Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Monday, September 18, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Monday, September 18, 2017 Eddie Rosario, Joe Mauer lead power surge for Twins over Blue Jays. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Twins notes: Kyle Gibson's victory could easily have gone south. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins rally puts end to snag that had potential for damaging slump. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 3 Twins-New York Yankees series preview. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4 Gibson king of run support; thoughts from Mauer. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5 Twins overcome early deficit to beat Blue Jays Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Joe Mauer ups average to.306 with three hits, grand slam Sunday. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins use 2 big frames to build on WC lead. MLB.com (Jackson and Hall) p. 8 Mauer's slam highlights Twins' 6-run 5th inning. MLB.com (Jackson) p. 9 Santana starts crucial set vs. WC-leading Yanks. MLB.com (Jackson) p. 9 Wetmore s 5 thoughts: Joe Mauer s grand slam, Josh Donaldson s blast, Kyle Gibson s recovery. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 10 Rosario s 2 homers, Mauer s slam drive Twins over Jays 13-7 (Sep 17, 2017). Associated Press p. 13 MLB series to watch: Twins-Yankees, Brewers-Cubs clashes loom large as races stay hot. USA Today (Ortiz) p. 14 Byron Buxton looks like a star just in time for the Twins. SB Nation (Normandin) p. 14 Byron Buxton, the Twins Magician in Center, Cleans Up at the Plate. The New York Times (Kepner) p. 15 Target Field Begins Conversion For Tommies-Johnnies Game. WCCO (Schoch) p. 16 Eddie Rosario, Joe Mauer lead power surge for Twins over Blue Jays La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 18, 2017 You want to treat it like every other road trip, but it s impossible to do. It s New York. It s Yankee Stadium, the big stage. And this time the postseason is at stake. So Twins manager Paul Molitor said his team is just going to have immerse itself in the emotionally charged atmosphere he anticipates this week in the Bronx as the current holders of the two American League wild-card spots clash for three games in a series that begins Monday. There is going to be a little bit of a challenge, especially as we get the game underway, Molitor said. I don t know if it is going to have an October feel, but it is going to have a different feel than some of the other places we have been, no doubt about that. Something about the pinstripes that carries a different feel as an opponent, no matter when you play there. Will the power of the pinstripes compel the Twins to behave differently? Or will they stay true to what has helped them become one of baseball s surprising teams? On Sunday, the Twins fell behind 5-0 before charging by Toronto 13-7 behind two home runs from Eddie Rosario and Joe Mauer s fourth career grand slam his first in Minnesota. It allowed them to avoid losing three of four games to the Blue Jays, and slump avoidance has been their best trait this season. They have not lost more than four consecutive games all year, either getting strong pitching performances or an offensive outburst to stop slides. We feel good. We won a very important game today, infielder Eduardo Escobar said. We are going out [to New York] inspired. We know we are playing a team that is very good, that has been pretty good all year. We are going to go out there and do our thing. An example of that was today. We were down five runs, and we flipped the game right over and won. That speaks a lot about who we are as a

2 team. With the Angels losing to Texas on Sunday, the Twins are two games in front of Los Angeles for the second wild-card spot. The Yankees have the wild-card lead, four games ahead of the Twins with 13 to play. Despite their loss to Baltimore on Sunday, the Yankees are 11-5 over their past 16 games and only three games back of Boston in the AL East, with a chance to win the division title. Do you wish you were more in control of your destiny? Absolutely, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told New York writers. But we played [Boston] 19 times. Now we have to rely on other people, and we have to play really well. For now, they have to turn attention to the Twins, who have hit a major league-high 74 home runs since Aug. 8 more than the New York team with sluggers Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. Twins righthander Ervin Santana will open the series on Monday. But this also is a Twins club that is at Yankee Stadium since 2001, and 1-5 under Molitor. Whether it s the pinstripes, the accents or the ghosts of Yankees past haunting them, the Twins have not fared well in New York. Molitor plans on taking his team s pulse during batting practice Monday to make sure the Twins are ready to show who they are as they begin their biggest series of the season. I think it will be a pretty highly charged group when they take the field, Molitor said. It should be fun. Twins notes: Kyle Gibson's victory could easily have gone south La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 18, 2017 Kyle Gibson won his 11th game of the season on Sunday and has a chance to match his career high of 13 wins, set in But he was close to ruining it all because of two terrible innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. How close? Transparently speaking, it was very close, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. It was one pitch away a couple of times. Remarkably, Gibson (11-10) found his command, stopped throwing gopher balls and, once again, benefited from a robust offense to pitch six innings and help the Twins recover for a 13-7 victory. But it was ugly early. Gibson left a 1-0 pitch over the middle of the plate to the second batter of the game, Josh Donaldson. And the man nicknamed Bringer of Rain jacked it into the third deck at Target Field. The eight Twins in the field turned into statues as the ball took off. For they all knew it was gone. The first person to move was Eddie Rosario, who bent over to tie a shoelace before the ball even landed. The estimated distance was 476 feet, the third-longest home run in Target Field history. If you are going to give them up, I guess you are going to give them up, Gibson said. Before the inning was over, Gibson walked four batters, forcing in a run, then gave up a two-run single to Raffy Lopez as Toronto took a 4-0 lead. Nik Turley began to warm up, but Gibson got out of the inning. Donaldson returned in the second with another home run, his fifth of the series, to make it 5-0. Turley began warming up again, but Gibson got out of the inning. But he solved his mechanical issues right as the Twins offense took off. The Twins sent 12 men to the plate in the second as they scored seven runs, including back-to-back home runs by Rosario and Byron Buxton. The Twins scored six more in the fifth, the big blows being Joe Mauer s grand slam and a second homer by Rosario. With Robbie Grossman on first and Jason Castro on second, Dozier noticed Donaldson playing back at third and bunted for a hit, loading the bases for Mauer. Toronto s Chris Rowley got ahead of Mauer 0-2 and threw a fastball that was inside and off the plate. But Mauer opened up and hammered it over the seats in right for the fourth grand slam of his career, and first at home. 2

