SEATTLE - After dealing with all the emotions of a frustrating nine-game losing streak to go along with the death of a franchise icon, the Twins finally had something good to feel about Tuesday night.
Francisco Liriano threw seven strong innings and some early offense held up in a 2-1 victory over Felix Hernandez and the Mariners, ending the Twins' worst losing streak in more than a decade.
"It was a very emotional day before the game, and very emotional after the game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
With the death of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew on Tuesday morning, the Mariners held a moment of silence before the game and also showed a video tribute for Killebrew after the first inning.
"The early part of the game, when they had the moment of silence, that was very hard," Gardenhire said.
In six career matchups, Liriano is 4-2 against Hernandez, the 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner and Liriano's close friend. The Twins also won 2-1 the last time the two hooked up, on June 5, 2009, at Safeco Field.
The Twins got all their offense on Michael Cuddyer's two-out, two-run single to center in the first inning. The hit scored Matt Tolbert and Jason Kubel, making Hernandez pay for two walks.
Liriano (3-5) took over from there with the help of a nasty slider and a well-placed fastball. Making only his second start since his May 3 no-hitter in Chicago, he gave up one run over seven innings on three hits and a walk with a season-high nine strikeouts.
