Times wires
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
CHICAGO — Francisco Liriano lugged a 9.13 ERA to the mound Tuesday night, along with zero career complete games — majors or minors — and wound up throwing the sixth no-hitter in Twins history.
Liriano issued six walks and threw 123 pitches, but he kept sending the White Sox hitters back to the dugout in frustration in Minnesota's 1-0 victory at Target Field.
"I can't explain it. I feel so nervous and so happy right now," Liriano said. "I can't explain my feeling right now."
Liriano survived a rocky ninth inning that began when Brent Morel grounded to shortstop and Matt Tolbert made a one-hop throw that first baseman Justin Morneau scooped. Juan Pierre walked, and Alexei Ramirez popped to shortstop.
Liriano fell behind Adam Dunn 3-and-0 then got a pair of strikes. After a foul ball, Dunn lined out to Tolbert.
"I thought it was a base hit," Liriano said. "When I saw him catch it, I was so excited."
Catcher Drew Butera ran to the mound and bear-hugged Liriano as the rest of the Twins mobbed the left-hander.
It was the Twins' first no-hitter since Eric Milton defeated the Angels 7-0 on Sept. 11, 1999.
Jason Kubel connected for a fourth-inning homer off White Sox starter and former Ray Edwin Jackson as the Twins snapped their six-game losing streak and climbed past Chicago out of the AL basement.
"As a manager, I take it as a loss," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said after his team lost for the sixth time in its past seven games. "As a player, they might take it another way."
Liriano might have been pitching for his job.
Before the game, manager Ron Gardenhire told the media that Kevin Slowey will likely come off the disabled list this weekend when the team is in Boston. The Twins have Slowey penciled in for a long-relief role.
"That's the plan," Gardenhire said. "But that could change in two days."
Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson called Liriano into the manager's office Friday in Kansas City. They showed him a graphic that displayed his erratic release point. They scolded him for saying he had a hard time gripping the baseball in his previous start against the Rays, who knocked him out after three innings in their 8-2 win, and reminded him how good he can be.
Liriano issued a walk in each of the first two innings but got Dunn and Alex Rios to ground into inning-ending double plays.
The White Sox walked twice more in the fourth, but that threat ended when Carlos Quentin flied out to centerfield.
In the seventh, Liriano got the kind of standout defensive play that seems to accompany every no-hitter. Quentin hit a chopper down the third-base line, but Danny Valencia fielded a tough hop with a backhand stop and made a strong throw across the diamond for the out.
The Twins gathered in front of the dugout to high-five Valencia.