Kennys Vargas hit a walk-off home run as the Minnesota Twins (36-30) came from behind late to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals (43-23) 2-1 Thursday afternoon at Target Field.
With two outs and the scored tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Vargas belted a 1-1 curve ball from Carlos Villanueva well into the right-field bleachers for the game-winning solo home run (4). The pitch seemed to have a lot of bite on it, but Vargas was ready for it, and he reached down and got it.
Vargas was 2 for 4 on the day, and he was the only Twin with two hits.
All three runs scored on solo home runs. St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth when Jason Heyward launched a no-doubter (6) into the second deck (video) off Mike Pelfrey. It looked like that would be enough for the Cardinals until Minnesota's Joe Mauer went out to the opposite field (3) off Kevin Siegrist to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth (video).
Vargas had a chance to put the Twins ahead in the seventh when he batted with the bases loaded and one out. However, Seth Maness induced him into a 6U-3 double play to end the inning and the threat, the only serious one the Twins would really impose all afternoon.
Blaine Boyer (W: 2-2, 2.25) pitched the top of the ninth to get the win, benefiting from Vargas's heroics. He allowed a lead-off double to Matt Carpenter but nothing else, picking up one strikeout along the way. Twins starter Pelfrey lasted eight strong innings, allowing the Heyward home run as one of only four hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Villanueva (L: 3-2, 1.09) served up the game winner, the only hit he allowed in 2/3 of an inning. He was one of five relievers the Cardinals used. Starter Jaime Garcia pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits while walking two and striking out four. It took three relievers to get through the eighth.
The two teams split the four-game home-and-home series with the home team winning each time. On Friday, the Cardinals return to Busch Stadium to face the Philadelphia Phillies for their weekend series while Minnesota stays put to host the Chicago Cubs for more Interleague action.
