIS, April 12 (UPI) -- Jason Kubel belted a homer and Joe Mauer drove in two runs Monday in the first regular-season game ever at Target Field, a 5-2 Minnesota Twins win over Boston.

Kubel blasted a long home run in the seventh inning -- the first round-tripper in the new open-air stadium in downtown Minneapolis -- to give Minnesota a 5-1 advantage.

Mauer got three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Carl Pavano (2-0) hurled six innings of one-run ball for the historic win, allowing just four hits and a walk.

Jon Rauch finished out a memorable day for Twins fans, tossing a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save.

Boston's Jon Lester (0-1) was knocked out after five innings, surrendering four runs on nine hits and three walks, while David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia each got an RBI in the loss.