MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Torii Hunter flashed a wide smile as he recalled the four-year-old details, right down to the buttons he burned on his jersey during a diving catch in that season-changing series.
Just as they did in 2003, the Minnesota Twins started the second half at home with a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics. Thanks to a string of solid starting pitching performances, reliable defense and well-timed hits, they wrapped up the weekend carrying the same kind of confidence and good vibes they used four years ago to overcome their first-half frustrations and win the American League Central.
"I remember that like yesterday," Hunter said, adding: "I've kind of got that feeling right now."
It's presumptuous to assume the Twins are on their way to repeating that 2003 post-break success, when they rallied from 8½ games back to surpass the Kansas City Royals after losing 22 out of 28 games right before the All-Star game. The division was much weaker then, and Hunter and Johan Santana are the only two players on the current team who were with Minnesota for the entire year.
It's also difficult to imagine the Twins duplicating last season's surge, when they got hot in early June and used a 71-33 finish to win the Central on the final day of play.
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"I've left last year behind us," general manager Terry Ryan said. "It was a magical year and a fantastic experience, but I think if we start reverting back to what we did last year, that's dangerous."
Minnesota faced a deficit of 12 games as late as July 15 last season, and Detroit -- which arrives at the Metrodome Tuesday for an important three-game series -- is only six games ahead this time. Cleveland is in second place, 5½ games ahead of the Twins.
The Tigers are playing as well as they did last year, after surviving some early injuries. They're a half-game short of the best record in the majors. Minnesota has reached its highest mark of the season, six games above .500. Lurking on the schedule later this week are the Los Angeles Angels, who lead the AL West and are tied with the Boston Red Sox with baseball's best record.
"This is kind of what it's all about, playing the best," Ryan said.
Though Brad Radke and Francisco Liriano were injured for much of the second half last year, they contributed seven wins between them after the All-Star break. Without them, the rotation clearly isn't as strong. The lineup is the same as last season, but the Piranhas -- specifically Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto -- aren't. Joe Mauer isn't hitting as well as he did while working toward the batting title in 2006.
What can't be suppressed, though, is the emotion the Twins developed during the comeback last year that showed up in Sunday's 4-3 win over the A's. Mike Redmond hustled into second base with a head-first dive for a double before scoring the team's first run. Luis Castillo set up the winning hit in the ninth inning with a triple he punctuated with a fist pump at third base.
"You can see the intensity right now," Hunter said.
Several players brought up last season's late-summer success without being asked, a clear sign of the expectation that exists to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years.
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"It's going to be a challenge," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Can it be done? Well, we wouldn't be playing if we didn't think it could."
