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Redmond's single in 11th ends scoreless drought

Apr 26, 2007 - 11:00 PM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Mike Redmond's second hit did the trick.

Redmond singled home the only run in the 11th inning as the Minnesota Twins posted a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the finale of a two-game series.

Pitching had been the big story in the game prior to Redmond's clutch hit, as the two American League Central teams combined to strand 25 runners.

However, the Twins finally broke through in the 11th against Todd Wellemeyer (0-1), as Justin Morneau and Jason Tyner strung together consecutive one-out singles before Redmond lined the first pitch of his fifth at-bat into right field to snap the team's four-game losing streak.

"It was a grind, it's the way the season has been for us so far," Redmond said. "It didn't matter who it was, we just needed that big hit. Today, I got it and hopefully it gets everybody going."

Redmond, who also singled in the second inning, was one of four batters with more than one hit. Both teams combined for just nine hits while striking out 17 times.

Minnesota righthander Juan Rincon (1-0) worked a perfect top of the 11th for the win.

Kansas City starter Zack Greinke threw seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and four walks with just one strikeout. The righthander bounced back from a pair of rough starts where he gave up eight runs and 12 hits in just 5 2/3 innings combined.

Greinke missed most of last season due to personal reasons, but started 2007 on fire, going 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA in two outings.

"Zack was outstanding," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "A little shaky early, but he settled in and was really working both sides of the plate with offspeed stuff. Everything was pretty good for him today."

Greinke was wild early in this one, including the second inning when he hit a pair of batters.

With Torii Hunter leading off the frame, Greinke threw a 2-2 fastball inside that hit the Gold Glove center fielder in the face. Holding the left side of his face, Hunter tossed off his helmet as he was getting ready to charge the mound. He took two steps towards the righthander before doubling over in pain.

Hunter said that he chose not to go after Greinke due to all the bad press he has had recently.

"It was a rough week for me," he said. "I have been in the champagne scandal, the Jackie Robinson comments. I thought about all this and said, 'Man, look; I can't give nobody nothing else to talk about.' So, I just shut it down."

"You don't want to do that ever," Greinke said about the beaning. "I just felt bad about it. He's a good guy. Everybody knows that."

Hunter, who left the field with a towel over his mouth to clean up the blood, was taken to the hospital and received three stitches due to a laceration on the inside of his lip. He is listed as day-to-day, but said he will play on Friday.

"Oh yeah, I didn't break an arm or nothing like that, or leg," Hunter said about his prospects of returning to the lineup quickly.

Hunter entered the game with a 12-game hitting streak and the American League leader with 13 doubles. He also had driven in 16 runs in 20 games.

After Tyner came in to replace Hunter as a pinch runner, Redmond, the Twins' backup catcher, followed with a single to right field. Two batters later, Greinke loaded the bases with one out when he hit Jason Bartlett in the back.

Pitching coach Bob McClure came out to the mound for a conference, and the 23-year-old righthander got out of the jam on the next pitch as rookie Alexi Casilla grounded out to second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.

The Twins also loaded the bases in the fifth after Jason Kubel and Bartlett led off the frame with consecutive singles and Greinke intentionally walked Joe Mauer - last season's American League batting champion - with two outs. However, Michael Cuddyer flew out to center field to end the threat.

Despite Minnesota's inability to come up with a clutch hit, Kansas City had its troubles against starter Boof Bonser, who finished with five scoreless innings despite walking a career-high seven walks. He also allowed three hits and tied a career high with eight strikeouts.

"Seven walks is not me," Bonser said. "I guess you could say I put up five zeros today, so I've got something going. I guess I got better in some areas, and I didn't capitalize on some of the other ones."

The 25-year-old righthander issued three walks in the fourth, but managed to escape a bases-loaded jam with one out. Emil Brown was thrown out at the plate when Bonser fielded a ground ball by shortstop Tony Pena Jr. and David DeJesus flew out to left field.

"You have to take advantage of every little mistake a pitcher is making," Pena said. "But, whenever he had runners on base, he would just get a little bit extra and bear down."

Even when the Twins went to the bullpen, the Royals continued to struggle offensively, leaving two batters on in the sixth against Matt Guerrier.

In the seventh, Kansas City's Reggie Sanders was thrown out at a play at the plate to end the frame as Minnesota shortstop Bartlett made an over-the-shoulder catch on fly ball by Brown in shallow left field and immediately fired home.

"People don't realize how tough of a play that is in the dome, with the sun, it is tough to see," Redmond said of the catch by Bartlett. "He made a great play and then was heads up enough to get a good throw."

In the ninth, Kubel, the only other Twin to record two hits, ripped a double with two outs. He was stranded when Joel Peralta, who came on to replace Jimmy Gobble, struck out Bartlett swinging.

The Royals, who finished with a season-high 14 runners left on base, stranded their final two in the 10th, when Buck grounded out against Twins closer Joe Nathan with runners at the corners.