Metrodome Memories

August 30, 1987 at County Stadium
Twins 10, Brewers 6  (69-63)

The Twins turned a 6-5 deficit into a 10-6 blowout win in a hurry as they racked up their second straight win.  Kirby Puckett had a monster game.  He went six for six with two homeruns, two doubles, four RBIs and four runs.  Al Newman went two for five with a run and an RBI.

Frank Viola didn’t make it through the fourh inning but the hitters picked him up.  Keith Atherton picked up the win and he improved to 5-4.  He gave up one hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of relief.  Jeff Reardon pitched two no-hit innings to close out the game for his 25th save of the season.

August 29, 1987 at County Stadium
Twins 12, Brewers 3  (68-63)

The Twins snapped their three game losing streak in a big way as Kirby Puckett led a twelve run, sixteen hit attack over the Brewers.  Puckett went four for five with two homeruns, two RBIs and three runs.  Gary Gaetti and Kent Hrbek also went yard for the Twins in the game.

Bert Blyleven improved to 13-10 on the season with a nice start.  He gave up two runs (just one earned) on eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts in eight solid frames.

August 28, 1987 at County Stadium
Brewers 1, Twins 0  (67-63)

The Twins suffered their third straight defeat although it wasn’t because of their pitching.  A nice start by Les Straker went to waste and he fell to 6-9.  He gave up one run on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Two hits isn’t usually going to cut it although the Twins stayed in the game because of the solid pitching.  Kent Hrbek was the only Twin to reach base twice with a single and a walk.

August 26, 1987 at the Metrodome
Tigers 10, Twins 8 (67-62)

A 6-5 lead turned into a 10-8 loss in a hurry as Jeff Reardon was hammered for five runs in the top of the ninth.  They came on three hits and two walks with the big blow being a three run homer off the bat of Tigers centerfielder Chet Lemon.  Not that a fantastic start by Frank Viola went to waste.  He was knocked around for five runs in seven innings.

Greg Gagne went two for four with a homerun and three RBIs in the loss.  Kent Hrbek went three for four with a double, an RBI and three runs while Tom Brunansky belted his 27th homer of the season.

August 25, 1987 at the Metrodome
Tigers 5, Twins 4  (67-61)

Joe Niekro fell to 6-10 on the season with a rough start as the Twins lost for the seventh time in eight games.  He gave up five runs on four hits and seven walks with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Kent Hrbek was the only Twin to rack up two hits.  He went two for four with a double, two RBIs and a run.

August 24, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 5, Tigers 4  (67-60)

Kent Hrbek singled home Steve Lombardozzi in the bottom of the ninth inning to win it as the Twins ended their six game losing streak.  Lombardozzi singled home Tom Brunanskyin the bottom of the seventh to tie the game up.  Gaetti finished the game with two RBIs while Kirby Puckett doubled twice and scored a run.

Bert Blyleven gave up four runs in eight innings in a no decision.  Jeff Reardon pitched a shutout ninth and he improved to 6-6 on the season.

August 23, 1987 at Fenway Park
Red Sox 6, Twins 4  (66-60)

The Twins suffered their sixth straight loss and their second straight series sweep as they lost another tough game.  The Twins jumped out to a four run lead only to see it disappear two innings later as the Red Sox pummelled Steve Carlton.  He fell to 6-13 and he gave up five runs on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The Twins scored all four of their runs on homers.  Gary Gaetti and Roy Smalley hit solo homeruns while Kent Hrbek pounded a two run homer.  For Hrbek, it was his 31st of the season.

August 22, 1987 at Fenway Park
Red Sox 6, Twins 5  (66-59)

The Twins road woes continued as they dropped their fifth straight game.  It was Les Straker who took the loss in a rough start.  He gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings and the loss dropped him to 6-8.

Gary Gaetti belted a three run homer, his 26th of the season.  Dan Gladden went two for five with two runs.

