MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It was a wild Wednesday night at the
Metrodome, filled with blown saves, broken bats and big hits.

width=65> height=90 align=right alt="Geronimo Gil">

Geronimo Gil finally won it after 4½ hours, hitting a homer with
two outs in the 14th inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles over the
Minnesota Twins 6-5.

"He picked a good time to break out of a three-month slump,''
Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.

Gil connected off Tony Fiore (9-3) for his ninth homer, and
first since June 18.

"That was a long night with a lot of tense baseball,'' said
Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire, who saw his team lose for the
first time in nine extra-inning games at home.

Gil's bat also played a role in the ninth inning, but in a very
different way.

After Tony Batista and Jay Gibbons hit back-to-back doubles off
closer Eddie Guardado to tie it at 4, a flyball and walk put
runners at first and third. Gil followed with a soft, broken-bat
grounder to third base.

Corey Koskie, who was playing in, had to duck under a flying
piece of wood and could only get a forceout at second as the
go-ahead run scored.

"No question he turns that double play if he doesn't have to
get out of the way of that bat,'' Gardenhire said. "With a piece
of wood flying at his head, I don't blame him at all.''

It was Guardado's fifth blown save in 39 chances. But Koskie
helped tie it again in the bottom half with a broken bat of his
own.

With one out, Jacque Jones reached on second baseman Jerry
Hairston's two-base throwing error. He advanced to third on
Cristian Guzman's flyout to center and scored when Koskie singled
off Jorge Julio, shattering his bat on the hit.

"If Gil doesn't break his bat, Koskie probably has a double
play,'' Hargrove said. "If Koskie doesn't break his bat, we win
5-4.''

Rick Bauer (6-4) pitched four innings of scoreless relief,
retiring Torii Hunter on a grounder with a runner at third to end
it.

"The team kept its spirits up, so it was my job to keep us in
the game until we could win it,'' Bauer said.

On the last play, Hunter's shattered bat flew toward third
baseman Batista.

"When that last ball was hit, my only fear was Tony was going
to fall down,'' Hargrove said.

Melvin Mora singled, doubled and tripled for the Orioles, who
improved to 8-2 in extra-inning games. Mora had three chances to
hit a homer for the cycle. He walked in the eighth, and flied out
in the 10th and 13th.

Jones had three hits and scored three runs for the Twins, who
still have a 13-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL
Central.

Minnesota's Brad Radke pitched well for the third straight start
but remained winless since coming off the disabled list Aug. 3. He
allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.

"I felt good,'' Radke said. "But you don't know what to expect
when you play until midnight.''

Both teams scored a run in the first before Minnesota took a 3-1
lead in the second on Luis Rivas' RBI triple and Jones' run-scoring
single.

Mora hit an RBI single in the third, but the Twins got a two-out
RBI double from David Ortiz in the fifth to regain the two-run
lead.

Batista hit an RBI single in the sixth to bring the Orioles to
4-3.

First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz starred on defense for
Minnesota. He ranged into right field to make an over-the-shoulder
catch in the third, laid flat on his stomach to catch Rivas' errant
throw and complete a double play in the fifth and saved Koskie's
wide throw to end the eighth.

Jones went 3-for-5 with an RBI before leaving in the top of the
10th with a mild left hamstring strain.

Game notes
Before the start of the ninth inning, Hargrove had the
umpires check Guardado's pants because of a large dirt spot. "I
don't believe in gamesmanship, but that spot was too large,''
Hargrove said. "I hated to do it.'' ... Minnesota optioned RHP
Kevin Frederick to Triple-A Edmonton and activated RHP Mike Jackson
from the 15-day disabled list. ... Hunter stole his team-leading
19th base. He had only 23 in 389 games before this season. ...
Rivas extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Guzman extended his
to 12 with a single in the 14th inning. ... Julio has six blown
saves in 30 chances.