WASHINGTON (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer, Brooks Lee drove in three runs and Taj Bradley struck out eight in six solid innings to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 11-3 on Tuesday night.
Buxton's homer, his sixth in the last eight games and 11th this season, made it 10-3 in the eighth. Lee was 3 for 5 with two doubles and Trevor Larnach added two hits and two RBIs.
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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli throws to the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee hits a two RBI double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) and Kody Clemens, center, celebrate with Royce Lewis (23) after scoring against the Washington Nationals on a double hit by Brooks Lee during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Bradley (4-1) gave up two runs and four hits and walked two.
Cade Cavalli (1-2) gave up six runs — three earned — in four innings for the Nationals, who are 4-13 at home this season.
Kody Clemens was hit by a pitch with two outs in the second and Luke Keaschall followed with an infield single before Lee doubled down right field line to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.
Austin Martin singled before Clemens and Keaschall each walked to load the bases with no outs in the fourth. Martin scored when Lee reached on a fielding error by Cavalli and a sacrifice fly by Royce Lewis drove in Clemens before Larnach’s two-run double made it 6-1.
Daylen Lile walked, moved to third when Curtis Mead doubled and scored when CJ Abrams reached on a fielder's choice to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Mead's double in the fifth drove in Lile.
Mead and José Tena each went 2 for 4 with a double.
Josh Bell singled to drive in Ryan Jeffers, who led off the seventh with a double, to make it 7-2.
James Wood hit a liner off the top of the wall in left for a double that drove in Tena in the bottom of the inning and cut the Nationals' deficit to 7-3.
Minnesota RHP Bailey Ober (3-1, 3.55 ERA) starts Wednesday against Miles Mikolas (0-3, 8.23) in the second of a three-game series.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli throws to the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee hits a two RBI double during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) and Kody Clemens, center, celebrate with Royce Lewis (23) after scoring against the Washington Nationals on a double hit by Brooks Lee during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.
Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.
Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers.
James Harden had 22 points and Max Strus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an elimination game against Toronto.
Two days after both teams won a Game 7, the Pistons started strong and led 37-31 after a quarter. Detroit took a 59-46 lead into the second half, when the cushion was no longer comfortable.
Cleveland pulled within three points late in the third and Ron Holland hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the quarter and put the Pistons up 83-76.
After the Cavs cut their deficit to three again early in the fourth, the Pistons responded with eight consecutive points to restore a double-digit lead.
Cleveland, though, wouldn’t go away.
Harden, playing the Pistons for the first time since Cleveland acquired him, scored seven straight points to pull the Cavs into a 93-all tie with 5:28 left.
Jalen Duren blocked Harden’s next shot and dunked on Detroit’s next three possessions — each off Cunningham assists.
The Pistons won the Central Division this year by eight games ahead of the defending champion Cavs, splitting four games during the regular season.
Detroit earned 60 victories and the top seed in the East just two years after losing 68 games and setting a single-season NBA record with 28 straight losses.
The Pistons rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first round against Orlando to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Cleveland outlasted Toronto in seven games to reach the second round for the third straight year, a run that started with Bickerstaff, who was fired by the Cavs and hired a month later by the Pistons.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defended against a shot by Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder (8) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) during the first half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) passes the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) and guard Dennis Schroder (8) during the first half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) talks with referee James Capers (19) during the first half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives against Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart (28) during the first half in Game 1 of a second-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