August 21, 1987 at Fenway Park
Red Sox 11, Twins 3 (66-58)

Frank Viola and the bullpen was knocked around as the Twins lost their fourth straight game.  Viola fell to 14-8 and he gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.  Dan Schatzeder and Keith Atherton were also hit hard.

Tom Brunansky drove in two of the Twins three runs with his 26th homerun of the season.  Roy Smalley singled, drew two walks and scored a run.

August 20, 1987 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 8, Twins 0  (66-57)

Joe Niekro was roughed up and the Twins hitter couldn’t get a single run as they lost their third straight to the Tigers.  Niekro fell to 6-9 and he gave up six runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. 

The Twins managed just six singles in the shutout loss.  Kirby Puckett and Steve Lombardozzi both had two hits and the only other hitter to reach base twice was Roy Smalley, who singled and drew a walk.

August 19, 1987 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 7, Twins 1  (66-56)

Bert Blyleven was roughed up as the Twins lost their second straight game to the Tigers.  He gave up seven runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.  The loss dropped him to 12-10 on the season.

Steve Lombardozzi pretty much was the Twins offense in this one although there wasn’t a whole lot of it.  He went two for two with a walk and a solo homerun.  The homerun was his sixth of the season.

August 18, 1987 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 11, Twins 2  (66-55)

Steve Carlton was pummelled by the Tiger hitters as the Twins four game winning streak came to an end.  He fell to 6-12 and he gave up nine runs (six earned) on eleven hits and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings.  Six of the nine runs came in the first inning as the Tigers built up an insurmountable lead in the first frame.

The Twins scored both of their runs on solo homers.  Randy Bush went yard in the third inning while Roy Smalley belted a solo shot in the seventh.

August 17, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 4, Mariners 2  (66-54)

The Twins made it four straight and this time it was with a solid outing from their rookie hurler Les Straker.  He improved to 6-7 and he gave up two runs on five hits two walks with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.  Jeff Reardon got the final four batters out for the Twin (two by strikeouts) and he picked up his 24th save of the season.

Tom Brunansky belted a big two run homer in the first inning for the Twins.  Gary Gaetti doubled twice, scored and drove in a run.

August 16, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 5, Mariners 1  (65-54)

Frank Viola improved to 14-7 on the season with another nice start in the Twins win over the Mariners.  He gave up just one unearned run on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Gary Gaetti was the hitting star in the win.  He doubled twice, drove in two and scored twice.  Gene Larkin doubled twice and he drove in a run.

August 15, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 14, Mariners 4  (64-54)

The Twins ran up the scored on the Mariners as three hitters went yard and Dan Gladden produced at the lead off spot.  Gladden went two for five with two RBIs and three runs while Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti and Tom Brunansky all went deep for the Twins.  For Hrbek, it was his 30th of the season.

Roy Smith made his first and only start of the season for the Twins and he picked up the win.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in seven innings.

August 14, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 6, Mariners 3  (63-54)

The Twins got back on track after losing two straight games behind a solid outing by Bert Blyleven.  He improved to 12-9 and he gave up two runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Tim Laudner and Kent Hrbek both went yard with solo shots in the win.  Gary Gaetti doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored.

August 13, 1987 at the Metrodome
Angels 5, Twins 1  (62-54)

For the second straight game, Angels pitching held the Twins in check and this time they managed just one run.  Kent Hrbek doubled and drove in that lone run while Randy Bush went two for five with a double and he scored the one run.

Steve Carlton fell to 6-11 on the season with a rough start.  He gave up five runs on ten hits and three walks with three strikeouts in seven innings of work.

August 12, 1987 at the Metrodome
Angels 8, Twins 2  (62-53)

The Twins were shut down at the plate as their five game winning streak came to an end.  The Twins managed just four hits and they only reason they got on the board was because two of those hits were solo homerun.  Kent Hrbek and Roy Smalley both went yard.  It was Hrbek’s 28th and Smalley’s sixth of the season.

Les Straker fell to 5-7 with a rough start.  He gave up six runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.

