| 1968 | Striking out 19 Twins and scattering six hits over 10 innings, Luis Tiant and the Indians won 1-0. Tiant set two modern MLB records - most strikeouts in a 10-inning game; 32 strikeouts in consecutive games - and tied the modern major league record of 41 strikeouts in three successive appearances. He topped the American League in ERA in 1968 with 1.60. Jim Merritt was the tough-luck loser for the Twins as he allowed only two hits through the first nine innings. In the 10th, he allowed an infield single to Lou Johnson, who advanced to second on an error by shortstop Cesar Tovar, who had just moved to shortstop after starting shortstop Jackie Hernandez had been removed for a pinch hitter in the top of the 10th. Joe Azcue then singled home Johnson to end the game. The Twins had runners at the corners and no outs in the 10th, but Tiant struck out Johnny Roseboro, Rich Rollins (pinch-hitting for Hernandez) and Merritt to get out of the jam. It was Merritt's fourth strikeout of the game. |
| 1973 | Minnesota's Tony Oliva hits three solo home runs during a 7-6 loss at Kansas City. The Twins' Bert Blyleven allowed a two-out RBI single to Steve Hovley in the eighth inning, but Oliva's third homer tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. However, the Royals' eighth-place hitter, Paul Schaal, hit his second homer of the game off reliever Ken Sanders leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to end it. |
| 1980 | Ken Landreaux tied the modern major league record with three triples in Minnesota's 10-3 win over Texas. Doug Flynn will match it in a month. |
| 1987 | After Jeff Reardon blew a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning on Larry Sheets' two-out, two-run single, the Twins won it 6-5 in the 11th inning on Steve Lombardozzi's two-out single that scored Tom Brunansky. |
| 2006 | After the Royals rallied with four runs on two hits off Johan Santana in the sixth inning to take a 5-3 lead, the Twins rallied back with three runs on one hit against the Royals' bullpen to win 6-5. Two walks, a single, and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch preceded Angel Berroa's three-run double in the Royals' big sixth inning. The Twins' three runs in the eighth scored on Justin Morneau's RBI single and two run-scoring wild pitches by Ambiorix Burgos. |
Tomorrow's This Date in Twins History will be a special long edition for the Fourth of July.
Recent Letters to the Editor
In Response to Cup of Coffee: March 17, 2010,
frightwig wrote: Well, the possession of steroids is also a felony, but a lot of sports fans are willing to excuse steroid use as an understandable mistake or minor sin, merely a common practice of the era,…
CarterHayes wrote: Danica McKellar is 35 years old?! Jeez, I guess that explains those grey hairs in my beard.
sean wrote: she was in the middle of "a really intense deadline" for her new book, Hot X: Algebra Exposed, which hits shelves in August. That would have made math class a whole lot better.
cheaptoy wrote: We haven't gotten to the full state smoking ban yet, so for now its just in Madison. But there does seem to still be a rather large number of bars in the area that…
cheaptoy wrote: You're far more generous with the term you use for the commenters on an SBNation site that I would have been.
bjhess wrote: "I like the authors on Twinke Town, but find many of the commenters inane" Might be perfect, then. :) Thanks again, all!
brianS wrote: Winnie is preggers. Reportedly, Kevin had nothing to do with it.
brianS wrote: Several factors caused Summit’s growth to slow over the last five years from its healthy double-digit growth to under 10 percent: Minnesota lowered the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.1 percent to 0.08 percent in…
brianS wrote: Pinstripes ARE slimming.
brianS wrote: "I did make a mistake and I regret that I did it," Yah. Losing your composure in a game, that's "a mistake." Having Joe Mauer bunt a guy over in the third inning, that's "a mistake."…
In Response to Brought Along, Kicking and Screaming, Into the 21st Century,
E-6 wrote: Absolutely gorgeous films--nearly every frame could be a print hung in a gallery. You really should check out The Double Life of Veronique, next. It was the movie he made just prior to the trilogy.…
E-6 wrote: That was me. Totally dug that book, though the ending seemed rather abrupt. (Might have been because I was so engrossed with the characters that I didn't want it to end.) You'll note that the…
frightwig wrote: I haven't seen Avatar, and don't plan to see it.
frightwig wrote: Not a bad movie, but I don't get why the Academy loved it so much. Didn't think it was anything … war has to have its own … war movie(s). Iraq was just due!
DK wrote: It's been that way from the start. These characters have always been connected to each other; that's part of the basis of the show. You either buy into that or not. Honestly…
sean wrote: I really liked Ender's Shadow. It does get progressively crazier, but not nearly as much as the Ender storyline.
meat wrote: Synedoche, New York. I loved that movie. I haven't seen it in quite some time but as I recall phil Hoffman was excellent, as was his female co-star(I can't look it up from my phone). The…
Rhubarb_Runner wrote: probably, but no plans to for the time being
Milt on Tilt wrote: On my lunch break I saw two individuals dressed up like Na'vi. Their sign said 'Avatars for Peace' so I'm not sure they've seen the movie.
In Response to Jackie Wilson - Danny Boy,
Klawitter wrote: Glad you posted it - definitely worth watching. And I will check out the Orbison version -- he's got the voice that makes dramatic authentic.
E-6 wrote: I played this one as much for the WTF factor as anything. (I love Jackie, too, but this number ain't exactly in his wheelhouse, so to speak.) Roy Orbison does a pretty reading that you…
Klawitter wrote: I love soul music and Jackie Wilson is great. That said, Danny Boy is one of those songs that benefits from understated, simple arrangements to undercut the sentimentality (and I think it's a great…
E-6 wrote: Erin Go Braugh? More like Error Go Wow!
CarterHayes wrote: I'm also a fan of crockpotting the beef, though I have been known to use beer instead of apple juice. I might have to switch things up next year.
In Response to Happy Birthday--March 17,
CarterHayes wrote: A little late (TwinsCards was down for maintenance most of the day today), but better than never: