Advertisement
Francisco Liriano allowed no earned runs in seven solid innings for Minnesota, which began the night one game behind Chicago in the AL Central. The Twins have won six of eight since losing two straight in Seattle last week.
 |
Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano keeps an eye on the action in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners Friday, Aug. 15, 2008 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) |
Facing his former team for the first time, Silva tied a career high by allowing nine earned runs and lost for a league-leading 14th time. After starting the season 3-0, he has won just once in his last 21 starts. In the eight starts since his June 28 win, Silva’s ERA is 8.03.
Minnesota sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, sending Silva to the showers. The 31/3 innings was his fifth shortest start of the year.
Kubel’s two-run homer got the inning started, and Adam Everett, Denard Span and Nick Punto had RBI singles before Silva was replaced by Jake Woods, who gave up RBI singles to Joe Mauer and Kubel. The eight hits were Minnesota’s most in an inning since it had eight April 5, 2005, at Seattle.
Silva (4-14) won 47 games for the Twins from 2004-07 before signing a 4-year, $48 million contract with Seattle in December.
In winning his third straight start since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester, Liriano (3-3) wasn’t overpowering — he had just five strikeouts — but effectively kept the ball down in the zone. The Mariners grounded out 13 times.
The Twins pounded their former teammate early and often.
Silva, who questioned the commitment of some of his teammates after his last start a week ago, had himself to blame for putting the Mariners in an early hole.
Span led off the Minnesota first with a double that bounced high off the center-field wall. Two pitches later Punto hit an RBI double to left-center. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Morneau.
Seattle, which lost for the fifth time in six games, tied the game in the fourth when Minnesota’s Brian Buscher booted a ground ball by Wladimir Balentien, allowing two runs to score. Raul Ibanez scored on a double play in the ninth.
Seattle manager Jim Riggleman was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing with first base umpire Mark Wegner. Ichiro Suzuki dropped the ball while transferring it from his glove to his throwing hand, and Wegner ruled the ball was not caught. It was Riggleman’s first ejection of the season.
Notes: Silva last allowed nine earned runs on April 29, 2006, at Detroit. ... Suzuki was 0-for-4 to end a 20-game hitting streak against Minnesota, dating back to May 1, 2006. ... Minnesota 2B Alexi Casilla, out since July 29 with a torn ligament in his right thumb, took some ground balls, threw without pain and hit off a tee Friday. The switch-hitter said he felt 100 percent hitting right-handed and 85 percent hitting left-handed. He hopes to hit soft toss Saturday and take full batting practice Monday. ... The last Minnesota player to get two hits in an inning was Josh Rabe on July 21, 2006, at Cleveland.
