Records vs. Other Teams (italics are teams against which the Twins have finished the season series):
AL East (overall: 15-21)
NY Yankees: 2-4
Boston: 2-3
Toronto: 3-6
Tampa Bay: 3-5
Baltimore: 5-3
AL Central (overall: 47-25)
Detroit: 9-9
Chicago: 13-5
Kansas City: 13-5
Cleveland: 12-6
AL West (overall: 24-12)
Texas: 7-3
LA Angels: 5-2
Seattle: 6-4
Oakland: 6-3
NL East (overall: 4-5)
Atlanta: 1-2
Philadelphia: 2-1
NY Mets: 1-2
NL Central (overall: 2-4)
Milwaukee: 2-4
NL West (overall: 2-1)
Colorado: 2-1
Total Record: 94-68
April 5th: Angels 6, Twins 3
For the 2nd year in a row, Opening Day did not go the Twins’ way. Scott Baker got the start for Minnesota but struggled early, as he threw more than 30 pitches in the first inning and leading to an early deficit the Twins would never recover from in a 6-3 loss in Los Angeles to open the 2010 season. Baker was finished after just 4 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, with 3 strikeouts, to continue his typical early-season struggles. Delmon Young tied the game early with a monster 2-run homer in the 2nd inning, and Nick Punto re-tied the game in the 5th with a sacrifice fly following a single and stolen base by Young. But Baker allowed a 2-out go-ahead RBI single in the 5th to put the Angels back in front, and Jose Mijares gave up 2 long home runs back-to-back in the 8th to clinch the game for Los Angeles. Nick Blackburn looks to get even in the 2nd game of the season on Tuesday night.
Record: 0-1
April 6th: Twins 5, Angels 3
Nick Blackburn pitched 6 2/3 effective innings, and the Twins got home runs from Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and J.J. Hardy to defeat the Angels 5-3 for their 1st win of the season and to even the series at a game apiece. Blackburn allowed 3 runs on 8 hits with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts, including a 2-run homer to former Twin Torii Hunter, but repeatedly pitched out of jams by getting key double plays. Mauer got the Twins on the board in the 1st with a 2-run homer to straight-away center field, and Delmon Young tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly in a 3-run Twins 1st inning. Morneau and Hardy homered in the 3rd and 4th innings respectively, and the pitching staff handled the rest. Brian Duensing retired Hideki Matsui to end the 7th, Matt Guerrier pitched a perfect 8th, and Jon Rauch succeeded in his first attempt to replace all-world closer Joe Nathan by retiring the Angels in order in the 9th. Carl Pavano looks to carry the momentum from the victory into his start in the 3rd game of the series on Wednesday night.
Record: 1-1
April 7th: Twins 4, Angels 2
Carl Pavano threw 7 dominant innings, and Justin Morneau and J.J. Hardy each homered for the 2nd consecutive day, as the Twins defeated the Angels 4-2 in the 3rd game of the series. Pavano allowed just 1 run on 6 hits, not walking anyone and striking out 6 to win his 1st start of the season. Morneau’s 2-run shot got the Twins on the board with a 2-0 lead in the 4th, and Hardy led off the 5th with a solo shot to extend the lead to 3-0. Nick Punto followed with a triple, scoring the Twins’ 4th run on a sacrifice fly by Denard Span. Pavano held serve through the 7th, Matt Guerrier allowed a hit in a scoreless 8th, and Jon Rauch allowed 2 hits and a run before closing the door on the Angels in the 9th for his 2nd save in 2 nights. The Twins look to clinch the series in the Thursday finale, with Kevin Slowey set to make his 2010 debut.
Record: 2-1
April 8th: Twins 10, Angels 1
Kevin Slowey pitched effectively into the 6th, and the Twins’ homer parade continued with three more dingers on Thursday night, as the Twins crushed the Angels 10-1 in the finale of the 4-game series, winning the latter 3 games. Slowey allowed just 1 run on 7 hits, helping hold the Angels without a hit with runners in scoring position in 9 attempts in the game. Jason Kubel drove in the Twins’ first run in the 5th with a single following a double by Jim Thome, and then scored on a moon shot homer by Brendan Harris, who was making his 2010 debut, to put Minnesota ahead 3-1. Jim Thome put the game out of reach with a 3-run bomb and a 6-1 Twins lead in the 8th, and just for good measure, Delmon Young followed an RBI single by Joe Mauer in the 9th with a 3-run shot of his own to cap the Twins’ scoring. Pat Neshek, Jose Mijares, Jesse Crain, and Alex Burnett combined for 3 2/3 innings, 1 hit allowed, and 6 K’s, as Burnett made his major league debut. Following an excellent series in Anaheim, the Twins take their show to the south side of Chicago for a weekend showdown with the White Sox. Francisco Liriano makes his 2010 debut in the Friday night opener.
Record: 3-1
April 9th: Twins 4, White Sox 3 in 11 innings
J.J. Hardy singled home Joe Mauer with the winning run with 2 outs in the top of the 11th inning as the Twins took the opener in Chicago by a final of 4-3. Francisco Liriano got the start for Minnesota and pitched well, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits over 6 innings before leaving with a no-decision. He did allow 5 walks and struck out just 3, leaving much room for improvement. The Twins battled back from multiple deficits, as Delmon Young evened the score at 1 in the 6th with a 2-out RBI single. The 2nd Twins run of the inning scored on an error for a brief 2-1 lead. Alex Rios doubled home 2 runs for Chicago with 2 outs in the bottom half of the inning to put the Sox back on top 3-2 as Liriano departed. But Justin Morneau came right back with an RBI double in the top of the 7th to knot things up at 3 again. The Twins left the bases loaded in the 1st and 7th innings, but the bullpen held until the Hardy’s winning hit. Mauer, the last Twin available off the bench, led off the 11th with a walk and went to 2nd on a sacrifice by Denard Span. After Orlando Hudson flew out to deep center to advance Mauer to 3rd, Hardy took advantage of a poor ball call by the home plate umpire and drove home Mauer with a single to left. Matt Guerrier bailed out Pat Neshek in the 7th by stranding a runner at 3rd, and pitched a scoreless 8th as well. Brian Duensing pitched 2 scoreless innings to win his 1st game of 2010, and Jon Rauch finished for his 3rd save of the season, and his first save of a 1-run win. Winners of 4 straight, the Twins send Scott Baker to the mound for his 2nd start of the season, looking for much improvement over his 1st.
Record: 4-1
April 10th: Twins 2, White Sox 1
Scott Baker shut down the White Sox over 7 innings, and Jason Kubel's 2-run homer was all the Twins would need, as the Twins defeated the White Sox 2-1 in the 2nd game of the series. Baker allowed just 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts, throwing 99 pitches and earning his first win of 2010. Despite batting 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 8 baserunners, the Twins prevailed on the strength of Kubel's 2-run blast in the 7th inning off Sox starter Freddy Garcia. Jesse Crain got 2 outs to bail out Jose Mijares in the 8th after a leadoff walk, and Jon Rauch pitched around a 1-out single to save his 4th game in 4 chances. Riding a 5-game winning streak, the Twins look to finish the South Side sweep on Sunday afternoon, with Nick Blackburn getting the start.
Record: 5-1
Scott Baker shut down the White Sox over 7 innings, and Jason Kubel's 2-run homer was all the Twins would need, as the Twins defeated the White Sox 2-1 in the 2nd game of the series. Baker allowed just 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts, throwing 99 pitches and earning his first win of 2010. Despite batting 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 8 baserunners, the Twins prevailed on the strength of Kubel's 2-run blast in the 7th inning off Sox starter Freddy Garcia. Jesse Crain got 2 outs to bail out Jose Mijares in the 8th after a leadoff walk, and Jon Rauch pitched around a 1-out single to save his 4th game in 4 chances. Riding a 5-game winning streak, the Twins look to finish the South Side sweep on Sunday afternoon, with Nick Blackburn getting the start.
Record: 5-1
April 11th: White Sox 5, Twins 4
Nick Blackburn pitched a quality ball game but could not get the final out of the 8th inning, as the eventual winning run scored for the White Sox as they salvaged one game in the series from the Twins by a final of 5-4. Blackburn threw 7 2/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, including 2 2-out hits in the 8th before departing. Jose Mijares allowed the go-ahead single to Sox pinch hitter Andruw Jones that won it for the Sox. The Twins scored 2 runs each in the 1st and 3rd innings, as Joe Mauer doubled twice, scored 2 runs and drove in another, Justin Morneau added a 2-run single, and Michael Cuddyer got a run home with a single. But Sox starter Mark Buehrle settled down as the game progressed, allowing just 2 hits over his final 5 innings. After a successful 5-2 road trip, the Twins finally return home for their Target Field opener against the Red Sox, as outdoor baseball finally returns to the Twin Cities after a 29-year hiatus. Carl Pavano will be the answer to the future trivia question, as the pitcher who threw out the first regular season pitch at the new stadium.
Record: 5-2
April 12th: Twins 5, Red Sox 2
And so the Target Field era began, and it began in style. Carl Pavano dominated the Red Sox over 6 innings, and Joe Mauer went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, to lead the Twins past the Red Sox 5-2 as Target Field opened in the Twin Cities. Pavano allowed just 1 run on 4 hits with 4 K's in winning his 2nd start of the 2010 season. The Twins got to Sox starter Jon Lester early with a 2-run first inning, as Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel each singled home runs. Mauer then drove home the Twins' 3rd and 4th runs in the 2nd and 4th innings, respectively, with doubles. And lastly, Jason Kubel hit the inaugural Target Field homer in the bottom of the 7th with a rocket to right field, his 2nd of the season, to cap the scoring. Brian Duensing allowed a run in the 8th after a shutout 7th, but Matt Guerrier bailed him out as the defense turned a snappy double play to end the inning. Jon Rauch finished a perfect 9th for his 5th save in 5 chances. After an off-day, the Twins return to their new ballpark Wednesday for game 2 of the series. Kevin Slowey gets the start.
Record: 6-2
April 14th: Red Sox 6, Twins 3
Kevin Slowey started shaky, and Jesse Crain ended shaky, as the Twins dropped game 2 of the 3-game series to the Red Sox by a final of 6-3. Slowey racked up 30 pitches in the 1st inning and departed after just 5, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and an un-Slowey-like 3 walks and a go-ahead solo homer to Dustin Pedroia, in falling to 1-1 on the young season. The Twins rallied for 2 runs in the 3rd inning to tie the score at 2 following RBI base hits from Orlando Hudson and Joe Mauer, but were unable to get a lead. Sox starter John Lackey cruised into the 7th inning for the win, and 9th place hitter and back-up outfielder cleared the bases in the 8th inning with a double of Crain to seal the deal. Michael Cuddyer hit his 1st home run of the season in the 8th, but it wasn't nearly enough to mount a comeback. The rubber game of the series is a Thursday matinee, and features hard-throwing Twins lefty Francisco Liriano opposing Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
Record: 6-3
April 15th: Twins 8, Red Sox 0
Francisco Liriano dominated the Red Sox over 7 shutout innings, and the Twins roughed up Sox starter Tim Wakefield in an 8-0 rout of the Sox to take the series 2 games to 1. Liriano allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts, allowed 2 baserunners each in the 1st and 2nd innings before allowing just 2 baserunners over his final 5 innings of pitching. JJ Hardy finished a 2-out Twins rally in the 2nd inning with an RBI single to give the Twins an early 1-0 lead, then the floodgates opened in the 5th. The Twins got 3 runs in the 5th, 2 in the 6th, and 2 in the 7th, as Nick Punto doubled and scored twice, Justin Morneau added 3 hits and an RBI, Denard Span had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Michael Cuddyer capped the scoring with a 2-run homer, his 2nd homer of the year, and the series. Jose Mijares induced a double play in the 8th to escape a base-loaded jam, and Ron Mahay retired the side in order in the 9th to finish the win. The Twins remain home to face the Royals and reigning Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke on Friday night. Scott Baker gets the start for Minnesota.
Record: 7-3
April 16th: Twins 10, Royals 3
Scott Baker dominated the Royals over 7 solid innings to win his 2nd start of 2010, and the Twins used patience to knock reigning AL Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke out of the game early as the Twins cruised to a easy 10-3 win over the Royals in the opening game of the series at Target Field. Baker allowed 2 runs on 7 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts, all just 92 pitches in the convincing Twins win. Delmon Young set the tone early by throwing a runner out at home in the 2nd, then Michael Cuddyer got the Twins on the board with a 2-out 2-run double in the 3rd for a 2-0 Twins lead. Jason Kubel drew a bases-loaded walk in the 5th, and Young and Joe Mauer added sacrifice flies in the 5th and 6th innings for as the Twins answered Kansas City's runs. Then the flood gates open in the 8th as the Twins scored 5 runs. Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy each had 2-run base hits, sandwiched around a Cuddyer RBI single. Matt Guerrier threw a shutout 8th, and Brian Duensing allowed a run before finishing the win. Minnesota sends Nick Blackburn to the hill for the second game of the series.
Record: 8-3
April 17th: Twins 6, Royals 5
On a day Joe Mauer received his Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and MVP awards, it was the Twins' newcomers that stole the show in the end. Jim Thome got the Twins on the scoreboard in the 2nd inning with a 2-run blast to straight-away center field, and Orlando Hudson crushed his 1st homer as a Twin, a go-ahead solo shot in the 7th, to support Nick Blackburn and fight off a late Royals charge in a 6-5 Twins win in the 2nd game of the series. Blackburn struggled over just 5 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits, as he has yet to throw as well as he did the previous 2 seasons. But the Twins put 5 runs on the board in the 2nd inning, following Thome's homer with an RBI single from Denard Span and a 2-run single from Mauer. After Blackburn allowed the Royals to come back and tie the score at 5, Brian Duensing (2-0) shut down the Royals over 2 innings, and picked up the victory as Hudson solo homer put the Twins back in front. Matt Guerrier left the tying run on 2nd in the 8th for his 4th hold, and Jon Rauch left 2 runners aboard in the 9th to finish for his 6th save in 6 opportunities. Going for the sweep on Sunday, Carl Pavano gets the start for Minnesota, looking for his 3rd straight dominant start to open 2010.
Record: 9-3
April 18th: Royals 10, Twins 5
The end of the Twins' 3-game losing streak came Sunday, and it came at the ends of Royals 2B Alberto Callaspo. Callaspo hit 2 3-run homers to back a strong pitching effort from Luke Hochevar to defeat the Twins 10-5 and salvage the finale of the 3-game series and avoid a sweep. Carl Pavano started for Minnesota and had easily his worst start of 2010, throwing 2 shutout innings before the floodgates opened in the 3rd. Pavano allowed 6 runs in the 3rd, including Callaspo's first homer, and didn't make it out of the 4th, allowed 7 runs on 11 hits over just 3 1/3 innings. The Twins got 2 runs in the 1st on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly by Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel, and Kubel drove in the Twins' 3rd run in the 3rd with a single. Overall, however, the Twins had 6 at-bats with the bases loaded, and didn't get a single hit in those situations, including a Justin Morneau strike out in the 4th. Trailing 7-3 in the 7th, the Twins loaded the bases, but scored 2 runs on a fielding error and a ground out. J.J. Hardy walked to reload the bases, but pinch hitter Jim Thome struck out. Callaspo's 2nd homer came in the 10th off Jesse Crain, putting the final nail in the coffin. After an off-day, the Twins begin the conclusion of their homestand as they welcome Cleveland to Target Field. Kevin Slowey gets the start in the Tuesday opener.
Record: 9-4
April 20th: Twins 5, Indians 1
Kevin Slowey found his control and thoroughly perplexed the Indians lineup over 8 dominant innings, and Twins took advantage of a critical Tribe error to score 4 runs in the 3rd inning, to cruise past Cleveland 5-1 in the opening game of their 3-game series at Target Field. Slowey allowed only Travis Hafner's solo homer and 5 total hits, walking no one and striking out 9 to improve to 2-1 in 2010. Justin Morneau doubled home a run to score the Twins' first run in the 1st, then the floodgates opened in the 3rd. Morneau and Michael Cuddyer led off the inning with singles. Following a Jason Kubel strikeout, Delmon Young grounded a tailor-made double play ball to Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera. But the ball bounced right over his glove and into left field, loading the bases. J.J. Hardy walked to force home a run, then Cuddyer and Young scored on a wild pitch and fielding error. Brendan Harris drove in the final run on a sacrifice fly, which ended up being the final run scored in the game. Brian Duensing finished the game with perfect 9th. Game 2 of the series is Wednesday, with Francisco Liriano looking for his 2nd consecutive dominant start.
Record: 10-4
April 21st: Twins 6, Indians 0
The domination continued for Francisco Liriano. The Latin lefty shutout the Indians lineup over 8 dominant innings, and got plenty of run support, in leading the Twins to a convincing 6-0 win in the 2nd game of the series. Liriano allowed 6 hits and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts, extending his scoreless inning streak to 15, and winning his 2nd start of 2010. The patient Twins offense drew 6 walks from Tribe starter David Huff, and 2 of those walks scored in the 2nd inning, as Brendan Harris and Denard Span drove in 1 and 2 runs respectively with singles for a 3-0 Twins lead. Michael Cuddyer added all the insurance the Twins would need, hitting a solo homer in the 6th and a 2-run triple in the 8th. Jesse Crain allowed a hit before finishing a scoreless 9th. Winners of 5 straight series to begin the season, the Twins look for the sweep on Thursday, sending the red-hot Scott Baker to the mound to continue the momentum.
Record: 11-4
April 22nd: Indians 8, Twins 1
Scott Baker struggled over his 5 2/3 innings, and was the victim of some bad luck as well, as the punchless Twins dropped the finale of the series and homestand by a final of 8-1 to Cleveland. Baker allowed 6 runs on 10 hits, with the 1st 3 Tribe hits ending up as ground-rule doubles that just narrowly landed in fair territory. The bullpen didn't fair much better, as Alex Burnett put 3 runners on and Ron Mahay allowed 2 of them to score. Fortunately, Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch threw consecutive scoreless innings in the 8th and 9th innings. The Twins managed just one unearned run, a Justin Morneau RBI double, against Indians starter Mitch Talbot, who dominated the Twins over 6 innings. The hapless Twins offense also did nothing against the Tribe bullpen either, a thoroughly disappointing effort in which the Twins managed just 4 hits overall. After concluding a predominantly successful 6-3 homestand, the Twins hit the road for a 9-game, 3-AL-Central-city road trip, beginning with a 3-game series in Kansas City. Carl Pavano gets the start in the Friday night opener, looking for redemption following a forgettable start last Sunday.
Record: 11-5
April 23rd: Twins 8, Royals 3
Carl Pavano quickly made Twins fans forget about his previous start, and the offense once again used patience to knock out an opposing starting pitching, getting into the Royals' bullpen early and running away with an 8-3 win in the opening game of the series, and road trip. Pavano pitched 7 effective innings, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and no walks, striking out 5 on 104 pitches in improving to 3-1 on the young season. The Twins got to Royals starter Gil Meche early, as Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer drove in runs in the 1st inning for a 2-0 lead. The Twins added single runs in the 3rd and 4th innings, but continued to struggle to hit with the bases loaded, going 0-3 in those situations in those 2 innings. Jim Thome ripped a solo homer (3) in the 5th to extend Minnesota's advantage to 5-2, and J.J. Hardy added a homer (3) of his own in the 8th for a 6-2 Twins lead, and to snap his 14 at-bat hitless streak. Matt Guerrier struggled a bit in the 8th, loading the bases and allowing a run before getting out of trouble. Thome later sealed the win with a back-breaking 2-run double in the 9th. Brian Duensing finished off the Royals in the 9th. Saturday's second game of the series features a struggling Nick Blackburn looking to bust out of his slump and give Minnesota a good start.
Record: 12-5
April 24th: Twins 9, Royals 7, in 12 innings
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes you play in less-than-ideal conditions. On Saturday night, on a night that featured 12 innings, 12 relievers, 32 hits, 4 errors, 2 near-cycles (1 in a 5-hit game by last year's AL-MVP), and both teams scoring runs in the 11th, all in a driving rain storm, the Twins survived and pulled out a 9-7 win in the 2nd game of the series in Kansas City. Nick Blackburn's struggles continued, as he allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits, walking 2 and striking out none in just 4 1/3 innings. But he once again was bailed out by the Twins' vaunted offense. After falling behind 4-0, Brendan Harris doubled and scored the Twins' 1st run following successive groundouts in the 3rd. After the Royals answered that run in the bottom half of the inning, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Jason Kubel hit consecutive doubles on the first pitch they each saw to cut the Royals lead to 5-3. After trading runs in the 5th, Morneau crushed a 2-run homer to straight-away center field to tie the game at 6. Ron Mahay, Pat Neshek, Jesse Crain, and Brian Duensing combined to throw 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball. This allowed the Twins to rally and hand the ball to Matt Guerrier, who pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th. Cuddyer hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to put the Twins on top for the 1st time in the 11th, but Jon Rauch blew his first save of the season by allowing 2 hits and a run. Fortunately, he pitched out of a jam to keep the game alive. The Twins loaded the bases again in the 12th, and Denard Span, 0-6 for the day up to that point, blooped a single to center to put the Twins back on top. Joe Mauer added a sacrifice fly to cap a 5-hit, 2-RBI day and give the Twins a 9-7 lead. Rauch allowed a hit in the 12th before finishing to win his 1st game of 2010. Looking for a sweep on Sunday, Kevin Slowey gets the ball, hoping to provide many innings and save the Twins' beleaguered bullpen.
Record: 13-5
April 25th: Royals 4, Twins 3
The Twins have won the 1st 2 games in 3 consecutive series. And for the 3rd straight series, the Twins failed to win the finale. Kevin Slowey's inconsistency continued as he struggled with his command all game long, lasting only 5 1/3 innings and allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and throwing 104 pitches to fall to 2-2 in 2010. The offense answered an early Royals run with a 2-run 2nd, as Justin Morneau led off the inning with his 4th home run of the year to tie the game at 1. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-out RBI single to bring in Delmon Young following Young's double for a 2-1 lead. But the Twins fell behind as the Royals scored single runs in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, and failed time and again with runners in scoring position. For the day, Twins' hitters left 12 men on base, and hit 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Morneau double home Joe Mauer in the 9th off elite Royals closer Joakim Soria, but was stranded on 2nd as Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome struck out to end the game. Following their 6th consecutive series win, and an off-day Monday, the Twins resume play on Tuesday night in Motown for a series against the Tigers. Francisco Liriano matches up against Justin Verlander in the series opener.
Record: 13-6
Record: 13-6
April 27th: Twins 2, Tigers 0
Channeling his best Francisco Liriano impression from 2006, 2010 Liriano continued his domination of opposing hitters, stretching his scoreless innings streak to 23 in a 2-0 Twins victory in Detroit to open the 3-game series. Liriano allowed just 4 hits and struck out 10 over 8 very impressive innings, locating his 94 MPH fastball and mixing in a deadly slider to give Tigers hitters no chance. J.J. Hardy doubled in Jim Thome with the first run of the game, knocking Tigers starter Justin Verlander out in the process. With 2 out and 2 on in the 7th, Thome hit a groundball toward right field, which was fielded by Tigers 2B Scott Sizemore in a defensive shift, but his throw to 1st was wild, leading to Michael Cuddyer scoring from 2nd for the Twins' 2nd run. Despite 3 Tiger errors and 12 men left on base, the Twins were able to win despite just 2 runs being scored. Jon Rauch allowed 1 hit before closing out the 9th for his 7th save in 8 chances. In the second game of the series, Scott Baker takes the hill, looking for much improvement from his previous start.
Record: 14-6
April 28th: Tigers 11, Twins 6
A night that began so promisingly ended so... terribly. Scott Baker blew a 6-1 lead and didn't make it out of the 5th inning, and the Twins were the victim of a horrendous blown umpire call, as the Tigers rallied for 6 runs as a result of the mistake in the 6th and the Twins fell in the 2nd game of the series by a final of 11-6. Staked to a big lead, Baker was erratic both in and out of the strike zone, allowing 4 runs in the 4th inning and a leadoff double in the 5th before being removed. Overall, he allowed 5 runs on 9 hits in 4+ innings in getting a no-decision. The offense started well against Tigers starter Max Scherzer, as Jim Thome filled in for an ailing Justin Morneau and slugged a 2-run homer in the 1st inning for a 2-0 Twins lead, his 4th of the year. Luke Hughes became the 5th player in Twins history to hit a homer in his first major league at-bat, a solo shot in the 3rd giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. And an RBI single from Jason Kubel and 2 2-out RBI singles from Denard Span and Orlando Hudson in the 4th extended the Twins lead to 6-1. Then Baker fell apart, allowing 3 hits and 2 walks in the 4th. After a strong 5th inning from Alex Burnett, Ron Mahay came in to face Johnny Damon in the 6th with the tying run on 1st and 1 out. He laced a 3-2 pitch to left-center that was slicing away from Span. Span caught up to it and appeared to make the catch before dropping the ball as he was exchanging it to his left (throwing) hand to return the ball to the infield. But the ump ruled that he dropped it, gave him an error, and awarded Damon 2 bases. Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected, and Pat Neshek walked and hit a batter to tie he game before departing. Jesse Crain promptly gave up 3 consecutive doubles, plating 5 more Tigers runs, and leading to the eventual final 11-6 margin. The Twins look to extend their club record start to 7 consecutive series won in the Thursday finale, as Carl Pavano gets the start.
Record: 14-7
April 29th: Tigers 3, Twins 0
Carl Pavano was outpitched by Dontrelle Willis, as the Twins lineup was missing 3 starters and played like it in a 2-0 loss to the Tigers in the series finale, their first lost series in 2010. Pavano allowed just 3 runs on 7 hits over 8 innings, but it was not enough, as his record fell to 3-2 on the season. Willis dominated the Twins 'B' lineup, allowing just 4 hits and 2 outs while striking out 6 Twins over 6 innings, as the Twins were sitting Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and J.J. Hardy. Flame-throwing Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya made quick work of Twins hitters in the 7th and 8 innings, and Jose Valverde finished for the save. The final stop on the Twins' 3-Al-Central-city road trip is Cleveland, and Nick Blackburn is on the bump for the Friday opener.
Record: 14-8
A night that began so promisingly ended so... terribly. Scott Baker blew a 6-1 lead and didn't make it out of the 5th inning, and the Twins were the victim of a horrendous blown umpire call, as the Tigers rallied for 6 runs as a result of the mistake in the 6th and the Twins fell in the 2nd game of the series by a final of 11-6. Staked to a big lead, Baker was erratic both in and out of the strike zone, allowing 4 runs in the 4th inning and a leadoff double in the 5th before being removed. Overall, he allowed 5 runs on 9 hits in 4+ innings in getting a no-decision. The offense started well against Tigers starter Max Scherzer, as Jim Thome filled in for an ailing Justin Morneau and slugged a 2-run homer in the 1st inning for a 2-0 Twins lead, his 4th of the year. Luke Hughes became the 5th player in Twins history to hit a homer in his first major league at-bat, a solo shot in the 3rd giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. And an RBI single from Jason Kubel and 2 2-out RBI singles from Denard Span and Orlando Hudson in the 4th extended the Twins lead to 6-1. Then Baker fell apart, allowing 3 hits and 2 walks in the 4th. After a strong 5th inning from Alex Burnett, Ron Mahay came in to face Johnny Damon in the 6th with the tying run on 1st and 1 out. He laced a 3-2 pitch to left-center that was slicing away from Span. Span caught up to it and appeared to make the catch before dropping the ball as he was exchanging it to his left (throwing) hand to return the ball to the infield. But the ump ruled that he dropped it, gave him an error, and awarded Damon 2 bases. Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected, and Pat Neshek walked and hit a batter to tie he game before departing. Jesse Crain promptly gave up 3 consecutive doubles, plating 5 more Tigers runs, and leading to the eventual final 11-6 margin. The Twins look to extend their club record start to 7 consecutive series won in the Thursday finale, as Carl Pavano gets the start.
Record: 14-7
April 29th: Tigers 3, Twins 0
Carl Pavano was outpitched by Dontrelle Willis, as the Twins lineup was missing 3 starters and played like it in a 2-0 loss to the Tigers in the series finale, their first lost series in 2010. Pavano allowed just 3 runs on 7 hits over 8 innings, but it was not enough, as his record fell to 3-2 on the season. Willis dominated the Twins 'B' lineup, allowing just 4 hits and 2 outs while striking out 6 Twins over 6 innings, as the Twins were sitting Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and J.J. Hardy. Flame-throwing Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya made quick work of Twins hitters in the 7th and 8 innings, and Jose Valverde finished for the save. The final stop on the Twins' 3-Al-Central-city road trip is Cleveland, and Nick Blackburn is on the bump for the Friday opener.
Record: 14-8
April 30th: Twins 9, Indians 3
Kevin Slowey got through 5 tough innings, and Justin Morneau reacclimated himself to the lineup by greeting Indians starter Fausto Carmona with a 2-run homer in the first inning as the Twins cruised to a 9-3 win over Cleveland in the opening game of the series. Slowey wasn’t very efficient with his pitch count, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts, and throwing 102 pitches, but was able to improve to 3-2 in 2010. The Twins followed Morneau’s homer with a 3-run 5th, jumping out to a comfortable 5-0 lead. Orlando Hudson had a big night, going 3-4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel all added 2 hits as well as the Twins pounded out 12 hits against Tribe pitching. Jesse Crain, Brian Duensing, Matt Guerrier, and Ron Mahay each threw shutout innings in relief of Slowey to cap the win. With Nick Blackburn on the Family Emergency List, Jeff Manship was recalled and will start the 2nd game of the series on Saturday night.
Record: 15-8
May 1st: Indians 5, Twins 4, in 11 innings
An early Twins lead didn't last, as the bullpen uncharacteristically let down the Twins in a 5-4, 11-inning loss in Cleveland in the 2nd game of the series. Jeff Manship got the start and pitched well, striking out the side in the 1st inning and lasting 6 innings, giving up just 2 runs on 5 hits and being in position for the victory. Jim Thome improved the Twins' lackluster average with the bases loaded by lacing a 2-run single in the 1st inning, and Denard Span followed in the 2nd with a solo homer, his 1st of the year, for a 3-0 Twins lead. After Manship gave back a couple of runs, Justin Morneau blasted his 6th homer of 2010, and solo shot in the 8th that extended Minnesota's lead to 4-2. But Matt Guerrier couldn't hold the lead, blowing his first save of the year by allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in the 8th inning as the Tribe tied the game at 4. Ron Mahay and Alex Burnett combined to shutout Cleveland in the 9th and 10th innings, but the Tribe loaded the bases against Burnett with nobody out in the 11th before Jesse Crain came in to try to save the day. Crain was able to induce a pop up and a strikeout before giving up the walkoff single as the Indians evened the series at a game apiece. Riding a 23-inning scoreless streak, Francisco Liriano gets the start in the Sunday finale.
Record: 15-9
May 2nd: Twins 8, Indians 3
Francisco Liriano continued his dominant ways despite losing his scoreless-inning streak, and the Twins pounded out 20 hits against Cleveland pitching to run away with an 8-3 win to clinch their 7th series win in 8 series this year. Liriano threw a career-high 123 pitches in 7 innings (after fighting manager Ron Gardenhire to come out for the 7th inning with his pitch count at 104), and gave up 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 9 to improve to 4-0 on the season. Orlando Hudson got the Twins on the board in the 1st with a 2-run blast, his 2nd as a Twin. Jim Thome broke a 2-2 tie in the 5th with a solo shot, his 5th, and Delmon Young followed with his 3rd homer for a 4-2 Twins lead. Nick Punto drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single in the 7th to extend the Twins lead to 6-3, and the Twins capped the scoring in the 9th with 2 more runs on another RBI single from Punto and a fielder's choice ground out by Michael Cuddyer. Despite going 0 for 4 with the bases loaded in the 9th inning alone, and stranding 16 runners, the Twins did get 6 hits with runners in scoring position, and got plenty of offense to win. Jesse Crain and Ron Mahay combined for a shutout 8th, and Jon Rauch finished the win by retiring the side in order in the 9th. Following a successful 5-4 road trip, the Twins return home for a 9-game homestand, beginning Monday night against Detroit. The struggling Scott Baker gets the start in the opening game.
