Final
Duensing leads Twins past Rangers, 3-2
Aug 29, 2009 - 3:51 AM By JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Sports WriterMINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- As the powerful Texas Rangers continued to whiff at the soft-throwing Brian Duensing, Minnesota Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson asked the rookie left-hander if he was turning into a strikeout pitcher.
"There's no chance that's happening," Duensing said. "It was one of those nights. Maybe there were some shadows in the Dome."
Whatever works.
Duensing pitched like a veteran in his third career start, striking out eight in seven innings to lead the Twins to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers on Friday night.
Duensing (2-1) allowed three hits and walked one for the Twins, who have won eight of their last 10 games to creep back into contention in the AL Central.
"He was fantastic," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He used all of his pitches. He changed speeds. It was really fun to watch."
Tommy Hunter (6-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Rangers, who got an RBI-double from David Murphy in the ninth and had the tying run on second base.
But Joe Nathan got Chris Davis looking on a close call for his 33rd save to pull Minnesota within four games of first-place Detroit in the division.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer had a run-scoring single and then made a key play when he threw out Elvis Andrus trying to steal second base in the eighth.
Duensing spent almost all of the first three months at Triple-A Rochester, and was being used primarily as a long reliever after being recalled at the beginning of July. Gardenhire inserted him into the rotation after injuries to Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Francisco Liriano.
Duensing walked Ian Kinsler to start the game, but retired the next 11. He didn't allow a hit until Nelson Cruz singled with two outs in the fourth.
"Since I've been recalled, the game has really slowed down and I've been feeling really comfortable on the mound," Duensing said. "I'm still nervous, but I try and relax and just try and play catch. So far, so good, I guess."
Both teams are in the thick of the playoff chase. The Rangers, who took two of three from the New York Yankees in the Bronx, fell 2 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL wild card.
The Twins have a steeper hill to climb to catch Detroit and get to the postseason.
They started the game Friday night with a sense of urgency, getting an RBI-single from Mauer, an RBI-triple from Jason Kubel and made it 3-0 when Michael Cuddyer bounced one off Hunter's thigh for an infield hit.
It was a rough night in that regard for Hunter, who later took a liner to the chest off the bat of Justin Morneau. But he was able to stay in the game after both shots, showing the kind of toughness that should endear him to manager Ron Washington and the rest of his teammates as they chase their first playoff appearance since 1999.
"I'm quite sure he'll have some black and blue marks but he just showed the battler that he is," Washington said. "But I guess you've got to give Duensing his credit too because he made those three runs stand up."
Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the sixth inning, but Murphy's double in the ninth just missed being a game-tying homer, bouncing high off the baggie in right field.
"Definitely the definition of coming up a little bit short right there," Murphy said.
NOTES: Twins 3B coach Scott Ullger can add another title to his resume: groundskeeper. The game paused briefly in the top of the third inning when Hunter complained about a high spot on the pitching mound. Ullger came out of the dugout with a rake and pounded it down, and the game resumed. ... If all goes well, Gardenhire said RHP Jeff Manship will pitch Tuesday against Chicago. ... Texas RHP Pedro Strop worked a perfect eighth inning in his ML debut. ... Kinsler stole two bases and has 26 this season.
- ** CONFIRMED **
AL
TEXAS 2
MINNESOTA 3 FINAL
Aug 28 10:40 PM - AL
AT MINNESOTA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY DAVID MURPHY SCORED IVAN RODRIGUEZ
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D MURPHY ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
MINNESOTA 3 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: T TEAGARDEN (.192, 0-FOR-3)
Rangers 2, Twins 3 Top 9, 0 OutsAug 28 10:29 PM - AL
AT MINNESOTA - SCORING UPDATE
FORCE OUT BY JOSH HAMILTON SCORED ELVIS ANDRUS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J HAMILTON ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 1
MINNESOTA 3 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: N CRUZ (.264, 1-FOR-2)
Rangers 1, Twins 3 Top 6, 0 OutsAug 28 9:44 PM - AL
AT MINNESOTA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MICHAEL CUDDYER SCORED JASON KUBEL
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, M CUDDYER ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 0
MINNESOTA 3 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: D YOUNG (.266, 8 HR, 42 RBI)
Rangers 0, Twins 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 28 8:32 PM - AL
AT MINNESOTA - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY JASON KUBEL SCORED JOE MAUER
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J KUBEL ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 0
MINNESOTA 2 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: M CUDDYER (.274, 22 HR, 63 RBI)
Rangers 0, Twins 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 28 8:30 PM - AL
AT MINNESOTA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOE MAUER SCORED DENARD SPAN
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J MAUER ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 0
MINNESOTA 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: J MORNEAU (.295, 29 HR, 96 RBI)
Rangers 0, Twins 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 28 8:28 PM
Related News
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Greatest Minnesota Twins: The Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 9) Dec 26
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- The season of perpetual hope (Pt. 3 of 3): Jim Eisenreich Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- Saturday morning Rangers things Dec 23
- Rival Roundup, Vol. 47: Home for the Holidays Dec 23
- LSB Offseason Community Prospect Rankings — #15 Dec 22
- Friday morning Rangers stuff Dec 22
- Yamamoto to Dodgers, per reports Dec 21
- MLB adopts new rules for 2024 Dec 21