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Mauer powers Twins to 10th win in a row

Jun 28, 2008 - 4:22 AM By Brian Hall PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Forgive the Minnesota Twins if they aren't getting too excited about their current 10-game win streak; it's because most of them have been in the situation before.

Joe Mauer hit his third home run of the season with two outs in the eighth inning to power Minnesota to its 10th straight victory with a 7-6 triumph at home Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mauer belted an 0-2 pitch from Milwaukee reliever Guillermo Mota (2-5) over the center field wall, allowing the Twins to overcome four Brewers home runs.

"I went up there and I was trying to look for a fastball up," Mauer said. "I fouled a couple off; a couple that were in, couple that were up. Finally, I got that one I could put the bat on.

Matt Guerrier (4-2) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief and Joe Nathan finished off the game with his 22nd save in 24 chances. And with each win, the current streak is more reminiscent of a similar run for Minnesota in 2006 when it went 19-1 at one point.

"We're just kind of playing in the moment," Nathan said. "You don't hear guys talking about what we've done, and what we need to do. It's really just about going out and seeing what situation comes up and what guys can do.

"It seems like a different guy stepping up every night, and we've seen a bunch of different situations, a bunch of different styles of game. It seems no matter what is thrown at us our lineup is swinging great and comes up with big hits every night."

Milwaukee's Corey Hart belted a pair of homers, and Russell Branyan and J.J. Hardy each had solo shots for the Brewers. Alexi Casilla and Jason Kubel also hit solo home runs for the Twins, who ran their record to 13-3 against the National League this season.

Getting caught in a home-run contest likely wasn't going to favor the home team. Minnesota came into the game ranked sixth in all of baseball in scoring with 381 runs, but had hit just 51 homers, tied for the lowest total in the league. Milwaukee was 16th in runs with 353, but had hit 100 home runs, good for fourth.

"They hit homers, we hit homers," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "They got base hits, we got base hits. We didn't pitch that great, They didn't pitch that great."

Casilla got the scoring started when he hit his fourth of the season in the first inning. However, in the top of the second, Hart led off with his 13th of the season, and Branyan made it back-to-back shots with his 11th to give the Brewers a 2-1 advantage.

Kubel tied it at 2-2 leading off the fourth with his 11th home run of the season.

However, Hart and Hardy would strike in the top of the fifth. Rickie Weeks singled and Hardy followed with his sixth home run. Ryan Braun doubled, and then Hart connected for his second of the game and 14th of the season to put Milwaukee up 6-3. It was Hart's second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of his career.

"They left a few pitches over the plate and I was able to hit them out," Hart said. "It doesn't matter what you do, you obviously want to win every game you can."

Minnesota cut the deficit to 6-5 in the fifth inning. After Mauer doubled to start the inning, the Twins loaded the bases before Mauer came around to score on a sacrifice. Delmon Young singled in Morneau to cap the scoring in the frame.

The Twins tied it again in the seventh at 6-6. Cuddyer and Kubel each singled to put runners at first and second. Young followed with another single, but Cuddyer was thrown out by left fielder Ryan Braun at home plate as Jason Kendall applied the tag. However, Brian Buscher followed with a single to left, scoring Kubel.

Nick Blackburn started for Minnesota and gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five, but allowed all the four home runs. Seth McClung also went 4 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs on nine hits.

"When good things are going, you always feel you have a chance until that last outs recorded," Mauer said. "It wasn't any different tonight. Guys are battling. On the streak, it's been a different guy every day. We need that to go on a streak like this."