Indians 7, Twins 1: Justin Masterson took a no-hitter into the seventh and Jason Kipnis homered as visiting Cleveland avoided a three-game sweep at Minnesota.

Masterson (11-7) had allowed one baserunner - a hit batter in the third that was erased with a double play - before Brian Dozier’s bloop into center field leading off the seventh snuck just under the glove of Drew Stubbs as he went into a slide. The right-hander ended up charged with one run on one hit while striking out eight in seven innings.

Michael Brantley added a three-run triple and Mike Aviles drove in a run as the Indians remained 1 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the race for first place in the American League Central.

Cleveland got on the board with Aviles’ sacrifice fly in the second and made it a 3-0 gap in the third when Kipnis came up with a man on and sent Scott Diamond’s 1-2 fastball the opposite way just over the wall in left field. Brantley’s bases-loaded drive into the right-center gap made it a 6-0 cushion in the fifth.

Diamond (5-9) allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Dozier came in to score Minnesota’s lone run in the seventh when Kipnis’ error allowed Joe Mauer to reach.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was not in the dugout for the game due to an illness and Terry Steinbach served as acting manager. … Minnesota gave Chris Herrmann his first career start at catcher while Mauer served as the DH and Ryan Doumit played RF. … Kipnis added an RBI single in the ninth and has driven in eight runs in his last five games.