7th-inning wretch: Pitchers implode

Ted S. Warren, Associated Press

Nick Punto is greeted at the dugout after he hit a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning.

A six-run lead melted away in a hurry as four Twins pitchers combined to give up 10 runs in the seventh inning.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: August 5, 2008 - 8:30 AM

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SEATTLE 11, TWINS 6

Up next: 9:10 p.m. today at Seattle

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SEATTLE - The Twins have to win on the road if they are to be taken seriously as a contender.

The Twins can't blow leads on the road if they are to be taken seriously as a contender.

The Twins can't blow leads on the road to the one of the worst teams in baseball if they are to be taken seriously as a contender.

There were plenty of lessons to be learned Monday during a head-spinning 11-6 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field. The Twins were on the verge of a laugher -- only to have Seattle score 10 runs in the seventh off four pitchers. In losing to a team 26 games under .500, the Twins fell back into a tie with the idle White Sox for first place in the American League Central.

"There were two different parts to the ballgame," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We executed very well in the first half of the ballgame, then Perkins in the seventh inning, he had a couple of guys 0-and-2, and he gave up a couple of base hits. Then he gave up a shot to Ibanez for a grand slam, next thing you know, our bullpen couldn't get anybody out.

"Just terrible pitches and balls flying all over the place."

The Twins took it to the Mariners early, racing to a fat lead, getting Seattle fans to boo their team whenever they could. And Twins lefthander Glen Perkins was cruising.

But he loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth inning and was lucky to get out of the jam with only one run scored off him.

Perkins didn't learn his lesson, for he was right back in the percolator in the bottom of the seventh inning. This time, it ended in disaster.

With one out, Yuniesky Betancourt singled. Ichiro Suzuki walked. Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson went to the mound to try to straighten Perkins out. It didn't work, as Willie Bloomquist singled to right to load the bases for Raul Ibanez.

Perkins threw two fastballs. The first one missed for a ball. The next one wasn't missed by Ibanez, who hit a towering drive into the seats in right for grand slam to get Seattle within 6-5.

Perkins was lifted for Brian Bass, who faced two batters and gave up a double to Adrian Beltre and RBI single to Jose Lopez that tied the score at 6-6.

Lefthander Craig Breslow entered the game and got an out but also walked Miguel Cairo -- so in came Matt Guerrier. Pinch hitter Jeff Clement greeted him with a RBI single as Seattle took 7-6 lead. Betancourt's single scored Cairo, and Clement scored when shortstop Brendan Harris threw wildly to first after snagging a ball up the middle. It was 9-6.

Ibanez batted with the bases load -- again -- but managed only a two-run single to make it 11-6. All the great work by the Twins early on was undone.

They led 6-0 and had Seattle fans booing their underachieving $117 million team every chance they got.

Fans booed starter Miguel Batista on two separate occasions as he threw a whopping 92 pitches in three-plus innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, including a solo homer by Nick Punto in the third.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead on a RBI double by Mike Lamb in the fifth. They took 4-0 lead in the third on Punto's homer and two sacrifice flies. Justin Morneau added a two-run double in the fourth.

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