Nathan roughed up in finale vs. Giants
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins played their longest nine-inning game of the season Thursday night. For Joe Nathan, the last frame couldn't have gone any slower.
The Giants broke open a tie game with four runs against Nathan (1-3) in the ninth inning and finished with a 14-7 win over the Twins at the Metrodome.
"It got a little ugly there at the end," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We just couldn't get them out."
Nathan entered the game in the ninth inning with the score tied at 7 and surrendered walks to Moises Alou and Ray Durham. The All-Star closer didn't agree with several calls from home plate umpire Charlie Reliford.
"I didn't have the greatest night, but somebody else not in our uniform didn't have the greatest night either," Nathan said.
Nathan was looking for a called strike on a 2-2 pitch to Alou, but he was especially upset with the umpire's strike zone during Durham's at-bat.
"Pitches to Durham, I didn't get the call," Nathan said. "I'll just leave it at that. I'm not going to go any further on that one."
After Michael Tucker struck out on a bunt attempt, Pedro Feliz hit a two-run single up the middle. Nathan then walked Jason Ellison before being pulled from the game.
"After a couple runs came in, I think I lost it, but that was after the damage was done," said Nathan, who is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his last 14 appearances.
The Giants added more than enough insurance runs off Terry Mulholland. Durham added his own two-run single, and Omar Vizquel capped a five-hit night with a two-run double. The 14 runs and 18 hits allowed by Minnesota were season highs.
"The ball was flying all over," Gardenhire said. "They were blooping some, they were hitting missiles. It just wasn't our starter's night."
Joe Mays lasted four innings in his shortest start of the season, giving up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits. The right-hander squandered a 4-0 lead, but he was almost bailed out by Lew Ford's three-run homer in the fifth inning.
With the Twins leading, 7-6, Juan Rincon surrendered a one-out single to Feliz. He then hit Ellison with an 0-2 pitch, which led to Vizquel's two-out, game-tying single.
"I think that's probably the biggest at-bat of the night," Gardenhire said of the Ellison play.
The Twins, who lost two out of three to the Giants, and five of seven overall, dropped to 5 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox.
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
The Giants broke open a tie game with four runs against Nathan (1-3) in the ninth inning and finished with a 14-7 win over the Twins at the Metrodome.
"It got a little ugly there at the end," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We just couldn't get them out."
Nathan entered the game in the ninth inning with the score tied at 7 and surrendered walks to Moises Alou and Ray Durham. The All-Star closer didn't agree with several calls from home plate umpire Charlie Reliford.
"I didn't have the greatest night, but somebody else not in our uniform didn't have the greatest night either," Nathan said.
Nathan was looking for a called strike on a 2-2 pitch to Alou, but he was especially upset with the umpire's strike zone during Durham's at-bat.
"Pitches to Durham, I didn't get the call," Nathan said. "I'll just leave it at that. I'm not going to go any further on that one."
After Michael Tucker struck out on a bunt attempt, Pedro Feliz hit a two-run single up the middle. Nathan then walked Jason Ellison before being pulled from the game.
"After a couple runs came in, I think I lost it, but that was after the damage was done," said Nathan, who is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his last 14 appearances.
The Giants added more than enough insurance runs off Terry Mulholland. Durham added his own two-run single, and Omar Vizquel capped a five-hit night with a two-run double. The 14 runs and 18 hits allowed by Minnesota were season highs.
"The ball was flying all over," Gardenhire said. "They were blooping some, they were hitting missiles. It just wasn't our starter's night."
Joe Mays lasted four innings in his shortest start of the season, giving up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits. The right-hander squandered a 4-0 lead, but he was almost bailed out by Lew Ford's three-run homer in the fifth inning.
With the Twins leading, 7-6, Juan Rincon surrendered a one-out single to Feliz. He then hit Ellison with an 0-2 pitch, which led to Vizquel's two-out, game-tying single.
"I think that's probably the biggest at-bat of the night," Gardenhire said of the Ellison play.
The Twins, who lost two out of three to the Giants, and five of seven overall, dropped to 5 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox.
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
