Final/10
Willingham helps Twins defeat Cubs in 10 innings
Jun 9, 2012 - 4:36 AMVideo
After Justin Morneau tied the game in the ninth with an RBI triple, Darin Mastroianni worked a leadoff walk in the 10th, moved to second on a bunt from Ben Revere, and reached third on Jamey Carroll's swinging-bunt single.
Willingham then stepped to the plate and scorched a Shawn Camp (2-3) sinker down the third-base line to plate Mastroianni and give the Twins their fifth win in their last six tries.
"I wasn't really thinking of anything," admitted Willingham. "I usually get in trouble when I start thinking. I was just trying to get a pitch to hit and not try to do too much with it."
Matt Capps (1-3) got the win after tossing a scoreless top of the 10th. Trevor Plouffe homered in the fourth and Ryan Doumit added a solo shot that gave the Twins a 6-5 lead in the seventh.
Alfonso Soriano belted two home runs, including a mammoth two-run blast that gave the Cubs a brief 7-6 lead in the eighth. Starlin Castro added a two-run shot in defeat as the Cubs dropped their third straight contest.
The game was knotted at 5-5 in the seventh when Doumit broke the tie with a two-out solo shot to left to give the Twins their first lead of the game.
The lead was short-lived however, as David DeJesus singled to start the eighth and Soriano followed by crushing a slider deep into the third deck in left.
The Twins battled back in the ninth against Camp as Willingham led off the frame with a single before Morneau crushed a triple off the wall in center to score Willingham and knot the game at 7-7.
"It was one of those games where it was a battle," said Cubs starter Travis Wood, who lasted just five innings. "Unfortunately we weren't able to pull it out. It's just one of those nights."
Earlier in the first inning, Castro ripped a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from DeJesus. Soriano's 10th homer of the year made it 2-0.
The Twins got one back in the second as Chris Parmelee led off with a single and Plouffe followed with a walk. A Brian Dozier fly out then moved Parmelee to third before he crossed home on Mastroianni's base hit to left.
Minnesota pulled even in the fourth on Plouffe's eighth homer of the year, but Chicago struck for three in the next half inning to take a 5-2 lead.
Ian Stewart tripled to start the fifth and scored on Reed Johnson's single. Castro then belted his fifth homer of the year into the left-field seats to give the Cubs a three-run edge.
The Twins answered with a run in the bottom half as Revere singled to start the frame and quickly scored on Carroll's double to right.
Minnesota pulled even in the sixth with a pair of two-out runs. Plouffe sparked the rally with a double and came around to score on Dozier's single to right. Mastroianni then followed with a triple to center, plating Dozier and knotting the game at 5-5.
Game Notes
Wood gave up three runs on six hits and three walks over five frames...Minnesota starter P.J. Walters allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk over five innings of work...Soriano has now homered in nine straight series, becoming the first Cub to accomplish the feat since Sammy Sosa had a 12-series run in 2003...Target Field is the 120th different ballpark that the Cubs have played in since their inception in 1876...The Twins last loss to the Cubs at home was July 15, 2000 when Kevin Tapani beat Joe Mays in the Metrodome.
- CHICAGO: 7
MINNESOTA: 8
Final/10
Jun 8 11:49 PM - Josh Willingham singled to left scoring Darin Mastroianni with one out to end the game.
Cubs 7, Twins 8 Bot 10, 1 OutJun 8 11:49 PM - Justin Morneau tripled to center scoring Josh Willingham with none out. Runner on third and Ryan Doumit due up.
Cubs 7, Twins 7 Bot 9, 0 OutsJun 8 11:20 PM - Alfonso Soriano none-out, two-run Home Run 2 (11) to left scored David DeJesus. Bryan LaHair due up.
Cubs 7, Twins 6 Top 8, 0 OutsJun 8 10:43 PM - Chris Parmelee walked. Runner on first with two outs and Trevor Plouffe due up.
Cubs 5, Twins 6 Bot 7, 2 OutsJun 8 10:34 PM - Darin Mastroianni tripled to center scoring Brian Dozier with two out. Runner on third and Ben Revere due up.
Cubs 5, Twins 5 Bot 6, 2 OutsJun 8 10:08 PM - Brian Dozier singled to right scoring Trevor Plouffe with two out. Runner on first and Darin Mastroianni due up.
Cubs 5, Twins 4 Bot 6, 2 OutsJun 8 10:06 PM - Jamey Carroll doubled to right scoring Ben Revere with none out. On the play, Jamey Carroll tagged out at third, right to first to catcher to third. None on with one out and Josh Willingham due up.
Cubs 5, Twins 3 Bot 5, 1 OutJun 8 9:45 PM - Starlin Castro none-out, two-run Home Run (5) to left scored Reed Johnson. David DeJesus due up.
Cubs 5, Twins 2 Top 5, 0 OutsJun 8 9:34 PM - Reed Johnson singled to center scoring Ian Stewart with none out. Runner on first and Starlin Castro due up.
Cubs 3, Twins 2 Top 5, 0 OutsJun 8 9:31 PM - Brian Dozier struck out looking. None on with two outs and Darin Mastroianni due up.
Cubs 2, Twins 2 Bot 4, 2 OutsJun 8 9:26 PM - Darin Mastroianni singled to left scoring Chris Parmelee with one out. On the play, Trevor Plouffe advances to second. Runners on first and second and Ben Revere due up.
Cubs 2, Twins 1 Bot 2, 1 OutJun 8 8:52 PM - Alfonso Soriano two-out, solo Home Run (10) to center. Bryan LaHair due up.
Cubs 2, Twins 0 Top 1, 2 OutsJun 8 8:18 PM - David DeJesus sacrifice fly out to center scored Starlin Castro with two out. None on and Alfonso Soriano due up.
Cubs 1, Twins 0 Top 1, 2 OutsJun 8 8:17 PM - CHICAGO: 0
MINNESOTA: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Jun 8 8:11 PM
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