The best of Santana

MINNEAPOLIS – Johan Santana gave the crowd at the Metrodome something to remember on the same weekend the Minnesota Twins honored their first championship team.

Santana set a franchise record with 17 strikeouts in eight innings to lead the Minnesota Twins past the Texas Rangers 1-0 Sunday.

“You see these guys from 1987 coming in and what they did 20 years ago was really good,” said Santana, who was 8 years old when Minnesota won its first of two championships. “We still have a long way to go, but hopefully we will make it special, and 20 years from now we’ll be in the same situation.”

Santana’s 17 strikeouts were the most in the majors since Ben Sheets fanned 18 in Milwaukee’s 4-1 win over Atlanta on May 16, 2004, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He broke the Minnesota record of 15, accomplished four times – the last by Bert Blyleven on Aug. 1, 1986, against Oakland.

Catcher Mike Redmond said Santana (13-9) did not shake him off once.

“When I walked off the field in the second inning I thought ‘This could be it. This guy’s got some amazing stuff today.’ … He was unbelievable. He executed all day,” said Redmond.

Santana retired the first 12 batters he faced before Sammy Sosa led off the fifth with a single to left-center. Sosa also doubled with two outs in the seventh for Texas’ only other hit against the left-hander.

It was the fifth time this year Santana has reached double digits in strikeouts. He struck out 13 in a 7-1 win at Texas on May 22.

Santana struck out six of the last seven batters he faced, including a 93 mph fastball he threw past Jarrod Saltalamacchia on his 112th – and final – pitch. He tipped his cap to the crowd as he reached the dugout.