Francisco Liriano’s pitching helps Minnesota Twins defeat Seattle Mariners 2-1 – MLB Update
Minnesota Twins put an end to their nine-game losing streak on Monday to defeat Seattle Mariners 2-1 at Safeco Field, Seattle on Monday, May 16.
Francisco Liriano outplayed his rival Felix Hernandez in a fiercely competitive pitching spell. Liriano had a season high nine strike-outs in the game.
Although Hernandez tried to do the trick for the team, his attempt did not bear fruit. He allowed three hits and two runs in the eight
innings that he pitched. However, he was successful in striking-out nine.
The Twins’ victory came at a time when one of the renowned players who represented the team, Harmon Killebrew, passed away in Arizona.
“I was very fortunate to have a pretty good relationship with him. I was able to have a bunch of talks and conversations with him," Michael Cuddyer said before the game. "It's sad that end of his life is here but it's easy to celebrate his life. That's what
we have to do now, celebrate his life with the fans and baseball."
For the Mariners, there is a cycle of winning or losing by two runs or fewer. Interestingly, out of the 41 games that the Mariners have played, 21 of them have been decided by two runs or less. The Twins, similarly, have only won four of the games.
Monday’s game began with Minnesota coming down hard on Seattle. Cuddyer capitalised on a vulnerable pitch of Hernandez and struck to centre to score a two-run homer. The early served as a good omen for the Twins who then relied massively on Liriano to play
his due part.
Liriano discharged the responsibility with the utmost perfection, as he was aggressive from the start and maintained the speed up until the seventh inning that he was tasked to pitch. He contained the Mariners’ hitters and allowed only one run in the fifth
inning. Matt Capps pitched a shut-out 9th inning to give Minnesota a 2-1 win.
It will be interesting to see how Minnesota carries their winning momentum forward. The Mariners struggled offensively and are working hard to improve their performance on the field.
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