Record: 16-9
May 3rd: Twins 10, Tigers 4
The game was over early as the Twins jumped all over Tigers starter Max Scherzer and provided plenty of support for Scott Baker in a 10-4 rout in the opening game of the series. Baker battled through 7 strong innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts, as he improved to 3-2 on the season. The Twins scored 4 runs in the 1st inning and 3 more in the 2nd, as Michael Cuddyer followed a Jim Thome RBI single with a 3-run homer, his 4th of the season, as the Twins took a 4-0 lead. Wilson Ramos continued his hit parade in place of Joe Mauer, collecting 3 more hits and his 1st major league RBI, and he also scored the Twins 5th run on a 2-run triple by Denard Span. After the Tigers got 3 runs back, the Twins put 3 more on the board in the 5th, as Ramos followed an RBI single from J.J. Hardy with an RBI double. Orlando Hudson and Nick Punto added the other 2 RBIs, and Alex Burnett allowed 1 run in 2 innings in relief of Baker to close out the win. Nick Blackburn comes off the family emergency list to make the start in the 2nd game of the series on Tuesday night.
Record: 17-9
May 4th: Twins 4, Tigers 3
And so it was J.J. Hardy who rescued the Twins and Nick Blackburn on Tuesday night. With the go-ahead run on 2nd with 2 out in the top of the 9th, Hardy made a diving stop to his left to keep the ball in the infield. Alex Avila, the Tigers runner, overran 3rd base, and Hardy flipped the ball to Nick Punto, who made the tag on Avila to get the Twins out of the inning. Hardy then tripled with one out in the bottom half of the inning, then scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Blackburn pitched extremely efficiently all night, taking a 3-2 lead into the 9th inning on just 87 pitches. He allowed the tying run on a solo homer to Tigers rookie LF Brendan Boesch leading off the 9th, but was able to finish the full 9 innings, giving up 3 runs on 11 hits to pick up his 2nd win of the season. The Twins scored 2 runs in the 1st for the 5th consecutive game, as Orlando Hudson walked and scored on an RBI double by Jim Thome. Thome scored the 2nd run on a 2-out RBI single by Delmon Young. After Blackburn gave up the lead in the 4th, the Twins retook the lead in the 6th as Michael Cuddyer doubled and scored on an RBI single by Hardy. The Twins go for their 1st sweep of 2010 in the Wednesday matinee finale, with Kevin Slowey getting the start.
Record: 18-9
May 5th: Twins 5, Tigers 4
Kevin Slowey pitched effectively for 5 2/3 innings, and the Twins overcame 4 solo homers from Detroit to defeat the Tigers 5-4 and sweep the 3-game series. Slowey permitted 3 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts, and all 3 runs allowed came via solo homer (one by backup C Alex Avila and two by all-world 1B Miguel Cabrera), but he was able to pitch long enough to earn his 4th win of 2010. The Twins scored 2 more runs in the 1st inning, tying a major-league record set by the 1971 Yankees by scoring at least 2 runs in 6 consecutive 1st innings. Denard Span singled and went to 2nd on a walk by Orlando Hudson. Justin Morneau then raked an RBI double for a 1-0 lead, and Michael Cuddyer grounded out to score Hudson for the 2nd run. After the 1st Tiger homer in the 3rd, Span walked and was replaced at 1st by Hudson on fielder’s choice, and Hudson scored on an RBI double by Jason Kubel for a 3-1 Twins lead. After the 2nd Tigers homer in the 4th, the Twins rallied with 2 out as Alexi Casilla walked and scored on a 3-base error by Tigers RF Brendan Boesch on a ball hit by Nick Punto. Punto would score on an RBI hit by Span, who reached base on 4 of his 5 trips to the plate, to give the Twins a 5-2 lead. Slowey departed after allowing a 3rd homer, but Jesse Crain pitched out of a 6th inning jam, then retired the side in order in the 7th. Matt Guerrier and Brian Duensing combined for a shutout 8th, and Jon Rauch allowed a solo homer to lead off the 9th before retiring the next 3 hitters to pick his 8th save in 9 chances. The Twins homestand continues Thursday as the Baltimore Orioles come to town. Carl Pavano starts the opener.
Record: 19-9
May 6th: Orioles 2, Twins 0
Carl Pavano was outdueled by Brad Bergesen, making the only mistake in the game, as the Orioles snapped the Twins’ winning streak at 4 with a 2-0 win in the opening game of the series. Pavano pitched 8 innings for the 2nd consecutive start, and for the 2nd consecutive start, received 0 run support. Pavano allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits, with both runs coming on a Ty Wigginton 2-run homer in the 2nd inning. He also walked 3 and struck out 8 as he picked up a hard-luck loss to fall to 3-3 on the season. But Bergesen confounded the Twins with his work inside and out of the strike zone, as well as a solid sinker, getting the Twins to roll over a lot of ground balls en route to 6 2/3 shutout innings. The Twins failed twice with the bases loaded, including a Jim Thome strikeout in the 7th, dropping their season average to .146 (7 for 48), 3rd-worst in MLB. Following Friday’s rainout, the Twins look to draw even the series in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series and 1st game of the double header, behind the left arm of ace Francisco Liriano. Scott Baker starts the nightcap.
Record: 19-10
May 8th, Game 1: Orioles 7, Twins 3
Francisco Liriano didn’t have his best stuff and paid for it in his first loss of the season, a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Orioles. Liriano allowed season-highs with 5 runs and 10 hits and just 3 strikeouts over 6 innings, falling to 4-1 this season. Justin Morneau got the Twins off and running in the 1st inning with a 2-run homer, his 7th of the season and 1st at Target Field, for an early 2-0 Twins lead. But Liriano allowed 2 runs in the 3rd and 3 more in the 4th, as the Twins fell behind 5-2. Michael Cuddyer hit his 5th homer of the season in the bottom of the 4th, a solo shot, bringing the Twins within 5-3. But the O’s added single runs in the 7th and 8th innings against Alex Burnett to put the game out of reach. The Twins turn to Scott Baker in the nightcap to split the doubleheader.
Record: 19-11
May 8th, Game 2: Twins 6, Orioles 1
Scott Baker was completely dominant over 8 innings, and the Twins finally broke through offensively, in a 6-1 win over the Orioles to split the Saturday twinbill. Baker allowed just 1 run (a solo homer) on 3 hits, walking none and striking out 8, in winning his 4th game of 2010. Nick Punto followed a Delmon Young double with a double of his own in the 3rd inning to plate the 1st Twins run of the game. Michael Cuddyer bounced into a double play in the 6th with the bases loaded to allow the go-ahead run to score, and Young followed with a 2-out RBI single for a 3-1 Twins lead. The Twins then put the game out of reach in the 8th with a 3-run, 3-hit, 2-walk 8th inning as Delmon Young doubled home a run, and Drew Butera picked up his 1st major-league RBIs with a 2-out 2-run single to cap the scoring. Brian Duensing gave up a hit before finishing off the Twins victory. The Twins send Nick Blackburn to the mound in the Sunday finale, seeking a 4-game split.
Record: 20-11
May 9th: Twins 6, Orioles 0
Nick Blackburn dominated for the second consecutive start, and the Twins got plenty of offense from their #1 and #2 hitters, scoring all their runs in a pair of 3-run innings in an easy 6-0 win over the Orioles to salvage a split of the 4-game series. Blackburn allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks over 7 spotless innings in improving to 3-1 this season and lower his ERA to 4.76. Brendan Harris and Alexi Casilla singled to lead off the 3rd inning, and both came in to score on a 2-run triple by Denard Span. Span would score on a sacrifice fly by Nick Punto for a 3-0 Twins lead. The Twins added 3 more runs in the 4th inning, all with 2 outs, to knock out O’s starter Brian Matusz early. Harris began the rally with a double and scored on a double from Casilla. Span singled in Casilla and went to 2nd on the throw, and scored on a single by Punto, capping the scoring and the Twins lead at 6-0. Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch each got an inning of work as well to finish the shutout. Following an off-day Monday, the Twins open a brief 2-game series against Chicago. Kevin Slowey gets the start in Tuesday’s opening game.
Record: 21-11
May 11th: White Sox 5, Twins 2
Kevin Slowey cruised through 4 innings… then the wheels fell off in the 5th, as the White Sox rallied past the Twins 5-2 in the 1st game of the abbreviated 2-game series. Slowey allowed no runs and just 1 hit through 4 innings, and then 7 hits and 5 runs in the 5th, including 6 2-out hits, as the White Sox took a 5-1 lead. Slowey departed with 2 outs in the inning and saw his 2010 record fall to 4-3. The Twins scored their 1st run in the 4th as Delmon Young doubled in Joe Mauer with 2 outs, but Jason Kubel was thrown out at the plate trying to score from 1st, setting an ominous tone for the game. Justin Morneau homered leading off the 6th, his 8th of the year, but another 1-for-8 performance with runners in scoring position proved too much to overcome. The series abruptly concludes in Wednesday’s matinee, and Carl Pavano gets the start, hoping for a little more run support than in his last 2 outings (8 innings pitched in each game, 0 runs scored by the Twins).
Record: 21-12
May 12th: Twins 3, White Sox 2
Carl Pavano settled down after a shaky first inning, and the Twins finally broke through with a couple of 2-out RBI singles, rallying past the White Sox for a 3-2 win to salvage a split of the brief 2-game set. Pavano allowed 2 runs, 2 hits, and a walk in the 1st inning – then just 4 hits and no runs over his next 6 innings – as he had a quality start for the 6th time in 2010, and won his 4th game of the year. Alexi Casilla singled and Denard Span walked leading off the 3rd inning, and Orlando Hudson laid down a sacrifice bunt to get the two runners into scoring position. Joe Mauer grounded out to 2nd to score Casilla and advance Span to 3rd, and Justin Morneau followed with a 2-out RBI single to tie the game. The Twins took the lead for good in the 4th, as Delmon Young led off with a double (part of his 3-hit day) and advanced to 3rd on a ground out. He was almost stranded at 3rd as Casilla bounced out to 3rd with the infield in, but Span saved the day with a seeing-eye RBI single to score Young for a 3-2 Twins lead. Pavano completely took over from there, and the bullpen also did the job. Brian Duensing picked up a strikeout and a groundout in the 8th, and Matt Guerrier got the 3rd out with a strikeout. Jon Rauch retired the side in order in the 9th to close out the win, his 9th save in 10 opportunities. One other play worth mentioning: Sox CF Alex Rios nearly saved the game for the Sox by robbing Michael Cuddyer with a home-run-saving catch. Fortunately for Minnesota, they got enough offense and great pitching to win the game. Following Thursday’s off-day, the Twins head to the Bronx for a battle with the Series-champion Yankees, the same team who ended Minnesota’s season last year. Scott Baker looks to continue the momentum from his solid last 2 starts, and gets the ball in Friday’s opener.
Record: 22-12
May 14: Yankees 8, Twins 4
And so the Yankees domination of the Twins continues, and frankly, it makes me want to puke. Alex Rodriguez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the 7th off Matt Guerrier, improving to 5 for 7 with 4 home runs off Guerrier, to lead New York past the Twins 8-4 in the opening game of the 3-game set, their 11th straight win in the head-to-head series. Scott Baker got the start and lasted into the 7th inning, but allowed 2 hard-luck hits to start the inning and departed with a final line of 5 runs, 10 hits, 1 walk, and a season-best 9 strikeouts. Nick Punto drew a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd inning to give the Twins an early 1-0 lead, but Yankees starter A.J. Burnett pitched out of trouble by picking up a 1-2-3 double play and a strikeout to escape further damage. Baker struck out the side in the 4th after allowing 2 runs, and Joe Mauer tied the game with a solo homer in the 5th, his 2nd of the year. After falling behind 3-2, Mauer and Justin Morneau each drove in runs with base hits for a brief 4-3 lead, before everything fell apart in the 7th. The inning started with an infield single, then Derek Jeter rocketed a ball off of Baker’s leg that careened into right field for a double. Brian Duensing came on to get a short fly ball out to left, then intentionally walked Mark Teixiera to get to Rodriguez. Bringing in Guerrier to face him turned out to be a huge mistake, and the Twins lost the game as a result. Hoping to finally end the Bombers’ domination, ace Francisco Liriano gets the start in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 22-13
May 15th: Yankees 7, Twins 1
Hopelessness reigned supreme once again for the Twins in New York, failing to mount much of a challenge against Andy Pettitte in a listless 7-1 loss in the 2nd game of the series. Francisco Liriano got the start and pitched well, allowed just 3 runs on 9 hits, walking none and striking out 7, but departed trailing 3-0. The Twins had chances early and late against Pettitte to put runs on the board, but couldn’t get that critical hit, a theme for the Twins at Yankee Stadium. Delmon Young grounded into a double with 2 on and nobody out in the 2nd to kill a potential rally, and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau lined out sharply to 2nd in failing to score in the 4th. Joe Mauer crushed a ball to dead center with 2 on and 2 out in the 6th, but it was caught. And Jim Thome struck out with 2 on and 2 out in the 7th to kill another scoring chance. By the time Mauer finally drove in the Twins first run in the 8th, all it did was cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-1. Jesse Crain allowed a homer and 3 runs in the 7th, and Ron Mahay allowed another homer in the same inning that put the game out of reach. One bright spot for Minnesota was a shutout inning thrown by Jose Mijares, in his second outing since being activated from the disabled list. If Minnesota will ever get off the schnide against New York, it has got to happen on Sunday. Nick Blackburn pitches for the first time at Yankee Stadium since he hurled 5 2/3 effective innings in Game 2 of last year’s ALDS. The Twins face journeyman right-hander Sergio Mitre, who is somewhat vulnerable against good left-handed hitting.
Hopelessness reigned supreme once again for the Twins in New York, failing to mount much of a challenge against Andy Pettitte in a listless 7-1 loss in the 2nd game of the series. Francisco Liriano got the start and pitched well, allowed just 3 runs on 9 hits, walking none and striking out 7, but departed trailing 3-0. The Twins had chances early and late against Pettitte to put runs on the board, but couldn’t get that critical hit, a theme for the Twins at Yankee Stadium. Delmon Young grounded into a double with 2 on and nobody out in the 2nd to kill a potential rally, and Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau lined out sharply to 2nd in failing to score in the 4th. Joe Mauer crushed a ball to dead center with 2 on and 2 out in the 6th, but it was caught. And Jim Thome struck out with 2 on and 2 out in the 7th to kill another scoring chance. By the time Mauer finally drove in the Twins first run in the 8th, all it did was cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-1. Jesse Crain allowed a homer and 3 runs in the 7th, and Ron Mahay allowed another homer in the same inning that put the game out of reach. One bright spot for Minnesota was a shutout inning thrown by Jose Mijares, in his second outing since being activated from the disabled list. If Minnesota will ever get off the schnide against New York, it has got to happen on Sunday. Nick Blackburn pitches for the first time at Yankee Stadium since he hurled 5 2/3 effective innings in Game 2 of last year’s ALDS. The Twins face journeyman right-hander Sergio Mitre, who is somewhat vulnerable against good left-handed hitting.
Record: 22-14
May 16th: Twins 6, Yankees 3
Phew. There’s only one way to end a curse: to look the seemingly-invincible square in the eye, show no fear, and pull off a miracle ending no one saw coming. On May 16th, 2010, the Twins FINALLY ended their misery at Yankee Stadium. Jason Kubel, he of a .225 average and no homers in more than a month, laced a line-drive grand slam off Mariano Rivera, only the greatest reliever in baseball history, to give the Twins an improbable 6-3 win over the Yankees to salvage the final game of the 3-game series. Nick Blackburn got the start and pitched admirably, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4, over 7 innings and 104 pitches thrown, in picking up his 4th win of 2010. Justin Morneau led off the 2nd inning with his 9th homer of the year for a brief 1-0 lead, but Blackburn allowed a 2-run triple in the bottom half of the inning as the Twins trailed 2-1. The Yanks extended their lead to 3-1, and after multiple missed chances in the early innings, it looked like the Twins would have to wait until 2011 to end their Bronx hex. But the offense came alive in the 8th, against Yanks set-up man Joba Chamberlain. Denard Span led off with a single, then was forced out at 2nd on a fielder’s choice groundout by Orlando Hudson. Hudson advanced to 2nd on a walk by Joe Mauer, but Justin Morneau struck out for the 2nd out. Michael Cuddyer singled off the glove of Yankees 1B Mark Teixiera to load the bases, and the Yanks turned to Rivera. Jim Thome took a 3-2 pitch for ball 4 to force in a run (the first bases-loaded walk by Rivera since 2005), cutting the lead to 3-2, and setting the stage for Kubel. Kubel took a ball before launching his drive into the right-field bleachers, and blasting the gorilla off of the Twins backs in the process. Brian Duensing and Matt Guerrier combined for a shutout 8th, and Jon Rauch escaped a pressure-filled 9th by striking out the side after allowing 2 singles, saving his 10th game in 11 chances in 2010. Fresh off the momentum of the win, the Twins take their show to Toronto for a brief 2-game set with Blue Jays. Kevin Slowey will continue his quest for consistency, getting the start in Monday night’s opening game.
Record: 23-14
May 17th: Twins 8, Blue Jays 3
And for the first time in 6 years, the Twins were victorious on my birthday (May 17th). Kevin Slowey is still stuck on just 1 quality start for 2010, but was able to pick up the win on the strength of 2 Justin Morneau homers, as the Twins defeated the Blue Jays 8-3 to open the short 2-game series in Toronto. Slowey pitched just 5 innings due to a high pitch count, but allowed just 3 runs on 8 hits on 98 pitches to win his 5th game of the year. Delmon Young got the Twins off and running with a homer leading off the 2nd inning, his 4th of the season, for an early 1-0 Twins lead. The Twins fell behind in the bottom half of the inning, but the bats came alive with 2 outs in the 4th. Denard Span doubled and scored the tying on an RBI single by Orlando Hudson. Hudson gave the Twins a 3-2 lead by going to 3rd and scoring on back-to-back singles by Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Mauer and Morneau would score on a Jays error, giving Minnesota a 5-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Morneau hit his 1st homer in the 6th to answer a Jays run, re-extending Minnesota’s lead to 3 runs at 6-3, as Alex Burnett pitched 2 effective innings in relief of Slowey. Morneau then hit his 2nd homer in the 8th, a 2-run shot and his 11th of the year, for an 8-3 Twins lead. Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain finished off the win with scoreless 8th and 9th innings, respectively. Looking for a sweep of the 2-game set, Carl Pavano gets the start, looking for run support early and often.
Record: 24-14
May 18th: Blue Jays 11, Twins 2
The game was over early, as Carl Pavano turned in his 2nd ugly start of 2010 in a Blue Jays’ 11-2 rout of Minnesota to split the 2-game series. Pavano allowed 6 runs on 10 hits over just 4 innings, including 2 home runs, in losing his 4th game of 2010. Michael Cuddyer tripled and scored the first Twins run in the 4th, but the Jays scored in every inning Pavano pitched. After a shutout 5th, Ron Mahay was greeted by Blue Jays 2B Aaron Hill’s 3-run homer. And just for good measure, Jesse Crain made sure to allow another homer, a 2-run shot in the 6th for an 11-1 Jays lead. Alexi Casilla tripled in a run in the 8th, and Jose Mijares threw 2 shutout innings, but those were the only bright spots in an otherwise horrendously ugly game for the Twins. The 7-game road-trip concludes with 2 games in Boston for the Twins, and Scott Baker gets the start in Wednesday’s game 1.
Record: 24-15
May 19th: Red Sox 3, Twins 2
Jim Thome grounded out with 2 on and 2 out, ending a frustrating night for the Twins offense and negating a well-pitched game from Scott Baker in a 3-2 loss in Boston to open the short 2-game series. Baker pitched 6 high-stress but quality innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits over 104 pitches, but lost his 4th game of the year. Joe Mauer drove in the first Twins’ run in the 4th inning with an RBI double, but the Sox answered in the bottom of the inning as former Twin David Ortiz homered over the monster for a 2-1 Sox lead. The Sox strung together 3 2-out singles in the 6th to add an insurance run. Alex Burnett and Brian Duensing combined for 2 innings of shutout relief to keep Minnesota in the game, and Denard Span led off the 9th with a single, went to 2nd on a fielder’s choice, and scored following consecutive groundouts to get the Twins within 3-2. Justin Morneau walked and Michael Cuddyer singled as the Twins continued their rally. But Thome grounded out to 2nd to end the game, as the Twins dropped their 2nd game in a row. Attempting to get even in the 2nd and final game of the series, ace Francisco Liriano takes the hill for the Twins.
Record: 24-16
May 20th: Red Sox 6, Twins 2
Francisco Liriano failed to get out of the 5th inning, and the Twins offense was held to 2 runs for the 3rd straight game, as the Twins concluded their road trip at a disappointing 2-5 following a 6-2 loss in Boston, their 3rd consecutive loss and longest losing streak of the season. Liriano allowed 2 homers to go along with 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6 but falling to 4-3 in 2010. The Sox raced out to a 4-0 lead following Kevin Youkilis’ 3-run homer in the 3rd, and the Twins offense never had a chance against Lester, who threw a complete game and allowed just 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits. Delmon Young and Joe Mauer drove in the 2 Twins runs well after the game was decided. Finally returning home and now tied for first place in the AL Central, the Twins face the sputtering Brewers as interleague play begins. Nick Blackburn gets the start in the Friday night opener.
Record: 24-17
May 21st: Twins 15, Brewers 3
Interleague play always seems to be just what the doctor ordered the Twins. Minnesota’s offense busted out in a huge way in support of Nick Blackburn, turning the game into a laugher early in a 15-3 rout of Milwaukee to open the 3-game set at Target Field. Blackburn pitched into the 8th inning and allowed 3 runs (all on a homer by former Twin Carlos Gomez) on 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2, to improve to 5-1 this season. Blackburn got 7 runs of support in the 1st inning, as Minnesota hitters tattooed Brewers starter Dave Bush. The Twins collected 6 singles, a double, and 4 walks, while also taking advantage of an error and a balk, to bust the game wide open and knock out Bush in the 1st inning. Ironically, every starter except Joe Mauer got a least 1 base hit, and 4 Twins (Denard Span, Orlando Hudson, Justin Morneau, and Delmon Young) each picked up 3 hits. Span and Hudson each scored 3 runs apiece, Jason Kubel drove in 4, and Morneau added 3 more RBI. Trevor Plouffe made his major league debut by scoring a run and picking up 2 hits and 2 RBI, to join Young and Michael Cuddyer with 2-RBI games. Jose Mijares continued his recent run of success as well, getting the final 5 outs of the game on just 19 pitches. In game 2 of the series, Kevin Slowey looks for consistency and the ability to pitch deeper into games.
Record: 25-17
May 22nd: Twins 8, Brewers 7, in 12 innings
Baseball is absolutely incredible sometimes, and as former Twins great Gary Gaetti once said, “Never leave early. Because you never know what might happen.” The Twins allowed 5 runs in the 9th inning to blow a 6-2 lead, but rallied for a run in the 9th and another in the 12th, to escape with a dramatic 8-7 extra-inning win over Milwaukee to take the 2nd game of the series. Kevin Slowey got the start and once again failed to last 6 innings due to high pitch count, yet fared well enough to get the win. He allowed just 2 runs on just 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 5 over 5 2/3 innings. But by the end of the game, you barely even remembered he pitched in the game. The Twins jumped on Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo in the 1st inning, scoring 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks for an early 4-0 lead, with RBI hits from Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer, a bases-loaded walk taken by Delmon Young, and a sacrifice fly from Trevor Plouffe. But Gallardo settled down, and the Brewers began their march back. Milwaukee got on the board in the 5th, then added a solo homer in the 6th to cut the Twins’ lead to 4-2. Still, Minnesota would answer with a pair of runs in the 7th, as Joe Mauer doubled home a run and scored on a fielder’s choice groundout for a 6-2 lead. But the normally reliable Twins bullpen completely imploded in the 9th, as Ron Mahay began the inning by allowing 2 singles and a walk, loading the bases with nobody out. Jon Rauch came in and was promptly greeted with a 2-run double and a 2-run single (from former Twin Carlos Gomez), tying the game at 6. Alexi Casilla, entering the game in the 8th after Orlando Hudson departed with an injured elbow, made a game-saving play, diving to his left to spear a line drive, then turning and throwing to 1st to double off Gomez. The inning was far from over, as Prince Fielder walked and scored on a double, giving the Brewers an improbable 7-6 lead. Undeterred, the Twins offense rallied in the bottom of the 9th. Morneau led off with a double down the left-field line, and then went to 3rd on a single to right by Cuddyer. After Jason Kubel struck out, Young lined the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall on a bounce, scoring Morneau to tie the game and sending Cuddyer to 3rd. Jim Thome pinch-hit and was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Nick Punto struck out. Denard Span then crushed a 3-1 pitch deep to right, but into a driving wind, keeping the ball in the park as it was caught on the warning track to send the game to extra innings. Alex Burnett took over in the 10th and allowed a hit, but induced a double play to escape trouble. Casilla led off the 10th with a walk, but was still at 1st with 2 out as Mauer and Morneau both flew out. Cuddyer singled to right to send Casilla to 3rd and moved to 2nd on fielder’s indifference, and Jason Kubel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Delmon Young then sent a long, high drive to right field, but it was caught amazingly by Brewers RF Corey Hart to save the game for Milwaukee. Burnett hit a batter but induced another double play (for the 3rd consecutive inning), but the Twins went down meekly in their half of the 11th, and the teams played on into the 12th. It was Jesse Crain’s turned, and he pitched around a lead-off walk to get the offense back to the dugout to start the winning rally. Casilla walked to lead off the 12th (he walked in all 3 plate appearances after entering the game in the 8th), went to 2nd on a hit by Mauer, and to 3rd on a walk by Morneau. Cuddyer grounded out to 3rd as the Brewers got the out at the plate for the first out, and Jason Kubel stepped in. Kubel then sent a 1-1 pitch high to right field where it was caught by Hart, but his throw was off-target, as Mauer slid across with the winning run, ending an incredible baseball game. The Twins look to cap the series in a sweep in the Sunday finale, and Carl Pavano looks for much improvement over his last start, a loss in Toronto.
Record: 26-17
May 23rd: Brewers 4, Twins 3
It was a frustrating final game of the series for Minnesota, as they stranded 14 baserunners in a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee as the Brewers salvaged the finale of the 3-game series. Carl Pavano got the start and pitched 8 solid innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5, but taking yet another hard-luck defeat, his 5th of the year. Pavano allowed a 1st inning run, but the Twins rallied in the 3rd inning with a pair of runs, as Denard Span was hit by a pitch, stole 2nd, and scored on base hit by Orlando Hudson. The American League’s leading hitter, Justin Morneau, followed with an RBI double to the gap in right-center field, and the Twins were ahead 2-1. But the struggles with runners in scoring position were just beginning for the Twins, as the next 3 hitters went down and Morneau was left stranded. Pavano immediately allowed a go-ahead 2-run homer to Corey Hart, and the Twins fell behind 3-2. The Twins threatened in the 5th, as Justin Morneau took a leadoff walk and went to 3rd on a double by Michael Cuddyer. But Jason Kubel’s struggles continued, as he struck out for the 1st out. Delmon Young was intentionally walked, but Brendan Harris struck out and Trevor Plouffe grounded out, as the Twins failed to tie the game. Prince Fielder then hit the 2nd homer off Pavano, extending the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. The Twins left a couple more runners on in the 6th, and then went down meekly in the 7th and 8th innings. Following a perfect 9th from Jesse Crain, Orlando Hudson led off the bottom half with a booming double off the right-center field wall. Morneau and Cuddyer struck out, but Kubel blooped a single to right to score Hudson and put the tying run aboard. Nick Punto came in to run for Kubel, and advanced to 3rd on a 1st-pitch single by Delmon Young. Jim Thome pinch-hit for the struggling Harris and walked on 4 pitches to load the bases. But Trevor Plouffe struck out to end the game, ending a 2-for-15 debacle for Twins hitters with runners in scoring position. Fortunately, it was still a winning series to kick off the 9-game homestand, and following an off-day Monday, the Twins next welcome in the World-Series champion Yankees to target field, who make their only appearance at Target Field in the 2010 season. Scott Baker gets the start in the Tuesday night opener.
Record: 26-18
May 25: Yankees 1, Twins 0
Scott Baker matched A.J. Burnett with 5 shutout innings… and then the game was suspended. Following the resumption of the game, Brian Duensing allowed a homer to the 2nd batter he faced (Derek Jeter), and that held up as the only run of the game, as the Yankees beat the Twins for the 3rd time in 4 tries this season, by a final of 1-0 in the opener of the 3-game series. That was the only run Duensing would allow over his 3 innings, and Jesse Crain threw a shutout inning as well. But the Twins managed just 3 hits against Burnett, wasting 5 baserunners and hitting 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position against him. This theme continued following the game’s recommencement, as the Twins wasted 2 more 2-on 2-out situations, including 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs in the 6th, as Delmon Young grounded out a great defensive play by Jeter. Denard Span ended the frustrating day by grounding into a game-ending double play. With a short break before the next game, Francisco Liriano gets the start in Wednesday’s 2nd game of the series (also on ESPN).
Record: 26-19
May 26th: Yankees 3, Twins 2
Same old tired story, on a different night. The Twins continue to find new and impressive ways to give games away, particularly to the Yankees, losing 3-2 in the 2nd game of the day, their 3rd loss in a row and 6th in 8 games. Francisco Liriano was lacking command of his fastball, but really battled with a quality slider, getting through 7 innings on 112 pitches and allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. He deserved the win, but was unable to get it, as the Twins offense and defense repeatedly killed themselves with poor situational hitting and uncharacteristically undisciplined fielding. Joe Mauer got on the Twins on the board in the 1st inning with an RBI single, driving in Denard Span after Span’s double and steal of 3rd. Masked in the inning was Orlando Hudson’s failure to get Span over to 3rd base with 1 out. Hudson also failed to turn a double play in the 4th inning with a lackadaisical throw to 2nd, and the Yankees cashed in with a run in the inning to tie the game. Justin Morneau and Orlando Hudson grounded into double plays in the 1st and 3rd innings respectively, and Michael Cuddyer was stranded at 2nd after a double in the 4th. Delmon Young came through with an RBI double in the 7th to tie the game, but the killer was the 8th inning. Drew Butera lined a doubled off the glove of Yankees CF Brett Gardner, and then went to 3rd on a botched bunt defense play by the Yankees as Alex Rodriguez bobbled Denard Span’s bunt. Hudson lined out back to Yankees starter Andy Pettitte, and then Joe Mauer completely sucked the wind out of the Twins crowd with a momentum-destroying double play that saved the game for the Yankees. Nick Swisher promptly greeted Twins closer Jon Rauch with a crushing blast to right-center field to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead, and eventual win, as Mariano Rivera closed the door with an easy 11-pitch 9th inning. The Twins attempt to get back on track and salvage the Thursday night finale, and Nick Blackburn, the winner of the only Twins win against New York this season, gets the start.
Record: 26-20
May 27th: Twins 8, Yankees 2
A dominant Twins performance over the dreaded Yankees, and it never felt so good. Nick Blackburn completely dominated the Bronx Bombers over 7 innings, and Jason Kubel crushed 2 homers and drove in 5 runs, helping the Twins pull away to an 8-2 victory over New York to salvage the final game of the 3-game series. Blackburn allowed 2 runs on 9 hits, cruising to his 6th win of the season and 2nd over the Yankees in 2010. The Twins were off and running early against Yankees starter Javier Vazquez, whom the Twins have experience against from his days with the White Sox. Justin Morneau’s sacrifice fly got the Twins on the board in the 1st, and Minnesota added 2 more in the 2nd as Kubel and J.J. Hardy added RBI hits. Orlando Hudson answered the Yanks’ 1st run by leading off the 5th with a triple and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jim Thome. After the Yanks scored a 2nd run, Kubel sent a deep drive into the right field seats, re-extending Minnesota’s lead to 3 runs at 5-2. Kubel then put the game out of reach with a 3-run blast in the 7th. Jose Mijares and Alex Burnett finished the game with shutout 8th and 9th innings to cap the win. The 9-game homestand ends with a 3-game series against Texas, and Kevin Slowey gets the start in the Friday night opener.
