MINNEAPOLIS -- Yan Gomes remembers the Indians coming to Minnesota last year and clinching a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season.

Now Cleveland is back in Minnesota, trying to sneak into the postseason through the back door.

Gomes homered and drove in four runs to help the Indians advance in the AL wild-card race by beating the Twins 7-3 on a rainy Saturday night.

The Indians pulled to 3 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot after Oakland, Kansas City and Seattle all lost ahead of them earlier in the day.

The start of the game was delayed for more than hour because of rain.

Gomes, who had three hits, broke it open with a three-run homer off Trevor May (3-5) in the fifth inning that made it 7-2.

After a bunch of recent close games, Indians manager Terry Francona was grateful for an early lead and a more lopsided win.

"Maybe it's that time of year, it just never seems like it's enough," he said. "You feel better when you get the last out."

T.J. House (4-3) was removed after Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas singled to start the sixth. Zach McAllister came in and struck out the side.

Brian Dozier had three hits for Minnesota, including his 21st homer in the eighth.

 

Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Indians
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
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All seven of Cleveland's runs came with two outs against May. Mike Aviles hit a two-run triple, Michael Bourn and Gomes added RBI singles.

"Three instances I can think of where I was one pitch away from getting out of an inning unscathed and I think I was 0 for 3 in those instances," May said.

The Indians finish the series Sunday at Target Field, then resume a suspended game Monday against Kansas City. Cleveland leads 4-2 in the bottom of the 10th.

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