Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Twins 11, Rangers 4
The Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacque Jones doesn't mind playing at home, but he has been saving his homers for the road. Jones hit a grand slam and tied a career high with five RBIs as the Minnesota Twins handed the Texas Rangers their fifth straight defeat, 11-4 Tuesday night.
All 10 of Jones' homers this season have come on the road, although Jones has no explanation for the imbalance.
“That's just the way things are working out right now,” Jones said. “Who knows? I might hit 10 at home next month.”
Alex Rodriguez hit his 15th homer to take over the AL lead, but the Rangers lost for the 10th time in 11 games.
Rodriguez and Rangers manager Jerry Narron were ejected during the break in the fifth by second base umpire Greg Gibson. Rodriguez was tossed for continuing an argument with Gibson on a safe call at second base on a stolen base earlier in the inning. Narron was thrown out when he ran on the field to continue the argument.
Narron said Gibson explained that Rodriguez was thrown out of the game for running off the field in an “intimidating” manner.
“I asked him what Alex said to get thrown out of the game and he said Alex didn't say anything,” Narron said. “It was the way he ran off the field as if he was trying to intimidate him (Gibson). That's the first time I've ever heard of a player getting thrown out for not saying anything.”
Crew chief Gerry Davis said the umpires would have no comment and they would file a report with the commissioner's office.
Rodriguez had left the clubhouse by the end of the game.
A.J. Pierzynski had two hits and David Ortiz hit a three-run double for the Twins, who have won four of five.
Spot starter Tony Fiore (3-1) allowed three runs and four hits over 5 1-3 innings to give the Twins' rotation a lift in the absence of injured Brad Radke and Joe Mays. Fiore, making his second career start, struck out three and walked four.
“He had a good six innings,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “It was a great spot start and I'm very happy with that.”
The Twins took advantage of Ranger starter Chan Ho Park's wildness in their four-run second. Park hit Corey Koskie with a pitch, gave up a double to Pierzynski, and walked No. 9 hitter Denny Hocking to load the bases.
Jones sent a 2-2 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole for his second career grand slam.
Minnesota made it 6-0 in the fourth, chasing Park with Pierzynski's run-scoring triple and Jones' RBI double.
“It allowed me to go after hitters,” Fiore said. “Then I'm trying to keep from blowing the lead. I'm not worrying about anything but that.”
Park (1-2) allowed six runs and four hits over 3 1-3 innings in his fourth start of the season. Park missed almost six weeks with a hamstring injury.
“He got behind in the count the entire time he was out there,” Narron said. “He needs to throw more strikes early in the count.”
Rodriguez homered leading off the fourth, Carl Everett had a sacrifice fly and Bill Haselman added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-3.
Bobby Kielty's run-scoring single in the fifth made it 7-3.
In the eighth, Cristian Guzman's RBI single and Ortiz's three-run double stretched Minnesota's lead to 11-3. Rusty Greer had an RBI single in the ninth for Texas.
Notes: Park threw 43 pitches in the second inning, 81 for his outing. His ERA rose from 6.61 to 8.24. ...Texas has used 38 players, second in the majors behind Detroit's 40. ... Fiore had the longest outing of his major league career. ... Narron and Rodriguez have each been ejected twice this season. ...The Rangers matched their longest losing streak of the season. ...Texas' Dave Burba pitched in relief for the first time this season.
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Twins 11, Rangers 4
