• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Clark, Twins outlast Rangers

May 20, 2008 - 5:39 AM By Anthony Maggio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) - If he would've had his way, Bobby Korecky would've scored from second base to win the game. But he's certainly not complaining about his first major league win.

Korecky was one of three recent Rochester Red Wings to have a huge impact in a wild, four-hour contest on Monday, with journeyman Howie Clark capping off the 7-6 Minnesota Twins victory over the Texas Rangers with a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Korecky (1-0) got Ian Kinsler to pop out and struck out Michael Young after coming in with one out and the bases loaded in the 11th inning, then got his first major-league hit before being stranded at third base as the Twins also wasted a bases-loaded one-out situation.

It would have been poetic for Korecky to get his first major league run as the game-winner as well, especially after becoming the first Minnesota pitcher to ever record a hit in an American League game thanks to ninth-inning moves that eliminated the Twins' designated hitter with no bench players left.

"I had been telling the guys when we worked on hitting this week that I really wanted to score from second base," Korecky said. "I love that play when I see guys sliding into home for the winning run.

"But it all worked out. We got the win, which makes the whole experience well worth it."

Carlos Gomez led off the 12th with a check-swing infield single off Franklyn German (1-3) and went to second base on Delmon Young's groundout. Mike Lamb was intentionally walked to set up the force play, and with the speedy Gomez on second base the outfield was forced to play shallow in case of a play at the plate.

Clark took advantage, dropping a line drive over Josh Hamilton's head in center field for the game-winning double - his first career walk-off hit.

"The guy hit a line drive and (Hamilton) made one wrong step," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He couldn't recover."

Minnesota had the chance for late-inning heroics thanks to C.J. Wilson's blown save in the ninth inning. The Rangers' closer walked two and threw a wild pitch, ultimately leading to Joe Mauer's RBI single to score Craig Monroe.

It was Wilson's second blown save this season, and he has now allowed seven earned runs in his last 4 2/3 innings.

"We've got to figure out some kind of way to straighten him out," Washington said. "He's not in the strike zone like he was earlier, being consistent in the strike zone."

Wilson was handed the save opportunity after Texas put up two runs in the seventh and eighth innings to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run single in the seventh inning to chase Minnesota starter Boof Bonser, and Milton Bradley hit an RBI double followed by a David Murphy RBI single off Dennys Reyes in the eighth inning.

After being spotted a 2-0 lead thanks to solo homers from Hamilton in the first inning and Kinsler in the third, the Rangers needed a late-inning comeback after starter Scott Feldman gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings.

Minnesota sliced the deficit to one in the bottom of the third inning when Brendan Harris scored on Joe Mauer's RBI single, then took a 4-2 lead on Alexi Casilla's first major league homer - a three-run blast - in the fourth inning. With just nine RBI in his previous 68 major league games, the one swing marked a career-high in RBI as well.

The Twins tacked on another in the sixth on Mike Lamb's sacrifice fly.

Bonser allowed four runs - three earned - on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, but made a costly error that led Texas' two-run seventh inning.

With runners on the corners and one out, Frank Catalanotto hit a comebacker that looked to be an easy inning-ending double play chance. But Bonser's throw to Adam Everett at second base was a little high and went off the heel of Everett's glove as he tried to make a leaping catch. Saltalamacchia singled on the next pitch to plate Bradley and Brandon Boggs.

Still, it was Bonser's best start in May after giving up at least five earned runs in his last three outings. Bonser had allowed 10 earned runs in the first inning alone in those three starts.

"He pitched great, but threw one away with the chance for the double play and that was huge," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But it was a great win, an exciting win, and really good for a couple young men here that just got up here."

Clark was the most recent call-up of Monday's heroes, joining the club on May 17. Casilla was called up six days earlier, and Korecky has been with the Twins since April 25.

"The Twins have always, when they've called players up they've always used them," Clark said. "They put an emphasis on that in Rochester that you are a step away and you're going to play. So for the three of us to have a contribution is pretty special."

The Rangers lost their second straight game and their fifth consecutive in Minneapolis dating back to last season.

Minnesota won for just the second time in its last seven games to pull back to .500 at 22-22.