Joe Mauer was named American League Player of the Week on this day in 2006 after going 15-for-24 (.625 AVG) with seven walks (.700 OBP), and five doubles (1.533 OPS) over the previous week. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound catcher even had two stolen bases!
It’s interesting to note that the Twins faced Seattle’s Eddie Guardado and Baltimore’s LaTroy Hawkins during this hot streak. Mauer was the first player since fellow catcher Mike Piazza in 1997 to reach base four or more times in five straight games, as he continued establishing his credentials as one of the best offensive players in the history of that position. Mauer went on to be named AL Player of the Month after batting .452 with a .528 on-base percentage and 1.152 OPS in June.
Liriano Strikes Out Seven Straight
Francisco Liriano tied Jim Merritt‘s Twins record with seven consecutive strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Atlanta on this date in 2010. Kenta Maeda later broke the record, with eight straight punchouts on Aug. 18, 2020.
On Jun. 11, 2010—the first season at Target Field—the Twins faced all-time great Tim Hudson and Atlanta in a matchup of first-place teams. Atlanta played small ball to manufacture a 1-0 lead in the second inning, with Troy Glaus moving to third on a sac bunt and scoring on a groundout. Liriano buckled down from there, though, completing eight innings and allowing just the one run on five hits, no walks, and striking out 11, including seven consecutive over a stretch from the third to fifth innings. The M&M boys, Mauer and Justin Morneau, scored the Twins’ only two runs in the seventh on singles by Jason Kubel and pinch-hitter Delmon Young.
Closer Jon Rauch struck out the side in the ninth, getting Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, and Troy Glaus all swinging. It was Rauch’s 16th save of the season.
Burgmeier Pitches Eight Innings of Scoreless Relief
After Red Sox starter Bob Ojeda had a tough top of the first, St. Cloud native Tom Burgmeier entered in the second and pitched eight innings of scoreless relief to beat Cleveland on this date in 1982.
Kindall Hits for the Cycle
St. Paul native Jerry Kindall hit for the cycle playing for the Golden Gophers versus Ole Miss in the College World Series on this date in 1956. He was the only player to hit for the cycle in College World Series history until Tennessee’s Christian Moore did so in 2024. The Gophers went on to win the College World Series, defeating Arizona in the championship game. That Arizona team included Minnesota native Carl Thomas, who pitched a two-hit shutout in the College World Series the previous year. After playing parts of nine seasons in the majors, Kindall went on to a legendary coaching career at the University of Arizona.Â
Millers Infielder Hits Four Home Runs|
On this date in 1895, Minneapolis Millers third baseman Bill Kuehne had the second professional four-home run game on Minnesota soil, and the first by a member of a Minnesota team.
The first four-home run game in professional baseball history was by St. Paul native Jack Crooks, playing in St. Paul for the visiting Omaha Omahogs in 1889.
Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!