Twins 10, Indians 3: Changeup backfires on Carmona, Tribe Golf Tips

Twins 10, Indians 3: Changeup backfires on Carmona, Tribe

April 22, 2011, 2:12 pm

Jim Mone/Associated Press The Twins Jason Repko scores on a two-run double by Jason Kubel as Carlos Santana reaches for the throw in the third inning on Saturday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With runners at the corners and one out in the fifth inning, Indians manager Manny Acta decided to have Fausto Carmona intentionally walk .319-hitting Jason Kubel to face Justin Morneau, who was playing for the first time in six games after a nasty bout with the flu.

Acta expected his big right-hander to lean on his heavy sinker against Morneau, hopefully inducing an inning-ending double play.

What he got was an entirely different approach.

Morneau lined a changeup into center field for a big two-run single to help the Minnesota Twins break out of a season-long offensive slump in a 10-3 victory over the Tribe on Saturday.

Morneau had been sidelined for the last week and was relieved when Friday night’s series opener was rained out to give him an extra day of rest. Then Carmona took it easy on him in the most important at-bat of the game.

“If I’m in bed for four days, I think I’d rather see an 86-mph changeup than 92-mph sinker,” Acta said. “Those are lessons to be learned.”

Carmona (1-3) gave up six runs on seven hits and walked four in five innings.

Grady Sizemore hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Dusty Hughes, but the game was already out of reach by then.

Brian Duensing (2-0) gave up one run on five hits in seven innings.

The Twins scored more than five runs in a game for the first time this season, one night after the series opener was postponed by rain.

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