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Hunter's career-best night helps Twins blast Tigers

May 14, 2007 - 5:21 AM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- It is one thing to snap a losing streak. It is a whole other story to do it as emphatically as the Minnesota Twins did on national television.

Torii Hunter hit a pair of home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs to help the Twins snap a four-game losing streak and avoid a series sweep with a 16-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Hunter hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Tigers starter Virgil Vasquez (0-1) to give Minnesota a 4-2 advantage. The Twins had a season-high six hits in the inning off Vasquez, who was making his major league debut.

Hunter added to his huge game by blasting a two-run homer in the seventh off Tigers reliever Wilfredo Ledezma. It was his seventh career multiple-homer game and his first since June 25, 2005, at Milwaukee.

"That was exciting," Hunter said. "I've been known for my glove but I feel like I'm getting better the last couple years at the plate. If I could stay this way the whole season that would be nice. But, in baseball, no chance."

The 16 runs represented the highest total for the Twins since May 19, 2006, and were the most runs allowed by the Tigers since September 9, 2004.

"You could see the weight of the world going off a lot of these guys' shoulders," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It was fun to be in the dugout, the guys were laughing. We haven't seen that in awhile. We need that more often."

Justin Morneau went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Luis Castillo also had three hits with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI for the Twins. Boof Bonser (1-1) allowed four runs on six hits in five innings but earned his first win in eight starts this season.

Vasquez, who led the International League with 50 strikeouts and was 4-2 with a 2.88 ERA for the Toledo Mud Hens, lasted just 2 2/3 innings and surrendered six runs on nine hits. It could have been even worse.

"I got some balls up in the zone and didn't pitch with what got me here," Vasquez said. "I learned a lesson and, hopefully, I'll go back and be better."

Vasquez got out of the first inning when Jason Kubel was thrown out trying to score from second on Nick Punto's single. Television replays showed that Kubel barely beat Ivan Rodriguez's tag.

The rookie got into trouble again with two outs in the third inning, giving up a pair of RBI singles sandwiched around a walk, prompting manager Jim Leyland to summon Jason Grilli from the bullpen. Vasquez would be optioned back to Toledo shortly after the game ended.

"It's like coming up and going 0-for-4 with a couple punchouts," Tigers first baseman Sean Casey said. "You're glad to be there but you're not satisfied. He's one of the hardest working kids I've ever seen, so he'll be back and he'll do well next time. But just to be up here is a special thing."

Grilli did not fare much better, as the Twins scored two more on Hunter's two-run double in the fourth inning and Michael Cuddyer doubled home Castillo in the fifth.

Minnesota tallied season highs with 16 runs and 22 hits, with five batters collecting three hits and all nine starters notching at least one hit.

Catcher Mike Redmond was the last to do so as he homered off Ledezma in the seventh inning for the Twins' final run. It was his first home run since July 6, 2005.

"I was thinking to myself, we're going to have 18 hits and I'm going to be sitting on an 0-for-4 if I don't get going," Redmond said. "The home run was great but we needed this win. It's way more important than any of that other stuff."

Cuddyer added to the team's breakout performance in the eighth with a three-run blast.

Minnesota scored in double digits for the fourth time this season - and second time in six games against Detroit - and broke out of a huge slump in the process. The Twins had scored just eight runs combined in their previous four games, including just five runs in their two previous games against Detroit despite recording 21 hits.

Minnesota scored in every inning except the second.

"I don't think there's any question about that," Leyland said when asked if he thought this game was just a case of a good team breaking out. "That was a long night and that's all I've got for you."

Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give Detroit a brief lead. Curtis Granderson went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI and Brandon Inge had two singles with a run scored for the Tigers, who lost for just the second time in their last 13 games.