AMERICAN LEAGUE: INSIDE THE A.L.: MANAGER PUTS MOXIE BACK IN MINNESOTA.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

It seems all the Minnesota Twins need is one swift kick in the rear a year, and they'll be just fine.

A year ago, that kick came from commissioner Bud Selig, whose not- so-veiled plan to contract the Twins provided a rallying cry that pushed the young, brash Twins through an inspired 2002 campaign that culminated with a trip to the American League Championship Series.

That inspiration supposedly was lacking earlier this year, when the Twins lost 11 of 12 before the All-Star break and seemed to tumble from contention. So last month, manager Ron Gardenhire ripped into his team, calling them ``clueless'' and intimating they needed to pull their heads out of the clouds, if you will.

Message received. After losing the first two games of a series at Chicago two weeks ago, the Twins have gone on a 9-2 run to vault into the AL Central lead, and more or less put the division race away with a rousing three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox.

Oh, and the brashness has returned, too.

``They're done,'' Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz said in a postgame interview after completing the sweep of Chicago.

The midseason acquisition of left fielder Shannon Stewart has bolstered the offense, and the rotation has received a boost from Kyle Lohse, who's gone 8-2 since July, and Johan Santana (12-3), who joined the rotation from the bullpen.

Perhaps more important, the '02 mojo is back, which could be a potent force in the postseason given that the Twins have playoff experience behind them now.

``These guys are hungry,'' Gardenhire said. ``They want to get back to the playoffs.''

--Seattle slew: For the second consecutive season, the Seattle Mariners' postseason hopes hit a dead end in Texas. Last year, it was a three-game sweep by the host Rangers that knocked the Mariners well off the Angels' and A's pace in the West. This year, they lost three of four in Texas as Oakland took command in the West and Boston developed a tidy 2 1/2-game wild-card lead.

In the hitter's haven of Arlington, the Mariners managed just one run in a 10-inning defeat Thursday, the latest illustration of Seattle's dreadful September production.

Ichiro Suzuki was hitting .212 this month entering the weekend. Edgar Martinez was at .222 and Mike Cameron .146. After winning the first of two games at Oakland, today's game is more or less a must-win, since a loss will knock Seattle four back with six to play.

``Usually it doesn't happen in bunches throughout the whole lineup like that, but that's something we're having to deal with right now,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ``It's frustrating, and it's frustrating for them, too. What happens is, you try to be the guy that carries the load.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com