The Twins improved to 2-0 against old friend Chris Paddack on Sunday after the club took an early lead in the second inning and then poured it on with a solo blast and grand slam to run away from the Tigers 8-1.
The Twins struck out 10 times versus Detroit hurler Casey Mize on Saturday, but they seem to have no problem with Paddack. They beat him on Aug. 5 and again Sunday, chasing him from the game with eight runs on nine hits.
Buck hit his 25th home run of the season, but it was Brooks Lee who delivered the big blow, connecting for his 12th dinger, which also happened to be his first grand slam and the Twins’ first slam this season.
They also got extra-base hits from James Outman and Trevor Larnach.
On the mound, Thomas Hatch allowed just a run across five innings and the bullpen tossed four flawless frames. Relievers Michael Tonkin and Cole Sands fanned the side in the sixth and seven innings, newcomer Genesis Cabrera pitched a scoreless eighth and Everyday Erasmo (shall we start something?) Ramirez closed out the game with a spotless ninth.
It was a good win, although the Twins dropped three of four games to the Tigers in the series. The team is off Monday and then hosts the West Sacramento A’s on Tuesday. Joe Ryan gets the ball.
Extra innings…
–Royce Lewis also hit a home run on Sunday, his first at Target Field this season. Hard to believe.
–Over the weekend, the Twins celebrated the 1965 pennant-winning team and then on Sunday former third baseman Corey Koskie was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame.
Former Twins pitcher Jim Perry, who won 215 games over a 17-year career spent mostly with Minnesota, was a guest in the radio booth on Saturday. Based on what I heard, Perry, who will turn 90 in October, sounded great. He was excited and cheered on the team from the booth, plus he claimed to have the best slider in the league when he pitched.
Perry won 20 games in 1969 and then topped it with 24 wins in 1970, which was good enough to earn AL Cy Young honors.
–On Sunday, Koskie was in the booth, and there was a funny moment when a pop up in foul territory reminded play-by-play voice Kris Atteberry of Denny Hocking’s final out in the 2002 American League Division Series to beat the Oakland A’s.
In reality, Hocking caught the ball, but according to Hollywood and the movie “Moneyball,” Koskie snared the final out as he pointed out during Saturday’s interview.
Koskie spent only nine seasons in major league baseball, largely because of injuries. His best season with the Twins was probably 2001 when he scored 100 runs and drove in 103 more while slashing .276/.362/.488.