Aaron Laffey lasted just four innings for Cleveland, allowing five runs and six hits with a walk and a strikeout. Four relievers combined for five scoreless innings after him, including Rafael Betancourt for the win and Joe Borowski with the save.
Kevin Slowey pitched five innings for the Twins, giving up 2 runs -- 1 earned -- on five hits with three strikeouts. Six different relievers followed him, with Joe Nathan getting the blown save and Julio DePaula earning the loss.
Hafner nailed a solo shot in the first inning and Kenny Lofton scored on a fielding error in the second, but Jason Kubel got one back in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double for Minnesota. Justin Morneau nailed a three-run two-bagger in the third to give the Twins a 4-2 lead before Luis Rodriguez drove in the fifth run on a single to center the following inning.
Lofton then lined a double to deep right to move the Indians within two again before Hafner added a two-run blast in the ninth to tie it up and head into extras.
During the scoreless tenth, Twins back-up catcher Mike Redmond was pinch-hitting for starting catcher Chris Heinz when he fouled a pitch straight back and fell to the ground holding his already injured left finger. Redmond described the pain as feeling as if his finger had fallen off. Not too pleasant.
The trouble with this scenario is that the Twins had run out of catchers, with Joe Mauer activated earlier that day after sitting out since August 25th. He had not taken any batting practice and done only light jogging before the game. He stepped in anyway to finish Red's at-bat and struck out swinging.
Mauer was behind the plate for the eleventh, which didn't last long as Hafner hit a sac fly to deep center that sent Franklin Gutierrez home before Victor Martinez hit a ground rule double to take a 2-run lead and eventually win the game.
The Indians have pretty much run away with the Central division title, with just three games remaining against the Tigers and Wednesday's finale against the Twins.
[Epic Carnival]
4 comments:
Sickening.
Oh, the humanity.
First it was Jim Thome's bat upside his head, and now this. Mike Redmond has been brutalized in game after game this season, and just keeps on keepin' on.
Even at 11.5 games out, that's hot.
It's a sad revelation, but I think we're gonna see the comeback that we did last year from the Twins.
See me dancing on the table!
Now if only, please god, the Tribe can actually win a world series in my lifetime.
I'm in love with Ryan Garko.
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