MINNEAPOLIS – Carlos Silva struck out a career-high eight in seven sharp innings against his former team, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.

Luis Rivas went 3-for-4 with a two-run triple for the Twins, who scored four runs with two outs in the second inning against Phillies starter Kevin Millwood.

Jim Thome hit career home run No. 399, his 18th of the season, to start the seventh. Silva gave up consecutive singles before retiring Chase Utley on a line smash to right, and Mike Lieberthal on a 6-4-3 double play.

Silva (7-3) gave up eight hits without a walk. Juan Rincon struck out the side in the eighth.

Acquired in a December trade with the Phillies for left-hander Eric Milton, Silva turned in one of his best starts against the team that didn’t have room for him in the rotation.

After going 8-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 130 appearances, and just one start, for Philadelphia the last two seasons, Silva has settled in nicely as Minnesota’s No. 4 starter. He tamed the Phillies, who scored 38 runs in their previous three games.

Millwood (4-5), who avoided arbitration in February by signing an $11 million, one-year deal, isn’t giving the Phillies their money’s worth. He gave up four runs, six hits and two walks in six innings while striking out three.

He retired 13 of the last 16 batters he faced after the fateful second inning, but his ERA rose to 4.94 and he hasn’t won in six starts since May 11.

Doug Mientkiewicz hit an RBI single and Lew Ford followed with an RBI double in the eighth for the Twins, who were flawless in the field.

Rookie Joe Mauer ended the sixth by throwing out Bobby Abreu trying to steal. Rivas made an excellent pivot and throw to an outstretched Mientkiewicz on a 6-4-3 double play to end the fourth and prevent a run from scoring. And center fielder Torii Hunter made an outstanding catch for the third straight game – running down a long fly hit by Jimmy Rollins in the sixth and hauling it in with his glove at waist level.

The Twins batted around in the second, when Millwood allowed six straight to reach base with two outs. Jacque Jones started the rally with a single.

Jose Offerman walked, and Mauer pounded an 0-2 pitch to center to drive in Jones. Rivas made it 3-0 with his triple to right, sliding in safely as Abreu’s throw bounced and third baseman David Bell couldn’t hang on.

Guzman singled to score Rivas and Mientkiewicz got hit in the foot with a pitch before Millwood struck out Ford to end it.

Notes: Thome tied Al Kaline for 37th place on the all-time home run list. His 23 homers in the Metrodome are the most by any visitor. … Rollins is 2-for-26 in his career against Minnesota. … The Twins went 3-for-3 in stolen bases, two by Guzman. The last one, a close play at third, prompted Phillies manager Larry Bowa’s ejection.

AP-ES-06-12-04 2155EDT