Twins not ready to throw in towel yet

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They scored five quick runs and got excellent relief for a rare victory in Canada.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: September 8, 2009 - 8:24 AM

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TWINS 6, TORONTO 3 Up next: at Toronto • 6:07 p.m. tonight • TV: FSN (1500-AM)

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TORONTO - September baseball requires different approaches. Contenders are excited to come to the ballpark every day. Non-contenders are evaluating prospects while some players ponder offseason hunting trips.

Then there are teams such as the Twins, who hold on to hope despite falling from 3 1/2 to seven games behind Detroit in the AL Central over a stretch of five days. Many followers have prepared their 2009 eulogy, but there's too much pride in their clubhouse to pack it in.

So they tried to dig themselves out of the massive hole they are in by grinding out a 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday, scoring five runs in the first inning then leaning on an improved bullpen to hold on and end their seven-game losing streak in Toronto's Rogers Centre.

"Just win series until we get to Detroit and then we'll see what happens," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Gardenhire mentioned a pregame talk in which it was pointed out that seven games remain against the Tigers, who were idle Monday. So the Twins' plan is to win the three series leading up to the three-game set vs. Detroit from Sept. 18-20 at the Metro- dome. Then there's a four-game series at Detroit that begins Sept. 28.

The Twins' plan also would mean bucking a trend in this week's four-game series at Rogers Centre, where they were 1-9 over the past 10 games before Monday.

The calendar and schedule, matched with their uneven play this season, suggests the Twins can't pull it off. But Gardenhire said he is ignoring logic and reality. For his team, it's better to hope than think about elk hunting in Montana in a few weeks.

"Obviously, we still have time," said Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who broke an 0-for-19 skid with a first-inning RBI single. "If we can get hot, the way Joe's swinging the bat, we can do some damage."

Morneau was referring to teammate Joe Mauer, who was 3-for-5 Monday to raise his AL-leading batting average to .369, ahead of the .362 of Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. The Twins are one good losing streak away from Mauer being the only draw -- well, other than the closing of the Metrodome -- during the final weeks of the season.

"I know the Tigers are playing really good right now," Gardenhire said. "We have been as close as 3 1/2 games [in September]. We've backed up a little bit now, but there's no quit."

The Twins jumped on Toronto righthander Scott Richmond (6-9) for five runs in the first inning, which helped Jeff Manship, a little. The rookie righthander lasted 4 1/3 innings before succumbing to 104 pitches. But the Twins bullpen stepped up, with righthander Jesse Crain (5-4) getting four outs, three by strikeout, to earn the victory.

The offense averaged 2.6 runs over 10 games before Monday, and Gardenhire hopes there's enough time to put everything together and become relevant again. "If we keep pitching, we'll be fine," he said, "because I know we can score runs."

It looks as if there's too little time to save the season, but the Twins couldn't be convinced of that Monday. It's about winning the next three series while cutting into the deficit.

"Then those games mean something when we play Detroit," Morneau said.

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