Phillies 9, Twins 8
WP – Cole Hamels (9-3, 3.34)
LP – P.J. Walters (2-2, 5.40)
SV – Jonathan Papelbon (17)
MINNEANAPOLIS — On a night where Cole Hamels was a little off, his offense was not.
The Phillies erupted for a six-run 1st inning, beating up Twins pitching in their 9-8 win over the Twins. It snapped a three-game losing streak as well.
The 1st inning was a circus for Twins pitching. Starter P.J. Walters was yanked after facing only four hitters without getting an out, leaving with stiff shoulder.
The Phillies opened up on Walters with four straight singles, the last being a two-run single by Jim Thome to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. After Walters was pulled, the Phils added four more runs on a Carlos Ruiz RBI single and John Mayberry three-run bomb.
The game started to get rocky in the 7th inning for Hamels and the Phillies, who held a 9-4 lead heading into the inning. After Hamels put a couple on and allowed an RBI double by Denard Span to make it a 9-5 game, the Phillies lifted him.
Antonio Bastardo came in and allowed two more of Hamels’ runs to score on back-to-back RBI singles by Ben Revere and Joe Mauer. He allowed one more on a Justin Morneau ground out to pull the Twins back within one run at 9-8.
But a combination of Chad Qualls and Jonathan Papelbon did the job in the 8th and 9th innings, holding the one-run lead for the Phillies. It was Papelbon’s 17th save in as many chances.
It was a horrible night for Hamels, who had been bad his last four starts while compiling a 6.08 ERA. He lasted six-plus innings while allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out six.
Thome continued his hot bat during the AL road trip. He was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs. His two-run homer in the 4th inning was hit over the batter’s eye in centerfield, the third longest bomb in Target Field history while measuring at 465 feet.
2B: Ruiz 2 (15), Mayberry (9), Victorino (13). HR: Mayberry (3). Thome (2).
TTB 