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Minnesota Twins Winning Wednesdays: June 24, 1987

By Collin Kottke

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Random Season: 1987 (Hmm, this year seems important for some reason)

Random game of the year: 70

June 24, 1987. Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins. Hupert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Minnesota Twins Starting Lineup

  1. Dan Gladden – LF
  2. Al Newman – 2B
  3. Kirby Puckett – CF
  4. Gary Gaetti – 3B
  5. Tom Brunansky – RF
  6. Kent Hrbek – 1B
  7. Gene Larkin – DH
  8. Greg Gagne – SS
  9. Sal Butera – C

Les Straker – P

Cleveland Indians Starting Lineup

  1. Brett Butler – CF
  2. Tony Bernazard – 2B
  3. Julio Franco – SS
  4. Pat Tabler – 1B
  5. Met Hall – LF
  6. Brook Jacoby – 3B
  7. Carmelo Castillo – DH
  8. Cory Snyder – RF
  9. Chris Bando – C

Greg Swindell – P

Two huge innings from the Minnesota Twins’ offense supplied them with a win on June 24, 1987. The game was a little victory in the war that was the Twins winning the World Series that very year.

The Indians got out to an early lead in the third inning when Met Hall hit an RBI single to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. It would be all Twins from there on out.

Minnesota didn’t answer until two innings later, but they answered in a big way. Brunansky hit a sac-fly to score Newman that tied the game up. The next batter was Hrbek who parked a three-run homer to give the Twins a 4-1 lead.

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Hall would once again strike for the Indians in the next half-inning. Hall hit a two-RBI triple to make it a one-run game, but the Twins answered with an RBI triple themselves. Kirby strolled up to the plate and scored Newman from first with the triple. Gaetti hit a sac-fly the next at-bat to get Puckett home and give the Twins a 6-3 lead.

The Twins added three more in the 7th to put it away. Highlight of the inning was a two-RBI double for Gaetti.

Cleveland tried to make a comeback in the eighth, but only could get two via a Bernazard homer.

Insurance runs? The Twins scored them in the bottom of the eighth. The eventual world champs put up a crooked five to put the game away. The three-run double in the top of the ninth for the Indians had no effect as the Twins won 14-8 to improve to a record of 41-29.

Multiple RBI men were found throughout the Twins lineup. Gaietti and Hrbek led the team with three a piece with Newman, Puckett and Butera contributing two apiece.

The best pitcher for the Twins in the game? Juan Berenguer. Straker was run after five innings and three runs. Señor Smoke came in and pitched two scoreless innings for the Twins while only allowing three hits. Berenguer was awarded a hold for his performance. He kept the hold in his briefcase.

The whole darn boxscore can be found here.

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