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Baker beats Royals again, leads Twins to win

Sep 12, 2007 - 5:58 AM By Pat Madden A SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) - Although he was less than perfect, Minnesota's Scott Baker was good enough in winning his third game of the season against Kansas City in a 6-3 victory.

In his last start against the Royals, Baker (9-7) took a perfect game into the ninth inning before settling for a one-hit shutout on August 31 in Minneapolis.

In this start, he allowed three runs and 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old righthander struck out four while walking one and has given up just four earned runs in 22 2/3 innings against Kansas City this season.

"I was just kind of all over the place, but I made some good pitches when I needed to," Baker said. "I wasn't making great pitches; there were some I left over the plate and they put the bat on the ball. It was more me not locating more so than them making any drastic adjustments."

"Baker was pretty good," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He made pitches when he had to and got us deep into the game. He battled through it with 10 hits. He got a chance to get a win; that's what it's all about. It's hard to face a team after you pitch like he did at home and have some success and face these guys over and over again."

Three relievers bridged the gap to Joe Nathan, who pitched the ninth for his 32nd save of the season.

"It's good after a tough stretch for us when we're not playing well," Nathan said. "It's really nice to come in here and have a chance to win maybe four in a row."

Torii Hunter recorded two hits and scored a run for the Twins, who won their third consecutive game.

"It was a good win for us tonight, a good ballgame all around," Gardenhire said. "It's been a fun couple of days around here."

Kyle Davies (2-5) absorbed the loss for the Royals, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings. The righthander struck out four and walked three.

"I felt good about what's going on when we're up 3-1, but I can't walk them," Davies said. "Walking the first batter? Obviously that's something I need to work on. If I get that first guy out it changes the game. I have to realize that you don't have to be that fine to the first batter. I have to throw strikes. If he hits it, he hits it. You have to be more aggressive."

Minnesota jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Jason Bartlett led off the game with a walk and scored on Kansas City first baseman Billy Butler's misplay of Joe Mauer's grounder.

The Royals took the lead in the second inning on Butler's run scoring fielder's choice and a two-out single by Jason LaRue.

Kansas City extended its lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning on back-to-back doubles by Mark Grudzielanek and Mark Teahen that produced a run.

The Twins came back to take the lead in the sixth inning on another Royals error, this time by Joey Gathright on a Hunter single that scored Jason Kubel and Mauer. Hunter then scored the go-ahead run on Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly.

"He was really in control of the strike zone," Royals manager Buddy Bell said of Davies' outing. "He walked Kubel and Mauer got the base hit, then Torii hit that rocket."

Mauer's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning accounted for the Twins's fifth run and Bartlett added an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single.

The Royals had a chance to take the lead in the seventh when they loaded the bases with one out. But, reliever Pat Neshek got pinch hitter Ross Gload to ground into the inning-ending double play as the Twins escaped the jam.

Alex Gordon went 4-for-4 for the Royals, who extended their losing streak to seven games.

"The frustrating thing is that we just can't seem to get the big hit," Bell said. "We just have to keep swinging the bats."