Twins' Morneau is playing like an MVP winner again

Carlos Quentin took his 36 home runs and 100 RBI and officially went to the sideline with a broken wrist on Friday. The slugging star of the Chicago White Sox will miss both the September stretch drive and his chance to be an unlikely winner of the American League's Most Valuable Player Award.

The bad news became official in Chicago a few hours before Justin Morneau, an unlikely winner of that award in 2006, gave a boost to his candidacy to be a multiple MVP.

There have been 13 players to win more than one MVP in the American League since the award was started in 1931. The company is impressive:

Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Frank Thomas, Cal Ripken Jr., Robin Yount, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Hal Newhouser, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg.

Josh Hamilton was the odds-on favorite at the All-Star break, even though he was playing with a noncontender in Texas. He put on a phenomenal home run display during the All-Star festivities and has cooled off considerably since.

The discussion over the past couple of weeks has centered on Quentin and Dustin Pedroia, Boston's wonderful mite of a second baseman. As a courtesy, the gentlemen partaking in the ESPN discussions have tossed in Morneau's name, although the next time a national TV sage says he should win it will be a first.

The Twins returned from their miserable road trip on Friday to play their 141st game. Morneau was in the lineup for the 141st time -- No. 134 at first base, to go with seven more as the designated hitter.

Armando Galarraga was the Detroit starter and brought with him this quirk: 0-3 against the Twins and 12-1 against the rest of the world.

The righthander appeared to be taking that lack of success against Ron Gardenhire's bloop brigade to heart in the first. He nibbled around and walked the bases full. Jason Kubel's sacrifice fly gave the Twins a 1-0 lead.

Delmon Young ran into a hanging slider in the fourth and smashed a 412-foot home run to center. It was the Twins' first hit and worth a 2-0 lead.

Marcus Thames homered to even deeper center in the fifth off Francisco Liriano. So, the Twins were in a 2-1 game, and the way the close games went on the road trip there was every reason for the fans to be hyperventilating -- as well as Gardenhire and his battered bullpen.

Galarraga allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Gomez in the fifth. With one out, he went back to taking a shot at the outside corner and walked Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer.

Bases loaded, one out. The Twins needed a big hit from their big man and put behind the nightmare of two weeks of blown games in four cities and two countries.

Morneau stayed back on an 0-1 changeup from Galarraga and smacked it over the Hefty Bag in right. It was his second grand slam of the season, pushed his RBI total to 113 and made it 6-1.

The modest-sized crowd (announced at 24,424) responded with a standing ovation that lasted long enough for Morneau to take a half-step from the dugout and wave in appreciation.

"That was nice," he said. "It was a first for me in this park."

The final was 10-2, meaning that Galarraga -- a five-game loser -- will finish 0-4 against the Twins. What gives?

"We've had a chance to face him a lot," Morneau said. "I think that helps against any pitcher. I was looking at the charts before the game, and I was surprised how many at-bats I had against him."

This was Galarraga's fifth start against the Twins. Morneau is now 5-for-14 against him and drew his third walk in the first inning.

"He runs the ball away and wants you to swing at that pitch," the MVP winner/contender said. "The first pitch was a strike, but away ... not one you want to swing at. The next pitch was a changeup in the middle of the plate."

Did the slam relieve the tension still hanging around the Twins after the frustrating road trip?

"I think so," Morneau said. "I know it did for me."

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