DETROIT 5, MINNESOTA 4 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Tuesday, August 25.

Batting stars:  Kent Hrbek was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Kirby Puckett was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Steve Lombardozzi was 1-for-4 with two runs.

Pitching stars:  Juan Berenguer struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up only a walk.  Keith Atherton pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits and striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Chet Lemon was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.  Kirk Gibson was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.  Darrell Evans was 0-for-2 with three walks, a run, and a stolen base, his fifth.

The game:  Lemon had a two-run double in a three-run third to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.  The Twins scored two in the fourth to make it 3-2, but Gibson's two-run single in the sixth put the Tigers up 5-2.  Hrbek singled home a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3.  In the eighth, Randy Bush delivered an RBI triple to make it 5-4 and put the tying run on third base with one out, but the last five Twins were retired to end the game.

Of note:  Dan Gladden was again out of the lineup.  Lombardozzi led off, with Bush batting second and playing right field.  Brunansky was in left...Puckett's average went to .316...Twins starter Joe Niekro pitched 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on only four hits but seven walks with four strikeouts...Detroit starter Doyle Alexander pitched 7.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Record:  The Twins were 67-61, in first place by one game over Oakland.

We will try to get back to player profiles later in the week.

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.