MPR’s Jim Bickal provides a summary of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, where the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3.
MPR’s Jim Bickal provides a summary of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, where the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3.
SPEAKER: For the fifth game in a row, the Twins and the Tigers put on a tremendous show for the fans. The key play of the game came in the sixth inning. The Twins were leading 4-3.
The Tigers had runners on second and third with only one out. Juan Berenguer had just been brought in to pitch. Darrell Evans was the runner on third.
Twins' third baseman, Gary Gaetti, signaled to catcher, Tim Laudner, to throw down to third after the pitch. He did, and Gaetti made a quick tag to pick off Evans. Gaetti says he had a hunch that the play might catch Evans off guard.
GARY GAETTI: I've seen him get off the base before, way off the base. I don't know why he does it, but he's the one person that stuck out in my mind as the guy that comes way off the base.
SPEAKER: Berenguer finished the inning without allowing a run. He retired the Tigers easily in the eighth, and then Twins manager, Tom Kelly, brought in Jeff Reardon to pitch the ninth inning.
It was practically the same situation that Reardon had come into on Saturday. In that game, he gave up a two-run home run to lose the game. But last night, he didn't allow a run and picked up the save. Kelly says he didn't hesitate to use Reardon in that situation.
TOM KELLY: It's an awful job to have, and the kid's got ice water in his veins and he wants the ball in this situation, and he's going to get the ball from me in this situation. And he's my man in the ninth inning, and that's all there is to it. He gets the baseball. Whether he's given up two home runs a day before or three or whatever, grand slams, he gets the ball.
SPEAKER: Jeff Reardon says he was glad that Kelly had confidence in him.
JEFF REARDON: Yeah, definitely. I wanted to be in there no matter what the situation was. It could have been bases loaded, one-run lead. We want to get in there because that's the only way you regain your confidence. And now I've regained that and won't be so nervous next time out.
SPEAKER: Another crucial play in the game came in the fifth inning. The Twins were up 3-2. The Tigers had the bases loaded with two outs, and Twins starter, Frank Viola, had a 3 and 2 count on Larry Herndon. On the next pitch, Herndon lined out sharply to Gaetti at third. It's the kind of play the Twins have been making throughout the series.
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