Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, September 5, 2015

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, September 5, 2015! Pelfrey serves up two big home runs in Twins' loss to Houston. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1! Postgame: McHugh effective without high velocity. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2! Twins notes: Hicks now outfield wild card. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3! Torii Hunter's sons finding their own way playing college football. Pioneer Press (Fuller) p. 4! Twins, Mike Pelfrey pelted with Astros' long balls. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5! Twinsights: Next time, Joe Mauer might just run over the catcher. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6! Twinsights: Logan Darnell returns, might be last pitching call- up. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7! Twinsights: Aaron Hicks return could lead to defensive breaks for Torii Hunter. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8! Twins silent in Houston, steady in Wild chase. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8! Pelfrey left frustrated after another short start. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9! Twins reinstate Hicks, promote Darnell. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10! Santana looks to stay strong against Astros. MLB.com (Rome) p. 11! August s rookie of the month Sano won t be ROY, one ESPN analyst says. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 12! How will outfield playing time be split now that Aaron Hicks is back?. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13! Wetmore s 5 thoughts: Pelfrey s latest short start, grand slam, Hicks. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13! Conger s grand slam powers Astros 8-0 rout of Twins. Associated Press p. 15! Twins' Rosario one HR away from joining elite company. Fox Sports North p. 15 Pelfrey serves up two big home runs in Twins' loss to Houston Phil Miller Star Tribune September 4, 2015 HOUSTON Joe Mauer sat in the dirt and motioned toward the umpire with his right arm after being tagged out Friday, a gesture that, for him, amounted to an Earl Weaver tantrum. But his subtle show of emotion did no good. In fact, almost nothing did much good for the Twins on Friday. Mauer was out at the plate after a review of the controversial call, the Astros bashed Mike Pelfrey even harder than they did a week earlier, and the Twins lost the opener of a critical nine- game road trip 8-0. And while being denied the game s first run may have had little effect on a game that turned into a blowout, it set a can- do- no- right tone that Astros breaking- ball specialist Collin McHugh capitalized on to hand Minnesota its second straight loss. Colby Rasmus launched an upper- deck home run, Hank Conger smashed a grand slam, and the Twins missed a chance to gain on Texas in the wild card race. I told [umpire Jim Reynolds] I didn t have anywhere to go, Mauer said of the first- inning collision at home plate. I thought it was going to be overturned. Mauer hit a two- out double, and Miguel Sano served a single into center field. Mauer didn t hesitate around third, but a strong throw from Carlos Gomez clearly beat him to the plate, albeit not by much, and Mauer was tagged by Conger as he slid home. houston 8, twins 0 Today: 6:10 p.m. at Astros (FSN, MLBN)

2 [Mauer] tells you he didn t have a lane, so we went ahead and made the challenge, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. It looked to me like it was a fairly close call. But Mauer protested that he had not been giving a clear lane for sliding home. Under the new rule adopted before the 2014 season, catchers are not allowed to block the plate before they receive the ball, so Molitor challenged the call, which was reviewed and upheld by umpires in New York. That s what I told Mollie as I was rounding third, he was already straddling the line. As the ball came in, he reset his feet, but he was in the same spot, Mauer said. It s kind of tough on both sides. The rule is there to try to protect the players. Neither one of us got hurt, so that s probably the best thing, but it would have been nice to get the run there. Instead, the Twins were left to contend with McHugh, who used his curveball and sinking fastball, none of which reach 90 mph, to earn his 15th win. Not that it would have mattered much. Pelfrey owned a 2.28 ERA on June 7, fifth best in the AL, but after giving up seven runs in four innings to the Astros, five days after allowing four run in 3⅔ innings, his ERA has nearly doubled, to He hadn t allowed a home run in his past seven starts, a stretch spanning 42⅔ innings, but Rasmus ended that. Then, after three consecutive singles in the fourth and after striking out Rasmus and Luis Valbuena to put himself on the brink of escaping the jam Pelfrey fell behind Conger 2-0. I was determined to throw a fastball for a strike there, Pelfrey said. And he hit it out to left. It was only the second grand slam Pelfrey has served up in his 10- year career, both of them to catchers; Miami s John Buck hit the other back in But it was a sign, Molitor said, that Pelfrey doesn t have much confidence in his breaking pitches. He needs to be able to command his off- speed pitches a little better to get them off his fastball, Molitor said. Postgame: McHugh effective without high velocity Phil Miller Star Tribune September 4, 2015 A handful of leftovers from a forgetting night at Minute Maid Park: Now the Twins know what opponents feel when Tommy Milone keeps them off- balance all night. Collin McHugh, whose fastball tops out around 88 mph, was brilliant on Friday, keeping the Twins in check for 7 2/3 innings, only allowing one baserunner Joe Mauer, who was thrown out at the plate in the first inning to reach third base all night. His ball moves all over the place, Mauer said. When you change speeds, you don t have to throw hard to get guys out. It s pretty big differential between his curveball and his fastball. That curveball was especially impressive, Molitor said of the righthander, who followed up his 11-9 season last year for the last- place Astros with a 15-7 start to this season. McHugh was good. A lot of poise. We didn t touch his curveball all night, Molitor said. He had good command of his cutter. It was kind of bleak overall. When Molitor reached home plate for the pregame exchange of lineups and review of the ground rules, he