Mariners 2 - 4 Twins
Final
  for this game

Blackburn goes the distance as Twins defeat Mariners

May 25, 2011 - 3:14 AM

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Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Denard Span went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Nick Blackburn tossed a complete game as the Minnesota Twins took a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in the middle installment of a three- game set.

Blackburn (4-4) went the distance for the fifth time in his career

Alexi Casilla had two hits and scored twice while Jason Kubel added two hits and an RBI for the Twins, who snapped a four-game slide.

"It felt good out there tonight," said Kubel. "I made some plays, the other guys made some plays and we got the win. We didn't score a bunch of runs, but we scored enough to win and that's all that counts."

Doug Fister (2-5) gave up all four runs on nine hits with six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings while Miguel Olivo hit a two-run home run for the Mariners, who had a season-high six-game winning streak stopped.

"Their guy was throwing really strong tonight," said Seattle shortstop Brendan Ryan, who went 3-for-3 in the game. "I mean, all my hits were cheap and for the most part he was pounding the zone and getting us out."

In the first, Kubel singled home Span, who led off with a triple, for a 1-0 lead.

The third inning saw Minnesota make it a 2-0 game as Casilla led off with a double, moved to third on Span's groundout and came home when Matt Tolbert laid down the suicide squeeze.

Olivo, though, tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a blast over the left field wall.

The seventh inning saw Minnesota score twice for a 4-2 lead. Consecutive one- out singles from Rene Rivera and Casilla saw runners on first and third and Rivera then scored on a balk by Fister. Span followed with a double to play Casilla.

Blackburn set down Seattle in order in the eighth and ninth to complete the game.

Game Notes

Each team has won twice in the season series...Blackburn improved to 3-0 in five starts this month and is 3-1 over seven games against the Mariners...Fister fell to 0-4 in four starts against Minnesota...Minnesota's Michael Cuddyer sat out the game with a right hip strain. He is one hit shy of 1,000 for his career.






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