There seemed to be one question on the minds of Twins fans visiting spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., in March 2011: "Can we beat the Yankees in the playoffs this year?''

One-third of the way through the schedule, everyone with a stake in the Twins was stupefied. They were 17-37 and 16½ games out of first place in the American League Central.

And then: The Twins won 14 of their next 16 games, including the last seven on a homestand against the Rangers, White Sox and Padres.

Was this going to be 2006-style run from oblivion to excellence, or was it a midseason fluke? The answer figured to unfold with a three-game series June 21-23 against the defending World Series champion Giants in San Francisco.

Carl Pavano faced Madison Bumgarner, the Giants' 21-year-old lefty in the Tuesday night opener. Bumgarner was 3-8 in 14 starts, but the ERA of 3.21 was acceptable.

Ben Revere opened the first with a single. Alexi Casilla doubled. Joe Mauer's single scored Revere. Michael Cuddyer's double scored Casilla. Delmon Young's double scored Mauer. Danny Valencia's double scored Cuddyer. Luke Hughes' single scored Young and Valencia. Tsuyoshi Nishioka's double was the eighth straight hit to open the game.

Finally, Pavano struck out and Revere doubled home two runs before manager Bruce Bochy came to get his pitcher. Bumgarner left with this line: one-third of an inning, nine hits (five doubles), eight earned runs, one strikeout, and all in 25 pitches.

Bumgarner was the first big-league starter since 1920 to allow nine hits while getting only one out.

"Kind of one of those snowball effects …'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We're still not out of the woods. We're under .500 and battling our way back.''

We all know that for the 2011 Twins, the woods became a deep, terrifying place, with a 63-99 finish and the start of what stands as a four-year disaster.

As for Bumgarner, it's anyone's guess what happened to that kid.

Plus Three from Patrick

Pitching disasters for the 1974 Twins in Kansas City:

April 6: Royals win 23-6. Starter Bill Hands gets two outs, allows seven hits and seven runs.

Aug. 6: Royals win 17-3. Reliever Vic Albury — five innings, 12 hits, 10 runs — calls official scorer to complain one run should be unearned.

Note: Ray Corbin pitched in both games. His combined totals were: 3⅓ innings, nine hits, 10 runs (eight earned), with a three-run homer given up to Hal McRae.