suddenly whirled and jogged back to the dugout. Turns out, he was about to turn over his own copy of the lineups, and not the copies that go to the umpires and Astros. Small mistake, but the manager looked a little sheepish as he went back out on the field with the correct lineups. They were all the same, Molitor said, he just grabbed the wrong ones. Mike Pelfrey isn t tired, he said, and he isn t hurt. He just can t find consistently put it all together lately. The righthander sounded more mystified than frustrated after Friday s loss, but he said his rising number of starts and innings with 146 2/3 innings this season, he s only six behind the 152 2/3 he produced in 2013 aren t to blame. It s weird. I thought my stuff was OK tonight, Pelfrey said. It was better than last time at home, but it still wasn t good enough. I felt pretty good, but I put us in a big hole again. Pelfrey has allowed 14 runs in his last three starts, covering 12 1/3 innings. Home runs by Rasmus and Conger made Friday s game the first time since his 2015 debut that Pelfrey had allowed two home runs, and his streak of seven straight games without allowing a homer, stretching for 42 2/3 innings, ended with Rasmus upper- deck shot to right in the second inning. 2

3 Twins notes: Hicks now outfield wild card Phil Miller Star Tribune September 4, 2015 HOUSTON Aaron Hicks has been a center fielder his entire professional career, all eight seasons of it, and he was back in center for the Twins on Friday night. But if it s essentially a farewell appearance, Hicks said he s OK with that. Of course I love center field, Hicks said after being activated from the disabled list, his sore left hamstring now completely healed. But when it comes to helping this team win, I m OK with playing all three positions. I have no problem with it. Neither does his manager, especially with a defender with the range of Byron Buxton on his roster. Just to make sure, though, Paul Molitor had a pregame discussion with the 25- year- old veteran, who arrived Friday after a four- game rehab stint with Class AAA Rochester, and made sure he understood what his duties in September might look like. Aaron will be called upon probably more than the other guys to rotate around a little bit. He ll probably will play all three, to some degree, where [Eddie] Rosario most likely will be in left or right, Molitor said. And when Buxton plays, he s going to be in center. That s probably how it s going to shape up. That s not to downplay Hicks role, however. Molitor made it clear how happy he is that the switch- hitter is back, immediately putting him in the leadoff spot. Aaron s return is big for us. We saw such tremendous progress this year in how he played, particularly on the offensive side, the manager said. His stint down there in Rochester went smoothly. It kind of changes our lineup and the depth we can bring. Coincidentally, Hicks wasn t the only leadoff- hitting former first- round pick to return to action Friday. Astros right fielder George Springer, out since fracturing his right wrist, was activated before the game and restored to the leadoff spot, too. Maxed- out bullpen Righthander Logan Darnell arrived from Rochester, too, giving the Twins 11 different options in the bullpen. That ought to be plenty, Molitor said. I would think we re probably set, the manager said of calling up additional pitchers. That probably means that righthander Alex Meyer and lefthander Aaron Thompson, each of whom spent time with the Twins this season, will be sent home once Rochester completes its International League season next week. Darnell figured he was going home, too, until he was pulled from his start Thursday in the fifth inning, after throwing just 68 pitches. The 26- year- old former sixth- round pick was told that the Twins want him to serve as a long reliever this month, should the need arise. Considering that 28 of his 35 appearances this season were in relief, Darnell said it s a good fit for him. He posted an 0.85 ERA in his last five starts for the Red Wings, though, so he believes his bullpen experience helped him. Etc. Molitor on how well Kevin Jepsen has filled the role of injured closer Glen Perkins: I kind of look at it from the flip side if we didn t have him, how would things look for us at this point? Jepsen has five saves during Perkins absence with neck and back issues. Phil Hughes will throw in the bullpen this weekend, then join the Twins in Kansas City next week and throw a simulated game. Hughes, out because of a sore back that required a cortisone shot, has not pitched since Aug. 9. 3

4 Torii Hunter's sons finding their own way playing college football Marcus Fuller Pioneer Press September 4, 2015 All it took was one mention of college football season kicking off this week for Torii Hunter to reach back into his Twins locker and proudly showcase his Notre Dame Irish T- shirt. Hunter is busy spearheading a Twins playoff push this September, but the 19- year veteran outfielder seems even more excited to see his son, Torii Jr., get a shot to play a significant role as a redshirt sophomore wide receiver for Notre Dame this year, starting with the Irish's opener Saturday against Texas. "The wide receiving corps is pretty stacked; they have a lot of guys who can step in and do different roles," Hunter said. "My son is a slot receiver. But he can do X, Y and Z. He can play all those positions. After dealing with a broken leg in 2013 and a groin injury last year, Torii Jr. will get a chance to prove on a national stage that football is as strong as baseball in the Hunter family. "I've actually been able to get on the field, and it's just going to be fun," said Torii Jr., who was named Notre Dame's offensive newcomer of the year in "We have a lot of excitement around this team and this locker room. We're excited to get out there on Saturday." Once the major league season is over, Hunter spends most of his time traveling back and forth to watch two of his sons play college football. But he also tries not to miss much of the action during the baseball season. Hunter has another son, Money, who is a junior defensive back at Arkansas State, which opens Saturday at Southern California. Torii Hunter posted an Instagram video last September while playing for the Detroit Tigers celebrating Money's interception in a game against Tennessee. "Let's go Money!" Hunter said on the video. "He kept control of it. That's what I'm talking about." The Tigers suffered a gut- wrenching 12-3 