MINNEAPOLIS - GAME RECAPS

May 16th - Minnesota 4 Boston 3 - Attendance 22, 006.

A battle of division leaders turned out to be a good game. Knuckler Tim Wakefield started for the Bosox while J.C. Romero went for the Twins. Romero started slowly, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in the first, including Manny Ramirez knocking in his league-leading 47th RBI of the season on a single. In the third, Ramirez singled home John Valentin and it was 3-0 Sox.

Meanwhile, Wakefield was baffling the Twins, giving up no hits through 4. In the fifth, he struck out the first two batters before walking Jacque Jones. Torii Hunter and A.J. Pierzynski both singled, and then Christian Guzman nailed his league-leading 8th triple, driving in 2 runs and tying the game at 3.

It remained that way through 7 and a half innings as both bullpens were brought in to keep things close. In the bottom of the 8th, Brian Buchanan pinch hit for Piersynski and smoked the first pitch from Pete Schourek over the left field fence. 4-3 Twins! Closer LaTroy Hawkins came in in the 9th and after yielding a 2-out single to Jason Varitek, struck out pinch-hitter Troy O'Leary. The fans were very enthusiastic (it's amazing what winning can do for you!) and it was a good test for the Twins, who are still considered a fluke by some. 

Overall, a great comeback win on only 5 hits for the Twins - I give this game 8/10. 

May 17th - Minnesota 5 Boston 3 - Attendance 18, 466.

This was a Thursday afternoon game with a very interesting pitching matchup. Twins' ace Brad Radke, leading the league in wins at 6-1, would face veteran David Cone in his first Red Sox start after off-season shoulder surgery. 

In the 2nd, Manny Ramirez hit a double to lead off the inning and Troy O'Leary followed with an RBI single. Shea Hillebrand also singled, but Radke got the next three hitters in order, ending the threat. In the third, however, Carl Everett hit a 2-out single and Ramirez followed with a first-pitch home run to left, his 49th and 50th RBI's of the season. It was 3-0 Red Sox and Radke looked shaky.

As for Cone, he pitched OK for the first two innings, and although he didn't give up any hits, his control was off and in the third it hurt him as he walked Guzman, hit Denny Hocking, and gave up a run-scoring single to Brian Lawton.  In the fourth, new Twins' star Doug Mientkiewicz led off with a home run and it was 3-2. After Cone walked the next two batters, he was removed for Rolando Arrojo who retired the side in order.

Ramirez waits for his pitch

Radke may have looked shaky but he really wasn't. He retired the Bosox in order in the 4th and 5th, and the Twins came up in their half of the fifth still down 3-2. Hocking led off with a single, and Brian Lawton followed with another. Canadian Corey Koskie was up and he was 0-6 in the games I had seen so far, so I gave him some Canadian good luck and it worked - he crushed a 1-1 pitch to right and suddenly the Twins were in the lead 5-3. 

With Radke on the mound, it would be all that they would need. After yielding the home run to Ramirez, Radke retired 19 out of the next 20 batters he faced. He went the distance and got his 7th win. A solid outing, another comeback win, the Twins were for real and this game proved it to me. Another 8/10 ranking.

Radke warms up before the game