A's pounce on Twins after Hunter's ill-fated dive

	This line drive rolled -- slowly -- to the wall after Torii Hunter missed with his diving attempt. AP
	RELATED • A's take 2-0 series lead on Twins • Thomas homers twice in Game 1 victory

MINNEAPOLIS -- Torii Hunter witnessed the horror unfold from his knees. "Watching [Michael] Cuddyer go after the ball after it went past me, it felt like the longest run ever," Hunter said in front of his locker after Game 2. "I knew something bad was going to happen." In an eerily silent Metrodome, the Twins center fielder could hear the A's players yelping in their dugout as he then watched Mark Kotsay round the bases in the seventh inning for the inside-the-park home run that will likely become the signature moment of the series. "I've made a lot of mistakes," Hunter said, "but not on this stage. I feel less than a man right now."

The five-time Gold Glover said Kotsay's line drive suddenly made a vicious turn away from him as it shot towards center field. "Once I started running at it, I knew I had it. But then -- boom! -- it cut on me," he said. "[Kotsay] swung inside the ball and put a little English on it, so it came off his bat a little weird. To play back and let the ball bounce in front of me -- that wouldn't be me."

"I don't think you can ever question what Torii does," said Oakland's Eric Chavez in the A's clubhouse. "But sometimes it's not about making the great plays. Sometimes it's about making the smart plays."

Hunter has been the face of the Twins since his 2001 breakout season. His future in the Twin Cities beyond 2006 remains a question; the team holds a $12 million option on the All-Star. In the bottom of the eighth, in what may turn out to be his final at-bat for the Twins in Minnesota, Hunter struck out on three pitches then, showered with boos, walked toward the dugout with his head down. How his future in Minnesota plays out -- beyond this ALDS -- could turn out to be one of the offseason's most intriguing storylines. "You gotta right the boos," Hunter said after Game 2. He added, "If it's the regular season you've got plenty of chances to right your mistakes. We'll see if I can still right this one."

From The Bench

No word yet from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on who his starters will be beyond Game 2, but you can bank on this: if Minnesota wins on Friday afternoon in Oakland, Johan Santana will pitch on short rest in Game 4 on Saturday. ... Though Joe Nathan threw a wild pitch in the ninth to allow Oakland's fifth run, it was the right move by Gardenhire to bring in the closer in a nonsave situation. The skipper should have done the same in Game 1; with no potential for a save situation left, Gardenhire went to Jesse Crain -- who allowed a critical run in the inning -- instead of his often unhittable closer. ... The Twins made a surprising move when they left Matt Garza off their roster in favor of left-hander Glen Perkins, who made his major league debut two weeks ago. When it appeared that the Twins would be facing the Yankees in the first round, Minnesota actually considered using Perkins as a possible Game 4 starter given that the Yankees lineup is stocked with lefties. The Stillwater, Minn., native gives the Twins two left-handers in the bullpen, but through two games had yet to make an appearance. ... Said Gardenhire about his team's mood after Game 2, "The ball club is depressed a little bit, they are down a little bit, but we will find a way to get back up. We always do."

Clubhouse Confidential

When Frank Thomas returned to his locker after his heroics in Game 1, he found a text message on his cellphone from former White Sox teammate Mark Buehrle. "You're a stud," it said. ... Chavez and Dan Haren have already picked their series MVP. "We were talking and we agreed that it's [Marco] Scutaro. He's doing everything. He's fielded, he's getting bit hits. He's been huge."... After Game 2 Chavez spoke about how this club is different from past Oakland teams. "Guys like Kotsay, [Jason] Kendall, and Marco, they're gritty, they're grinders, and that gives us a little different personality," Chavez said. "Kotsay, Frank, and Kendall are really relishing being here."

Bottom Line

No one expected the A's to sweep the Twins at the Metrodome, but anyone who thinks Oakland is a sure thing to win the series needs to read up on the A's recent postseason history. Since 2001 Oakland has twice squandered a 2-0 lead in the Division Series. Under Billy Beane the A's are 0-for-9 in series-clinching games. "If you come out of here 1-1, you're feeling pretty good," Chavez says. "To come out of here up 2-0 is amazing. But we've still got a lot of work to do."