loss against the Twins later that month that all but ended their chances at a division title, but Hunter got choked up later that night for a different reason. He watched a recording of Torii Jr. catching a 13- yard touchdown against Syracuse earlier that day. Baseball will always be what Hunter is known for, but football was his first love. He was a high school football star in Pine Bluff, Ark., before making a name for himself on the diamond. "That's all I played," Hunter said. "That's all I knew. I was a quarterback and safety in high school. And I had a lot of fun. My dad was a football player and played a little bit. He was going to college but went to Vietnam instead." Torii Jr. grew up in Prosper, Texas, where football was "so serious," Hunter said. "The parents were so serious," he said. "The leagues were so serious. There was traveling football. I saw it right away. The scholarship letters, there were so many. Baseball wasn't like football. Football took over." Torii Jr. was a four- star recruit and played in the U.S. Army All- American game in He also had scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Iowa and Texas Christian, among others. But Notre Dame gave him the opportunity to be a two- sport athlete in college. In February, Torii Jr. joined the Irish baseball team as an outfielder. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a good baseball player because I was Torii Hunter's son," Torii Jr. said. "But eventually I have to figure out my own motivation and not just live under his shadow. I decided to excel in both sports, and now I'm here at Notre Dame making a name for myself in two sports." Hunter's namesake developed a passion for baseball at a younger age than his father. Some of Torii Jr.'s best memories growing up were of attending Twins games and growing close to David Ortiz, who he still calls "Uncle Dave." "I used to wake up early in the morning. I had the full uniform," Torii Jr. said. "I was just all- out sweating, ready to play. That's what I miss back in the day, when my dad was first with the Twins." 4

5 Hunter said Torii Jr. has a better baseball mind than he did at the same age. He wouldn't be surprised to see his son follow him into professional baseball. But it's all about Notre Dame football right now. "If he puts his mind to it, he could be in the major leagues," Hunter said. "But football, he's really good. He's really good." Twins, Mike Pelfrey pelted with Astros' long balls Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 4, 2015 HOUSTON - - For all his maddening inconsistency and recent inability to produce quality starts, one thing Mike Pelfrey had usually been able to do was keep the ball in the yard. That changed Friday night at cozy Minute Maid Park with two swings of the bat in an 8-0 loss to the Houston Astros. First, Colby Rasmus connected in the second inning for a two- run homer into the second deck off the Twins right- hander. That ended a stretch of 191 batters faced for Pelfrey without allowing a home run. Two innings later, with Pelfrey (6-9) on the verge of wriggling out of a bases- loaded, nobody- out jam, Astros catcher Hank Conger slashed a 2-0 elevated sinker the other way into the Crawford Boxes for a 338- foot grand slam. "It's very frustrating," Pelfrey said. "I feel bad for the bullpen. They've had to pick me up for a month now. It seems like it's been forever." It was the second career grand slam for Conger, both coming this season, and just the second Pelfrey had allowed in 134 career plate appearances with the bases loaded. The other was by former Florida Marlins catcher John Buck on April 1, 2011, when Pelfrey was still pitching for the New York Mets. This was Pelfrey's 60th start in a Twins uniform over the past three seasons. It was the seventh time he had allowed multiple homers but the first since his 2015 rollout, April 11 at the Chicago White Sox. Before Friday, Pelfrey had enjoyed seven homerless starts and 42 2/3 innings since Los Angeles Angels catcher Chris Iannetta took him deep on July 22. That was the longest active homerless streak in the American League and the longest by a Twins pitcher since Kyle Gibson went eight starts without allowing a homer in "They're a team that really hunts the fastball," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's hard to tell from the side how much he's missing his location. It seemed like he was using it a lot early, and they were on it." Having failed to complete five innings in his past three tries and four of his past six starts, Pelfrey has a 6.35 earned- run average since he dueled Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma for eight shutout innings just over a month ago. With seven earned runs allowed, Pelfrey's season ERA spiked to 4.17, the highest it's been since April 17. Meanwhile, 21- year- old Jose Berrios, the Twins' top pitching prospect, will be shut down Saturday night after making his final start of the year for Triple- A Rochester. Berrios, who leads the minor leagues with 170 strikeouts, has a 1.80 ERA over his past 60 innings. With Phil Hughes (back) pointing toward a simulated game next Wednesday in Kansas City, the Twins' Opening Day starter could return during the home series against Detroit on Sept Whether he supplants a fading Pelfrey in the rotation could depend on how the veteran sinkerballer fares at the Royals on Sept. 9. "I think right now he's struggling confidence- wise," Molitor said. "The results haven't been particularly good as of late. I'm not sure if it's a late- season thing as much as he hasn't been headed it the right direction his last couple starts for sure." Facing the Astros for the second time in as many weekends, the Twins will have to scramble if they want to claim their fifth straight series. This was the first time the Twins had suffered consecutive losses since getting swept at Yankee Stadium Aug Astros right- hander Collin McHugh improved to 15-7 with 7 2/3 scoreless innings for the AL West leaders, who added George Springer and Carlos Correa to a lineup that had chased Pelfrey in the fourth inning (four earned runs) six days earlier. 5

