LaTroy Hawkins got the start for the Twins in the top of the first inning and Darren Bragg led off by striking out swinging. John Valentin walked but Mo Vaughn whiffed. Nomar Garciaparra hit a pop up that nobody called for that dropped in for a base hit but Troy O'Leary flied out to left to end the inning. Wasdin got Otis Nixon to ground out to short to start the bottom of the first but Matt Lawton beat out an infield single to second. Paul Molitor banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as Mike Stanley flied out to right to start. Damon Buford walked and Scott Hatteberg bashed his 11th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Mike Benjamin lined one off of Hawkins but Todd Walker threw him out. Bragg grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.
David Ortiz flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Ron Coomer grounded out to second. Walker flied out to left to end the inning.
Pat Meares booted a Valentin grounder to open the top of the third before John moved to second on the Vaughn grounder. Nomar grounded out to third and O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning. Marty Cordova struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Javier Valentin grounded out to short. Meares grounded out to third to end the inning.
Stanley singled to left to begin the top of the fourth but Buford banged into a double play. Hatteberg flied out to center to end the inning. The Twins fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Nixon singled to center to start before he scored on the Lawton double. Molitor grounded out to short and Ortiz flied out to center but Coomer singled home Lawton to tie the game. Walker drew a walk but Cordova lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The Sox surged ahead in the top of the fifth although Benjamin flied out to left to begin. Bragg grounded out to first but Valentin pounded his 15th home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Vaughn popped up to first to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-2.
Wasdin finished his day in the bottom of the fifth as Valentin grounded back to him to start. Meares doubled to left but Nixon took strike three. Lawton walked but Molitor flied out to right to end the inning. Wasdin did the best he could, holding the Twins to two runs in 5 innings of work.
The Sox failed to get some insurance in the top of the sixth as Nomar grounded out to short to start. O'Leary doubled to right and moved to third on the Stanley fly out. Buford popped up to right to end the inning. Derek Lowe came in to cough up the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz singled to center and took third on the base hit by Coomer. Walker grounded out to first to score Ortiz with the tying run and Coomer took third on the grounder by Cordova. Valentin grounded out to second to end the inning but the Twins tied it 3-3.
Hatteberg singled to left to start the top of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Benjamin. Bragg flied out to left and that was it for Hawkins. Mike Trombley came in and got Valentin to fly out to right to end the inning. Meares flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh and Sox manager Jimy Williams felt that was enough for Lowe. Greg Swindell came in and got Nixon to fly out to right although Lawton walked. Molitor flied out to right to end the inning.
Trombley cruised in the top of the eighth as Vaughn whiffed to start. Nomar and O'Leary both flied out to center to end the inning. Swindell returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Ortiz to pop up to left to start. Coomer flied out to center but Walker singled in the hole at first. Cordova popped up to second to end the inning.
Stanley walked to start the top of the ninth and Darren Lewis was sent in to pinch run for him. Buford whiffed but Lewis swiped second on the throw. Hatteberg was intentionally walked to set up the double play and Jimy Williams refused to pinch hit for Benjamin. Williams looked foolish as Benjamin banged into a double play to end the inning. The Twins ended it in the bottom of the ninth as Swindell struck out Valentin swinging to start. Meares singled and Nixon walked before Meares moved to third on the Lawton grounder. Dennis Eckersley was brought in to get Molitor but the crafty veteran safety squeezed Meares home with a perfect bunt to win the game for the Twins. Eckersley was disgusted but the Twins had walked it off 4-3.
Jackass of the Night is Greg Swindell. Yes Eck gave up the winning hit but Swindell put the two men on that led to it.
The Good:
John Valentin was 1 for 3 with a walk and the hit was a home run.
Darren Lewis stole second as a pinch runner.
Mike Stanley was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Scott Hatteberg was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.
The Bad:
Darren Bragg was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mo Vaughn was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Mike Benjamin was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 4.
Troy O'Leary was just 1 for 4.
Damon Buford was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Nothing is worse than getting the most out of a spot starter only to lose the game anyway. Wasdin tossed 5 much needed innings but the bullpen couldn't hold it. I don't know what Williams was thinking by not pinch hitting for Benjamin with 2 men on in the ninth. Maybe he figured someone would keep the game tied in the bottom of the ninth but that didn't happen either. With the way the New York Yankees are playing, every loss puts the Sox further and further behind. Thank heavens for the wild card or the Sox would have nothing to play for in the month of September. The loss drops the Sox to 75-52, an incredible 19.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game tomorrow afternoon when they send their ace Pedro Martinez (16-4) up against Brad Radke of the Twins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at the Metrodrome.
