Aug 27, 2008 - 10:02 PM
0 shoutsBy Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Pinch hitter Brian Buscher lined a two-run single to snap a 4-4 tie and cap a three-run eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins rallied to edge the Seattle Mariners, 6-5, on Wednesday.
The win broke the Twins' four-game losing streak and prevented the Mariners from winning their season-high fourth consecutive game.
Minnesota improved to 3-4 on its 14-game road trip, the club's longest since 1969. It avoided being swept in Seattle for the first time since 2001.
"It was a very exciting baseball game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Seattle has been very entertaining for us this year. I think it's the never-say-die attitude on both sides."
Lefthander Glen Perkins (12-3) went seven innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in winning his fifth consecutive game and 10th in 12 decisions since June 1.
"He just made a couple of mistakes," Gardenhire said of Perkins. "Other than that, he threw the ball great."
After having his last two blown saves come against the Mariners, Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth inning for his 36th save.
The Twins were trailing, 4-3, in the eighth when Justin Morneau hit a leadoff double off Sean Green (3-4). After a single by Randy Ruiz, Morneau scored on Jason Kubel's double, knotting the game.
Two batters later, while hitting for Brendan Harris, Buscher lined a single to center field off Cesar Jimenez, scoring a pair for a 6-4 advantage.
"That was a huge hit for him and a huge hit for us," Twins catcher Mike Redmond said. "It wasn't pretty, but we won and now we can turn the page and go to Oakland."
The Mariners rallied for a run in the eighth against newly acquired Eddie Guardado as Kenji Johjima and Jeff Clement ripped back-to-back doubles with two outs. Miguel Cairo followed with a single that nearly tied the game, but right fielder Denard Span threw out pinch runner Tug Hulett at the plate.
"I just released the ball and let it go," Span said. "I just want to make sure to give Red (catcher Mike Redmond) a nice hop, or throw it right to him and I got rid of the ball pretty good."
"That was a big play, just to hold them off," Redmond said. "In my mind he was going to have to come over me to score that run. So, it ended up working out."
Seattle had erased an early 3-1 deficit on Jose Lopez's two-run home run in the fourth, a high shot down the left field line that barely cleared the foul pole. Three innings later, Raul Ibanez lifted an 0-1 offering from Perkins 401 feet into the right field seats to give the Mariners a 4-3 edge.
"We had a 1-0 lead and I gave it back," Perkins said. "Then, we had a 3-1 lead and I gave it back. So, that was very frustrating."
Ryan Feierabend left after seven innings with the one-run lead. The 23-year-old lefthander surrendered three runs and eight hits, striking out four and walking two.
"For me to be a starter, I need to show that I can pitch up to this level and go seven innings," Feierabend said after hurling seven innings for the second time in his career.
Delmon Young's sacrifice fly in the second gave the Twins a 1-0 lead, but the Mariners tied it in the third on Yuniesky Betancourt's RBI double. Span doubled in a pair of runs an inning later to put Minnesota ahead, 3-1.
From the Bleachers
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MINNESOTA: 6
SEATTLE: 5
Final
Aug 27 7:19 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JEFF CLEMENT SCORED KENJI JOHJIMA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J CLEMENT ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 6
SEATTLE 5 BOTTOM, 8TH
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: M CAIRO (.246, 1-FOR-3)
Aug 27 7:02 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BRIAN BUSCHER SCORED ADAM EVERETT AND CARLOS
GOMEZ.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, B BUSCHER ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 6
SEATTLE 4 TOP, 8TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: N PUNTO (.289, 1-FOR-2, BB)
Aug 27 6:47 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JASON KUBEL SCORED JUSTIN MORNEAU.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J KUBEL ON SECOND, A EVERETT ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 4
SEATTLE 4 TOP, 8TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: D YOUNG (.282, 0-FOR-2, SF, RBI)
Aug 27 6:42 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY RAUL IBANEZ (21) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 7TH OFF GLEN PERKINS.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3, SEATTLE 4
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: A BELTRE (.252, 1-FOR-3)
Aug 27 6:32 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JOSE LOPEZ (12) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 4TH OFF GLEN PERKINS SCORED ADRIAN BELTRE.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3, SEATTLE 3
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: W BALENTIEN (.203, 0-FOR-1)
Aug 27 5:47 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND RULE DOUBLE BY DENARD SPAN SCORED RANDY RUIZ AND
JASON KUBEL.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, D SPAN ON SECOND, N PUNTO ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3
SEATTLE 1 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: A CASILLA (.303, 1-FOR-2)
Aug 27 5:42 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY YUNIESKY BETANCOURT SCORED ICHIRO SUZUKI.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, Y BETANCOURT ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 1
SEATTLE 1 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: R IBANEZ (.300, 0-FOR-1)
Aug 27 5:27 PM -
AL
AT SEATTLE - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY DELMON YOUNG SCORED JUSTIN MORNEAU.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J KUBEL ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 1
SEATTLE 0 TOP, 2ND
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: B HARRIS (.261, 6 HR, 43 RBI)
Aug 27 4:59 PM
