Twins: 'We're in this thing'

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The race in the AL Central got a lot tighter. Torii Hunter and Jason Davis did not.

Hunter took exception to an inside fastball from Davis for the second time this season as the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians renewed acquaintances and their rivalry Tuesday night.

Johan Santana stayed hot in August with eight strong innings, and Matt LeCroy hit a three-run homer, leading Minnesota to an 8-2 win over Cleveland.

The victory pulled the Twins within 1 1/2 games of first-place Kansas City in the AL Central. It's the closest the defending division champs have been since July 2.

"We're in this thing," said Hunter, who was speaking of the pennant race but could have also been referring to his ongoing feud with Davis and the Indians.

Once again, Hunter was in the middle of another heated matter with Davis, who fired a 97-mph fastball under the outfielder's chin in the sixth inning.

"I know pitching is part of baseball," Hunter said. "But don't play with my head. You can hit me in my ribs, in my foot, in my knee. Don't play with the head. I need my head."

Davis said his pitch had a purpose, but it wasn't intended to harm Hunter.

"I threw inside and I'll continue to throw inside," said Davis, who poked fun at Hunter's reaction.

"It's kind of humorous and immature," he said.

Santana (7-3) struck out a season-high 10 and allowed eight hits. The left-hander is 3-0 this month and has given up just four earned runs in his last 30 innings.

LeCroy's homer came in the sixth inning off Davis (7-10). Dustan Mohr added a two-run homer in the eighth for Minnesota, just 4-8 against Cleveland this season.

It wouldn't have been a Twins-Indians game without a heated situation.

After Davis struck out Hunter to end the sixth, the rookie right-hander put his head down and headed for the dugout. Hunter, however, had to be steered toward the outfield by plate umpire Rob Drake.

After his chat with Hunter, Drake warned both benches and there were no further problems.

Earlier this season, an argument between Hunter and Davis touched off a benches-clearing incident in Minneapolis. Last year, Hunter was suspended for three games after throwing a ball at Indians pitcher Danys Baez.

"I'm getting tired of this," Hunter said with a laugh.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire thought Hunter had a good reason to be upset.

"He threw a ball up and in at Torii's lips," Gardenhire said. "When a ball's thrown up in your face, you get frustrated. They warned us. That's fine. But we're not out to throw at them or fight with them. We're in a pennant race and we're out here to win games."

Hunter, who wanted to give Davis the benefit of the doubt, said the fastball was uncomfortably close.

"If I didn't move, it would have knocked me out," he said. "I would have been dead. He didn't hit me, so it's no big deal. Maybe it got away from him. It's an accident, maybe. I hope it was an accident."

Casey Blake went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Indians.

LeCroy, who has pounded Cleveland pitching this season, capped Minnesota's four-run sixth off Davis with his 14th homer, giving the Twins a 4-2 lead.

Blake, who spent three seasons stuck in Minnesota's minor league system, ended Santana's scoreless streak at 20 innings with his two-run shot in the fifth.

He's batting .345 (19-for-54) against his former team.

"We can't get him out," Gardenhire said. "I didn't think he was that mad when he left the organization."

Notes: Following the game, the Twins placed RHP Rick Reed on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain. Joe Mays, demoted to the bullpen in June, will take Reed's spot in the rotation. ... Davis remained winless since June 29 -- a span of nine starts. ... Twins DH Jacque Jones went 3-for-4 and is batting .345 (39-for-113) in his last 32 games.

MINNESOTA CLEVELAND

ab r h bi ab r h bi

ShStwrt lf 5 0 2 1 Crisp cf 4 1 1 0

Rivas 2b 5 1 2 1 Blake 3b 4 1 4 2

Koskie 3b 4 1 1 0 Ldwick lf 4 0 1 0

Hcking 3b 0 0 0 0 Brssrd 1b 4 0 0 0

LeCroy 1b 5 1 1 3 AEscbr rf 4 0 1 0

JJones dh 4 1 3 0 Hafner dh 3 0 0 0

Ryan dh 1 0 0 0 Bard c 4 0 0 0

THnter cf 4 0 0 0 ASntos 2b 3 0 1 0

Przyns c 4 1 1 1 JMcDld ss 3 0 0 0

Mohr rf 4 1 1 2

CGzmn ss 4 2 3 0

Totals 40 8 14 8 Totals 33 2 8 2

Minnesota 000 004 130 -- 8

Cleveland 000 020 000 -- 2

E--Broussard (9), JaDavis (5). DP--Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1. LOB--Minnesota

6, Cleveland 5. 2B--JJones 2 (28), Pierzynski (27), Blake (29), AEscobar (2). 3B--Rivas (8), Crisp (5). HR--LeCroy (14), Mohr (9), Blake (15). SB--JJones (12), Ludwick (2). CS--Blake (7).

IP H R ER BB SO

Minnesota

Santana W,7-3 8 8 2 2 1 10

Balfour 1 0 0 0 0 2

Cleveland

JaDavis L,7-10 6 2-3 9 5 4 1 2

Cortes 2 1-3 5 3 3 0 0

WP--JaDavis.

Umpires--Home, Rob Drake; First, Scott Nelson; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Paul Nauert.

T--2:29. A--21,239 (43,368).