Hunter saves win for Twins

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Torii Hunter didn't remember getting dirt in his eyes on an acrobatic catch that pitcher Kenny Rogers considers the best play he's seen by a center fielder.

Hunter's daring defense and his two-run homer helped preserve Rogers' recent perfection in Oakland -- a string of 34 games without a loss.

Hunter was still rubbing his eyes to get rid of the dirt after Minnesota's 4-3 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. He went face first into the warning track to save a hit in the second inning.

Hunter tied the game with his homer in the fourth and robbed the A's twice with his impressive defensive play -- stealing a hit from Mark Ellis with the catch and taking a run away from Eric Byrnes with a nice throw to home plate in the first.

"He tried to tell me he didn't know it was a nationally televised game," said Rogers, 17-0 in Oakland since Aug. 7, 1994, when he was with the Texas Rangers. "I don't know of any other player who could have caught that ball. I had as good a view as anybody ... and I knew that ball was not going to be caught. How he closed the gap I'll never know. He helped keep me in the game."

Some clutch hitting helped, too.

Dustan Mohr drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to spoil a strong start by Barry Zito and players on both sides kept their tempers in check.

The Twins scored the tying run in the eighth off Ricardo Rincon, who allowed a leadoff single to Cristian Guzman. LaTroy Hawkins (4-0) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the win and Eddie Guardado worked the ninth for his 11th save in as many chances.

Rogers, 2-0 in his last four starts, allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings.

The benches emptied twice in Oakland's 4-1 win Tuesday that began a three-game series, a testy rematch from last fall's playoffs. The wildest thing to happen Wednesday was a wild pitch by Rogers in the fourth.

MINNESOTA OAKLAND

ab r h bi ab r h bi

JJones lf 5 0 1 0 Byrnes cf 4 1 2 0

CGzmn ss 5 1 1 0 Httberg 1b 4 1 1 0

Koskie 3b 4 0 1 0 Tejada ss 4 0 2 0

LeCroy 1b 3 1 2 1 EChavz 3b 4 0 1 1

Rivas 2b 1 1 0 0 Durazo dh 4 0 1 1

THnter cf 4 1 1 2 RaHrdz c 4 0 0 0

Kielty dh 1 0 0 0 MEllis 2b 3 1 1 0

Mohr rf 4 0 3 1 Long rf 4 0 1 0

Prince c 3 0 0 0 Piatt lf 4 0 1 0

Hcking 2b 4 0 0 0 Snglton pr 0 0 0 0

Totals 34 4 9 4 Totals 35 3 10 2

Minnesota 000 200 020 -- 4

Oakland 101 100 000 -- 3

E--Piatt (1). DP--Minnesota 1, Oakland 1. LOB--Minnesota 9, Oakland 7. 2B--Koskie (8). HR--THunter (7). SB--Koskie (4). S--Prince.

IP H R ER BB SO

Minnesota

Rogers 6 9 3 3 2 3

Hawkins W,4-0 1 0 0 0 0 1

Romero 1 0 0 0 0 0

Guardado S,11 1 1 0 0 0 0

Oakland

Zito 7 5 2 2 3 1

Rincon 1-3 1 1 1 0 0

Bradford L,2-3 1 2-3 3 1 1 1 2

HBP--by Bradford (Koskie). WP--Rogers.

Umpires--Home, Ron Kulpa; First, Mike Winters; Second, Bruce Froemming; Third, Doug Eddings.

T--2:55. A--27,189 (43,662).