DENVER – Brian Dozier cranked up for the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game with two homers and the Minnesota Twins beat the Colorado Rockies 13-5 on Sunday.
Dozier hit a solo homer in the eighth and added a three-run shot an inning later for his first career multihomer game. The second baseman will be one of the participants for Monday’s Home Run Derby at his home ballpark, Target Field.
Late fill-in Chris Parmelee ignited a five-run first inning for the Twins with a two-run single. He replaced outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, who was scratched with the flu.
Hughes (10-5) picked up his 10th win despite allowing five runs and 10 hits in five innings. It was his first appearance at Coors Field.
Brett Anderson (0-3) was rusty in his first outing since April as he allowed six runs — five earned — in five innings.
The lefty has been sidelined since breaking his left index finger on April 12 while batting.
Anderson did have a productive day at the plate, putting down a sacrifice bunt that brought in a run.
Minnesota finished a seven-game road swing with a 5-2 record and head into the break trailing the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers by 10 1-2 games.
Hughes was able to stave off the Rockies after being staked to an early lead. Colorado trimmed the deficit to 6-5 in Hughes’ last inning, when former Twin Justin Morneau scored on Corey Dickerson’s groundout.
Sam Fuld provided some breathing room in the seventh when he brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. Parmelee then added another run when he ran home on a passed ball.
Dozier increased the lead in the eighth with his homer that was just inside the foul pole in left. He then hit another an inning later, giving the Twins a season-high 18 hits.
Nolan Arenado and Morneau each had three hits for the Rockies, who head into the break 13 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Minnesota pounced on Anderson early by scoring five runs in the first, all with two outs and after the Twins appeared to run themselves right out of a big inning. They had runners on the corners when Kendrys Morales hit a sharp grounder that Arenado fielded and went to second for a force. Dozier broke for home on the play only to be tagged out.
Parmelee soon followed with a two-run single and Eduardo Escobar brought in two more with a double. Fuld also added an RBI single as the Twins had a season-high seven hits in the inning.
Colorado got two back in the bottom of the first when Morneau delivered an RBI single Arenado followed with a double that scored Morneau.
It took both Hughes and Anderson 29 pitches to get out of the first inning.
NOTES: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said INF Danny Santana (left knee) should be ready to return soon after the All-Star break. … Gardenhire will use right-handers Kyle Gibson, Kevin Correia and Hughes in a three-game series against Tampa Bay beginning Friday. … RHP Jordan Lyles (broken left hand) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Manager Walt Weiss said recent X-rays showed Lyles’ hand “needed a little bit more time.” Weiss also said Lyles was involved in a minor car accident Friday night and suffered some facial injuries.
Leave a Reply