Game 2: Hunter misplays ball into Twins loss

(AP) Right after two of his Minnesota teammates hit back-to-back home runs, Torii Hunter tried to be the hero.

Instead, the Gold Glove center fielder made an ill-advised dive for a sinking line drive. Sprawled on the turf, he could only watch as Mark Kotsay circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run that lifted the Oakland Athletics over Minnesota 5-2 Wednesday for a 2-0 lead in their AL playoff series.

"It was the worst feeling in the world. You can't do anything about it," said Hunter, who blamed himself for this devastating defeat.

A's starter Esteban Loaiza slipped in the sixth inning, surrendering consecutive solo homers to Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau that evened the game at 2.

But with Jason Kendall on first base, two outs in the seventh and reliever Dennys Reyes pitching, Kotsay hit what should have been a single. Hunter, bothered by a sore left foot this season, charged forward.

"There's only one person in this league that can make that catch, and it's Torii," said Cuddyer, who watched from right field. "Although it's as close as you come, he's not Superman."

The five-time Gold Glover missed - by a lot - and the ball rolled to the wall. Kotsay raced all the way around to give Oakland a 4-2 lead.

"Once you commit, you're kind of in no-man's land, and it's best to go," said Kotsay, also a center fielder. "He went, and for his sake, unfortunately, the ball took off."

Said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire: "When he goes after a ball, I don't second-guess him. Ever."

The A's handled the Boof - Bonser, that is - and here's the truth: These perennial playoff underperformers have arrived at yet another elimination game. They're 0-9 in those since 2000, losing four straight first-round series.

"This team knows what to do," said Eric Chavez, a regular on all four of those clubs. "We're hard-nosed baseball players that like to play the game. I don't think anybody here, regardless if they've been in this position, is going to take Game 3 lightly."

The series shifts west Friday, with Twins right-hander Brad Radke taking his broken shoulder socket to the mound for possibly the final time of his 12-year career. Dan Haren, in his first postseason start, will pitch for Oakland.

Bonser, a rookie, struck out three in six innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. Sidearmer Pat Neshek, who took the loss, started the seventh before yielding to Reyes.

The A's - who got an RBI double from Marco Scutaro for the second day in a row - tacked one more on in the ninth when Nick Swisher doubled against Juan Rincon and scored on Joe Nathan's wild pitch.

Huston Street worked the ninth for his second save in as many days after blowing 11 chances during the regular season. He gave up a single to Jason Bartlett and a walk to Luis Castillo, but retired Nick Punto on a popup on a 3-2 pitch with AL batting champion Joe Mauer on deck.

Minnesota won championships in 1987 and 1991 without winning a single road game in either of those World Series, and the Metrodome - with the deteriorating, dust-colored ceiling and the din of a sellout crowd - is a difficult place for opponents.

But the advantage for the Twins seems outdated now. They've lost seven straight at home in the postseason, with their last win coming in Game 1 of the 2002 AL championship series against the Angels.

Bonser, who arrived from the Giants with Nathan and All-Star Francisco Liriano in the lopsided trade for catcher A.J. Pierzynski, settled in as a reliable member of the rotation when his third stint in the majors began in mid-August. The Twins were impressed by his aggressiveness, and his anger when prospect Matt Garza was promoted ahead of him following the first revelation of Liriano's injury.

Bonser attacked the strike zone like he was supposed to, being careful with Frank Thomas on a second-inning walk for his only four-ball count of the afternoon. A ground-rule double by Thomas, 4-for-7 in the series, didn't lead to anything in the fourth, and it wasn't until the fifth that Bonser had trouble.

Swisher started with a double, and Scutaro drove him in with a two-base hit to the exact same spot - in the right-field corner. Kendall's one-out RBI single gave the A's a 2-0 lead, just like the one Barry Zito had by the second inning in Game 1 to beat Johan Santana.

Loaiza, who had an up-and-down year marked by a trip to the disabled list in May, a drunken-driving arrest in June and an outstanding August, scattered six singles over the first five innings and had flawless infield defense behind him from Swisher at first base, Scutaro at shortstop and Chavez at third. He was looking strong until he left a 3-2 pitch over the plate for Cuddyer to crush into the seats.

Morneau came next, sending a 1-2 delivery soaring into the upper deck. Suddenly, the game was tied and Loaiza was leaving the mound, replaced by Kiko Calero - who got three outs and the win.

Notes: A's second baseman Mark Ellis fouled a ball off his right index finger in the ninth and left the game in the bottom of the inning. He was taken for X-rays, and Macha said he was concerned. ... Including the 2003 division series against the Red Sox, Chavez is in a 1-for-30 slump in the playoffs. ... Cuddyer's postseason hitting streak is at seven games, dating back to the 2003 division series against the Yankees. In 12 career first-round games, he's batting .400 (16-for-40) with five RBIs. ... Ray Durham hit Oakland's last playoff inside-the-park homer, against Minnesota's Rick Reed exactly four years ago in Game 3 of the division series here. ... The A's won their first two games in New York in 2001, then lost three in a row.

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