European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Worst to first twins Clinch Toronto apr the Minnesota twins did More than finish first in the Al West. They finished first in baseball a history books. A anytime a team can accomplish something that a never been done in the history of baseball you have to be excited about it a general manager Andy Macphail said sunday after the twins became the first club in major league history to go from last in a division or league one year to first the next. A we did it in the games most difficult division. There was no winning by default. To go from last to first in that climate was very difficult and very  the twins failed to wrap up the title earlier in the afternoon losing 2-1 to Toronto. But when the White sox fell 2-1 to Seattle Minnesota won anyway. Minnesota rebounded from a season in who club went 74-88 and finished in last place. No team had Ever gone sunday Sal games on Page 26 from worst to first but the twins did it in taking their first division championship since winning the world series in 1987. Atlanta meanwhile is trying to do the same thing in the no West. Macphail and the rest of the twins heard about Chicago a loss while aboard the team bus on a trip to Hamilton Ontario. The twins later boarded a flight to begin a series in Chicago on monday night. A we really played Well after the first couple weeks of the season twins manager Tom Kelly said referring to a 2-9 Start. A we got into the Lead we maintained our Lead and we increased our Lead a the twins were still in sixth place Ivy games Back when they beat Texas on May 28 to end the rangers 14-game winning Streak and begin a 22-2 run of their own a including a 15-0 Start to june. Minnesota took sole Possession of first place for Good on july 11 and though the White sex Drew within one game in mid August they could not overtake the twins a who went on to eliminate the three time division and league Champion Oakland athletics. A by the end of May even though our record was hovering around .500,1 thought we could be a contender a said Macphail who unproved the team in the of season by signing free agents Jack Morris Chili Davis and Mike Pagliarulo. A but i done to think anybody expected us to go quite As  when the twins reached the Hamilton Airport players streamed out of two buses and began hugging and exchanging High fives. Aerial recovery Phoenix cornerback Lorenzo Lynch flies Over fallen new England bal Carrier Marvin alien to recover Allen s Fumble sunday in Tempe Ariz. The cards won 24-10. Turn to pages 22 and 25 for accounts of sunday s nil games. The stars and stripes october 1,1991 Page 26 dodgers holding the cards be i by Wendy e. Lane los Angeles a with Only six games remaining an oddball Victory takes on added meaning. For the los Angeles dodgers the twists and turns in sunday night s 3-2 win Over the san Francisco giants did two things heading into the last week of the regular season. It kept them one game ahead of Atlanta in the no West and it proved once again How Well they perform in the clutch. A every once in a while you get the break you re looking for a said Mike Sharperson. In Sharperson Scase the break was on his Bat. The Ball struck the Bat not once but twice a the second time near third base As san Francisco a Matt Williams was diving for the catch. But the play was More than a Novelty. The one out ninth inning hit drove in the tying run and brought up Darryl Strawberry who singled Home the winning run. The Victory marked the 24th time this season the dodgers have come Back to win in their last at Bat. After the latest comeback giants manager Roger Craig conceded the dodgers should win the West. Other no games on Page 26 a a it a their year a he said. A things Are going Well for  How Well in beating the giants the dodgers scored two runs on infield singles. Also the first six san Francisco batters reached base in the fifth and sixth innings but none was Able to score and extend the giants 2-0 Lead. Los Angeles was to begin its final series at Home monday night opening a three game set with the san Diego padres. Then the dodgers enter perilous candlestick Park where they have won just two of six games this season for their final three games Over the weekend. Meanwhile the braves play three Ames in Cincinnati before returning ome to end the regular season against the astros whom they swept at the Astrodome Over the weekend. Predictably the dodgers said they weren to concerned with what the braves were doing. A we Only have sex games left so we n have to spend All our Energy on our Ball games a Pitcher Mike Morgan said. A a we re not worrying about tuesday wednesday or the Friday saturday Sun Day series with san Francisco. We re worried about monday night. We just have to keep playing and worrying about the .  los Angeles was to Start Orel Hershiser 6-2 against Dennis Rasmussen 6-12 in the first game of the padres series. Its Bob Ojeda 11-9 is. Andy Benes 14-10 on tuesday followed by Tim Belcher 10-9 is Greg Harris 8-5 on wednesday. The dodgers said the series is crucial because they want to take a two game Lead with them to san Francisco. A now there is pressure and tension a Ojeda said. A now its like every game can make your previous 150 games mean something or mean nothing. If we do Good everything has been worthwhile. But if we do bad it will Wash out every bit of Good we be  but even with six games left a few dodgers weren to afraid to show their Confidence. A the cards Are in our hands now a Strawberry said. A a we re sitting in a real Good  bad brakes Stop Gant North w1lkesboro, . Apr Harry Gantus magic ended nine laps from the end of sundays Tyson Holly farms 400 when Dale Earnhardt darted into the Lead and went on to end Gantus four race winning Streak. Gant dominated the 400-Lap event leading 350 laps and appearing on the Way to a modern record fifth Lascar Winston cup win in a Row until a broken Brake lining opened the Way for series Leader Earnhardt. Gant came out of the final pit Stop on Lap 358, holding the Lead and seemingly in command. But Earnhardt got past Morgan Shepherd to take second place in the pits then went after Gant. With his brakes nearly gone the 51-ear-old Gant the oldest Driver to win a Vinston cup race was no match for Earnhardt who moved up right behind Gantus rear bumper then dived past on the outside on Lap 392. The four time and defending Winston cup Champion then pulled away driving his Chevrolet Lumina across the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of Gant s Olds Mobile Cutlass that had won every race it entered in september. Earnhardt averaged 94.112 Mph and earned $69,350 Shepherd finished third followed by Davey Allison Mark Martin Rusty Wallace Brett Bodine Ken Schrader Dale Jarrett and Alan Kulwicki the last Driver on the Lead Lap. Earnhardt a Victory was his fourth of the season but his first in nine races. Inside sports nil team by team Outlook a Page 21 pro football summaries standings a Page 24 braves pull Lith hour Swap with cubs Page 27 Victory puts Bradley in Lyga Hall a Page 27