Baseball Guru
04-04-2002, 05:16 AM
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
April 3, 2002, 10:57 PM EST
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Eric Milton gave up two first-inning singles, then retired 19 batters in a row Wednesday night to pitch the Minnesota Twins to a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Milton (1-0), who was 15-7 last season, struck out two and did not give up a walk in seven crisp innings while outdueling Dan Reichert (0-1).
Milton has beaten Kansas City four straight times, all at Kauffman Stadium, and is 10-2 lifetime against the Royals.
The left-hander was replaced to start the eighth by J.C. Romero. Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his second save.
After Carlos Beltran and Mike Sweeney singled with two outs in the first, Milton did not allow a single baserunner.
Milton had retired 17 straight when center fielder Torii Hunter kept the Twins ahead 1-0 with a great leaping catch of Sweeney's drive in the seventh. Hunter leaped with his back to the wall and snared the ball in the webbing of his glove, robbing Sweeney of a home run.
Reichert, who was a 1-0 loser in his 2001 debut against the New York Yankees, gave up six hits, walked two and struck out a career-high eight through seven innings.
Jacque Jones, who had two home runs in Monday's opening day victory over the Royals, singled leading off the third and was sacrificed to second. He later scored on a single by David Ortiz.
Dave McCarty doubled leading off the Royals' eighth against Romero, then Brandon Berger and Brent Mayne struck out. After Carlos Febles walked, Bob Wells relieved Romero and got Chuck Knoblauch to pop up.
Notes:@ After an opening day crowd of more than 40,000, an announced crowd of only 10,856 showed up to brave the chilly night wind. ... Third baseman Corey Koskie made a good play on McCarty's grounder in the fifth, going to his knees to make the stop and then nipping the runner by a step at first. ... Minnesota second baseman Luis Rivas was hit in the left forearm by Reichert's pitch in the fourth. He was taken to a hospital for X-rays.
AP Sports Writer
April 3, 2002, 10:57 PM EST
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Eric Milton gave up two first-inning singles, then retired 19 batters in a row Wednesday night to pitch the Minnesota Twins to a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Milton (1-0), who was 15-7 last season, struck out two and did not give up a walk in seven crisp innings while outdueling Dan Reichert (0-1).
Milton has beaten Kansas City four straight times, all at Kauffman Stadium, and is 10-2 lifetime against the Royals.
The left-hander was replaced to start the eighth by J.C. Romero. Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his second save.
After Carlos Beltran and Mike Sweeney singled with two outs in the first, Milton did not allow a single baserunner.
Milton had retired 17 straight when center fielder Torii Hunter kept the Twins ahead 1-0 with a great leaping catch of Sweeney's drive in the seventh. Hunter leaped with his back to the wall and snared the ball in the webbing of his glove, robbing Sweeney of a home run.
Reichert, who was a 1-0 loser in his 2001 debut against the New York Yankees, gave up six hits, walked two and struck out a career-high eight through seven innings.
Jacque Jones, who had two home runs in Monday's opening day victory over the Royals, singled leading off the third and was sacrificed to second. He later scored on a single by David Ortiz.
Dave McCarty doubled leading off the Royals' eighth against Romero, then Brandon Berger and Brent Mayne struck out. After Carlos Febles walked, Bob Wells relieved Romero and got Chuck Knoblauch to pop up.
Notes:@ After an opening day crowd of more than 40,000, an announced crowd of only 10,856 showed up to brave the chilly night wind. ... Third baseman Corey Koskie made a good play on McCarty's grounder in the fifth, going to his knees to make the stop and then nipping the runner by a step at first. ... Minnesota second baseman Luis Rivas was hit in the left forearm by Reichert's pitch in the fourth. He was taken to a hospital for X-rays.