Torii Hunter

Outfielder Delmon Young was sent from Tampa Bay to Minnesota last night as part of a six-player trade that sent righthander Matt Garza to the Rays. The Twins, who lost centerfielder Torii Hunter to free agency last week, also gave up starting shortstop Jason Bartlett and minor-league pitcher Eduardo Morlan. They acquired shortstop Brendan Harris and minor-league outfielder Jason Pridie. Cardinals. St. Louis manager Tony La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence eight months after police found him asleep and smelling of alcohol in his running sport utility vehicle at a stoplight in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was fined $678.

Minnesota centerfielder Torii Hunter was selected American League player of the month for April - the first Twin to win that award in 10 years. The previous Minnesota recipient was Kirby Puckett in June 1992. Tampa Bay's Paul Wilson pitched six scoreless innings against Minnesota on Thursday, before giving up four earned runs. Still, his 2.70 ERA since the all-star break last summer is the lowest in the American League during that span. By hitting his 500th career double Wednesday, Rafael Palmeiro of Texas became the 11th player in major- league history and the only active player with 450 homers, 500 doubles and 2,500 hits.

Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons in a Boston Red Sox uniform. Ted Williams and Dwight Evans each played 19 seasons. After that trio of fabled outfielders comes knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who went to the mound at Fenway Park on Tuesday to fling one more floater. The retired righthander wiped away tears during a pregame ceremony that honored him for his play and for his charitable work, which earned him the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010. Wakefield also ranks among the immortals as a pitcher: He won exactly 200 major-league games and his 186 for the Red Sox ranks third in club history, trailing only Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

Paul Byrd's first shutout in more than 2 years and Travis Hafner's homer helped the visiting Cleveland Indians earn a series split with a 4-0 victory last night over the Minnesota Twins. With his old-school, windmill windup and high leg kick, Byrd (10-4) breezed through the Twins. He needed only 99 pitches to get his first shutout since July 1, 2005, at Kansas City. The heart of Minnesota's lineup continued to come up empty, once again providing no support for starter Carlos Silva (9-12)

Recently released John Olerud signed with the New York Yankees yesterday, giving the team insurance at first base while Jason Giambi is treated for a benign tumor. Olerud is a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner and was the 1993 American League batting champion. But he started slumping in the second half last season with Seattle, and the Mariners cut him last month when his slide continued. "I've definitely struggled, but I believe I can turn it around," Olerud said.

Playing it safe? Not Torii Hunter's style. That's why he has five Gold Gloves. Trying to make a tough catch right after his Minnesota teammates tied the game with back-to-back home runs, Hunter missed - and Oakland took advantage. Mark Kotsay circled the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park homer after the centerfielder's ill-advised dive for a sinking line drive, lifting the visiting Athletics over the Twins, 5-2, yesterday for a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series.

Esteban Loiaza will have to wait for another chance at 20 wins, and the Minnesota Twins moved a step closer to their second straight division title. Brad Radke beat Loiaza for the second time in 6 days as the host Twins stretched their AL Central lead over the Chicago White Sox to 1 1/2 games with a 5-2 victory last night. Torii Hunter and rookie Mi-chael Ryan each had two hits as the Twins took advantage of some uncharacteristic wildness in the shortest start of the season by Chicago's Cy Young candidate.

RIGHTHANDER Jered Weaver threw his first no-hitter as the Angels pounded the Minnesota Twins, 9-0, Wednesday night. The only two baserunners for the Twins were Chris Parmelee in the second inning when he struck out and ended up on first on a passed ball by catcher Chris Iannetta and a seventh-inning walk to Josh Willingham on a 3-and-2 count. The Angels collected a season-high 15 hits. Howie Kendrick went 4-for-4 with a three-run home run. Weaver (4-0) struck out eight and walked just nine on his way to the near-perfect game.

Torii Hunter took off his Twins uniform - maybe for the last time, as he is about to become a free agent - after coming out of Minnesota's season finale yesterday and spent time reflecting about his days with the organization. "I came in here after the seventh inning, sat at my locker and looked around," Hunter said after helping the visiting Twins to a 3-2 win over the Red Sox. "I can't believe it's real. Anything can happen in the offseason. The negative side is I might not be here.

Kerry Wood is surprisingly nonchalant, considering his Chicago Cubs have won 11 consecutive games for the first time in more than three decades. "We expect to come out and win tomorrow," Wood said last night after the Cubs' 4-3 win over host Milwaukee. "That's just the way it's going for us lately. We're playing good baseball and we're going to keep it up. We're doing what it takes to win ballgames. " Wood struck out 10 and hit a two-run single. Chicago has followed an eight-game skid by posting its longest winning streak since an 11-gamer April 14-27, 1970.

