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Sano saved his best yet for Wednesday against the Texas
Rangers.
The Minnesota Twins designated hitter had three hits, including
a pair of long home runs, reached base four times and knocked in
six runs as the Twins rolled to an 11-1 win.
And the game didn't seem that close.
Minnesota led off the game with a home run by center fielder
Aaron Hicks, who tied a career high with four hits, then added
three runs in each of the third and fourth innings before
blowing the game wide open with a four-run fifth.
The Twins pounded out 18 hits as a team, and despite the 11
runs, left 10 men on base.
Hicks' leadoff homer was the first of his career and seventh by
the Twins this season. It was a barometer of things to come.
Sano's first of the night, a two-run shot, capped a three-run
third inning before his big blow -- a three-run blast with two
outs in the fourth, which came after an error on a ground ball
to shortstop Elvis Andrus that would have ended the inning.
"That was impressive to me because the (pitcher) almost
quick-pitched out of the stretch with a man on second and he
threw a fastball down and in," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
"Somehow, he stayed inside of it and hit it as far as he did."
Sano's second home run didn't travel as far as the first, but
landed in the first row of the third deck, some 421 feet down
the left-field line. It was the first multi-home run game of
Sano's 33-game major league career.
"You don't see many balls in the upper deck," Molitor said.
Sano added a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, giving him six
RBIs on the night, tying a club rookie record. The six runs
batted in are the most by any Twin in a single game this season.
"(Pitchers) are pitching me a lot of off-speed, more than
Double-A," Sano said. "I try to make adjustments every at-bat,
to read the pitcher and I try to hit a good pitch every time.
"When they make a mistake I need to wait for that."
The offensive outburst overshadowed a solid performance on the
mound from Twins starter Mike Pelfrey, who allowed just one run
on four hits and a walk over seven innings, earning his first
win since June 6 against Milwaukee. Pelfrey is 4-2 with a 1.97
ERA in 11 starts at home this season.
"I felt like I had my good fastball today," Pelfrey said. "Two
months ago, they kicked my butt pretty good. That was extra
motivation coming into today."
Minnesota did much of its damage against Rangers right-hander
Nick Martinez, who allowed seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits
in 3 2/3 innings, dropping to 7-7 this season. The 11 hits
allowed were a career high and the outing was the shortest by
Martinez in over two months.
"Just one of those games you have to forget about," Martinez
said. "They were hitting my fastball pretty good. We made some
adjustments towards our game plan. I just didn't get to those
adjustments. I recognized the situation, I just couldn't get
there."
The victory assured the Twins of at least a series win and they
will go for a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon. It was the
first series win for the Twins since they took three of four
from the Detroit Tigers on July 9-12.
Minnesota moved to within two games of the Los Angeles Angels
for the second wild-card spot in the American League and 1 1/2
games clear of the Rangers, who have lost three straight games
and four of five overall.
"We're at the time of year where we need to string them
together," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We need to play
well tomorrow and we need to string good games together, in all
facets."
Torii Hunter was the only starter in the Twins' lineup without a
hit. Second baseman Brian Dozier had two doubles. Left fielder
Eddie Rosario, third baseman Trevor Plouffe and shortstop
Eduardo Nunez also had two-hit nights for Minnesota, which
hasn't swept a series in more than a month.
Texas mustered just five hits, getting its lone run on an RBI
single by first baseman Prince Fielder in the sixth inning. The
Rangers' Nos. 5-9 hitters combined to go 0-for-16.
NOTES: The Rangers will call up RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez to start in
place of LHP Cole Hamels on Thursday. Gonzalez is 2-4 with a
3.74 ERA in seven starts this season. ... Rangers OF Josh
Hamilton was a late scratch from the lineup with left knee
soreness. OF Ryan Strausborger took his place in left field and
batted ninth. ... Twins INF Eduardo Nunez started at shortstop
on Wednesday. It was his first start since Aug. 4. ... The
Rangers and Twins wrap up a three-game series on Thursday
afternoon at Target Field. Texas will send Gonzalez to the mound
against Minnesota's Ervin Santana (2-2, 3.89 ERA).
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