6 The Twins tried to break on top in the first with Joe Mauer's two- out double and Miguel Sano's single to center. However, ex- Twin Carlos Gomez threw out Mauer at home. Molitor challenged the call, saying Conger failed to comply with baseball's anti- collision rules. After a minute- long replay review, the call was upheld. The Twins wouldn't get another runner past second the rest of the night. Said Molitor: "It was kind of bleak overall." Twinsights: Next time, Joe Mauer might just run over the catcher Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 4, 2015 HOUSTON Thirty minutes after Friday s game, Joe Mauer still hadn t looked at the replay. The Twins first baseman didn t need to. He sounded convinced Houston Astros catcher Hank Conger was blocking home plate without the ball on a first- inning play that cost Mauer and the Twins the first run of an eventual 8-0 loss. I guess when I was coming up, usually that s one that you can run him over, Mauer said. If I was doing it again, I d go right at him. Instead, Mauer tried to make a hard slide to the outside of the plate. He collided with Conger as he slid by, but the Astros catcher held onto the ball. Twins manager Paul Molitor challenged the call, claiming Conger hadn t provided Mauer a sliding lane as required by the rule that was implemented on an experimental basis for the 2014 season, but a minute- long replay review in New York upheld the call. I didn t really have anywhere to go, Mauer said. That s what I told Mollie. When I was rounding third, (Conger) was already straddling the line. I think when the ball was coming in, he reset his feet but he was in the same spot. I thought it was going to be overturned, but I ve been wrong on replay before. Molitor, who did watch replays after the game, didn t sound quite as sure as Mauer that the out call should have been overturned. In watching the play, you can try to break down the language if you want, Molitor said. It looks to me like (Conger) initially tried to possibly set up to give him a lane. I m not sure from the video I saw exactly when he started to slide into the throw, which took him into the lane. He obviously caught it in a position where we had nowhere to go, but you have to catch the ball too. From the one angle Molitor saw, it was a fairly close call. Mauer said this was the first time he had been involved in a play like that at the plate as a baserunner. He had already been moved to first base due to his August 2013 concussion by the time Rule 7.13 was crafted to cut down on home- plate collisions. You want to avoid contact if you can, but I didn t really have anywhere to go, so you try to get to the plate as quick as you can, Mauer said. I know it makes it tough, just playing the position, being a catcher, trying to figure out where to be. That s kind of tough on both sides. That rule is there to try to protect the players. Neither one of us got hurt, so that s probably the best thing. Another thought that flashed through Mauer s mind as he barreled toward home: If he did run over Conger, would he have been ejected in the first inning of a game with postseason implications? That s another thing that kind of crosses your mind rounding third, Mauer sad. If you do run him over, you could be thrown out of the game. It s up to the umpire, I think, right? You don t want to get thrown out in the first inning, that s for sure. I was just trying to get to the plate as quickly as I could. Sliding right in, I thought that was the best way to go. Below is the full explanation of Rule 7.13 as found at MLB.com. COLLISIONS AT HOME PLATE A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the Umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the Umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). In such circumstances, the Umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other base runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the collision. 6

7 Rule 7.13 Comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner s lowering of the shoulder, or the runner s pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be adjudged to have violated Rule A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner s buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the Umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the Umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the Umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable. Twinsights: Logan Darnell returns, might be last pitching call- up Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 4, 2015 HOUSTON Left- hander Logan Darnell, recalled Friday from Triple- A Rochester, likely won t be available to pitch again until Sunday after throwing 68 pitches in an abbreviated start for the Red Wings on Thursday. Twins manager Paul Molitor, however, likes the idea of using Darnell as a long reliever, whether due to a short start or a game that goes into extra innings. That s a commodity the Twins don t have at the moment with rookie right- hander J.R. Graham on the disabled list with shoulder weakness. He s a nice option to have, Molitor said. Twins general manager Terry Ryan recently watched Darnell toss eight innings of one- run ball for Rochester. Terry says it s the best he s ever seen him throw, Molitor said. Over his past 33 2/3 innings, dating to Aug. 7, Darnell had posted a 0.82 earned run average. That included a five- hit, 114- pitch, complete- game shutout of Syracuse just before Ryan hit town. For the year Darnell has gone 5-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 35 outings (seven starts). Twins backup catcher Eric Fryer, who caught Darnell s shutout, said the lefty had been doing a much better job of attacking hitters on the inner part of the plate. Darnell also has taken to throwing his changeup more to lefties, per the wishes of Twins pitching coach Neil Allen. His fastball remains average on most nights, but he complements it with a mph curveball that often leaves hitters flailing. He ll throw any pitch in any count, Fryer said. Molitor didn t sound inclined to add any additional pitchers on September call- ups aside from those working back from the disabled list. We ve got a lot of people, he said. Pitching- wise, I would think we re probably set. That would mean no September call- ups for highly rated prospect Alex Meyer, who remains in the Rochester bullpen, or lefty Aaron Thompson, who spent the first half of the year with the Twins. Briefly Rookie reliever J.R. Graham (shoulder) threw off a mound for the second straight day Friday and remains on track to come off the disabled list next Friday at the Chicago White Sox. Graham threw 30 pitches in a full bullpen at Minute Maid Park, using his full repertoire. Felt really good, he said. Molitor said one more position player could be added. Outfielder Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco, both on the 40- man roster, are slated to represent Double- A Chattanooga in the Southern League playoffs next week. Both figure to receive strong consideration, although Kepler had been in a 4- for- 30 (.133) skid. 7