Record: 27-20
May 28th: Twins 2, Rangers 1
Kevin Slowey pitched into the 7th inning for only the 2nd time in 10 starts this season, and the struggling offense scored just enough runs to win, as the Twins escaped with a 2-1 win over Texas in the opening game of the 3-game series at Target Field. Slowey pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed just 1 run on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5 to improve to 6-3 this season, and more importantly, pitch deeper into a game to save the bullpen. Joe Mauer lined a singled to center field to score Denard Span with the Twins’ 1st run, and also got a 2nd run home in the 5th while also killing a bigger Twins rally, grounding into a double play with the bases loaded and nobody. Fortunately for Minnesota, that run proved to be the difference, as Jose Mijares came into the 7th to bail Slowey out of a bases loaded jam by retiring pinch hitter Nelson Cruz on a fielder’s choice ground out. Matt Guerrier shut down the Rangers in the 8th for his 9th hold, and Jon Rauch allowed a hit before finishing the win and picking up his 11th save in 13 chances. In Saturday’s 2nd game of the series, Carl Pavano gets the start and hopes for a little more run support.
Record: 28-20
May 29th: Twins 8, Rangers 3
Better late than never, say the Twins. Orlando Hudson tied the game in the 6th with a 2-run homer, and the offense broke the game wide open with a 6-run 7th in support of Carl Pavano, as the Twins rallied past Texas and won 8-3 in the 2nd game of the series, their 3rd straight win. Pavano got over some early struggles to dominate the Rangers over 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits in picking up his 5th win of the year and end a personal 2-start losing streak. The offense finally got him some run support as well (the Twins had averaged just 3.3 runs per game in his starts, and had scored a total of 8 over his previous 5 starts), although it took several innings to solve Rangers starter C.J. Wilson. After managing just a single base hit over the first 5 innings, Hudson followed a Denard Span single with a 2-run blast to left field, his 3rd of the year, tying the game at 2-2. After a shutout 7th to get the bats back into the dugout, Justin Morneau walked to lead off the bottom of the inning. He advanced to 3rd on a double off the wall by Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out and chase Wilson from the game. Delmon Young greeted reliever Chris Ray with a 2-run double on the 1st pitch, and J.J. Hardy followed with a 2-run single, and just like that the Twins had a 6-2 lead. Hudson and Morneau added RBI hits before the inning was over to cap the 6-run explosion. Uncharacteristically poor defense in the top of the 8th (2 errors) led to an unearned Rangers run off Jesse Crain, but that’s as close as they would get. Brian Duensing finished the win with a shutout 9th. Going for the sweep on Sunday, the Twins send Scott Baker to the hill, in ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game of the week.
Record: 29-20
May 30th: Twins 6, Rangers 3
The Twins completed their 2nd 3-game sweep of the season, getting 6 solid innings from Scott Baker and 5 runs in the first 3 innings in cruising to a 6-3 win over the Rangers and finishing out a 6-3 homestand. Baker allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 4, and improving to 5-4 in 2010. After looking shaky in escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 2nd and allowing 2 runs in the 3rd, Baker was aided by a Twins offense that continued to pour in runs against Rangers pitching. Joe Mauer got the Twins off and running in the 1st inning with a booming double off the base of the wall in left-center field, just missing his first Target Field home run, to score Orlando Hudson all the way from 1st. The bottom 3rd of the Twins order came through in the 2nd inning, as Delmon Young and J.J. Hardy led off with walks and Nick Punto laced a base hit to right-center to score Young for a 2-0 Twins lead, and chase an apparently injured Texas starter Derek Holland from the game. Denard Span would cap the inning’s scoring with an RBI single to score Hardy for a 3-0 Twins lead. After allowing a 2-spot in the 3rd, the Twins got both runs right back in their half of inning, with Justin Morneau leading off the inning with a double, Michael Cuddyer walking, Jason Kubel coming through with an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly from Young. Baker took over from there, not allowing a 3rd Texas run to score until the 6th. The Twins bullpen took over in the 7th, and pitching a combined 3 shutout inning were Alex Burnett (0.2 inning, 2nd hold), Jose Mijares (1 inning, 4th hold), Matt Guerrier (the final out of the 8th on 2 pitches, 10th hold), and Jon Rauch (his 12 save in 14 chances after allowing 2 hits in the 9th). Kubel added an insurance run in the 7th with an RBI double as well. The game ended on a scary moment however, as Hudson collided with Span as Span made the catch for the game’s final out. Hudson was down for several minutes before walking off on his own accord, but with an injured wrist. He will be evaluated today, and the Twins (and their fans) hope the injury is not serious. The Twins now begin a 7-game west coast road trip beginning in Seattle, and Francisco Liriano looks for more consistent command of his fastball, getting the start in Monday night’s opening game.
Record: 30-20
May 31st: Twins 5, Mariners 4
Francisco Liriano battled through 6 solid innings and the Twins hit 3 home runs to escape with a 5-4 win in the opening game of the 4-game series in Seattle. Liriano allowed 3 runs on 8 hits while walking none and striking 7, once again lacking good command of his pitches but was effective enough to win his 5th start of 2010. The Twins got off a good start, as Justin Morneau doubled leading off the 2nd and scored on a single by Michael Cuddyer for the Twins’ first run. Delmon Young followed with a monster 2-run homer to left, his 5th of the season, for a 3-0 Twins lead. After the Mariners picked up a run in the 3rd, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel homered on successive homers, each their 6th homers of 2010, to extend Minnesota’s lead to 5-1. Liriano gave up 2 runs in the 5th but retired the side in order in the 6th, handing a 5-3 lead over to the bullpen. Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier went through the Mariners order in the 7th and 8th innings with ease for their 5th and 11th holds of the season, and Jon Rauch allowed 2 hits and a run before getting some solid defense to finish out the win and pick up his 13th save in 15 chances. The Twins turn to Nick Blackburn in the 2nd game of the series.
Record: 31-20
June 1: Mariners 7, Twins 1
And so the longest win streak of 2010 is over. Nick Blackburn was roughed up for the 1st time in 6 starts, and despite hitting the ball hard early in the game, the Twins never found the answer against Mariners starter Jason Vargas, losing the 2nd game of the 4-game series by a final of 7-1. Blackburn allowed 5 runs on 10 hits over just 3 2/3 innings, never finding the sink on his sinker and losing just his 2nd decision of the season. Justin Morneau laced a line-drive homer to right field to tie the game at 1 in the 4th inning, his 12th homer of the year. But aside from amounting a 2nd and 3rd, 1 out threat in the 1st inning that went awry, the Twins at few opportunities at scoring runs in the game. Blackburn was knocked out after a 4-run 4th, and after 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball from Alex Burnett, Ron Mahay’s struggles continued to the tune of 2 runs, 2 hits and 2 walks in the 7th inning, putting the game out of reach. Brian Duensing was able to pitch a shutout 8th, and the rest of the Twins bullpen should be ready to go in Wednesday’s game. The 3rd game of the series features Kevin Slowey against Mariners ace and 2007 AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee.
Record: 31-21
June 2nd: Mariners 2, Twins 1, in 10 innings
Another game in Seattle, another dagger for the Twins. Despite a strong effort from Kevin Slowey and a homer from Michael Cuddyer, the Twins wasted a number of scoring opportunities (per their usual) and lost a heartbreaker in 10 innings, dropping a 2-1 decision in Seattle in the 3rd game of the series. Slowey pitched 7 solid innings in probably is 2nd best effort of the season, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, but was denied a victory by Mariners ace and 2007 AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee, who struck out 8 Twins and allowed just 5 Twins hits over 8 innings. But one of those hits was Michael Cuddyer’s 7th home run of the year in the 7th that tied the game. But Cuddyer struck out with 2nd and 3rd and 1 out in the 4th inning, crippling a potential Twins rally, and proving to be a very key spot. Cuddyer also lined out with Joe Mauer on 3rd and 1 out in the 9th, preventing the go-ahead run from scoring then as well. Just another rough night for Twins hitters in a very tough loss to swallow. Jesse Crain set down the Mariners in order in the 8th, and Matt Guerrier retired 5 Mariners before departing with 2 on and 2 out in the 10th. Jose Mijares would come in to face Ichiro Suzuki, and Ichiro would foul off SIX 2-strike pitches from Mijares before dribbling a grounder towards second base. Matt Tolbert would field and flip from his knees to J.J Hardy at short, but the runner coming from 1st beat the throw, and the runner from 2nd round 3rd and scored easily. The Twins look to salvage a split of the 4-game series, and send Carl Pavano to the mound looking for more run support. Unfortunately, Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is the opponent, making increased scoring a major unlikelihood for the Twins.
Record: 31-22
June 3rd: Mariners 4, Twins 1
The Twins simply went through motions, barely showing up in a lifeless 4-1 loss to Seattle to lose the series 3 games to 1. Another strong performance by Carl Pavano was wasted, as he allowed 4 runs (all in the 3rd inning) on 8 hits over 7 innings, but lost his 6th game of 2010. Joe Mauer doubled with 2 out in the 1st and scored on a single by Justin Morneau, and that’s all the offense Minnesota could manage against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, who struck out 9 Twins in 8 innings. One positive for the Twins: Carl Pavano’s porn ’stache, which was outstanding!
Record: 31-23
June 4th: Twins 5, A’s 4, in 11 innings
Delmon Young’s go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 11th inning saved the Twins in the opening game of the series as the Twins took it 5-4. Scott Baker got the start and pitched 7 1/3 effective innings, but was unable to keep a 4-1 lead. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, with 3 runs coming in his final 1 1/3 innings via 2 home runs. Justin Morneau followed a Joe Mauer single with his 13th homer of the season for a 2-0 1st inning lead. The Twins extended their lead in the 6th to 4-1 by stringing together 4 consecutive 2-out hits, including Jason Kubel’s RBI single and an RBI double by Young. But Baker failed to keep the lead, allowing a 2-run homer in the 7th and a solo shot in the 8th to tie the game at 4. But Jose Mijares picked up the final 2 outs of the 8th, Matt Guerrier dominated for 2 innings to pick up his 1st win of 2010 in relief, and Jon Rauch allowed a hit before finishing his 14th save in 16 chances, after Young’s go-ahead single.
Record: 32-23
June 5th: Twins 4, A’s 3
Another day, same result. The Twins blew a late lead in Oakland for the 2nd straight game, but got a run late to win it, as Matt Tolbert’s 1st base hit of 2010 won the game for the Twins 4-3. Francisco Liriano got the start and dominated, striking out 10 A’s over 7 innings and only allowing 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. But Jesse Crain blew Liriano’s chance at a win, allowing a 2-run triple in the 8th to tie the game. Jim Thome led off the 2nd with a double and scored on 2 fly outs to tie the game at 1-1. Delmon Young put the Twins on top with a 2-run bases loaded single in the 6th, but Jason Kubel was thrown out trying to reach 3rd, and that ended up being a key play in the game, as the A’s rallied to tie the game in the 8th. But Alex Burnett was able to record the 3rd out without allowing the go-ahead run to score, and ended up picking up the win, his 1st major league victory, after the Twins’ 9th inning rally. Despite a stomach virus, Justin Morneau pinch-hit without, and was intentionally walked with no one on base to put the tying run aboard. J.J. Hardy pinch-ran for him and advanced to 2nd on a walk to Nick Punto. After Denard Span bounced into a field-choice out, Tolbert lined a single to center to score Hardy with the eventual winning run, and Jon Rauch struck out 2 A’s and finished for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Record: 33-23
June 6th: A’s 5, Twins 4
Nick Blackburn was hit around for his 2nd consecutive start, and the Twins, down 4 opening day starters to injury, sickness, or bereavement, failed to sweep the series as a late rally fell short in a 5-4 loss to Oakland as the A’s avoided a 3-game sweep. Blackburn couldn’t get out of the 3rd inning, giving up 5 runs on 10 hits once again, and lost for just the 3rd time in 2010. After falling behind 2-0, the Twins put together 3 singles and a run in the 2nd, as Brendan Harris ended a 20 at-bat hitless streak with an RBI single to put the Twins on the board. The Twins pulled within 3-2 in the 3rd inning as Denard Span ended a long hitless streak of his own with a triple and scoring on a groundout. But A’s starter Gio Gonzalez took over from there, limiting the Twins to just 2 hits over his final 4 innings of work. Delmon Young hit his 6th homer of the season in the 8th, a 2-run shot to pull the Twins with 5-4, and Jim Thome followed with a pinch-hit double to put the tying run on 2nd with 2 outs. But Brendan Harris took a called 3rd struck to end the inning, and the Twins went down in order in the 9th to end the game. The bright spot of the game was the Twins bullpen, Brian Duensing (2 1/3 innings), Ron Mahay (2), and Alex Burnett (1) combined to shutout the A’s on just 3 hits over 5 1/3 innings of pitching. Following an off-day Monday, the Twins return home to face the Kansas City Royals. Kevin Slowey gets the start in Tuesday’s opening game.
Record: 33-24
June 8th: Twins 7, Royals 3
Kevin Slowey dominated the Royals over 7 shutout innings, and the Twins blitzed reigning Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke in an easy 7-3 win over Kansas City in the opening game of the 3-game series and 9-game homestand. Slowey allowed just 3 hits while not walking anyone and striking 3, picking up his 7th win of the season and lower his ERA to a solid 3.45. The offense gave Slowey some early support, putting together 4 hits and a walk to score 3 first inning runs, as Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel provided a run-scoring single and a 2-run double respectively. Denard Span shook off his recent wretched road trip with a 3-hit night, including a 2-run single in the 4th that extended Minnesota’s lead to 5-0. Kubel launched his 7th homer in the 5th to up the lead to 6-0, and Matt Tolbert capped the Twins’ scoring with an RBI single in the 6th. Alex Burnett allowed a run in his inning of work, and Jose Mijares allowed 2 unearned runs following an uncharacteristic dropped ball in right field by Cuddyer, but Matt Guerrier got the final out to pick his 1st save of the 2010 season. Seeking a winning series, the Twins send Carl Pavano to hill, and look for much more offense to support him.
Record: 34-24
June 9th: Twins 6, Royals 2
Carl Pavano turned in another dominant start – and got a little run support for a change – in a solid 6-2 Twins win over the Royals in the 2nd game of the series. Pavano threw 98 pitches over 8 frames, giving up both runs in the 3rd inning and a total of 6 hits and 2 walks with 1 strikeout (and more importantly, just 1 stolen base), evening his record at 6-6. Delmon Young launched a solo homer with 2 out in the 2nd, his 7th, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. After Pavano surrendered the only 2 runs he would allow, Joe Mauer tied the game up with a 2-out RBI double in the 3rd. Minnesota went ahead as Danny Valencia grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the 4th, and Nick Punto added a run by beating a relay throw to 1st with runners on 1st and 3rd to extend the Twins’ lead to 4-2. Justin Morneau and Matt Tolbert added RBIs in the 7th and 8th innings as well, and Jon Rauch closed out the win with a 1-hit 9th. The Twins look for a sweep in the final game of the series, as Scott Baker takes the mound.
Record: 35-24
June 10th: Royals 9, Twins 8
Another chance at a sweep, another failure, this time in agonizing fashion. Scott Baker was removed after 5 ineffective innings, Nick Punto committed 2 costly errors leading to 3 unearned Kansas City 6th inning runs – and it was just barely enough, as the Royals survived multiple late inning rallies from the Twins to win a 9-8 thriller and salvage the finale of the 3-game series. Baker was hit around to the tune of 5 runs on 8 hits, including 2 homers in the 2nd to give the Royals an early 3-0 lead, and he saw his record drop to 5-5 and his ERA increase to 4.81. But the Twins would not go down quietly. Jason Kubel got the Twins on the board in the 4th with a towering home run to right, his 8th of the year, but for the first 6 innings of work, that’s all the Twins could muster against Kansas City starter Bruce Chen, as they fell behind by a daunting score of 8-1. Undeterred, the Twins put together a 5-run, 6-hit 7th inning, knocking Chen out and getting themselves right back into the game, trailing 8-6. Nick Punto, Denard Span, Matt Tolbert, and Joe Mauer all came through with run-scoring hits, and Justin Morneau capped the rally with a sacrifice fly. But an easy 7-pitch inning for Royals reliever Blake Wood in the 8th set the Twins down in order, and the 2nd home run of the night by Royals backup 1B Wilson Betemit provided a necessary insurance run and seemed to suck the life from the Twins. Still, the Royals would need their closer Joakim Soria to come through (historically a Twins-killer), and he had considerable trouble in the 9th. After Punto was nipped at 1st on a bunt attempt, Span singled in the infield. Pinch hitter Jim Thome took a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch, but Mauer doubled off the wall in right center on the first pitch to cut KC’s lead to 9-7. Morneau immediately followed with an RBI single to right to get Minnesota within 1 run. But Michael Cuddyer hit a 1st-pitch fastball right at KC RF David DeJesus, and the Twins rally came up agonizingly short. Interleague play begins in earnest on Friday night, as the Twins are set to play their next 15 games against the National League, beginning with a 3-game series at Target Field against the Atlanta Braves in a rematch of the 1991 World Series. Francisco Liriano gets the start in the opening game.
Record: 35-25
June 11th: Twins 2, Braves 1
Francisco Liriano dominated the Braves over 8 lights-out innings, and the Twins offense rallied for just enough offense in the 7th inning, as the Twins slipped past Atlanta in the opening game of the series by a final of 2-1. Liriano struck out a season 11, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, to win his 6th game of the season and defeat stud Braves starter Tim Hudson. The Twins managed just 2 hits against Hudson in the 1st 6 innings before beginning an improbable winning rally in the 7th. Joe Mauer beat out an infield hit, and Justin Morneau followed with a grounder to 3rd that probably should have been a double play. But Braves 3B never saw the ball, and it skipped into left field for a single. Michael Cuddyer also singled in the infield to load the bases, and following a strikeout by Jim Thome, Jason Kubel and pinch hitter Delmon Young rapped back-to-back base hits to score both Minnesota runs. Nick Punto and Denard Span were unable to add any insurance, but the damage was done. Liriano went out and got 3 outs in the 8th before departing after 105 pitches, and Jon Rauch struck out all 3 batters in the 9th for his American League-leading 16th save in 18 chances. Nick Blackburn looks to shake off his recent struggles, getting the start in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 36-25
June 12th: Braves 3, Twins 2
The Braves scored the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze in the top half of the 9th inning, topping the Twins 3-2 in the 2nd game of the series. Nick Blackburn bounced back nicely from 2 very difficult starts, throwing 7 solid innings and allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 5, but left in a 2-2 tie game and received a no-decision. Delmon Young laced an RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd to put the Twins on the board, and after Blackburn allowed a homer and back-to-back doubles for a 2-1 Braves lead in the 5th, Joe Mauer tied the game with an RBI double in the 6th. But Jason Kubel struck out with the bases loaded to end the 8th inning, and Matt Guerrier could not keep the Braves down in the 9th, allowing a walk to the #9 hitter with 1 out and then allowed a single on a hit-and-run. Jose Mijares dropped the ball on the suicide squeeze bunt, allowing the go-ahead run to score, and the Twins, despite a 1-out single from Brendan Harris, were unable to take advantage of Braves closer Billy Wagner repeatedly falling behind Twins hitters in the 9th inning and failed to score. Kevin Slowey takes the ball in Sunday’s rubber game of the 3-game series.
Record: 36-26
June 13th: Braves 7, Twins 3
The game was over early, really before it started, as Kevin Slowey allowed 4 1st-inning runs in a lifeless 7-3 defeat by the Atlanta Braves, as the Twins lost just their 2nd home series of the season. Slowey failed to make it out of the 5th, leaving after allowing a 2-out solo homer in the inning and giving up a total of 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits, including 2 homers, in losing his 4th game of the season. The Twins didn’t record their first hit of the game until the 5th inning, and didn’t get on the board until the 7th, as Delmon Young followed 2 singles with a 3-run blast, his 8th homer of the year, to pull Minnesota within 7-3. But that’s all the Twins could muster against young Braves starter Kris Medlen. Ron Mahay, Jose Mijares, Jesse Crain, Brian Duensing, and Alex Burnett combined for the final 4 1/3 innings of the game, with Mijares allowing a solo homer for the only Braves run over that period. After an off-day Monday, the Twins conclude their 9-game homestand with a 3-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Carl Pavano gets the start in Tuesday’s opening game.
Record: 36-27
June 15th: Twins 9, Rockies 3
The offense overcame a slow start to hang a pair of crooked numbers in the middle innings, and Carl Pavano welcomed the rare supply of run support with 7 solid innings, as the Twins ended their brief mini-slide with a dominant 9-3 win over Colorado to open the 3-game series at Target Field. Pavano threw 92 pitches over the 7-inning stint and allowed 3 runs on just 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5, and improving to 7-6 on the season. After a scoreless first 3 innings, the Twins batted around and dropped 5 runs on the Rockies to take a 5-2 lead, putting together 6 hits and 2 walks to score the runs. Jason Kubel then launched a 2-run homer in the 5th, his 9th of the year, and Denard Span singled in a run to extend the Twins’ lead to 8-2. Matt Tolbert put the finishing touches on the blowout with a rare homer, his 1st of the season. Matt Guerrier and Alex Burnett closed out the win with a shutout inning apiece. In Wednesday’s 2nd game of the series, Scott Baker looks to bounce back from his tough start his last time out.
Record: 37-27
June 16th: Twins 2, Rockies 1
Scott Baker was bounced from a rough start his last time out with a filthily dominant performance, and the Twins got just enough offense (from the bottom of the order, no less) to slip past the Rockies and win the 2nd game of the series by a final of 2-1. Baker struck out a career-high 12 Colorado batters over his 7 innings, allowing just 2 hits and no runs with just 1 walk, improving to 6-5 on the season, and seemingly regaining his dominant form from previous seasons. After loading the bases on a single, walk, and hit by pitch, Danny Valencia singled through the left side of the infield, driving in his first major-league run and giving the Twins a 2nd-inning 1-0 lead. Nick Punto followed with a base hit to center to score Jason Kubel with the 2nd run, but Delmon Young was thrown out at the plate, and the Twins were unable to build on their 2-0 lead. That would prove to be their only real ample scoring threat in the game, but that was all Baker needed, as he completely his 7-inning stint on 108 pitches. Matt Guerrier ran into some trouble in the 8th, giving up a leadoff double, a hit by pitch, and a sacrifice bunt before departing. Jose Mijares came to his rescue, allowing a wild pitch but inducing a pop up and struck out to escape the threat with a 2-1 lead. Jon Rauch took care of business in the 9th and continued to keep pace among the AL leaders in saves, picking up his 17th save in 19 chances. Looking for the 3-game sweep, the Twins send ace lefty Francisco Liriano to the mound, but face a daunting challenge in clear NL Cy Young frontrunner Ubaldo Jimenez, he of a 12-1 record and 1.16 ERA.
Record: 38-27
June 17th: Rockies 5, Twins 1
A touted matchup of two aces was a tad one-sided, as Francisco Liriano failed to live up to billing against NL Cy Young frontrunner Ubaldo Jimenez as the Rockies salvaged the finale of the 3-game series with a 5-1 win at Target Field over the Twins. Liriano allowed 3 1st inning runs on 4 hits, a walk, and 2 hit-by-pitches as the Rockies batted around, in effect already losing the game for Minnesota, thanks to the dominance of Jimenez. Fortunately for the Twins, Liriano bounced back nicely, allowing a mere 1 hit and 2 walks over his next 6 innings of work to keep the Twins within striking distance, and more importantly, save the bullpen for the upcoming series in Philadelphia. The Twins did manage 8 hits against Jimenez, but costly double plays and baserunning errors direly hurt Minnesota’s chances at a rally. The Twins grounded into double plays to end the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, and Denard Span killed 2 separate potential rallies by getting picked off 2nd base in the 6th inning, and then being doubled off 1st on a line-drive double play to end the 8th, following the Twins scoring their only run of the game on an RBI single by backup catcher Drew Butera. Alex Burnett allowed a back-breaking 2-run homer in the top of the 8th inning, and the Twins rally in the bottom half of the inning was snuffed out, as mentioned. Following a winning series and a 5-4 homestand, the Twins now embark on a 9-game interleague road trip, matching up first with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Nick Blackburn gets the start in the opener, looking to the build on the momentum of a solid start his last time out.
Record: 38-28
June 18th: Phillies 9, Twins 5
The Phillies ran roughshod over a reeling Nick Blackburn, greeting him with 8 runs in less than 2 innings, as the Twins were blown out early before rallying to make the final score respectable in a 9-5 loss in Philadelphia to open their series and 9-game road trip. Blackburn gave up 6 hits, including 2 homers, and 3 walks in his shortest outing of the season, and he saw his record fall to 6-4 and ERA increase to 5.80. Fortunately, the other 5 Twins pitchers fared nicely in the game, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks over the final 6 1/3 innings of Phillies hitting. Michael Cuddyer got the Twins on the board in the 6th with an RBI single, and Orlando Hudson was hitless in his return from the disabled list, but did drive in a run in the 9th on a groundout. A microcosm of the nuttiness of the Twins’ offensive night: Jason Kubel hit his first triple of the season, and Nick Punto hit his first home run, a 2-run shot in the 8th. All of put together was nowhere close to catching up to the Phillies in the game, though, as the Twins simply dug themselves too big of a whole so early in the game.
Record: 38-29
June 19th: Twins 13, Phillies 10, in 11 innings
Baseball works in mysterious ways. Every time a crazy Twins game happens, I always have to go back to the quote by Twins great Gary Gaetti, “Never leave early. Because you never know what might happen.” Trailing 9-4 in the 9th inning, the Twins hit 2 homers and scored 5 runs in the inning, took the lead in the 10th before giving it back, and took the lead for good with a 3-run 11th in an absolutely epic 13-10 victory over the Phillies to even the series at a game apiece, and stave off the Tigers for first place in the AL Central for at least one more day. Kevin Slowey started but struggled mightily, putting the Twins in a deep hole very early in the game. Slowey gave back all 3 runs the offense gave him in the 1st inning as well as 4 more in the 2nd, departing with 2 outs in the inning after allowing 7 hits, including 2 home runs, with a 7-3 deficit. But the Twins bullpen was stellar was again, as recently-recalled Jeff Manship stepped in and threw 4 1/3 innings of very impressive ball, allowing just 1 run (a solo homer) on 2 hits. The offense struck against Phillies lefty Cole Hamels in the 1st, as Denard Span and Orlando Hudson reached on a walk and single, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on 2-run single by Justin Morneau. Morneau would come around to score following an error on Hamels and an RBI single from Delmon Young. Then, the wheels came off, as Slowey was lit, and the Twins found themselves in an 8-3 hole after just 3 innings. Morneau homered in the 6th, his 14th of the year, but the Phillies answered with a solo homer against Brian Duensing in the 7th, and the Twins trailed 9-4 in the 9th and looked dead in the water. But following a Delmon Young single leading off the 9th, the rally began, as pinch hitter Jim Thome crushed a 2-run homer, his 6th, to pull Minnesota within 9-6. Nick Punto followed with a walk, prompting the Phillies to turn to their closer, Brad Lidge. Punto would advance to 3rd on fielder’s indifference and a wild pitch, and following a pop out by Jason Kubel, Denard Span singled to score Punto and bring the tying run to the plate. Span would steal 2nd, and following a strikeout by Orlando Hudson, Mauer would send a high drive over the center field fence, just his 3rd homer of the year, improbably tying the game at 9 apiece and sending the Twins dugout into a frenzy. Matt Guerrier struck out 4 over 2 dominant innings in the 8th and 9th, and Drew Butera pinch hit for him and hit his 1st major-league home run to give the Twins a 10-9 lead. Unfortunately, Jon Rauch was unable to hold lead, allowing a solo homer in the 10th to re-tie the game at 10. But the offense picked him up, as Mauer drew a 1-out walk. Morneau was intentionally walked to bring up the pitcher’s spot, but Rauch was able to get a 2-strike sacrifice bunt down, advancing Morneau and Mauer to 2nd and 3rd. Despite 1st base being open, the Phillies elected to pitch to Young, and Young singled in the infield, scoring Mauer and putting the Twins back on top at 11-10. Matt Tolbert followed with a double down the left-field, scoring 2 more runs and providing with Rauch with the necessary insurance and a 13-10 lead. Rauch allowed a double before striking out Ryan Howard to end the marathon ballgame and incredible comeback, winning his 2nd game of the year. In the rubber game of the series, Carl Pavano takes the ball for the Twins, against former Blue Jays ace and eternal Twins tormentor Roy Halladay.
Record: 39-29
June 20th: Twins 4, Phillies 1
Carl Pavano bucked the trend of poor Twins starting pitching in a huge way, and the offense hit 2 more home runs, as the Twins defeated Roy Halladay and the Phillies by a final of 4-1 to win the rubber game of the 3-game series. Pavano threw a complete game, allowing only a 4th-inning solo homer and 3 others hits over his 105-pitch, no-walk, 2-strikeout victory as he improved to 8-6 on this season. Also now with record of 8-6 is Roy Halladay, as the Twins greeted him with a run in the 1st inning on a Joe Mauer RBI single, a solo homer from Denard Span in the 5th (his 2nd), an unearned run on an RBI single by Jason Kubel in the 6th, and a solo homer from Justin Morneau in the 8th. Following a successful first series of the road trip and an off-day Monday, the Twins head to Milwaukee for a 3-game series against the Brewers. Scott Baker gets the start in the opening game.
Record: 40-29
June 22nd: Brewers 7, Twins 5
The Twins failed to break the game wide open in the 1st inning, and Scott Baker failed to protect a 3-0 lead, as the Twins dropped the opening game in Milwaukee by a final of 7-5. Baker allowed 5 runs on 9 hits over 6 innings, throwing 3 shutout innings to open the game before allowing a 3-run homer in a 4-run Brewers 4th inning. He would allow another run in the 6th before departing and ending up with his 6th loss of the year. The Twins jumped all over Brewers starter Chris Narveson in the opening inning, putting the 1st 6 runners on base and scoring 3 runs on a hit-by-pitch, 2 walks, and 3 hits, including a 2-run single by Justin Morneau and an RBI single by Michael Cuddyer. But Danny Valencia would pop up, Nick Punto would strike out, and Scott Baker would ground out back to Narveson to end the inning. Narveson would settle down and allow just 2 hits and no runs over his next 4 innings to pick up the win. The Brewers would back the back of the Twins with a 2 runs against the Twins’ normally very stingy bullpen, as Alex Burnett would allow a homer and 2 doubles Ron Mahay and Jesse Crain came on to escape a bases-loaded jam. The Twins rallied back a bit in the 8th, as Justin Morneau led off with a single, went to 2nd on a Michael Cuddyer walk, and both runners would score on a 2-run double from Delmon Young, who continued his torrid hitting. But the Brewers would turn to their closer Jon Axford, and Axford would retire the Twins over the final 2 innings, allowing just a hit and a walk in picking up the save. Francisco Liriano looks to even the series at a game apiece, taking the ball in the 2nd game of the series.
Record: 40-30
June 23rd: Brewers 5, Twins 3
In an all-too-familiar listless and gut-wrenching performance, Francisco Liriano left after 5 innings and 77 pitches for a pinch hitter, the Twins left 10 runners on base in a 2-for-9 effort with runners in scoring position, and committed 2 errors, losing a 5-3 decision in Milwaukee in the 2nd game of the series. Liriano allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, again failing to pitch like an ace and losing his 5th game of the 2010 season. The Twins failed time and again to score runs after getting men on base, as Delmon Young’s 2-run 4th inning single provided the only scoring by the offense until the 9th. Liriano was lifted for Jim Thome in a 2-out, 1st and 2nd opportunity in the 6th, but he struck out to end the threat. Earlier in the inning, Jason Kubel had been thrown out at home trying to score on a groundball from 3rd base. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, as Brian Duensing loaded the bases with one out in the 7th with a run scored on a fielder’s choice, and another run was allowed in the 8th as Jeff Manship allowed 2 hits and a walk. Joe Mauer hit an RBI double in the 9th to bring the Twins one run closer, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Nick Blackburn looks for some semblance of his old self after being punished in 3 of his past 4 starts, and to prevent an embarrassing 3-game sweep at the hands of the Brewers.
