• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Twins avoid being swept by Nationals

Jun 10, 2007 - 10:26 PM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Torii Hunter scored three times and drove in a run, while Boof Bonser did just enough over five innings to help the Minnesota Twins avoid a three-game sweep with a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Hunter had an RBI and scored during Minnesota's three-run first inning, then scored the eventual game-winner after hitting a one-out single in the third.

Bonser (5-2) wasn't sharp while giving up three runs on nine hits in five innings, but stranded eight Nationals baserunners and struck out five for his fifth win in his last six starts.

"It was a war out there," Bonser said. "It was a little tough but we got through it. We won, that was the big thing."

Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 14th save.

Things could have been worse for Bonser, as he narrowly avoided a two-run deficit in the first inning. Dmitri Young came within inches of giving Washington an early advantage with what would have been a two-run homer.

But after first base umpire Ron Kulpa called Young's high fly ball over the right field foul pole a home run, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire came out to argue. After a brief discussion, the umpires convened and the call was overturned.

"All I can do is go out and ask," Gardenhire said. "It was pretty close, but I thought it drifted foul so I asked Ronny to ask the other umpires. The crew got together and did a good job on our part and we got the call. That's what they are supposed to do if you ask."

"I had a pretty good luck at it; it was foul - not by much," Bonser said. "But you have to sit there and wait and see what happens. It's not my call, so if they rule it a home run, I've got to go after the next guy."

Nationals manager Manny Acta pleaded his case to Kulpa, but Cristian Guzman was called out of the dugout and put back on second base. Young resumed his at-bat with a 1-2 count, and lined out to first base three pitches later.

"Obviously you want the two runs," Acta said. "I don't think Dmitri helped a lot either. He just stood there at the plate. The umpire probably thought even he thought it was a foul ball."

With the momentum in their favor following the home run retraction, the Twins took advantage. Luis Castillo led off with a double and Jason Bartlett drove him in with a single.

Nationals starter Mike Bacsik then got two outs before Hunter singled to score Bartlett from second. Hunter then scored on a throwing error by center fielder Ryan Langerhans on Mike Redmond's single.

Hunter scored two innings later on an RBI single by designated hitter Jeff Cirillo.

Bacsik (1-3) gave up four runs, three earned, on nine hits and a walk in five innings and was saddled with his third straight loss.

Gardenhire thought the Twins could have done more damage had Bonser been more successful.

"Honestly, I thought our offense got clicking and (Bonser) kind of took us out of it by having too many long innings out there," Gardenhire said. "We really had to battle through it. We jumped out real quick and looked like we were on the ball, but being out there for those long innings we just kind of had a shutdown for four or five innings."

The Nationals kept chipping away at Bonser, with left fielder Ryan Church singling and scoring in the second and fourth innings. Young singled and scored on Ronnie Belliard's third single of the game in the fifth inning to cut Minnesota's lead to one.

But the Twins bullpen kept Washington off the scoreboard for the final four innings, with Matt Guerrier, Pat Neshek and Nathan combining to allowed just two hits and a walk to finish out the game.

Guerrier, who pitched 1 2/3 innings, has allowed just one run in his last 19 innings pitched.

"We swung the bat real good, we just couldn't get that big hit," Acta said. "You've got to give credit to their bullpen. They did an outstanding job.

"We felt like if (Bonser) would have stayed out there we would have had a chance. But Neshek and Guerrier did a great job stopping us."

The Twins added an insurance run in the sixth inning, as Nick Punto singled, stole second base and scored on Bartlett's second RBI single of the game off reliever Winston Abreu.

Minnesota scored again in the seventh, with Hunter touching home for the third time on Young's throwing error after fielding a Cirillo grounder behind first base.

Redmond, Punto and Castillo joined Hunter and Bartlett with multiple hits for the Twins, which finished with 14 as a team. Bartlett's three hits tied a season high.

Belliard and Young both finished with three singles for the Nationals.