PITTSBURGH --- Joe Mauer won the American League MVP award in 2009, is a three-time AL batting champion and has been selected to six All-Star Games.

Despite having all that on his resume, the veteran first baseman was quite impressed by his three-run single that keyed a six-run second inning to lead the Twins to an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night in a game that also included home runs by Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier and third baseman Trevor Plouffe.

"How about that?" Mauer said with a smile. "A three-run single. That's a new one for me. Never saw that before."

Dozier, the second batter of the game, opened the scoring by hitting a solo homer to center, his seventh of the season that extended his hitting streak to 10 games, one short of his career high.

The Twins then erupted for six runs in the second inning to take a 7-0 lead. After catcher Kurt Suzuki scored on a wild pitch by left-hander Francisco Liriano, Mauer delivered his single before Plouffe's two-run homer, his sixth, capped the inning.

Dozier scored all the way from first on Mauer's single when Pirates left fielder Starling Marte was slow getting the ball in shallow left-center field then made a throw home that was way off the mark.

"I knew I had a chance and I thought it was worth the gamble," Dozier said. "It was a big play in the game. It was a backbreaker."

Twins manager Paul Molitor was impressed by Dozier's awareness.

"Not a lot of guys can score from first on a single," Molitor said. "Brian is such a good baserunner, though. He really doesn't waste any extra energy getting from one base to another. He makes good, sharp turns."

Plouffe also doubled as he finished with two hits for the Twins along with Suzuki and center fielder Aaron Hicks. Minnesota won for the third time in four games.

Right-hander Ricky Nolasco (4-1) made it through 5 1/3 shaky innings to win his fourth straight start since being on the disabled list with elbow inflammation. He gave up four runs --- three earned --- and 10 hits and has yet to pitch into the sixth inning in any of his five starts this season.

Nolasco's eight strikeouts accounted for half his outs.

"I was punching guys out and that's a good sign for me," Nolasco said. "It shows me my stuff is getting better."

Closer Glen Perkins recorded his 14th save in as many opportunities by pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Liriano (1-4) gave up both home runs and was tagged for seven runs and five hits in just two innings while losing his third consecutive start. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Twins from 2005-12.

"Command was an issue," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "These guys pour themselves into everything they do for the four days (between starts) and it's hard to have to go up to a guy and pull him after two innings."

The Pirates lost for the fifth time in six games, though third baseman Josh Harrison and rookie shortstop Jung Ho Kang each had three hits. Second baseman Neil Walker and first baseman Pedro Alvarez each had two of Pittsburgh's 13 hits.

Alvarez belted a 461-foot solo home run in the fourth inning, with the Pirates trailing 8-1. His seventh homer landed in a boat docked along the Allegheny River beyond the right-field stands.

It was just the third ball to reach the river on the fly since PNC Park opened in 2001. The others were by Houston's Daryle Ward in 2002 and Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones in 2013.

"It was nice to be able to put a good swing on the ball but losing trumps everything," Alvarez said.

The Twins got the run back in the third when Suzuki led off with a double and scored on a double-play grounder.

Kang drove in a run with a ground out in the fifth, second baseman hit a run-scoring double in the sixth and Harrison had an RBI single in the seventh draw the Pirates within 8-5 but the Wins held on.

NOTES: The Pirates selected the contract of OF Jose Tabata, who was dropped from the 40-man roster last October, from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game and optioned RHP Wilfredo Boscan to the same club. Tabata had an RBI single as a pinch-hitter in the second inning. ... Twins DH/OF Torii Hunter started in right field with the designated hitter rule not in effect in a National League ballpark, which meant OF Eddie Rosario was not in the lineup for just the third time in 12 games since being called up from Triple-A Rochester. ... The two-game series concludes Wednesday night with Minnesota RHP Mike Pelfrey (3-1, 3.23 ERA) facing Pittsburgh LHP Jeff Locke (2-2, 5.40).