Record: 40-31
June 24th: Brewers 5, Twins 0
Yovani Gallardo dominated a hapless Twins offense, and Nick Blackburn allowed 2 3rd-inning homers at was removed in the 4th, as the Brewers handed the Twins a pitiful 3-game sweep by winning the finale by a final of 5-0. Gallardo went the distance on 122 pitches, allowing just 5 hits, and none until the 6th inning, while striking out 12 Twins. Nick Blackburn lasted just 3 2/3 innings after giving up 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, including 2 2-run homers that immediately put the game out of reach for the slumping Twins. Blackburn failed to reach the 5th inning for the 4th time in his past 4 starts. Brian Duensing continued to prove his worth as a capable pitcher, throwing 3 1/3 innings in relief of Blackburn and providing a possible alternate starting option should the Twins decide to demote Blackburn. Following the 1st sweep by the Brewers since 1996 and first lost season series to them since 2004, the Twins conclude their interleague slate by heading to New York to face a Mets team that is red-hot at home and overall. Kevin Slowey looks for a major bounce-back start in Friday’s opening game, and keep Minnesota in 1st place in the process.
Record: 40-32
June 25th: Mets 5, Twins 2
The Twins’ tales of woe continued in the opening game of the series in New York, as the offense wasted chances, the defense aided the opponent, and the bottom line was another Twins’ defeat, by a 5-2 final. Kevin Slowey was able to survive through 6 hard-fought innings, but still allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, and didn’t get nearly enough run support as he took his 5th loss of the 2010 year. Denard Span hit his 3rd career leadoff homer and 3rd homer of 2010 get the Twins off and running early, but Mets starter Mike Pelfrey settled down quickly, and Span’s RBI groundout was the only other run the Twins could muster in the game. Justin Morneau grounded into a costly double play with runners at the corners in the 3rd, and the Twins defense committed 2 errors during the Mets’ 3-run 4th that changed the momentum of the game. Jesse Crain and Ron Mahay combined for 2 innings of shutout relief, but a 1-for-7 effort with runners in scoring position again would prove too much to overcome for Minnesota.
Record: 40-33
June 26th: Twins 6, Mets 0
Carl Pavano did it again. Pavano threw a complete game shutout on the heels of a complete game win his previous time out, and the Twins jumped all over former teammate Johan Santana with a 4-run 1st inning, and the Twins soundly defeated the Mets 6-0 to end their 4-game losing streak and get some swagger back, if for only a day. Pavano confounded Mets hitters all day long and gave up just 3 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts, taking over the team lead in wins with his 9th of the season and lowering his ERA to a solid 3.33. The offense gave Pavano all the support he needed before he even threw a pitch, greeting Santana with 4 hits and a walk in the opening frame, including back-to-back doubles by Jason Kubel and Delmon Young to break the game open early. Denard Span padded the lead with an RBI double in the 4th, and Kubel launched his 10th homer of the year in the 9th, a solo shot that topped off the win for Minnesota.
Record: 41-33
June 27th: Mets 6, Twins 0
And the Twins immediately reverted back to form in the Sunday finale, as Justin Morneau was given a day off and watched his team get shutout in a listless 6-0 defeat as the Twins completed their 9-game road trip at a dismal 3-6 mark that has seen their 1st place AL Central lead dwindle to a meager ½ game. Scott Baker got the start and looked strong early, pitching out of a 1st inning jam and throwing shutout innings in his 1st 3 frames. But he allowed a 2-run homer in the 4th and completely unraveled in the 5th, allowing 4 consecutive extra base hits before departing. He last just 4 1/3 innings and allowed 6 runs on 11 hits, never regaining his command and losing his 7th game of 2010. The B-team offense managed just 7 hits for the day, including a 1-for-9 effort with runners in scoring position, going down meagerly and again showing no energy whatsoever. Newcomer Jason Repko, recently recalled from Class AAA Rochester, did all he could to light a spark, diving for balls in the outfield and picking up a double for his 1st hit of the year, but it did little to jumpstart the struggling Twins. Hopefully a return to Target Field will do the trick for Minnesota, as they need to regroup in a hurry with division rival Detroit coming to town and 1st place on the line. Francisco Liriano looks to regain the form of an ace, getting the start in the Monday night opener.
Record: 41-34
June 28th: Tigers 7, Twins 5
The starter pitching struggles of the Twins continued, as Francisco Liriano allowed 4 runs on 5 hits before recording an out, putting the Twins in a deep hole they couldn’t climb out of in losing the opening game of the series to the Tigers at Target Field by a final of 7-5. Liriano settled down and was able to last through 6 innings, with a final line of 6 runs, 9 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, but was unable to avoid his 6th defeat of the year. The Twins did plenty of damage against Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman, immediately getting a run back in the bottom of the 1st following a Denard Span hit-by-pitch, Orlando Hudson double, and Joe Mauer sacrifice fly. But Jason Kubel killed a rally in that inning with a double play grounder, and then followed that up with another double play ground ball with the bases loaded in the 3rd. The Twins cut a 4-run Tigers lead to 2 in the 4th as Jim Thome drove in a run with his 25th career triple and scored on a base hit by Delmon Young. But the Twins padded their league-leading grounded-into-double play total to 88, as Denard Span ended the inning by grounding into the 3rd double play of the night. Undaunted, the Twins climbed to within 5-4 on a Thome blast to left field, Jim’s 7th of the year and 571st of his career, 2 behind Twins legend Harmon Killebrew. Matt Guerrier allowed a Liriano baserunner to score in the 7th before pitching out of trouble, and the Twins pulled within a run again, as Kubel clubbed a run-scoring single to make it a 6-5 game. But the Tigers responded again, as catcher Gerald Laird homered to extend the lead to 7-5. A scaring moment occurred in the 8th, as Tigers flame-throwing reliever left the game with a scary injury that was later diagnosed as a fractured elbow. The Twins then went down meekly against Tigers closer Jose Valverde, as the Tigers knocked the Twins out of first place in the AL Central for the 1st time since the 2nd day of the regular season. The Twins turn to Nick Blackburn in the 2nd game of the series.
Record: 41-35
June 29th: Twins 11, Tigers 4
And the Tigers’ run of holding first place lasted all of… one day. Denard Span tied a major-league record with 3 triples and drove in 5 runs, and Nick Blackburn pitched 7 solid innings to continue his home dominance, to lead the Twins to a much-needed comfortable victory, easily disposing of Detroit 11-4 to retake 1st place in the AL Central. Blackburn allowed 4 runs on 7 hits to win his 7th game of the year, and improve to 5-0 at Target Field. He also got plenty of run support, as the Twins greeted Tigers starter Armando Galarraga with a pair of 1st inning runs. Span tripled and scored in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, tripled again in the 4th to break a 3-3 tie for a 5-3 Twins lead, and tripled a 3rd time in the 5th innings with the bases loaded to give the Twins an insurmountable 10-3 lead. Michael Cuddyer added a 2-run triple, and Orlando Hudson, Jason Kubel, and Justin Morneau would add RBIs, and Jim Thome homered for the 2nd consecutive day, his 8th of the year, and 572nd of his illustrious career. Brian Duensing and Jose Mijares would each throw a shutout inning of relief to complete the win. Kevin Slowey gets the start in the Wednesday matinee finale.
Record: 42-35
June 30th: Twins 5, Tigers 1
Kevin Slowey bucked a trend of poor pitching and got back to his vintage form, and he received plenty of run support and bullpen help, as the Twins defeated the Tigers 5-1 to take the series and finally be able to feel good about themselves after a rough road trip. Slowey pitched 6 solid innings and gave up just a single run on 4 hits, with a walk and 4 strikeouts, to win his 8th game of the season. Justin Morneau laced an RBI double to right-center in the 4th to tie the game at 1-1, and the Twins took advantage of some shoddy Tigers fielding in the 5th, as Nick Punto singled and went to 2nd, with Drew Butera reaching on a sacrifice bunt fielding error by Tigers pitching Andy Oliver. Denard Span laid down a sac bunt, and Orlando Hudson lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Punto and give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Delmon Young, starting for Joe Mauer in the #3 spot in the order, added an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1. Morneau led off the 6th with his 16th homer of the year, and Jason Kubel got a gift double on a misplay by Johnny Damon in left field, then scored on a single by Michael Cuddyer to score the final Twins run of the day. Brian Duensing pitched a 1-2-3 7th, Matt Guerrier and Jose Mijares combined for a shutout 8th, and Jon Rauch finished the win with a scoreless 9th. Following a solid series win over a division rival and the re-establishing of a 1.5 game lead in AL Central, the Twins’ homestand continues as the welcome the Tampa Bay Rays in for a 4-game series, the Rays’ only visit to Target Field in the 2010 season. Carl Pavano gets the start in the Thursday night opener.
Record: 43-35
July 1st: Rays 5, Twins 4, in 10 innings
Stealing defeat from the jaws of victory. Such was the case in Thursday night’s opening game of the series, as the Twins were 1 strike away from victory before seeing the Rays rally for the win in agonizing fashion, pilfering a 5-4 10-inning win. Carl Pavano got the start but was not as sharp as in his previous 3 outings, racking up a high pitch count before departing with 1 out in the 7th inning. Pavano would allow 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts, leaving in a 2-2 tie with 2 runners on before Ron Mahay allowed the go-ahead hit in relief. Alex Burnett and Jose Mijares were able to escape the inning without further damage, and Delmon Young came to the rescue with a 1-out solo homer in the bottom half of the inning to re-tie the game at 3, his 9th of the season. The Twins grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning, as Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer both doubled, with Young adding an RBI single. Young also threw out the potential tying run in the 4th inning to temporarily preserve a 2-1 Twins lead before the Rays tied it in the 5th. The Twins were poised to win the game, as Joe Mauer doubled leading off the 8th, advanced to 3rd on a fly ball out by Morneau, and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Jason Kubel to put the Twins ahead 4-3. Jon Rauch came on, retired the 1st 2 batters, and reached a 2-2 count to Carl Crawford. Crawford would single to extend the game (his 4th hit of the night), but Rauch reached a 2-2 count on Evan Longoria as well. But Longoria would lace an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Crawford and resulting in Rauch’s 4th blown save of the season. The Twins went down in order in the 9th, and Matt Guerrier allowed the 1st 3 batters to reach and departed with the bases loaded after the Rays had taken the lead. Brian Duensing escaped the frame without allowing any more runs, but the top 3rd of the Twins order could do nothing against stellar Rays closer Rafael Soriano. The Twins seek more consistency from Scott Baker, beginning with his start Friday night in the 2nd game of the series.
Record: 43-36
July 2nd: Twins 2, Rays 1
Scott Baker out-dueled projected All-Star game starter David Price, and got just enough run support, to lead the Twins past Tampa Bay 2-1 in the 2nd game of the series. After allowing two 1st-inning doubles and a run, Baker would settle down to go 7 innings and allow just that one run on 6 hits, to win his 7th decision of the 2010 season. The Twins’ offense managed just a meager 4 hits against Price, but punched 3 together with 2 outs in the 7th. Jason Kubel singled, and then scored the tying run on a booming RBI double by former Ray Delmon Young. Young then scored the go-ahead run as rookie Danny Valencia jumped on the first pitch from Price and lined it to center for a 2-1 Twins lead. The final 2 innings were not without drama, as the Rays put 2 base runners aboard in each inning. But Brian Duensing recorded 2 outs, Jesse Crain struck out backup Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach with runners at 2nd and 3rd to end the 8th, and Jon Rauch overcame a hit, a walk, and a wild pitch to save his 18th game in 22 tries.
Record: 44-36
July 3rd: Rays 8, Twins 5
What started as a fairy tale day became a horrible nightmare. Francisco Liriano struck out 10 rays over 10 stellar innings, and Jim Thome crushed 2 home runs to pass Twins legend Harmon Killebrew for 10th place all-time with 574 career homers – and the day couldn’t have ended any worse. The Twins bullpen imploded, allowing a staggering 7 8th-inning runs, as the Rays rallied past the Twins 8-5 in the 3rd game of the series. Liriano struck out every Ray starter at least once and allowed only 4 hits and 1 run, leaving after 103 pitches and in prime position to be the game’s winner. Both of Thome’s homers were solo shots in the 2nd and 4th innings, bookended around a 2-run blast by Justin Morneau, his 17th of the season, as the Twins carried a 4-1 lead into the 8th. But the decision to remove Liriano came back to haunt Ron Gardenhire and the Twins, as the bullpen, fatigued of late due to overwork, had the wheels completely fall off in the 8th. Alex Burnett started the inning as the Twins wished for normal 8th-inning set-up man Matt Guerrier to take the day off, but immediately allowed 2 hits before being removed. Jose Mijares allowed an RBI double against the only batter he faced, and all of a sudden the Rays had put the tying run at 2nd with nobody out. Matt Guerrier was force to pitch, and he promptly allowed an RBI single and double to tie the game at 4-4, still with nobody out, and runners at 2nd and 3rd. Guerrier nearly pitched out of trouble, inducing a groundout, and then a pop up following a walk to load the bases. On a 2-0 count, recently-recalled backup outfielder Matt Joyce crushed a Guerrier pitch to dead center field. Denard Span raced back on it – and stunningly ran out of room. That was only the 2nd home run to be hit out of that part of the ball park in Target Field’s young history, and it was a go-ahead grand slam by a backup OF that put the Rays ahead 8-4. The Twins would score a pair of runs in the 9th as Jim Thome nearly hit his 3rd homer of the day and settled for an RBI double, and Denard Span added an RBI single, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. One other positive: J.J. Hardy made his return to the lineup, and picked up a single and a double in 4 at-bats. The devastated Twins quickly look to put the game behind them and come back on Sunday for the final game of the series to try to earn a 4-game split, as Nick Blackburn looks to follow a stellar start his previous time out.
Record: 44-37
July 4th: Rays 7, Twins 4
A disappointing series had a fitting ending, as a throwing error led to 3 unearned runs and wound up being the margin of the game as the Rays defeated the Twins 7-4 in the finale of the series to take 3 of 4 games at Target Field. Nick Blackburn started for the Twins and sailed along into the 7th inning until he did himself in. Trailing 2-1, Blackburn allowed back-to-back singles, and then threw the ball into right field on a sacrifice attempt, leading to a big Rays inning. The Rays would score 5 in the inning to blow open a close game and take a 7-1 lead. Blackburn would last 6 1/3 innings and allow 7 runs, 4 earned, on 9 hits with 2 walks and 3 K’s, losing his 6th game of the season. Justin Morneau evened the game at 1-1 in the 1st with an RBI double, but that’s all the Twins could muster against Rays starter James Shields until the 7th inning. The Twins began the inning with 4 hits and a walk, including Jim Thome’s 2-run single and Delmon Young’s RBI single, but were the victim of solid defensive plays made by the Rays infield. Reliever Randy Choate set down the Twins power lefties in order in the 8th (Joe Mauer, Morneau, Jason Kubel), stymieing any potential rally. Following a poor 3-4 homestand that has seen the Twins fall into a 1st-place tie in the AL Central with Detroit, the Twins get Monday off before concluding the 1st half of the 2010 season on a 6-game road trip, beginning in Toronto. Carl Pavano looks to duplicate his recent success and gets the start in the Tuesday opener, and make up for a poor start at Rogers Centre on May 18.
Record: 44-38
July 6th: Twins 7, Blue Jays 6
Never say die. This was the mentality the Twins brought into their series in Toronto, and it defined the night as the Twins rallied from a 3-run deficit to capture a 7-6 win in the opening game of the series at Rogers Centre. Carl Pavano got the start and was effective early before running into trouble, carrying a 2-1 lead into the 5th inning before allowing 2 homers and 4 runs as the Blue Jays raced to a 5-2 lead. Undaunted, the Twins’ power and might took full form in the 6th, as Justin Morneau (18) and Jason Kubel (11) hit back-to-back monstrous home runs to pull the Twins with a run at 5-4. Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome immediately followed with a single and a double to chase Jays starter Jesse Litsch, and Delmon Young was intentionally walked to the load the bases. After a pop up by Nick Punto, Denard Span took a close 3-2 pitch outside to force in the tying run. Pavano then retired the Jays on 7 pitches in the bottom of the 6th, and Joe Mauer hit the 2nd pitch of the 7th off the facing of the lower deck in right center field, his 4th homer of the year giving the Twins a 6-5 lead. Pavano allowed the tying homer on the 1st pitch of the bottom of the 7th, then recorded the 1st out before departing, with a line of 6 1/3 innings, 6 runs, 8 hits, no walks, 2 K’s, 3 homers. Jose Mijares got 2 outs in the 7th, and ended up winning his 1st decision of the year, as Young led off the 8th with a walk, went to 2nd on a sacrifice by Punto, and scored the eventual winning run on Span’s RBI single to right. Jesse Crain retired the Jays in order in the 8th to record 3 of the biggest outs of his season for his 7th hold and give Matt Guerrier an important night off, and Jon Rauch allowed a 2-out single before retiring the side in the 9th for his 19th save in 23 chances. Thome and Young had each driven in runs for an early 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning, as Young was on his way to a perfect 3-3 night, helping his Drive in Delmon All-Star campaign in the process. Kevin Slowey gets the start in Wednesday’s 2nd game of the series and looks to replicate the success he had at Rogers Centre in a win on May 17.
Record: 45-38
July 7th: Blue Jays 6, Twins 5
In a see-saw back-and-forth battle that saw 4 lead changes and neither team lead by more than a single run the entire game, the Jays had the last laugh, defeating the Twins by a final score of 6-5. Kevin Slowey got the start and struggled early while racking up a high pitch, but was able to last into 7th inning with a 5-4 lead. But he was unable to hold it, allowing a 1-out triple before departing with a final line of 5 runs, 10 hits, 1 walk, 4 K’s, and 2 home runs allowed. After Slowey allowed a 1st inning homer, Orlando Hudson returned the favor in the 4th inning with a 2-run shot, his 4th of the year to provide the Twins a 2-1 lead. After Slowey gave the lead back, Delmon Young fired back with a solo homer, his 10th of the year as the Twins re-took a 1-run lead 3-2. Once again, the Blue Jays rallied, this time receiving an inside-the-park 2-run homer, as the ball eluded both Young and Denard Span in left-center field, and the Jays led 4-3. Undeterred, the Twins loaded the bases with 1 out before Jason Kubel tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the 6th. In the 7th, a 2-out RBI triple by Hudson scored Span for a 5-4 Twins lead. But the final batter Slowey would face would result in a triple, and Matt Guerrier allowed a deep fly ball on an 0-2 pitch, resulting in a game-tying sacrifice fly. And the Jays were not done against Guerrier, as a walk and an RBI double on another 0-2 pitch would give them a 6-5 lead. And then things would turn from bad to worse, as Justin Morneau would single, then leave the game with a mild concussion after running into Jays shortstop John McDonald. Jason Kubel would ground into a double play to end the inning, and the Twins would go quietly in the 9th to lose the game. Morneau is day-to-day, and may miss the entire Detroit Tigers series and All-Star Game.
Record: 45-39
July 8th: Blue Jays 8, Twins 1
The home run party continued in the final game of the series – for one team anyway. The Blue Jays hit 5 more home runs, for a total of 10 in the series to increase their major-league lead to 130 on the season, easily disposing of the Twins 8-1 to take the series. Scott Baker would get the start and immediately put his team behind the 8-ball, allowing a pair of solo homers and a 3-run double in the 1st 2 innings as the Twins were immediately behind 5-0. Baker would settle down to last 6 innings and protect a beleaguered bullpen, but Alex Burnett and Ron Mahay wouldn’t fare much better, allowing 3 homers between them for an 8-1 Jays lead. Only Michael Cuddyer’s 4th inning solo homer, his 8th of the season, would prevent the game from being a shutout, as the Twins mounted nary a threat against Jays starter (and University of Maryland alumnus) Brett Cecil.
Record: 45-40
July 9th: Tigers 7, Twins 3
Just when things couldn’t get worse, they do. Francisco Liriano turned in his shortest start of the year, in effect costing the Twins the game in the 2nd inning, as the Twins not only were defeated meagerly by a final of 7-3 to fall a season-high 3 games out of 1st place in the AL Central, but also saw Cliff Lee great traded to another AL contender on the same day. Liriano recorded just 5 outs before departing after having allowed 7 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks and only a single strikeout, as the Tigers took a commanding 7-0 lead after just 2 innings. That was more than enough for Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who left after 5 1/3 innings and just 2 runs allowed. Jason Kubel would have 2 RBI singles and J.J. Hardy would drive in another, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The Twins also found a way to lead off an inning (the 6th) with 5 consecutive singles, and only score 1 run. Orlando Hudson led off the inning with a single before being picked off (Denard Span was also picked off after a leadoff single to begin the game), and Delmon Young would ground into a double play (their ML-leading 100th of the year) with the bases loaded to end the threat, as the Twins shot themselves once again in the foot and killed a potential rally. Nick Blackburn, he of an 0-4 record and 17.73 ERA in his last 4 road starts, looks to stop the bleeding in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series (though that seems unlikely, especially with Justin Morneau more than likely out of another game).
Record: 45-41
July 10th: Tigers 7, Twins 4
It’s amazing that Nick Blackburn has stayed in the rotation this long, because he’s been a disaster for a month-plus now, and hopefully the Twins will come to the realization that this can no longer continue. Blackburn once again failed to last past the 5th inning (the 5th consecutive start on the road), as the Twins were blown out for the 3rd straight game and lost their 4th in a row, a 7-4 to decision in Detroit, as the Twins fell farther back in the AL Central standings (4 games now). Blackburn lasted a meager 4+ innings and allowed 7 runs, including 4 home runs, on 8 hits, every one of them an extra base hit (4 doubles as well). Blackburn has now allowed 100 more hits (134) than strikeouts (34) this season, and lost his 7th decision of the year. The Twins answered 3 early Tiger runs, as Orlando Hudson drove in a pair with a 2-run single in the 3rd inning, and Michael Cuddyer homered for the 2nd time in 3 days, his 9th of the season, cutting Detroit’s lead to 4-3. But a 3-run Johnny Damon homer chased Blackburn in the 5th and extended the Tigers lead to 7-3, proving too much to overcome. Jason Kubel doubled and would score on a ground out by Delmon Young in the 7th, but it was too little too late. Once again, however, the Twins bullpen turned in a nice performance, with Brian Duensing perhaps auditioning for a rotation spot by pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the 5th, Kevin Slowey coming out in relief for just the 3rd time in his career with 2 shutout innings, and a scoreless 8th by Ron Mahay. The Twins turn to Carl Pavano in the Sunday finale, to avoid a sweep and go into the All-Star break with some much-needed positive momentum.
Record: 45-42
July 11th: Twins 6, Tigers 3
Despite a miserable last month and a half, the Twins headed into the All-Star break with some positive momentum, as they defeated the Tigers 6-3 to salvage the final game of the series, road trip, and 1st half of the 2010 season. Carl Pavano got the start and continued to be the rock in the otherwise wayward rotation, pitching 7 2/3 innings of solid baseball and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits to win his team-best 10th game of the season. The Twins jumped on Tigers starter Andy Oliver early for 2 1st inning runs, as Jim Thome (batting for the injured Justin Morneau in the cleanup spot) and Jason Kubel drove in runs with singles after Denard Span and Orlando Hudson had led off with walks. Pavano cruised from there with 4 perfect innings, and Michael Cuddyer added some insurance with a 2-run double in the 5th to extend Minnesota’s lead to 4-0. After the Tigers rallied for a pair of runs against Pavano in the 7th, the Twins immediately responded with a 2-run rally of their own, as Danny Valencia drove in a run with an RBI double, followed by a Drew Butera sacrifice fly for a 6-2 lead. An 8th inning RBI single knocked Pavano out of the game and cut the Twins’ lead to 6-3, but Matt Guerrier got Magglio Ordonez to ground out right back to him on one pitch to end the threat (to pick up his 13th hold of the year). And Jon Rauch pitched around a leadoff walk to retire the Tigers in the 9th and save his 20th game of 2010 in 24 chances. Following the 3-day All-Star break that sees Joe Mauer make his 2nd consecutive start behind the plate and Justin Morneau sit out due to concussions symptoms, the Twins hope to have Morneau back as the begin the 2nd half of the 2010 campaign in the friendly confines of Target Field against the rival, and suddenly first-place, Chicago White Sox. Kevin Slowey gets the start in the Thursday night opener.
Record: 46-42
July 15th: White Sox 8, Twins 7
Not our year. The 2nd half began on Thursday night, but nothing has changed for the Twins. Kevin Slowey was hit hard, and Minnesota’s rally came up short yet again, as the Twins fell behind early, rallied, fell behind again, and couldn’t rally a 2nd time in a difficult-to-swallow 8-7 defeat to the White Sox to open the 2010 season’s 2nd half. Slowey lasted just 2 batters into the 4th inning, surrendering 5 runs on 9 hits, yet leaving with a lead. After Slowey put the Twins in a 4-0 hole (as has been in the M.O. for the Twins’ starting pitching of late), the offense put an improbable 6-run rally together against Sox starter John Danks, with J.J. Hardy, Nick Punto, and Denard Span hitting RBI singles, and following a walk to Orlando Hudson to load the bases, Joe Mauer snapped out of a funk with a bases-clearing double to left to give the Twins a 6-4 lead. Slowey couldn’t keep the lead, nor could Alex Burnett avoid an utterly disastrous outing. After pitching out of the 4th inning to preserve a 6-5 lead, Burnett allowed a walk and a hit to start the 5th, balked in the tying run, and just for good measure, gave up an RBI double as the Sox took a 7-6 lead. Jesse Crain would pitch out of the jam, but not before the Sox added an insurance run on a fielder’s choice. That run would prove key, as the Twins repeatedly gave themselves scoring opportunities, and repeatedly found new and inventive ways to not score. Hudson doubled leading off the 7th but was stranded at 3rd. In the 8th, Delmon Young crushed a fly ball to center that would be a homer in most parks, but died in Target Field’s spacious outfield for an out. With 2 out and nobody on, Hardy singled, Danny Valencia singled as a pinch-hitter for Punto, and Span singled in the infield to load the bases. But Orlando Hudson would foul a ball off his foot to begin his at-bat, and couldn’t fully shake off the pain, striking out on a 2-2 pitch to leave ‘em loaded. Mauer led off the 9th with a double and came in to score on a 2-out single by Young. But Jim Thome would take a called 3rd strike to end the game, as the Twins, once again, came up short. Francisco Liriano will do all he can to stop the bleeding in Friday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 46-43
July 16th: Twins 7, White Sox 4
Francisco Liriano channeled his performances from early in the season, and the offense delivered timely hits when they were needed (for a change), as the Twins finally came up with a breakthrough win while breaking the White Sox’s 9-game winning streak with a 7-4 win over the Sox. Liriano pitched 7 2/3 innings of dominant baseball, allowing a meager 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 to even his record at 7-7, including a dominant 5th inning following a 4-run Twins 4th. A Sox error, the first of 4 for the night, would load the bases with 1 out, and J.J. Hardy followed with an RBI single, one of his 3 hits on the night, for a 1-0 Twins lead. Denard Span and Orlando Hudson added a 2-run single and RBI single as well to cap the big inning. Liriano would strike out Alex Rios to seemingly end the 8th, but it resulted in a wild pitch, and Rios reached 1st, and then scored on an RBI double by Paul Konerko to knock him out of the game. Fortunately, Matt Guerrier would retire Andruw Jones on a groundout to end the frame, and the Twins went to work against the Sox bullpen in the bottom of the inning. Hardy would lead off the inning with single, and then advanced to 3rd as Nick Punto reached on a 2-base throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. After a 1-out walk to Hudson, Joe Mauer delivered a back-breaking 2-run single to increase Minnesota’s lead to 6-2. Michael Cuddyer added an RBI single before the inning was through, and those runs would prove to be needed, as Jon Rauch struggled greatly in the 9th. Rauch walked 3, including 1 with the bases loaded, and allowed 2 singles before failing to close out the inning. Coming into a 7-4 game with the bases loaded in save situation, Jesse Crain would induce a first-pitch fly out, then strike out Konerko on 3 pitches to end the game and save a scary situation for the Twins in a much-needed win. Carl Pavano gets the start in Saturday’s 3rd game of the series.
Record: 47-43
July 17th: Twins 3, White Sox 2
Carl Pavano went the distance for his 4th complete game of the season, and received just enough run support in the process, outlasting Mark Buehrle in an AL Central tilt that saw the Twins beat the White Sox 3-2 as the Twins picked up another game in the standings. Pavano allowed just 2 earned runs on 7 hits, not walking anyone and striking out 6, to improve to 11-6 on the season, and 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA over his last 8 starts. The offense broke out in the 2nd inning against Buehrle, blasting 4 consecutive hits, including 3 for extra bases, as the Twins scored 3 runs in the frame. Michael Cuddyer led off with a ground-rule double, and then scored on a single by Delmon Young to tie the game at 1-1. Jason Kubel followed with an RBI triple off the left-center wall to put the Twins on top 2-1, and he scored on a booming RBI double by Danny Valencia for a 3-1 lead. Buehrle would settle down after that with several quick innings, but Pavano matched him pitch-for-pitch, with his only mistake coming on an inside fastball on an 0-2 pitch to Paul Konerko that resulted in a solo homer. Pavano allowed a double leading off the 9th, but struck Konerko and induced a groundout to end the game and strand the tying run on 3rd base. Hoping to close out the first series of the 2010 season’s 2nd half with a 3rd win out of 4, the Twins pin their hopes to Nick Blackburn, who sports a 6.40 ERA and is inexplicably still in the rotation.
Record: 48-43
July 18th: Twins 7, White Sox 6
Never leave early, ladies and gentlemen. The opportunity was there for the Twins to jump right back into the division race, and the Twins responded by stealing victory from the jaws of defeat, rallying with an improbable 4-run 9th-inning rally to defeat the White Sox 7-6 to take 3 of 4 from the division leaders and pull into a 2nd place tie in the AL Central with Detroit, 1.5 games behind Chicago. Bobby Jenks came in with a 6-3 Sox lead, a mere 3 outs from victory, but immediately hamstrung himself by eventually walking Orlando Hudson after a marathon 10-pitch at-bat, and then following with a 4-pitch walk to Joe Mauer. Jason Kubel laced a single to center to plate Hudson, advance Joe Mauer to 2nd and cut Chicago’s lead to 6-4, and Michael Cuddyer knocked Jenks out of the game with an RBI single to advance Kubel to 3rd, as the Twins had cut the lead to 6-5 and put the tying and winning runs on base. Sergio Santos came on in relief, but fared no better. He walked Jason Repko (who had pinch-run earlier in the game for Jim Thome) to load the bases, and Delmon Young followed with an RBI single to seemingly tie the game only – except that Sox CF Alex Rios airmailed his throw back to the infield, and with no one there to back up the play, Cuddyer scampered across with the winning run, as the Twins completed just their 2nd walk-off win of the 2010 season. The rally got Nick Blackburn off the hook for the defeat, whom early on had finally appeared to have his sinker working again while carrying a 3-2 lead into the top of the 6th inning. But then, as has been the case for much of the season, the sinker flattened out, and the Sox took advantage with 3 straight hits and 2 runs to start the inning, on their way to a 4-run 6th to take a 6-3 lead and knock Blackburn out of the game. Blackburn would finish the day after having allowed 5 runs on 9 hits to increase his ERA to 6.53, and further increase the tenuousness of his rotation spot. The Twins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Delmon Young blasted his 11th homer of the season in the 2nd, and answered the first Sox run with an RBI triple from Michael Cuddyer. But the offense had stranded 10 runners on base while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, prior to the big 9th inning rally. There were other bright spots in the game as well, beginning with Brian Duensing’s campaign to replace Blackburn in the rotation. Duensing pitched all 4 innings in relief, not helping Blackburn by allowing a walk, 2 singles, and an additional run during the 4-run Sox 6th, but was solid otherwise, scattering 7 hits over his 4 innings. Joe Mauer continued his hot-hitting, as he just finished 7-for-18 series with 5 RBIs to bump his batting average back up to .299, and J.J. Hardy seems to have his mojo back as well, completing a 7-for-15 series with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. After going through a murderer’s row of a schedule over the past month-plus, the Twins finally welcome a bottom feeder to town, as the Cleveland Indians are due up next at Target Field (though Cleveland is fresh off a 4-game sweep of the rival Detroit Tigers). Scott Baker, recovering from elbow tendonitis, looks to shake it off in his start in Monday night’s opening game.
