So what if their pitching ace had a bad night? Clutch hits? Not even necessary.
The Twins are riding so high, they have reached a point where they're being handed victories.
Thank-you cards are in the mail for the woeful Kansas City Royals, who gifted the hottest team in baseball a 6-5 victory on a rainy Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Two wild pitches and an errant throw were all the Twins needed to rally for their 11th consecutive victory. That matches the third-longest winning streak in franchise history.
"It doesn't always matter how you did it," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team won for the 19th time in 20 games and matched its winning streak of September 2003.
The Twins gained a game on both Detroit and Chicago in the American League Central. The Tigers lead them by nine games, and the White Sox lead them by 6½ games.
Michael Cuddyer's heady base running helped spark a three-run rally in the eighth inning. With a run already in and Cuddyer standing on second, he took advantage of Ambiorix Burgos immediately after the 22-year-old right-hander entered the game.
Cuddyer noticed Burgos had a forkball grip on the ball while it still was in his glove, an indication the ensuing pitch could wind up in the dirt. Cuddyer took off for third. The ball was in the dirt. Catcher John Buck airmailed his throw into left field, and Cuddyer trotted home to tie the score 5-5. Justin Morneau, who had hit a run-scoring single in the inning, advanced to third on Buck's error.
"Even though we haven't won many games like this, we still put pressure on them with an aggressive style of baseball," Cuddyer said.
Burgos clearly was rattled. He drilled Torii Hunter with a pitch and walked Shannon Stewart to load the bases. But the Twins wouldn't even need a big hit, because Burgos bounced another ball in the dirt. The ball sailed to the backstop, allowing Morneau to jog home.So what if their pitching ace had a bad night? Clutch hits? Not even necessary.
The Twins are riding so high, they have reached a point where they're being handed victories.
Thank-you cards are in the mail for the woeful Kansas City Royals, who gifted the hottest team in baseball a 6-5 victory on a rainy Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Two wild pitches and an errant throw were all the Twins needed to rally for their 11th consecutive victory. That matches the third-longest winning streak in franchise history.
"It doesn't always matter how you did it," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team won for the 19th time in 20 games and matched its winning streak of September 2003.
The Twins gained a game on both Detroit and Chicago in the American League Central. The Tigers lead them by nine games, and the White Sox lead them by 6½ games.
Michael Cuddyer's heady base running helped spark a three-run rally in the eighth inning. With a run already in and Cuddyer standing on second, he took advantage of Ambiorix Burgos immediately after the 22-year-old right-hander entered the game.
Cuddyer noticed Burgos had a forkball grip on the ball while it still was in his glove, an indication the ensuing pitch could wind up in the dirt. Cuddyer took off for third. The ball was in the dirt. Catcher John Buck airmailed his throw into left field, and Cuddyer trotted home to tie the score 5-5. Justin Morneau, who had hit a run-scoring single in the inning, advanced to third on Buck's error.
"Even though we haven't won many games like this, we still put pressure on them with an aggressive style of baseball," Cuddyer said.
Burgos clearly was rattled. He drilled Torii Hunter with a pitch and walked Shannon Stewart to load the bases. But the Twins wouldn't even need a big hit, because Burgos bounced another ball in the dirt. The ball sailed to the backstop, allowing Morneau to jog home.
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No. 11 is gift-wrapped
No. 11 is gift-wrapped
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