Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, April 18, 2017 Cleveland gets to Gibson, beat Twins 3-1. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Twins boss Derek Falvey's ties to Cleveland still strong. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Postgame: Homers bothering Gibson; Duffey still spotless as a reliever. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3 Rod Carew to share story behind his heart-and-kidney transplant Tuesday. Star Tribune (Gonzalez) p. 4 Twins, in need of offense, face roster conundrum. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4 Kepler moves to center field as Twins open four-game series with Indians. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 5 Bond between Terry Francona, Derek Falvey remains strong. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Minnesota Twins sit slumping Byron Buxton for second time this season. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins squander chances to derail Indians. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8 Indians series an emotional reunion for Twins' Falvey. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8 Twins' offense stalls in support of Gibson. MLB (Bollinger & Mason) p. 9 Hughes rides 2-0 start into matchup vs. Tribe. MLB (Bollinger) p. 10 Molitor s wisdom must have worked: Eddie Rosario follows advice for 2 hits. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11 Derek Falvey helps Twins scout Indians, Molitor jokes he doesn t need the signs. ESPN 1500 (Associated Press) p. 11 Twins load the bases late, can t capitalize in loss to Indians. FOX Sports (Associated Press) p. 12 What to monitor in Week 3? ESPN (Doolittle) p Teams In 30 Days: Minnesota Twins Seek A Fresh Start In Forbes (Benjamin) p. 14 Cleveland gets to Gibson, beat Twins 3-1 Phil Miller Star Tribune April 18, 2017 Miguel Sano has never clouted a walk-off home run in his young career, but he s always eager for his chance. And so it came to pass in the bottom of the ninth on Monday, with the Twins trailing by two runs, Eddie Rosario standing on third base and Max Kepler on second. As he dug in against Indians closer Cody Allen, what was the 23-year-old slugger thinking? If he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, Sano said, I swear to God, I crush it. Good plan. But Allen knew it, too. Cleveland s closer pitched carefully to Sano and their tense, dramatic showdown ended in an anticlimactic walk. Joe Mauer ended the game two pitches later with a fly ball to center, sending the Twins to their fifth loss in seven games, 3-1 to the Indians at Target Field. Mauer has 50 plate appearances without an extra-base hit, the longest streak in the majors this season. He had two singles Monday night to raise his batting average to.213. Perhaps the Twins wouldn t have had to try to crack the Indians superb bullpen had they cashed in a few of their other opportunities along the way. Minnesota collected five hits and a walk over the first two innings, and turned all of that into only one run, on a Rosario single. They left the bases loaded in the first inning, and after Rosario s hit put runners on first and third with no outs in the second, they couldn t move either runner. We left too many guys on, Twins manager Paul Molitor complained. You leave 12 men on base, that s not a good sign. Neither is Indians righthander Danny Salazar settling in after the early trouble; the Twins didn t move another runner past first base until the ninth inning, and Salazar, second in the AL in strikeouts, whiffed seven in six innings.

2 Kyle Gibson pitched an even more messy game, allowing a baserunner or two in every inning. Gibson managed some damage control that limited the Indians to three runs, one of them coming on Michael Brantley s towering home run into the seats in right-center. But Taylor Rogers and especially Tyler Duffey who retired eight hitters without allowing anyone past first base, his fourth spotless relief appearance of the season kept the Twins within range. But winning the game meant denting that Indians bullpen. They couldn t do much against Bryan Shaw in the seventh inning, or Andrew Miller in the eighth. That left Allen in the ninth, and the Twins gave it a try. Rosario smacked a one-out single, and Kepler lined a two-out double to the wall in right-center, putting the tying runs in scoring position. Up came Sano, easily the Twins most dangerous hitter through the first two weeks of the season, with the chilly Target Field crowd roaring. Allen pitched Sano brilliantly, alternating 82-mph curveballs at the bottom of the strike zone pitches Sano swung at and three times fouled off, one of them just missing an extra-base hit down the line with hard, low-90s sliders that darted out of the zone. Sano let each of them go by. He s a good closer, had good slider. I looked for a fast one, but I don t see it, Sano said. At that moment, I was looking for one pitch to hit. Not looking for two or three, only one. A fastball. I don t see it. Obviously, they pitched him carefully. He didn t get a fastball to hit, Molitor said. He s just trying got get [Sano] to expand [the strike zone] a little bit there. Typical Cleveland game, Molitor said. They went to their three [bullpen] guys at the end and were able to hold on. Twins boss Derek Falvey's ties to Cleveland still strong Phil Miller Star Tribune April 17, 2017 Terry Francona really wanted to catch up with Derek Falvey, his longtime colleague with the Indians, on Monday, but found it nearly impossible. Every few seconds as they chatted, somebody else came up to greet Falvey, too. He s one of all of our favorites, not just mine. He found a way to connect with everybody here, Francona said before the first meeting between Falvey s former team and the new one he s now in charge of. Whether it was in the office or with the players or coaches, he crossed over every line there was. He was a favorite. We miss him. Safe to say, the feeling is mutual. Seeing his mentor at the ballpark on Monday, Falvey said, was an emotional experience. We talked today and I almost cried, Falvey said. It s just that kind of relationship. It was a relationship that grew over four seasons together in Cleveland, Francona as the manager and Falvey as a front-office junior executive willing to do anything to help the team win. He was so helpful, whether it was [analyzing pitching] matchups or fixing my printer, Francona said. Nothing was really beneath him. He was just one of us. But it became a long-distance relationship once Twins owner Jim Pohlad asked for permission in September to talk to Falvey about running his baseball team. Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, informed the manager that the team was likely to lose the then-33- year-old assistant GM. The brutal truth is, it hurts when you lose people. But it doesn t ever get in the way of your excitement or your pride for them, Francona said. We were really happy that the Twins people let him stay with us last year during our playoff run, because they really didn t have to, and we weren t going to stand in his way. But we didn t know what we were going to do without him, either, so it worked out pretty well. Except for the World Series, of course, which the Indians lost in the 10th inning of Game 7. The Indians earned AL championship rings, which were handed out last week, and there is one with Falvey s name on it, awaiting a private ceremony, perhaps when the Twins travel to Cleveland next month. From now on, the relationship is a competitive one. The Twins and Indians meet 18 or 19 times per season, and the games figure to mean a little more to those involved. Pitch one, it s on, Falvey said. That s the way it is. We re all, in this game, pretty competitive. You certainly don t 2

3 forget where you came from, and a lot of people on that side there are responsible for the things I ve learned in my life in baseball so far. So I feel very fortunate. But once the game s on, it s full tilt. He even conferred with Twins manager Paul Molitor about some of his old team s players. There were some things maybe that wouldn t jump out at you, in terms of numbers, Molitor said. Whether they will be game-changers or not, we ll have to see, but we ll take all the information, inside trading if you will, and try to use it the best way we can. Buxton battling again Byron Buxton was out of the Twins lineup on Monday, with Max Kepler moving to center field in his place. Buxton hit a couple of balls hard over the weekend, once flying out to the left-field wall, but Molitor said he sees the same problems in the slumping Buxton s swing. The ball hit to left field yesterday was close, [but he] still hit it off the end of the bat, still [was] probably too far out front, and maybe tried to pull a pitch that was tough to pull, Molitor said. But at least it was better. Still, Buxton s average sits at.093, or 4-for-43, with 23 strikeouts. One of them Sunday came with the bases loaded. There have been a couple of at-bats where we ve seen a better approach, trying to get into a hitter s count, Molitor said. He s still sped up to the point where it s making it really hard for him to handle both velocity and off-speed at the same time. Postgame: Homers bothering Gibson; Duffey still spotless as a reliever Phil Miller Star Tribune April 18, 2017 Three extras from a deflating start to a four-game series with Cleveland: Tyler Duffey pumped his fist as Edwin Encarnacion swung through a 92-mph fastball Monday night, the final out of Duffey s latest impressive bullpen outing. The righthander, a starter his entire major league career until two weeks ago, faced 10 Cleveland batters in the Twins 3-1 loss and struck out four of them. He gave up a single to Carlos Santana and apparently hit Abraham Almonte with a pitch though the Twins aren t convinced the ball made contact but allowed neither runner to move past first base. That makes four spotless outings for Duffey, who may be pitching himself out of the Twins rotation and into their bullpen for good. He s now pitched 8 2/3 innings on the season, and has given up zilch, pretty much: five hits, one walk and zero runs, while striking out seven. All of this while mostly waiting for his chance; he had pitched only once in nine days before his outing on Monday. I talked to him today. I said, It s been a little bit of roller-coaster for you. Sometimes it s length, sometimes it s big outs late, Molitor said. It just kind of worked out tonight. I kind of wanted to get him in there at some point. He hasn t pitched a ton, but when he has, he s been very effective. XXX Kyle Gibson s a nice guy, maybe too nice. He s always such a gracious host when the Indians are in town. The righthander has faced Cleveland at Target Field once in each of his five seasons with the Twins, and he s uniformly generous. Which is a nice way of saying the Twins are 0-5 in those games. On Monday, Gibson put a runner on base in each of the six innings he pitched, surrendered a team-leading fourth home run, and left the Twins resigned to their fifth loss in seven games. The home runs are particularly troubling to him, he said. If I can t keep the ball in the park, I m going to be frustrated with myself for a long time. That can t happen, Gibson said of Michael Brantley s fifth inning shot into the seats in right-center. Gibson had surrendered only four home runs in 13 April starts before this year; now he s given up four in just 14 innings. I definitely need to look back and try to limit those. The two years I ve thrown OK, I ve limited home runs, he said. I need to get back to that. This is just not who I am. I need to get ground balls and let the defense work for me. XXX 3

4 Attendance was announced at 16,961, the third time in seven home games that fewer than 17,000 fans showed up to Target Field. That had happened at only one other game in the stadium s history before this April. Rod Carew to share story behind his heart-and-kidney transplant Tuesday Jason Gonzalez Star Tribune April 18, 2017 Rod Carew will share the story behind the heart transplant that saved his life when he meets with media Tuesday morning in Southern California. The former Twins star and Hall of Famer received the heart of former NFL player Konrad Reuland on Dec. 14, according to reports. It is believed to be the first organ transplant between professional athletes. Carew was on the transplant list after suffering a massive heart attack in September The Reuland family will join Carew Tuesday as they honor Konrad s life and help bring awareness to issues of heart health. The press conference is scheduled to begin at noon in Minnesota and can be streamed online. Carew s first TV interview since the surgery aired Friday on The CBS Evening News with former KSTP reporter Steve Hartman. He didn t hold back, Hartman told the Star Tribune s Neal Justin. I can t think of anything I asked him that he didn t answer. Current and former Twins have followed Carew s progress closely. Twins beat writer La Valle E. Neal wrote that about 20 players have been on a text message string with Rhonda Carew over the past several months receiving updates. They were all thrilled when a donor heart became available in December, Neal wrote. I read the story, and I started tearing up, Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. Being faith-based, I think of how good of a guy Rod is. Then I learned about Konrad. You can t make this stuff up. Twins, in need of offense, face roster conundrum Phil Miller Star Tribune April 18, 2017 If the assumption going into this Twins season was that the offense would be decent-to-good while the pitching would be suspect, the opposite has held true through the first 13 games of the season. After a solid offensive start fueled by walks and timely hits the Twins still lead the majors with 61 walks taken, a huge factor in whatever modest success they ve had at the plate Minnesota has gone 2-5 in its last seven games, scoring just seven runs combined in those five losses. Four of those losses were either by 2-1 or 3-1 margins, including the last two against Chicago and then Cleveland. So the conundrum becomes this: do the Twins stop carrying 13 pitchers at some point and add another potentially potent bat to the lineup? There are some obvious candidates in the minors, including three different first basemen: Kennys Vargas, Ben Paulsen and Byungho Park (once he s off the disabled list). They would look good in a lineup that has several hitters struggling, including Joe Mauer the primary first baseman and often-times cleanup hitter this season who has the most plate appearances in MLB (50) without an extra-base hit this year. But a simple one-for-one swap for Mauer probably wouldn t do a ton for the lineup, particularly since Joe figures to get at least a little better as the days wear on. The real deficiency in the outfield, where Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario are both struggling at the plate. The easy swap there is to move Robbie Grossman to the field instead of having him at DH a move Paul Molitor has made a couple of times recently and have a Rochester call-up serve as the DH. The only problem there is that you break up what has been a dynamite defensive outfield with Buxton, Rosario and Kepler and insert Grossman, a lesser fielder. Outfield defense has been a major component of helping the Twins pitchers post a 2.50 ERA the best in the majors. There s also the pesky notion of trying to drop down to 12 pitchers at a time when the Twins don t have an off-day until next Thursday. Starters have been doing their share for the most part, meaning the bulked-up staff really hasn t been needed. But the Twins are always one or two 4

5 starts away from needing those extra arms as a way to avoid burning out their remaining relievers. So adding another bat right now would potentially come at the expense of pitching depth and defensive prowess. It seems more likely the Twins stay the course in the short-term and hope their current lineup can scratch together enough runs to support a pitching staff and defense doing more than their share. Once off-days become more plentiful in a little more than a week, though, another bat would make a lot of sense. Kepler moves to center field as Twins open four-game series with Indians Phil Miller Star Tribune April 17, 2017 Derek Falvey knew the Indians signs when he left Cleveland last fall to become the Twins chief baseball officer. So that could come in handy tonight, right, Paul Molitor? I ve known Tito s for a couple years, Molitor joked of Indians manager Terry Francona. OK then. Falvey did provide the Twins coaching staff with a personal scouting report on his former team, which is in town for a four-game series starting tonight at 7:10. There were some things maybe that wouldn t jump out at you, in terms of numbers, Molitor said. Whether they will be game-changers or not, we ll have to see, but we ll take all the information, inside trading if you will, and try to use it the best way we can. Information is great, but he d like a strong pitching performance from Kyle Gibson even more. The righthander has had a couple of identical starts: Strong at first, and then susceptible to a big inning. Gibson has allowed three home runs in nine innings, so he ll try to cut that down today. He ll do it with a slightly scrambled defense behind him. Robbie Grossman is in right field for the second straight night, but this time, Max Kepler moves to center field, bumping the slumping Byron Buxton back to the bench. Molitor has been looking for positive signs in Buxton s plate appearances, but he s still sped up to the point where it s making it really hard for him to handle both velocity and off speed at the same time, he said. Miguel Sano will spend tonight as the designated hitter, while Eduardo Escobar takes his spot at third base. Bond between Terry Francona, Derek Falvey remains strong Mike Berardino Pioneer Press April 17, 2017 Over the four years they worked together in Cleveland, including an exhilarating run to Game 7 of last year s epic World Series, Derek Falvey became nothing short of Indians manager Terry Francona s Mr. Fix-It. He was so helpful, whether it was the (pitcher-batter) matchups or fixing my printer, Francona said before Monday s 3-1 win over Falvey s Twins at Target Field in their first meeting of the year. Like, nothing was really beneath him. He was just one of us. He s a pretty special guy. Hired in October to recalibrate the Twins baseball operations from top to bottom, Falvey impressed Francona from the first days of their association in the fall of Then serving as director of baseball operations in the Indians front office, Falvey offered to compile full transcriptions of interviews for Francona s first pitching coach after jumping back into managing following a year in television. I was out over my skis, so D kind of said, I ll help you with it. I ll take notes and stuff, said Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and That was really like the second time I d met him. We just kind of hit it off that day. When you get relationships that are that strong they don t happen overnight, but it started that day. Shortly after that, Francona knocked his glasses off the nightstand of his downtown Cleveland hotel and accidentally stepped on them when he got up that morning. Due in Detroit that night for an ESPN assignment at Game 3 of the World Series, Francona called Falvey in a panic. He called me about 7:15 in the morning, Falvey recalled. This is Day 3 of knowing him. He said, Can you find me a glasses store? We figured it out and got him his glasses so he could see. Falvey, who had lived in Cleveland since signing on as an intern in the fall of 2007, found a place and had the whole thing smoothed out in a matter of hours. 5