Record: 49-43
July 19th: Indians 10, Twins 4
And just like that, the momentum was gone. Just 24 hours after a dramatic come-from-behind win to beat the White Sox, the red-hot Indians came to the Twin Cities and promptly scorched the Twins for 20 hits and 10 runs in a 10-4 beat down. Scott Baker started, and his struggles continued, as he failed to get out of the 5th inning. He allowed 6 runs on 10 hits, although it was just a 3-1 game with a runner at 1st and 2 outs in the inning. The Tribe then proceeded to rip 5 consecutive singles, 2 off Baker, to plate 4 more runs and blow the game wide open. The Twins rallied for a pair of runs in the 6th and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 7th, but Jim Thome grounded out weakly and Danny Valencia popped out to kill the rally. The Indians immediately followed with 3 more runs against the overworked and porous Twins bullpen. Alex Burnett was demoted following the game after he allowed 2 of those 2-out singles in the 5th and a run, and Jon Rauch was hammered in the 9th for 2 runs on 4 hits, the 2nd game in row he was torched. Denard Span, Orlando Hudson, and Jim Thome accounted for 3 of the 4 Twins runs, with Thome’s coming on a solo blast, his 11th of the year and the 575th of his illustrious career. The other Twins run scored on a passed ball.
Record: 49-44
July 20th: Indians 4, Twins 3
Haplessness reigns supreme. The Twins wasted a rare strong effort by Kevin Slowey with not enough run support, and Jose Mijares choked the game away in the 8th, as the Twins dropped the 2nd game of the series to the lowly Indians by the final of 4-3. Slowey departed with the bases loaded and 2 outs in a 1-1 game in the 6th inning, only to see bad luck befall him. Jesse Crain relieved and allowed a line drive to hit literally on the chalk just past 3rd base, resulting in a 2-run single and a 3-1 deficit. Slowey’s final line was 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and considerably more confidence than in previous outings. The Twins had scored 1st on an RBI groundout by Joe Mauer following back-to-back hits by Denard Span and Orlando Hudson to begin the game. And after falling behind, Jesse Crain set down the Indians in order easily in the 7th to set the stage for another rally. J.J. Hardy, Nick Punto, Span, and Hudson all singled, resulting in 2 runs to tie the score at 3-3. But Joe Mauer attempted to bunt for a hit and grounded out, and Jason Kubel grounded out as well to end the threat. Mijares would miss badly on 4 pitches to the Tribe’s leadoff hitter Carlos Santana in the 8th, then throw a fastball down the heart of the plate to Travis Hafner that resulted in an RBI double, putting the Tribe ahead to stay. Matt Guerrier provided 2 shutout innings of relief, but the Twins offense went down meagerly in the final 2 innings to choke away yet another crucial game in the AL Central race. Now 3.5 games back of the front-running White Sox once again, the Twins look to avoid the sweep in Wednesday’s matinee finale. Francisco Liriano gets the start looks to get the desperate Twins a much-needed win.
Record: 49-45
July 21: Twins 6, Indians 0
Another theme continued for the Twins, and it was a good one for a change. Francisco Liriano came out and completely dominated the Indians from start to finish, and J.J. Hardy and Delmon Young each continued their hot-hitting, leading the Twins to a 6-0 win to avoid a home sweep at the hands of Cleveland. Liriano threw 7 shutout innings on 108 pitches and scattered a mere 6 hits, walking 4, striking out 8, and inducing 3 clutch double-plays, including one with bases loaded, to escape jams, keep the shutout intact, and eventually go on to win his 8th game of the 2010 season. The Twins scored the majority of their runs in a 4-run 4th inning, as backup catcher Drew Butera got the rally started with a leadoff double. After Denard Span grounded out back to the pitcher and Orlando Hudson walked, Young shook off a foul ball to his leg to lace a double down the left-field line to score Butera for a 1-0 Twins lead. Jason Kubel was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Michael Cuddyer singled to score Hudson for a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, Young tried to score on the hit and was thrown out at the plate for the 2nd out. But the Twins weren't done, as Jim Thome walked for the 2nd time (he walked in all 4 at-bats in the game), and Hardy followed with a 2-run double into the left-field corner, and the Twins took a 4-0 lead. Liriano took over from there, and the Twins coasted into the 8th inning, where Young tacked on 2 more runs with a hard-hit single that took a wicked hop on the shortstop before bouncing into center field. Jesse Crain shut down the Tribe in the 8th, and Anthony Slama made his major-league debut by giving up just 1 base hit in a shutout 9th. Following a 4-3 homestand, the Twins travel to Baltimore to begin a 4-game series against the cellar-dwelling Orioles. Carl Pavano looks to continue his dominant ways, and gets the start in Thursday's opening game.
Record: 50-45
July 22nd: Twins 5, Orioles 0
Carl Pavano continues to be the rock in the otherwise wayward Twins rotation. Pavano went the distance for the 5th time this season on just 102 pitches to record his second shutout, and Delmon Young got the Twins off and running in the 1st inning with a 3-run double as the Twins dominated the punchless, and hot-headed, Orioles from start to finish in a 5-0 win to open the 4-game series at Camden Yards in Baltimore, their second consecutive shutout as a team. Pavano allowed just 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 to win his 7th consecutive decision and 12th win of the season, lowering his ERA to 3.26. Young’s bases-clearing double capped a 2-out rally in which Joe Mauer doubled and Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer had walked and immediately gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead. Cuddyer hit a solo homer in the 4th, his 10th, to extend the lead to 4-0, and Drew Butera finished the scoring with a 7th-inning RBI single as the Twins took advantage of a poor umpiring call resulting in 3 Orioles injections (1B Ty Wigginton, manager Juan Samuel, and pitching coach Rick Kranitz). The outcome wouldn’t have been different had the call been correct, however, as Pavano was in firm control throughout the game. After struggling for much of the season and now carrying the league’s highest ERA of 6.53, Nick Blackburn is finally out of the rotation. Replacing him is Brian Duensing, who gets his 1st start of the 2010 season Friday night after coming on as a revelation in the 2nd half of 2009 and starting game 1 of the AL Division Series last October.
Record: 51-45
July 23rd: Orioles 3, Twins 2
Brian Duensing pitched effectively in his first start since 2009 while, and Joe Mauer hit his 5th homer of the year, but Anthony Slama couldn’t hold the lead and the offense didn’t provide enough support as the Orioles defeated the Twins 3-2 in the 2nd game of the 4-game series. Duensing struggled in the 1st inning while allowing a run on 3 singles, but would allow just 1 more hit in his final 4 innings of work before departing while trailing 1-0. Mauer put him in position for a victory with a 2-run home run to center field to give the Twins a brief 2-1 lead in the 6th, but Luke Scott came right back with a 2-run homer as the O’s retook a 3-2 lead. Jeremy Guthrie lasted 7 strong innings and the bullpen survived a late Twins rally to win it for the O’s.
Record: 51-46
July 24th: Twins 7, Orioles 2
Scott Baker continued the Twins’ pitching dominance of the Orioles with a 7-inning, 8-strikeout performance, and Delmon Young collected a career-high-matching 4 hits, with a 2-run homer and 3 RBIs, as the Twins took game 3 of the 4-game series in Baltimore with a 7-2 victory. Baker won for just the 2nd time on the road this season – and first since April 10 – allowing only Luke Scott’s 2-run homer and 4 total hits on the way to improving his 2010 record to 8-9, seemingly putting the elbow tendonitis behind him (with the help of a cortisone shot which has taken effect). Orioles starter Brian Matusz walked the bases loaded in the 1st inning and Young put the Twins ahead 1-0 with a sacrifice fly. After falling behind 2-1 in the 4th, Delmon Young gave the Twins the lead right back with his 12th homer of the season in the 5th, and now has 73 RBIs for the season, good for tops on the team and 5th in the American League. Alexi Casilla extended the lead to with a 2-out RBI single in the 6th, and the Twins put the game out of reach with a 3-run 7th, with Danny Valencia, Jason Repko, and Denard Span each delivering run-scoring hits. Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch came on to throw a pair of shutout innings to close out the victory. Kevin Slowey takes the mound what should prove to be a steamy Sunday matinee finale (with the high in Baltimore at 97 degrees and the heat index likely topping that).
Record: 52-46
July 25th: Twins 10, Orioles 4
Kevin Slowey pitched until a 7th inning rain delay, and an offense missing 5 starters used a balanced effort to pound out 19 hits against Orioles pitching, as the Twins ripped Baltimore in the series finale by a score of 10-4 to take 3 of 4 in the series. Slowey threw 4 pitches before rain shortened his outing, ending up with a line of 6+ innings, just 1 run on 5 hits, and his 9th win of the year. Jason Kubel got the Twins off and running with his 2nd grand slam of the season in the 3rd inning, his 12th of the season, as Minnesota took a 4-1 and never looked back. Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia, and Nick Punto joined Kubel as they each contributed 3 hits, and Delmon Young (13) and Jim Thome (12) hit back-to-back homers in the 6th inning. Even Jason Repko, starting for a sick Denard Span, got in on the action with a 9th-inning homer, his 1st of 2010. Jose Mijares shut down the O's in a perfect 7th, and after a 1-2-3 8th, Nick Blackburn, making his 1st appearance in relief, fared no better as he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits before finally retiring the O's in the 9th to finish the win. Winners of 4 of their past 5 and now within 1 game in the AL Central, the Twins head west to Kansas City for a 3-game series against the Royals. Francisco Liriano gets the start in Monday night's opening game, against 2009 AL Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke.
Record: 53-46
July 26th: Twins 19, Royals 1
Sometimes, it seems appropriate that major league baseball should have a mercy rule, because this one was over before it really started. It what was billed to be a duel of premier young pitchers, it was decidedly one-sided. Francisco Liriano held up his side of the bargain with 7 shutout innings, but Zack Greinke was crushed as the Twins put the game away early in a 19-1 destruction of the Royals in the opening game of the 3-game series at Kauffman Stadium. The Twins were off and running early against last year’s Cy Young winner, beginning the game with 4 consecutive hits (Jason Repko double, Alexi Casilla RBI triple, Joe Mauer RBI single, Delmon Young double). Following 2 strikeouts and a walk to Jason Kubel, Danny Valencia crushed a 3-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his 1st career home run, a grand slam to put Minnesota ahead 6-0. The offense was just getting started, however, as Mauer singled home a pair of runs for an 8-0 lead in the 4th. The Twins would add 6 more runs in the 6th, all with 2 out, and Mauer would hit his 6th home run of the year in the 7th, a 3-run shot giving Minnesota a 17-0 lead. And just for good measure, J.J. Hardy shook off a personal slow start by tripling in a run and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Casilla to cap the Twins’ scoring. Mauer finished the game 5 for 5 with a career-high 7 RBIs, Valencia went 4-4 with 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 4 runs to raise his average to .376, and Casilla added 3 runs and 3 RBIs as the Twins tied a franchise record with 11 extra-base hits (7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers) among 20 hits total. Oh, and Liriano wasn’t too shabby either, allowing a mere 3 hits and walking no one while striking out 6 as he won his 9th decision of the year on just 83 pitches, as Twins manager Ron Gardenhire preferred to save him for another day. Ron Mahay pitched around a leadoff double to keep the shutout intact in a scoreless 8th, but Anthony Slama allowed a 2-out RBI double in the 9th to prevent the Twins from recording their largest shutout win in their history, finishing the game one batter later. Following their 5th win in 6 games, the Twins look to keep the momentum going in the 2nd game of the series, as ace Carl Pavano takes the hill.
Record: 54-46
July 27th: Twins 11, Royals 2
Wow. Just… wow. The Twins offense is missing 2 starters right now (Justin Morneau, Orlando Hudson), Joe Mauer has not come close to producing his 2009 numbers, and Jim Thome also sat out Tuesday night’s game. And yet, none of that has mattered to these Twins, who racked up at least 19 hits and scored at least 10 runs for the 3rd consecutive game in an 11-2 beatdown of Kansas City in the 2nd game of the series. Carl Pavano started and got plenty of early (and late) run support, which ended up being essential, as he wasn’t as sharp as he had been of late and was forced to leave after just 5 innings (and 98 pitches). However, he pitched out of several jams and limited most of the damage in every inning, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and a rare 3 walks while striking out 2 to win his team-leading 13th decision, and 8th in a row. The Twins got off and running early once again, as the offense overcame Denard Span being picked off 1st by hitting 4 consecutive 2-out hits to score 2 runs for a 2-0 1st inning lead. The Twins pushed 2 more runs across in the 3rd inning, and just like that the lead was up to 4-0. Pavano struggled through a troublesome 5th inning but limited the Royals to just 1 run, and the offense immediately responded with a 3-hit, 2-run 6th inning for a 6-1 lead. Ron Mahay allowed a run in the bottom of the inning before leaving with 2 outs, but Jesse Crain came on to retire the side, and pitch a perfect 7th to pick his 8th hold of the year. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-out solo homer in the top of the 7th, his 4th of the year, and the Twins officially put the game out of reach in the 8th by piling up 6 consecutive 2-out hits and 4 more runs to close out the game’s scoring. Jose Mijares and Jon Rauch took care of business in the 8th and 9th innings to finish off the win. Offensively, the numbers were staggering once again. All but 2 of Tuesday’s starters had multiple-hit nights, with Danny Valencia once again leading the way with a 4-for-5 effort and 3 RBI. Valencia is 8-for-9 with 4 runs and 7 RBIs in this series, and now has a .400 batting average in his 1st 90 big-league at-bats. Joe Mauer nearly duplicated his Monday 5-hit, 7-RBI effort as well, piling up a 2-hit, 2-run, 2-RBI effort, and Michael Cuddyer and J.J. Hardy added 3 more hits apiece, as the Twins have now outscored their opponents by a 47-9 score during their 4-game winning streak. The Twins go for the sweep in the Wednesday finale, and Brian Duensing will make his 2nd start of the 2010 season.
Record: 55-46
July 28th: Twins 6, Royals 4
It wasn’t quite the blowout of the previous two nights, but it was a win nonetheless. Brian Duensing built on his solid 2010 starting debut with a strong 6-inning performance, and the Twins got just enough offense to hold off the hard-charging Royals, as the Twins finished the 3-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium with a 6-4 victory in the finale of the series. Duensing allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2, struggling a bit with his control but settling down enough to pick up his 1st win as a starter this season. The Twins jumped all over Royals starter Brian Bannister in the 1st inning for 3 hits and 3 runs, as Delmon Young followed a Denard Span single and a Joe Mauer double with his 14th homer of the season and a 3-0 Twins lead. Jason Repko added on, as his 2nd homer as a Twin extended the lead to 4-0. Span capped a 3-hit 4th inning with an RBI single to make the lead 5-0. But then the Royals began their rally, scoring 2 runs off Duensing in the 5th to close the gap to 5-2. Jesse Crain quietly retired the side in the 7th, but Matt Guerrier found trouble in the 8th, loading the bases with 2 outs before departing. Jose Mijares improbably allowed a 2-run single to Rick Ankiel (who came into the game with a .050 batting average against lefties), but retired catcher Brayan Pena with the tying run at 3rd. Jason Kubel added a sac fly following a Mauer walk, wild pitch, and Young single to add a key insurance run, and Jon Rauch allowed a single before closing out his 21st save in 25 chances, and 1st since July 11th. Winners of 5 straight, the Twins return to their home park for a short 3-game homestand against the Mariners. Following Thursday’s much-needed off-day (1st since the All-Star break), Scott Baker gets the start in Friday’s opening game.
Record: 56-46
July 30th: Twins 5, Mariners 3
The red-hot Twins continued their winning ways, this time taking advantage of some shoddy fielding to defeat Seattle 5-3 in the opening game of the 3-game series at Target Field, their 6th win a row. Scott Baker got the start and managed to pick up his 9th victory of the year, but it was a struggle at times for him, as he pitched out of multiple jams, and was unable to escape the 6th inning after allowing all 3 runs in the frame. Baker would allow 7 hits and 4 walks in the game while only picking up 2 strikeouts, but was able to avert a bases-loaded, 1-out situation in the 2nd inning without any damage against him. Jim Thome got the Twins on the board with a 2-run homer in the 2nd, his 13th of the year, batting after Mariners 2nd baseman Chone Figgins booted a ground ball to keep the inning alive. The Twins added another unearned in the 3rd, as J.J. Hardy led off with a single, advanced to 3rd after a pair of groundouts, and scored on a fielding error by 3rd baseman Josh Wilson as the Twins took a 3-0 lead. Alexi Casilla hit a 2-run bomb of a homer to right-center (one pitch after Denard Span had been caught stealing), and after a review to confirm the homer, the Twins had a 5-0 lead. Baker nearly gave it all back, as the Mariners collected 3 hits, a walk, and 3 runs to get them right back into the game, and knock Baker out of it. Fortunately, Jesse Crain came on to get the final 2 outs of the inning to pick up his 10th hold. Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier combined for a pair of shutout frames for their 8th and 16th holds of the season, respectively. And newly-acquired Matt Capps came on to save to pick up his 27th save of the year, and 1st for the Twins, with a scoreless 9th. The Twins look for lucky number 7 in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series, with Kevin Slowey matching up against M’s ace Felix Hernandez.
Record: 57-46
July 31st: Twins 4, Mariners 0
That’s 7 straight and counting. Kevin Slowey thoroughly dominated Seattle’s punchless offense to pick his 10th win of the season, and the Twins scored all the runs they needed in the 1st inning against ace Felix Hernandez, in a 4-0 victory that closed the Twins within a half-game of the AL Central-leading White Sox. Slowey pitched 8 innings and scattered a meager 3 hits, not walking anyone and striking out 5 while getting several quick innings and having few problems with the lineup of the Mariners, even striking out Ichiro 3 times. The offense jumped all over Hernandez early, as Alexi Casilla tripled with one out and scored on an RBI single by Joe Mauer. Mauer scored 2 pitches later as Delmon Young laced an RBI triple to the gap in right-center, and Young would score on a double by Jim Thome as the Twins took a 3-0 lead after just 1 inning. Slowey cruised from there, outdueling Hernandez in a game that lasted just over 2 hours. Mauer doubled and scored an insurance run in the 8th inning, coming in on an RBI single by Young, and Jose Mijares took care of the Mariners in the 9th to finish off the shutout. The Twins go for the sweep and their 8th consecutive win in Sunday’s matinee finale, and ace Francisco Liriano gets his turn on the hill.
Record: 58-46
August 1st: Twins 4, Mariners 0
Another day, another shutout. This time it was Francisco Liriano’s turn to dominate the Mariners, extending his shutout-inning streak to 21 in a 4-0 Twins win over Seattle, as the Twins swept the 3-game series and won their 8th game in row. Liriano allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out a season-high 11, flummoxing the feeble Mariners offense all game long, and winning his 10th game of the season. The Twins scored all their runs in the 6th inning, as Alexi Casilla reached on a 1-out single, then went to 3rd on a double by Delmon Young. Michael Cuddyer was intentionally walked to load the bases for Jason Kubel, who launched a high-drive that landed high off the right-field wall, just narrowly missing a grand-slam and settling for a 3-run double. Kubel would score shortly thereafter on an RBI single by Danny Valencia to cap the 4-run outburst. Jon Rauch and Matt Guerrier would come on to throw a shutout inning each to cap the victory. Following the short 3-game homestand, the Twins immediately hit the road for a 10-game road trip, beginning with 4 games in Tampa against the Rays. Carl Pavano looks to extend the winning streak to 9, and win his 14th decision, in the Monday opener.
Record: 59-46
August 2nd: Rays 4, Twins 2
All good things must come to an end. Carl Pavano lost an 11-pitch battle to Matt Joyce, and a Twins lineup missing not 1 but 2 former AL MVPs was no match for young Rays phenom Jeremy Hellickson, as the Rays defeated the Twins 4-2 in the opening game of the 4-game series in St. Petersburg, as the Twins’ 8-game winning streak was snapped. Pavano allowed 4 runs – including 3 in the back-breaking 5th inning – on 9 hits, as he saw his personal 8-game winning streak end as well, falling to 13-7 on the season. Joyce doubled with 2 outs in the 5th with 2 runners aboard, which extended the Rays lead to 4-1, and proved too large to overcome. Hellickson thoroughly dominated the Twins lineup over 7 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits, as Jason Kubel provided both Twins RBIs with a 4th inning RBI single and a 6th-inning solo homer, his 13th of the season. The Rays bullpen took over in the final 2 innings, and a double play off the bat of Danny Valencia ended the game. The Twins hope to get even in the 2nd game of the series, as Brian Duensing makes his 3rd start of the year.
Record: 59-47
August 3rd: Rays 6, Twins 4
And so it seems whenever the Twins play an American League contender (outside of the Central division), they are beaten, often in very depressing ways. Wednesday, August 3rd was no exception. The Rays hit a pair of 3-run homers – including the go-ahead shot in the 7th inning – to defeat the Twins 6-4 and take the 2nd game of the series. Brian Duensing got the start and struggled early, allowing 2 walks and the 1st 3-run shot in the 1st inning, immediately erasing an early 1-0 Twins lead (courtesy of a Joe Mauer RBI single) and giving the Rays a 3-1 lead. Duensing settled down and didn’t allow another run the rest of the way, leaving after 6 solid innings with a line of 3 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts, and a no-decision. Mauer added a 2nd RBI single to close the deficit to 3-2 in the 3rd inning, and Drew Butera came to the rescue with a leadoff solo homer in the 7th to tie the game at 3-3, his 2nd of the year. But Matt Guerrier failed to keep the game tied, walking 2 batters in the bottom of the inning before allowing a go-ahead back-breaking 3-run homer to B.J. Upton to give the Rays a 6-3 lead and completely derail any Twins’ momentum. The crucial situation of the game came 2 innings earlier with the Rays leading 3-2, as Butera and Denard Span began the inning with 2 bunt singles. Alexi Casilla sacrificed them to 2nd and 3rd, and Joe Mauer predictably was walked intentionally. Delmon Young hit the first pitch he saw to center field, and the ball was caught by Upton, shallow enough to prevent the tying run from scoring. Jason Kubel followed and battled Rays starter Jeff Niemann to a 10-pitch at-bat, and of course, it ended with a pop up to 3rd. A base hit, or even a decision to let Casilla hit (and subsequently let Mauer hit), may change the complexion of the inning, and the game. Instead, no runs scored, the Rays took the lead, the Twins mounted a late 9th inning comeback (with Mauer collecting his 3rd RBI single), and it fell short with 2 runners stranded. Desperate for a road win against a contender, Scott Baker looks for a repeat of his July 2nd win over Tampa ace David Price and the Rays at Target Field, against whom he’s matched in Wednesday’s 3rd game of the series.
Record: 59-48
August 4th: Twins 2, Rays 1, in 13 innings
And finally, the Twins broke through, and it only took 4 extra innings to do it. Scott Baker outdueled David Price for the 2nd time this season, and the Twins shook off a Matt Capps blown save to survive and win the 3rd game of the series by a score 2-1 in 13 innings over Tampa Bay. Baker made it look easy against the 1st-place Rays, throwing 8 shutout innings and giving up a scant 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7, but unfortunately came away with a no-decision. Jason Repko’s 2-out RBI double was all the Twins could manage off Price, who allowed just 5 Twins hits in his 7 innings, but that appeared to be all the Twins would need. This would not be the case, however, as Evan Longoria led off the 9th with a double and scored on an RBI single by 1B Dan Johnson off Capps, tying the game at 1. It then became a battle of the bullpens, as Jesse Crain pitched around a pair of walks in a shutout 10th, Jose Mijares retired the side in order in the 11th, and Matt Guerrier (2-7) retired all 6 batters he faced in the 12th and 13th innings to pick up the win. Alexi Casilla began the winning rally against Rays reliever Lance Cormier (who was beginning his 4th inning of relief) in the 13th with a leadoff walk, then scampered to 3rd on a single by Joe Mauer. Delmon Young then came through with an RBI hit to left to score Casilla and give the Twins all the offense they would need to end the brief 2-game skid and get a key road victory.
Record: 60-48
August 5th: Twins 8, Rays 6
Well, that certainly was much more nerve-wracking than it should have been, but a win is a win is a win, indeed. The Twins took advantage of the crazy quirks of Tropicana field to take the lead in the top of the 9th, quickly shaking off a 6-run game-tying Rays rally to emerge victorious in the final game of the 4-game series, rallying for a 4-game split with an 8-6 victory. Kevin Slowey followed up Scott Baker’s outstanding 8-inning performance with a gem of his own, throwing 7 2/3 innings of dominant ball, but like Baker, failed to receive a decision thanks to another bullpen implosion. Slowey allowed just 2 hits going into the 7th inning as the Twins held a commanding 6-0 lead, but the Rays broke up Slowey’s shutout in the 8th as B.J. Upton led the inning off with a solo homer. Slowey would strike out the next hitter, but then would hit a man, allow a single, get a groundout, and issue his only walk of the game, and depart with a 6-1 lead and the bases loaded (and he finished with a line of 4 runs, 4 hits, . Jesse Crain came on but was unsuccessful in retiring the side, allowing a walk to force in a 2nd run and force another pitching change. Ron Mahay relieved him, but former Twin Jason Bartlett pinch-hit and launched a 1-0 pitch into the left-field bleachers for a game-tying grand slam, as the Rays stunningly pulled even at 6-6. Mahay handed out a walk before Matt Capps retired the side, but the damage had been done. Fortunately, the Twins answered right back against Rays reliever Joaquin Benoit, with Jason Repko leading off the inning with a double. Repko advanced to 3rd on a groundout, Joe Mauer was intentionally walked, and Delmon Young bounced into a force out, and Jason Kubel stepped to the plate. Kubel skied a pop up to the farther reaches of the Tropicana field heights – and the ball dinged off one of the famed catwalks the park features, falling harmlessly behind the pitcher’s mound, a fair ball. Repko would score the go-ahead run on the play, and Michael Cuddyer would follow with a 2nd RBI single to give the Twins a 2-run cushion. Capps allowed a walk before closing out his 1st win as a Twin. Earlier in the game, the Twins would put a 4-run, 6-hit outburst together in the 1st inning to give Slowey a 4-run lead before he even threw a pitch. Repko hit his 3rd homer of the year in the 5th to tack on another run, and J.J. Hardy and Drew Butera hit back-to-back doubles in the 6th to extend Minnesota’s lead to 6-0.
Record: 61-48
August 6th: Indians 7, Twins 6
Familiarity breeds contempt, and such was the case in Friday night’s opening game. Francisco Liriano was hit around for the 1st time in 4 starts against Cleveland this season, and despite a 5-run rally in the final 3 innings of batting, the Twins came up just short, losing on a walk-off home run by a score of 7-6. Liriano was unexpectedly wild, allowing a season-high 6 walks in 4 2/3 innings, as well as 7 hits and 4 earned runs while striking out 6, and later it was determined he had a mild case of dead arm. He was let off the hook in the end, however, as the Twins offense never gave up in rallying from a 5-1 deficit going into the 7th inning. After Joe Mauer had gotten the Twins on the board with a 3rd inning sacrifice fly, Alexi Casilla got the rally started with a 2-run double to cut the Tribe lead to 5-3. Jason Kubel smacked his 14th homer of the year in the 8th to bring the Twins within a run, but Cleveland answered with a run in bottom of the inning to regain a 2-run lead. Undaunted, the Twins once again rallied, as Jim Thome followed a J.J. Hardy single with a deep drive to center field that appeared to hit a railing above the wall, but after review was ruled a double by umpires. Fortunately, 1 batter later, Casilla laced a single to center to cap a 4-RBI day and tie the game at 6-6. Alas, a win was not in the cards on this night, as Indians 1B Matt LaPorta crushed the 2nd pitch off Matt Guerrier well into the left-center bleachers to win it for Cleveland.
Record: 61-49
August 7th: Twins 7, Indians 2
For the 2nd consecutive night, the Twins scored a total of 5 runs in the final 3 innings of batting. But this time, it was worth it, as the Twins pull away from Cleveland to win the 2nd game of the series by a final of 7-2. Carl Pavano rebounded from a rare defeat and overcame a tough 4th inning to last 7 solid innings, surrendering a mere 2 runs on 7 hits, walking 4 and striking out 6, in lowering his ERA 3.28 and winning his 14th decision of the 2010 season. Jason Kubel got the Twins off and running with his 15th homer of the year in the 2nd inning, and Joe Mauer followed an Alexi Casilla double with an RBI single to give the Twins a 3rd-inning 2-0 lead. Pavano would give back the lead as the Indians picked up a pair of 2-out RBI hits in the 4th, but the Twins came right back in the 7th, with J.J. Hardy driving home Michael Cuddyer with the go-ahead run. The offense would pile on with 3 8th-inning insurance runs, as defensive replacement Trevor Plouffe hit his 1st major league home run leading off the inning. Joe Mauer followed with his 36th double of the year as part of his 4-hit night, and later scored on a single by Cuddyer. Danny Valencia capped the inning with an RBI double, and just for good measure, Jason Kubel doubled in a 7th run in the 9th to ice the game. Jesse Crain and Jon Rauch finished off the win with a shutout inning apiece.
Record: 62-49
August 8th: Twins 5, Indians 4
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Brian Duensing overcame a rough start to improve to 5-1 on the season, and the offense came back from a 4-run deficit with a 5-run 5th inning, as the Twins rallied to defeat the Indians 5-4 to win the rubber game of the 3-game series. Duensing struggled with his control early, allowing all 4 Indians runs in the 1st 2 inning on 5 hits. But Duensing survived into the 8th inning and scattered just 4 hits the rest of the way, coming away with the win after the offense handed him the lead following a 5-run 5th. Jim Thome followed a Michael Cuddyer walk with his 14th homer of the year, a 2-run shot immediately cutting the Tribe lead in half at 4-2. J.J. Hardy singled with 1 out, Jason Repko doubled him to 3rd, and Orlando Hudson, in his 1st game off the Disabled List, doubled them both in to tie the game at 4-4. Hudson would advance to 3rd on a wild pitch, and following an intention walk to Joe Mauer, he would score on a fielder’s choice groundout by Delmon Young to put the Twins in front. Duensing took over from there, Matt Guerrier recorded the final 2 outs of the 8th, and Matt Capps easily set down all 3 batters he faced in the 9th to close out his 2nd save in 3 chances as a Twin. Overall, Twins pitchers retired the final 10 Indian hitters they faced.
Record: 63-49
August 10th: Twins 12, White Sox 6
Oh yeah, so that’s what First Place in the AL Central feels like. Scott Baker battled his way through 6 tough innings, and the Twins offense teed off against Sox starter Freddy Garcia, crushed 5 home runs in a dominant 12-6 win to begin the 3-game series on the South side of Chicago, reclaiming 1st place in the AL Central for the 1st time since early July. Baker was much more hittable than in his last start in Tampa, but received plenty of run support in winning his 10th game of the year, as he allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. Matt Guerrier had no trouble setting down all 6 batters he faced in the 7th and 8th innings, and Jon Rauch gave up 2 hits and a run in the 9th before closing out the win, but the story of the night certainly was offense. Joe Mauer drive in a run with an RBI double gave the Twins an early 1-0 lead, and floodgates opened against Garcia in a 4-run 2nd. Jim Thome (15), J.J. Hardy (5), and Mauer (7) all homered in the inning, with Mauer’s 2-run shot giving the Twins a 5-0 lead. Baker handed the Sox 3 runs in the bottom of the inning, but the Twins came right back with 2 hits and a Danny Valencia sacrifice fly for a 6-3 lead, knocking Garcia out of the game in the process. The offense was hardly done, however, as Michael Cuddyer drove an 0-2 pitch into the right-field corner to drive in 2 runs in the 4th, hit a 2-run homer in the 6th (his 11th of the season), and Jason Kubel (16) launched a 2-right shot in the 8th to cap the beatdown. With Kevin Slowey skipping his regular turn due to elbow soreness, Glen Perkins gets the start in Wednesday’s 2nd game of the series, his 1st big-league appearance since August 8th of last season.
