Football
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Mauer, Bartlett drive in three apiece as Twins pound Marlins

A CLOSER LOOK
• Summary: In the absence of Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Justin Bartlett took the offensive reins with three RBI's apiece in the Twins' 11-1 romp over the Marlins.

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Mauer

• Goat: Marlins starter Josh Johnson (0-2), who was booed at times during the home game, allowed seven runs on eight hits in three innings.

• Almost famous: Center fielder Torii Hunter had three chances for the cycle after tripling, doubling, and singling early, but couldn't finish the trick.

• Quotable: "The good thing is nobody got hurt." -- Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez

• Injury update: The Twins are expecting Morneau (bruised lung) to be released from the hospital on Sunday.

-- ESPN.com news services

Twins 11, Marlins 1

MIAMI (AP) -- With slugger Justin Morneau sidelined for the first time in 192 games, the rest of the Minnesota Twins' lineup picked up the slack -- and then some.

Joe Mauer and Jason Bartlett drove in three runs apiece, and the Twins totaled 17 hits to beat the Florida Marlins 11-1 Saturday night.

For one game, at least, the Twins managed fine without Morneau, who remained in the hospital for a second night after bruising his right lung in a home-plate collision Friday. The 2006 American League MVP was expected to be released Sunday and fly home with the team.

Carlos Silva (5-8) limited Florida to four hits and one run in seven innings.

"I had a lot of support, but you still can see that big hole when we don't have Morneau in the lineup," Silva said. "I hope he gets well very soon, because that's a guy we're going to need."

First baseman Morneau's streak of consecutive games was fourth-longest among active players. Replacement Jeff Cirillo filled the void with four hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who batted around twice.

"We had some guys that picked it up," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We had some balance up and down the lineup, and Silva did the rest. That's a pretty good formula."

The Twins' biggest disappointment was that Torii Hunter failed three times in a bid to complete the cycle by hitting a homer. He had a triple, double and single in the first five innings, then went hitless in his last three at-bats.

"I had to swing hard for the fence for three at-bats," Hunter said. "I almost pulled my back out a couple times. ... It would have been easier if I just needed a single. It was no fun, man."

The Marlins could say the same. Their most lopsided defeat of the season ended a three-game winning streak.

"The good thing is nobody got hurt," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Four Marlins combined to throw 183 pitches, and Josh Johnson (0-2) struggled for the second start in a row after missing the first 2 1/2 months of the season with an elbow injury. The right-hander allowed eight hits and seven runs in three innings, drawing boos from the crowd of 21,368 as his ERA rose to 14.85.

"I felt much better than I did last time, which is kind of scary, I guess," said Johnson, a 12-game winner as a rookie last year. "You've got set up hitters, and I think that's where I'm getting a little mixed up."

The Twins scored twice in the second. Hunter led off with a triple and came home on Jason Kubel's single. Cirillo also singled to put runners at the corners, and Kubel scored on a forceout.

Johnson gave up five more runs in the third. Mauer hit an RBI double, Cirillo doubled home two runs and Bartlett hit a two-run single to put Silva ahead 7-0.

"That's going to help you relax," Silva said. "You don't try to make every pitch perfect."

Mauer hit a two-run double in the sixth, and Kubel singled home a run to make the score 10-1. Pinch-hitter Chris Heintz added an RBI single in the eighth.

Miguel Olivo tripled in the third and scored Florida's only run on a groundout by Alfredo Amezaga.

Game notes
Marlins 1B Mike Jacobs, playing for the first time since a broken thumb sent him to the disabled list May 17, singled in his first at-bat and finished 2-for-4. ... Florida fell to 15-20 at home. ... Twins reliever Matt Guerrier hasn't allowed a run in his past nine appearances covering 12 innings, dropping his ERA to 1.48.

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