Success of offense is part science and part state of mind

The Twins ended an eight-season losing streak in 2001. They followed with five more winning years and four division titles from 2002 through 2006.

The Twins scored 801 runs in 2003 and again in 2006 as American League Central champs. They scored 780 as a division winner in 2004 and 768 in 2002.

The lineups that put up these run totals included Torii Hunter and at various times players such as Corey Koskie, David Ortiz, A.J. Pierzynski, Shannon Stewart, Jacque Jones and Luis Castillo, to name a few.

They all had stretches as important contributors. Hunter had more to do with the first three Central titles than any player in the everyday lineup, and then he carried the Twins over the final weeks of the 2006 comeback run.

Hunter's gone. The rest are long gone. The Twins were a popular pick to finish fourth this season, and now they are one game behind the Chicago White Sox with 17 to play.

The Twins stayed that close with a 7-1 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday night. They now have scored 740 runs, the AL's third-highest total.

Manager Ron Gardenhire was asked about this. Here's an edited version of the reporter's comments that preceded the question:

"You have a center fielder [Carlos Gomez] who seldom gets on base. You have a left fielder [Delmon Young] short of his anticipated production. Your No. 5 hitter [Michael Cuddyer] has been a missing person. It was worth $3.8 million of the team's finite resources to dump the projected third baseman [Mike Lamb].

"And now, if you average four runs over the final 17 games, you will score 808 runs, and that will be the Twins' highest total of the decade.''

Here's the question: "How is this possible?''

Gardenhire's first response was one word: "Speed.''

And: "Executing. Moving runners over and getting them home. Everyone talked about the bullpen, but the biggest reason we just went through that funk [4-11] was we stopped doing that.

"If our offense had been executing, the bullpen would've been working with three- and four-run leads instead of one run.''

Also: "The two guys in the middle have been tremendous. You have an MVP [Justin Morneau] and a batting champion [Joe Mauer] from two years ago, and they both are better this season.''

The Twins have scored this bunch of runs even though Gomez (on-base percentage: .290) was the team's leadoff hitter for 90 of the first 99 games. Gardenhire switched to right fielder Denard Span hitting first on July 22 in New York, dropping Gomez to ninth.

Gomez was flailing so futilely in August that Gardenhire started using Span in center, with the usual DH -- Jason Kubel -- in right field on a semi-regular basis.

The Twins returned to the Metrodome last weekend after losing nine of the final 12 on a long road trip. Gardenhire assembled his coaches on Friday afternoon and they came to a conclusion:

The best option was to go back to Gomez every day and let come what may.

"We don't play with the same energy when Carlos is out of the lineup,'' Gardenhire said. "I can see it: Everyone has just a little more life when he's in the lineup. His enthusiasm rubs off on everyone.''

On Wednesday, Gomez made his fifth consecutive start. He knocked in the Twins' first run with a two-out single in the second. He blooped a single to start a three-run rally in the seventh.

In between, Gomez shortened up as if to bunt, took a half-slap at the ball and bounced out to the mound.

"No one knew what that was, but I looked down the dugout and everyone had a smile on their face,'' Gardenhire said. "Everyone.''

What was that, Carlos? "I was trying to bounce the ball to shortstop,'' he said. "I knew if I did that, I would beat it out.''

Gomez looked at a small group of reporters and said, "It didn't work.''

It worked, sort of. It gave a smile to everyone on Gardenhire's roster, and that's almost as much of a reason that Gomez is back in the lineup as his astounding speed and tremendous range.

Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and at 4:40 p.m. • preusse@startribune.com