--RHP Kevin Slowey walked Eric Patterson to lead off the third inning Friday, snapping his streak of 63 straight batters faced without issuing a pass. He struck out 10 Athletics, giving him two career double-digit games; the other was also against Oakland, just 10 days earlier in the Metrodome.
--LHP Craig Breslow faced nine hitters and retired them all Friday night, earning his first career save. Breslow received the game ball and the lineup card after the game, and probably deserved the souvenirs; his effort gave the rest of the road-weary bullpen a much-needed night off. --C Joe Mauer singled four times and doubled in six at-bats on Friday, adding seven points to his batting average and moving him back into the lead in the American League batting race. Mauer is batting .324, just ahead of Boston's Dustin Pedroia (.321) and Texas' Milton Bradley (.320). It tied Mauer's career high, set June 26, 2006, against the Dodgers.
--1B Justin Morneau doubled twice and singled twice, driving in a run and adding five points to his batting average, which is now .313. Morneau has 11 hits in 25 at-bats against Oakland this season, a .444 batting average.
--2B Alexi Casilla, hitting in the eighth slot for the first time all season, collected three hits, two of which didn't leave the infield. It's a season high for the rookie, who had been slumping, and raised his average back above .300, at .301.
BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Twins who have driven in 100 runs in three consecutive seasons. Justin Morneau on Aug. 24 joined Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew (1969-71) with that distinction.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He gets in the batter's box when he's ready, one foot in and then a pause to gather himself, and he takes command. But he does it very discreetly. Elegantly. It's like he's playing a different game, where the pitcher isn't in control." -- Twins batting coach Joe Vavra, on star pupil Joe Mauer.
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