Worst All-Time Twins Tournament, Morrison Round, Day 2: Going down like a ballooning lead

1 vs. 17

(17) 2012 Twins 4
(1) 1909 Senators 3
1909 trails 2-0

Despite falling behind 3-0 after three innings, ‘12’s pitching staff held ‘09 scoreless for the rest of the game while putting across just enough runs to win 4-3 and take a 2-0 series lead.

‘09 took the lead in the first after Scott Diamond walked in a run and allowed a sacrifice fly, then stretched the lead to three on a Bob Unglaub home run. But after Unglaub’s homer, Diamond, Casey Fien, and Jared Burton retired the next 18 hitters.

Meanwhile, a Josh Willingham single broke up Dixie Walker’s shutout in the fourth; two innings later, Joe Mauer tied the game with a two-run triple. The game remained tied until the top of the eighth, when Pedro Florimón, Ben Revere, and Denard Span hit consecutive singles to plate a run.

Glen Perkins ran into a jam in the ninth, allowing a single and walking two to load the bases with two outs, but Red Killefer grounded to third to end the game.

8 vs. 9

(9) 1956 Senators 3
(8) 2011 Twins 5
1956 trails 2-0

‘11 jumped on Camilo Pascual with five runs in the first three innings and held off a late push from ‘56, extending their series lead with a 5-3 win.

Justin Morneau opened the scoring in the second when he singled home Jason Kubel, but the offense lit up in the third. After two consecutive singles, Joe Mauer doubled home a run before Michael Cuddyer walked to load the bases. Kubel sent his second double of the game into the outfield, bringing home two runs and busting the game open. Morneau would cap the inning’s scoring with an RBI groundout.

An RBI single from Jerry Snyder put ‘56 on the board in the fourth while a single, double, and run-scoring groundout added another pair in the eighth, but Glen Perkins shut down ‘56’s offense in order in the ninth.

5 vs. 12

(12) 1999 Twins 2
(5) 1981 Twins 4
1999 trails 2-0

A low-scoring game saw ‘99 take a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth only for ‘81 to tally three in the bottom of the seventh, swiping the game 4-2.

After John Castino’s first-inning RBI triple, Joe Mays kept ‘81 bats quiet while ‘99’s offense set him up for a win. Corey Koskie scored the game-tying run in the top of the fourth when he doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch; two innings later, Jacque Jones doubled and stole third before Torii Hunter singled him in.

Mays yielded the mound to Hector Carrasco for the seventh, and Carrasco immediately ran into trouble. Danny Goodwin tapped his first pitch for an infield single, Gary Ward followed with a single, and Rob Wilfong tied the game with an RBI double. After a popout and an intentional walk, Mickey Hatcher singled home Ward to give ‘81 their first lead of the game. Dave Engle’s sacrifice fly provided insurance.

Though ‘99 put the tying run on second base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, it went for naught as Doug Corbett snuck strike three past Matt Lawton.

4 vs. 13

(13) 1958 Senators 5
(4) 1957 Senators 11
Series tied 1-1

A six-run fifth broke the game open for ‘57, who tied their series with an 11-5 victory.

The teams initially traded triplets of runs, ‘57’s coming across a pair of innings on Jim Lemon’s solo home run and Herb Plews’ two-run double, ‘58’s following in the top of the fifth when Norm Chrisley socked a three-run shot.

In the bottom of the inning, Vito Valentinetti entered in relief and the wheels fell off. Valentinetti loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, induced a flyout, then walked in a pair before being relieved by John Romonosky. Though Romonosky nearly escaped the jam with a strikeout, Plews cleared the bases with a three-run double, then came home himself on Roy Sievers’ double.

Jim Lemon’s seventh-inning two-run double and Chrisley’s second home run of the game, a two-run blast in the top of the ninth, completed the scoring.

3 vs. 14

(14) 1951 Senators 0
(3) 1955 Senators 1
‘51 trails 2-0

Mickey McDermott pitched 5.1 two-hit innings and four ‘55 bullpens combined to shut out ‘51 the rest of the way for a 1-0 win, their second of the series.

