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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Span stretches wings

Twins rookie robs Mariners of shot at sweeping

By Gregg Bell Associated Press

SEATTLE – Denard Span still has an apartment in Rochester, N.Y, his minor league residence until five weeks ago. His clothes are still packed in his car.

It’s time to finally rip up that lease and unpack that ride. There’s nothing minor league about Span anymore.

Minnesota’s new leadoff whiz drove in a career-high four runs and leaped to rob Adrian Beltre of a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, leading the Twins over the Seattle Mariners 7-3 on Wednesday.

“Boy, he’s been some kind of player for us. … I wish I was his agent right now,” said manager Ron Gardenhire, whose Twins won the final game of the series against the American League’s worst team.

The Twins had blown leads of 6-0 and 2-0 in the first two games of the series to fall out of first place. They would have blown a 4-0 edge in this one without the catalyst who’s quickly become known as “Span Man.”

Minnesota led 4-3 in the seventh when Raul Ibanez, who had a Seattle record-tying 14 RBIs in three games before going without one Wednesday, singled with two outs.

Reliever Jesse Crain relieved Dennys Reyes, and Beltre hit a drive toward the right-field bleachers. Span drifted to the wall, leaped and snared the ball just before it hit a railing and screen protecting fans in the first row.

The ball juggled around inside Span’s glove as he triumphantly landed on the warning track. Beltre stood in disbelief between first and second base for more than a minute, his hands frozen to his hips through the inning change.

“That one, I really allowed myself to think was gone,” Seattle manager Jim Riggleman said. “I didn’t think there was any chance that ball would stay in the park.”

Nick Blackburn (9-6) allowed three runs in six innings to tie Detroit’s Armando Galarraga for most wins by an A.L. rookie.

Beltre had two hits and two RBIs for Seattle. The Mariners were denied a season-high fourth consecutive win and first three-game sweep of an A.L. team in their lost season.

Span could have had a fifth RBI, but Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn (5-11) scrambled to make a lunging flip just in time to first base on Span’s drag bunt with Harris at third and two outs in the fourth.