Twins’ Hunter Is on Target Versus Red Sox

Torii Hunter pretty much ended Minnesota’s five-game losing streak all by himself.

Hunter hit a grand slam, drove in a career-high five runs and made two key defensive plays in center field to lead the Twins over the Boston Red Sox, 6-2, Monday night at Minneapolis.

Brad Radke (2-2) scattered eight hits in six innings and struck out four to win his first game since the Twins’ opener April 6. Hunter aided him with a home run-saving catch and a strong throw to the plate in the sixth inning.

Hunter’s fourth-inning grand slam off Tim Wakefield (1-3) came after Matt Lawton led off with a walk, Ron Coomer singled and Jason Varitek advanced the runners with a passed ball.

Wakefield came back to strike out Todd Walker and Terry Steinbach, then walked Chad Allen on a full count and gave up Hunter’s third home run of the season--his first career grand slam--on the following pitch.

“Tom Kelly told me if the knuckleball was low, don’t swing, but if it was up, don’t wait around,” Hunter said, referring to Minnesota’s manager. “I was trying to hit it up the middle or to right field, but I just turned on that pitch. It was really an accident.”

Wakefield, beaten by the Twins for the second time in nine starts, gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Hunter saved two runs in the sixth when he robbed Mike Stanley of a potential homer with a well-timed leaping catch at the center-field fence. Then, with the bases loaded later in the inning, Varitek flied to center and Hunter’s strong throw to the plate forced Reggie Jefferson to hold at third. Radke struck out Trot Nixon to end the threat.

Detroit 7, Seattle 0--Juan Encarnacion and Karim Garcia homered off Jamie Moyer, and Brian Moehler shut down the Mariners at Seattle.

Moehler (3-2), who pitched three shutouts last season, gave up seven hits in seven innings, striking out two and walking none. Doug Brocail and Mel Rojas finished with perfect relief.

Moyer (1-3) lost in his first start since signing a $15-million, two-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid pitcher in the history of the Mariners. He gave up five runs, 11 hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out seven.

Moyer, whose ERA is 7.64, has given up eight home runs, which puts him in a tie with Tampa Bay’s Rolando Arrojo for the most in the American League.

Cleveland 5, Oakland 4--Roberto Alomar doubled and scored on a single by Manny Ramirez in the 10th inning to give the Indians the victory at Oakland.