Cardinals vs. Twins – Regular season history


This weekend,
the St. Louis Cardinals are meeting the Minnesota Twins for the first time since the two clubs played a three-game interleague series during the 2001 season. The Cardinals swept the Twins at Busch Stadium II from July 15-17, 2001 as they out-scored Minnesota 13-6.

St. Louis has faced the Twins 15 times during the regular season and holds a 9-6 advantage. The two clubs matched up for five consecutive seasons beginning in 1997 before a seven-year hiatus.

Cardinals vs. Twins (1997-2001)

July 17, 2001-Cardinals 4, Twins 2

Darryl Kile allowed 1 run over 6 1/3 with no walks and six strikeouts in a 4-2 win. The Cardinals scored on RBI singles by Matheny, Paquette, Vina and Edmonds and Jason Christiansen got the final two outs for his third save. Kyle Lohse (pictured) started for the Twins but was pinch-hit for in the 5th after allowing four runs and eight hits in four innings.

July 16, 2001-Cardinals 4, Twins 3

Albert Pujols’ RBI single in the bottom of the 8th drove in the winning run in a 4-3 game. All the previous runs came on home runs as Chad Allen put the Twins up 1-0, Polanco’s two-run homer and Renteria’s solo shot made it 3-1 before Luis Rivas made it 3-2 off Bud Smith (7 IP, 4 H 2 R) before Allen hit his second of the game off Gene Stechschulte to make it 3-3 in the top of the 8th. Steve Kline got the win in relief and Christiansen got the last out for the save.

July 15, 2001-Cardinals 5, Twins 1

Dustin Hermanson pitched seven shutout innings in a 5-1 Cardinals win. The Cardinals knocked Joe Mays out in the 5th when they scored all five of their runs on 7 hits (Hermanson-1B, Vina 2B, Polanco-1B-RBI, Edmonds-SF-RBI, McGwire-1B, Pujols-2B-RBI, Lankford-1B-2 RBI, Renteria 1B). Christiansen got the two final outs to squelch a small Twins rally.

July 18, 2000-Twins 3, Cardinals 2

A pitching duel between Brad Radke and Andy Benes (CG-8 IP-3 R-2 ER) ended on Matt Lawton’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth for a 3-2 lead and LaTroy Hawkins put the Cards down in order in the 9th. Craig Paquette had put the Cards up 2-0 on a RBI single and sac fly before the Twins tied it with two in the 6th.

July 17, 2000-Twins 5, Cardinals 2

Pat Hentgen pitched six solid innings to improve his record to 9-6 in a 8-3 win. The Cardinals used the long ball to put the Twins away with a solo shot by Chris Richard (Richard would go 2-for-18 in his Cardinal career as he would be traded for Mike Timlin 12 days later), a two-run shot by Tatis and a three-run homer by Edmonds in the 8th that moved the lead to 7-2.

July 16, 2000-Twins 5, Cardinals 2

Ankiel allowed four runs over six innings including three in the fourth, the first on a David Ortiz RBI-single and Mark Redman held the Cardinal offense down, allowing only a 2-run double by Renteria in the eighth.

July 20, 1999-Twins 4, Cardinals 2

Brad Radke held the Cards to one run over 7 1/3 innings and Larry Luebbers took the loss. The Cardinals runs came on solo homers by Darren Bragg and McGwire. Jacque Jones had a homer and an RBI-double and Terry Steinbach also had an RBI for the Twins.

July 19, 1999-Cardinals 8, Twins 4

The Cardinals knocked out Mike Lincoln with six runs in the third and Kent Mercker pitched six solid innings for the win. The six runs came on two-run homers from Joe McEwing and Fernando Tatis followed by RBI singles by Alberto Castillo and Mercker. Tatis would add another two-run home run the next inning. Ricky Bottalico pitched the final 1 1/3 for the save after Manny Aybar ran into trouble in the eighth.

July 18, 1999- Twins 5, Cardinals 2

Darren Oliver and LaTroy Hawkins matched up in a pitchers duel with both going seven innings and the Twins leading 1-0 going into the ninth. Denny Hocking led off the game with a home run off Oliver, who would only allow three more hits. The Twins would score four unearned runs off Rick Croushore in the top of the ninth and the Cardinals could only counter with Darren Bragg’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.

June 28, 1998-Twins 3, Cardinals 2

The Twins scored the winning run on a squeeze bunt by Otis Nixon in the seventh. Orlando Merced and Marty Cordova’s RBI-singles in the first put the Twins up 2-0 but the Cards tied it up by Bob Tewksbury on Willie McGee’s sac fly and Gary Gaetti’s infield single for an RBI. Kent Bottenfield took the loss going 6 2/3. Tewksbury twice used lob pitches to get out McGwire.

June 27, 1998-Cardinals 7, Twins 2

Todd Stottlemyre pitched a complete game five-hiitter, allowing only one earned run in a 7-2 win. The Cardinals took an early lead on Brian Hunter’s home run and then jumped on Eric Milton for three in the sixth on a Jordan RBI-single, Pagnozzi’s RBI-double and Hunter’s groundout. McGwire’s two-run homer the next inning made it 6-1.

June 26, 1998-Twins 5, Cardinals 1

Matt Lawton’s home run put the Twins up early before a Ray Lankford solo home run cut the lead to 2-1 in the seventh. Marty Cordova’s two-run home run in the bottom of eighth off Rick Croushore gave the Twins some breathing room. Juan Acevedo took the loss giving up two runs in seven innings. Greg Swindell got the win in relief after starter Mike Morgan had to leave the game in the third.

July 2, 1997-Cardinals 2, Twins 1

Willie McGee’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth off Eddie Guardado gave the Cardinals a 2-1 win. Mark Petkovsek pitched the final two innings for the victory after the pitching duel between Alan Benes (8 IP-1 R) and Bob Tewksbury (6 IP-1 R).

July 1, 1997-Cardinals 2, Twins 0

Todd Stottlemyre went seven innings allowing five hits and striking out ten and T.J. Mathews and Dennis Eckersley put the Twins down in order the last two innings for the shutout. All of the scoring was provided by Tom Lampkin’s two-run home run in the fourth off losing pitcher LaTroy Hawkins.

June 30, 1997-Cardinals 2, Twins 1

Dennis Eckersley struck out Chuck Knoblauch with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the victory. Matt Morris allowed one run in 7 1/3 for the victory. Rich Becker homered off Morris in the 2nd for a 1-0 Twins lead before the Cardinals countered on John Mabry’s RBI double in the bottom of the inning and Gary Gaetti’s RBI single in the third for the game’s final run. T.J Mathews also got off a jam in the eighth – second and third with one out, striking out Terry Steinbach and getting Ron Coomer to fly out.


In addition, the 1987 World Series featured these two teams with the Twins claiming the World Series title in seven games. Each club won all their home games and Minnesota picked up a 4-2 victory in Game Seven for the win.

Thanks to Tom Orf for providing the individual game capsules.