Hot-hitting Doumit delivers for Twins in 11th
WASHINGTON -- Ryan Doumit doesn't want to think too much. He just wants to hit.
The Twins right fielder, who has been riding a hot streak, singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning as Minnesota beat the struggling Washington Nationals 4-3 on Saturday.
"It has been a good week. I don't want to overanalyze anything," he said. "I was fortunate to get a pitch to hit in that situation."
Doumit now has 16 RBI in his last 11 games and his average is up to .240. His hit came against Washington reliever Craig Stammen (3-2) after the Nationals issued an intentional walk to Joe Mauer, who had three hits.
"It is a nice little cherry on top. You knew that was going to happen," Doumit said of the intentional walk to Mauer, who hit his 100th career homer in the fifth to give the Twins a 3-2 lead.
Washington has (29-31) have lost six of its last eight games. Minnesota (27-31) has won eight of its last 11.
"That was a tough one. Very frustrating. It's getting my dander up," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "We're better than this. It seems like when we play like this, we're just lackadaisical. But I'll have a chat with them tomorrow."
Chris Herrmann led off the Twins' 11th with a walk from Stammen. A sacrifice bunt by Jamey Carroll moved Herrmann to second and the Nationals intentionally walked Mauer to put runners on first and second with one out. That brought up Doumit, who lined a single to center to drive in Herrmann.
"There was a reason I moved Doumit up to third," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of batting Doumit in the No. 3 spot in the order. "He has been swinging the bat really good."
Josh Roenicke (2-1) got the win, pitching a scoreless 10th, and Glen Perkins picked up his 13th save.
The Nationals had tied the score 3-3 in the last of the seventh on a weird high chopper by Kurt Suzuki that got past Minnesota shortstop Pedro Florimon for a double into short left. The hit against Twins starter Kevin Correia scored Anthony Rendon, who led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Brian Duensing took over for Correia and retired pinch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi and leadoff hitter Denard Span to keep the score tied at 3.
Jason Werth had given Washington a 2-0 lead in the third when hit a two-run homer to left off Correia.
Washington starter Gio Gonzalez, who has not won a game since May 5, went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits.
Correia allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings with a season-high seven strikeouts and no walks.
"You just get stronger through the year," Correia said. "I didn't have any long innings today."
It was the first game for the Twins in Washington since the 1971 season, after which the Senators moved to Texas.
NOTES: Johnson said RHP Stephen Strasburg (right lat strain) is on track to pitch a simulated game Tuesday in Colorado and come off the disabled list to pitch on June 16. Strasburg threw in the outfield about four hours before the game on Saturday, starting with soft tosses from about 20 feet and working up to about throws of 120 feet before a bullpen session. "He had a great bullpen," Johnson said. ... OF Bryce Harper will see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his left knee bursitis Monday. "He felt pretty good today and the swelling was down," Johnson said. ... Gardenhire played infield for the New York Mets under Johnson in 1984-85. "He believed in me. I really enjoyed playing for Davey. He should have played me more," Gardenhire, a .232 career hitter, said with a laugh.
