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Plouffe leads hit parade as Twins outslug Phils

Jun 13, 2012 - 4:37 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Trevor Plouffe remained scorching hot, smacking three hits, including a two-run homer, to go with three RBI and three runs scored as the Minnesota Twins downed the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-7, in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Plouffe is batting .417 (15-for-36) with five homers, four doubles, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored in nine games this month for Minnesota, which tallied 17 hits and improved to 15-9 over its last 24 contests.

Denard Span and Josh Willingham added solo shots while Nick Blackburn (3-4) surrendered four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings.

"You have to have your whole lineup contributing and that's what we're getting right now, our whole lineup," Willingham said.

Jimmy Rollins went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored while Michael Martinez added three hits, an RBI and two runs scored for the Phillies, who have lost nine of their last 10.

Kyle Kendrick (2-6) allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks over four frames.

"It was a hitters night and we couldn't stop them," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "They stayed after us."

Playing catch up the entire night, the Phillies had cut the Twins' four- run margin to 8-7 with a three-run sixth frame, but Minnesota responded by plating a run in the home half and two more in the seventh to put the game away.

Willingham belted a solo blast over the wall in left center to make it 9-7 in the sixth while Jamey Carroll and Ben Revere smacked a pair of RBI singles for an 11-7 edge in the seventh.

Glen Perkins worked around a hit in the eighth and Matt Capps tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the win.

The Twins stormed out of the gate with a run in the opening frame as Span greeted Kendrick by drilling one into right-field overhang, and the hosts added four more in the second.

Ryan Doumit singled with one down, then Plouffe crushed a two-run shot to left while Revere and Joe Mauer recorded RBI singles, which made it 5-0.

The Phillies, though, charged back in the fourth. Ty Wigginton had an RBI groundout, Martinez slapped a run-scoring base hit and Rollins blooped a two- run double into shallow left field, cutting the Twins advantage to 5-4.

Minnesota answered back by plating a run in the home half when Mauer drilled an RBI double high off the wall in right center and plated two more in the fifth as Plouffe's RBI single and Jamey Carroll's run-scoring double made it 8-4.

Philadelphia fought back again by scoring three times in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one away, John Mayberry registered an RBI groundout and after Hunter Pence walked, Jim Thome lined an two-run base hit to left to cut the deficit to 8-7.

Game Notes

The Phillies were 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base while Minnesota was 5-for-15 with RISP and stranded nine...Revere, Carroll and Ryan Doumit joined Plouffe with three hits for the Twins...Minnesota has won six of 10 all-time meetings with Philadelphia...Phillies second baseman Chase Utley started a rehab assignment with Single-A Clearwater on Tuesday. He went 0-for-5.