6 We figured it out, Falvey said. I think they popped the lens back in and it wasn t shattered. There are so many other stories, but those two remain vivid for both men because they helped forge an instant connection. Whether it was lineup construction, pitch-sequencing data, spray charts, roster needs or myriad other questions, Falvey eventually became invaluable to the widely respected skipper and his coaching staff. It s why Francona, who played parts of two seasons ( ) in Milwaukee at the end of his career, didn t hesitate when asked how he could see Falvey working with Twins manager Paul Molitor, his ex-teammate. I don t see anybody not getting along with Derek, Francona said. I told Derek, I think you re going to love Paulie. I was around Mollie enough to know the way he sees the game, how much he cares about the game and how passionate he is. I told both of them I thought they d do great together, and I meant that. Even though Falvey, 34, grew up in Lynn, Mass., and was finishing up at Hartford s Trinity College when Francona s 04 Red Sox ended the 86- year Curse of the Bambino, there was never a fan-hero dynamic to their pairing. I know D s young, but he didn t ever really come across that way, Francona said of the club s former assistant general manager. I always felt like I was with a peer. I really felt that way. He found a way to connect with everybody here. Still, nearly a quarter century separates them in terms of chronological age, so there is no getting around the fatherly pride Francona clearly feels at seeing his former protégé secure his dream job with the Twins. It s that connection that moved Falvey to stop by the Indians team hotel Monday morning for the first of four straight days of reminiscence. At some point, he will accept the American League championship ring that his hard work behind the scenes helped make possible. I saw him today, and I almost cried, Falvey said of Francona. It s just that kind of relationship. He s been a mentor of mine. He s someone I ve learned a ton from. I still call him. Their conversations range from fatherhood to baseball minutiae, and just because they now work for division rivals that doesn t mean the connection stops. I m looking forward to more conversations with him, Falvey said. Not just today, but going forward. It s pretty special. Minnesota Twins sit slumping Byron Buxton for second time this season Mike Berardino Pioneer Press April 17, 2017 Struggling Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, off to a 4-for-43 start, was omitted from the starting lineup again Monday night with hardthrowing right-hander Danny Salazar starting for the Cleveland Indians. Max Kepler shifted over from right field to take Buxton s place in the field. Robbie Grossman got his second straight start in right. When Byron gets a day we have options, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Buxton s.093 batting average ranks second-lowest in the majors among qualifying players. Only New York Mets third baseman Jose Reyes (.087) is off to a slower start through the first two weeks in that category. On Sunday, Buxton flied out to the warning track his first time up and drew a leadoff walk in the seventh off ex-twins right-hander Anthony Swarzak. Buxton also ran his majors-leading strikeout total to 23 with two more whiffs, including one with the bases loaded to end the fourth. He reached on a sharp double to right-center and was hit by pitch his final two trips on Saturday. I think there s been a couple of at-bats where we ve seen a little better approach in terms of either trying to get into a hitter s count or recognition in trying to put a better swing according to what you see, Molitor said. But he s still sped up to the point where it s making it really hard for him to handle both velocity and offspeed at the same time. Buxton, whose father and younger sister flew in from Georgia over Easter weekend, also sat out April 12 at Detroit. 6

7 Just trying to keep having those talks and work sessions where you can translate some of the things he knows he needs to do once the adrenaline starts flowing and the game is on the line, Molitor said. The ball he hit to left field, it was close. Still hit it off the end of the bat, still probably too far out front and maybe tried to pull a pitch that was tough to pull, but at least it was better. We re looking for positive signs. Last season, Buxton was sent to Triple-A Rochester on April 24 after 49 plate appearances. He was hitting.156 with a.208 on-base percentage and a.289 slugging percentage, and the Twins were off to a 5-14 start. GIBSON S SLOW START Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson dropped to 0-2 Monday night and was disappointed after giving up his fourth homer in just 14 1/3 innings this year. Michael Brantley s fifth-inning solo homer sent the Cleveland Indians to a 3-1 win. Anytime I don t keep the ball in the park, I m going to be pretty frustrated with myself for a long time, Gibson said. That can t happen, especially with a guy that throws primarily sinkers. I definitely need to go back and look at that and try to limit those. That s just not who I am. While Gibson s earned run average climbed to 6.91, former starter Tyler Duffey got the final eight outs, giving him 8 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Joe Mauer flied out with the bases loaded in the ninth as the Twins left 12 runners on base overall. FULL BELLY, SPEEDY DOZIER Brian Dozier s first career inside-the-park homer didn t just come a day after he missed his first game of the season with a minor knee issue. Per Statcast, he also rounded the bases in seconds a few hours after he and his family enjoyed a four-course Easter brunch at Red Rabbit, a North Loop restaurant a stone s throw from Target Field. There were six of us eating, Dozier said Monday. First course was cinnamon rolls. Second course was salmon, scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes. Third course was chicken parmigiana, arugula salad and noodles; and the fourth course was a coffee cake with coffee. Did he enjoy a glass of midday champagne as well? No champagne, he said. They had mimosas, I had water. A new Sunday tradition at home, perhaps? My body can t handle that every Sunday, Dozier said with a laugh. That s probably why I was a little slow. GIMENEZ THE LEADER Well-traveled catcher Chris Gimenez, who caught Ervin Santana s one-hitter on Saturday in just his third game behind the plate for the Twins, drew high praise Monday from Indians manager Terry Francona. There s a lot of leadership ability there for a guy that doesn t have to play every day, Francona said. He s enthusiastic, and he has a way of making people better around him. He s a good teammate. That s probably the best compliment you can almost give any player. Gimenez, whose third stint with the Indians resulted in an American League pennant last season, had pitch-calling responsibilities for a pair of two-hitters since reaching the majors in On Oct. 2, 2012 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he caught the first eight innings and 13 strikeouts of James Shields complete-game, 15-strikeout performance in a 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Needing a sweep to claim the AL wild card, the Rays sent Carlos Pena up to hit for Gimenez, who gave way to Jose Lobaton for the ninth. In 2015 with the Texas Rangers, Gimenez, 34, caught a complete-game two-hitter by Colby Lewis on Sept. 11 in a 4-0 win over the Oakland A s. Lewis, who went the distance on 97 pitches, was five outs away from completing a no-hitter. 7

