TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Longest HR to CF in Metrodome History
• Molitor’s Streak Snapped
• Come-From-Behind Win in 2000
• Two Minnesotans Make MLB Debut
• Gardy’s Milestone Win
• Eleventh Cycle in Team History
April 5, 1994
Muñoz Hits Epic Blast
Pedro Muñoz hit a 473-foot bomb to center field at the Metrodome on this date in 1994. It was the longest homer ever hit to center at the Dome.
The longest homer at the Dome overall was 481 feet to right field by Milwaukee’s Ben Oglivie in 1983. Kent Hrbek crushed a Charlie Hough knuckleball 480 feet to right the following season.
As imprecise of a science as home run measurements are, they couldn’t find an extra foot or two for the hometown kid?!
Mark McGwire hit a 475-foot homer to left field in 1996.
April 5, 1996
Molitor’s Stolen Base Streak Snapped
39-year-old DH Paul Molitor was caught attempting to swipe third in his first stolen base attempt with the Twins, snapping a streak of 36-straight successful attempts dating back to 1993.
The Twins were trailing the Orioles 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth when Molitor connected for his second double of the game (third hit overall). With one out and Roberto Kelly at the plate, Molly was nabbed attempting to swipe third. It may seem ill-advised to risk being caught stealing when you’re already in scoring position representing the tying run, but Molly had previously scored the Twins’ only run of the game on a Roberto Kelly sac fly.
Molly began his first season in Minnesota with an eight-game hitting streak, over which he went 14-for-33 (.424).
He had 39 hits in the team’s first 25 games, ending the month of April with a .386 average. He only went 0-fer three times all month.
He finished the season batting .341. He had 22 games with 3+ hits and SEVENTY-TWO games with 2+ hits.
April 5, 2000
Come-From-Behind Win
The Twins trailed the Devil Rays 7-1 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth before tying it up with a six-run rally. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Matt Lawton hit a three-run walk-off homer for a 10-7 Twins win. Remarkably, nine of the last 11 Twins to come to the plate scored. The only out in the last 11 batters was a David Ortiz strikeout pinch hitting for nine-batter Torii Hunter to end the eighth.
It was the Twins’ second-straight walk-off. They blew a ninth-inning lead the next afternoon to split the four-game series to start the season.
April 5, 2004
Wuertz and Mauer Make MLB Debuts
1997 Austin High School graduate Michael Wuertz struck out the first two batters he faced in his major league debut, pitching a 1-2-3 sixth in a 7-4 Cubs win on Opening Day in Cincinnati.
2001 Cretin-Derham Hall graduate Joe Mauer also made his major league debut on this date in 2004, going 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, including on Shannon Stewart‘s walk-off home run in the 11th inning giving the Twins a 7-4 Opening Day win over Cleveland.
Mauer also tagged out Cleveland’s Matt Lawton trying to score the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th. Jacque Jones made the throw from right field, hitting the relay man, second baseman Michael Cuddyer.
April 5, 2014
Gardenhire Wins 1,000th
Brian Dozier homeed on the second pitch of the game, leading the Twins to a 7-3 victory in Cleveland for Ron Gardenhire’s 1,000th managerial win. The milestone victory didn’t come without a few new gray hairs, however, as 2001 Stillwater grad Glen Perkins gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth before securing the Kyle Gibson win.
April 5, 2019
Polanco Hits for Cycle
Using Eddie Rosario‘s bat, Jorge Polanco went 5-for-5, hitting for the 11th cycle in Twins history in Philadelphia on this date in 2019.
He finished a double shy of the cycle just four days later.
Fun Fact: Ehire Adrianza used Rosario’s bat to hit a big pinch-hit double when both were playing for Atlanta in the 2021 NLCS.
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