Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Scott Baker had a perfect game and no-hit bid foiled in the ninth inning, as Minnesota blanked the Kansas City Royals, 5-0, earning the split in a day-night doubleheader at the Metrodome.
Baker (8-6) had a chance at becoming the 18th pitcher in major league history to toss a perfect game, but walked John Buck to open the ninth. Buck was erased on Esteban German's ground ball to second, but pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney, just off the 60-day disabled list for Kansas City, lofted a short fly ball that found open space in left-center field.
The crowd of 24,986 then came to its feet, rewarding Baker with a standing ovation, before he settled for a one-hit shutout by retiring David DeJesus and Mark Grudzielanek to end the game.
"I wasn't nervous, to be honest," Baker said. "What's to be nervous about? I already pitched a great game, you know, even if it didn't work out."
"That's Sweeney for you," Baker added, talking about the hit. "Obviously he's a quality hitter. I guess if there's one guy that could do it, it's him. I made the right pitch. It might've been a little off, and he put a decent swing on it. It worked out for him."
Baker tossed 111 pitches -- 81 for strikes -- and struck out a career-high nine to earn his first career shutout. It was also just his second complete game in 44 major league starts.
The right-hander would've become the first hurler in the annals of the Minnesota Twins to achieve perfection, and just the sixth in team history to pitch a no-hitter. The last to achieve the feat was Eric Milton, who did it against the LA Angels of Anaheim on September 11, 1999.
This was the 15th one-hitter in Twins history, with the last coming on July 17, 2004 at Kansas City when Johan Santana and Joe Nathan combined for a one- hitter.
The last perfect game in the majors was thrown by Arizona's Randy Johnson on May 18, 2004 in a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Baker got all the run-support he needed on Jason Bartlett's two-run single in the third. He then held Kansas City at bay, while Justin Morneau added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Mike Redmond also chipped in with an eighth-inning single, and Rondell White followed him with a sac fly for the 5-0 lead.
Gil Meche (7-12) allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and fanned three over seven strong innings in the loss for Kansas City, which downed the Twins, 9-4, in the afternoon portion of the proceedings.
Baker was dealing early, fanning two batters in the first before striking out the side in the second inning.
Minnesota then grabbed the lead in the third. Redmond ripped a lead-off single, and after White fouled out, Nick Punto punched a base hit through the left side. Both runners moved up on Alexi Casilla's groundout and scored on Bartlett's single to center.
Baker got through the fourth on a pop out, a grounder and a line drive to center snared by Torii Hunter. The Twins then left the bases loaded in the home half, but Baker kept the Royals off the board through the fifth. Just past the midway point, he had eight first-pitch strikes while facing the minimum 16 batters.
Buck became Baker's eighth strikeout victim to open the sixth. Pinch-hitter German followed by poking a slow grounder to third, and Tony Pena's pop-up put Baker another out closer to history.
Baker then cruised through the seventh and eighth, while Minnesota tacked on a pair of insurance runs behind Redmond's RBI single and White's sac fly.
That led to the ninth and Sweeney -- who had been on the DL since June 19 -- breaking up the no-hit bid.
"I knew he had a perfect game going into the ninth and a no-hitter going into my at-bat," said Sweeney. "The first pitch he threw a heater, kinda what he'd been doing all night. I talked to some of the guys and asked what he'd been throwing. They said nothing over the middle of the plate..fastballs in, plus a slider and cutter away. He tried doubling up on the fastball in and I got some artificial turf."
Game Notes: Baker's only previous complete game in 43 major league starts was a three- hitter in a 1-0 loss at Detroit on July 1.. Prior to the Sweeney single in the ninth inning, Baker had retired 40 Royal batters in-a-row dating back to his last start on July 30..After arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sweeney missed a total of 62 games. He was hitting .245 with seven home runs and 31 RBI this season before the injury..Between games the Royals also optioned pitcher Kyle Davies to Double-A Wichita and transferred pitcher John Thomson to the 60-day disabled list..Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak..The Royals were one-hit for the 27th time in franchise history and the first since July 18, 2006 at Boston..This was the TWins' 300th all- time win vs. the Royals.