You can't beat these Twins outfielders for versatility. They're showing new talents every day.
Take Aaron Hicks, for instance. His day included a horizontal dive of a catch, a bullet of a throw and, for the first time in his career, a base hit that wasn't a single.
Or Josh Willingham. He Paul Bunyan-ed a slider about 350 feet up and 350 feet out, a historic two-run homer that helped deliver the Twins' 7-2 victory over the Rangers. Not satisfied with merely passing Jim Thome as Target Field's all-time leading slugger, he stole a base, then scored from second on an infield hit — not that either play was as kill-you-with-speed as it looks on paper. Truthfully, he looked a little like Thome on the bases, too.
But those contributions from the outfield, plus five solid innings from once-a-fortnight lefthander Pedro Hernandez, added up to an encouraging, streak-snapping, upbeat victory.
"A beautiful day," Gardenhire said after the Twins returned to .500 by breaking their three-game skid, and he wasn't just talking about the weather. "Our pitching was fantastic ... and we made some great defensive plays."
One was a run-whirl-and-throw by Hicks that cut down Nelson Cruz at second, giving Hicks back-to-back games with an assist.
"A pellet to second base, early in the game when they're trying to be aggressive," Gardenhire said approvingly. "That set a nice tone."
So did Hicks' long run and acrobatic dive for A.J. Pierzynski's sinking liner, probably the new center fielder's finest catch yet. "There was a split second where I didn't think I had it," Hicks said, "but it hung up there just enough."