TIGERS DROP OPENER IN HEARTBREAKER

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brad Radke racked up an impressive total of 11 strikeouts at Metrodome where the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers in 12 innings by the score of 3 to 2. 

The game was deadlocked at 1 after nine full innings.  Minnesota came out the victor in the 12th inning.  Matt Lawton doubled.  Doug Brocail then was wild with a pitch.  Pat Meares then drew a walk.  After an out was recorded, Rich Becker came up and he lashed a single making Minnesota victorious to the delight of the the home town crowd.  Both teams totaled 7 hits on the night.  Tigers' shortstop Deivi Cruz laid down a successful suicide squeeze in the 9th to pull ahead, but Todd Jones' blown save pushed the game to extras.

The victory was credited to Greg Swindell(1-0) who went 2 and 2/3 innings, allowing no runs. Brocail(0-1) took the loss in relief.  He allowed 2 hits and 1 walk in 1/3 of an inning. 

BOXSCORE: 1997 Detroit Tigers At 1997 Minnesota Twins                4/1/1997
 
  Tigers             AB  R  H RBI AVG     Twins              AB  R  H RBI AVG
  B.Hunter CF         4  0  0  0 .000     C.Knoblauch 2B      6  0  1  0 .167  
  D.Easley 2B         4  0  1  1 .250     R.Becker CF         6  0  1  1 .167  
  B.Higginson LF      4  0  1  0 .250     P.Molitor DH        4  1  1  0 .250  
  T.Clark 1B          5  0  0  0 .000     T.Steinbach C       4  0  1  1 .250  
  B.Hamelin DH        4  0  1  0 .250     R.Coomer 3B         5  0  0  0 .000  
  T.Fryman 3B         5  0  0  0 .000     M.Cordova LF        4  1  1  1 .250  
  M.Nieves RF         5  1  1  0 .200     G.Colbrunn 1B       5  0  1  0 .200  
  R.Casanova C        4  0  2  0 .500     M.Lawton RF         5  1  1  0 .200  
  D.Cruz SS           3  1  1  1 .333     P.Meares SS         2  0  0  0 .000  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      38  2  7  2                 Totals      41  3  7  3
 
 
Tigers.......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  1 0 0  1 0 0  -  2  7  0
Twins........... 0 0 0  1 0 0  0 0 0  1 0 1  -  3  7  1
 
Tigers (0-1)             IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Thompson                9       3   1   1   2   9   0 123   1.00  A1 D5
T.Jones BS(1st)           1 1/3   2   1   1   2   0   1  29   6.75  D6 E4
M.Myers                   0 2/3   0   0   0   1   0   0   9   0.00  E5 E7
D.Brocail LOSS(0-1)       0 1/3   2   1   1   1   0   0  16  27.00  E8
Totals                   11 1/3   7   3   3   6   9   1
 
Twins (1-0)              IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
B.Radke                   9 1/3   7   2   2   3  11   0 143   1.93  A1 E2
G.Swindell WIN(1-0)       2 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0  22   0.00  E3
Totals                   12       7   2   2   3  13   0
 
ATTENDANCE- 36,804 DATE- Tuesday, April 1st 1997 TIME- Night 
T- 3:59
LEFT ON BASE- Tigers: 7  Twins: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Tigers: 0  Twins: 3
ERRORS- C.Knoblauch
DOUBLES- M.Nieves(1st), P.Molitor(1st), M.Lawton(1st)
HOME RUNS- M.Cordova(1st)
STOLEN BASES- G.Colbrunn(1st), P.Meares(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- B.Hunter, D.Cruz-2
WALKS- B.Higginson, B.Hamelin, R.Casanova, P.Molitor, T.Steinbach, M.Cordova,
       P.Meares-3
HIT BY PITCH- D.Easley
STRIKE OUTS- B.Hunter, D.Easley-2, T.Clark-4, B.Hamelin, T.Fryman, M.Nieves-2,
             R.Casanova, D.Cruz, R.Becker-3, P.Molitor, T.Steinbach-2,
             M.Cordova, M.Lawton, P.Meares
GIDP- B.Higginson, T.Fryman, D.Cruz
WILD PITCHES- D.Brocail
WEB GEMS- Bot 2nd: Brian L. Hunter robbed Marty Cordova of an extra base hit.