Seventh win in row lifts Twins to .500

Torii Hunter's homer in the seventh breathed offensive life into his teammates, who piled on runs in the eighth and ninth.

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: June 19, 2006 - 8:21 AM

PITTSBURGH - It took a series of improbable events for the Twins to reach the .500 mark Sunday.

This wasn't a simple case of Johan Santana dominating the worst team in the National League.

No, after two months spent languishing beneath the .500 mark, the Twins were languishing in the steamy Pittsburgh air, searching for runs against Pirates starter Oliver Perez.

This made it all the more sweet when those runs finally came, as big hits from Torii Hunter, Mike Redmond and Justin Morneau lifted them to an 8-2 victory at PNC Park.

With their first seven-game winning streak since September 2004, the Twins (34-34) reached the break-even point for the first time since they were 7-7 on April 19.

"I don't know how many guys were thinking about us going to .500 with a win," Redmond said. "I know I was, and I was pumped up."

Pittsburgh grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, and Perez held it until the seventh.

Of all the days to lose a 1-0 game, this would have ranked up there with the worst for the Twins. No team wants a loss like that sitting in its craw, especially with Santana pitching and a chance to reach .500.

With two outs in the seventh, Hunter came up looking for his first home run since May 30. He had gone 59 at-bats without a homer, but he yanked a change-up from Perez into the left field seats for his 10th of the season.

"That gave us a lot of life on the bench because Perez was matching everything Santana threw up there," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Santana (7-4) pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and when Gardenhire sent in a pinch hitter for him in the eighth, the Twins were down to their last chance to get Santana a victory.

Once again, it started with two outs.

Luis Castillo had gone hitless in 28 consecutive at-bats on the road, but he reached on an infield single to shortstop. Then Nick Punto dropped a nifty bunt down the third-base line, causing Perez to muff it for an error.

Up stepped Redmond, who continues to do an amazing job impersonating catcher Joe Mauer. His younger sidekick leads the majors with a .380 average. Redmond is batting .377, and he lifted a ball just over shortstop Jack Wilson's head for a run-scoring single.

"We just needed a hit," Redmond said. "It wasn't pretty, but it worked."

Perez left to a rousing ovation, but the Twins weren't finished. After reliever Salomon Torres drilled Michael Cuddyer with a fastball to the right forearm, Morneau followed with a three-run double into the left-center gap.

That broke it open, giving the Twins a chance to rest closer Joe Nathan after he had pitched four innings in three days. They added three more runs in the ninth, acting as if they still have more to prove.

"We can't be satisfied with .500, either," Morneau said. "Our team's too good with the pitching we have."

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