August 11, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 7, Angels 2  (62-52)

The Twins won their fifth straight behind a great outing by Frank Viola.  The lefthander improved to 13-7 and he gave up two runs on nine hits and one walk with six strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Tom Brunansky went two for four with a double, two RBIs and a run.  Gary Gaetti went two for four with a solo homerun and two runs.  The homerun was his 24th of the season.

August 9, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 7, Athletics 5  (61-52)

The Twins used the long ball to win their fourth straight game as four different Twins belted homers.  Kent Hrbek had the big blow with a three run shot, his 27th homer of the season.  Tom Brunansky, Tim Laudner and Gary Gaetti all went yard in the win.

Bert Blyleven improved to 11-9 on the season with the win.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings of work.  Jeff Reardon gave up two runs in two innings and he picked up his 23rd save of the season.

August 8, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 9, Athletics 2  (60-52)

The Twins made it three straight wins and it was Kirby Puckett who had a huge day at the plate.  He went four for four with a homerun, two RBIs and four runs.  The homerun was Puckett’s seventeenth homer of the season.  Tom Brunansky went three for four with two doubles and three RBIs.

Steve Carlton improved to 6-10 on the season with a nice start.  He gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.

August 7, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 9, Athletics 4  (59-52)

The Twins got a pretty solid team effort in a 9-4 drubbing over the Athletics.  Kent Hrbek had a nice game despite going just one for five.  His one hit was a solo homer and he scored three runs.  Greg Gagne went three for five with a run.  Randy Bush went two for three with a run.

Joe Niekro picked up the win and he improved to 6-8.  He gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts in eight innings.

August 6, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 9, Athletics 4  (58-52)

The Twins rans up the score on the Athletics as they ended a two game skid.  Kirby Puckett doubled, drove in three runs and scored once.  Gary Gaetti went two for three with a double and three RBIs while Kent Hrbek and Tim Laudner each belted solo shots in the win.

Frank Viola improved to 12-7 on the season.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and six walks with four strikeouts in seven innings.

August 5, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 6, Twins 1  (57-52)

The Twins could get much done at the plate as John Candelaria held the Twins to a single run on five hits.  Kent Hrbek had the only extra base hit of the game with a double and Tom Brunansky singled and scored the lone run.

Bert Blyleven fell to 10-9 with a rough start.  He gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings of work.

August 4, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 12, Twins 3  (57-51)

Don Sutton came out on top in a battle of 300 game winners as Steve Carlton was roughed up in his Twins debut.  He gave up nine runs on eleven hits and four walks with one strikeout in 4 2/3 innings.

Steve Lombardozzi belted a three run homer to account for all of the Twins runs.  Gene Larkin went two for three with a run.

August 3, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Twins 11, Angels 3  (57-50)

The Twins blew out the Angels and it was Gary Gaetti who led the way at the plate.  He went three for five with a homerun, five RBIs and two runs.  The homerun was Gaetti’s 22nd of the season.  Kent Hrbek went two for three with two walks and three runs.

Dan Schatzeder picked up win and Joe Niekro’s after Niekro’s rough start.  Schatzeder gave up one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of relief.  The win improved his record to 3-0 on the season.

August 2, 1987 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 6, Twins 5  (56-50)

Jeff Reardon gave up a run in the bottom of the eleventh inning as the Twins lost a tight one to the Athletics.  It was Reardon’s third inning of work and the loss pushed his record down to 5-6 on the season.

Gene Larkin and Tom Brunansky both went yard for the Twins.  Larkin went three for four with a solo homer and while gary Gaetti singled twice and drove in a run.

August 1, 1987 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 3, Twins 2  (56-49)

The Athletics edged the Twins despite a nice start by Frank Viola as Dave Stewart outpitched him.  Viola dropped to 11-7 on the season and he gave up three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in eight inning of work.

Kent Hrbek went three for four with a double and an RBI to lead the Twins in the loss.  Kirby Puckett singled and drove in the second run for the Twins.