Game 93: Twins blow 10-run lead to lose 14-13 to A’s
July 21, 2009
Minnesota @ Oakland (Game 2 of 3)
The Twins got out to an early 12-2 lead with Justin Morneau hitting two home runs, one of them a grand slam, with seven RBIs, but were unable to keep the A’s from hitting and scoring and lost 14-13 at the Oakland Coliseum.
The Twins got a pair of two-out walks in the first inning before Jason Kubel sent a rocket into right center to make it a 3-0 game before the Athletics got a chance to bat. Oakland came back, though, with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Twins lead down to one.
The Twins would bat around in the top of the second scoring five runs in part by a grand slam from Justin Morneau with two outs. Michael Cuddyer knocked one out of the park in the next at bat to make it 8-2 in favor of the Twins. The team wasn’t done their either as the put another four runs on the board in the third inning with a two out 3-run home run from Morneau for his second home run of the game and the fourth home run for the Twins in the game. A single from Kubel would score Cuddyer later in the inning to make it 12-2.
The A’s showed they weren’t going to go out lying down and put up three runs in the bottom half of the third off of a single from Jack Cust and a 2-run home run from Daric Barton to make it 12-5. Matt Holliday would add to that score in the fourth inning with a 2-run home run off Nick Blackburn to make it 12-7.
Delmon Young added the 13th and final run for the Twins in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Justin Morneau. Nick Blackburn would pitch out of a jam in the bottom half of the inning before being taken out of the game. Blackburn would give up seven runs, all earned, off 13 hits with no strike outs and no walks.
The bullpen would take over in the sixth and make it through the inning before running into problems in the seventh. Brian Duensing would load the bases with a walk and two singles before being replaced by Bobby Keppel. Keppel would only throw two pitches before Orlando Cabrera hit a 2-run double and loading the bases with another walk. Matt Holliday would then send a fastball into right center field for a grand slam to tie the game at 13.
With still only one out, the Twins sent Jose Mijares to the mound who would give up a home run off the first pitch he threw to Jack Cust. The Twins would finally get out of the inning by retiring the next two batters but the damage of a seven run inning had been done and the Twins found their 10-run lead turn into a one run deficit.
The Twins tried to comeback in the top of the ninth that was spurred by a two-out double from Michael Cuddyer. Jason Kubel got a free pass to first with an intentional walk and was replaced by Carlos Gomez as a pinch runner. Reliever Michael Wuertz then sent a 1-0 pitch to Delmon Young in the dirt that went to the backstop. Catcher, Kurt Suzuki lost track of the ball as Cuddyer ran home. Suzuki recovered the ball and threw it to Wuertz who put the tag on Cuddyer at the plate to end the game.
After the game, the replay showed that Cuddyer’s leg had crossed the plate before Wuertz put on the tag. The game was over, though, and the Twins had a historic loss that tied the 1984 Twins as the worst blown game in the club’s history.
Attendance: 10,283 (Oakland Coliseum)
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