Three quick notes after the Twins extend their winning streak to three games:

— Mike Pelfrey was the pitcher he wants to be, that the Twins would love for him to be, for three innings on Friday, retiring nine of 10 hitters. He ran a couple of counts to 3-2, sure, but mostly he was economical and effective. Then he hit the quicksand again in the fourth inning, as he's done so many times: Nibbling on the corners, getting ahead and then letting hitters back into the count, sending his pitch count soaring. He walked three in the fourth inning and was lucky to escape without a run; he walked another in the fifth, and threw a run-scoring wild pitch. Only a great throw by Eduardo Escobar to get Jose Ramirez at the plate prevented another run from scoring.

"Kind of disappointing," Pelfrey said of his inability to get through more than five innings. "But I thought it was better. My first outing [in Chicago, when he blew a 4-0 lead], I thought my stuff was better but over the middle. Too many mistakes."

For his part, Paul Molitor is willing to take the outing as an encouraging sign. "He seemed sharp to start, and then got a little too fine," Molitor said.

— Escobar's play was a real highlight for a converted infielder. "I didn't know if we had a play," Pelfrey said. "He obviously came up with a heck of a throw, and it was a huge part of the game." It was, but Escobar didn't last until the end. He was hit by a Corey Kluber pitch in the eighth inning, and was removed for Shane Robinson. It's a move that Molitor was going to make for defense, anyway. Escobar was hobbling, but should be fine, Molitor said.

— The Twins' much-maligned bullpen had a great night, holding the Indians without a run, or even a serious threat, over the final 5 2/3 innings. Tim Stauffer allowed a home run to Brandon Moss in the sixth inning, but after that, Stauffer, Aaron Thompson (for two innings), Glen Perkins, Caleb Thielbar and Blaine Boyer did the job, with Boyer earning the win. Only a double by Mike Aviles in the 11th put a runner in scoring position, but Boyer retired Lonnie Chisenhall and Roberto Perez to end the threat.

"A lot of guys threw the ball well," Molitor said. "Thompson continues to pitch effectively. We got Thielbar in the game in his first game back. And Boyer was able to get some big outs."