8 Twinsights: Aaron Hicks return could lead to defensive breaks for Torii Hunter Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 4, 2015 HOUSTON Torii Hunter has been removed in the late innings of games he has started 14 times this year, but typically that has been due to blowouts or the desperation use of a five- man infield (twice). Two other times, including Tuesday s win over the Chicago White Sox, Hunter gave way to Shane Robinson as a late- inning pinch runner in a close game. With Friday s return of Aaron Hicks off the disabled list, Twins manager Paul Molitor had a talk this week with his 40- year- old right fielder about the need to maximize his outfield defense in the final month of the season. We talked to Torii about how we haven t done much defensive replacement with him this year, Molitor said. With the people we have it makes sense for me to do that in that situation. Hicks, hamstring healed and fresh off a four- game rehab assignment at Triple- A Rochester, was back atop the Twins lineup and playing center field for Fridays series opener against the Houston Astros. Hicks went 7 for 17 (.412) with two doubles and a home run in his brief stint for the Red Wings. Even though Hicks was hitting just.213 in August (.224 on- base percentage) at the time he landed on the DL, rookie Byron Buxton has been struggling even more (1 for 23 with 11 strikeouts) since a pair of two- hit games at Tampa Bay. Eddie Rosario remains entrenched in left, although he could sit against Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, a tough lefty, on Sunday. Asked if Buxton could be used as a pinch runner, Molitor laughed and said, You think? But he also allowed that if he needed a stolen base in the late innings, he would probably use Eduardo Nunez or Danny Santana instead of Buxton, who has stolen just once in three tries in the majors. I would probably put them maybe a hair above him in terms of execution, Molitor said. Obviously he s in a different (speed) category. If you re looking to score on a double from first or a base hit, you d go with Buxton. Depends what you need. Buxton will remain in center when he plays, Molitor said. Hicks, also a true center fielder, is admittedly more comfortable in right than in left, where he has played just once at any level this year after playing there a dozen times in all last season. Of course I love center field; that s where I ve always played, Hicks said. As far as being able to help this team win and do what I can to make everybody feel comfortable, I m ok with playing all three positions. I have no problem with it. I ve done it before. I just want to be in the lineup. That s all I care about and helping this team win. Twins silent in Houston, steady in Wild chase Rhett Bollinger & Brian McTaggart MLB.com September 4, 2015 HOUSTON - - George Springer's return to the lineup took a back seat to the bat of Hank Conger. Conger belted a fourth- inning grand slam, and Colby Rasmus had a two- run blast to back 7 2/3 scoreless innings from starting pitcher Collin McHugh and lead the Astros to an 8-0 win over the Twins in the series opener Friday night at Minute Maid Park. "It felt great," Conger said. "Especially, [Twins starter Mike Pelfrey] got those first two guys out with the bases loaded so trying to get a momentum shift. He has a good two- seamer, so for me I was trying to look out over the plate and do some damage." 8

9 The first- place Astros gained a game atop the American League West over the Rangers (three games back) after Texas lost to the Angels (4 1/2 back). That result in Anaheim also kept the Twins 1 1/2 games behind the Rangers for the second AL Wild Card spot. Conger, batting left- handed against Pelfrey (6-9), sent a 2-0 pitch to left field and into the Crawford Boxes to give Houston a 7-0 lead and later added an RBI single to tie a career high with five RBIs. McHugh (15-7) held the Twins to seven hits and one walk and struck out six. "McHugh was good," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "A lot of poise. We didn't touch his curveball all night. He had good command of his cutter. It was just kind of bleak overall." Springer went 1- for- 4 in his return from a two- month stint on the disabled list for a fractured right wrist, jump- starting the offense with a leadoff single and a run in the bottom of the first inning. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hammerin' Hank: Conger, who has taken over as the starting catcher while Jason Castrois on the disabled list recovering from a right quad strain, became the 10th Astros player to reach double- digit home runs with the grand slam, setting a franchise record. The Major League record is 11 players with double- digit home runs (2004 Tigers). Backup infieldermarwin Gonzalez is the next closest Astro to the 10- homer mark, with nine on the season for Houston. More > "When you got guys down in the order hitting double- digit home runs that are part- time players, that's a pretty unique roster to have," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "You know clearly we've got power throughout and we've had guys come up through the Minor Leagues and hit for power, and it's a good achievement." Pelfrey can't go deep: Pelfrey has had trouble recently pitching deep into games, and it was again the case, as he lasted only four innings. The right- hander has been unable to reach the six- inning mark in five of his last six starts, and has a 6.35 ERA over that stretch. More > "It's very frustrating," said Pelfrey, who threw 70 pitches, 42 for strikes. "I feel bad for the bullpen. They've had to pick me up for a month or however long it's been. It seems like forever. Obviously, the pitch count wasn't crazy high tonight, but I couldn't get anybody out. So it's just frustrating. I need to go deeper and be better and I haven't done that." Gomez throws out Mauer: Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez came up with a huge play in the top of the first inning, when he threw out Joe Mauer at home plate for the final out. Mauer was trying to score from second base on a single by Miguel Sano. "It's huge," Conger said. "Gomey made a great play, and obviously that carries on, of course Springer gets the hit and then it starts some stuff going