Minnesota Twins Win An Extra Inning Pitcher’s Duel

Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Pitching duels are fun. I mean, they’re not really a whole lot of fun to write about, but, hey, I deal with the cards that were perfectly dealt by the starters in Monday’s Twins-Indians affair.

Kyle Gibson took the mound for the Twins and pitched seven shutout innings, only allowing two hits and three walks during his tenure. Zach McAllister pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball allowing five hits and one walk on the game. McAllister set a career record with eight punch-outs.

The sentimental highlight of the game was Danny Santana finally getting his first Major League action. He entered the game in the seventh inning as a pinch runner for Josmil Pinto who hit a double. Santana also got his first plate appearance in the Majors in the ninth with two out; he got a single on a sharp grounder to short.

The game went into extra innings, but Eduardo Escobar didn’t want to work too long. Escobar started the top of the extra frame with a solo homer to right field to give the Twins the only run that they would need.

The only other extra-base hits for the Twins were the Pinto double and a Sam Fuld double. Fuld also stole a base in the game.

Proven closer Glen Perkins came into the game for the Twins and saved it out. Brian Duensing and Caleb Thielbar both pitched an inning a piece as the bridge from Gibson to Perkins.

Joe Mauer did not play in the game. Mauer left Sunday’s game with back spasms and that is the reason for his absence on Monday. The team says Mauer is feeling better and walking up-straight.

The Twins and the Indians play game two of the four game series on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 Central.