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 In eight of his 20 starts, Gibson did not allow a run. In four
starts, he failed to make it through three innings.
The good Gibson showed up Tuesday night, tossing seven scoreless
innings as the Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1.
Gibson (9-8) limited the Royals to two singles and two walks while
striking out seven. Gibson, who missed his previous start because of
back stiffness, left after 95 pitches.
"My back felt good all night," Gibson said. "There were a couple of
times my hips got a little tight, but it never went up into my back.
On Saturday and Sunday, I turned it around (with the back)."
Only two Royals reached second base off Gibson, who walked left
fielder Alex Gordon and third baseman Mike Moustakas in the fifth.
In the sixth, right fielder Nori Aoki walked and stole second.
Gibson, who gave up six runs on nine hits while losing to the Tampa
Bay Rays in his previous start, July 18, needed only four pitches to
retire the Royals in seventh.
"After a quick inning, walking off the field, I was hoping they'd
let me come back for another inning," Gibson said.
 However, the Twins did not want to push him for another inning.
Casey Fien replaced Gibson and threw a scoreless eighth inning. Glen
Perkins gave up a run in the ninth but logged his 26th save in 29
opportunities.
Second baseman Omar Infante led off the ninth with a double and
scored on first baseman Eric Hosmer's single for the lone Kansas
City run. Designated hitter Billy Butler lined out to second base to
end the game.
"(Gibson has) got a good sinker and had it working tonight," Butler
said. "He was throwing his slider for strikes and throwing his
curveball for strikes. His fastball was moving pretty good. It was
tough on us. It's just one of those days where we had a tough day
offensively."
"Just the loss is frustrating in general. It doesn't matter how it
is. It's not fun to lose, especially in a 2-1 game like that. We
should have put up more runs. We just didn't get anything going."
Royals right-hander James Shields, who won only one of his six July
starts, left after six innings and a season-high 124 pitches.
Shields (9-6) gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits, four walks
and a hit batter. He struck out five.
"They do a good job of working the count, getting deep in the count
and really making the starting pitcher battle," Shields said. "I've
got to do a better job. They were spitting on some really good
pitches. Their plate discipline was phenomenal. I was throwing some
pitches I normally get swings on, and they were taking them. They
are very selective."
Shields also took a line drive off his buttocks on a smash by right
fielder Sam Fuld in the third inning, but he remained in after
manager Ned Yost and a trainer visited him.
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Shields is 0-3 in three starts against the Twins this season, but eight of
the 14 runs he allowed in those games were unearned.
The Twins broke through for a run in the third when left fielder Josh
Willingham's sacrifice fly drove in center fielder Danny Santana, who
led off the inning with a bunt single.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, however, failed to make it through the
inning. After Gardenhire lost a challenge that left fielder Alex Gordon
trapped Chris Parmelee's liner to end the third, the manager complained
to plate umpire Ted Barrett and was quickly ejected.
"I know you're not supposed to go out there," Gardenhire said. "I just
wanted to find out how that happened. That's the part a lot of managers
are trying to figure out, what did they see? I know they don't want it
to go any longer, but it's gone on long enough. I was just looking for
an explanation. He threw me out really quick. He was really hot."
The Twins made it 2-0 in the fifth when second baseman Brian Dozier's
double to left scored Santana, who doubled with two outs and stopped at
third on Fuld's fly ball single to shallow left.
"A bit erratic," Yost described Shields' outing. "He got his pitch count
up early and maintained it. At the end of five, he's at 110, which is
uncharacteristic for him, but for him to go back and get us through the
sixth inning was huge."
NOTES: Royals LHP Jason Vargas threw four 15-pitch innings in a
simulated game Tuesday. Vargas, who is on the disabled list after an
appendectomy, could return to the rotation Saturday at Oakland. ... OF
Oswaldo Arcia was not with the Twins after his wife gave birth to a son
Tuesday in Minneapolis. He is expected to join the team Wednesday,
rejecting an offer from the club to go on the paternity list. ... Twins
RHP Ricky Nolasco, who went on the disabled list July 7 with a sore
elbow, threw a 10-minute bullpen session. ... 1B Eric Hosmer returned to
the Royals' lineup after not starting six of the previous seven games
due to a bruised right hand.
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reserved.]
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