Recap: Minnesota vs. Seattle
Sports Network | August 17, 2008
Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Jason Kubel finished 4-for-5, scored four times and knocked in a pair of runs as Minnesota withstood a late charge to clip Seattle, 11-8, in the final contest of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
Justin Morneau homered and drove in two, and Randy Ruiz added two hits and two RBI for the Twins, who swept the series and have won four in a row.
With the victory, Minnesota kept pace with the Chicago White Sox in a tie for first place in the AL Central. The Sox routed Oakland, 13-1, on Sunday.
"It seems like every win and loss this time of year impacts a little bit harder," Morneau noted. "It's one of those things where we keep playing well, they keep playing well, and it'll maybe come down to that last series when they come here."
Glen Perkins (10-3) got the win despite allowing eight hits and four runs over six frames. Joe Nathan held the visitors scoreless over the final 1 1/3 innings to record his 33rd save.
Adrian Beltre hit a two-run shot and knocked in three for the Mariners, who rallied from an eight-run deficit before losing their seventh game in eight tries. Wladimir Balentien and Kenji Johjima added solo homers.
Seattle starter Ryan Feierabend (0-1), called up from Triple-A Tacoma prior to the game, was tagged in defeat for 10 hits and six runs in only three full innings.
Seattle halved their eight-run deficit in the sixth. Raul Ibanez singled with one out and scored on Beltre's two-run shot. Balentien and Johjima then hit back-to-back two-out solo homers.
However, Morneau's 19th homer of the season and Adam Everett's sacrifice fly in the home half put Minnesota up 10-4.
An Ibanez double and RBI groundout from Beltre brought the M's within four in their following turn at the plate, and the visitors crept within 10-8 in the the eighth on Bryan LaHair's double and a Brendan Harris fielding error on an Ichiro Suzuki grounder.
The Twins tacked on a valuable insurance run in the home frame, as Harris doubled with two down and scored on Denard Span's double off the wall in center two batters later.
Against Nathan in the ninth, Seattle loaded the bases on a Balentien double, a walk to Johjima and Jeff Clement's slow-rolling infield single to second. However, Suzuki swung at the first pitch and grounded to first. Morneau pitched to Nathan, who tagged the bag for the final out.
Morneau's RBI single and a two-run double from Kubel staked the Twins to a 3-0 lead in their first at-bat. Ruiz added another double to score two more for a five-run opening frame.
Harris knocked in a run in the third, then four wild pitches from Mariners knuckleballer R.A. Dickey plated two runs in the fifth for an eight-run Twins bulge.
"It's hard to get ahead to hitters. It had some real violent movement on it, very hard to control," said Dickey of his usually reliable knuckleball. "I fell behind on some counts and gave up a run or two. I think four balls got to the backstop, and when that's happening you're not sure if you have a 'good' knuckleball."
For the Twins, it marked the seventh series sweep in 2008 and the first three- game sweep over Seattle at the Metrodome since May 26-28, 2006...This was Joe Nathan's first four-out save since September 27, 2007...Feierabend's call-up completed the transaction which saw starter Carlos Silva placed on the 15-day disabled list following the game Saturday...Dickey threw four wild pitches in the fifth inning, which tied a major-league record for an individual pitcher in a single inning, done four times previously.
