BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AMERICAN LEAGUE : Twins Can Fiddle as Opponents Burn

Minnesota right-hander Jack Morris says the extended National League playoffs will prove beneficial to the Twins, who have been relaxing at home since completing their five-game American League playoff victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday.

“They’ve had a great series over there,” said Morris, who will start Saturday’s World Series opener against Atlanta at the Metrodome. “I just have a feeling, with the rest we’ve gotten and the pressure they’ve had, we might have an advantage.

“The way things have worked out is perfect timing. We’re coming off games where we had only three days’ rest,” said Morris, who won playoff Games 1 and 4 against the Blue Jays. “I know Scotty (Erickson) and Kevin (Tapani) were tired. . . . The break gives me a sense of rest and accomplishment where you can relax a little bit before the next battle.”

Morris said he watched the National League hitters with interest.

“The only guy I’ve seen over there is (Bobby) Bonilla, and he got my foot,” Morris said, referring to a line drive Bonilla hit off him in the All-Star game. “We saw the Pirates in spring training, but you can’t take that into account at this time of year.

“It takes me one or two pitches to figure out a hitter, but that’s not a factor. Scouting reports are good because you want to know a hitter’s tendencies, where he wants the ball if he has a choice. But then you have to go with your strength around their weakness.”

Morris will be followed by Tapani and Erickson, as he was in the league playoffs. Morris was 2-0 against the Blue Jays with a 4.05 earned-run average over 13 1/3 innings; Tapani was 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA over 10 1/3 innings in two starts and Erickson was 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA over four innings in one start.

Hitting is an obvious weakness for the Twins’ pitchers, so they have been taking extended batting practice every day this week. Morris, who didn’t bat in the 1984 World Series while with Detroit, had the best day among the pitchers Thursday when he lined a ball about eight rows into the left-field seats. Even so, he refused to discuss his hitting prowess.

“It’s really irrelevant,” he said. “If I get lucky, I might get one or two swings. Next question.”

Reliever Steve Bedrosian, who had an RBI single for the Giants in his last at-bat, in September, 1990, had more fun.

“I’m not going for the home run,” he said. “I’m just hitting the ball on the ground. I have to go to Kirby (Puckett) for tips.”

The Twins worked out for more than three hours Thursday at the Metrodome, accomplishing everything but learning who their opponent would be.

Third baseman Mike Pagliarulo, a left-handed hitter who rarely faces left-handers, wasn’t eager to see the Braves advance because of the three lefties in their rotation.

“I was rooting for the Dodgers,” he said, mimicking a right-hander’s motion.

Most players favored the Braves because of a greater potential for warm weather--and entertainment.

“A lot of guys would like to go to Atlanta because they’re curious about the tomahawk chop,” left fielder Dan Gladden said.