Baseball Historians

April 29, 1987 at Exhibtiion Stadium
Blue Jays 8, Twins 1  (12-9)
For the second straight game, the Twins managed only one run against Blue Jays pitching.  That run didn’t come until the eighth inning when Greg Gagne doubled home Tom Brunansky.
Mike Smithson was knocked around for five runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks with two [...]

April 28, 1987 at Exhibition Stadium
Blue Jays 5, Twins 1  (12-8)
The Blue Jays took it to Frank Viola and the Twins never could get the bats going in their loss to the Blue Jays.  Viola was bounced around for all five runs in five innings of work. Ironically he gave up five hits and walked [...]

April 26, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 10, Angels 5  (12-7)
The Twins took it to the Angels with four homeruns.  Gary Gaetti, Kirby Puckett, Steve Lombardozzi and Greg Gagne all hit homeruns while Roy Smalley led the way with three RBIs. 
Bert Blyleven once again failed to secure a decision.  He gave up four runs on eight [...]

April 25, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 8, Angels 7  (11-7)
Greg Gagne helped the Twins snap their three game winning streak with two homeruns today.  He drove in three runs and they were his first two homeruns of the season.  Roy Smalley and Gary Gaetti also went deep for the Twins.
Mike Smithson was chased out of [...]

April 24, 1987 at the Metrodome
Angels 8, Twins 1  (10-7)
Mark Portugal was bombed by the Angels.  He gave up six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with strikeouts in three innings of work.  Juan Berenguer and Joe Klink also gave up runs in relief of Portugal.
The only run for the Twins came [...]

April 23, 1987 at the Metrodome
Angels 7, Twins 3  (10-6)
The Twins lost despite the Angels making five errors in this game.  While the Twins failed to capitalize on the Angels’ mistakes, the Angels’ hitters took it to Frank Viola and Keith Atherton.  Viola gave up four runs on seven hits and a walk with six [...]

April 22, 1987 at the Metrodome
Mariners 4, Twins 3  (10-5)
Yet another solid start by Bert Blyleven went to waste.  When he left the game in the seventh, the bases were loaded but the Twins still had the lead.  Two runs scored in that inning and Blyleven took the credit.  Then in the eighth, George Frazier [...]

April 21, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 6, Mariners 1  (10-4)
The Twins continued their solid April with their third straight win.  Tom Brunansky hit a three run homerun in the second inning and the Mariners never came close the rest of the way.  Kent Hrbek and Gary Gaetti each scored two runs in the win.
Rookie Les [...]

April 20, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 13, Mariners 5  (9-4)
The Twins ran up the score against the Mariners and for the second straight game, Gary Gaetti hit a three run homerun.  Roy Smalley also went yard while Al Newman and Steve Lombardozzi each scored two runs.
Mike Smithson improved to 3-0 on the season.  He gave [...]

April 19, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Twins 6, Angels 5  (8-4)
The Twins avoided a sweep at the hands of the Angels with some solid offense for the first time in the series.  Gary Gaetti hit a big three run shot that gave the Twins the lead and despite a late inning flurry by the Angels, the [...]

April 18, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 1, Twins 0  (7-4)
For the second straight game, a good pitching performance by a Twins starter went to waste.  This time it was Frank Viola who was the victim of the Twins hitting woes.  He gave up just one unearned run on six hits and a walk with three [...]

April 17, 1987 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 2, Twins 1  (7-3)
Mike Witt completely shut down the Twins lineup as only one run crossed the plate on three hits.  The only Twins run came in the fourth inning when Kirby Puckett drove home Randy Bush on a single.
Bert Blyleven had a nice start that went to waste.  [...]

April 15, 1987 at the Oakland Coliseum
Twins 5, Athletics 2  (7-2)
The Twins continued their hot start and won their third straight series with a nice pitching performance by Mike Smithson.  He improved to 2-0 and he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings of work.  [...]

April 14, 1987 at the Oakland Colliseum
Twins 9, Athletics 8  (6-2)
The Twins outhit the A’s in a game that saw the two teams combine for 17 runs and 24 hits.  Pitching went out the window and the Twins got it done with the bats.  Dan Gladden had three hits and two runs while Kent Hrbek, [...]

April 13, 1987 at the Oakland Colliseum
Athletics 6, Twins 3  (5-2)
The A’s scored two runs in the seventh and then three in the eighth to top the Twins.  Frank Viola was roughed up in that seventh inning but George Frazier was bombed in the eighth for all three runs and he took the loss.
Kirby Puckett [...]

April 12, 1987 at the Kingdome
Twins 8, Mariners 5  (5-1)
Kirby Puckett led the way for the Twins in their fifth win in their first six games.  He went three for five with his fourth homerun, three RBIs and two runs.  Tim Launder also had a big day in the place of Kent Hrbek.  He homered [...]

April 11, 1987 at the Kingdome
Mariners 6, Twins 5  (4-1)
You can’t win them all.  The Twins lost their first game of the season in a tight game with the Mariners.  Les Straker had a rough start in his major league debut and he lasted only four innings.  Jeff Reardon gave up the game winner in [...]

April 10, 1987 at the Kingdome
Twins 8, Mariner 1  (4-0)
The Twins kept up their winning ways on the road with a blowout win over the Mariners.  It was the Twins fourth straight win to open up the season and they won it mostly with the long ball.  Randy Bush homered and drove in three runs [...]

April 9, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 5, Athletics 4  (3-0)
The Twins continued to roll as they swept the A’s in an exciting game.  Down 4-2, the Twins rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to steal the game.  Dan Gladden drove in both the tying run and the game winner with a two run [...]

April 8, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 4, Athletics 1  (2-0)
The Twins made it two straight behind a four hit outing by Frank Viola and the bullpen.  Viola struck out eleven in only six innings and he gave up just one run on five hits and three walks.  Jeff Reardon pitched a perfect ninth to pick [...]

April 7, 1987 at the Metrodome
Twins 5, Athletics 4  (1-0)
The Twins edged the A’s in ten innings on opening day at the Metrodome.  Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek led the way and the pair drove in all five Twins runs.  Hrbek drove in three runs including a walk off RBI single in the tenth inning to [...]