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Gomez hits for cycle, Hernandez dominates as Twins roll

May 8, 2008 - 5:59 AM By Gene Chamberlain PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- When the rain finally stopped at U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday night, Minnesota Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez was ready to go.

After an hour and 44-minute rain delay, Gomez led off the game with a home run and went on to hit for the first cycle to lead the Twins to a 13-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Livan Hernandez did not mind the delay, either, as he tossed his first shutout of the season while Nick Punto drove in five runs and Mike Redmond added three RBI.

"He (Gomez) was out and ready to go," Redmond said. "Sometimes guys come out a little sluggish, myself included, after such a long delay. You're sitting there waiting for the rain to stop. And for him to come out and hit a home run right out of the chute, that was unbelievable. It was an amazing night for a young player to hit the cycle in reverse."

Gomez had an RBI triple in the fifth and added a run-scoring double in the sixth.

The speedster completed the cycle - the first in the majors this season - in the ninth when he drilled a ground ball that hit off the leg of reliever Ehren Wassermann and caromed to shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who could not make the play.

Gomez said he considered bunting prior to the infield single but changed his mind.

"When I hit the ground ball, I closed my eyes and I ran," he said. "But when I saw the pitcher dropped the ball, I was saying, You got it, you got it, man."

Gomez became the first player to hit for the cycle since Baltimore's Aubrey Huff on June 29, 2007, and the first Twin to accomplish the feat since the late Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett did so on August 1, 1986.

Gomez also became the eighth player in Twins history to record a cycle.

"It was amazing," said Gomez, who acquired in the deal that sent two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana to the New York Mets during the offseason. "Kirby Puckett was a great, great player, an All-Star. I can't explain (the feeling) to you. It's unbelievable."

Gomez was acquired, in part, to take the place of Torii Hunter, who signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the offseason.

So far, he has done an admirable job in his first full season, hitting .290 (34-for-117) with two home runs and 11 RBI in 13 steals.

"He's special," said Scott Ullger, who was acting as Twins manager until Ron Gardenhire returns following the death of his brother. "He reminds me of Torii Hunter."

Gomez's huge night was just the tip of the iceberg for the Twins, who pounded Chicago lefthander Mark Buehrle (1-5) for seven runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Twins broke open the game against Buehrle with a five-run sixth inning that was highlighted by a bases-loaded, three-run double from Punto.

Redmond's sacrifice fly to center had accounted for the first run of the inning and Gomez's RBI double on a sinking liner to left chased Buehrle, who smashed a bat in a fit of frustration in the dugout.

"I've never seen him react like that," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said after his team lost for the seventh time in eight games. "His reaction was surprising. I like that."

It was a far cry from Tuesday night, when Gavin Floyd carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning of a 7-1 White Sox win.

"It was a great win for us after we got beat last night and only getting one hit, but came back against a good pitcher like Buehrle and were banging the ball around pretty good," Ullger said.

Meanwhile, Hernandez (5-1) was on cruise control.

Hernandez allowed one run and nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk. The righthander, who threw 121 pitches, was denied his first shutout since 2004, when Jermaine Dye blasted a one-out homer to left in the ninth.

"He' pitched well, he's pitched well his whole career," Guillen said.

The Twins continued to pile on, sending 10 batters to the plate in a six-run ninth. Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young each had an RBI single, Redmond had a two-run double and Punto drove in a pair with a triple.