Great Games of 2011-15 runs off 25 Hits

Some may argue that such a lopsided game like the 15-0 blowout on Monday, June 27, 2011 was boring because there was no way the Twins were coming back from such a deficit. To me, after suffering through such a offensively fruitless season a rarity like this game is a fun momentary escape. The Dodgers got 25 hits, a season high, and their first win at Target Field. The Dodgers only had seven runs total in the entire three game series vs. the Angels, but during this summer night they decided to unleash a flurry of offense at the Twins’ expense. Every man in the 9-man lineup had at least one hit, one RBI, and one run scored.

The scorin’ would start right away in the first inning when Gwynn lead off with a single and stole second base. He took third on a Casey Blake grounder. Andre Ethier reached safely on an error by shortstop Nishioka which allowed Gwynn to score giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Matt Kemp doubled Ethier home but was caught in a pickle between second and third, 2-0 Dodgers. Chad Billingsley pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the first.

In the third inning, Gwynn singled, but he is erased when Blake hit into a double play. Ethier then singled, Kemp singled, and then Loney singled home Ethier, 3-0. In the bottom half of the inning Gordon made a great 1-6-3 double play on Revere’s groundball.

In the 4th, Trent Oeltjen who had an amazing game, hit his first Dodger homerun making it 4-0 Dodgers. Tony Gwynn Jr. singled again and stole second once again as well. Blake singled in Gwynn, 5-0 Dodgers. Nishioka also made his second error of the game to allow Ethier to reach safely, but later is scored as a base hit. In the bottom of the 4th, Bills sent the Twins down in order.

In the 5th the Singlepalooza continued (the Dodgers lead the majors in singles at this point in the season) when Uribe singled, Oeltjen singled, and Ellis singled in Uribe, 6-0. Blackburn is pulled, and Swarzak is brought in to relieve him. He promptly gave up a single to Gordon which scored Oeltjen, 7-0. Gwynn struck out. Blake got an infield single to load the bases, and Ellis scored on a wild pitch, 8-0. It was a fifth inning Twins meltdown! Bills had a good fifth inning and only allowed a walk to Thome and struck out Tosoni.

More hitting continued in the sixth when Kemp got a broken bat single, Loney singled, and Uribe singled in Kemp. Uribe reached second on an error by Cuddyer, 9-0. Loney scored on a sac fly by Oeltjen, 10-0. The Twins tried to have a little rally in the bottom of the sixth when Casilla walked and Mauer doubled, but Gwynn threw to Gordon who then threw a laser to Ellis at home and got Casilla out at the plate!

Billingsley went 6 innings, allowed 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 107 pitches.

The Twins brought in Dumatrait to pitch in the seventh, and Blake slammed a solo homerun making it 11-0. Then Bison came up and crushed a monster solo HR to straightaway center making it 12-0, his 22nd homer of the season. Blake Hawksworth came into relieve Bills in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the side!

In the 8th, Mijares came in to pitch and allowed a triple to Oeltjen, a walk to Ellis, and a double to Gordon allowing Oeltjen to score, 13-0. Gwynn singled in Ellis, 14-0. Blake walked. Gordon scored on a sac fly by Navarro, 15-0 Dodgers!!  Hong-Chih Kuo came in and pitched the bottom of the eighth and struck out two sending the Twins down in order.

Capps came in to pitch the ninth inning and allowed singles to Oeltjen and Ellis, but he managed to stop the bleeding at 15 runs. Elbert pitched the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers and struck out two after an error by Gordon.

Wow! What a game. The Dodger record for most hits in a game is 28 which was done three times, the last time was in 2006 against the Angels of all teams.

Hawk, Kuo, and Elbert combine to strike out seven batters. Tony Gwynn Jr. had four hits, Blake had three hits, Kemp had four hits, and Oeltjen had four hits including a homerun, a triple, and two singles.

Dodgers 15 25 1
Twins     0  4  2
WP- Billingsley (7-6)
LP- Blackburn (6-6)
HR- Oeltjen (1), Blake (4), Kemp (22)