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Home | Sports | Twins

Early lead, rookie brew up win

David Joles, Star Tribune

Minnesota Twins center Carlos Gomez slides in safely for a triple, past Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Bill Hall during sixth inning action at the Metrodome.

Anthony Swarzak became the latest Twins starting pitcher to receive run support as the righthander won his major league debut.

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

Last update: May 24, 2009 - 12:29 AM

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TWINS 6, MILWAUKEE 2

Up next: vs. Milwaukee • 7:05 tonight • Metrodome • TV: ESPN (1500-AM)

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The Twins have taken on a whole new look since moving Joe Mauer to the No. 2 spot in the batting order.

In three games, they have scored 37 runs, gaining a comfortable lead early and coasting to easy victories.

The run support is taking a burden off their starting pitchers, and the latest to benefit was Anthony Swarzak, though he looked so poised in his big-league debut Saturday night, it seemed like one Twins run would have done the trick.

Mauer had three hits, including another homer, and Swarzak became the first starter in Twins history to toss seven shutout innings in his major league debut, as the Twins breezed to a 6-2 victory over the Brewers.

The Twins' biggest crowd since Opening Day -- announced at 40,457 -- filled the Metrodome with the usual electricity that comes when these border rivals meet, and neither Swarzak nor his team's hitters were fazed.

Asked to describe the way the hitters are feeling right now, Michael Cuddyer started with one word: relief.

"I think you can see that on all of our faces, in all of our at-bats," he said. "Nobody's pressing. Everybody's relying on the guy behind him. It's causing some pretty good things to happen. Once we scored those 20 runs [Thursday in Chicago] it was relief from that six-day thing I don't like talking about anymore."

Though it seems like ages ago, the Twins batted .118 (6-for-51) with runners in scoring position during their six-game losing streak.

Then on Thursday, when Mauer moved into the No. 2 spot, they built an 8-0 lead by the second inning for Nick Blackburn, who tossed seven shutout innings.

On Friday, Cuddyer's first-inning homer gave the Twins a 3-0 lead, and it was 8-0 by the fourth for Kevin Slowey, who pitched into the eighth.

Saturday was Swarzak's turn.

"Right away we looked up and his fastball was 88 to 90 [miles per hour], and we know he can throw 92-93," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "So right away that told us he wasn't trying to overthrow the ball. Joe Mauer just did a great job handling him, keeping him in control. Any time something happened, he went out there right away."

The Twins hit into two double plays in the first two innings -- something that might have caused a nine-inning panic during less confident times.

But they broke through for three runs in the third.

Mauer stepped up with two runners on base. Carlos Gomez broke for third, causing shortstop Craig Counsell to move toward second, and Mauer singled right through the vacated hole, almost as if the bat had eyes.

"I saw that hole over there, and [Braden] Looper's split-finger's nasty," Mauer said. "It dives away from the lefthanded hitter, and I was able to hit it through there."

That's right, he aimed. Mauer, who leads the majors with a .429 average this month, just shrugged.

"I don't know, just seeing it good," he said.

The play was more productive than the Twins could have imagined.

Gomez raced home from second, and Denard Span sprinted from first to third, challenging left fielder Ryan Braun. The Brewers compounded their problems by leaving nobody at third to catch Braun's throw. It bounced into the dugout for an error, enabling Span to score and Mauer to reach third.

Justin Morneau followed with a sacrifice fly, stretching the lead to 3-0.

Joe Crede led off the fourth inning with his seventh homer, and Mauer made it 5-0 with his ninth homer in the fifth.

"I think it's probably the deepest our lineup's ever been," Mauer said. "Hopefully we can keep putting up runs. ... If we can keep doing that, I don't care where I hit."

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