Twins win with homer -- and a bit of help

Justin Morneau's walkoff blast ended it, but Minnesota could also thank the Devil Rays for running themselves out of a ninth-inning opportunity.

By La Velle E. Neal III, Star Tribune

Last update: April 13, 2007 - 12:16 AM

After Justin Morneau's walkoff homer helped the Twins beat Tampa Bay 3-2, the Devil Rays have now gone 1,044 days since winning a game at the Metrodome.

The ninth inning on Thursday -- one of those "We'll take it" moments -- offered one reason why they are 0-for-Minn- esota since June 3, 2004.

After the Devil Rays tied the score in the eighth, Ben Zobrist led off the ninth with a single. Carl Crawford followed with a drive down the right field line for extra bases.

Zobrist was held at third base by coach Tom Foley, but Crawford never looked to see where his teammate was, flew around second and into third, starting a rundown.

"I thought it was an automatic triple," Crawford said. "I was running with my head down and I didn't see the stop sign. I got caught up."

Zobrist took off for home as Luis Castillo took Michael Cuddyer's throw and relayed to catcher Joe Mauer.

While Mauer chased down Zobrist and tagged him out, Crawford inexplicably decided to return to second base.

Twins reliever Joe Nathan yelled the following at Mauer: "I don't know why, but he's going back to second! Get 'em both!"

Crawford didn't hustle going back to second and was tagged out by Alexi Casilla for the classic 9-4-2-6 double play.

"Never seen it before," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just one of those plays where we caught a break. A huge break."

On top of it all, Crawford reacted like there were three outs and was preparing to take his spot in left field. "That's what I get for running with my head down," Crawford said.

Ty Wigginton bounced out to end the inning. Four pitches later, Morneau's opposite-field homer ended the game.

"How quick that turned around?" Morneau said. "It went from second and third with nobody out to two outs. And then the next guy gets out and all of a sudden the game was over."

Cuddyer gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the fourth with his first homer of the season, a two-run blast to left off Casey Fossum. Tampa Bay, however, had visions of putting an end to its winless streak at the Dome in the eighth when Wigginton homered and Carlos Pena hit a run-scoring single off Juan Rincon to tie the score at 2-2.

With runners on first and third, Gardenhire pulled Rincon for Pat Neshek, who struck out Elijah Dukes and Rocco Baldelli to end the threat.

Despite it all, Carlos Silva didn't get credit for the victory.

The announced crowd of 15,869 gave Silva a standing ovation as he came off the field after pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And Silva (1-1, 0.77 ERA) even doffed his cap in appreciation after mixing his pitches and holding the Devil Rays to seven hits.

"The most important thing is that we win the game," Silva said. "That's why we are here, to play like a team and win as a team."

It doesn't matter how the wins come. Even if the opponent runs itself out of the game.

"I don't think I'll ever see that again," Morneau said. "Two guys on third base, and all of a sudden, two guys out. We'll take it."

La Velle E. Neal III • lneal@startribune.com