MINNEAPOLIS _ Giving the Mariners a two-base head start eventually caught up to the Twins.
Jake Odorizzi started three of the six innings he pitched on Monday with a double, yet never allowed Seattle to score. But when Trevor Hildenberger did the same in the eighth inning, the Mariners finally cashed in their opportunity _ with the help of some shaky Twins defense. Logan Morrison fielded a bunt and threw the ball into right field, allowing the game's lone run to score, and the Twins handed the Mariners a thoughtful gift for stopping by Target Field on their way home: A 1-0 victory.
The game, originally scheduled for March 8 but postponed until Monday because temperatures never rose above 30 degrees, featured offenses that appeared just as frozen on a 70-degree night in Minneapolis. One day after Shoehei Ohtani's high-90s fastball limited the Twins to just one run in Anaheim, Wade LeBlanc's high-80s fastball was even tougher. The journeyman left-hander retired 18 of the 21 hitters he faced in six innings, gave up harmless singles to the other three, and walked nobody. The weak contact produced by the Twins resulted in one popup after another; they didn't even hit a ground ball until the fourth inning.
Relievers James Pazos, Nick Vincent and Edwin Diaz finished off the Twins, with only one hiccup: Mitch Garver doubled off Pazos with one out in the seventh inning, but Morrison grounded out and Eddie Rosario popped up, ending Minnesota's brief "threat." The win was LeBlanc's first as a starting pitcher since Aug. 19, 2016 against Milwaukee.
Odorizzi's night wasn't quite so quiet, but it ultimately was just as effective. The Twins' right-hander allowed four hits, a walk, and hit a batter over six innings, while striking out striking out seven. But he had to work twice as hard as LeBlanc, because while the Mariner's lefty retired the first hitter he faced in all six innings, Odorizzi kept allowing leadoff doubles.
But a strikeout and two groundouts kept Ben Games from scoring in the third inning, two strikeouts and a popup kept Ryan Healy from even getting to third base in the fifth, and a fly ball, ground ball and strikeout in the sixth meant Jean Segura never came home. Odorizzi posted the fourth qualify start (six innings, three or fewer runs) of his nine-game Twins career, and his first scoreless outing since Opening Day.
Hildenberger wasn't so lucky, however. Dee Brown whistled the sidearmer's first pitch off the left-field wall, and this time, Seattle took advantage. With some help. Segura bunted a ball in front of the plate, Morrison came charging in from first to field it _ and then his throw was wide of first base and Brian Dozier. The error allowed Gordon to score, and the Twins ultimately lost their second straight game.
