Minnesota-Texas: Twins Win Despite Serious Mistakes

Whew. It took 12 innings to get the job done, but the Twins finally finished off the Texas Rangers.

Both teams had their chance to end it in the 11th, when each loaded the bases with just one out, but miraculously, both bullpens locked down and surrendered no runs.

The Twins have won the opening game in five of their last seven series, but it took a chorus of unlikely contributers.

A three-run homer from Alexi Casilla, an inning-and-two-thirds of no-hit ball from Bobby Korecky, and a game-winning RBI double from Howie Clark made the box score from this game look like the Twins' got swapped with Rochester's, but without those vital contributions, the Twins would have been lost.

Korecky even got a single in the 11th, but he stood on third representing the winning run as Justin Morneau struck out and Michael Cuddyer grounded out to end the inning. Korecky's single gave him more hits than Cuddyer and Morneau combined.

The Twins send Glen Perkins to the hill tomorrow, needing at least six to seven solid innings, given how many relievers were used to secure this win.

The Good

Joe Mauer: 2-5, 2 RBI, BB. Mauer's second RBI tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. He is now hitting .319, and getting on base at a nearly 40 percent clip.

Brendan Harris: 3-5, R, BB. Harris began the game as the DH, but moved to short in the 10th, forcing the pitchers to hit. He consistently got on base, but the black holes behind him rendered his good day almost irrelevant.

Bobby Korecky: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, W. Korecky has alligator blood. That's the only way to explain his two outs in the top of the 11th with the bases juiced. He got Micheal Young swinging on as good a slider as he's ever thrown to end the top of the 11th, then promptly picked up a bat and gave the Twins a chance to win with his single.

The Bad

Alexi Casilla: 1-4, R, 3 RBI: The homer was the first hit Casilla has gotten since his call up, and the first home run of his career. He'll need to start getting more hits if he wants to stay up after Punto and Tolbert get off the DL, but this one was especially key.

Boof Bonser: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 K: Not a terrible outing, but also not great. Boof was only at 79 pitches when the wheels came off in the 7th, but come off they did.

He loaded the bases with one out, and then gave up a two-run single before getting pulled. Had Gardy had the good sense to pull him AFTER he loaded the bases instead of after he gave up the runs, his line might look a lot better. Or Matt Guerrier might have given up the same single and it'd look the exact same (minus one hit).

The Rangers have been playing very, very well lately, so it comes as no surprise that they hit Boof around, but at least he kept the Twins close enough that Mauer could tie the game in the ninth.

The Ugly

Michael Cuddyer: 0-6, 9 LOB: Cuddyer is down to a .226 BA, and his plummeting average doesn't show any signs of ending its precipitous decline anytime soon. Morneau could have gone here too, but his two walks gave him slightly more value than the terrible Micheal Cuddyer. Cuddy was out hit tonight by Adam Everett, Alexi Casilla, and Bobby Korecky, not exactly a murderers' row.

Juan Rincon: 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB. As much as I've hated on Jesse Crain lately, Crain pitched pretty well tonight. Well enough to cede his spot in this category to another terrible relief pitcher. Rincon's WHIP tonight was 9, and he left the game with the bases loaded and just one out. Only a stellar outing from Bobby Korecky saved Rincon from taking the loss he deserved.