Connie Marrero nearly matched McDermott’s performance, allowing just five hits and walking four over 5.2 innings. A pair of ‘51 relievers, like their ‘55 counterparts, allowed just one hit for the remainder of the game.

But Marrero’s lack of control cost his team in the fifth. With two outs and Tom Umphlett on first, Marrero allowed a single to Eddie Yost, then walked Pete Runnels and Roy Sievers, the latter sending Umphlett home with the only run of the game.

6 vs. 11

(11) 1995 Twins 5
(6) 1948 Senators 8
Series tied 1-1

‘48 knocked Frankie Rodriguez out of the box after two innings, scoring five runs off the ‘95 starter en route to an 8-5 series-tying win.

While the first inning saw ‘48 put three runs on the board without an extra base hit, runners reaching base on a walk and four singles, the second saw a Sherry Robertson RBI triple add to the lead, Robertson scoring as well on a subsequent groundout. ‘48 added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, the latter two coming thanks to a Mickey Vernon triple and Bud Stewart home run.

Trailing 8-1, ‘95 put four runs on the board off reliever Sid Hudson in the seventh and eighth on a Chuck Knoblauch two-run triple and Pedro Muñoz two-run home run before Milo Candini and Forrest Thompson shut them down.

7 vs. 10 (played)

(10) 1982 Twins 4
(7) 2016 Twins 6
‘82 trails 2-0

Not content with blowing a 3-0 lead thanks to a pair of Byron Buxton home runs, ‘82 proceeded to blow a 4-3 lead and drop their second game of the series 6-4 to ‘16.

‘82’s first lead came with one out in the top of the third, as alternating singles and doubles off Kyle Gibson brought in three runs before he could put out the fire. But three solo home runs, the first by Trevor Plouffe and the next two by Buxton, over the next four innings evened up the score.

In the top of the eighth, Trevor May started his third inning of work with a pair of strikeouts before Tim Laudner doubled. As Jesus Vega entered to pinch-hit for the golden sombrero’d Randy Johnson, Ryan O’Rourke relieved May to set up a lefty-lefty matchup; Vega won it, doubling in Laudner on O’Rourke’s second pitch.

But ‘82’s bullpen faltered worse. Paul Boris entered for Albert Williams and immediately allowed a single and a walk. After a fielder’s choice put out the lead runner, a wild pitch put runners on second and third. Boris elected to intentionally walk Eddie Rosario to load the bases and set up a double play, but Kurt Suzuki singled on Boris’ first pitch to tie the game. With the double play still intact, Jeff Little entered to pitch to Buxton, who grounded to short but beat the relay after the fielder’s choice at second. Brian Dozier singled in the final run of the inning, as Buxton was thrown out trying for third base, before O’Rourke pitched a perfect ninth.

2 vs. 15

(15) 2013 Twins 8
(2) 1949 Senators 7
Series tied 1-1

Set up to take a 2-0 series lead, ‘49 blew leads in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to drop the second game of their tilt with ‘13 8-7.

‘13 took a 2-0 lead in the third, but ‘49 pushed ahead with a four-run fifth. After a run-scoring walk cut ‘13’s deficit in half, Chris Colabello tied the game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly, only for ‘49 to tally a pair in the bottom half on a Clyde Vollmer single and Caleb Thielbar wild pitch.

After Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer led off the eighth with back-to-back homers, tying the game again, ‘49 once more pulled ahead when Eddie Robinson singled home Sherry Robertson. But after a walk, single, and passed ball put runners at second and third with no outs in the top of the ninth, Colabello and Eduardo Escobar each hit sacrifice flies to pull ‘13 ahead. There would be no final comeback as Glen Perkins worked around a two-out walk to get through ‘49 with ease.

Morrison Round, Day 1 | Morrison Round, Day 2 | Morrison Round, Day 3