Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Sunday, July 20, 2008
Mauer, Morneau power Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With all those hits Livan Hernandez has given up and Francisco Liriano waiting impatiently in the minors, the natural assumption is that the Minnesota Twins might soon make a change in their rotation.
The Twins aren’t listening to the hubbub. They’re too busy admiring their 14-7 record when Hernandez starts.
Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau each went deep and drove in eight runs between them, as the Twins heaped four home runs on their usual small-ball approach to beat the Texas Rangers 14-2 on Saturday night.
“I come back in the second half and try to do something good,” said Hernandez (10-6), who proudly pointed to his 10th double-digit victory total in 12 seasons after a 16-hit barrage by the home team.
He was flawless for seven innings and matched his season low of five hits allowed against the highest-scoring team in the majors.
“I think sometimes you’ve just got to give the guy who’s out there on the mound credit for making the right pitch at the right time in the ballgame,” Texas manager Ron Washington said.
Delmon Young hit a solo shot, too, to start a six-run sixth inning that ruined Rangers starter Matt Harrison’s already-deteriorating night. Right after Mauer’s two-run double against reliever Dustin Nippert, Morneau — the reigning All-Star Home Run Derby champ — crushed a 1-1 pitch into the seat stacks above right field for his 15th homer and a 12-2 advantage for the surging Twins.
Brian Buscher added a two-run home run in the seventh to push the lead to a dozen and give Minnesota a 23-7 record since mid-June, but the hits came in all shapes and sizes.
Morneau also hit a three-run double, following an intentional walk to Mauer, and now has 73 RBIs. Young had three hits and two RBIs to raise his average above .300.
All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources.