It was up to the bullpen to make that early lead stand — though it helped when Brooks Lee added a solo homer in the eighth inning in his second game since returning from the injured list. It was the switch-hitting Lee’s first home as a righthanded batter.
After starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson labored through 3⅔ innings, using 71 pitches to record 11 outs while giving up three runs, Baldelli said it felt like he was on the phone nonstop with bullpen coach Colby Suggs.
“That was a game that takes a little bit out of you, but it gives you a lot, too, because you feel very good about it when you leave,” Baldelli said.
Alcala, who had allowed nine hits and seven runs in his last 2⅔ innings, stranded a runner at second base with a strikeout in the fourth inning, then stranded two more runners with a called third strike in the fifth inning.
“I think he took it as a great challenge, a great test and he passed that one,” Baldelli said. “He did a great job. We needed a lot of people to really come through, step up, get outs with people on base. We needed guys to do that, but he got it going for us.”
It was the first time Henriquez pitched in a game when the Twins led by fewer than five runs. He retired all three batters he faced in the sixth inning, which included a running catch from Matt Wallner that led him into the right-field wall.
