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Baker dominant as Twins top struggling Brewers

May 20, 2007 - 3:08 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- While Scott Baker gave the Minnesota Twins an unexpected lift, he continued the Milwaukee Brewers' quick descent.

Fresh from the minor leagues, Baker tossed a career-high 8 1/3 innings and Torii Hunter blasted a two-run homer as the Twins continued their dominance of the Brewers with a 5-2 victory Saturday.

Lew Ford delivered an important insurance run with an RBI double in the fourth for Minnesota, which has won seven of the eight meetings between the clubs dating to last season.

"That was a very, very exciting game on our side of it tonight," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We scored enough runs, manufactured a couple and Scott pitched his tail off."

The Brewers, who entered last weekend's series with the New York Mets on a season-high six-game winning streak, have now dropped seven of nine contests after absorbing setbacks in the first two games of this series.

One of the reasons Milwaukee has been struggling is its lack of offense. It has scored a combined 11 runs in its last five games, and the offensive struggles continued on Saturday thanks to Baker (1-0), who was called up from Class AAA Rochester.

"I thought the bats started to come alive, it's just the way it's going right now, you hit the ball and it's right at somebody," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "That's just the way it seems to go when you're struggling."

The righthanded Baker was 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 42 1/3 innings for Rochester this season and was sharp against Milwaukee, allowing two runs and six hits while striking out five and not walking a batter.

"I just changed my perspective on the whole thing, it's all about the process and making sure I know I'm as prepared as I possibly can be," Baker said. "There comes a point where it just happens and that's a good feeling." Baker threw just 96 pitches, and after Prince Fielder's sixth-inning double, he retired nine straight until Bill Hall's solo blast with one down in the ninth.

Gardenhire pulled Baker after the homer, allowing star closer Joe Nathan to record the final two outs.

With Minnesota trailing, 1-0, in the second, reigning American League MVP Justin Morneau singled to lead off the frame. Hunter followed with a towering blast to give Minnesota the lead for good.

"When everybody isn't clicking together, you have to find a way," Gardenhire said. "That was a big home run to get us back in it, Torii has been swinging the bat for us all year long."

Brewers starter Dave Bush (3-4) yielded five runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 frames, striking out four and walking one.

"I thought I threw a pretty good game, sometimes the results just don't go the way you want," Bush said. "All the things that were going our way the first couple weeks aren't right now."

J.J. Hardy blasted his National League-leading 14th homer for Milwaukee.