Young has RBI single in the 13th inning
Published 11:34 pm Wednesday, August 4, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Delmon Young finally put an end to a game filled with strong pitching.
Young had a tiebreaking RBI single in the 13th inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Wednesday night.
“An exciting baseball game,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Well pitched by both sides. A lot of big at-bats and nothing to show for it, and that’s probably because of the pitching.”
Alexi Casilla opened the 13th by drawing a walk from Lance Cormier (3-3) and advanced to third on Joe Mauer’s single. Young then made it 2-1 on a single to left.
Matt Guerrier (2-6) threw two perfect innings. He had lost all three of his previous appearances against Tampa Bay this year.
The Rays tied it at 1 in the ninth when Evan Longoria hit a leadoff double off Matt Capps that Young couldn’t reach in left center and scored on Dan Johnson’s one-out single.
“Disappointed in the ninth,” Gardenhire said. “That’s a ball in the outfield that we should catch. They gave it everything they had, but that’s a ball that’s suppose to be an out. The guys kept playing and finally a big hit by Delmon.”
Cormier, pitching for the first time since July 20, allowed one run and three hits in four innings. Rays manager Joe Maddon said relievers Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano were unavailble.
“To do what he did, he did a great job,” Maddon said. “He gave us plenty of opportunties to win the game.”
The Rays wound up 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, while the Minnesota converted one of 14 opportunites.
“When you lose a game like that in 13 innings, you’ve had a ton of opportunties and we just did not take advantage,” Maddon said.
Tampa Bay lost for just the second time in 12 games. The Twins have won 9 of 11.
“We won the game,” Twins center fielder Denard Span said. “When you win, all that (bad stuff) is negated.”
David Price came up short in his bid to become the AL’s first 15-game winner, allowing one run and five hits in seven innings. The Tampa Bay left-hander, who threw 83 of 119 pitches for strikes, struck out seven and walked two.
Minnesota’s Scott Baker pitched eight scoreless innings. He gave up three hits — all doubles coming in the first, fifth and sixth with one out or less — and held the Rays hitless in eight chances with runners in scoring position.
“Baker was fantastic for us and their lefty wasn’t too bad either,” Gardenhire said.
Baker and the Twins handed Price one of his five losses this season with a 2-1 victory on July 2 in Minnesota.
Jason Repko put the Twins up 1-0 with an RBI double in the second. Danny Valencia is 4 for 4 overall, including two singles and a walk in three plate appearances Wednesday, against Price.
The start of the game was pushed back 16 minutes because of a power failure associated with lightning that knocked off some of the stadium lights.
NOTES: Gardenhire said RHP Jon Rauch was unavailble due to an allergic reaction that produced a rash and blisters on his hands. … Tampa Bay INF-OF Ben Zobrist started at 1B after missing the previous six games due to lower back stiffness. … Mauer, who had a cortisone shot in his right shoulder last Saturday, will likely DH through at least Thursday. … Rays 1B Carlos Pena (right foot soreness) took batting practice and might be able to pinch hit on Thursday. … Gardenhire said 1B Justin Morneau (concussion) had his second consecutive “great” workout in Minnesota. It’s not known when Morneau will return. … Boxing legend Angelo Dundee threw the ceremomial first pitch.