Twins slugger Justin Morneau is off to a terrific start. After going 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs in Friday night’s 11-3 romp over Milwaukee, the first baseman is batting .335/.417/.640 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and a 1.057 OPS in 43 games.

In Friday’s win, Morneau, a left-handed hitter, collected three hits and two RBIs in four plate appearances against Brewers southpaws Manny Parra and R.J. Swindle. For the season, Morneau’s 25 hits versus lefties lead the major leagues, and he’s batting .410/.446/.705 with seven doubles and three home runs in 65 plate appearances against them.

A week ago, Morneau recorded a hit in five straight trips to the plate against left-handed pitching, all of them during New York’s recent four-game sweep of Minnesota at Yankee Stadium. The streak began Saturday with a home run off lefty reliever Phil Coke, and included two singles and two doubles against Andy Pettitte on Monday.

The Twins’ offensive leader missed out on securing 2009’s longest string of consecutive hits off southpaws when Coke fanned him late in Monday’s loss. Ian Kinsler of the Rangers and Cleveland’s Victor Martinez also have collected five straight hits versus lefties this season.