Record: 64-49
August 11th: White Sox 6, Twins 1
It was a terrible night from the start, and a couple injury scares did nothing to help matters either. Denard Span was thrown out at 3rd on the game’s opening hit, setting an ominous tone for the game, as the clumsy Twins executed poorly in all facets of the game in a 6-1 loss to the White Sox in the 2nd game of the series. Glen Perkins made his 1st big league appearance in a year and did not fare well, though his defense certainly didn’t help much. Perkins gave up 6 runs, 4 earned, on 5 hits and 2 walks, and was squeezed at times by a tight strike zone that he couldn’t overcome. Span led off the game with a double to right-center that he failed to stretch into a triple, and the porous defense began in the 3rd inning. Michael Cuddyer failed to apply a tag on the back-end of a double play following a throw from Orlando Hudson, and the next Sox hitter hit an RBI single. The back-breaking inning came in the 5th, as it began with a double, followed by a sacrifice bunt attempt which Perkins fielded and appeared to have a play at 3rd, but passed on it to get the out at 1st. The mistake proved critical, as the next Sox hitter hit an RBI single for a 4-0 Sox lead. The inning wasn’t over, however, as a double, throwing error, and hit-by-pitch added 2 more Sox runs. Delmon Young wasted a pair of scoring opportunities with weak fly-ball outs with runners on base, and for the game, the Twins hit 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Only Michael Cuddyer’s 2-out RBI single in the 7th prevented a shutout, as John Danks pitched 8 stellar innings for Chicago. The Twins also were fortunate to avoid a pair of injury concerns, as Joe Mauer shook off a foul bunt to the groin, and Jose Mijares appeared to be okay after originally injuring an ankle on a play at 1st base. The Twins look to regain sole possession of 1st place with a series victory in the rubber game on Thursday night, and Francisco Liriano looks to rebound from an ugly start to recapture the magic of his previous 3 starts, in which he tossed 21 consecutive scoreless innings.
Record: 64-50
August 12th: Twins 6, White Sox 1
As poorly as the previous night went for Minnesota, they completely turned it around in the series finale in Chicago, making a statement in a 6-1 win, and retaking 1st place in the AL Central. Despite losing Jose Mijares to the DL and J.J. Hardy and Jon Rauch to minor ailments, the Twins bounced back from a terrible performance, and Francisco Liriano led the way with 6 strong innings. Liriano was pitching in and out of jams all night, 3 times escaping bases-loaded situations and allowing just 1 run on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 to win his 11th game of the season. The only run against him came on a base-loaded squibber that traveled 70 feet up the 3rd base line off the bat of A.J. Pierzynski in the 1st, and Liriano retired the next hitter to escape the 1st of the bases-loaded messes. Orlando Hudson homered in the 1st to give the Twins an early 1-0 lead (his 5th), and Michael Cuddyer singled, stole 2nd, scampered to 3rd on a throwing error, and scored on a sacrifice fly as the Twins retook the lead at 2-1 in the 2nd. Hudson scored the Twins’ 3rd run in the 3rd after singling, advancing to 2nd on a Joe Mauer single and to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scoring on a balk by Sox starter Gavin Floyd, as the White Sox did all their best Twins impression from the previous night. Floyd settled down after that, as did Liriano, heading into the bottom of the 5th. The 1st 3 Sox hitters of the inning reached on a walk, single, and bunt single, but Liriano was undeterred. He retired the 3-4-5 hitters on a force out at home (on a ground ball right back to him), and a pair of swinging strikeouts to escape the jam. The very next inning, Liriano allowed a single, double, and hit-by-pitch, and now was facing a bases-loaded, 1-out situation. He slithered out of this jam by retiring leadoff hitter Juan Pierre on a shallow fly ball out to center, and Matt Guerrier came on to rescue him and the team by getting SS Alexei Ramirez to pop out to short. While the Sox failed to capitalize on their opportunities, Jason Kubel made sure the Twins would make good on theirs, as he followed an intentional walk to Joe Mauer with a 3-run homer, his 17th blast of the season, to give the Twins a commanding 6-1 lead. Guerrier, Jesse Crain, and Matt Capps took over from there to finish off the final 3 innings of the Twins’ 65th win of the year. Following a highly successful 6-4 road trip, the Twins return home for a well-deserved 9-game homestand, beginning Friday night against Oakland. Carl Pavano gets the start in the opening game.
Record: 65-50
August 13th: Twins 4, A’s 3
A little too close for comfort, but still, a win. Carl Pavano pitched out of jams early and often and survived 6 1/3 innings to pick up his 15th win of the year, and the Twins took advantage of some shoddy Athletics fielding to defeat the A’s 4-3 in the 1st game of the 3-game series. Pavano scattered 10 hits and walk while striking out 4, pitching out of several jams (1st and 2nd no outs in the 1st, 1st and 2nd, a runner thrown out at the plate in the 3rd, 2 on and 2 out in the 5th), but was unable to avoid allowing 3 extra-base hits and 2 runs in the 3rd. Ron Mahay came on to relieve him with runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out, and picked up a strikeout for the 2nd out. Matt Guerrier came on from there and retired the side to escape trouble. Trouble found the Twins again in the 8th, as the A’s loaded the bases with 1 out against Guerrier. But Jesse Crain came on an induced a 4-4-3 double to escape once again and preserve a 4-2 lead. Matt Capps came on and struggled a bit, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, but recorded the final out on a fly ball to center with runners at 1st and 2nd to pick up his 3rd save in 4 chances as a Twin. The Twins offense came out very patient against A’s pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who struggled early with his command. A fielding error and 3 walks netted the Twins their 1st run, and Danny Valencia singled home a 2nd run as the Twins jumped to a 2-0 lead. After the A’s tied it in the 3rd, the Twins came right back in the 4th, as Delmon Young led off with a single and advanced to 2nd on an error and scored on a ground-rule double by Valencia. Valencia would advance to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt by Alexi Casilla, and then score on a suicide squeeze by Drew Butera to give the Twins a 4-2 lead. Pavano and the bullpen took over from there, leading the Twins to the win and maintaining their 1-game edge in the AL Central standings. Game 2 of the series features Brian Duensing against A’s ace Trevor Cahill.
Record: 66-50
August 14th: Twins 2, A’s 0
It was the Brian Duensing show on Saturday night, and he did not disappoint. Duensing was thoroughly impressive throughout his 1st career shutout, and the Twins scored just enough against the A’s and ace Trevor Cahill, to defeat Oakland 2-0 and win their 3rd in a row and extend their lead in the AL Central to 2 games. Duensing went the distance and scattered a mere 3 hits and 2 walks along with 4 strikeouts, perplexing Oakland’s punchless lineup all night long and getting the benefit of 2 double plays and a pickoff and 2nd base, to win his 6th decision of the year and 3rd in 5 starts since entering the starting rotation. The Twins manufactured a run in the 3rd inning for a 1-0 lead, as Alexi Casilla doubled to lead off the inning, advanced to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt by Denard Span, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Orlando Hudson. Fast-forward to the 8th (after a combined 15 innings and 1 run allowed by the starters), and the Twins greeted former teammate Craig Breslow with a double, fielder’s choice, and RBI single (by Joe Mauer) to add a key insurance run and take a 2-0 lead. Duensing finished off the A’s with a perfect 9th, providing a necessary boost to the Twins bullpen who had 3 relievers unavailable due to recent high workloads. The Twins look for the sweep in the Sunday matinee finale, and send Kevin Slowey to the mound for his 1st start since a week ago Thursday in Tampa (he missed his regularly scheduled start due to elbow tightness during his bullpen session).
Record: 67-50
August 15th: Twins 4, A’s 2
The Year of the Pitcher extended to Minnesota on Sunday, but alas, a high pitch count ended thoughts of glory for Kevin Slowey. Fortunately, the Twins survived a late A’s rally to defeat Oakland 4-2 to sweep the 3-game series and open the 9-game homestand at a 3-0 mark. Slowey allowed exactly 0 hits in his 7 innings of work, but walked 3, hit 1, and most importantly, racked up 106 pitches that proved too high for him to finish the game. Fortunately, his offense scored enough runs to provide him with the victory, despite a 2-for-14 effort with runners in scoring position. The Twins began a rally with 2 outs in the 3rd, as Orlando Hudson and Joe Mauer singled, and Jason Kubel drove home Hudson with a ground-rule double to left to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. Michael Cuddyer walked to load the bases, but Jim Thome popped out to end the threat. No runs came across for Oakland, though, and Thome had another chance in the bottom of the 7th. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, 2 out, and with a 3-0 count, Thome launched a get-me-over fastball into the right-field seats, as the 16th homer of his season and 580th of his career gave the Twins a commanding 4-0 lead. Jon Rauch struggled in relief of Slowey, allowing 2 runs, 2 hits, and a walk while retiring just 1 man before being removed. But Jesse Crain continued his stellar pitching with a strikeout and a groundout to escape the inning, and Matt Capps allowed a base hit before inducing a double play on the way to his 3rd save in 4 chances since coming over from the Nationals. Winners of 4 straight and now 3 games better than Chicago in AL Central race, the Twins have Monday off before welcoming the rival White Sox to town for their 2nd matchup in a week. Scott Baker gets the start in the Tuesday night opener.
Record: 68-50
August 17th: Twins 7, White Sox 6, in 10 innings
“WAS IT OVER WHEN THE GERMANS BOMBED PEARL HARBOR?!” Well, Bluto may not have had it exactly right in Animal House, but he was certainly on to something. And on Monday night, it was never-say-die time for the Minnesota Twins, as Jim Thome crushed a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift his team past his former team, the White Sox, by a final of 7-6 in an incredible ballgame in a playoff atmosphere. It appeared early as though extra innings would most certainly not be needed, as the Twins rocketed to a 4-0 1st inning lead against Sox starter John Danks. Orlando Hudson blasted his 6th homer of the year to put the Twins on the board at 1-0, and Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer followed with singles. Jason Kubel launched a triple high off the wall in right-center for 2 more runs, and would score on a 2-out RBI single by Thome. But Scott Baker would nearly give it all back, allowing a homer, double, and homer to start the 2nd as the Sox immediately pulled to within 4-3. Baker would be aided by some stellar defense (Jason Kubel’s diving grab to save a sure RBI double earned the #1 Web Gem on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight), but would be pulled with 2 outs in the 5th after allowing 7 hits and a 4th run, as Glen Perkins had to escape a bases-loaded jam. Fortunately, he would retire Mark Kotsay on sweet defensive play by Hudson. Delmon Young went deep in the 5th, his 15th homer of the year putting the Twins back on top at 5-4. Glen Perkins pitched around a leadoff double in the 6th, and Matt Guerrier (20 holds) and Jesse Crain (13) had no trouble dispatching the Sox in the 7th and 8th innings, respectively. But it took only 2 pitches from Matt Capps for the Sox to tie the game, as Alexei Ramirez crushed a solo shot to left. The Sox would load the bases with 1 out for Paul Konerko, who’d homered earlier in the game. But he would hit into a 1-4-6-3 double play, as the double play tandem overcame a slight deflection off Capps’ glove to keep the Twins alive. Jon Rauch came on but was unable to escape the 10th scoreless, allowing 3 consecutive singles and retiring just 2 batters before departing. But Ron Mahay would retire the side to prevent further damage, and set the stage for the first walk-off home run, and walk-off hit, in Target Field history. Delmon Young hit the 1st pitch he saw off hard-throwing Sox lefty Matt Thornton into center field for a single, bringing Thome to the plate. Big Jim swung through the 1st fastball, but, undeterred, he lucked out with a high-inside fastball on the 2nd delivery. And Jim didn’t disappoint, absolutely annihilating the baseball over the seats and onto the plaza, setting the Twins off into a frenzy. Fresh off winning their 5th consecutive game in dramatic fashion, the teams return for a game Wednesday, and Francisco Liriano gets the start, looking for his 2nd win over the Sox in a week.
Record: 69-50
August 18th: Twins 7, White Sox 6
Same score, not nearly as much drama. The Twins overcame a rough start from Francisco Liriano, as Joe Mauer doubled and hit 1st Target Field homer of the year in a 4-hit night, in a 7-6 win over the White Sox to clinch the series with 1 game remaining. Liriano battled through 5 hard-fought innings and threw 106 pitches, leaving after allowing 2 runs in the 5th and trailing 5-3. He allowed those 5 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5, but was able to avoid the loss as his offense bailed him out. The Twins jumped on Sox starter Gavin Floyd in the 1st inning as Joe Mauer doubled in Denard Span, and scored on an RBI single by Michael Cuddyer for an early 2-0 lead. Liriano put his team behind after walking a pair and giving up a 3-run homer in the 2nd (the 1st homer he’s allowed in his last 96 innings), but Jason Kubel came right back in the 3rd with an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. Mauer’s 2-out homer cut the Sox’s lead to 5-4 in the 5th, and the back-breaking rally happened against Floyd in the 6th. Cuddyer led off the inning with a double, and Jim Thome followed with a walk. Delmon Young laced an RBI double into the left-field corner to tie the game at 5-5, and Danny Valencia grounded an RBI single up the middle to put the Twins in front 6-5. J.J. Hardy crushed a fly ball deep to left center that died on the track, but resulted in a sacrifice fly that provided a key insurance run and made it a 7-5 Twins lead. Jeff Manship picked up the win with a shutout 6th and an out in the 7th, and Jesse Crain came on to record 5 outs in the 7th and 8th innings for his 14th hold. And Matt Capps once again made things interesting in the 9th as he allowed 2 hits and a run in the 9th, but retired Alex Rios on a groundball to Cuddyer at 1st to end the game, his 5th save in 7 chances as a Twin. The Twins look for the sweep and their 7th consecutive win in the Thursday night finale, and ace Carl Pavano takes the mound looking for his 16th win of the year.
Record: 70-50
August 19th: White Sox 11, Twins 0
Well, sometimes it’s just not your night. The Twins were already playing with house money after 2 big 1-run wins over their division rivals, so Thursday’s 11-0 defeat to the White Sox isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. Still, after a brutal start from a starting pitcher for the 3rd consecutive night, the Twins all of a sudden have concerns in the rotation. Carl Pavano battled into the 7th inning but allowed season highs in hits (15) and runs (7), pitching up in the zone all night long and paying the price for it. For the night, the Sox pounded out an absurd 21 hits in a rough night for Twins pitching. On the other side, Mark Buehrle was dynamite for the White Sox, allowing a meager 5 hits and 1 walk in his 7 innings of work. Despite the defeat ending their 6-game winning streak and perfect homestand, the Twins look to bounce back in the final series of the homestand, as they take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Brian Duensing looks to duplicate his previous start (complete game shutout, 3 hits), and gets the start in the Friday night opener.
Record: 70-51
August 20th: Twins 7, Angels 2
Good teams have a short memory, the ability to completely forget about a difficult game in a very short period of time, and the Twins put that ability to good use on Friday night. Brian Duensing was every bit as good as he was his last time out (complete game shutout, 3 hits), and Jason Kubel hit a monstrous 3-run homer to give the Twins a solid cushion in the middle innings as the Twins coasted to a 7-2 win in the opening game of their 3-game home series against the Angels. Duensing threw 8 stellar innings and allowed just 1 run on 7 hits, didn’t walk anyone and struck out 6, to improve to 7-1 on the season with a 1.92 ERA, and is now 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA in 6 starts since joining the rotation. The jumped on Angels starter Dan Haren in the 1st with a pair of singles, and Joe Mauer got the 1st Twins run home with a sacrifice fly. Flash forward to the 3rd, when J.J. Hardy doubled and was still at 2nd when the Angels elected to intentionally walk Mauer with 2 out to bring up Kubel. Kubel promptly greeted Haren with a 3-run homer, and absolute moonshot to the plaza in right, as his 18th homer of the season gave the Twins a 4-0 lead. The Angels scored their lone run off Duensing in the 4th, but the Twins immediately answered with a 3-spot in the their half of the 4th. Jim Thome led off the inning with an improbable triple, and Delmon Young immediately got him home with an RBI single for a 5-1 Twins lead. Danny Valencia followed with a fly ball to left that turned into a double when Angels LF Juan Rivera lost the ball in the lights, and Hardy drove in young with a sacrifice fly to put the Twins ahead 6-1. After a Denard Span groundout, Orlando Hudson laced a single to center to plate Valencia with the 3rd run of the inning and give the Twins a 7-1 lead. Duensing took over from there, and Matt Guerrier allowed a meaningless run in the 9th before finishing out the victory. Saturday’s game is a regionally televised game on Fox, and Kevin Slowey gets the start, looking to continue to build on a recent string of excellent starts.
Record: 71-51
August 21st: Angels 9, Twins 3
August 21st was a brutal day for the Twins and their fans, and not just on the field. Kevin Slowey left the game with tightness is his right triceps after being shelled in just 3 innings of work, and Ron Mahay also left the game with an injury after allowing a pair of unearned runs, as an early 3-0 lead quickly disappeared and turned into a 9-3 rout at the hands of the Angels. Despite looking sharp in a scoreless 1st inning, Slowey couldn’t keep the Angels from knocking him around in the 4th, as he allowed 4 runs and 6 of the 7 hits he would allow in the inning, including back-to-back home runs, before departing the game. He would be placed on the disabled list after the game, and Nick Blackburn would be recalled. Michael Cuddyer singled home a pair of runs with 2 outs in the 1st, and he would later score on an RBI hit by Delmon Young for a 3-0 1st inning lead. But the Angels would take the lead in the 2nd, and they didn’t look back, adding a key insurance run in the 5th, and making the defense play of the game in the bottom of the 5th. The Twins loaded the bases with 3 consecutive singles with 1 out in the inning, and Delmon Young would hit a fly ball medium-deep center field. Angels CF Peter Bourjos would make the catch, then gun down Jason Kubel trying to score to end the inning. The Angels would score a pair of runs in the 6th off Mahay as Denard Span would drop a fly ball of the bat of Bourjos for an error, and would score 2 more in the 9th of Glen Perkins, just for good measure. Disappointingly, despite taking 6 walks from young Angels starter Trevor Bell, the Twins could only manage 4 hits off him, as he picked up his 3rd major league win. Looking to bounce back and win an important home series, the Twins send Scott Baker to the mound, as he continues to seek consistency in his results.
Record: 71-52
August 22nd: Twins 4, Angels 0
And just like that, everything returned to normal in Twins Territory, as Scott Baker (yes, THAT Scott Baker), threw 7 shutout innings and got plenty of run support as the Twins took the rubber game of the series against the Angels by a final of 4-0. Baker scattered 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4, lowering his ERA to 4.63 and winning his 11th decision of the season, and more importantly, coming up with a huge start at exactly the right time for a teetering Twins rotation and give the team some positive momentum heading into the road trip. The Twins struggled to get anything going Angels starter Jered Weaver, but then exploded for all 4 runs in the 5th. Danny Valencia led the inning off with a colossal home run to the 2nd deck in left field, putting the Twins on the board. The Twins then mounted a 2-out rally, beginning with Orlando Hudson’s 4th triple of the year. Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel walked to fill the bases, bringing Michael Cuddyer to the plate. Cuddyer would foul off 6 consecutive 2-out pitches before driving a hanging slider from Weaver into the left-center gap for a bases-clearing double. This would give the Twins the 4-0 cushion and allow them to coast to the win. Jesse Crain and Matt Capps finished off the victory with a shutout inning apiece, with Crain punctuating his inning with a strikeout of Hideki Matsui to leave 2 men on base. Following a tremendously successful 7-2 homestand and now sitting atop the AL Central with a season-best 5-game advantage over the 2nd place White Sox, the Twins head to the great state of Texas for a 4-game series in Arlington against the Rangers, their first meeting since the last weekend in May. Nick Blackburn makes his return to the majors, and gets the start in the Monday opener, taking the place of Kevin Slowey and starting on regular rest. Also of note: Francisco Liriano will be given extra rest and won’t start again until the finale in Texas on Thursday, as Carl Pavano and Brian Duensing will remain on their regular schedules.
Record: 72-52
August 23rd: Rangers 4, Twins 0
The Year of the Pitcher nearly victimized the Twins, but Joe Mauer saw to it that the Twins would avoid becoming a part of the wrong side of baseball history. Mauer singled with 1 out in the 9th inning to break up the Rangers’ no-hit bid, the only Twins hit of the night, in a 4-0 defeat to opener their series in Arlington. Nick Blackburn got the start for the Twins for the 1st time since July 18th and kept his team in the game, despite allowed a pair of 1st inning runs. Blackburn scattered 8 hits and 3 runs over 7 solid innings with 5 strikeouts, being victimized by a couple of weakly hit infield singles that eventually scored on a booming triple (and near home run) by Rangers RF David Murphy. J.J. Hardy also committed a rare error to allow another run to score in the 5th for a 3-0 Rangers lead. Matt Guerrier also allowed a run in the 8th. The Twins took 6 walks off Texas pitching, including 5 off starter Rich Harden, but were unable to find the outfield grass for a base hit until the 9th. Jason Kubel struck out and Michael Cuddyer flew out to end the game, stranding 2 runners in scoring position and preserving the shutout for Texas. The Twins look to bounce back in the 2nd game of the series, and Carl Pavano takes the hill for Minnesota.
Record: 72-53
August 24th: Rangers 4, Twins 3
Good but not good enough. It was a complete day of utter frustration for the Twins, as missed chances and good-but-not-great pitching ended their night on the wrong side of the scoreboard in a 4-3 defeat to the Rangers. Carl Pavano threw all 8 innings and pitched a solid game overall, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5, but once again wasn’t good enough as the offense failed to get him a victory. The Twins jumped on Rangers starter Colby Lewis in the 1st inning as Michael Cuddyer’s sinking line drive ended up a 2-run double as the Twins took an early 2-1 lead. But defensive miscues cost the team 2 runs, as the 1st Rangers run scored on a double play that couldn’t be turned quickly enough to prevent a runner scoring from the 3rd. Josh Hamilton homered to tie the game in the 4th, and the 2nd defensive mistake cost the Twins the lead, as Jason Kubel and Denard Span miscommunicated in the outfield to allow a fly ball turn into a double, and 2 singles later, the Rangers had a 3-2 lead. Michael Cuddyer groundout into a double play in the 6th with runners on 1st and 3rd to prevent a tying Twins run, and frustration may have boiled over in the 7th. Delmon Young and Danny Valencia led off the inning with singles, and Alexi Casilla hit a deep drive into the night to right that had a chance to give the Twins a 2-run lead. Instead, the ball hit the wall about 2 feet shy of a homer, resulting in an RBI double to tie the game and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Somehow the Twins came out of that situation without the go-ahead run scoring, as Drew Butera lined out to 3rd, Span hit into a fielder’s choice to 1st as Valencia was tagged out at the plate, and Orlando Hudson bounced into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Pavano then allowed a 2-out RBI single to Michael Young in the bottom of the inning to give the Rangers the lead back, and they would hold on, after another frustrating inning for Twins hitters. Young and Valencia both hit deep drives that were caught up against the outfield wall, and pinch-hitter Jim Thome didn’t even get a chance to bat, as he was promptly drilled in the leg with the 1st pitch from Rangers closer Neftali Feliz. Matt Tolbert came on to pinch-hit, and his 1st big-league at-bat in nearly 2 months ended predictably – in a game-ending strikeout.
Record: 72-54
August 25th: Rangers 4, Twins 3
Frustration is mounting, and the Twins wonder if they’ll even be able to salvage one game against Texas in this series after dropping their 3rd game in a row, again by a final of 4-3. Brian Duensing struggled out of the gate (as is his Modus Operandi), but settled down enough to throw 6 effective innings and allow a total of 4 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Unfortunately, Vlad Guerrero’s homer off him leading off the 6th gave the Rangers the go-ahead run and saddled Duensing with just his 2nd loss of the season. Josh Hamilton homered for the 2nd straight night to give the Rangers a 2-0 1st inning lead, as it took Duensing 30 pitches to escape the opening frame. Jason Kubel came right back with a double, went to 3rd on an error, and scored on a groundout to get the Twins on the board in the 2nd. After the Rangers added a run for a 3-1 lead, the Twins rallied in the 5th for a pair of runs, as Denard Span followed a couple of singles with an RBI double to pull the Twins within 3-2. Orlando Hudson battled Rangers starter C.J. Wilson for a walk to load the bases, but Joe Mauer, coming into the at-bat hitting 1-for-16 for career against Wilson (by far his worst performance against any pitcher), managed just a weak groundball out. Fortunately, that scored the tying run, but Michael Cuddyer was unable to deliver a 2-run hit right behind him, flying out to center to end the inning. Span’s hit was the only hit the Twins could deliver with runners in scoring position, and the Rangers bullpen was lights-out after taking over for Wilson with the lead. A total of 5 relievers at one point combined for 5 consecutive strikeouts of Twins hitters, and preserved the win for Texas. The finale of the series pits 2 premiere lefties against one another, as Francisco Liriano takes the mound to try to prevent a sweep, opposite elite Rangers lefty Cliff Lee.
Record: 72-55
August 26th: Twins 6, Rangers 4
Finally off the schnide, and not a second too late. Francisco Liriano returned to vintage form with 7 stellar innings, and Delmon Young and Jim Thome each homered to provide the necessary support as the Twins ended their first 3-game losing skid since before the All-Star break and salvaged the final game in Arlington with a 6-4 win over the Rangers. Liriano improved to 12-7 on the season as he carried a shutout into the 7th before running into trouble, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits in the frame. But he scattered just 2 other hits and 1 walk prior to that while striking out 6, including Josh Hamilton twice. Young got the Twins on the board in style in the 2nd, following a pair of singles with a 3-run homer, his 16th of the year to increase his team RBI lead to 91. Michael Cuddyer came through with 2 outs in the 3rd, as his 2-run double into the left field corner improbably extended Minnesota’s lead to 5-0 against Texas ace Cliff Lee. Thome hit his 18th homer of the year and 582nd of his illustrious career to increase the Twins’ lead to 6-0, before the Rangers rallied. Vlad Guerrero followed the Rangers 2-run 7th with a 2-run homer in the 8th off Matt Guerrier to pull the Rangers to within 6-4, but Jesse Crain struck out catcher Bengie Molina easily to end the inning, and Matt Capps quickly took care of Texas on just 8 pitches in the 9th to save his 6th game in 8 chances as a Twin. Next up on the road trip for Minnesota is a place that hasn’t been kind to them in recent years: Seattle’s Safeco Field. Scott Baker looks to get things off on the right foot for the Twins, and gets the start in the Friday night opener.
Record: 73-55
August 27th: Twins 6, Mariners 3
It seems over the years that no matter how many reinforcements the Twins bring up from Class AAA, there always seems to be more help in the pipeline in a given year. This year’s top prospect was Danny Valencia, and the impact he’s made on the 2010 Twins cannot be understated, and he had the at-bat of the game in the Twins’ 6-3 win in Seattle to open the 3-game series. Valencia hit a 2-run triple and scored as part of a 3-run Twins 6th that extended Minnesota’s lead to 5-1, and Scott Baker took over from there as he won his 12th decision of the season. Baker threw 6 2/3 solid innings and allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4, and also getting the necessary help from the offense and bullpen to hold on for the win. The Twins scored a run each in the 1st and 2nd innings as Joe Mauer and Drew Butera each drove in runs. Valencia’s hit was the dagger, and later Mauer doubled home his 2nd RBI of the game to prove the Twins with a 6-1 lead. New Twins lefty Randy Flores, obtained off waivers from Colorado on Wednesday, pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 7th, and Matt Guerrier came to his rescue in the 8th, pitching out of a base-loaded quandary himself by getting a pop up and double play. Jon Rauch allowed a run in the 9th before closing out the win. The Twins send Nick Blackburn to the mound in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series, as he looks to repeat his solid performance from his previous start in Texas.
Record: 74-55
August 28th: Twins 1, Mariners 0
World, remember Nick Blackburn? No? Well, he’s not going away quietly, as his near shutout can attest. Blackburn finished one out shy of completing his 1st career shutout, and Denard Span singled in the only run of the game in the 3rd inning, as the Twins overcame a lack of scoring punch and the loss of 2 regulars to injury to survive the Mariners and win by a final of 1-0, their first 1-0 win since 2007. Blackburn allowed only 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6, with his 2nd walk coming with 2 outs in the 9th and ending a string of 21 consecutive Seattle hitters retired. Brian Fuentes, acquired Friday from the Los Angeles Angels, came on to strike out DH Russell Branyan to end the game and preserve the shutout win. Span followed a single from Danny Valencia and double from J.J. Hardy with an RBI single to give the Twins the early lead. But Matt Tolbert (Hudson’s replacement) struck out and Joe Mauer grounded into a double play to prevent further scoring. Fortunately, the 1 run was all Blackburn would need, and the Twins won their 3rd game in the row. Also beneficial to the Twins is that the injuries to both Hudson (right ankle strain) and Thome (tight back) appear to be minor and they should be back in a short time. The Twins, already rare winners of a series at Safeco Field, look for the sweep in the Sunday finale, and send Carl Pavano to the mound to go get it.
Record: 75-55
August 29th: Mariners 2, Twins 1
When you play with fire long enough, eventually you’re going to get burned. After playing so many close games recently, eventually the Twins were due to lose one, and they did on Sunday by a final if 2-1 as the Mariners salvaged the final game of the series on their home field. Carl Pavano got the start for Minnesota and was every bit as good as he’s been all year, shutting Seattle out until the 7th, when things turned for the worse. Michael Cuddyer hit a 3-0 pitch from M’s starter Luke French into the 2nd deck in the left-field stands to break a scoreless tie and give the Twins a 1-0 lead, and it looked like the Twins might win their 2nd consecutive 1-0 game. But the Mariners rallied with 1 out against Pavano, stringing together 3 straight singles (and taking advantage of a rare wild pitch from Pavano) to plate a pair of runs and take a 2-1 lead. Up until the point Pavano had allowed just 2 Seattle hits, but it was enough to saddle Pavano with his 3rd straight loss and 10th of the season. For the series, the Mariners managed just 2 extra-base hits, and none in Sunday’s contest, but French and Mariner bullpen did the job against the Twins, allowing just 4 other singles outside of Cuddyer’s homer. It was also fitting that Cuddyer would ground into the double play to end the game. Fortunately, the Twins still won the series (their 1st in Seattle since 2007, and return home for a 9-game homestand that begins Tuesday after Monday’s off-day. The Detroit Tigers are in town, and the Twins send Brian Duensing to the mound to greet them in the opening game of the series.
Record: 75-56
August 31st: Twins 4, Tigers 3
And so the season of the never-say-die 2010 Twins rolls on. Brian Duensing settled down after a shaky 1st 2 frames, and the Twins took advantage of a bout of wildness on the part of the Tigers’ relief corps, rallying from a 3-run deficit to slip past Detroit 4-3 in the opening game of the series at Target Field, staying 4 games in front of the 2nd-place White Sox in the AL Central division race. None of the 3 runs Duensing allowed were earned, and after allowing 4 hits and a walk to score those runs in the 1st 2 innings, he gave up only 5 hits the rest of the way, but settled for a no-decision after 6 2/3 innings. The Twins couldn’t muster anything against Tigers starter Armando Galarraga until the 6th, when Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia each drove in runs with RBI hits to cut Detroit’s lead to 3-2. Unfortunately, Valencia’s hit, while capping a 3-hit day, bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double that prevented the tying run from scoring from 1st, and Jason Repko flew out to end the inning. But the Twins fought right back in the 7th as well, as J.J. Hardy led off with a walk. After a sac bunt and a strikeout, Joe Mauer (elbow) and Jason Kubel (wrist) were both hit by pitches, but both managed to stay in the game. Cuddyer took a 4-pitch walk to force in the tying run, and Delmon Young ripped a sharp single to right to put the Twins in front. Kubel was tagged out at the plate to end the inning, but the damage was done, in the form of a 4-3 Twins lead. Randy Flores and Jesse Crain combined for a shutout 8th, and Matt Capps pitched around a leadoff single to strand the tying run at 3rd and save his 7th game in 9 chances as a Twin. Francisco Liriano takes his turn on the mound in the 2nd game of the series on Wednesday.
