• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Jenkins' slam leads Brewers past Twins

Jun 16, 2007 - 4:47 AM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Getting no-hit might have actually been just what the Milwaukee Brewers needed to wake up.

Geoff Jenkins hit a grand slam, Prince Fielder added his National League-leading 24th home run, and Claudio Vargas pitched six effective innings to help the Brewers past the Minnesota Twins, 10-3, on Friday at the Metrodome.

Bill Hall added a two-run double as Milwaukee earned its fourth straight victory.

"You just have to have a very short memory in this game," Hall said about the turnaround. "That is what we try to do. That day was over and we had to come out the next day, play good baseball and get a win."

The Brewers were no-hit by Detroit's Justin Verlander on Tuesday, but the team responded by taking the final two games of that series.

A blistering start saw Milwaukee jump out to a 24-10 record and earn a seven-game lead in the NL Central. The Brewers then went 10-20 over their next 30 games, concluding with Verlander's no-hitter.

"I don't know what you call it, but there is a bit of a different feel in there from that point," manager Ned Yost said. "They came back the next day, battled out and got a win, and all of a sudden some confidence grew out of that."

On Friday, Milwaukee kept its most recent streak going thanks to Jenkins' blast in the fourth inning.

Ryan Braun and Fielder started the inning with consecutive singles. After a strikeout, Johnny Estrada loaded the bases when he was hit by pitch from Minnesota starter Scott Baker. Jenkins followed with his fourth career grand slam.

"It seems like a team, no matter who it is, starts scoring some runs, and everyone relaxes," Jenkins said.

"You keep it in the ballpark there, get a pop fly or sacrifice fly, we are still OK," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But that ball goes in the seats. That is big. We just never recovered."

It was all the support Vargas needed.

The righthander (5-1) gave up three runs - two earned - on five hits, while striking out five over six innings. The Brewers have won 10 of Vargas' 12 starts this season.

"It was nice to put some runs on the board and take some pressure off 'Vargie,'" Jenkins said. "If you can get a couple of runs, let alone a 'granny,' it's a momentum swing."

Twice, Vargas looked to be in trouble.

In the bottom of the fourth, Minnesota appeared ready to answer Jenkins' slam. But, with runners at first and third with two out, Vargas got Mike Redmond to fly out to right field.

In the sixth, Justin Morneau hit a solo home run off Vargas, his 19th of the year, and Torii Hunter drew a two-out walk. Again Vargas got Redmond, this time striking him out looking.

Brian Shouse pitched three perfect innings for his first save.

"We were a little short in the pen," Yost said. "There is two ways that you can really get your pen. That is to take a beating and let somebody take it, or you score a bunch of runs and do it that way. It worked perfectly."

Redmond drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning on Thursday as Minnesota swept Atlanta. The Twins were looking for their fifth straight victory.

"You can't expect to go out and roll off 10, 12 games in a row," Minnesota right fielder Michael Cuddyer said. "You win four in a row, you lose one. Hopefully, you win four in a row again. That is the mentality that we have to have."

Minnesota scored a run in the second inning, when Morneau reached on a walk, went to third on an error by Braun at third base, and scored on a Redmond groundout.

Jason Kubel added his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth.

Baker (1-2), who had his turned skipped in the rotation earlier in the week because of an off day, allowed at least five runs for the third straight start. He went 4 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits.

"Mistakes, simple as that," Baker said. "I really felt like I was throwing well. It is more frustrating when you feel like you are throwing well and it's a couple of mistakes that actually do beat you."