Monroe's mastery helps Twins topple A's

Ben Margot, Associated Press

Jason Kubel slid into home plate safely as Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki received the ball Tuesday night. Kubel scored on a double by Craig Monroe, one of three RBI hits for the Twins DH.

Craig Monroe went 3-for-3 with three RBI against Oakland starter Joe Blanton, and the Twins took the lead for good on Jason Kubel's bloop single.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: April 23, 2008 - 12:07 PM

OAKLAND, CALIF.— There are indications Craig Monroe owns Joe Blanton.

Monroe only had 11 at-bats against the Athletics righthander heading into Tuesday's game. Granted, he had seven hits off him for a .636 average, but isn't it safer to not jump to a conclusion here?

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire sprung to his feet and jumped to the lineup card as soon as he saw what Monroe has done against Blanton.

"You look at the numbers,'' he said. "and it's pretty simple to say, 'Something is going on here.' "

And Monroe proved Gardenhire right by jumping all over Blanton for an RBI double, RBI single and a solo homer to keep the Twins in contention vs. Oakland before Jason Kubel's two-out bloop single in the eighth scored Joe Mauer, the decisive run in a 5-4 victory.

That's 10-for-14 for Monroe off Blanton -- a .714 average and six RBI.

"Numbers. They can fool you sometimes. And sometimes they tell the story that you have to play out," Gardenhire said afterward. "Tonight was one night where he's had some success [against Blanton], so you play it out. It's just one of those crazy things in the game. No one knows how it happens. But he was on the ball."

Monroe cringed before the game when a reporter told him that he has hit Blanton well.

"I found out today that I hit him well," he said afterward. "I was thinking you threw out some jinx or something but you know what, I prevailed.''

Juan Rincon pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of Livan Hernandez to earn the victory. Pat Neshek pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Joe Nathan finished up for his seventh save.

"We got a run there late in the game, and our bullpen did a super job of stopping them," Gardenhire said.

Monroe singled in the first inning to score Delmon Young with the game's first run. Young had broken an 0-for-12 skid with a double of his own.

Monroe gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the fifth when his double to right scored Kubel. Oakland could have thrown Kubel out at the plate, but Kubel slid under Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki, who missed the tag. Monroe then scored on Mike Lamb's blooper that fell in front of Oakland left fielder Chris Denorfia.

The A's cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning. Bobby Crosby chopped a pitch from Hernandez over Lamb's reach at third base for a one-out single, and Denorfia bunted toward second base for a hit.

Former Gophers infielder Jack Hannahan grounded to first as the A's runners moved up a base. Suzuki then made up for not blocking the plate on Kubel by singling to right, scoring two runs and closing the Twins' lead to 3-2.

Hernandez walked Jack Cust to open the sixth. Hernandez then tried to fool Emil Brown with one of his slow curves, but he cranked it over the left-field wall as the A's took a 4-3 lead.

Blanton, however, was still in the game when Monroe batted with one out in the seventh. And Blanton's first pitch landed just over the scoreboard in left, as Monroe tied the score at 4-4 with his first homer with the Twins.