MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Johan Santana emphatically ended a career-worst skid.

Santana, who had lost his last four starts, struck out a season-high 10 batters without a walk in seven strong innings as the Minnesota Twins handed the New York Mets an eighth straight interleague defeat, 5-3.

"I was able to hit my spots," Santana said. "I was able to get ahead in the count and I could move the ball around more and make them fish for some."

Santana (3-4), who had gone 0-4 with a 7.65 ERA in his last four starts, yielded one run and six hits to improve to 7-1 lifetime vs. National League teams. In the seventh, he got out of his only jam by striking out Mike Cameron and Gerald Williams - who homered in the sixth - with the bases loaded to preserve a 5-1 cushion.

Santana gave up three straight one-out singles but was given the chance to clean up his own mess.

"We left him in to face some big hitters in tough situations," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

"I knew I gave up hits, but (when) I got into trouble, (they) let me get out of it," Santana said. "I knew I had to finish the inning."

Jacque Jones and Matt LeCroy had back-to-back homers in the fourth inning for Minnesota, which edged New York in Tuesday's series opener, 2-1, when Michael Cuddyer plated Jones with a single off Mike Stanton in the ninth inning.

In this one, Minnesota grabbed the lead for good in the third, 1-0, when rookie Joe Mauer hit a one-out double off Steve Trachsel (5-5) and Luis Rivas drove him home with a single. Mets left fielder Williams botched both plays, failing to hustle to the line to catch Mauer's ball and bobbling the hit by Rivas, who reached second on the miscue.

Williams was starting in his first game after being called up from Class AAA Norfolk after Tuesday night's game. It was Williams' first major league start since September 27 of last year when he played against New York for the Florida Marlins .

Minnesota broke open the game one frame later when Jones hit a one-out homer to left-center field with two men aboard and LeCroy followed with a shot to left to make it 5-0.

Though Jones entered the game hitting just 2-for-24 during the Twins' recent homestand, he did not get overanxious when Trachsel left an off-speed pitch up in the strike zone.

"Normally when my eyes bug out I miss," Jones said. "I just put a good swing on it and tried to drive it."

Trachsel got ahead of LeCroy 1-2 after Jones' round-tripper, but LeCroy's 360-foot shot gave Minnesota back-to-back home runs for the second time this season. Trachsel looked solid for the rest of his outing, but it did not matter as the Mets could not cash in, stranding five runners three in scoring position in the final three innings.

"Just one pitch, that was it," said Trachsel, who allowed five runs and eight hits in seven innings. "He has trouble with offspeed pitches. It was the same pitch I've gotten him out with for years. I just stayed up."

The Mets pulled within 5-3 in the eighth on a two-out, two-run double by Mike Piazza against J.C. Romero. Twins closer Joe Nathan came on and struck out pinch hitter Karim Garcia , then worked around a one-out single to Cameron in the ninth for his 16th save in 17 opportunities.