8 Gimenez, 34, said he never caught a no-hitter in the minors, so Santana s Saturday gem ranks as his personal low-hit game as a pro catcher. That was my first one-hitter, he said. That s pretty cool. I ve been lucky. I ve gotten to ride some coattails that made me look a lot better than I think I really am. Twins squander chances to derail Indians Rhett Bollinger MLB April 18, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Before Monday's game, Twins manager Paul Molitor acknowledged he spent some time with chief baseball officer Derek Falvey to get more information on Cleveland's players, considering Falvey had worked for the Indians since 2007 before getting hired by Minnesota this offseason. It appeared the Twins had the book on hard-throwing right-hander Danny Salazar early, as six of the club's first eight batters reached safely. But Minnesota mustered only one run the first two innings, allowing Salazar to settle in to claim a 3-1 victory. It was more of the same in the ninth for the Twins, loading the bases against closer Cody Allen with two outs, only for Joe Mauer to fly out to shallow center to end it. "We left a lot of guys on," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Opportunities early, you talk about how that comes back, especially when you've got a good pitcher on the mound. [Salazar] settled in after he got through those first couple innings. It was a typical Cleveland game with them going to their three guys at the end to hold on." The Twins loaded the bases in the first against Salazar with two outs, but veteran Jason Castro's grounder up the middle was fielded cleanly by Francisco Lindor. The issue was more glaring in the second, when the Twins had runners at first and third with nobody out after an RBI single from Eddie Rosario. Veteran Brian Dozier struck out before youngsters Max Kepler and Miguel Sano couldn't come through with Kepler popping out and Sano striking out. "After we scored the run, [Salazar] threw a lot of good pitches," Sano said. "He threw me a good changeup on 3-2. He's a good pitcher." Salazar acknowledged he didn't have his best stuff early, but he kept going to his changeup -- like the one he struck Sano out on -- to keep the Twins off balance. "I didn't feel the best out there, but I had to battle through," Salazar said. "I think I had to get more aggressive with every pitch, especially today, my changeup." Sano learned from his strikeout in the second inning, coming up in a big opportunity with two outs in the ninth and the potential tying runs in scoring position after a single from Rosario and a double from Kepler. Sano never saw a fastball the entire at-bat, but he didn't expand the zone, drawing a walk to load the bases for Mauer. But Sano wasn't lacking confidence about his at-bat. "If he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, I swear to God, I'd crush it," Sano said. "But the team fought. We played hard until the last out." Indians series an emotional reunion for Twins' Falvey Rhett Bollinger MLB April 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey admitted it was a little strange to have his former organization, the Indians, in town for a four-game series that began Monday night at Target Field. Falvey, 34, got his start in baseball with the Indians as an intern in 2007 before working his way up to assistant general manager. He was hired by the Twins last offseason after Cleveland made its run to the World Series. Falvey said he mostly misses the people he worked with, but that he has never had any second thoughts or regrets about taking Minnesota's top post in baseball operations. "It's strange," Falvey said. "I'm competitive at heart but it was family to me for a long time, so it's hard for me not to feel that side of it, too. But Pitch 1, it's on. That's the way it is. We're all in this game competitively. But you certainly don't forget where you came from." Falvey worked particularly close with manager Terry Francona as part of his day-to-day responsibilities, including breaking down pitching data for the coaching staff to absorb. It meant a lot for Falvey to talk with Francona before Monday's game. 8

9 "I saw him today and I almost cried," Falvey said. "It's just that type of relationship. He's been a mentor of mine. I still call him about stuff, from being a dad to baseball. I have a lot of conversations with him. It's pretty special." Francona had nothing but positive things to say about Falvey, after beginning his media session joking that nobody liked Falvey during his time in Cleveland. "It's hard to talk to him today because everybody wanted to say hello to him, which I think speaks volumes," Francona said. "He found a way to connect with everybody here. Whether it was in the office or with the players or coaches, he crossed over every line there was. He was a favorite." Falvey said Francona asked him how to pitch to some of Minnesota's hot hitters but that he didn't take the bait. Falvey did talk with Twins manager Paul Molitor about Cleveland's players, although Molitor joked he didn't need to get Cleveland's signs from Falvey because he's known them for years. "We've had chats about their personnel a little bit and things that jump out at you, like their numbers," Molitor said. "Whether they'll be gamechangers, we'll see. But we'll take all the information from insider trading, if you will. Try to use it the best way we can." Francona said he has no doubt that Falvey will succeed in Minnesota because of his personality, willingness to be open to ideas and positive approach. "Even at such a young age, he had a very good way of looking at things," Francona said. "[The Twins] are fortunate. He's a keeper. Somebody here made a good decision." Twins' offense stalls in support of Gibson Rhett Bollinger & Tyler Mason MLB April 18, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Danny Salazar settled down after scuffling early, and was backed by two RBIs from Michael Brantley, including a solo homer, to lead the Indians to a 3-1 win over the Twins on Monday night at