Twins Beat Dodgers 6-4 To Snap 6-Game Skid
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Luke Hughes hit a tiebreaking homer and the Minnesota Twins snapped a six-game losing streak, rebounding from an embarrassing blowout to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Tuesday night.
Ben Revere scored twice, stole two bases and drove in a run for Minnesota. Brian Duensing (5-7) allowed four runs, four hits and four walks in five innings.
One night after giving up 25 hits, a club record for a nine-inning game, in a 15-0 loss to the Dodgers, the Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Ted Lilly after two innings.
Matt Capps walked two but finished for his 12th save in 17 chances.
Earlier in the day, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt won a reprieve in bankruptcy court to maintain day-to-day operations, while Major League Baseball considered seizing control of the cash-strapped ballclub.
McCourt is squaring off in a Delaware bankruptcy court against the league in a contentious battle over one of the most storied -- and lucrative -- franchises in baseball. The ownership fight is linked in part to McCourt's divorce from his wife and former team CEO Jamie McCourt, who is also claiming half his assets.
The Dodgers have blamed their bankruptcy filing on Commissioner Bud Selig's refusal to approve a multibillion-dollar TV deal with Fox that McCourt was counting on to keep the franchise afloat.
McCourt gained approval from Judge Kevin Gross to enter into a $150 million bankruptcy financing arrangement to keep the team running.
On the field, Lilly (5-8) struggled again and was pulled after 4 2-3 innings. He allowed six runs on nine hits.
Minnesota scored in four of the first five innings, just as Los Angeles had done a day earlier.
Revere led off the bottom of the first with a single and eventually came home on a single by Joe Mauer. Revere had an RBI single and Alexi Casilla drove in Revere with a double in the second.
Meanwhile, Duensing retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, allowing just a single to Aaron Miles.
But eight of the next 12 Dodgers hitters reached against Duensing. Miles connected for his first home run of the season and Los Angeles tied the game 4-all on a two-run single by Andre Ethier in the fifth.
Hughes answered with his first homer since April 29, a two-run shot that chased Lilly in the fifth.
Lilly has allowed at least five runs in his last three starts, continuing a frustrating string. He's yielded 17 runs in his last 14 2-3 innings. Minnesota also stole four bases against the soft-tossing lefty.
Duensing didn't stick around very long either.
He failed to reach the sixth inning for the third time in his last six starts, although he is 3-2 during that stretch.
Duensing matched a season high with the four free passes, and Miles' home run was the first off Duensing since May 25.
Four relieves combined to throw four scoreless innings. Joe Nathan struck out Matt Kemp and James Loney in the eighth in his second appearance since coming off the disabled list Friday.
NOTES: Dodgers C Rod Barajas (sprained right ankle) is progressing in his rehab, taking batting practice and throwing. Manager Don Mattingly said Barajas is in line to play rehab games Saturday and Sunday. ... Mauer was 1 for 4 and is hitting .630 (17 for 23) lifetime against the Dodgers. He's hit safely in each of his seven games against Los Angeles, recording multiple hits in five of those games. He is 4 for 9 against Lilly. ... Miles is hitting .419 (26 for 62) in June, the top mark in the National League. ... Twins RHP Kevin Slowey (abdominal muscle strain) is slated to start Wednesday for Class-A Fort Myers and will throw about 50 pitches. Slowey's next appearance will be at Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
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