MINNESOTA 5, DETROIT 4 IN MINNESOTA
Batting stars: Kirby Puckett was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, driving in one. Kent Hrbek was 1-for-2 with three walks, scoring once and driving in one. Al Newman was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run.
Pitching stars: Bert Blyleven struck out eight in eight innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and six walks. Jeff Reardon pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.
Opposition stars: Darrell Evans was 2-for-3 with a home run (his twenty-fifth) and two walk, scoring twice. Jim Morrison was 2-for-5 with a double and a run. Chet Lemon was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
The game: Gary Gaetti's two-run single in the first gave the Twins a 2-0 lead. Darrell Evans homered in the second to make it 2-1, but the Twins got the run back in the third on Puckett's RBI double. In the sixth, the Tigers got three singles and a walk to cut the lead to 3-2 and Tom Brookens followed with a two-run single to put Detroit in front 4-3. Steve Lombardozzi delivered an RBI single in the seventh to tie it up. Lombo opened the ninth with a single, went to second on a bunt, and took third on Newman's single to left. Puckett was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Hrbek lined a single to right to win the game and snap the six game losing streak for the Twins.
Of note: Dan Gladden was apparently still bothered by an injury. He started the game, but in the third inning he singled, stole second, and was replaced by pinch-runner Randy Bush. One suspects Bush did not make a lot of appearances in his career as a pinch-runner...Newman batted second and started at shortstop in place of Greg Gagne...Lou Whitaker was also apparently injured or ill. He led off the game, was called out on strikes, and then was replaced by Brookens...Detroit starter Walt Terrell struck out eight in 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks.
Record: The Twins were 67-60, in first place, by two games over Oakland.
We hope to resume player profiles later in the week.