Target Field. Salazar allowed a combined six baserunners in the first two innings, but escaped trouble, allowing just one run. He went six innings, scattering seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to get his first win of the year and improve his ERA to He finished strong, striking out the side in his final inning. "He competed like crazy, because the way it started, there were five or six hits early and a walk -- a lot of traffic," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Salazar. "And then he just really competed and got us to a point where we could turn it over to our bullpen and not ask more of them than we're supposed to." Salazar outlasted Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson, who went 5 1/3 frames, surrendering three runs on eight hits and two walks. Gibson fell to 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA. "I think there were some good aspects to it and some frustrating aspects to it," Gibson said. "If I don't keep the ball in the park, I'm going to be really frustrated for a long time. It's something that can't happen, as a guy who primarily throws sinkers." Francisco Lindor sparked a two-run rally in the third with a double that extended his hit streak to a career-high 11 games. After an RBI groundout from Brantley, Lindor scored on an RBI single from Edwin Encarnacion. Brantley crushed his solo blast to right-center off Gibson in the fifth. The Twins threatened in the ninth with a single from Eddie Rosario, a two-out double from Max Kepler and a walk from Miguel Sano to load the bases, but Joe Mauer flied out to center to end the game and hand Cody Allen his third save. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Salazar's high-wire act: The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the first after three straight singles, but Salazar wriggled his way out of the jam, as Lindor got to Jason Castro's grounder up the middle to end the inning. Salazar ran into trouble again in the second, as the first three batters reached, including Rosario, who singled in a run after a double from Eduardo Escobar. But Escobar and Rosario were both stranded, as Salazar struck out Brian Dozier, got Kepler to pop up to third and struck out Sano to leave runners at the corners. 9

10 "We left a lot of guys on," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Opportunities early, you talk about how that comes back, especially when you've got a good pitcher on the mound. He settled in after he got through those first couple innings." Brantley goes boom: Brantley's second homer of the year was a no-doubter to right, coming on a 1-0 fastball from Gibson. It had an exit velocity of mph and traveled a projected 411 feet, per Statcast. It was a good sign from Brantley, who missed most of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. "It's going to take a little bit of time," Brantley said. "But we're taking the right steps in the positive direction." QUOTABLE "I was looking for a fastball, but I never saw it. But if he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, I swear to God, I'd crush it." -- Sano, on not getting anything to hit against Allen in the ninth. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Mauer recorded career-hits Nos. 500 and 501 at Target Field by going 2-for-5. He has the most hits in the ballpark's history. It was also Mauer's first multi-hit game of the year. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Josh Tomlin will try to bounce back from a rough outing when he faces the Twins on Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET. Tomlin (0-2, ERA) lasted just 1 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs against Detroit his last time out. Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes starts the second game of the series on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Hughes (2-0, 3.86 ERA) is off to a solid start, especially considering he's coming back from surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. Hughes rides 2-0 start into matchup vs. Tribe Tyler Mason MLB April 17, 2017 Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin is 0-2 this season while Twins right-hander Phil Hughes is off to a 2-0 start. They square off on Tuesday night in the second matchup of a four-game series at Target Field. Tomlin surrendered seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in his most recent start against the White Sox. Hughes received plenty of run support in his last outing, an 11-4 win against Detroit. Despite earning the pair of wins, he hasn't gone deeper than six innings in his two starts this season. Things to know about this game Center fielder Byron Buxton is expected to return to the Twins' lineup after receiving a day off Monday. Buxton is off to a slow start this year, batting.093 with 23 strikeouts in 43 at-bats. Hughes, who made just 11 starts in 2016 due to injury, did not face the Indians last season. He's 6-3 with a 3.90 ERA lifetime against Cleveland and was 2-2 in four starts against the Indians in Joe Mauer has had more success against Tomlin than any other Twins batter. Mauer is 9-for-22 (.409) with a double and four RBIs against the Cleveland righty. Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion has hit Hughes hard in the past, going 15-for-45 (.333) with a homer, five doubles and six RBIs. Despite a slow start to the season, Indians third baseman Yandy Diaz has been hitting the ball as hard as some of the most elite hitters in baseball. Of the 186 hitters who had put at least 25 balls in play through Sunday, only one, Miguel Cabrera, had a higher average exit velocity than the 95.7 mph put up by Diaz. 10

11 Molitor s wisdom must have worked: Eddie Rosario follows advice for 2 hits Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 April 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The Twins offense ought to be all right this season, even if Byron Buxton never fully figures out things at the plate. Through a dozen games this season, though, three Twins hitters were scuffling in the worst way. In fact, you could argue that the Twins had three of the 10 worst hitters in baseball after two weeks. Buxton s struggles were the most well-documented, of course, because of his considerable hype and breakout September at the end of last season. But the Twins had two other hitters stuck in extended slumps to start the season. Eddie Rosario entered the game hitting.154/.214/.179 and Joe Mauer was hitting just.190/.244/.190. It s incredibly early, and both hitters have had good offensive seasons in the past, so take the slow start for what it s worth. Rosario s slow start prompted the manager to have a little chat with