MINNEAPOLIS – Blake Beavan was smiling.
A 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins couldn’t detract from postgame humor, not with Seattle Mariners’ rookies forced to wear costumes for the team’s flight to Texas.
After the game, Beavan found in his locker the outfit of Ace, half of the Ambiguously Gay Duo from “Saturday Night Live.” Other rookies’ getups included Captain America, a clown and a fairy.
Beavan didn’t get a decision despite limiting Minnesota to two runs and six hits in seven innings, his 11th quality start (defined as at least six innings, no more than three earned runs) in 14 career outings.
“It was cold out there today, so it was kind of hard to get my arm going, but I still had good life on the ball regardless of velocity,” he said. “If I can locate on both sides of the plate, I know I’m going to have a good chance of going deep into a ballgame.”
Beavan, 22, is 2-1 in his past six starts. In his past three, he’s allowed five earned runs in 21 innings. He hasn’t issued a walk in 24 innings.
“For a young pitcher — and I think we sometimes forget how young he is — he does a great job with his fastball,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. “He’s a big kid (6-foot-7) so he can leverage the ball downhill, he can climb if he needs to and that curveball and change-up continue to get better. He continues to throw with more and more confidence.”
Rene Tosoni’s RBI double off Steve Delabar (1-1) with two outs in the ninth ended Minnesota’s 11-game skid and sent Seattle to its franchise-record 13th walkoff loss.
Winning for the second time in 17 games, the Twins stopped the third-longest losing streak since they moved to Minnesota in 1961.
Trevor Plouffe drew a two-out walk, and Tosoni followed with a drive that hopped off the right-field wall.
“I got in a situation where I put a guy on for free and then I leave a pitch up and a guy hits it like he’s supposed to,” Delabar said.
Joe Nathan (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win after getting out of his own trouble. The Mariners stranded 12 runners, including the go-ahead run at third in the ninth when Wily Mo Pena flied out.
“Finishing off innings is a big separator for a good ballclub,” Wedge said.
Ichiro Suzuki grounded to reliever Glen Perkins with the bases loaded, ending the Seattle eighth. The Twins threatened in the bottom half before Michael Cuddyer hit into a double play against Delabar.
Seattle first baseman Justin Smoak, working his way back from a strained right groin that caused him to miss four games last week, was 3-for-4, raising his average to .237.
“I want to finish the season strong. I don’t want to finish hurt,” Smoak said. “I feel I ran a little better and my timing is starting to get there.”
ON TAP
Seattle opens a three-game set in Texas at 5:05 p.m. today. Anthony Vasquez (1-4, 8.25 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Mariners against Matt Harrison (13-9, 3.42).
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