Erickson's timing was just perfect amid struggles

But when Alex Cole closed his glove on Greg Vaughn's short fly to left for the final out in a 6-0 victory over the Brewers, the Twins had cause to rush the mound.   Scott Erickson had become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the Metrodome, and the first Twin to no-hit an opponent since Dean Chance defeated Cleveland 2-1 on Aug. 25, 1967.

Last September, the Twins had cases of champagne on hand to celebrate Dave Winfield's 3,000th career hit.  The best the players could provide Erickson on such short notice was a beer shower, and a chorus of "Hooray for Scotty, Hooray for Scotty."

Erickson tipped his cap to his teammates with this simple acknowledgment: "Thanks, guys."

But it was Erickson who was due the largest debt of gratitude in a season of disappointment and growing fan disinterest.

"It's fun to get that noise back in the Dome," said first baseman Kent Hrbek.  "There were only 17,000, 18,000 people there [actually 17,988], but they got loud. A lot of people are going to say, 'I was there,' just like in '87 and '91 [when the Twins won the World Series at the Dome]."

The Twins' pitching has been the worst in the majors this season, and Erickson has struggled as much as anyone. Erickson gave up the most hits and runs in the majors in 1993, and he took a three-game losing streak to the mound last night, during which he had compiled an 8.80 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. Erickson's last complete-game victory was on Sept. 23, 1992, and his last shutout was on Aug. 8, 1992.

"I was just as nervous out there as I was in '87 and '91," Hrbek said.  "I wanted it bad for him, because I think our pitchers have taken a beating enough this year."

Said Kirby Puckett: "I was nervous, man.  I was just glad that he got it. Scotty's taken so much abuse. 'He ain't the same this, he ain't the same that.' A lot of abuse, man. I'm happy for him."

Erickson walked three batters and hit one.  He threw 129 pitches, 71 of them for strikes. He got the first two batters in the ninth - pinch hitter Jody Reed and Alex Diaz. He walked the next two hitters, Bill Spiers and Turner Ward, before Vaughn hit a 1-and-2 pitch to short left.

The ball appeared well within range of Cole.  But there was some suspense when shortstop Pat Meares kept charging toward left.  At the last minute, Meares hit the ground and tumbled out of Cole's way.

"That ball was not going to drop," Meares said, smiling.  "I've seen that ball drop before, and I wasn't going to stop until I heard [Cole] call me off."

The game produced the usual amount of superstition.  No one mentioned the possible no-hitter to Erickson, and catcher Matt Walbeck said teammates performed the perfunctory tasks of taking the same seat on the bench after each inning.

"No one wanted to ruin it for him," Walbeck said.

The span between Erickson's gem and Chance's no-hitter in 1967 was the third-longest for a team in major league history.  The longest is by the New York Mets and San Diego Padres, neither of whom have had a no-hitter.

And the long wait couldn't have ended at a better time for the Twins.

"This is the type of thing - I'm not predicting anything - but this is something that can get a team on a roll," said Meares.  "A guy puts out that type of effort, and things can turn around for you."