MINNEAPOLIS Boof Bonser threw 6 1-3 scoreless innings to overshadow Mark Prior’s second start of the season in the Minnesota Twins’ 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Bonser (2-1) bounced back from two lackluster starts to outshine Prior, scattering six hits and striking out one with no walks. He left to a standing ovation in the seventh, and rookie Jason Kubel had two hits and an RBI for the surging Twins, who won for the 13th time in 15 games.

Joe Nathan pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 13 attempts.

Prior (0-2) looked sharp early in his second game this season after missing the first 21/2 months with shoulder problems, but he faded in his final 1 2-3 innings and got little help from his offense.

Phil Nevin had three hits for the Cubs, who only managed to get one runner past second base all night while being baffled by Bonser. Chicago was shut out for the eight time this season, which leads the majors.

Prior had a nightmarish first inning in his return to the mound on June 18 against Detroit, allowing six runs and three homers. He lasted just 3 2-3 innings and carried a 17.18 ERA into this start.

He got out of the first inning just fine, with Joe Mauer’s warning track flyout to left ending a 1-2-3 frame and looked like his old dominating self through the first four.

Prior struck out three and retired the first nine batters he faced, much to the delight of thousands of Cubs fans in attendance.

Luis Castillo got the first Twins hit to lead off the fourth inning, and the Twins finally got on the board in the fifth.

Terry Tiffee singled home Torii Hunter and Jason Bartlett followed by turning a 96-mph fastball into an RBI double to the right-center field gap for a 2-0 lead. The hit extended Bartlett’s hitting streak to a career-high 10 games and the shortstop has a hit in every game since being called up on June 13.

Prior appeared to be finished after giving up back-to-back two-out singles to Justin Morneau and Hunter in the sixth. The Metrodome speakers blared “Hit the Road Jack!” as manager Dusty Baker strode to the mound, but the right-hander stayed in the game.

Kubel followed with an RBI-single for a 3-0 lead, and that was it for Prior. He gave up three runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings and lowered his ERA to 9.68.

Prior’s matchup against Mauer was the first meeting between the top two picks of the 2001 draft. The Twins received some criticism for taking Mauer, a high school catcher from nearby Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, over Prior, the dominating pitcher from Southern Cal.

Five years later, nobody has any complaints. Prior made it to the big leagues in less than a year and won 18 games in 2003, but has struggled with shoulder problems the last two years.

Mauer is leading the majors in hitting in just his second full season and went 1-for-3 with a single against Prior.

Notes: Cubs 2B Tony Womack left the game in the third inning with lower back spasms. He’s listed as day to day. … Nevin led off the second with a single, but was picked off first on a nifty move by Bonser. … All the Cubs fans helped boost attendance to 42,304, the second largest Metrodome crowd of the season.

AP-ES-06-24-06 2141EDT