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Liriano, Twins top Brewers

Jul 2, 2011 - 5:40 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The last time Francisco Liriano and Yovani Gallardo were on the mound, the Brewers pounded the Twins. The tables were turned less than a week later.

Jim Thome belted a three-run homer in the opening frame and Liriano pitched seven solid innings in Minnesota's 6-2 victory over Milwaukee to start a three-game series.

Joe Mauer totaled three hits and scored twice for the Twins, who won their third in a row following a six-game skid.

Liriano (5-7) bounced back from allowing eight hits and five earned runs in an 11-1 loss last Saturday. In this game, he fanned seven batters, walked two and gave up just four hits and the two runs.

Gallardo (9-5) was charged with five hits and five runs -- three earned -- in the rematch. Ryan Braun singled in a run in the third inning to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games.

Carlos Gomez had a pair of hits, including a solo homer, but Milwaukee lost its fourth in a row.

The start of Friday's game was delayed two hours by rain, but the second batter, Gomez, homered to center field.

Thome came up with a huge blast in the bottom half. Mauer singled to left with two outs and Michael Cuddyer walked leading to Thome's homer to left.

"We're letting too many guys get on base," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Walks have hurt us. You can't walk people. It's better to give up the solo home run instead of walking guys. Thome is a good hitter. He tried to throw a curveball to him and left it up in the zone. He doesn't usually miss that pitch."

It was the 594th of his career and his first since May 23 when Thome hit two against the Mariners.

"Any time we can get ahead like that and give Frankie some room early on, it was obviously great," Thome said. "That's for sure."

Braun's only hit of the night plated Rickie Weeks in the third, but the Brewers padded their lead in the fifth without a hit. Ben Revere and Alexi Casilla walked. Mauer then hit a grounder that went under the glove and between the legs of first baseman Prince Fielder into right field, widening the gap to 4-2. Cuddyer's double-play grounder plated Casilla.

Liriano retired the final seven batters he faced before yielding to Joe Nathan in the eighth.

Danny Valencia singled in Mauer in the bottom of the frame, and Glen Perkins retired the side in order in the ninth to close the contest.

Game Notes

Braun's hitting streak is fifth-best all-time in Brewers history. Cecil Cooper (1980) and Corey Hart (2007) both hit in 22 straight, Davey May (1973) in 24 in a row, and Paul Molitor (1987) holds the record with a 39-game run...Mauer is a career .333 (48-for-144) hitter against the Brewers.