COLON ACES OUT SANTANA ANGELS' PITCHER BRILLIANT; STREAK ENDS FOR CY YOUNG WINNER ANGELS 2, MINNESOTA 1.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer MINNEAPOLIS - It took 20 starts stretched over two seasons before someone discovered exactly what it takes to beat Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Twins have played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. ace Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (born March 13, 1979) is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who plays for the Minnesota Twins. He is a 2-time American League Cy Young Award winner (both unanimous selections). . Near perfection. Santana's 17-game winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" , which began July 17, 2004, ended in the burly hands of the Angels' Bartolo Colon. Chased from his last start by three Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975 in New York, New York), commonly nicknamed A-Rod, is a Dominican American baseball infielder. He is the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees, after having played shortstop for the Texas Rangers and Seattle home runs, Colon was a show-stealing stopper Sunday, allowing just two baserunners in 7 1/3 shutout innings before an ankle injury forced him from a 2-1 victory at the Metrodome. Santana had not lost since Detroit's Jason Johnson
Jason Michael Johnson (born October 27, 1973 in Santa Barbara, California) is a right-handed starting pitcher with the Seibu Lions. He is six foot six (1. beat him last July 11, and his streak kick-started his run to the 2004 Cy Young Award and continued through four wins in five starts this season. It ended in an effort that was still vintage Santana. He gave up just two hits in eight innings; they just happened to be home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), and known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. and Jose Molina in the fourth and sixth innings for a 2-0 Angels lead. And it ended three wins shy of Roger Clemens' American League American League (AL) One of the two associations of professional baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada designated as major leagues; the other is the National League (NL). record of 20 consecutive because Colon (4-2) produced a Cy Young-caliber performance of his own. ``I've been playing against this guy forever, and tonight was the best I've ever seen him,'' Twins center fielder Torii Hunter Torii Kedar Hunter (born July 18, 1975 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Torii Hunter has shown his athletic ability, having taken away many home runs throughout his 8 year MLB career for the Minnesota Twins. said of Colon. ``If he stays that way, he's going to be in the running for Cy Young.'' Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez Francisco Rodriguez may refer to:
Colon began the game by inducing nine groundball outs before yielding Shannon Stewart's leadoff single in the fourth. He shrugged it off, retiring the next 13 Twins, seven by strikeout. One start after A-Rod made him a dubious footnote to history, Colon had better movement on his pitches and felt comfortable throwing his two-seam fastball in the rare instances he fell behind in the count. The result: Thirteen groundball outs, seven strikeouts, just two balls hit out of the infield. ``You knew that if Johan's streak was ever broken,'' Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire Colon needed 84 pitches to get 22 outs and likely would have finished the game. But when he came off the mound to make a hopping stab at Jacque Jones' one-out chopper in the eighth, he aggravated a left ankle injury that has dogged him since last season. Manager Mike Scioscia said Colon will have to be evaluated further to determine if he'll make his next start, Saturday against Detroit. Colon was more confident, saying the swelling subsided after he was hurt and that the injury occurred because he stopped taping his ankle before his past four starts. Angels trainers ordered him to tape it from now on, he said, and he will comply. But before he went down, he matched Santana pitch for compelling pitch. ``I give Johan credit for a magnificent game,'' Colon said via interpreter. ``It's a good challenge. Guys like him really make you bear down.'' Santana's mere presence made the Angels likely candidates to get swept in this three-game series. They loaded the lineup with right-handers, starting .148-hitting Robb Quinlan in left and seldom-used Lou Merloni (0 for 4 this season) and Juan Rivera at third and center. ``Being down two and having to face him, the odds aren't in your favor. We found a way,'' first baseman Darin Erstad said. Gabe Lacques, (626) 962-8811 gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana's 17-game winning streak came to an end Sunday. Tom Olmscheid/Associated Press |
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