LDN - Sports

Suzuki drives in six as Twins outslug Phillies

[June 22, 2016] By Dan Myers, The Sports Xchange

MINNEAPOLIS -- With a chance for his first career cycle, Kurt Suzuki played it safe and settled instead for his second two-run double of the game.

Suzuki finished with a career high six RBIs in leading the Minnesota Twins to a 14-10 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night at Target Field.

The veteran backstop nearly got the triple he needed five innings early. Not exactly fleet of foot, Suzuki ripped a liner that evaded the glove of Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera and rolled toward the wall. Suzuki flew around second but jammed on the brakes when he saw Max Kepler stop at third base.

"I would have got the tough one out of the way," Suzuki said. "I was going. I got halfway there but I saw Kepler had stopped."

Still needing a three-base hit, Suzuki flipped a liner into the left-field corner in the eighth inning. But with two outs, Suzuki played it safe and never even rounded the second-base bag.

"Everyone was convinced that it would have been close," Suzuki said. "I wasn't so convinced. I didn't want to make it look like a mockery going for that cycle."

The four-hit night was Suzuki's first since 2010 and matched a career high. It continued a torrid stretch of games for Suzuki, who has hit .405 with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs over his last 10 games.

"He has been surging," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "You just hope that some of the guys watch the people taking good at-bats in those situations and start to get the results and start having a better approach."

Both pitching staffs were ineffective and each offense took advantage early and often. The Phillies pounded out 14 hits, including four home runs while the Twins also managed 14 hits in winning their second consecutive game.

Philadelphia lost its eighth straight contest despite scoring more than two runs for the first time in a week.

Brian Dozier had three hits for Minnesota while Joe Mauer and Trevor Plouffe chipped in with two apiece. Dozier and Plouffe each drove in a pair of runs.

Cody Asche and Peter Bourjos each homered among three hits to lead the Phillies attack. Maikel Franco had two hits, including a three-run blast to get Philadelphia to within 11-10 in the eighth inning, and finished with four RBIs.

"It made it a little bit more hairy than we were hoping," Molitor said.

Philadelphia's Andres Blanco and Ryan Howard were the only two players from both teams to not reach base at least once. Each went 0-for-5.

Twins left-hander Buddy Boshers pitched two innings of scoreless relief of starter Tyler Duffey to earn the victory. Boshers (2-0) gave up three hits and struck out two after Duffey had surrendered six runs in the first three innings.

Brandon Kintzler got the final four outs for his third save.

Phillies starter Aaron Nola (5-7) took the loss after getting knocked around for eight runs (seven earned) through three innings.

Minnesota counted Philadelphia's run in the top of the first with a four-run bottom of the second, highlighted by Dozier's two-run triple.

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Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) scores a run before Philadelphia Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp (29) can catch the ball to make a tag in the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Bourjos' two-run shot in the second was a precursor of things to come in the third; Tommy Joseph also hit a two-run homer and Cameron Rupp followed with a solo blast to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead.

"It was nice to see the guys hit some home runs and score a lot of runs," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "If you would have told me we would have scored seven runs tonight with Nola pitching, I would have been thrilled."

Nola hasn't gotten through the fourth inning in any of last three starts, allowing 19 earned runs in his last 9 2/3 innings during that stretch.

"It's tough, it's tough for the team when I go again, three innings," Nola said. "I'm trying to figure something out, trying to get back to what I'm used to being. I'm going to keep working at it."

Three-straight singles loaded the bases for Suzuki in the bottom of the third, setting the table for his two-run double to center. A sacrifice fly and a throwing error on Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis allowed two more runs to score as the Twins took the lead for good.

Suzuki added a two-run blast in the fifth before Philadelphia rallied for four in the eighth inning, capped by Franco's 12th homer.

Duffey got through the third inning but was lifted at the start of the fourth, allowing six runs and seven hits, raising his season ERA to 6.18.

NOTES: Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez will make a rehab start with Double-A Reading on Wednesday. Velasquez has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 8 because of a right biceps strain. The right-hander is 5-2 with a 3.65 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings pitched. ... Twins OF Miguel Sano, who has been on the disabled list since June 1 because of a strained hamstring, is expected to go on a rehab assignment by the end of the week. Sano is hitting .235 with 11 homers and 27 RBIs in 50 games this season. ... Philadelphia and Minnesota will play the second of a three-game series on Wednesday night at Target Field. The Phillies will send left-hander Adam Morgan (1-6, 6.49 ERA) to the mound against Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (0-5, 6.06).

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