After loading up with some new talent following a disappointing, playoff-less 2005 season, the Minnesota Twins opened 2006 north of the border in Toronto and rode an early-season rollercoaster for the first few weeks.

A classic Johan Santana vs Roy Halladay clash christened the new 162-game slate on April 4, and the home Jays got the better of the visiting Twins 6-3. Shannon Stewart and Tony Batista bashed bombs, at least, and the Twins evened the series the next day with a lopsided 13-4 drubbing of the Birds—16 hits (homers from Stewart, Torii Hunter, & Luis Rodriguez) supporting a strong Brad Radke start.

But in the series finale, Carlos Silva couldn’t scatter 5 H & 2 BB as masterfully as usual and MN went through customs to Cleveland as a losing ball club.

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Hoping to get a leg up on the division rival Clevelanders, the Twins…did not. Kyle Lohse (4.2 IP, 11 H, 8 ER) & Matt Guerrier (2.1 IP, 2 ER) were disastrous in the Jacobs Field home opener, with Travis Hafner hammering two homers and former Twin Casey Blake blasting another en route to a 11-6 Tribe triumph.

Game two saw 24-year old fifth starter Scott Baker twirl a nice road tilt—but only receive 6 H of support in a 3-0 defeat. It was more of the same the next day for the CLE sweep: only 4 MN hits as Jake Westbrook (7.1 IP, 1 ER) out-dueled Santana (5.1 IP, 3 ER). Uh oh. After two series, the ‘06 Twins were 1-5 and the should-have-been-reigning AL Cy Young had been beaten twice.

Fortunately, some Dome cookin’ was just what the doctor ordered.

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In the Dome Opener versus the Oakland Athletics on April 11, Justin Morneau & Batista homered in support of the metronomic Radke (7 IP, 4 ER) to blow the 48,911 paid out the doors with a smile over the 7-6 victory.

A 13-hit, multi-homer (Morneau & Hunter) pounding of Esteban Loaiza backed up Silva (2 homers to Nick Swisher, but otherwise solid) for the 6-5 game-and-series victory the next day, while 12 more hits (HR from Hunter & Michael Cuddyer) including a Nick Punto triple (I can picture the headfirst dive into the third sack!) secured the sweep behind Lohse’s strong bump turn (6 IP, 2 ER).

The New York Yankees were under the Teflon next and threatened to ruin the good vibes as quickly as they had ruined the 2003 & 2004 postseasons for Twins fans.

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But not this time:

A four-game home winning streak was achieved when Scott Baker out-dueled Mike Mussina 5-1 with the 6-7-8-9 batters Morneau, Batista, Lew Ford, & Juan Castro combining to go 7-14.

The contest on 4/15/06 was an all-time Twins/Yankees classic (in the good way, for once!). Down 6-5 heading into B9 with Mariano Rivera on the mound, one almost couldn’t blame the 42,316 Twins Territory acolytes for gathering their possessions in anticipation of a quick exit. But Luis Castillo singled—then the same from Joe Mauer. Let’s not get too antsy to beat the traffic! But whiffs from Rondell White & Hunter quickly reduced the Twins to their final out. It took exactly one pitch to decide it—that being Mo’s first offering to Morneau which the future Twins Hall-of-Famer blooped over the head of NYY 2B Robinson Cano. Moving on contact, Castillo & Mauer skittered around the bases to score the tying and winning runs—a 6-5 victory over the Yankees and a 5-game winning streak to become a winning ballclub (6-5) on the young season!

Alas, the momentum would be curtailed the next day when Bombers Jason Giambi, Cano, & future Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodríguez pummeled Radke & Guerrier to the tune of a 9-3 defeat.

But roughly two weeks into the 2006 season, the Twins had overcome an initial setback and reset the needle on the campaign to regain AL Central supremacy.