by Paul Hoynes, Plain Dealer Reporter , Plain Dealer

In the last stages of the frenzy, with last Friday's nonwaiver deadline approaching, the players that weren't packing their bags and catching flights to join contenders played decent Baseball.

Maybe it was a self-defense mechanism. A way to deny what the rest of the world knew was going on.

Tuesday night, after the Indians had won eight of 12 games while being reformed and redrawn, reality came a calling in the form of a 10-1 loss to the Twins at Progressive Field.

Scott Baker (9-7, 4.59) threw seven scoreless innings for the victory. Jesse Crain and Bob Keppel worked the final two innings in the five hitter. Travis Hafner prevented the Indians from getting shut out with an RBI single in the ninth after Jhonny Peralta doubled.

Rookie left-hander David Huff (5-6, 6.81) couldn't keep pace with Baker against a Twins lineup that battered him for seven runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He's 0-2 against the Twins this year with a 10.24 ERA.

Left-handed pitchers are supposed to have an advantage against left-handed hitters, but it didn't work that way Tuesday. Manager Ron Gardenhire used four left-handers in the first five spots in his lineup and they were a combined 5-for-11 against Huff.

Jason Kubel started the left-handed assault with a homer in the two-run second. The Twins added six more runs in the fifth. After Denard Span started the sixth with a walk, Orlando Cabrera doubled him home. Lefty Joe Mauer, who had three doubles, doubled home Cabrera. Lefty Justin Morneau singled home Mauer.

Huff retired the next two batters, but when Delmon Young singled, Jensen Lewis, just up from Class AAA Columbus, relieved. Carlos Gomez turned Lewis' first pitch into a two-run homer to cap the six-run inning.

Lewis has allowed 10 homers in 41 2/3 innings this season with the Tribe.

Mauer and Morneau were a combined 5-for-10 with four doubles, four runs and three RBI.

"They're unbelievable," Gardenhire said. "You're talking about two great young players. They are leaders, they're very professional and they have great work habits."

The Twins were coming off a three-game sweep by the Angels in which they were outscored, 35-15. They almost equaled that offensive output Tuesday.

"We needed that win," Gardenhire said. "We've been kind of battling."

Baker retired seven straight before Andy Marte gave the Indians their first hit, a one-out single through the middle in the third.

"When a pitcher attacks you like that, he's very tough," Marte said. "He was throwing strikes with all his pitches."

As for the Indians who were left behind realizing that the last two months of the season are going to be slow and painful, Marte didn't agree.

"This is the team we've got," he said. "We're trying to get the job done. We're all here for a reason. We wouldn't be here if they didn't think we could play. We're not worried about the trades that have been made."

The Indians' best scoring chance before the ninth came in the fourth when Peralta singled and Hafner doubled him to third with two out. Chris Gimenez hit a long drive to the wall in center field, but Gomez tracked it down.

"Baker was really good," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He did a great job of coming right after us and moving that fastball around up in the zone. He puts the ball in spots where it's tough to lay off of."

Baker is 5-5 lifetime against the Indians . He's 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against them this year.

Huff has lost three of his past four starts. He struck out four and walked one Tuesday.

"I thought Huff was good early," Wedge said. "He kept the ball down and had a good angle on his pitches. In the middle innings, he brought the ball over the middle of the plate and got hurt.

"In the long run, it will probably help him become a better pitcher."

BOX:

Today

What: Indians vs. Twins.

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: Progressive Field.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitchers: LHP Aaron Laffey (4-3, 4.08 ERA) vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (4-10, 5.56).

Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees.

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