Written By Tom Schreier
Photo Credit: Brian Curski
The Minnesota Twins losing streak is over. Win No. 1 comes at the expense of the Los Angeles Angels, who were on a four-game win streak before losing 5-4 to the Twins.
“Well, it was much-needed,” said manager Paul Molitor. “It was a tough game too, in the fact that it went back and forth a little bit, late.”
Tommy Milone threw 6.0 innings, gave up four runs on eight hits and two home runs. “Tommy had good stuff early,” said Molitor, “and then it seemed like after our long sixth he went back out there and started leaving some pitches up.”
Molitor had reliever Ryan Pressly warming up in the seventh, but he did not enter the game until after Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun homered off of Milone.
“Had Pressly ready to go,” said Molitor, “but I was trying to get through Calhoun — it didn’t work out particularly well, but we hung in there.”
Byung Ho Park drove in the eventual game-winning run with a double in the eighth, scoring Plouffe from first.
“He had a good day yesterday,” Molitor said of Park. “I thought he carried it over pretty well tonight. He had some good at-bats, including the walk, and he just kinda muscled that one down there in the corner.”
Plouffe had fun at his own expense, attributing his high socks to his sudden outburst of speed.
“I had a lot of options there in terms of in terms of pinch running and doing different things,” said Molitor. “We haven’t caught a lot of breaks, but that was one. The bobble was probably the difference in him scoring and not scoring on that play.”
And finally Nunez, poor Nunez. The guy goes 3-for-3, but also gets hit by a pitch in the sixth and gets run over by Miguel Sano in the outfield.
“That collision, I was fearing the worst. Because it sure didn’t look good live,” said Molitor. “Thankfully no severe injuries. I think he took a blow to the head as well as his knee, and that’s a big man to run into out there.”
In the end, though, the team was finally able to scratch across a couple runs and walk away with the first win of the season.
“The energy was there once we got on the board a couple times,” said Molitor, “and obviously we saw the fight to find a way to win the game.”