Record: 76-56
September 1st: Twins 2, Tigers 1, in 10 innings
Injuries mounting? Little offense? No problem. Francisco Liriano mowed down the Tigers over 7 shutout innings, and Danny Valencia singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, as the Twins survived multiple jams and minuscule offensive production to outlast Detroit 2-1 in the 2nd game of the series. Liriano allowed just 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7, but was not able to figure in the decision, as a 1-0 Twins lead (provided on a Jose Morales sacrifice fly following a double and single) didn’t hold up. Manager Ron Gardenhire tried to play the matchup game in the 8th, and it worked – until a 2-out RBI single by 3B Jhonny Peralta tied the game. Jesse Crain allowed a single, then got a bunt pop out, and Randy Flores struck out a right-handed pinch-hitter to set up Matt Guerrier. Guerrier battled all-world 1B Miguel Cabrera until he forced a walk, then Peralta followed with the game-tying hit. But Guerrier was able to retire the side without further damage, and Matt Capps and Jon Rauch each threw a shutout inning apiece to get the Twins to the bottom of the 10th. Finally having escaped starter Max Scherzer, who allowed just 4 hits, 1 run, and 1 walk while striking out 9 over his 9 outstanding innings, Michael Cuddyer led off the 10th with a single to left. Delmon Young struck out swinging, but Cuddyer was able to steal 2nd as the throw from catcher Alex Avila was high and pulled the 2nd baseman away from the bag. Valencia took 5 pitches, including 2 97-mph fastball right down the middle, before lining a 95-mph fastball to center field, scoring Cuddyer from 2nd and sending the Twins home happy. Jim Thome (back) was able to come off the bench to pinch-hit in the 9th, and Jason Kubel (wrist) and Orlando Hudson (ankle) are both listed as day-to-day. Minnesota looks for the sweep in the Thursday evening finale, sending Scott Baker to the hill to keep the momentum.
Record: 77-56
September 2nd: Tigers 10, Twins 9, in 13 innings
Losing seriously sucks. Compound a loss with the starter leaving after 2 innings, the bullpen pitching 11 innings, and 2 starters having to be used, and a loss could become a much greater concern. This is what the Twins and manager Ron Gardenhire are now faced with, in the aftermath of a bitterly tough-to-swallow 10-9 defeat at the hands of the Tigers, who avoided a 3-game sweep with just their 2nd win in 9 games at Target Field this season. Scott Baker got the start and really struggled, needing 46 pitches to get threw just 2 innings and allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3, and then leaving with what was described as an elbow strain. Jeff Manship came on in relief and positioned himself to be the winning pitcher, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits in 4 stellar innings, and leaving with the Twins ahead 6-3. After falling behind 2-0, Jose Mijares drilled a bases-loaded 2-run single in the 2nd to tie the game. J.J. Hardy’s sacrifice fly put the Twins in front in the 4th, and after the Tigers tied it in the 5th, the Twins came right back in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of an error by Tigers 2B Will Rhymes to score 3 unearned runs. One run came in on the error (Rhymes was covering 2nd on a groundball back to Tigers ace Justin Verlander which looked like a tailor-made double play, but the balled glanced off Rhymes glove into the outfield), Danny Valencia added a sacrifice fly, and Jason Repko drove in another run with an RBI single. Valencia added some insurance with an RBI single of his own in the 7th, and the Twins cruised into the 8th with a 7-3 lead. But everything unraveled in the 8th, as Randy Flores and Matt Guerrier each allowed solo homers, and a throwing error by Hardy allowed runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd with 2 out before Rhymes atoned for his error with a game-tying 2-run single. The Twins looked to be back in the business in the bottom of the inning, as Repko led off with a walk, advanced on a sacrifice fly and then on a passed ball, and Alexi Casilla drove him in with a 2-out RBI single to put the Twins back in front 8-7. But the battered Twins bullpen, with Brian Fuentes (back) and Matt Capps (sore shoulder/overuse) unavailable, was unable to hold the 9th-inning lead. Jesse Crain allowed a solo homer to young Casper Wells, his 1st major-league home run, after coming on for all-world 1B Miguel Cabrera (shoulder), and the Twins went quietly in the 9th as the game went to extra innings. Crain was able to get through the 10th as well, but after the Tigers struck out the side in the 10th, they rallied for a run on 3 hits against Sunday’s Twins starter Brian Duensing, pitching just 2 days after throwing 6 2/3 innings against the same team. Miraculously, the Twins rallied themselves in the bottom of the inning, as a pair of potential inning-ending double play balls were converted into just 1 out, and Denard Span was able to score after leading off with a walk, advancing to 2nd on a single and to 3rd on an error (misplay #1), and then scoring on a fielder’s choice (misplay #2), tying the game at 9. Duensing retired the side in the 12th, but the Twins failed to score, sending the game to the 13th. Nick Blackburn, Friday night’s starter, came on, but allowed a 1-out solo homer to C Gerald Laird, his first at-bat of the game after sitting for the 1st 12 innings. The Twins went quietly in the 13th to lose the game, and somehow, of the 15 hits they accumulated for the game, NONE of them were for extra bases. Not one. Unbelievable. With the bullpen completely shot and the team in need of minor league arms as well as a starter pitching deep into the ball game, the Twins welcome the Texas Rangers to town, the team they’re battling for the potential #2 seed in the postseason (and homefield advantage in the 1st round). The Twins have yet to name a starter for Friday night’s opening game, as Blackburn, the scheduled starter prior to the game, may no longer be available after throwing in Thursday’s game.
Record: 77-57
September 3rd: Twins 4, Rangers 3
Despite the continuous mounting of injuries, the Twins continue to persevere, and nothing encompasses that perseverance more than their latest game, a 4-3 win in a playoff atmosphere against a playoff team as the Twins played their 6th consecutive 1-run game (and won their 4th). Battered by injuries and overuse, the Twins pitching staff was completely shot, and had to turn to young Matt Fox to make his major league debut. Fox was turned out to be just what the doctor ordered, throwing 5 2/3 solid innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and keeping the potent Texas lineup in check all night. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the game tied in the 6th, as he allowed a single, stolen base, and 2-out RBI single that put Texas in front 2-1. But the Twins bounced right back in the bottom of half of the inning to get Fox off the hook. Orlando Hudson grounded a 1-out single to left and advanced to 3rd on a Joe Mauer single, with both runners taking advantage of Rangers CF Julio Borbon's below-average throwing arm to take the extra base and reach 3rd and 2nd respectively. Michael Cuddyer bounced the 1st pitch he saw to 2nd, and with the second baseman playing back, Hudson scored to tie the game at 2-2. Rangers starter Derek Holland continued to pitch effectively, and the Rangers re-took the lead in the top of the 7th on a suicide squeeze against recently-recalled Twins reliever Alex Burnett. But once again, the resilient Twins bounced back against Holland and the vaunted Ranger bullpen, as Danny Valencia grounded a 1-out single to left. After Matt Tolbert came on to pinch-run for him (Valencia came up lame running to 2nd and left the game with a pulled hamstring, prognosis unclear at this time), Jason Repko battled Holland to take a walk to advance Tolbert to 2nd. J.J Hardy hit the 1st pitch he saw from reliever Alexi Ogando into left-field for the game-tying RBI single, and after another pitching change, Denard Span lined a single to right to score Repko with the go-ahead run to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Faced with a 1st-and-3rd, 1 out situation, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire turned to closer Matt Capps to make a 5-out save - and he did just that. He struck out DH Nelson Cruz, then retired the next hitter on a fielder's choice groundout to strand the runners and preserve the lead. In the 9th, after allowing a 1-out single, he gave up another hit on a line drive to RF Jason Repko. Repko came up firing and delivered a strike to Tolbert at 3rd to cut down Rangers pinch runner Alex Cora for the 2nd out. Capps retired SS Elvis Andrus on the 1st pitch of the next at-bat to end the game and shut the door on the Rangers. Back up to a 4-game lead over Chicago and now 2.5 games better than Texas in the race for the #2 seed and homefield advantage in the AL playoffs, the Twins send Carl Pavano to the hill in the 2nd game of the series, hoping for another deep, bullpen-preserving start from their innings-eating sometimes-ace.
Record: 78-57
Despite the continuous mounting of injuries, the Twins continue to persevere, and nothing encompasses that perseverance more than their latest game, a 4-3 win in a playoff atmosphere against a playoff team as the Twins played their 6th consecutive 1-run game (and won their 4th). Battered by injuries and overuse, the Twins pitching staff was completely shot, and had to turn to young Matt Fox to make his major league debut. Fox was turned out to be just what the doctor ordered, throwing 5 2/3 solid innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and keeping the potent Texas lineup in check all night. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the game tied in the 6th, as he allowed a single, stolen base, and 2-out RBI single that put Texas in front 2-1. But the Twins bounced right back in the bottom of half of the inning to get Fox off the hook. Orlando Hudson grounded a 1-out single to left and advanced to 3rd on a Joe Mauer single, with both runners taking advantage of Rangers CF Julio Borbon's below-average throwing arm to take the extra base and reach 3rd and 2nd respectively. Michael Cuddyer bounced the 1st pitch he saw to 2nd, and with the second baseman playing back, Hudson scored to tie the game at 2-2. Rangers starter Derek Holland continued to pitch effectively, and the Rangers re-took the lead in the top of the 7th on a suicide squeeze against recently-recalled Twins reliever Alex Burnett. But once again, the resilient Twins bounced back against Holland and the vaunted Ranger bullpen, as Danny Valencia grounded a 1-out single to left. After Matt Tolbert came on to pinch-run for him (Valencia came up lame running to 2nd and left the game with a pulled hamstring, prognosis unclear at this time), Jason Repko battled Holland to take a walk to advance Tolbert to 2nd. J.J Hardy hit the 1st pitch he saw from reliever Alexi Ogando into left-field for the game-tying RBI single, and after another pitching change, Denard Span lined a single to right to score Repko with the go-ahead run to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Faced with a 1st-and-3rd, 1 out situation, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire turned to closer Matt Capps to make a 5-out save - and he did just that. He struck out DH Nelson Cruz, then retired the next hitter on a fielder's choice groundout to strand the runners and preserve the lead. In the 9th, after allowing a 1-out single, he gave up another hit on a line drive to RF Jason Repko. Repko came up firing and delivered a strike to Tolbert at 3rd to cut down Rangers pinch runner Alex Cora for the 2nd out. Capps retired SS Elvis Andrus on the 1st pitch of the next at-bat to end the game and shut the door on the Rangers. Back up to a 4-game lead over Chicago and now 2.5 games better than Texas in the race for the #2 seed and homefield advantage in the AL playoffs, the Twins send Carl Pavano to the hill in the 2nd game of the series, hoping for another deep, bullpen-preserving start from their innings-eating sometimes-ace.
Record: 78-57
September 4th: Twins 12, Rangers 4
Despite a lineup that continues to hit with injuries, the unstoppable train known as the Minnesota Twins continues to roll on; you can’t stop them, you can only hope to contain them. This time it was the thunder-and-lightning combo of Jim Thome and Matt Tolbert that did the job, providing more than enough support for Carl Pavano in a 12-4 Twins destruction of Texas in the 2nd game of the series. Pavano sailed through 8 solid innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits to cruise to his 16th win of the season against 10 losses. The offense, meanwhile, hung 5 1st inning runs on the Rangers, showing starter Colby Lewis no mercy. Lewis nearly wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam, but J.J. Hardy came through with a 2-out 2-run ground-rule double to put the Twins on top 2-0. After a walk to Jason Repko, Tolbert, playing in place of the mildly-injured Danny Valencia, tripled into the right-field corner to clear the bases and give the Twins a 5-0 lead. Next it was Thome’s turn, as he first tied Mark McGwire for the 9th on the all-time home run list with his 583rd career homer (a solo shot in the 3rd), and then one inning later, his 3-run shot (20) put him in front of McGwire and gave the Twins a commanding 9-0 lead. After the Rangers cut the Twins’ lead to 9-3, Tolbert fired back again, hitting his 2nd triple of the game to the right-center gap to drive in 2 more runs, and then scoring on a wild pitch to extend the Twins’ lead to 12-3. Rob Delaney, one of the 3 call-ups the Twins made the previous night in light of the recent overworking working of the pitching staff, made a rather lackluster major-league debut (a solo home run and total 3 hits), but eventually set down the Rangers to finish off the blowout win for the Twins. Minnesota also received good news on injuries, as LF/DH Jason Kubel was scheduled to return to the lineup Sunday following a wrist injury. It is also believed that 3B Danny Valencia will not miss too much time after leaving Friday night’s game with a tight right hamstring.
Record: 79-57
September 5th: Twins 6, Rangers 5
Sometimes in baseball, you get the routine, and other times, you get the wild, crazy, and unexpected. And the end of the Twins’ 6-5 win over the Rangers most certainly qualified for the latter. The Rangers were in the midst of a stunning 9th inning comeback that began with them behind 6-2, and ended at 6-5 as Rangers 3B Michael Young was caught making contact with his 3rd base coach after rounding the back, which is illegal, and ended up being the final out of the game. Jon Rauch began the inning with a comfortable 6-2 cushion after needing a mere 8 pitches to retire the side in the 8th. Rauch allowed a single to leadoff the 9th, but struck out the next 2 Rangers to pull the Twins within 1 out from victory. And that’s when things took a turn for the worse, beginning with an RBI double that knocked Rauch out of the game to cut Minnesota’s lead to 6-3. That lead became 6-4 when Capps came on and promptly allowed an RBI single, another single, and a walk to load the bases. And that’s when the craziness began. Vladimir Guerrero was the hitter for Texas, and he hit a slow dribbler on a 1-0 pitch up the middle that was cut off in the infield by Orlando Hudson. Young rounded the bag too far, and as his 3rd base coach told him to get back to the bag, their hands made contact, and the 3rd-base umpire made the out call to end the game and give the Twins a bizarre win and prevent a terrible collapse. Nick Blackburn got the start for Minnesota and continued his stellar pitching since his recall from Class AAA, lasting 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 runs while striking out 4, to lower his ERA to 5.85 and even his record at 9-9. The offense got to the Rangers ace C.J. Wilson early, as Michael Cuddyer drove in a pair of runs to give the Twins a 2-0 1st inning lead. After the Rangers tied the game in the 2nd, the Twins took advantage of a couple of walks to take a 3-2 lead on Denard Span’s sacrifice fly. The Twins then mounted a 3-walk, 2-single, 3-run rally in the 6th break the game open, with J.J. Hardy, Span, and Hudson collecting the RBIs to extend Minnesota’s lead to 6-2. The game would prove to be a little too close for comfort at the end, but Capps would get some luck to close out his 9th save in 11 chances as a Twin. Fresh off the 3-game sweep of an AL playoff contender, the Twins close out their 9-game homestand with a 3-game set against the Royals. Kevin Slowey is set to be activated from the DL before the game, and will make the start in Labor Day Monday’s matinee opener.
Record: 80-57
September 6th: Twins 5, Royals 4
New opponent, same result. While the White Sox keep putting pressure on Minnesota to win, the Twins do just that, this time fending off a pesky Royals team to win the opener of the series by a final of 5-4. Kevin Slowey made his return from the disabled, but it was a shaky one. He needed 77 pitches to get through just 4 innings, and allowed 7 hits, but just 2 runs as he pitched out of multiple jams and left 6 Royals on base. Jeff Manship came on to throw 2 innings in relief and allow 2 runs, but preserved the lead to earn his 2nd win of the season. After the Royals scored 2 runs off Slowey in the 2nd, the Twins took 3 consecutive walks from Royals starter Sean O’Sullivan, and Matt Tolbert got the Twins on the board with a sacrifice fly to cut Kansas City’s lead to 2-1. Jim Thome tied the game in the 4th with an RBI double following a Michael Cuddyer base hit, and the Twins finally got to O’Sullivan in the 5th. Joe Mauer singled with 1-out, and Jason Kubel followed with an opposite-field 2-run homer into the Royal bullpen, his 19th of the year giving the Twins a 4-2 lead. Thome followed 2 batters later with his team-leading 21st homer and 585th of his career, which was estimated at 484 feet, the longest in Target Field’s young history. The Royals answered with 2 runs against Manship in the 6th, but they would get no closer. Matt Guerrier overcame a leadoff single in the 7th (allowed by Randy Flores) to throw a shutout inning, Jesse Crain pitched around a leadoff walk to retire the side in the 8th, and Matt Capps set the Royals down on just 8 pitches to record his 10th save in 12 chances since coming over from Washington in a trade. Francisco Liriano gets the start in Tuesday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 81-57
September 7th: Twins 10, Royals 3
For the 1st half of the season, it was an eternal struggle for the Twins to get a hit with the bases loaded, and they were in the middle of the pack in hitting with runners in scoring position. Minnesota appears to have solved this riddle, and that fact was on full display in Tuesday night’s 10-3 trouncing of Kansas City, as the Twins rallied for 4 2-out hits in a 6-run 3rd inning that broke the game open early. Francisco Liriano got more support than he knew what to do with, pitching an easy 7 innings and allowing a meager 2 runs on 7 hits while striking out 4 to cruise to his 13th win of the season and lower his ERA to a solid 3.24. A sacrifice fly by J.J. Hardy got the Twins on the board in the 2nd, but Hardy was just getting started, as the floodgates opened in the 3rd. Denard Span led off with a rocket to 1st that result in a single, and later scored on a 2-out RBI single by Jason Kubel to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. Michael Cuddyer singled and Jim Thome walked to fill the bases, and Delmon Young delivered a 2-run single to left to double the lead to 4-0. A wild pitch moved the runners up, and Hardy came through with a line-drive single to center to up the lead to 6-0. After a pitching change, Matt Tolbert crushed an RBI triple to right to extend the lead to 7-0, and the Twins never looked back. Young added another 2-run hit in the 4th, this time a double, and Jim Thome provided a little icing on the cake with the launching of his 22nd homer of the season and 586th of his career (tying him with Frank Robinson for 8th all-time), a solo shot that capped the onslaught of Twins scoring. Glen Perkins threw a shutout 8th, and Pat Neshek made his long-awaited return to the big club, allowing a run on a hit and 2 walks before retiring the side to finish out the win. Also of note was the major-league debut of highly-touted top prospect Ben Revere, who struck out in his only plate appearance and made one put-out in center field. The Twins look to break out the brooms and win their 6th straight in the Wednesday night finale, with Brian Duensing set to take the hill against reigning AL Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke.
Record: 82-57
September 8th: Twins 4, Royals 3
Taking care of business. You win the games you’re supposed to at this time of year, and you’re going to be in good shape, and the Twins are doing just that, as they completed a 3-game sweep of the Royals with a 4-3 win. Brian Duensing was as sharp as he’s been all season, dominating a punchless Royals lineup over 8 strong innings and 105 pitches, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits, not walking anyone while striking out 7 to win his 8th game of the year and lower his stellar ERA to 2.02. The Twins rallied against defending Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke in the 5th, all with 2 outs. Jose Morales, starting at DH in place of Jim Thome (a late scratch with a slight abdominal strain), drew a walk and advanced to 2nd on a single by J.J. Hardy (who broke up the no-hitter with that hit). Matt Tolbert followed with an RBI single to right to put the Twins on the board and tie the game at 1-1, and Denard Span delivered an 2-run triple into the right field corner to immediately break the tie and put the Twins ahead for good. Hardy added a little insurance in the 7th with a solo homer off Greinke, his 6th of the year, to put the Twins up 4-1. Matt Capps allowed 2 run on 2 hits, adding a little more drama than the Twins would like, before retiring the side in the 9th for his 11th save in 13 chances as a Twin. Fresh off an immensely successful 8-1 homestand and riding a 6-game winning streak, the Twins will enjoy an off-day on Thursday before heading to Cleveland for a 3-game series against the Indians. Carl Pavano looks for his team-leading 17th win in Friday’s opening game.
Record: 83-57
September 10th: Indians 2, Twins 0
Sometimes in baseball, you just have to tip your cap to an amazing performance thrown by the opposing pitcher, and such was the case on Friday night, as Fausto Carmona threw a complete-game shutout to defeat Carl Pavano and the Twins 2-0 and end their 6-game winning streak. Carmona allowed the Twins only 3 hits; Denard Span triple in the 3rd inning (after J.J. Hardy’s single was erased on a double play hit into by Drew Butera), but Orlando Hudson’s subsequent line drive was snared by the 3rd baseman to end the inning. Only a Jason Kubel single was managed the rest of the way by the dominated Twins offense. Carl Pavano nearly dueled Carmona pitch for pitch, but the Indians made the most of their few opportunities. The Tribe got on the board on a solo homer by 1B Matt LaPorta, and put together a single, double, and sacrifice fly to score their 2nd run in the 5th. That was all the Tribe would need against Pavano, who suffered a hard-luck 11th loss of the season. The Twins look to quickly rebound and start a new winning streak in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series, and Nick Blackburn takes the hill looking to continue his solid pitching since re-entering the rotation.
Record: 83-58
September 11th: Twins 1, Indians 0, in 12 innings
Finally the Twins managed to score again, and it only took 12 innings to do it (and 21 innings overall). Somehow, despite the lackluster offense, Nick Blackburn kept the Twins in the game with 8 stellar innings, helping set up Jim Thome for his 12th-inning home run to give the Twins a well-earned 1-0 win and gain ground on the White Sox. Blackburn allowed just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3, throwing an efficient 94 pitches in the outing, but was unable to get even one run of run support to get a victory. Fortunately, the bullpen took over from where he left off, as Jesse Crain threw 2 shutout innings, Matt Guerrier rescued Randy Flores by pitching out of a 2-on, none-out jam in the 8th and ended up earning his 4th win of the year in relief, and Matt Capps needed only 9 pitches to get through a perfect 12th for his 10th save in 12 chances as a Twin. The Twins offense managed only 8 hits as a team in 12 innings of batting, and was riding a 21-inning scoreless streak heading into the 12th, before Thome unloaded on a 2-0 pitch off Cleveland reliever Justin Germano, his team-leading 23rd of the year, and the 587th of his majestic career.
Record: 84-58
September 12th: Twins 6, Indians 2
If you make mistakes and spot a team a big lead early, it’s so tough to get back into the game, and the Indians found this out the hard way, spotting the Twins a 5-run lead in the 1st inning as the Twins cruised to a 6-2 win to take the series. Kevin Slowey made his 2nd start since returning from the Disabled List, lasting just 5 innings and allowing 2 unearned runs on 6 hits, not walking anyone and striking out 5 while throwing 88 pitches, to improve his record to 12-6 for the 2010 season. Tribe starter Mitch Talbot appeared to be having trouble finishing his pitches, and as a result, faced just 3 batters without retiring of them before departing the game with an injured shoulder. Denard Span walked to lead off the game, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on an infield hit by Orlando Hudson, and scored on an opposite-field RBI single by Joe Mauer for a 1-0 Twins lead. Justin Masterson came on in relief and wasn’t much better than Talbot at first, retiring Jason Kubel on a fly out but allowing a single to Michael Cuddyer to load the bases with 1 out. The Tribe nearly wiggled out of the jam as Jim Thome hit a tailor-made double play ball to 2nd. But 2nd baseman Luis Valbuena booted the ball, as Hudson scored to increase the lead to 2-0 and keep the bases full. A wild pitch scored Joe Mauer, Delmon Young followed with a sacrifice fly, and Danny Valencia came through with an RBI single to cap the 5-run inning. Both Tribe runs came in the 2nd inning against Slowey, but they couldn’t get anything else the rest of the way, including a bases-loaded 1-out jam Slowey escaped in the 5th. Cuddyer followed a Kubel double in the 6th with an RBI single for an insurance run, and the bullpen took the reins from there. Glen Perkins came on to throw a pair of scoreless innings, Jose Mijares (his 1st appearance since August 21st) and Jon Rauch combined for a shutout 8th, and Brian Fuentes made his 2nd appearance since coming over in a trade with the Angels to retire the Indians in order in the 9th on just 11 pitches to finish off the win. With their 6-game division lead intact and their Magic Number to an AL Central division title down to just 14, the Twins will enjoy a Monday off-day before heading to the South side of Chicago for the final time this season for a 3-game set against the 2nd place White Sox. Francisco Liriano takes the mound for Tuesday’s opening game.
Record: 85-58
September 14th: Twins 9, White Sox 3
The Twins just don’t seem to be leaving any doubt who the best team in the American League Central division is, this time blowing open a close game late in Chicago to saddle the White Sox with a 9-3 defeat to extend their division lead to a season-best 7 games, and lowering their Magic Number to 12. Francisco Liriano got the start but wasn’t at his sharpest, giving back a 2-0 lead and allowing 3 runs for the game on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7, but stayed in the game long enough to receive adequate run support to pick up his career-best-extending 14th win of the 2010 season. The game was a scoreless duel between Liriano and Sox starter John Danks until Delmon Young got a hold of a 1st-pitch slider from Danks and deposited it into the left-field bleachers to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. Then, J.J. Hardy doubled and Denard Span singled him in to extend the lead to 2-0, but Liriano was unable to avoid allowing a tying 2-run single in the bottom half of the inning. The Sox then loaded the bases against him in the 6th with nobody out; Liriano was able to wriggle out of the jam with only 1 run scoring, but the Sox had taken a 3-2 to lead with 9 outs to go. But as has been the case pretty much the entire season, the game is never over with this current Twins’ offense, as the team left its slump in Cleveland and hung 7 runs on the Sox in the 7th and 8th innings. Young was hit by a pitch to lead off the 7th, and he advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. After Jim Thome popped out, Danny Valencia single to center to drive home Young (aided by a fielding error on Sox CF Alex Rios) to tie the game at 3-3, and Valencia would immediately put the Twins back in front, scoring all the way from 1st on an RBI double by J.J. Hardy. The bottom of the inning was extremely tense, as the Sox collected consecutive singles to lead off the inning against Matt Guerrier, then executed a sacrifice bunt and took a walk from Jesse Crain to load the bases. Facing an AL MVP Candidate (Paul Konerko) and one of the greatest right-handed hitters in the history of the sport (Manny Ramirez) back-to-back, Crain proceeded to blow a 97-MPH fastball past a flailing Konerko, and then froze Ramirez with a gorgeous slider to end the inning and preserve the 4-3 lead. The margin was blown way out of reach in the 8th against the Sox struggling bullpen, as Jason Kubel got into the action with an RBI double, 3 consecutive walks brought him in with the 2nd run of the inning, and Denard Span’s line drive to center field dropped out of the glove of Rios, plating all 3 base runners and giving the Twins an insurmountable 9-3 advantage. Brian Fuentes and Jon Rauch each set the Sox down in order in a shutout inning apiece to close out the convincing win. Now ahead 7 games with just 18 left to play, the Twins send Brian Duensing to the mound to try to bring the Twins even closer to a 6th AL Central division title in 9 years.
Record: 86-58
September 15th: Twins 9, White Sox 3
Once again, the game was scoreless into the 5th, and once again, the Twins took over the game, coasting to a 9-3 win for the 2nd straight night, all but eliminating the 2nd-place White Sox from contention in the AL Central race in the process. Brian Duensing got the start and followed in Francisco Liriano’s footsteps from the previous night, pitching out of a couple of jams early and eventually settling down to throw 6 solid innings and allow only a 2-run homer despite 9 total hits and a walk, while striking out 4 to earn his 9th win of the season. The Twins got nothing against Sox starter Gavin Floyd for 4 2/3 innings, and then rallied for 3 runs with 2 outs in the 5th. Denard Span singled up the middle and stole 2nd, and then went to 3rd on an infield hit by Orlando Hudson. Joe Mauer then crushed a hanging slider into the right-field bleachers, his 9th of the year, to break the scoreless tie and put the Twins up 3-0. The advantage increased in the 6th as Michael Cuddyer led off by getting his jersey nicked with a pitch and advancing to 3rd on Jim Thome’s single to right. Delmon Young’s sacrifice fly extended the lead to 4-0, and Danny Valencia followed with a double to send Thome to 3rd. J.J. Hardy then hit a chopper that bounced off the 3rd-base back for an RBI single and a 5-0 Twins lead, and Denard Span capped the 3-run rally with an RBI infield single. The Sox got on the board against Duensing with a 2-run homer from Carlos Quentin, but Duensing got Omar Vizquel to ground into a double play for the 2nd time in the game, and the onslaught was on in the 7th for Minnesota. Mauer singled, Jason Repko walked (he came in for Jason Kubel, who reaggravated his wrist injury and is listed as day-to-day), Cuddyer singled to load the bases, Thome singled home 2 runs as the Twins regained their 6-run cushion, and Danny Valencia tacked on one more with a sacrifice fly for a 9-2 lead. Matt Guerrier allowed a couple hits and a run before retiring the side in the 7th, Jon Rauch pitched around a leadoff walk in a shutout 8th, and Matt Capps had a couple of baserunners reach against him before inducing the 3rd ground-ball double play of the night and closing out the win 1 batter later. Now ahead by 8 games in the American League Central with 17 to play, and with their Magic Number down to 10, the Twins look to put the nail in the coffin on the White Sox in the final game of the series and of the season between the teams, with Carl Pavano getting the start as the Twins go for the 3-game sweep.
Record: 87-58
September 16th: Twins 8, White Sox 5
Well, I think you can pretty much stick a fork in ‘em, because the White Sox are D-O-N-E DONE. Carl Pavano threw 5 effective innings before his bullpen bailed him out and shut down the Sox the rest of the way, and the offense jumped all over Sox starter Mark Buehrle to survive several potential Sox rallies and complete the 3-game sweep on the side, winning the finale of the series 8-5. Pavano couldn’t retire any of the 3 batters he faced in the 6th (including 2 homers), but was able to pick up the victory, is 17th of the year, despite allowing 5 runs on 8 hits. His bullpen really picked him up, however, as Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier, pitched around some wildness (combining for 3 walks) to leave the bases loaded in the 6th and preserve the Twins’ 6-5 lead. Jim Thome, Jason Repko, and J.J. Hardy each drove in runs in the 2nd inning to give the Twins a 3-0 lead, just one inning after the Sox left the bases loaded, and Repko’s actually hit the 3rd base bag (the 2nd consecutive night the Twins benefitted from a ricochet off 3rd base). The Sox responded with a run each in the 3rd and 4th innings, but the Twins came right back in the 5th, as Delmon Young followed a Michael Cuddyer sacrifice fly with a 2-run blast to left, his 18th homer of the year, to extend the Twins’ lead to 6-2. Despite the troublesome 6th, the bullpen rebounded nicely, as Jesse Crain retired a pair of batter and Brian Fuentes stranded a runner at 2nd in the 7th, and then followed with a scoreless 8th against the 3-4-5-6 hitters of Chicago, all right-handed hitters (Alex Rios, Paul Konerko, Manny Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin). The Twins began the 9th with 3 straight singles, capped off by an RBI hit by Cuddyer, and Matt Tolbert added a sacrifice fly for 2 key insurances to bump Minnesota’s lead to 8-5. Matt Capps pitched around a leadoff walk to finish off his 11th save in 13 chances as a Twin. Overall, the bullpen pitched 4 innings and allowed no runs and just 1 hit, despite 5 walks. Fresh off completing a 5-1 road trip with 5 straight wins and sporting a MLB-best 42-16 record since the All-Star break, the Twins, now tied with New York for the league’s 2nd best record and just a half-game behind front-running Tampa Bay, return home for a 6-game homestand beginning Friday night against Oakland. Nick Blackburn looks to continue his remarkable return to form (1.76 ERA over 30.2 innings over his last 4 starts), and gets the start in the opener, looking to lower the Twins’ Magic Number even more, which currently stands at 8.
Well, I think you can pretty much stick a fork in ‘em, because the White Sox are D-O-N-E DONE. Carl Pavano threw 5 effective innings before his bullpen bailed him out and shut down the Sox the rest of the way, and the offense jumped all over Sox starter Mark Buehrle to survive several potential Sox rallies and complete the 3-game sweep on the side, winning the finale of the series 8-5. Pavano couldn’t retire any of the 3 batters he faced in the 6th (including 2 homers), but was able to pick up the victory, is 17th of the year, despite allowing 5 runs on 8 hits. His bullpen really picked him up, however, as Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier, pitched around some wildness (combining for 3 walks) to leave the bases loaded in the 6th and preserve the Twins’ 6-5 lead. Jim Thome, Jason Repko, and J.J. Hardy each drove in runs in the 2nd inning to give the Twins a 3-0 lead, just one inning after the Sox left the bases loaded, and Repko’s actually hit the 3rd base bag (the 2nd consecutive night the Twins benefitted from a ricochet off 3rd base). The Sox responded with a run each in the 3rd and 4th innings, but the Twins came right back in the 5th, as Delmon Young followed a Michael Cuddyer sacrifice fly with a 2-run blast to left, his 18th homer of the year, to extend the Twins’ lead to 6-2. Despite the troublesome 6th, the bullpen rebounded nicely, as Jesse Crain retired a pair of batter and Brian Fuentes stranded a runner at 2nd in the 7th, and then followed with a scoreless 8th against the 3-4-5-6 hitters of Chicago, all right-handed hitters (Alex Rios, Paul Konerko, Manny Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin). The Twins began the 9th with 3 straight singles, capped off by an RBI hit by Cuddyer, and Matt Tolbert added a sacrifice fly for 2 key insurances to bump Minnesota’s lead to 8-5. Matt Capps pitched around a leadoff walk to finish off his 11th save in 13 chances as a Twin. Overall, the bullpen pitched 4 innings and allowed no runs and just 1 hit, despite 5 walks. Fresh off completing a 5-1 road trip with 5 straight wins and sporting a MLB-best 42-16 record since the All-Star break, the Twins, now tied with New York for the league’s 2nd best record and just a half-game behind front-running Tampa Bay, return home for a 6-game homestand beginning Friday night against Oakland. Nick Blackburn looks to continue his remarkable return to form (1.76 ERA over 30.2 innings over his last 4 starts), and gets the start in the opener, looking to lower the Twins’ Magic Number even more, which currently stands at 8.
