All-Time Twins Tournament, Johnson Round, Day 2: More extra innings and a Maddux

With several lower seeds pulling off upsets in their opening games, a precedent has been set in this bracket. Were they able to keep up the play on Day 2?

1 vs. 16

(16) 2017 Twins 5
(1) 1991 Twins 4
-12 innings-
Series tied 1-1

Despite ‘17 again watching a late lead slip away, Eddie Rosario gave the visitors victory with a solo home run in the top of the 12th, tying the series with a 5-4 win.

‘17 matched ‘91’s scoring in the early innings before pulling ahead in the fifth, when with two outs Rosario doubled and Eduardo Escobar, the first batter faced by reliever Steve Bedrosian, socked a two-run homer. The blast, Escobar’s second of the series, gave ‘17 a 4-2 lead.

But ‘91 tied the game back up in the seventh, knocking the ball around once Tyler Duffey entered the game. After Mike Pagliarulo singled and Greg Gagne doubled, Chuck Knoblauch brought Pagliarulo home with a groundout and Shane Mack singled in Gagne.

Bats quieted down until the 12th, when Rosario gave ‘17 a lead that would not be lost.

Stars of the Game:
’17 — RP Trevor Hildenberger: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K, W
‘91 — RP Rick Aguilera: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K

8 vs. 9

(9) 1925 Senators 14
(8) 2010 Twins 8
‘25 leads 2-0

‘25 tallied nine runs off Carl Pavano and Brian Duensing in the first three innings and countered a late-inning ‘10 offensive surge with one of their own, extending their series lead with a 14-8 win.

Every ‘25 batter except Joe Harris (0-6) had at least two hits, with Goose Goslin, Earl McNeely, and Ossie Bluege topping the list with four apiece. Power was prevalent in the lineup, as Joe Judge hit a pair of two-run home runs, Bluege was a triple shy of the cycle, and Goslin needed only a home run to achieve that feat.

‘10 was unable to close the gap without ‘25 responding. In the bottom of the second, ‘10 scored three runs thanks to back-to-back homers from Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel, only for ‘25 to match that mark immediately in the top of the third. ‘10 only came as close as an 11-6 deficit when Joe Mauer hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, but ‘25 put up three runs in the eighth to ensure the game was out of reach.

Stars of the Game:
‘25 — 3B Ossie Bluege: 4-6, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
‘10 — C Joe Mauer: 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

5 vs. 12

(12) 2006 Twins 3
(5) 1970 Twins 4
-11 innings-
‘70 leads 2-0

‘70 completed a late-inning comeback in extras, Rich Reese doubling home César Tovar to walk off with a 4-3 victory and a two-nil series lead.

‘06 picked up three runs in the fourth and fifth on a Michael Cuddyer solo homer, a Luis Castillo RBI single, and a sacrifice fly, but ‘70 put up single marks in the fourth, seventh, and eighth, each time crossing the plate on a sacrifice fly.

The bullpens kept further alterations off the scoreboard until the 11th, when Joe Nathan walked Brant Alyea and saw Tovar replace him on a fielder’s choice. Pat Neshek entered the game to relieve Nathan, only for Reese to slap a double to right, Tovar beating Cuddyer’s throw to the plate to notch ‘70’s second straight walk-off victory.

Stars of the Game:
‘06 — RF Michael Cuddyer: 3-5, HR, 2B, R, RBI
‘70 — RP Bill Zepp: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K

4 vs. 13

(13) 2003 Twins 4
(4) 1965 Twins 2
‘03 leads 2-0

In what for the middle seven innings was a scoring-free pitcher’s duel, ‘03 added ninth-inning insurance to a first-inning lead and stranded the bases loaded to end the game, escaping with a heart-tightening 4-2 victory.

While Mudcat Grant pitched 8.2 innings for ‘65, giving up three runs on four hits, ‘03 starter Brad Radke outpitched him, surrendering only one run on four hits over seven innings. All runs allowed by starters came in the first, A.J. Pierzynski’s double bringing in one run and Jacque Jones’ single tallying two in the top of the frame, and Harmon Killebrew doubling home Tony Oliva in the bottom.

Neither squad threatened again until the ninth. After Grant retired the first two batters of the inning, Bill Pleis relieved him. Cristian Guzman promptly singled, moved to third on Michael Ryan’s double, and scored on Pleis’ wild pitch.

