It was nice to see the Twinkies win one last night. I've seen way to many poundings of the Twins by the Atlanta Braves, and I think I would've left the Dome really fast if we were losing by a lot again.

A few notes from last night's 7-3 triumph:

- We are awesome with newcomer Kevin Slowey on the mound. The boys really back him up.

- Torii Hunter looks like he's 22, the way he tracks down balls in the center field. He's still the best. (And he said so on the radio yesterday, too. I got a laugh out of that.)

- I was hoping for a Major League-record ejection for Braves Manager Bobby Cox. He teased me with a long discussion part way through the game, but Cox kept his cool. Maybe we should score more runs tonight, frustrating him to the point of an explosion.

- Andruw Jones really didn't look like Andruw Jones. He couldn't hit.

- The announcer -- I forget his name -- barely stumbled on the Braves' names, even with a lineup including monikers like Villarreal, Davies, Saltalamacchia, and Francoeur.

- Lew Ford stinks. He's swinging for fences, even when the third baseman is playing way off the line, where Ford usually hits the ball. Why don't we give the left-field job to Jason Tyner -- at least until Jason Kubel comes back?

- Everyone scored, except Luis Castillo (who drove in two runs), Ford (who was never on base), the pitchers, and the people who didn't play. Ford scored the same number of times as me.

- It was puzzling to see the Detroit Tigers on the Metrodome's Jumbotron. Why? Sure, we want to know that Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter, but why celebrate it? They are our rivals, for goodness sake.

- Jason Bartlett ... what can I say that I haven't already said? He is a defensive liability. Most Likely to Make an Error that Turns into a Run Against his own Ballclub -- that's his new title.

- Having Joe Mauer back in the lineup is great. He went 2-for-5 and set the table for the middle of the lineup. Mike Redmond, by the way, has done an excellent job of playing every day in Mauer's absence.

- Joe Nathan is the best closer in baseball. He was warmed up and all set for save No. 15 until we scored an eighth-inning insurance run. Still, he pitched a slick ninth.

Go Twins. I'm hoping for more good things tonight, but I won't get back to the Dome until Saturday and then Sunday.