right there. For some reason it just seems like plays at home plate always seem like a momentum- shifter." Escobar's streak snapped: Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar saw his streak of scoring in 12 straight games come to an end. It tied Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the longest such streak this year and was two games behind Kirby Puckett's franchise record of 14 straight. But Escobar did extend his hit streak to five games and has also reached safely via a hit or walk in 10 consecutive games. QUOTABLE "Usually, I do a better job of keeping the ball in the park. The one to Rasmus was belt- high and he turned on it. The one to Conger was up but he was able to get it out, too. I put our team in a pretty big hole." - - Pelfrey, who entered having allowed seven homers all year SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS In Dallas Keuchel (16-6) and McHugh, the Astros have two 15- game winners for the first time since 2005: Roy Oswalt (20-12) and Andy Pettitte (17-9). WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right- hander Ervin Santana starts the second game of the series on Saturday (6:10 p.m. CT). Santana is coming off his best start of the year, as he tossed seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against the Astros on Sunday. Astros: Rookie- right- hander Lance McCullers (5-5, 3.21 ERA) starts against the Twins for the second time in a row on Saturday at Minute Maid Park. He held the Twins to three runs and four hits in six innings in a 7-5 loss Sunday. 9

10 Pelfrey left frustrated after another short start Rhett Bollinger MLB.com September 4, 2015 HOUSTON - - Mike Pelfrey has had trouble pitching deep into games recently, and it's becoming an uncomfortable trend for the Twins right- hander. Pelfrey lasted just four innings against the Astros on Friday night, allowing seven runs on eight hits in an 8-0 loss at Minute Maid Park. It marked the fifth time over his last six starts that he's been unable to reach the six- inning mark, and he has a 6.35 ERA over that stretch. It's caused Pelfrey's ERA to rise to 4.17 on the year, which is the first time it's been above 4.00 since April 17. "It's very frustrating," said Pelfrey, who threw 70 pitches, 42 for strikes. "I feel bad for the bullpen. They've had to pick me up for a month or however long it's been. It seems like forever. Obviously, the pitch count wasn't crazy high tonight, but I couldn't get anybody out. So it's just frustrating. I need to go deeper and be better and I haven't done that." But the way he struggled against the Astros was rare, as he was hurt by a pair of homers - - a two- run blast from Colby Rasmus in the second and an opposite- field grand slam from Hank Conger in the fourth. He came into this start having allowed only seven homers in 142 2/3 innings, which was tied for the second- fewest homers allowed in the Majors for a pitcher with at least 140 innings this year. "Usually I do a better job of keeping the ball in the park," Pelfrey said. "The one to Rasmus was belt high and he turned on it. The one to Conger was up but he was able to get it out, too. I put our team in a pretty big hole." Twins manager Paul Molitor said he believes Pelfrey's struggles with his off- speed pitches have been problematic, as he's not able to put away hitters or pitch backward by starting off batters with breaking pitches. It's allowed teams to hone on his sinker, like the Astros did Friday. "They're a team that really hunts the fastball," Molitor said. "It's hard to tell from the side how much he's missing his location. He was using it a lot early and they were on it." Molitor said he doesn't think Pelfrey is wearing down - - he's on pace to throw his most innings since but that he's searching for confidence after a string of rough outings. "I think right now he's struggling a bit confidence- wise," Molitor said. "I'm not sure if it's a late- season thing but he's not going in the right direction the last couple of starts for sure." Pelfrey believes his struggles aren't because it's getting late in the year and said he's going to do whatever he can to get out of this rut in a crucial part of the season. "It's weird because I thought my stuff was OK," Pelfrey said. "I feel good. I feel healthy. The results just haven't been there. So I'm just going to keep plugging away. Hopefully it'll turn around here soon." 10

11 Twins reinstate Hicks, promote Darnell Rhett Bollinger MLB.com September 4, 2015 HOUSTON - - The Twins reinstated outfielder Aaron Hicks from the 15- day disabled list on Friday, while also recalling left- hander Logan Darnell from Triple- A Rochester. Hicks, who had been sidelined since Aug. 19 with a left hamstring strain, went 7- for- 17 (.412) with a home run during a four- game rehab stint with Rochester. The 25- year- old was hitting.268/.318/.411 with eight home runs and nine stolen bases in 69 games with Minnesota before the injury. Hicks started in center field and hit leadoff in the Twins' 8-0 loss to the Astros on Friday, going 1- for- 4 with a single, as Byron Buxton was given the night off. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he plans to mix and match with Eddie Rosario, Torii Hunter, Shane Robinson, Hicks and Buxton. "It just gives me depth and options," Molitor said. "We have five guys out there now we can use as we feel appropriate on a given day. Aaron's return is big for us. We saw such tremendous progress on how he played, particularly on the offensive side. His stint down there at Rochester went smoothly. He played all three outfield positions and swung the bat well." Molitor said when Buxton starts he'll be in center field, so Hicks will see time in the corner- outfield spots. Hicks said he's more comfortable in right than left, but said he's fine wherever Molitor plays him. Hicks was also pleased with his rehab assignment, as he picked up right where he left off after hitting.281/.333/.477 in his last 41 games before the hamstring strain. "Injuries are part of the game, so you just try to come back and get hot again and help the team win," Hicks said. "I just stayed with my same approach [in Rochester]. I got my timing first. And then I was able to continue to feel good at the plate." As for Darnell, who is the Twins' No. 26- ranked prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, he joins the Twins after racking up a 2.78 ERA over 35 outings (seven starts) with Rochester. The 26- year- old southpaw posted a 0.82 ERA over