| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Maybe it was the 1977 replica jerseys that
made Minnesota outfielder Matt Lawton look like a latter day version of Rod Carew.
Maybe it was the sneakers.
"If the jerseys help us get off to a good start like that, I'm
all for them," Lawton said after going 3-for-5 with five RBI in
the Minnesota Twins' 9-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jacque Jones added three hits and two RBI for Minnesota, which
stopped a three-game losing streak and sent the Blue Jays to their
ninth loss in 11 games.
As part of Minnesota's celebration of 40 years as a major league
team, the Twins wore replicas of their 1977 uniform. Toronto did
the same, honoring its first season.
The result was so 1977 it was eerie: The Twins had 13 hits and the Blue
Jays lost.
Lawton also switched to sneakers, worn to give comfort to a
right toe injured on a recent road trip.
"It doesn't hurt when I swing, but it sure does when I take
that first step out of the box," he said. "The sneakers felt a
bit looser and didn't hurt as much. I think I was able to turn a
bit better on the ball."
Cristian Guzman led off the fateful fifth with a double and went
to third on Denny Hocking's single.
Lawton then doubled in two runs off Escobar (7-13) to make it
5-3.
"I threw Lawton a pretty good pitch but the location was a bit
off," Escobar said. "They were looking for fastballs tonight and
hit them hard."
After Lawton's double, Escobar retired a batter and then gave
way to reliever Lance Painter, who issued a two-out walk to Corey
Koskie. Torii Hunter and Jones followed with RBI singles to make it
7-3.
"Kelvim didn't have good command of his fastball tonight,"
Toronto manager Jim Fregosi said. "Most of the year, our pitching
has been bad. You need good pitching in August to win."
Lawton capped his big night with a sixth-inning RBI double that
scored Hocking. Ron Coomer's single scored Lawton and it was 9-3.
Minnesota starter J.C. Romero (2-1) survived a rocky start to
earn his second win in a row. The rookie left-hander went five
innings, allowing three runs -- two earned -- and five hits before
giving way to Hector Carrasco.
"I threw some nice pitches at times," Romero said. "I had
some good changeups and sinkers tonight. Having that big inning (in
the fifth) helped a lot."
After Lawton's homer gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead, Jose Cruz Jr.
hit a solo shot, his 24th, in the second inning.
Jones restored the two-run lead with his club-leading 16th home
run in the bottom half.
In the third, Shannon Stewart hit Romero's first pitch over the
right-field fence for his 17th homer to make it 3-2.
It stayed that way until the fifth inning. Craig Grebeck led off
with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball by catcher Danny
Ardoin. Brad Fullmer's two-out single scored Grebeck to tie the
game at 3.
Toronto scored in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Carlos
Delgado, who has 104 RBI.
"It was a topsy turvy game," said Minnesota manager Tom Kelly.
"We had some good at bats in the fifth inning and moved runners
around. All in all, it was a good night."
Game notes
Minnesota's Cristian Guzman set a Twins' team record with
his 17th triple, breaking the mark set by Rod Carew in 1977. Guzman
is on pace for 24 triples. The AL record is 26, held by Joe Jackson
of Cleveland, who did it in 1912 and Sam Crawford of Detroit, who
did it in 1914. ... The Blue Jays are on pace for 264 home runs,
which would tie the AL record set by Seattle in 1997.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Chi. White Sox 6
Tampa Bay 5
Kansas City 7
Baltimore 6
Minnesota 9
Toronto 4
Boston 7
Texas 3
Anaheim 8
NY Yankees 3
Detroit 11
Oakland 4
Seattle 7
Cleveland 1
Cincinnati 6
Chicago Cubs 4
San Diego 3
Florida 0
Colorado 10
Montreal 3
Arizona 6
Pittsburgh 1
NY Mets 4
San Francisco 1
Houston 7
Philadelphia 2
Atlanta 7
Los Angeles 2
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 2
|
