SEATTLE (AP) -- Johan Santana had more than enough to beat the

Seattle Mariners.

Santana was steady for seven innings and Justin Morneau homered

twice as the Minnesota Twins stopped a four-game losing streak

Thursday with a 6-3 win over the Mariners.

"I felt pretty good," Santana said after scattering seven hits

and allowing one run.

Santana (12-6) struck out seven, increasing his major

league-leading total to 190.

"They were swinging the bat early in the count, so they didn't

let me get ahead in the count, so maybe that's why I didn't get

many strikeouts. They have Ichiro, they got (Bret) Boone and they

got (Edgar) Martinez, you know. They're not just kids, they're

pretty good," he said.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was satisfied with the results.

"He didn't work ahead in the count as well as he has been,"

Gardenhire said. "He had a good fastball and he had decent

pitches, but I don't think he felt great out there.

"He's thrown a lot better than this the last few times. He

still knows how to win even when he's not ahead in the count,

because he is overpowering at times, but he still knows how to

win," he said.

The Twins now head to Cleveland for a weekend series. Minnesota

began the day with a three-game lead over the Indians in the AL

Central.

"It's good to come out of here with a win," Gardenhire said.

"Now we go on to Cleveland and see what we can do there. It ought

to be a fun series. It's a good day to get a win and get out of

here."

Santana had run support, something Twins pitchers haven't seen

much of lately. Minnesota had lost 21 of its previous 22 games when

scoring three or fewer runs -- the Twins had averaged three runs in

their last seven games.

Joe Nathan struck out the side in the ninth for his 33rd save in

34 chances. He has not allowed a run in his last 26 appearances.

"You can see the ball jumping right out of his hand," said

Gardenhire.

Minnesota took an early edge when Lew Ford lined a two-out

double in the first inning and Morneau hit his ninth home run of

the year.

Ford and Morneau teamed up again in the fifth. Ford doubled off

the left-field fence and Morneau homered again off Ryan Franklin

(3-11). Franklin lost his career-high seventh straight decision.

Morneau, a first baseman who DHed on Thursday, has seen his

playing time grow ever since the Twins traded first baseman Doug

Mientkiewicz to the Boston Red Sox on July 31. That, he said, has

boosted his confidence.

"It's a lot easier when you come to the field and you know

you're playing every day," Morneau said. "The only time I know

I'm not playing is when (Gardenhire) thinks I need a day off or

something like that. Even then I just DH, like I did today."

Ford left the game in the sixth inning with a bruised knee;

Gardenhire said he didn't expect Ford to miss any games.

Hiram Bocachica hit his second home run, connecting in the third

inning for Seattle. In the fourth, with the Twins leading 4-1,

Santana coaxed Bocachica into grounding out with the bases loaded

to end the inning.

Shannon Stewart's two-out, two-run triple in the second gave

Minnesota a 4-0 lead. Franklin walked two runners before Stewart's

drive.

Boone hit a two-run homer in Mariners' eighth off reliever Jesse

Crain, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.

Boone was glad to see Santana out of the game.

"He is probably the only guy I know that at times has a 20 mph

difference between his fastball and his changeup or curveball,"

Boone said of Santana. "He had a real good slider that made him

tough. He is pitching good. He throws strikes."Game notes
The victory gave the Twins a 5-4 series win over Seattle

for 2004. ... Morneau, in his 73rd major league game, enjoyed his

best offensive output in his short career. It was his first

multihomer game, as well as his top RBI total. Since being recalled

from Rochester on July 16, Morneau has eight home runs and 25 RBI.