eye on …

Brian Dozier didn’t produce a hit for Minnesota on Thursday, but the ex-Southern Miss standout was hardly unproductive. He drew a walk, scored a run and made two sensational leaping snags at second base to help the surging Twins put the wraps on an 8-3 homestand with a 6-5 win over Oakland. The Twins are 16-13, creeping up on Kansas City and Detroit in the American League Central. Dozier is hitting .293 over his last 10 games, with three walks, nine runs and nine RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .236, but, much like last year, he is producing runs, which is what it’s really all about in baseball. Dozier has scored 21 runs and driven in 14 in 28 games. In 2014, he batted .242 but was second in MLB with 112 runs and drove in 71. Dozier has just two homers and two steals this year, so he is behind the pace of 2014 when he was a 20-20 man. But those numbers, homers in particular, seem to come in bunches. Worth noting, too: He hasn’t made an error in the field. P.S. The Twins’ win came at the expense of struggling A’s starter Drew Pomeranz, the Ole Miss alum who fell to 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA. … Ex-Rebels star Zack Cozart, out since Sunday when he was hit by a pitch on the wrist and then by a ground ball on the finger tip, reportedly could be back in the Cincinnati lineup tonight. The shortstop was seen wearing a T-shirt with the word “almost” taped to it on Thursday. He is batting .304 with five homers and 12 RBIs.