Record: 88-58
September 17th: A’s 3, Twins 1
The Twins’ parade toward a 6th division title in 9 years was rained on a bit by the Oakland A’s, who defeated Minnesota 3-1 in the 1st game of the series at Target Field. Nick Blackburn got the start for the Twins and pitched well yet again, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits over 7 strong innings, throwing an outing typical for Blackburn in recent weeks. But unfortunately, a Twins lineup that had been battered by injuries and was missing Denard Span (shoulder), Joe Mauer (day off), and Jason Kubel (wrist) had little success against A’s starter Brett Anderson. Danny Valencia had a nice game for the Twins, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer (his 3rd of the year), but that’s all the offense the Twins could manage, collecting a total of just 4 hits against Anderson. The biggest spot of the game came in the bottom of the 7th, as the Twins mounted a 2-out rally and loaded the bases, and then sent Mauer up to pinch-hit for Drew Butera. But Mauer was unable to deliver against former Twin Craig Breslow, flying out to short left field to end the threat. Jon Rauch and Glen Perkins combined for a pair of shutout innings in the relief, but the Twins simply didn’t get enough offense to pick up a win. Other results: Yankees win, Rays lose, White Sox lose, so the Twins now trail New York by a game and remain a half-game back of Tampa in the race for homefield in the American League playoffs, while their Magic Number lowered to 7 with the Sox loss. Kevin Slowey takes the hill for Minnesota in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 88-59
September 18th: Twins 4, A’s 2
And just like that, the Twins bounce right back into the win column. Kevin Slowey had few problems over his 6 2/3 strong innings, and Danny Valencia broke a 1-1 tie with a 3-run blast to left, carrying the Twins past the Athletics for a 4-2 win that evened the series at a game apiece and lowered their Magic Number to an AL Central title to 6. Slowey allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 8, to pick up his 13th win of the season against just 6 losses and continue the Twins’ run of strong starting pitching. The offense once again took a while to get going, failing to score after putting the 1st 2 runners aboard in the 4th against A’s starter Dallas Braden. But Drew Butera followed a walk to J.J. Hardy with a double into the left-field corner in the 5th, and stud prospect Ben Revere, playing in place of Denard Span (shoulder), grounded out against an infield playing back to score Hardy and tie the game at 1-1. The back-breaking inning occurred just 1 inning later, beginning with a leadoff walk to Joe Mauer and a single by Michael Cuddyer. After Delmon Young flew out to center, Valencia tattooed a fastball on a 3-1 count into the left-field bleachers, putting the Twins in front 4-1. The next 3 batters reached as well, but the Twins could do no further damage. Slowey allowed the 2nd run in the 7th, but Jesse Crain came on to record the final out of the inning, as well as the 1st out in the 8th. Brian Fuentes set down both batters he faced, and Matt Capps had no trouble retiring the side in order in the 9th to finish off his 12th save in 14 chances as a Twin. Francisco Liriano will get the start in the Sunday finale, as the Twins and A’s meet for the final time this season.
Record: 89-59
September 19th: A’s 6, Twins 2
It just wasn’t the Twins’ day on Sunday, as they dropped the finale of the series 6-2 to Oakland, just their 2nd home series loss since the All-Star break, and received a scare in the middle innings as well. Francisco Liriano got the start and was roughed up immediately, needing 30 pitches to get out of the 1st inning but not before allowing 3 runs, 4 hits and a walk to promptly put the Twins in a 3-0 hole. After settling down, he gave up a 2-run homer to A’s 2B Mark Ellis in the 5th as the A’s extended their lead to 5-0, and departed after 5 innings, 5 runs, and 7 hits allowed as he took his 8th loss of the season. The Twins couldn’t get anything against A’s rookie Bobby Cramer until the 6th, as Michael Cuddyer (13) and Jim Thome (team-best 24) each homered to close the deficit to 5-2. But that was the last inning Joe Mauer would play, however, as following a groundout, Mauer would depart with what was labeled as a “balky” left knee. Manager Ron Gardenhire was told there was no fluid buildup in the knee, as there may only be inflammation. In the meantime, Mauer is listed as day-to-day and will miss a couple of games, but the injury seems minor enough. The lineup, now down Mauer in addition to Denard Span and Jason Kubel, was unable to mount a rally, and the Twins would use 6 relievers to get through the final 4 innings. Alex Burnett, Pat Neshek, and Randy Flores were all able to throw shutout innings. J.J. Hardy committed an error that allowed an unearned run to score against Jeff Manship, but Jose Mijares and Jon Rauch combined to leave the bases loaded and escape the 9th. But the lack of offense did in the Twins on this day, as they anxiously await the news on their MVP catcher. In other news, both the Yankees and Rays lost, so the Twins remain 1 game behind New York and 0.5 behind Tampa in the race for homefield in the AL playoffs. The homestand continues for the Twins on Monday night, as the Cleveland Indians come to town. Brian Duensing takes the hill for the opener.
Record: 89-60
September 20th: Twins 9, Indians 3
Monday night featured a parade… of 2-out hits. All 9 Twins runs scored via a 2-out hit, and Brian Duensing survived through 6 tension-filled innings, as the Twins pulled away late to rout Cleveland 9-3 in the opening game of the 3-game series at Target Field, as the Twins won their 50th home game of the season and 90th overall. Duensing wasn’t spectacular but delivered a solid enough start to win his 10th game of the year, the 5th Twins pitcher to reach the double-digit win mark this season. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and a season-high-tying 4 walks while striking out 6, retiring a pair of batters with the bases loaded (after he’d allowed 2 runs in the inning) to escape a jam and preserved a 4-3 Twins lead in the 6th. After a pair of 2-out walks, Delmon Young got the Twins on the board with an RBI double, and Danny Valencia crushed his 5th homer of the year to break a 1-1 tie in the 3rd. The inning wasn’t over; however, as Jason Repko followed a single and a walk with an RBI single for a 3-1 Twins lead. Young added another RBI single in the 5th to extend the lead to 4-1, and the Twins immediately responded to the 2-run Tribe outburst with a 4-run inning of their own. Denard Span drove in J.J. Hardy with a 2-out triple high off the scoreboard in right, and came in to score on an RBI single from Orlando Hudson. Hudson would steal second, then come in to score as Michael Cuddyer hit a line-drive homer, his 14th, to increase Minnesota’s advantage to 8-3. And just for good measure, Span capped the scoring with an RBI single in the 7th. It was a huge relief for the Twins to see Span shake off his shoulder injury, as Denard finished the night 2-for-5 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, and Glen Perkins each threw an inning in relief, none of them having any issue with opposing batters and finishing out the convincing win. The Yankees defeated the Rays and the White Sox lost on the West Coast, so the Twins remain 1 game behind New York and advance to a half-game ahead of Tampa in the race of AL homefield in the postseason, while lowering their Magic Number to 2 in the AL Central. A win and a Chicago loss on Tuesday would clinch the Twins their 6th division title in the last 9 years, and Scott Baker returns to make his 1st start since September 2nd in Tuesday’s 2nd game of the series. Also of note: Joe Mauer is expected to miss a couple of games with the balky knee, and is listed as day-to-day.
Record: 90-60
September 21st: Twins 6, Indians 4
Magic is alive and well at Target Field… will it continue into October? The Twins assured themselves of extended October baseball on Tuesday night, rallying for 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat Cleveland 6-4, and coupled with the White Sox loss in Oakland, clinched the American League Central Division for the 6th time in the last 9 years. Scott Baker made his return from the DL to make a spot start and give the other starters an extra day of rest, and he pitched well, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 7, but departing after allowing the go-ahead run and settling with a no-decision. The game was a little sloppy, as Drew Butera’s throwing error helped set up a run in the 1st inning for Cleveland, and after Jim Thome hit a line-drive homer to tie the game in the 2nd (his team-leading 25th of the year), the Indians took the lead against Baker and scored 2 more on 4 hits against struggling Twins lefty Jose Mijares in the 6th, but the Twins strung together 3 consecutive 2-out singles capped by Danny Valencia to cut the Indians lead to 4-2. Jon Rauch and Glen Perkins (1-1) each threw a pair of shutout innings, setting the stage for the dramatic 8th inning Twins rally. Thome led off the inning with a single beating the elaborate shift employed by the Tribe defense, and Delmon Young followed with a line-drive to center that bounced off Indians CF Michael Brantley and caromed away for an RBI double, scoring pinch-runner Trevor Plouffe all the way from 1st to cut the Indian lead to 4-3. Valencia continued his torrid Target Field hitting with a single to right to advance Young to 3rd, and after a Nick Punto soft fly ball out and a pitching change, Jose Morales came off the bench to hit for Butera and hit a fly ball deep enough to score Young with the tying run. The throw back to the infield was airmailed by Indians RF Shin-Soo Choo, allowing Valencia to gain 2nd base. This was important, as Denard Span followed with a bloop single to left field on an 0-2 pitch, as Valencia charged around 3rd base and scored the go-ahead run and give Minnesota a 5-4 lead. And just for good measure, Orlando Hudson (whose diving catch in the 2nd inning ended up being the #2 play on Sportscenter’s Top 10) drove an RBI double to the gap in right-center to plate a key insurance run. This set the stage for Matt Capps’ 13th save in 15 chances as a Twin, and the excitement was mounting at Target Field. The Twins had to wait a little over an hour for the completion of the White Sox loss to Oakland, but it was well worth it, as the Twins celebrated with champagne and beer late into the night. The players celebrated with their families and gave interviews to media, and most even returned to the playing field, spraying champagne on the adoring fans that waited all night to celebrate with the team. All and all a glorious celebration, as the Twins became the 1st team to clinch a 2010 postseason berth, and finally not the last team to do so, after needing a 163rd game to decide the division in each of the last 2 seasons. The Twins try to quickly recover in time for the matinee finale of the series on Wednesday, as Nick Blackburn looks to lead the Twins to the sweep and keep pace with the AL-leading Yankees for the best record in the American League.
Magic is alive and well at Target Field… will it continue into October? The Twins assured themselves of extended October baseball on Tuesday night, rallying for 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to defeat Cleveland 6-4, and coupled with the White Sox loss in Oakland, clinched the American League Central Division for the 6th time in the last 9 years. Scott Baker made his return from the DL to make a spot start and give the other starters an extra day of rest, and he pitched well, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 7, but departing after allowing the go-ahead run and settling with a no-decision. The game was a little sloppy, as Drew Butera’s throwing error helped set up a run in the 1st inning for Cleveland, and after Jim Thome hit a line-drive homer to tie the game in the 2nd (his team-leading 25th of the year), the Indians took the lead against Baker and scored 2 more on 4 hits against struggling Twins lefty Jose Mijares in the 6th, but the Twins strung together 3 consecutive 2-out singles capped by Danny Valencia to cut the Indians lead to 4-2. Jon Rauch and Glen Perkins (1-1) each threw a pair of shutout innings, setting the stage for the dramatic 8th inning Twins rally. Thome led off the inning with a single beating the elaborate shift employed by the Tribe defense, and Delmon Young followed with a line-drive to center that bounced off Indians CF Michael Brantley and caromed away for an RBI double, scoring pinch-runner Trevor Plouffe all the way from 1st to cut the Indian lead to 4-3. Valencia continued his torrid Target Field hitting with a single to right to advance Young to 3rd, and after a Nick Punto soft fly ball out and a pitching change, Jose Morales came off the bench to hit for Butera and hit a fly ball deep enough to score Young with the tying run. The throw back to the infield was airmailed by Indians RF Shin-Soo Choo, allowing Valencia to gain 2nd base. This was important, as Denard Span followed with a bloop single to left field on an 0-2 pitch, as Valencia charged around 3rd base and scored the go-ahead run and give Minnesota a 5-4 lead. And just for good measure, Orlando Hudson (whose diving catch in the 2nd inning ended up being the #2 play on Sportscenter’s Top 10) drove an RBI double to the gap in right-center to plate a key insurance run. This set the stage for Matt Capps’ 13th save in 15 chances as a Twin, and the excitement was mounting at Target Field. The Twins had to wait a little over an hour for the completion of the White Sox loss to Oakland, but it was well worth it, as the Twins celebrated with champagne and beer late into the night. The players celebrated with their families and gave interviews to media, and most even returned to the playing field, spraying champagne on the adoring fans that waited all night to celebrate with the team. All and all a glorious celebration, as the Twins became the 1st team to clinch a 2010 postseason berth, and finally not the last team to do so, after needing a 163rd game to decide the division in each of the last 2 seasons. The Twins try to quickly recover in time for the matinee finale of the series on Wednesday, as Nick Blackburn looks to lead the Twins to the sweep and keep pace with the AL-leading Yankees for the best record in the American League.
Record: 91-60
September 22nd: Twins 5, Indians 1
Expecting a letdown? The Twins sure weren’t. Coming off their division-clinching win the night before and only running out 2 starters to begin the game, the Twins overcame a slow start and finally got the clutch-hitting they needed, rallying past Cleveland 5-1 to sweep the 3-game series at Target Field. Nick Blackburn got the start and really struggled early, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 1st inning and another 3 hits in the 2nd. But he then got a snappy 4-6-3 double play turned behind him in the 2nd to escape a bases-loaded jam, and completely shut down the Tribe for the remainder of the game. Overall, he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2 to pick his 10th win of the year and become the 6th Twins pitcher to win double-digit games this season, the 1st team this feat has been accomplished in Twins history. After issuing a 1-out walk in the 3rd, Blackburn didn’t allow another baserunner, setting down 12 consecutive Cleveland batters. The Twins went a meager 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position heading into the 6th, but finally put it all together in that frame. Alexi Casilla singled to lead off the inning and stole 2nd, but wasn’t able to finally score until Jose Morales hit a double over the head of Indians CF Michael Bradley to finally tie the game. Matt Tolbert followed with an RBI double of his own into the right field corner to put the Twins in front 2-1. Not done yet, Ben Revere delivered an RBI single to score Tolbert with a key insurance run. Morales came through with a 2-out 2-run single in the following inning to extend Minnesota’s lead to 5-1, stymieing any potential Cleveland rally. Brian Fuentes allowed a pair of 2-out baserunners in the 8th before retiring the side, and Matt Guerrier pitched around a leadoff walk to seal the win for the Twins. Fresh off completing a 4-2 homestand and right on the heels of New York for the best record in the American League, the Twins will get a much-deserved off-day on Thursday before heading 2 states east to Michigan to begin a 6-game road trip and 3-game series in Detroit. Francisco Liriano matches up against Justin Verlander in the Friday night opener, as Liriano looks to duplicate his effectiveness in a Twins shutout win in Detroit back on April 27th.
Expecting a letdown? The Twins sure weren’t. Coming off their division-clinching win the night before and only running out 2 starters to begin the game, the Twins overcame a slow start and finally got the clutch-hitting they needed, rallying past Cleveland 5-1 to sweep the 3-game series at Target Field. Nick Blackburn got the start and really struggled early, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 1st inning and another 3 hits in the 2nd. But he then got a snappy 4-6-3 double play turned behind him in the 2nd to escape a bases-loaded jam, and completely shut down the Tribe for the remainder of the game. Overall, he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2 to pick his 10th win of the year and become the 6th Twins pitcher to win double-digit games this season, the 1st team this feat has been accomplished in Twins history. After issuing a 1-out walk in the 3rd, Blackburn didn’t allow another baserunner, setting down 12 consecutive Cleveland batters. The Twins went a meager 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position heading into the 6th, but finally put it all together in that frame. Alexi Casilla singled to lead off the inning and stole 2nd, but wasn’t able to finally score until Jose Morales hit a double over the head of Indians CF Michael Bradley to finally tie the game. Matt Tolbert followed with an RBI double of his own into the right field corner to put the Twins in front 2-1. Not done yet, Ben Revere delivered an RBI single to score Tolbert with a key insurance run. Morales came through with a 2-out 2-run single in the following inning to extend Minnesota’s lead to 5-1, stymieing any potential Cleveland rally. Brian Fuentes allowed a pair of 2-out baserunners in the 8th before retiring the side, and Matt Guerrier pitched around a leadoff walk to seal the win for the Twins. Fresh off completing a 4-2 homestand and right on the heels of New York for the best record in the American League, the Twins will get a much-deserved off-day on Thursday before heading 2 states east to Michigan to begin a 6-game road trip and 3-game series in Detroit. Francisco Liriano matches up against Justin Verlander in the Friday night opener, as Liriano looks to duplicate his effectiveness in a Twins shutout win in Detroit back on April 27th.
Record: 92-60
September 24th: Tigers 10, Twins 1
Not a lot went right for the Twins on Friday night, but Twins Territory did breathe a huge sigh of relief in the middle innings, which is considerably more important that what happened in the game. Francisco Liriano left the game in the 4th inning with what was termed a “stomach ailment”, Manager Ron Gardenhire was thrown out of the game 2 innings later, and the offense was flummoxed all night long by Tigers ace Justin Verlander in a 10-1 loss in Detroit to open the 3-game series. Liriano dominated for the first 3 innings, then began to unravel a bit in the 4th, allowing a 2-run homer to Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera on an 0-2 pitch. It was unclear why he left the game at first, throwing Twins fans (including myself) into a sheer panic. But it was later determined that he and SS Alexi Casilla (who left the game at the same time as Liriano) were experiencing flu-like symptoms, and the decision was made to remove him from the game. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, as Jeff Manship fired consecutive scoreless innings before allowing 4 runs and 4 hits in the 6th, and Alex Burnett allowed another 4 runs in 7th as the Tigers took a 10-0 lead. On the plus side, Jose Mijares, Randy Flores, and Pat Neshek threw shutout innings, and the Twins were able to take advantage of 2 Tiger errors in the 9th to break the shutout, with Michael Cuddyer driving in the lone Twins run with a single. All in all a pretty disastrous night for the Twins, but it could have been a lot worse, as Liriano and Casilla should be just fine as they recovered from their illnesses. Carl Pavano takes the hill in Saturday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 92-61
September 25th: Tigers 11, Twins 10, in 13 innings
Hopefully it’s simply the fact that the Twins are playing in Detroit (2-6 this season), because all of the sudden the Twins have rotation issues, and this fact was no more apparent than on Saturday night in a brutal 13-inning, 11-10 defeat to the Tigers. Staked to a 5-run lead before throwing a pitch, Carl Pavano gave it all back in 4 innings, as he allowed 7 runs on 11 hits, including 3 homers, all of which came in the 4th, as the Tigers came back to take a 7-5 lead. Jason Kubel drove in the 1st Twins run in the opening frame with an RBI single, and Danny Valencia followed with his 2nd grand slam and 6th homer of the year, putting the Twins ahead 5-0. Jeremy Bonderman was equally as brutal for the Tigers, as he needed 43 pitches to get through the 1st, then unraveled after his team handed him the lead in the 5th. Kubel and Valencia hit back-to-back homers to immediately tie the game, and Bonderman was removed. But the Twins’ rally didn’t stop there, as Denard Span followed a single and hit-by-pitch with a ground-rule double to put the Twins back in front 8-7. Two batters later, Delmon Young hit a dribbler up the 3rd base line that resulted in an infield hit, and the ball got away from Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera; both runners scored, and just like that, the Twins had their 3-run lead back at 10-7. Acting manager Scott Ullger, subbing for an injured Ron Gardenhire who had been hit by an errant ball in batting practice and missed the game, went to his bullpen and Glen Perkins in the 5th, but Perkins immediately allowed a pair of runs before Matt Guerrier came on to retire the side and leave the bases loaded as the Twins barely kept a 10-9 lead. Guerrier then threw a perfect 6th as well, but Jesse Crain blew a rare save as he allowed a pair of hits and a run, and the game was tied once again at 10-10. The bullpens took over from there, and Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes, Jose Mijares, and Pat Neshek combined for 5 shutout innings (including Neshek striking out the side in the 12th). But unfortunately for Minnesota, their luck ran out in the 13th, beginning in the top half of the inning. Span singled and advanced on a sacrifice, and Young was intentionally walked. Both players moved up on a double steal, and Cuddyer was also intentionally walked to fill the bases with one out. But Kubel and Valencia each struck out to end the threat, and the Tigers strung together 4 singles to win the game in the bottom of the inning. Brian Duensing looks to get the Twins a win and avoid the sweep in the Sunday finale.
Record: 92-62
September 26th: Tigers 5, Twins 1
What’s the only positive about the weekend series in Detroit for the Twins? The series is mercifully over. Brian Duensing was outpitched by Rick Porcello, and Delmon Young’s 19th homer was all the Twins could muster offensively, as the Twins were swept out of Detroit with a 5-1 loss in the final game of the series. Young’s 4th inning homer briefly put the Twins ahead, but the Tigers came right back with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the inning, then added a 2-run shot later to put the game out of reach. Duensing allowed both homers and all 5 runs on a total of 8 hits, as he dropped just his 3rd decision of the season. Minnesota managed just 4 hits against Porcello, and couldn’t get out of town fast enough. Joe Mauer is close to returning after taking a cortisone shot in his inflamed knee, and could be the DH in Kansas City, the final stop on the final road trip of the season for the Twins. Hopefully, Jim Thome (back), J.J. Hardy (knee), Alexi Casilla (sickness), and Denard Span (leg) will all rest up and return to the lineup shortly before heading into the postseason as well. Nick Blackburn gets the start in the Monday’s opening game of the series in Kansas City.
Record: 92-63
September 27th: Royals 10, Twins 8
The recent disaster known as the Twins’ pitching continued on Monday night, erasing multiple rallies that put the team in the lead as the Twins dropped the opener in Kansas City in frustrating fashion by a final of 10-8. The offense handed Kevin Slowey a 3-0 lead after one inning, as Delmon Young just missed a home run and settled for a double, Jason Kubel drove in 2 runs with a double, and scored on a double by Michael Cuddyer. But after a perfect 1st inning, Slowey completely fell apart in the 2nd, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in the inning, including 3 doubles and a homer, before mercifully departing with 2 outs in the inning. Jeff Manship didn’t fare much better, allowing 2 hits and a run in the 3rd inning, as the Royals extended their lead to 7-3. But the Twins didn’t go down easily, rallying in a big way against Royals starter Kyle Davies in the 4th. Drew Butera led off with a walk and went to 2nd on a single by Alexi Casilla. After a fly ball out, Orlando Hudson singled in Butera to cut the Royals lead to 7-4. Young followed with a single to right to plate Casilla with the 5th Twins run. Former Twin farmhand Phil Humber replaced Davies, but promptly allowed a 3-run homer on a 2-0 pitch to Kubel, his 21st of the year, and just like that the Twins were back in front 8-7. But the string of good luck ended rapidly in the bottom half of inning, as Manship allowed a hit and a walk before leaving. Randy Flores came on to retire a lefty hitter on a sacrifice fly that tied the game, but Manager Ron Gardenhire inexplicably left him in the game to face right-handed hitting Josh Fields, and of course, he hit a mammoth 2-run homer to dead center field to put the Royals in front for good. The scoring outburst for both teams came to a screeching halt, and the Twins, despite hitting some scorching line drives, were unable to rally once more, losing their 4th game in the row. Drew Butera’s bullet of a line drive was caught by Fields at 3rd with runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out, and Alexi Casilla followed with a weak groundout to end the threat in the 7th, probably the best remaining scoring threat the Twins had. And just to end the game on a fitting note, pinch-runner Jason Repko forgot how many outs there were in the 9th inning, taking off from 1st with 1 out on a pop up, and was easily doubled off 1st to end an extremely frustrating night for Minnesota. Nick Blackburn looks to end the Twins’ losing skid in Tuesday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 92-64
September 28th: Royals 10, Twins 1
Five straight games, five straight garbage showings. Twins’ pitching was annihilated for the 5th consecutive day, and the Twins got next to zero offense, once again dropping a decidedly one-sided contest by a final of 10-1 in Kansas City. Nick Blackburn got the start and continued the recent trend of the Twins’ starting pitching getting absolutely wrecked, allowing 8 runs, including 2 homers, on 8 hits in just 4 1/3 innings, to lose his 11th decision of the year. This is not exactly how the Twins want to enter the postseason. Offensively, a 2-out RBI single from Michael Cuddyer was the only obstacle standing in the way of a shutout, as the Twins finished the night 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Overall, Minnesota has been outscored 46-21 over their 5-game losing streak. And they desperately seek to get back on track and salvage just 1 game on their 6-game road trip, and also a winning road mark for the season, in Wednesday’s finale. Scott Baker makes his final start of the 2010 season, as he also continues to gain ground in the competition for a postseason roster spot.
Record: 92-65
September 29th: Twins 4, Royals 2
And then, normalcy returned to Twins Territory, and not a moment too soon. Scott Baker toughed through 5 difficult innings to finally end the 5-game run of poor Twins starting pitching, and Delmon Young hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the 7th and added some insurance with a 9th-inning RBI single, as the Twins rallied past the Royals to win the finale 4-2, avoid a sweep by the Royals in Kansas City for the first time in 26 years, and end a 5-game losing streak. Baker was effectively wild, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 4 and striking out 9, including pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the 5th to keep the deficit at just 2-0. Once again the Twins offense took a while to get going, but were able to load the bases in the 6th. Drew Butera knocked in the 1st run with an RBI single, and Alexi Casilla’s fielder’s choice ground out pushed across the tying run. Young’s 20th homer of the year one inning later gave the Twins the lead for good, and he followed an Orlando Hudson 9th-inning double with his 2nd RBI of the night as the Twins extended their lead to 4-2. Matt Guerrier pitched a stellar 1 2/3 innings (4 K’s) in relief to pick up his 5th win of the year, Brian Fuentes recorded the final out in the 7th and pitched a scoreless 8th, and Matt Capps pitched around a leadoff hit and subsequent walk to finish off his 42nd save of the year and 14th as a Twin, recording the final 2 outs on a 6-4-3 double play. Upon completion of their road schedule in which they finished above .500 on the road for just the 5th time in franchise history (41-40), the Twins return home for one final regular season series, welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays to town for a 4-game series and their first and only trip to Target Field in the 2010 season. Francisco Liriano looks to rebound from his early departure is last time out due to flu-like symptoms, and also to keep the AL-home-run-leading Jays in the ballpark, getting the start in Thursday’s opening game.
Record: 93-65
September 30th: Blue Jays 13, Twins 2
Boy, the Twins sure are limping into the postseason, both literally and figuratively, and that was quite obvious in Thursday night’s 13-2 beatdown home loss to the Blue Jays in the opening game of the 4-game series. Francisco Liriano got the start and didn't pitch all that badly, but when he left pitches up in the strike zone, he paid for it in a big way. The Jays hit 3 homers off Liriano among the 6 hits they got off him, and a total of 5 runs in his final tuneup before next Wednesday night’s ALDS Game 1, as Liriano dropped his 10th decision of the season. The Jays got a 2-run homer in the 2nd and hit back-to-back shots in the 5th for a 4-0 lead before the Twins even got a hit, but Danny Valencia’s double and a single by Drew Butera got the Twins on the board. Michael Cuddyer hit an RBI triple in the 6th as the Jays RF lost the ball in the lights, but 5-2 was the closest the Twins would get, as Toronto blew the game open late. Alex Burnett a hit and 2 walks before departing, and Pat Neshek allowed Jose Bautista’s AL-leading 53rd home run of the year, a towering grand slam that reach the 3rd deck in left, as the Jays took a 9-2 lead. And just for good measure, Jeff Manship allowed the 5th Jays homer of the night, a 2-run shot in the 8th, and Bautista went deep again off Jose Mijares, who allowed 2 more runs in the 9th. On the positive side, Joe Mauer returned to the lineup for the first time in 10 days as the designated hitter, and Jim Thome is expected to return Friday, with Mauer going behind the plate. Orlando Hudson was spiked on a slide by a Toronto baserunner, but was able to stay in the game. Minnesota, and Carl Pavano, hopes to bounce back in a big way and recapture any positive momentum going into the playoffs, beginning in Friday’s 2nd game of the series.
Record: 93-66
October 1st: Blue Jays 6, Twins 3
The rut continued on Friday night, although this time the decisive blow in unconventional fashion. Carl Pavano battled Jays starter Ricky Romero all night long, but it was Jesse Crain who couldn’t keep the game tied, as the Blue Jays defeated the Twins 6-3 in the 2nd game of the series. Pavano survived through 7 tough innings, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) on 9 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3. This included pitching out of a big jam in the 7th, as the Jays loaded the bases against him with nobody out, capped by a Nick Punto throwing error. Pavano was able to induce a double play and finish the inning with a strikeout, but not before the Jays tied the game at 2-2. But it just wasn’t the Twins night, as Crain took his first loss of the year, failing to get the 3rd out of the 8th inning before allowing a go-ahead RBI single and a devastating 3-run homer to Twins killer Edwin Encarnacion, his 3rd homer of the series. Delmon Young put the Twins on the board with his 21st homer of the year in the 2nd, and Joe Mauer delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the 6th as the Twins briefly led 2-1 before it all fell apart. Trevor Plouffe, a late addition hitting for Jim Thome (who left early simply because he was only going to receive 2 at-bats), hit his 2nd homer of the season in the 9th, but the rally fell short.
Record: 93-67
October 2nd: Twins 5, Blue Jays 4
Alexi Casilla is getting used to being the hero, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for his Twins. Casilla’s 2-run bases-loaded single lifted the Twins past the Blue Jays 5-4 as the Twins finally broke through against Toronto. Brian Duensing got the start and didn’t pitch all that well, and it was determined after the game that he had shoulder stiffness and had been unable to get loose prior to the game. Duensing battled through 5 tough innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, and was in line for the loss until the late rally by his offense. Orlando Hudson tripled and scored on a groundout to tie the game at 1-1 in the 1st, but the Twins didn’t score again until the 5th. Casilla’s 2-run single pulled the Twins within 4-3, and they would need him one more time in the 9th. Delmon Young led off the 9th with a double, but was nearly stranded there, as Joe Mauer flied out to center and Danny Valencia popped out in foul territory. Ben Revere came in to run for Young, and Jason Kubel followed with a walk before being pinch-run for by Jason Repko. Jose Morales outlasted Jays closer Kevin Gregg, taking 3 consecutive 2-strike pitches to work a walk, to set the table for Casilla. Casilla took 2 strikes, then 3 consecutive balls, then fouled off a pair of pitches, before dribbling a ground ball up the middle. Revere scored, with Repko flying around 3rd right behind him, as the Twins won for just the 2nd time in 9 games.
Record: 94-67
October 3rd: Blue Jays 2, Twins 1
In a game that meant nothing in the standings, the Twins removed all their regulars from the game in the middle innings, and that proved to be too much to overcome as the Jays took the regular season finale from the Twins, a 2-1 final. On the plus side for Minnesota, Nick Blackburn threw a great game, pitching 7 solid innings and allowing just 3 hits. Unfortunately, 2 of those were solo home runs, which proved to be enough for him to take a hard luck loss, his 12th of the year. The only Twins run scored in the 4th, as Orlando Hudson tapped an infield single, advanced to 3rd on a stolen base/throwing error, and scored on a single by Trevor Plouffe. Jose Mijares and Glen Perkins each threw a shutout inning each, but the rally fell short (if you could call it that). But the final result didn’t matter, as the Twins now turn their attention to the playoffs. A familiar nemesis invades the Twin Cities on Wednesday night, as the New York Yankees come to town for Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series. Francisco Liriano starts Game 1 against C.C. Sabathia, Carl Pavano takes the ball in Thursday night’s Game 2 against Andy Pettitte, and Brian Duensing opposes Phil Hughes in Game 3 back at Yankee Stadium. Games 4 and 5 are scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, if necessary.
Record: 94-68