his last five starts after moving into the Red Wings' starting rotation in mid- August. He's stretched out and gives the Twins another arm with closer Glen Perkins not on the road trip because of a back strain. Twins general manager Terry Ryan saw Darnell pitch in Rochester last week and recommended him. "With Perkins being down and the fact you look at all the people we have in the bullpen with [J.R.] Graham out, we don't really have length with a guy who can give you more than two innings on a given day," Molitor said. "So he's a nice option to have. He's been in the rotation as of late, and Terry said it was the best he's seen him throw." Darnell saw time with the Twins last year, but said he was still not expecting a callup, especially when he wasn't one of the five initial September callups on Tuesday. He's expected to be the last pitcher called up, but the Twins are likely to bring up another position player, Molitor said. "I definitely was surprised," Darnell said. "I wasn't expecting it. I just kind of figured it was my last start of the year and didn't think much of it. But then they took me out earlier than expected and they told me they might need me up here so that's why they took me out." 11

12 Santana looks to stay strong against Astros Chandler Rome MLB.com September 4, 2015 Six days after facing one another in Minnesota, Astros rookie Lance McCullers squares off against Twins righty Ervin Santana on Saturday in the second matchup of a three- game series at Minute Maid Park. Santana got the best of McCullers on Sunday and turned in his finest start of the season, setting a season high for Twins starters with 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings to snap a six- start winless streak in Minnesota's 7-5 win. McCullers, who was plagued by four walks in that loss to Santana, allowed three runs on four hits in six innings but struck out six to give him 93 this year - - good for second all- time in Astros history through a player's first 16 games (Tom Griffin leads with 112 in 1969). Both teams are in contention for the postseason, with the Astros holding a three- game lead over the Rangers atop the American League West and the Twins 1 1/2 games behind Texas for an AL Wild Card spot. Houston will also have the services of George Springer, who made his return to the Astros lineup on Friday night after a two- month stint on the disabled list with a fractured right wrist. Springer got things started quickly for the Astros on Friday, singling and scoring in the first inning. Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Springer will play Saturday but likely get a scheduled day off on Sunday. Three things to know about this game Byron Buxton was out of the Twins lineup Friday, but manager Paul Molitor said the highly touted rookie will be back Saturday, sharing playing time in the outfield with Aaron Hicks, who was reinstated from the 15- day disabled list prior to Friday's game. Hinch said left- handed reliever Tony Sipp will be unavailable for the series and is still undergoing tests to diagnose a nagging back/oblique issue. Sipp, who hasn't pitched since Aug. 26, was one of three lefties in the Astros' bullpen, alongside Joe Thatcher and Oliver Perez. Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar will carry a five- game hitting streak into Saturday's contest after he extended it with a third- inning single through the left side on Friday. August s rookie of the month Sano won t be ROY, one ESPN analyst says Derek Wetmore 1500espn.com September 5, 2015 Miguel Sano has opened eyes across all of baseball, and in the year of the rookie, he still stands out. The imposing rookie slugger has hit.294/.403/.617,which are absurd numbers through 216 plate appearances. He's also gotten hot in the power department lately, despite playing with a slightly strained hamstring that limits all his running to basically a slow jog. In August, Sano hit.278/.377/.629 and carried the Twins lineup, which earned him American League Rookie of the Month honors. He's burst onto the scene in his two months in the big leagues with so much force that it has people locally wondering if Sano will be the Rookie of the Year. It might sound amazing on its face, because Sano rarely plays defense and has only been on the Twins since July, but Sano has been that good. Still, the front- runner has to be Houston's shortstop Carlos Correa. That's who Keith Law picked for American League ROY award in his latest awards post. We see a lot of Sano around these parts (and Correa sat out the Astros series at Target Field), so it's easy to get a sort of tunnel vision. As Law points out in his column, Correa already owns a top- 40 all- time WAR by a player 20 years old or younger, and he could end up in the top- 25 range. Law also said he takes into account a player's youth, which would also favor Correa. 12

13 That Astros shortstop, batting.276/.345/.513 with a good glove at a premium position, turns 21 years old at the end of the month. He was taken one pick ahead of Byron Buxton (first overall) in the 2012 MLB first- year player draft. Still, if the Twins surge and make the playoffs on the power of Sano's broad shoulders, wouldn't he have a case? That will remain to be seen. The two square off in Texas over the weekend. Sano is nursing a hamstring injury, but he's expected to be in the lineup. "It's nice for people in our organization to have a young player come up and kind of gather the attention that he has, both here locally and even on the national level," manager Paul Molitor said this week. "And rightfully so; he's been an impact player at an important juncture of the season." "We've just got to try to keep him healthy and keep him on the field, but it's been a great story," Molitor said. How will outfield playing time be split now that Aaron Hicks is back? Derek Wetmore 1500espn.com September 5, 2015 The Twins on Friday reinstated Aaron Hicks from the 15- day disabled list and recalled left- handed pitcher Logan Darnell in time for the team's series with the Astros in Houston. With the Twins currently 1 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers for the second wild card spot in the American League, every series is critical for Minnesota the rest of the way. Hicks was one of the team's best players at the time he hit the DL for a strained left hamstring. He's likely to be in the starting lineup every night. He had batted leadoff before his injury. The rest of the outfield mix should be