MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Craig Monroe went 2-for-4 with two of
Minnesota's three home runs and four RBIs, and the Twins hung on
for a 9-8 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
     
The Twins entered the game with a major league-low 17 homers,
and they had yet to hit more than one in a game before tonight's
binge.
     
Monroe had his third career multihomer game and Adam Everett
also went deep off Boston starter Tim Wakefield. Wakefield's
knuckleball always seems to bite a little bit harder in the
Metrodome, but he gave up seven runs -- six earned -- on seven hits
in less than three innings.
     
Twins closer Joe Nathan gave up two runs in the ninth. But he
won a showdown with pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez by getting him to
ground out to shortstop with the tying run on second base to pick
up his 12th save in as many chances.