Baker first Twin to strike out four (Brewers) in single inning

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MILWAUKEE -- Minnesota starter Scott Baker struck out four in the third inning of Sunday's game with the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the first Twins pitcher to accomplish the feat.

Baker

Baker started the inning by striking out Ryan Braun swinging, then got Prince Fielder to strike out, but the ball bounced far away from catcher Mike Redmond.

That allowed Fielder to easily reach first on the wild pitch. Baker then struck out Russell Branyan and Mike Cameron looking on three pitches apiece to end the inning.

"Somebody told me about it when we got in here. It's pretty crazy," Baker said after the game. "Those guys are pretty free swingers and that's the way it was. There's a first time for everything."

The last pitcher to accomplish four K's in an inning was Brad Penny on Sept. 23, 2006, for the Dodgers against the Diamondbacks.

Baker was the first AL pitcher to do it since Kazuhiro Sasaki on April 4, 2003. Sasaki, pitching for Seattle, struck out four in a row in the ninth against Texas.

The Brewers won the game 4-2.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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