Hendriks, Twins routed 9-1 by Pirates
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Liam Hendriks’ performances are making his manager angry. The rookie right-hander hopes they are having the same effect on himself.
Hendriks was tagged for six runs and eight hits in five-plus innings and the Minnesota Twins lost for the sixth time in their past eight games, 9-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
“I just need to get angry,” said Hendriks, a 23-year-old native of Australia. “When I was playing football back in Australia, it was one of the things where I wouldn’t do well until I got angry at myself for doing something wrong and then I would get locked in. I need to get angry from the get-go instead of after I’ve already given up two or three runs.”
The Pirates scored one in the first and three in the second against Hendriks (0-4), who remained winless in 10 career outings. He retired nine of the 10 batters he faced in the third through fifth innings but was pulled after Rod Barajas homered two batters into the sixth.
“As the story goes, if you don’t pitch, you get whacked,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
“I know we didn’t make a play behind him there but there were rockets flying everywhere,” Gardenhire added.