Rosario, in which he encouraged the young outfielder. I think he s been competitive, Molitor said. As the hits have been hard to come by, I think he s been forcing the issue a little bit more than he was early. You know, you get a little frustrated when you think you re doing some good things but not getting the hits to show for it. Molitor told Rosario that yes he s aggressive, but not to let that kick into overdrive. He told me I had a good start, Rosario said through an interpreter. I know I haven t been hitting but [he said to] not try to do too much and let the game come to me. And Monday delivered some good news on that front. Rosario and Mauer both recorded a pair of hits Monday to kick the skids. Mauer failed to deliver with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, but two hits at least is a step in the right direction for the first baseman. Before Monday, it had been mostly bad news for both hitters. Through roughly two weeks of baseball, the Twins had three of the worst regular hitters in the league, according to the catch-all hitting stat Weighted Runs Created-Plus. That stat attempts to neutralize ballpark advantages and take into account the current run-scoring environment league-wide. It also assigns value to each hitting outcome, and spits out a single number that does a pretty good job of capturing a hitter s value. Buxton rated as the second worst regular hitter in the big leagues entering Monday, when he got another day to sit on the bench and watch Max Kepler play center field. Rosario was the seventh-worst hitter, per wrc+, and Mauer was 10th-worst. I knew they d been struggling, but it was surprising to me to see all three in the bottom 10, on a team that I didn t think had a glaring offensive problem. But the stats are the stats. We ll see if Monday s 2-hit game helps either hitter jumpstart his offense. Maybe the day of rest can help Buxton do the same. There ve been some good signs for Rosario, and some causes for concern, but generally speaking it s far too early to draw any definitive conclusions on him at the plate. Mauer started hot to begin last season and then fell off considerably. He heated up against in the middle of the summer but then an injury threw his season off the tracks. This season, he s started out ice-cold. Derek Falvey helps Twins scout Indians, Molitor jokes he doesn t need the signs Associated Press ESPN 1500 April 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) With Cleveland in town to begin a four-game series, Minnesota Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey sure had his hands full. So many friends to greet. So many hugs to exchange. Even some inside information on the Indians to share with his current team, less than six months after he left his post as Cleveland s assistant general manager for the top front office job with Minnesota. You re competitive at heart, but it s been family for a long time so it s hard not to feel that side of it, too, said the 34-year-old Falvey, who spent nine seasons working his way up the Indians organization after starting as a baseball operations intern. During that time, he became a confidant of Indians manager Terry Francona, helping him with everything from scouting reports to printer repair. 11

12 There s nothing that s beneath him, Francona said. When the two reunited on Monday, Falvey said he was almost moved to tears. It s just that kind of relationship, he said. Francona is 23 years older than Falvey, but he considered themselves peers. He s very special, and it s not just me, Francona said. Everybody wanted to get a piece of him today. That s because he was so important to everything we did around here, and he s such a good guy. Falvey stayed with Cleveland all the way through Game 7 of the World Series, losing the clincher to the Chicago Cubs. That was the last time he saw most of the Indians players and staff, prior to their arrival at Target Field. He found a way to connect with everybody here, Francona said. Whether it was in the office or with the players or coaches, he crossed over every line there was. He was a favorite. Francona good-naturedly prodded Falvey for tips about how to get Twins hitters out, one request he could finally turn down. You certainly don t forget where you came from, and a lot of the people on that side there are responsible for the things I ve learned in my life in baseball so far, Falvey said. So I feel very fortunate, but once you compete and the game s on, it s on full tilt. The insight, of course, was saved for Twins manager Paul Molitor. We ve had chats about their personnel a little bit, some things that might not jump out at you in terms of numbers, Molitor said. Whether they ll be game-changers or not, we ll have to see. But we ll take all the information and inside trading, if you will, and try to use it the best way we can. How about Francona s signs? I ve known Tito s for a couple years, Molitor said jokingly, with a wry smile about one of his former teammates. Twins load the bases late, can t capitalize in loss to Indians Associated Press FOX Sports April 18, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The return for Michael Brantley to the middle of Cleveland s lineup has seen some promising early returns. The multi-skilled Indians left fielder is cautiously content. Danny Salazar finished six innings strong after a shaky start, Brantley homered and drove in two runs and the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Monday night. Salazar (1-1) struck out seven and retired 15 of his last 18 batters. Brantley s groundout tied it in the third, and Edwin Encarnacion s single gave the reigning AL champions the lead on their way to only their third win in 10 games. Brantley took Kyle Gibson (0-2) deep on a four-seam fastball left over the plate in the fifth inning. He looks like Brantley, which is a big compliment to him and his work ethic, Indians manager Terry Francona said. It s one thing to come back, but you ve got to still hit major league pitching, and he really doesn t look like he missed a beat. Brantley hurt his right shoulder in Minnesota on Sept. 22, 2015, after diving for a ball. He had surgery but never completely healed and later needed an operation on his right biceps and was limited to 11 games in He s hitting.268 with two doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in 11 games this year. I m getting there, Brantley said. Let s put it that way. It s going to take some repetition. It s going to take some time. 12

