Mar 18, 2007 2 min read

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Justin Morneau doesn’t worry about home runs in spring training. The AL MVP just focuses on his approach at the plate. He had some really good at-bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, going 3-for-3 with his first home run of the spring in Minnesota’s 7-3 victory. The Twins first baseman is hitting .312 (10-for-32) after batting .321 with 34 home runs and 130 RBIs last season.

“In the spring, I just worry about making solid contact and having good hitting mechanics,” Morneau said. “You can’t go up to the plate this early in the year thinking about hitting a ball out of the park.”

Morneau’s two-run drive in the fourth inning gave the Twins a 4-0 lead. Torii Hunter also hit a two-run homer and Boof Bonser pitched four scoreless innings as Minnesota won for the sixth time in its last seven games.

Bonser (2-1) scattered seven hits as he lowered his spring ERA to 2.25. He struck out five and walked none. Bonser has not allowed a run in his last three starts, covering 11 innings.

Pittsburgh starter Tony Armas (1-1) gave up both home runs as he allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings with one walk and three strikeouts. The Pirates have lost three straight.

Armas, who is competing primarily with Shawn Chacon for the last spot in the Pirates’ rotation, had allowed only two runs in nine innings in his first three games.