Twins score by the longball. We should probably get used to hearing that.
We'll keep it brief this morning, but you should know this: Carl Pavano was on his game last night. The Angels couldn't solve him most of the evening, with the exception of Hideki Matsui doubling (Span wasn't able to make the catch jumping into the wall) and then scoring off Juan Rivera's infield single. It did look like he got a call or two on the edges, but in general he was just efficient and an out machine. The Angels picked up just six hits in Pavano's seven innings, where he struck out six and didn't walk a soul.
In the top of the fourth Justin Morneau managed to break up Ervin Santana's no-hitter with a right-center field blast that plated Joe Mauer, who had walked. It's Justin's second megaton blast. J.J. Hardy followed that up an inning later with his own homer, also his second of the season, to make the score 3-0. Nick Punto later tripled and scored on a Denard Span sac fly to make it 4-0 in the fifth, and it was more than enough to seal the deal.
Matt Guerrier bridged Pavano's solid seven innings to Jon Rauch with a goose egg in the eighth. Rauch struggled briefly, allowing a double and a single to score the run after starting the inning with consecutive groundouts. But the one run was all the Angels managed, and the Twins come away with their second win of the season.
FIRST PLACE BABY, WOOO!!!!
Studs
#3: J.J. Hardy (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R, .049 WPA)
#2: Justin Morneau (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R, .212 WPA)
#1: Carl Pavano (7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 6 K, 0 BB, .335 WPA)
Duds
#1: Jim Thome (0-for-4, 3 K, -.067 WPA)
#2: Orlando Hudson (0-for-4, -.74 WPA)
#3: Delmon Young (0-for-4, -.063 WPA)