interesting over the final month of the season. Eddie Rosario has been solid, and despite the fact that he chases a lot of pitches outside the strikezone, he's been a contributor with his bat and his glove. He'll probably play almost every day. And that's where things get interesting. Byron Buxton is a force in center field, with his combination of speed and strong arm. He has the best arm on the team and some of the best wheels in the Major Leagues. Every once in a while he'll take an imperfect route to a ball, but on the whole he's a big boost to the Twins' outfield defense. He's hitting just.189/.232/.256 in roughly 100 plate appearances, while striking out in more than 35 percent of his plate appearances. Clearly, he has a ways to go to adjust to Major League pitching. Torii Hunter, meanwhile, doesn't have nearly the range Buxton has, and is limited to right field. His overall offensive numbers are better than Buxton's, especially when factoring in his 18 home runs and 64 RBIs. But don't let the overall numbers fool you. Hunter hasn't been carryng his weight at the plate the past two months. Since July 1, Hunter has hit just.161/.226/.286 in 177 plate appearances across 42 games. Those numbers are hard to accept from a part- time player at a premium defensive position, let alone an everyday player in a corner outfield spot. Hunter's contributions to this team in 2015 are undeniable. With Hicks back, it'll be interesting to see how manager Paul Molitor uses his outfielders over the final month of the season. Wetmore s 5 thoughts: Pelfrey s latest short start, grand slam, Hicks Derek Wetmore 1500espn.com September 5, 2015 The Twins began their latest season- defining road trip by getting shutout by the Houston Astros, 8-0. The Twins had a chance to score the first run of the game, but after Joe Mauer was tagged out at the plate, Mike Pelfrey turned in a short and ineffective start in the loss. This column presents 5 thoughts from Friday's game. 13

14 As always, feel free to ask questions or make observations in the comments. If you have a unique baseball observation during a game, feel free to share it with me on Twitter (@DerekWetmore) A grand slam capped Mike Pelfrey's bad start, in which the righthander pitched just 4 innings and allowed seven earned runs. After a gem to begin the month of August, Pelfrey's had just one decent start in his past six turns. Overall in his past six outings, Pelfrey has completed 6 innings just once, and allowed a total of 20 earned runs in 28 1/3 innings (6.35 ERA). In my opinion, Pelfrey takes an outsized amount of criticism for his contributions this year. He seems to draw most of the ire directed at a struggling pitching staff, despite the fact that Ricky Nolasco, Ervin Santana and Phil Hughes are getting paid more and have contributed less than Pelfrey. Still, there's no denying the fact that Pelfrey is hurting the Twins right now. And it's safe to assume they're hoping Phil Hughes returns to health soon and can once again be an effective member of the starting rotation Pelfrey was close to escaping a jam he created, but Hank Conger's grand slam broke the game wide open for the A.L. West- leading Astros. Already trailing 3-0, Pelfrey allowed three consecutive singles to Evan Gattis, Jed Lowrie and Carlos Gomez to begin the 4 th inning. Pitching coach Neil Allen went to the mound and it looked for a few minutes like a productive visit. Pelfrey struck out Colby Rasmus (who had already hit a 2- run home run Friday) with a split- fingered fastball. That set up a possible double play to escape the inning. Then Pelfrey struck out Luis Valbuena on a 95 mph sinker to get the second out. But the catcher Conger connected for a grand slam on Pelfrey's 2-0 pitch. Rasmus' blast was the first home run hit off Pelfrey since July 22. Pelfrey had given up just 7 home runs in 142 2/3 innings pitched entering the game, and he was tied with Jake Arrieta and Gio Gonzalez for the second best home run rate in all of baseball at the time Aaron Hicks returned from the 15- day disabled list and immediately was inserted in the leadoff spot and in centerfield. Hicks' return is a nice boost for the Twins, because he was one of their best players at the time he strained his left hamstring, and he tore it up on his brief rehab assignment in Triple- A Rochester. In the six weeks between recovering from a forearm strain and hurting his hamstring, Hicks hit.281/.333/.477 with 7 home runs and 23 RBIs in 168 plate appearances. He also was playing solid defense in center field for the Twins. I wrote earlier Friday that it'll be interesting to see how manager Paul Molitor divides playing time, because Hicks and Eddie Rosario probably should be playing most days. That would leave Byron Buxton and Torii Hunter to contend for outfield playing time. Buxton was the first to sit, now it'll be interesting to see if that's the everyday lineup or if Hunter, slumping terribly for two months, will sit down sometimes After doubling to left field in his first plate appearance, Joe Mauer was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on Miguel Sano's hit to the outfield. It looked at first glance like Mauer could have been ruled safe based on some possible obstruction by Astros catcher Hank Conger. Mauer was thrown out by center fielder Carlos Gomez and Mauer's slide took out Conger's legs. After the play, Mauer looked up at the home plate umpire and appeared to plead his case that Conger had not given him a proper sliding lane. The Twins challenged the play but the ruling was upheld. The play cost Sano an RBI, Mauer a run, and the Twins an opportunity to draw first blood George Springer returned to the Astros lineup on Friday, several days after stud shortstop Carlos Correa made his return to the field. Springer, who went 1- for- 4 with a run scored from the leadoff spot Friday, had been out since the first week of July with a fractured right wrist. The outfielder was hitting.264/.365/.457 with 13 home runs, so if he can pick up where he left off two months ago, his return will be a big boost for the Astros. Correa, meanwhile, missed the three- game series at Target Field last week, but is now back in the lineup following a brief absence over his sore hamstring. Correa is the favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year, and Springer is a real solid young player, too. Together they form a part of Houston's young nucleus of players that should keep the team competitive in the foreseeable future. 14