Carl Yastrzemski played 23 seasons in a Boston Red Sox uniform. Ted Williams and Dwight Evans each played 19 seasons. After that trio of fabled outfielders comes knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who went to the mound at Fenway Park on Tuesday to fling one more floater. The retired righthander wiped away tears during a pregame ceremony that honored him for his play and for his charitable work, which earned him the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010. Wakefield also ranks among the immortals as a pitcher: He won exactly 200 major-league games and his 186 for the Red Sox ranks third in club history, trailing only Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

RIGHTHANDER Jered Weaver threw his first no-hitter as the Angels pounded the Minnesota Twins, 9-0, Wednesday night. The only two baserunners for the Twins were Chris Parmelee in the second inning when he struck out and ended up on first on a passed ball by catcher Chris Iannetta and a seventh-inning walk to Josh Willingham on a 3-and-2 count. The Angels collected a season-high 15 hits. Howie Kendrick went 4-for-4 with a three-run home run. Weaver (4-0) struck out eight and walked just nine on his way to the near-perfect game.

MINNEAPOLIS - Thanks to Target Field, their new, post-retro ballpark in this city's warehouse district, the Twins, those paragons of Midwestern thrift, at last have a little pocket change. But, like the contented miser who awakes one day to find he's won the lottery, the newfound wealth also concerns this historically frugal franchise. All around baseball, people are asking the same question: Will money spoil the Twins? "We don't want to change the way we work," said general manager Bill Smith.

In free-fall, Mariners try new hitting coach Job security is not a perk if you're the hitting coach for the league's worst offense. Seattle's Alan Cockrell learned that Sunday as the Mariners gave him the hook in his second season in that capacity. He was scouting in the video room at Safeco Field when he got the call for the long walk to manager Don Wakamatsu's office. Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik broke it to him. His replacement is Alonzo Powell, who's been the hitting coach at triple-A Tacoma for three seasons.

No event in professional sports is quite like baseball's winter meetings. Even with one season over and another four months away, even with the players having scattered about the globe and the stadiums sitting dark and empty, the game elbows itself to the forefront of America's sporting consciousness for the better part of a week - whenever this time of year rolls around. Never mind that the winter meetings are sometimes as eventful as a rain delay. Their arrival always generates excitement and expectation.

Outfielder Delmon Young was sent from Tampa Bay to Minnesota last night as part of a six-player trade that sent righthander Matt Garza to the Rays. The Twins, who lost centerfielder Torii Hunter to free agency last week, also gave up starting shortstop Jason Bartlett and minor-league pitcher Eduardo Morlan. They acquired shortstop Brendan Harris and minor-league outfielder Jason Pridie. Cardinals. St. Louis manager Tony La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence eight months after police found him asleep and smelling of alcohol in his running sport utility vehicle at a stoplight in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was fined $678.

New Los Angeles Angels general manager Tony Reagins has been busy this week, and there may be more wheeling and dealing on the way. The Angels agreed to a 5-year, $90 million contract with free- agent centerfielder Torii Hunter after trading Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland on Monday. The two acquisitions might seem a bit puzzling because the team already had a centerfielder in Gary Matthews Jr. - who signed a 5-year, $50 million contract last November - and they already had five starting pitchers.

Torii Hunter took off his Twins uniform - maybe for the last time, as he is about to become a free agent - after coming out of Minnesota's season finale yesterday and spent time reflecting about his days with the organization. "I came in here after the seventh inning, sat at my locker and looked around," Hunter said after helping the visiting Twins to a 3-2 win over the Red Sox. "I can't believe it's real. Anything can happen in the offseason. The negative side is I might not be here.

Paul Byrd's first shutout in more than 2 years and Travis Hafner's homer helped the visiting Cleveland Indians earn a series split with a 4-0 victory last night over the Minnesota Twins. With his old-school, windmill windup and high leg kick, Byrd (10-4) breezed through the Twins. He needed only 99 pitches to get his first shutout since July 1, 2005, at Kansas City. The heart of Minnesota's lineup continued to come up empty, once again providing no support for starter Carlos Silva (9-12)

A jarring collision at home plate sent Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau to the hospital and left his teammates shaken, too. The Twins scored two runs on the play to tie the game in the eighth, but Hanley Ramirez homered with two outs in the bottom of the inning and host Florida beat the Twins, 5-4. "The game kind of got out of whack when Morneau got hurt," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Morneau was coughing up blood repeatedly and was out of breath, Gardenhire said.