Minneapolis, MN -- (Sports Network) - Jason Bartlett was 3-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs as Minnesota doubled up Washington, 6-3, to salvage the finale of a three-game set at the Metrodome.

Torii Hunter finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored for the Twins, who won for just the second time in eight tries. Jeff Cirillo also drove in a run for Minnesota.

"This was almost a must win," said Bartlett. "We haven't been playing great. They got the first two so we needed this one."

Boof Bonser (5-2) allowed three runs on nine hits in five innings of work to pick up the win. Joe Nathan hurled a perfect ninth to earn his 14th save.

Ronnie Belliard was 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Nationals, who took two of three in the series. Felipe Lopez and Brian Schneider also drove in a run apiece for Washington.

"People haven't given us enough credit," said the Nats' Dmitri Young. "We are a bunch of hard workers here. There is some good young talent and a manager who believe in us. We just need to keep building from here."

Mike Bacsik (1-3) gave up four runs -- three earned -- on nine hits in five innings of work en route to the loss.

The Twins took an early 3-0 lead in the first. Luis Castillo doubled to left and quickly scored on Bartlett's single up the middle. Bartlett advanced 90 feet on a Michael Cuddyer ground out and eventually scored when Hunter came through with a two-out single. Hunter then crossed the plate from first base on a Mike Redmond single. Ryan Langerhans tried to gun down Hunter at third on the base hit and the ball got away from Belliard at third and went into the camera well, allowing Hunter to score.

The Nats got a run back in the second after Ryan Church, Belliard and Schneider slapped consecutive one-out singles.

Minnesota answered with a run in the third. Hunter singled, moved to third on Redmond's base hit and crossed the plate after Cirillo singled up the middle.

Washington began to chip away in the fourth. Church led off with a single, moved to second on Belliard's infield single and advanced to third on Langerhans' one-out walk before scoring on Lopez's ground ball to first.

The Nats then made it a 4-3 game in the fifth. Young got on with a one-out single, advanced to second when Bonser issued a free pass to Austin Kearns and came across the plate on Belliard 's two-out RBI single.

The Twins rebounded and extended their lead to 5-3 with a run in the seventh. Nick Punto started things with a one-out base hit, swiped second and moved to third on a Castillo ground ball before Bartlett rapped a two-out single to left.

Minnesota added an insurance run in the seventh. Hunter led off the frame with a single and moved to second on a Redmond's slow grounder to third. Cirillo then slapped a ground ball to Young at first but the bulky first baseman threw the ball past Saul Rivera, who was covering the bag. Hunter rounded third and scored on the error to make it 6-3.

Game Notes

Punto's stolen base was his 12th of the year...Young now has six errors on the season...The Twins avoided being swept at home for the first time by a National League team...Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who returned to Minnesota's lineup Friday after 32 days on the disabled list sat out the game.