Minnesota Twins smash Kansas City Royals with Jim Thome scare
The Kansas City Royals have been on the bad side of the game in recent days and their visit to the Target Field could not have come at a more delicate time. They rank 4th in the Central Division of the American League and facing the leaders, Minnesota Twins, was a bad situation to deal with. They already lost their last game against the title hunters in the previous day and this game didn’t generate much of a great result as the side lost 10 – 3.
Brian Bannister made his way to the Royals’ mound and this was his first start since August 2nd. He suffered a rotating cuff injury and this match didn’t show signs of improvement in his form as he lasted just 2.2 innings. He allowed 8 hits, 7 runs and 2 walks in the game. The performance was weak and landed the team in a defeat eventually.
The Twins were looking for a win and they needed it badly to maintain their lead over the Chicago White Sox, who were chasing them in the Central Division. They got the win through some good batting and Francisco Liriano, made a huge impact with his restrained and controlled pitching. He conceded 7 hits, 2 runs and no walks in his 7 innings of play. He did his work right and prevented any loose hits.
Brian Bannister was going to have a difficult night and much to the disappointment of the Royals most of the Twins’ runs came of the starter’s throws. Even though Kansas City started off with offensive duties, they’re hitting faction lagged behind, considerably. Minnesota, on the other hand was on a level of its own. The team got on to the score board in the bottom 2nd and it was mostly due to Jim Thome. The veteran striker was walked to the first base when he came in to bat. Delmon Young then, got the legend to his third base with a double hit to the deep right centre. Thome was set for a last base spring and he got the signal when James Jerry Hardy lofted a sacrifice fly to the right. The run marked the first one of the game and many were to come as the game moved forward.
Most of the runs came in the bottom 3rd and Bannister faced a nightmare of a time on the mound. Denard Span was the first player to score for the Twins in the innings and he got to that mark, starting with a single off an infield shot to the second. He stole the second base and moved up to third when Joe Mauer grounded out to the pitcher. Jason Kubel later came in and got the player through with a single to the centre. The team was 2 – 0 up and much more was to come, in respect to runs.
Michael Cuddyer was the next man to walk in after Kubel and he drove a single to the left. Kubel moved to second and Thome made his way to the batting plate immediately. He was walked again and that’s when all bases were loaded. Delmon Young came in next and imposed a massive injury on the travelling Kansas City team as he smashed a single to the left centre. The hit got Cuddyer and Kubel through, for 2 extra runs and ultimately blew the gasket off Brian’s patience. The ace man threw a wild pitch right after the concession and got Thome to third base.
Hardy was back on the plate and it looked like a repeat of the 2nd inning situation when the hitter singled to the centre, releasing Thome and Young for two more runs in the innings. The damage had been done and the final nail in the coffin came with Matt Tolbert, who blasted Brian’s pitch for a triple to the deep right, getting Hardy to his first run of the game. The game was far from the Royal’s reach now and their first reply came in the top 4th with Josh Fields, who banged a 378-feet homer to the left.
Minnesota were not giving up and they further raised the stakes in the bottom 4th as Mauer and Orlando Hudson made their way past the last base, off Young’s double to the deep left. Both players were on the third and the second base following a pitch hit on Jim. The Royals were going to reply and in the top 5th, they did just that with Jai Miller, who started off with a double to the centre. He ran to the third off Yuniesky Betancourt’s infield single. The run finally came when Liriano threw a wild pitch. Teams were now 7 runs apart and not much time was left.
The bottom 6th inning saw Jim Thome mesmerize the Target Field fans with a 440 feet homer to the right. That shot granted the Twins their 10th run of the game and added pressure on the opponents. Kansas City wouldn’t reply till the top 9th and at that time, it was already too late. Jarrod Dyson scored and the run came off Gregor Blanco’s single to the right. As the match ended on Minnesota 10 – Royals 3, the home team went 4 wins above the Chicago White Sox in the Central Division.
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