Twins Answer Purpose Pitch With 9-4 Victory

The Minnesota Twins thought Rolando Arrojo made a purpose pitch. They then went out and made a statement.

Doug Mientkiewicz hit his first major league homer and drove in four runs Wednesday as the Twins beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 9-4.

Both teams were warned by plate umpire Ken Kaiser in the first inning after Arrojo (1-4) threw a high-and-tight fastball to the Twins’ leadoff batter, Todd Walker.

“He’s a better [control] pitcher than that for someone to throw that high and off the mark,” Walker said. “I think his mind was on something else. I think it cost him the game.”

Arrojo’s inside pitch came one day after Brad Radke hit Devil Ray shortstop Kevin Stocker with a pitch. During a spring training game, shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Twins flattened Tampa Bay catcher John Flaherty on a play at the plate. Guzman was hit by a Scott Aldred pitch later in the same game.

“He wasn’t throwing at Walker,” Tampa Bay Manager Larry Rothschild said. “If he wanted to hit him, he would have hit him. They obviously threw at Stocker yesterday. I will be the first to tell you that we will protect our players. I don’t care who it’s against.

“It goes back to spring training and the incident at home plate . . . when it was a dirty play by Guzman. He tried to elbow Flaherty in the head.”

This may not be the end of trouble between the teams.

“It might come up later in the season,” said Minnesota starter Eric Milton (1-3), “but as far as today, I think Kaiser did a good job of putting it on the back burner.”

Mientkiewicz keyed a three-run first inning with a two-run single and hit a two-run homer in fifth. Corey Koskie had a solo homer during a two-run second as the Twins won their second in a row.

Jose Canseco hit his AL-leading 12th homer, a two-run drive in the fifth against Milton.