The Twins will be trying to sweep their three game series with the Chicago White Sox when the teams take the field in the Metrodome. With a 4-2 victory the previous night, the Twins fattened their Central Division lead over the White Sox to two-and-a-half games.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: The Twins and White Sox have played each other 18 times this year, and each team has nine wins heading into their final meeting tonight. Left hander Kenny Rogers pitched into the seventh inning as the Twins earned their fifth straight win overall last night. Rogers says he was inspired by the previous evening's stellar performance of pitcher Brad Radke, who consistently put hitters on the defensive by getting ahead in the balls and strikes count.
KENNY ROGERS: Brad threw so well yesterday. I tried to learn a little bit, just watch what he was doing. I can't pitch like Brad, but I could learn a little bit. He gets ahead so well, changes speeds so well, and I try to do the same things to some extent.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: Rodgers took a shutout into the seventh inning, but was lifted from the game after he gave up a 2 run homer. Relievers J.C. Romero, LaTroy Hawkins, and Eddie Guardado pitched the rest of the game without allowing a hit.
Guardado earned a save, his 37th in 40 chances this year. The Twins biggest Metrodome crowd since opening day began chanting Guardado's first name as he stepped onto the pitcher's mound. Guardado says the game had the atmosphere of the playoffs.
EDDIE GUARDADO: You got 40,000 yelling your name. There's nothing like that, I tell you that. I'd be lying to you if I would say not. But when you got the fans behind you doing that into every pitch, everything that happens, it brings you a level of intensity up just a little higher.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: The big crowd will help a season attendance figure that will fall short of the Twins goal. Team President Dave Saint Peter now estimates the attendance for the year will be in the range of 1.9 to 2 million.
DAVID SAINT PETER: Well, we had high expectations. Team that went to the American League Championship Series, we were hopeful of drawing 2.1, 2.2 million people. And of course, we had a real challenging June and lost a lot of momentum going into the summer months.
We're going to come in short of that, but I think we've got a good chance to exceed last year's attendance total. And I think our fans have been great. And certainly they're gearing up at the right time.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: The Twins were challenged by on field failures during June and April and July, turning in losing records in each of those months. It was a frustrating first half of the season for the defending champions of the American League's Central Division. Trade rumors circulated amid doubts that some players were giving their all.
At the all-Star break, the Twins were third among the five teams in the division, more than seven games out of the lead. But since then, they've been the hottest team in baseball. A win tonight would be their 40th in 60 games. Reliever Hawkins says the Twins have found the focus and intensity they were missing.
LATROY HAWKINS: I'll tell you what, this team showed me a lot. I was very questionable about a lot of guys in our clubhouse back in April and May and June. But after the all-star break, this team showed me a lot.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: Manager Ron Gardenhire says the difference in the Twins then and now can be summed up in a word.
RON GARDENHIRE: Pitching. Our starting pitching has done very, very well, giving us a lot of good performances, and that's where it goes to. Our bullpen, I think, has been there all year long.
Our offense has been decent, not great, but decent all year long. But our starting pitching in the first half, we fought ourselves with it. And we've pitched in the second half.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: Tonight's game is the Twins last regular season contest against a contending team. Their final 10 games are against the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, both of whom have struggled this year. Right now, the Twins magic number is 9. That's how many Minnesota victories and/or Chicago losses are needed for the Twins to clinch the division title. While the Twins have bolstered their lead over the White Sox and Kansas City Royals, outfielder Michael Ryan says there's still plenty of work ahead.
MICHAEL RYAN: 2 and 1/2 games might sound like a big cushion, but when you're playing the White Sox and Royals, it's not a big cushion at all.
WILLIAM WILLCOXEN: Pitcher Kyle Lohse will be trying for his 14th win of the season when he takes the mound against the White Sox Bartolo Colón tonight. I'm William Willcoxen, Minnesota Public Radio.
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