13 Cody Allen loaded the bases in the ninth on a carefully pitched walk to Miguel Sano, but he completed his third save in three attempts by getting Joe Mauer to fly out to center field. Sano hit a sizzling line drive that hooked left of the third-base line before taking ball three. Fastball, I don t see it, Sano said. You know, if he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, I swear to God, I crush it. The Twins left 12 runners left on base. Salazar allowed five hits and one walk over a seven-batter stretch spanning the first two innings, with the only run allowed on Eddie Rosario s single with none out in the second. If they get three or four there, it might be too much, Francona said. But he kept them in check and really battled, which was good to see. Predictably for the Twins and their missed opportunities, the right-hander went on a roll from there. Salazar struck out the side in the sixth, despite a one-out walk. He sent Rosario back empty after missing an 87 mph changeup that dived down and out of the strike zone to finish the frame. He s a very good pitcher, said Rosario, who had two hits to raise his average to.186.\ GETTING GOMES GOING Catcher Yan Gomes, who was 2 for 30 entering the game, reached base all three times against Gibson and is batting.444 (8 for 18) against him in his career. Little things can help, Francona said. I m sure it did a lot for his spirit. GOING DEEP ON GIBSON Gibson pitched into the sixth for the first time in three starts, getting one out that inning before being pulled. In 14 1/3 innings, he s allowed four home runs. That s just something that can t happen, Gibson said, adding: That s just not who I am. Let s keep the ball on the ground and let the defense work. TRAINER S ROOM Cleveland: In the best-case scenario according to Francona, 2B Jason Kipnis (sore right shoulder) would rejoin the team for his season debut on Friday in Chicago to face the White Sox. The two-time All-Star s rehab assignment was interrupted last week when he was hit on the left hand with a pitch. Minnesota: CF Byron Buxton, off to an abysmal 4-for-43 start with a majors-most 23 strikeouts, was on the bench for just the second game. Max Kepler played CF, with Robbie Grossman in RF. UP NEXT Cleveland: RHP Josh Tomlin (0-2, ERA) will make his third start after two ugly turns. He allowed 18 of 36 batters to reach base. Minnesota: RHP Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for the third time this year, seeking his first 3-0 start since going 5-0 in six turns in

14 What to monitor in Week 3? Bradford Doolittle ESPN April 17, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article. The series you need to watch: Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (ESPN) and Thursday. We figured there would be a juggernaut in the AL Central, but we just didn't figure it would be the Twins. Minnesota has the AL's best run differential, and a pitching staff that looked suspect entering the campaign has yielded the fewest runs in the league. With a four-game series at Target Field beginning Monday, preseason favorite Cleveland can start the process of restoring the order of things. The marquee pitching matchup comes in the series finale, when the Indians send Corey Kluber to the hill against Minnesota's Ervin Santana. Santana has been the majors' best pitcher in the early going and is coming off a complete-game, one-hit shutout of the White Sox on Saturday. Look out for re-emergent Twins slugger Miguel Sano, who leads the AL in OPS and the majors in average exit velocity. 30 Teams In 30 Days: Minnesota Twins Seek A Fresh Start In 2017 Josh Benjamin Forbes April 17, 2017 The 2016 season is one that the Minnesota Twins would prefer to forget. After entering the campaign with high hopes following an season and third-place finish in 2015, Minnesota instead took a giant step back the following year. Though the Twins ranked 16th in baseball in runs scored, the pitching staff's 5.08 ERA ranked second to last as the team finished dead last in the American League Central Division with a franchise-worst record of This finish was the Twins' worst since 1982, when they went That was the same year Steven Spielberg's sci-fi family masterpiece E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial grossed nearly $352.2 million at the box office en route to winning four Academy Awards. Gasoline cost $1.30 per gallon while a gallon of milk cost $2.24. Olivia Newton John's "Physical" topped Billboard's Year End Charts. Minnesota's payroll for 2016 topped out at $106.2 million and well below the league's luxury tax threshold, but that makes the total cost-perwin of $1.8 million look a bit high. The Twins' payroll also featured nearly $18 million in retained salary and $24.2 million on the disabled list. It was definitely a season to forget. That is why manager Paul Molitor got his players together in spring training and made sure to get off to a fast start in Minnesota is currently a modest 7-5 on the year, but won five of its first six games and just looks stronger and more together than last season. A championship isn't going to happen this year but if the pleasant surprises of 2015 can be recaptured, a trip to the playoffs is not out of the question for this young Minnesota Twins team. Greatest Addition: Jason Castro Catcher is a hole that Minnesota front office team Derek Falvey and Thad Levine needed to fill in the offseason and they did fine enough in adding Castro. The veteran is entering his seventh season in MLB and signed a three-year, $24.5 million deal with the Twins in the offseason. Castro was an All-Star in 2013 and established himself as a reliable enough lefty bat during his first six seasons with the Houston Astros, but his production has tailed off in recent years. He has never played in more than 126 games in a season and managed to hit just.210 with 22 home runs and 63 RBI over the past two seasons, his on-base percentage a meager.295. He is a career.233 hitter with an OBP of.311 and, like most hitters whose go-to trick is power, he strikes out a lot. The good news is that Castro appears to have found his footing early on in the Twin Cities and has looked strong in 2017 thus far. He is batting just.222 with one home run and seven RBI, but his OBP is a highly respectable.469. It is unlikely that Castro will enjoy the same power in spacious Target Field that he did in Minute Maid Park, but his signing should pan out well so long as he can stay on the field and away from the trainer's table. He provides Minnesota an extra lefty bat and is young enough that he can help make 2017 a season to remember. Greatest Loss: Kurt Suzuki Castro is fine in his own right, but Suzuki is one of those blue collar catchers that coaches love for their work ethic alone. He isn't as great at throwing out base stealers as he used to be, but his work behind the plate spoke for itself. 14