Minnesota Twins Game Grades: Twins win shortened game, extend streak to 4
Bats come alive as Minnesota Twins extend streak to 4 with 7-4 victory over Brewers
Following their first sweep of the season, the Minnesota Twins entered Monday’s game needing to prove the offensive output was no fluke.
And boy did they ever prove any doubters wrong.
The Twins showed no signs of slowing down offensively as they picked up their fourth straight win with a 7-4 shortened victory after just six innings.
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Every player in the lineup collected at least one hit with five players putting up multi-hit efforts.
Starter Phil Hughes (1-2) struggled all night with his control as he, along with fellow starter Chase Anderson (1-1) could not figure out the inconsistent strike zone of home plate ump Mike Everitt.
The Brewers took an early lead, scoring a run on an RBI single by outfielder Ryan Braun in the first.
The Twins responded in the bottom of the second with a leadoff home run by outfielder Miguel Sano and then an RBI double by catcher Kurt Suzuki that plated shortstop Eduardo Escobar.
Second baseman Brian Dozier singled home a run and advanced to second when Anderson threw the ball away, allowing third baseman Eduardo Nunez to score and give the Twins a 3-1 lead.
Hughes would then allow a pair of runs in the fourth, tying the game at 3-all.
Designated hitter Byung Ho Park slammed his third home run to right field to give the Twins a 4-3 lead.
Suzuki would come around to score when outfielder Byron Buxton sent the ball out to the left field wall for his first triple of the season.
First baseman Joe Mauer kept his nine-game hitting streak alive with an RBI double in the sixth that capped off another two-run inning for the Twins and closed out the game as mother nature decided six innings would be all that is needed.
7. 2. Final. 4. 76
A. Team totals: 14 hits, 1 walk, 7 runs, 2 home runs. It excites me to be able to put Park’s name here as he had perhaps his finest game of the season. Not only did he hit another monster home run into the right field stands, but he followed that up with a sharp single to right for his second hit of the night. The Brewers were playing an extreme shift expecting him to pull the ball and instead Park flashed his bat control ability and sent a liner to right. Overall an important follow up performance by the Twins after a big weekend series against the Angels. . . Byung Ho Park. OFFENSE
. Phil Hughes. STARTERS . B-. Team totals: 6 innings, 6 hits allowed, 2 walks, 4 runs, 3 earned and 6 strikeouts. Hughes did not have the command he usually does as he allowed four runs, three earned. The Twins desperately needed a nice long start by Hughes due to their 12-inning marathon with the Angels on Sunday and they actually got that from him, as he went six innings for one of the stranger complete games you’ll ever see. A pair of quick innings in the second and third aside, Hughes struggled with his control as he could not figure out the strike zone of home plate ump Mike Everitt. He exited after six innings but would have been forced to exit after six anyway with a long rain delay.
B. Dozier made an error in the fourth inning that helped allow the Brewers to tie things up. It was nothing short of an absolutely bad throw to first on an attempted double play and something that is really very unlike Dozier who was a Gold Glove finalist last season.. . . DEFENSE
MVT: Byung Ho Park
The Twins will close out their eight-game homestand Tuesday afternoon against the Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 CST with Ervin Santana (0-1, 3.00) matching up against Wily Peralta (0-3, 10.13). Santana will seek his first victory of the season after being on the wrong end of two tough-luck losses.