AMERICAN LEAGUE Resurgent Minnesota tops Oakland's 'Big Three,' 9-4
Brad Radke got his first win in two months, leading the Twins to their third straight.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins stumbled into the All-Star break in an awful slump and opened the second half against what might be baseball's top trio of starting pitchers.
Three straight wins? The Twins were a little surprised themselves.
Doug Mientkiewicz hit a two-run homer and Matthew LeCroy added a three-run double in Minnesota's 9-4 victory over Mark Mulder and the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon.
"Man, I can't believe we beat all three of the big dogs," said the Twins' Torii Hunter.
The only other time Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito have lost consecutive decisions was April 27-29, 2001, against the Yankees in New York.
"It's got to happen sometime," Mulder said. "It's not something any of us are thinking about."
On a roll
Brad Radke got his first win in 10 starts since May 16 and Dustan Mohr hit a two-run double for Minnesota, which improved to 7-1 against Oakland this season.
Terrence Long hit a two-run homer and Ramon Hernandez also homered for the A's, who lost three straight for the first time since they dropped six in a row April 10-15.
Mulder (12-7) gave up seven hits, five runs and two walks in six innings while striking out five. This was only the second time this season he allowed more than four runs and the first time in his last seven starts he didn't last seven innings or more.
Manager Ken Macha was asked if consecutive losses by his "Big Three" was demoralizing to his team.
"Generally speaking," Macha said after a 15-second pause. "It's our job to keep everybody focused and upbeat tomorrow. We scored some runs out there, so there is some optimism."
Coming back
The Twins, who lost 22 of 28 heading into the break, fell behind 3-0 against Mulder after taking early leads on Hudson Thursday and Zito Friday.
"Those guys are so good," Mohr said. "They bring the best out in you."
The 2002 AL Central champions rallied often for victories, but this year's team hasn't done it much. The Twins are only 14-40 when their opponent scores first.
They left two on with one out in the second, but tied it in the fourth when Mientkiewicz led off with a single and scored on a two-out RBI double by Chris Gomez. Mohr followed with a two-run double.
Radke gave Oakland the lead back in the fifth, walking Long and giving up a two-out bloop single to Miguel Tejada that made it 4-3.
But after Shannon Stewart led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, Mientkiewicz hit a splitter over the right-field wall to make it 5-4.
Mientkiewicz also made a diving catch at first base of Denny Hocking's throw to barely beat a retreating Hernandez and complete a line-drive double play to end the sixth.
No relief
Radke gave up a two-out single to Long in the seventh and was replaced by J.C. Romero. Radke (6-9) gave up seven hits, four runs and two walks -- both of them scored -- in 62/3 innings while striking out five.
Long hit a 2-2 pitch from Radke an estimated 411 feet into the right-field upper deck for his 11th homer to give the A's a 2-0 advantage in the third, their first lead of the series.
With one out in the fourth, Hernandez hammered the first pitch into the center-field seats, his 12th homer, to make it 3-0.
The Twins broke it open with four in the seventh against Jim Mecir. They loaded the bases on a bunt single and two walks and took an 8-4 lead on LeCroy's double down the left-field line.
OAKLANDMINNESOTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Long rf4222ShStwrt dh3210
Httberg 1b4020Hcking 2b3000
Tejada ss5011Rivas 2b1000
EChavz 3b4010Mntkw 1b3322
Durazo dh3010THnter cf4100
RaHrdz c4121LeCroy c3223
McMln lf4000JJones lf4010
Snglton cf4000Gomez 3b4111
MEllis 2b3100Mohr rf4022
CGzmn ss4010
Totals35494Totals339108
Oakland002110000--4
Minnesota00032040x--9
E--Hatteberg (6), Tejada (13). DP--Minnesota 1. LOB--Oakland 8, Minnesota 5. 2B--Durazo (23), LeCroy (11), JJones (21), Gomez (7), Mohr (16). HR--Long (11), RaHernandez (12), Mientkiewicz (8). SB--Long (2), CGuzman (8). CS--Mohr (1). S--Hocking.
IPHRERBBSO
Oakland
Mulder L,12-7675525
Mecir124320
Neu110000
Minnesota
Radke W,6-96 2-374425
Romero1-320010
Rincon200013
Romero pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. PB--LeCroy. Umpires--Home, Matt Hollowell; First, Mike Fichter; Second, John Hirschbeck; Third, Tim Tschida. T--2:48. A--25,392.
Rangers 7, Devil Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Doug Glanville hit a two-run double in Texas' four-run second inning.
Glanville went 3-for-5, and has 16 hits in 30 at-bats in his last seven games for the Rangers. Joaquin Benoit (5-4) gave up three runs and six hits in five innings for the win.
Tampa Bay starter Victor Zambrano (6-5) tied an AL record by hitting four batters, becoming the 24th pitcher since 1900 to do so.
Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez left with tightness in his right calf during the second inning. He appeared to favor the leg as he ran from first to second base.
The Texas slugger had reached base after being hit in the arm by a pitch from Zambrano. Gonzalez left after advancing to third on Mark Teixeira's double.
Gonzalez was in the starting lineup the past 13 games after missing time with a sore right elbow, tight left groin and sore left quadriceps last month. Glanville then drove in newly acquired Shane Spencer, pinch-running for Gonzalez, and Teixeira to give Texas a 2-0 lead. Einar Diaz's RBI single and Hank Blalock's sacrifice fly made it 4-0.
TEXASTAMPA BAY
abrhbiabrhbi
MYong 2b5122MAndn lf3011
Blalock 3b4011Perez 2b4111
ARdrgz ss4000Huff rf2000
RPlmo dh4011Baldelli cf4010
JGnzlz rf0000TLee 1b2000
Spncer lf4100Rolls 3b4000
Txeira 1b5120AMrtin dh3010
Glnville cf5232Vlentin c4110
Nix lf4000Lugo ss3120
EDiaz c3221Diaz ph1000
Totals387117Totals30372
Texas040000012--7
Tampa Bay003000000--3
E--EDiaz (7), Lugo 2 (8). DP--Texas 3. LOB--Texas 13, Tampa Bay 6. 2B--MYoung 2 (19), Teixeira 2 (13), Glanville (4), Perez (3), Lugo (8). SB--MYoung (8), EDiaz (3). SF--Blalock, MAnderson.
IPHRERBBSO
Texas
Benoit W,5-4563322
Mahay210011
Fultz100011
FCordero100010
Tampa Bay
Zambrano L,6-5574435
Harper200011
Levine111000
Colome132201
HBP--by Zambrano (MYoung), by Zambrano (EDiaz 2), by Zambrano (JGonzalez). WP--Benoit. Umpires--Home, Alfonso Marquez; First, Lance Barksdale; Second, Wally Bell; Third, Jeff Nelson. T--3:07. A--14,136.