Twins going back to all systems go

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The Twins needed an easy one, and they got it, with their offense drubbing Oakland pitchers while Kevin Slowey piled up strikeouts.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: August 20, 2008 - 6:50 AM

The Twins didn't have to worry about a starter grinding through seven innings, a bullpen having to come in and put out a fire or a manager sweating out late-game decisions.

They needed a laugher, and they got one Tuesday night during a 13-2 rout over Oakland at the Metrodome.

Kevin Slowey pitched seven strong innings while setting a career high with 12 strikeouts. The offense continued its hot hitting as the Twins fell a run short of their season high. They even saw Carlos Gomez smile again after he broke a 0-for-14 skid with a two-run homer in the fifth -- his first home run in 224 at-bats.

"It was one of those nights you wanted to be in the lineup,'' said right fielder Denard Span, who had an RBI triple in the second inning.

The Twins have won nine of their past 12 games and remained one game behind the White Sox in the AL Central. Yet it's not hard to remember some of the tough games they have had recently, including the 8-0 lead they nearly blew vs. Seattle on Sunday and the 3-2 head-scratching loss to the Athletics on Monday.

They reminded themselves Tuesday how well they can play. Granted, it was against an A's team that is 6-24 since the All-Star break, but the Twins must take advantage of bad teams.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire even remarked how important it was for Slowey to go seven innings -- just so he and the other inexperienced starters can see that it can see it happen.

The announced crowd of 35,256 knew the importance. When Daric Barton lined out to end the seventh, fans sent Slowey into the dugout with a standing ovation. Slowey doffed his camp in appreciation.

Slowey's 12 strikeouts were the most by a Twins pitcher since Johan Santana struck out 17 Texas batters exactly one year earlier. "He had to work pretty hard,'' Gardenhire said of Slowey, "but he never gave in and never made too many mistakes.''

Slowey (10-8) got plenty of run support from an offense that has averaged seven runs a game through the first eight games of their nine-game homestand. The Twins have scored at least four runs in 15 of 17 games this month.

Every Twins batter had at least one hit by the fifth inning Tuesday. Joe Mauer extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games with a single in the third.

The bottom of the order -- Brian Buscher, Brendan Harris and Gomez -- combined to drive in eight runs. Buscher tied a career high with five RBI, including a two-run homer in the second.

Righthander Sean Gallagher, part of the package of players the A's received from the Chicago Cubs in the Rich Harden trade, was charged with 10 runs on 11 hits, three walks and two strikeouts in five innings of work.

"You put a nice number up there," Gardenhire said of the offense, "and you get a little breather. Those are nice after [Monday] when we didn't score enough."

It was a game the Twins could sit back and enjoy -- but they had get Gomez to relax even after he hit his first homer since June 6. "We had to make him smile,'' Gardenhire said. "He didn't want to smile when he was coming in. Trying to act all serious. We told him, 'Smile, son. That's a home run.' ''

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