Twins Almanac (7/6): Al Newman and... Johan Santana(?!?) Hit Their Only Home Runs

[Matt Johnson]

In Today's Almanac:

• Newman hits only career home run
• Santana homers while pitching 3-hit shutout
• Twins trade closer to visiting team mid-game
• Twins score 32 runs in doubleheader
• Lawton has fourth-straight game with multiple extra-base hits
• Miranda has historic hit streak
• Minnesota native pitches one-hit shutout, faces the minimum 
• Former player promoted to manager

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Newman Hits Only Career Home Run 
Expos second baseman Al Newman hit his only major league home run off Atlanta's Zane Smith on this date in 1986. Atlanta first baseman Bob Horner, incidentally, hit four home runs in the game, with the fourth coming off Jeff Reardon in the ninth. Expos won 11-8.

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Johan Santana Homers While Pitching 3-Hit Shutout
Mets pitcher Johan Santana hit his only MLB home run while pitching a three-hit shutout on this date in 2010. Remarkably, it was the 12th pitch of the at-bat! Heckuva two-strike approach. 

In Twins history, Jim Kaat homered while pitching a shutout twice, and Jim Perry did it once.

 

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Twins Trade Aguilera
The Twins traded Rick Aguilera right in the middle of a game to the visiting Red Sox for Frankie Rodriguez and a minor leaguer on this date in 1995. Aggie jogged in from the bullpen partway through the game and switched clubhouses. He earned the save for the Red Sox at the Metrodome the next night.

He re-signed with the Twins as a free agent following the season.

The Twins later traded first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to the Red Sox in the middle of a series between the two teams at the Metrodome in July 2004. Mientkiewicz played for the Twins on July 30, and for the visiting Red Sox on July 31.

 

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Kubel and Morneau Have Historic Doubleheader
Game 1: Jason Kubel had the 15th seven-plus RBI game in Twins history in Game 1 of the doubleheader in Chicago on this date in 2007, going 2-for-3 with two RBI-sac flies, a grand slam (driving in Mauer, Morneau, and Hunter), and bases-loaded walk in a 20-14 win over the White Sox.

Game 2: Justin Morneau had the fourth three-home run game in Twins history (and the first since Tony Oliva 34 years earlier in 1973) in a 12-0 Twins win to sweep the doubleheader. I guess another Almanac entry could be that "The Twins scored 32 runs on this date in 2007!"

It is interesting to note that in the Twins' first 55 seasons, there were only four 3-HR games, and then suddenly, there were nine such performances in the six-year period from 2016 to 2021. 

Also interesting to note that there have been 19 seven-plus RBI games and 13 three-home run games in Twins history, but the two events have never coincided. 

 

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Lawton Has Four-Game Multiple Extra-Base Hit Streak
Matt Lawton hit a home run and a double in a 5-4 Twins win over the Reds at home in the Dome on this date in 2001. It was his fourth consecutive game with multiple extra-base hits, establishing a Twins record.

In a remarkable coincidence, Torii Hunter also homered and doubled, beginning his own four-game multi-extra-base hit streak that same day. They are still the only two such streaks in team history. Crazy, right?

 

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Miranda Gets 12-Straight Hits

José Miranda connected for an astonishing 12-straight hits over three games between the Fourth of July and this date in 2024. That blew out of the water the previous Twins record of nine-straight hits by Tony Oliva, Mickey Hatcher, and Todd Walker.

Miranda was just the fourth player in MLB history to get a hit in 12-straight at-bats, and the first since 1952.

 

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Morris Pitches One-Hitter, Faces Minimum
Detroit ace Jack Morris pitched a one-hit shutout against the Royals at Tiger Stadium on this date in 1990. He did not issue a walk and faced the minimum. After surrendering a single to Kurt Stillwell in the top of the first, he promptly induced a 4-6-3 double play from George Brett.

Morris pitched a no-hitter in 1984, but he issued six walks in that game. I think you could argue that this 1990 one-hit shutout in which he faced the minimum was his most masterful regular-season pitching performance. 

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Quilici Promoted to Manager
The Twins promoted 33-year-old Frank Quilici to manager after dismissing Bill Rigney on this date in 1972. Quilici played infield for the Twins for parts of five seasons (1965, 1967–'70) before becoming a coach. He tied a World Series record by getting two hits in one inning off the Dodgers' Don Drysdale in Game 1 in 1965.

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[Doctor Wu]

Jose Miranda connected for an astonishing 12-straight hits over three games between the Fourth of July and this date in 2024.

Hard do believe that was only a year ago!