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Light-hitting Pena hits game-winner for Royals

Aug 11, 2008 - 12:55 AM KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Tony Pena Jr. did not mind the mobbing that ensues after a walk-off hit - especially since he had never experienced it.

Pena broke out of a long slump and ripped his first career walk-off single in the 12th inning, helping the Kansas City Royals avoid a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Jose Guillen drove in a run for Kansas City, which twice rallied from a two-run deficit.

Mark Teahen ripped a line drive to right field off Craig Breslow (0-1) and hustled in with a leadoff double. Pena, who entered as a pinch runner in the eighth, fouled off a pitch and drilled a line drive that nearly hit Breslow in the face to plate Teahen with the winning run.

"It's the first time that (a walk-off hit) ever happened to me," said Pena, who went 2-for-2, raising his average to .157.

"That's just a great feeling. All the guys are jumping on you and punching you. That's the only time I think you get punched and it doesn't hurt. This is definitely a confidence booster, especially having not played that much."

Pena snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a single in the 10th, and Royals manager Trey Hillman was rewarded for his faith in the slumping shortstop.

"I felt like he was due," Hillman said. "I knew he would at least get up there and battle. I think he might have half-expected I was going to pinch hit for him."

Robinson Tejeda (1-2) threw a hitless 12th to pick up the win.

Adam Everett drove in two runs but also had a costly throwing error for Minnesota (65-52), which fell one-half game behind the Chicago White Sox (65-51) for first place in the American League Central.

The Royals scored two runs in the eighth to tie the game, spoiling a solid outing by Scott Baker.

Kansas City put runners on the corners against Matt Guerrier, who was relieved by Dennys Reyes in the eighth. Reyes uncorked a wild pitch that made it 4-3. Ross Gload then hit a routine grounder to Everett at shortstop, but his throw pulled Justin Morneau off the base and allowed Pena to score to tie it at 4-4.

"I just threw it away," said the normally sure-handed Everett, who entered with just five errors in 154 chances. "That's the bottom line. You can slice it or dice it anyway you want, but I cost us the game. I haven't made an error like that all year."

Teahen said it was a role reversal of sorts.

"That's how (the Twins) win ballgames," he said. "They pitch well, scratch out runs and play good defense. Today they made a few errors and the wild pitch. Luckily we were able to do something with it when they did make those mistakes."

The Royals' rally denied Baker the win. The righthander allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings and left with a 4-2 lead until the bullpen imploded.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the seventh, Brian Buscher ripped a one-out double to left off Gil Meche and scored on a single to center by Everett. Joe Mauer drove in a run with a groundout off Ramon Ramirez for a 4-2 lead.

Baker threw five scoreless innings before his error opened the door for Kansas City to tie the game at 2-2 the previous half inning.

Mitch Maier scored from first on Baker's throwing error, and Guillen then ripped a single into left to tie it at 2-2. That erased the lead that Minnesota built in the third inning when Everett singled home a run and Morneau drew a bases-loaded walk.

"Late in the game it was probably as bad a defense as you can play," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We missed I don't know how many plays."