Twins power way past Bucs, 5-3

Justin Morneau's had the go ahead blast in the eighth inning.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Justin Morneau hit Minnesota's third homer of the game to break an eighth-inning tie and give the Twins their sixth victory in a row, 5-3 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Twins relievers Kyle Lohse, Jesse Crain (1-4) and Joe Nathan combined to pitch 52/3 scoreless innings after starter Boof Bonser was lifted after pitching 31/3 innings in his first start since June 7. Nathan got his 10th save in as many opportunities and his third in as many games by pitching a scoreless ninth after Crain pitched two shutout innings.
The Twins were eight games under .500 at 25-33 on June 7, but have won eight of nine to get back to within a game of .500 at 33-34. Their six-game winning streak is their first since last Aug. 14-19.
Also homered for Twins
Jason Kubel and Terry Tiffee, making a spot start at third base, also homered for the Twins -- back-to-back drives to start the third inning against rookie left-hander Paul Maholm. The Twins had not hit consecutive homers since Juan Castro and Shannon Stewart did so on May 28, 2005.
Kubel, homering for the fourth time in five games, also drove in the run that made it 3-1 with a groundout in the fourth.
The Pirates, 1-4 on a seven-game homestand, rallied to tie it at 3 on Freddy Sanchez's two-run single in the fourth that chased Bonser and brought on Loshe. Ronny Paulino also homered for the Pirates, a solo drive in the third that was his second in the majors.
Morneau's homer was his 16th and came on the first pitch he saw in the eighth after reliever Damaso Marte (0-5) had quickly retired Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer. Morneau is 16-for-36 (.444) during a nine-game hitting streak that coincides with the Twins' recent surge.
MINNESOTAPITTSBURGH
abrhbiabrhbi
Punto 2b5010McLth cf3000
Bartlett ss5021JWlson ss4010
Mauer c3110Casey 1b4000
Cddyer rf4010Bay lf4110
Mrneau 1b4111Burnitz rf4110
THnter cf3000FSnchz 3b3012
Kubel lf4112Castillo 2b3010
LRdrgz 3b0000Palino c3111
Tiffe 3b3121Mholm p2010
LFord lf0100Marte p0000
Bonser p2000Randa ph1000
Lohse p0000RoHrdz p0000
RoWhte ph1000
Crain p0000
Sierra ph1000
Nathan p0000
Totals35595Totals31373
Minnesota002100011--5
Pittsburgh001200000--3
DP--Minnesota 1. LOB--Minnesota 8, Pittsburgh 2. 2B--Mauer (19), Burnitz (11). HR--Morneau (16), Kubel (6), Tiffee (1), Paulino (2). SB--Bay (6). CS--Bartlett (2), FSanchez (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Minnesota
Bonser3 1-353311
Lohse2 2-320003
Crain W,1-4200001
Nathan S,10100001
Pittsburgh
Maholm753344
Marte L,0-5111101
RoHernandez131111
Umpires--Home, Alfonso Marquez; First, Larry Young; Second, Chad Fairchild; Third, Mike Everitt. T--2:29. A--34,085.
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