But the save would not be so smooth for ‘03 closer Eddie Guardado. Oliva led off the bottom of the inning with a triple, scoring on Earl Battey’s groundout. ‘65 loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batsman, but with two outs, Guardado struck out Zoilo Versalles to conclude the ballgame.

Stars of the Game:
‘03 — SP Brad Radke: 7 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 6 K, W
‘65 — SP Mudcat Grant: 8.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

3 vs. 14

(14) 2004 Twins 3
(3) 1969 Twins 10
Series tied 1-1

After ‘04 threatened to pull ahead in the opening series with three runs in the first, ‘69’s offense hammered the ball, John Roseboro’s 4-4 performance leading ‘69 to a 10-3 rout.

‘69 did not respond to Justin Morneau’s three-run home run until Roseboro’s solo shot in the third, but only caught up and pulled ahead in the fourth. After loading the bases off Brad Radke, Rick Renick singled in one run, Roseboro doubled in two more to take the lead, and Rod Carew brought in the fourth of the frame with a groundout.

‘69 added another four-spot in the bottom of the sixth, Harmon Killebrew’s two-run double the key hit, to pull the game away.

Stars of the Game:
‘04 — 1B Justin Morneau: 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB
‘69 — C John Roseboro: 4-4, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI

6 vs. 11

(11) 1987 Twins 0
(6) 1924 Senators 4
‘24 leads 2-0

Tom Zachary and By Speece combined for nine innings of shutout baseball, quieting ‘87 en route to a 4-0 victory and a two-game series lead for ’24.

‘24 only managed eight hits of their own, but strung them together to send a quartet across the plate. They took the lead in the first when Muddy Ruel’s groundout brought in Nemo Leibold, who had tripled, then picked up two in the fifth when Ossie Bluege singled in Roger Peckinpaugh, moved to third on Bucky Harris’ single, and scored on Leibold’s sacrifice fly.

‘24 added an insurance run in the seventh as Leibold singled home Bluege, but they would need no more as Speece shut down ‘87.

Stars of the Game:
’87 — RP Juan Berenguer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
‘24 — SP Tom Zachary: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W

7 vs. 10

(10) 2002 Twins 10
(7) 2019 Twins 4
Series tied 1-1

It was ‘02 who paced the bomba charge in the second game of the series, Jacque Jones clobbering two of his own to lead ‘02 to a 10-4 victory.

Jones led off the game with a 437-foot solo blast, and after Max Kepler tied it for ‘19 in the second with a solo homer of his own, ‘02 reclaimed the lead for good in the third on David Ortiz’s two-run single.

But the game remained in reach until ‘19’s bullpen took over in the seventh. With Trevor May on the mound, A.J. Pierzynski doubled, Cristian Guzmán singled, and Jones sent another ball over the fence for a three-run shot. Ryne Harper entered, but ‘02’s bats stayed hot; Doug Mientkiewicz doubled and Torii Hunter added a two-run dinger of his own.

After ‘02 added two more in the ninth, ‘19 finally started hitting, tallying three runs and loading the bases before Nelson Cruz bounced into a fielder’s choice to end it.

Stars of the Game:
‘02 — LF Jacque Jones: 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI
‘19 — RF Max Kepler: 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI

2 vs. 15 (played)

(15) 2009 Twins 0
(2) 1933 Senators 4
Series tied 1-1

Though early errors propelled ‘33 to a lead, they would not need the extra runs, as General Crowder pitched a Maddux, shutting out ‘09 on 98 pitches in a 4-0 victory.

‘09 starter Scott Baker got minimal help from his defense in the first inning, as errors by Orlando Cabrera and Matt Tolbert were mixed with singles and walks, ‘33 putting up three runs. They would add another in the seventh off Glen Perkins when Joe Cronin doubled and Joe Kuhel tripled him home.

But Crowder only needed one run, allowing only three singles, two to Justin Morneau and one to Denard Span, while walking one batter and striking out eight. His final strikeout of Morneau completed the game and evened the series at one game apiece.

Stars of the Game:
‘09 — SP Scott Baker: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
‘33 — SP General Crowder: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 98 pitches, W

Introduction
Walter Johnson Round: Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5
Harmon Killebrew Round: Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5
Kirby Puckett Round: Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 / Day 6 / Day 7
Joe Mauer Round: Preview / Game 1 / Game 2 / Game 3 / Game 4 / Game 5 / Game 6 / Game 7
Review