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CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco struck out 14 in 8 1/3 scoreless innings as the Cleveland Indians won their 100th game of the season, a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Progressive Field. Carrasco (18-6) gave up six hits and one walk. He struck out six of the last seven batters he faced, and got support from home runs by Jason Kipnis, Roberto Perez and Jay Bruce.
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Twins reliever Trevor Hildenberger (3-3) gave up two runs in one inning and took the loss.
Minnesota used a lineup that was missing several regulars, who were given a day off after their wild-card clinching celebration late Wednesday night.
Since Aug. 24, the Indians are 31-3. Cleveland is 100-59 overall, the third time in franchise history the Indians have won 100 games in a season. The other two times were 1995 when they were 100-44 in a strike-shortened season, and 1954 when they were 111-43.
Ervin Santana started for the Twins, making his final regular-season tune-up. His next start will come on Tuesday against either the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card game.
With that in mind, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor did not want to extend Santana, but Molitor had to like what he saw from the veteran right-hander: five scoreless innings on four hits, with one strikeout and no walks. Santana threw 57 pitches.
Carrasco and Santana battled through five scoreless innings, before the Twins went to their bullpen, and the Indians quickly scored two runs.
Hildenberger relieved Santana to start the sixth inning. Francisco Lindor led off with a double, and Kipnis, the next hitter, belted his 12th home run into the seats in right field to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
In the seventh inning, Greg Allen reached on a bunt single and rode home on Perez's eighth home run, off reliever Alan Busenitz, stretching the lead to 4-0. Bruce's home run off Nik Turley in the eighth inning made it 5-0.
The Twins' runs came on a two-out, two-run triple by Mitch Garver off Nick Goody in the ninth inning.
NOTES: Twins manager Paul Molitor officially named RHP Ervin Santana as the team's starter for Tuesday's wild-card game versus the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. ... Following the team's late-night celebration over clinching the AL's second wild-card spot Wednesday night, several Twins' regulars were given a day off Thursday. The only regulars in the starting lineup were SS Jorge Polanco, RF Max Kepler, and C Jason Castro. ... Twins 3B Miguel Sano, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 21 with a left shin stress reaction, worked out at Target Field on Thursday. Manager Paul Molitor said a decision on whether Sano will be on the club's postseason roster will be made Sunday. ... In his last four appearances, Indians closer RHP Cody Allen has pitched three innings and given up five runs on six hits, three of them home runs. ... The Indians' 100 wins are the most ever by a Terry Francona-managed team. The 2004 Red Sox, under Francona, won 98 games.
