A five-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder, Hunter dove for a sinking liner that skipped past him for a tiebreaking two-run inside-the-park homer by Mark Kotsay as the Oakland Athletics claimed a commanding two games to none lead in the American League Division Series with a 5-2 victory over the Twins.
The inside-the-park home run was the second in Oakland's postseason history and it came exactly four years after Ray Durham hit the first against the Twins in the ALDS. Minnesota won that series, three games to two.
But it appears the Athletics are primed to win this series, although they have to shake off the stigma of going 0-9 in games when they could have eliminated their opponents in a playoff series from 2000-03.
Game Three is Friday afternoon at Oakland.
The Athletics were holding a 2-0 lead before Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau hit back-to-back homers off Esteban Loaiza to start the bottom of the sixth.
But Oakland quickly reclaimed the lead in the seventh, thanks to Hunter's costly mistake.
Reliever Pat Neshek (0-1) allowed a one-out single to Mark Ellis and Jason Kendall followed by bouncing into a foreceout. Kotsay then hit a liner to center that Hunter probably should have stayed back on and fielded on one hop. Instead, Hunter dove and the ball bounced past his glove and went all the way to the wall. Kendall scored easily and Kotsay circled the bases as well, giving the Athletics a 4-2 lead.
Oakland added a run in the ninth when Nick Swisher doubled, moved to third on a grounder by Ellis and scored on a wild pitch by Joe Nathan.
Kiko Calero (1-0) replaced Loaiza after the back-to-back home runs by Cuddyer and Morneau and pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Justin Duchscherer tossed two hitless innings before Huston Street earned his second save in as many days.
Street allowed a hit and walked a batter in the ninth inning, but retired Nick Punto on a popout to shortstop to end the game.
Time to halt that streak!
As for Torii Hunter .... OOOPS!
I guess the Vikings will be playing Sunday after all.