3 Rosario added a solo homer, his second of the game, making it I don t like to sit on anything 0-2, said Mauer, who admitted he had an inkling that Rowley was coming inside. I just tried to stay short and put a good swing on it. Castro plays Castro has had a rough run. He was placed on the concussion DL on Aug. 24 after taking a foul ball off his facemask and missed 10 games. On Wednesday, San Diego s Austin Hedges struck out swinging, his bat plunking Castro on top of the head during his follow-through. On Saturday Castro took foul balls off his right collarbone and shoulder while working behind the plate. He was sore on Sunday but remained in the starting lineup. He s a little sore, but he s good, Molitor said. It s that time of year where, unless it s something major, you are going to give it a shot. Etc. Miguel Sano spent the day having treatment on his left shin and did not do any baseball-related activities. The plan is for him to fly to New York with the team to take care of a personal issue, then return to the Twin Cities to continue his recovery from a stress reaction in the shin. The Yankees have rearranged their rotation; righthander Luis Severino is in line to pitch the wild-card game on Oct. 3. Molitor already has tabbed Ervin Santana to start that game. Twins rally puts end to snag that had potential for damaging slump Patrick Reusse Star Tribune September 17, 2017 Kyle Gibson had five strong starts in a row and now he had one on Sunday that the Twins needed more than any other. The Twins were completing a homestand and then heading off on a 10-game road trip to New York (3), Detroit (4) and Cleveland (3). The Tigers presence in the middle of the Eastern journey might seem comforting on the surface, but there is no such thing as a layup at this point in a baseball season. Gene Mauch used to call a short losing streak a snag, and another loss on Sunday had the potential to turn a snag into a season-killing slump for the Twins. One of the Twins veterans was saying recently that he was amazed by the pressure-free attitude he senses from the younger core of players, as the team competes for the last spot in the American League postseason. The homestand started with 16 runs on Tuesday, and then walkoff home runs by Eddie Rosario on Wednesday and Byron Buxton on Thursday. The lead over the L.A. Angels for the second wild card had increased to three games. What was hidden in those walkoffs was minimal hitting through nine innings. Then came a pair of losses to Toronto on Friday and Saturday, and again the bats were largely quiet. The Angels had won twice vs. Texas,.the lead was down to one, and even those naïve young guys might have felt it if this team had gone limping off to New York with three straight losses and the wild-card lead down the drain. Yup, the Twins needed another solid game from Gibson, and then he went out and threw 38 pitches and gave up four runs in the first. The first of those runs came on a mammoth home run by Josh Donaldson a shot into the third deck that was estimated by the Twins at 476 feet, the third longest in Target Field history. The outcome was so certain when Donaldson cranked the baseball that left fielder Rosario rather that moving toward the fence bent over and tied a shoe lace. Man, Donaldson hits a baseball so hard, reliever Glen Perkins said. The exit velocity was 113 [miles per hour]. It s incredible to hit a baseball that hard at that angle. 3

4 That nuclear baseball shook up Gibson as it would have most any pitcher. He walked four before the inning was over. The four walks equaled Gibson s total in his previous six starts. When the four-run first was over, half of the crowd (Blue Jays fans from Manitoba) cheered, and half of the crowd (Twins fans) gave a catcall to Gibson. The Twins went peacefully in the first, and then Donaldson homered again, into lower left field. The estimate was 370 feet. Not often you get to see someone hit a ball 106 feet fewer than in his previous at-bat, and still have it be a home run. Gibson had faced 11 batters, it was 5-0, and while most Minnesotans watching television on Sunday were whining about the refs robbing the Vikings, there had to be few tuned into the Twins and saying, The real Gibby is back; I knew we couldn t trust him. And then something strange happened although maybe it wasn t, since Gibson s most-recent starts in Target Field resulted in a 17-0 victory on Sept. 2, and a 16-0 victory on Sept. 12. Joe Biagini was the Blue Jays starter. He was 3-10 with a 5.07 ERA, and he demonstrated the legitimacy of those numbers in the bottom of the second: Rosario led off with his 25th home run. Buxton followed with his 16th home run. Before the half-inning was over, Rosario had added a single, Buxton had added an RBI double, the Blue Jays had followed Biagini with two more pitchers, and the Twins had seven runs. The Twins added six more runs in the fifth, and this included a grand slam by Joe Mauer a very long shot toward the plaza in right field. It was Mauer s fourth career grand slam, and his first in Minnesota none previously in his eight seasons in Target Field, nor in his six at the Metrodome. We need an asterisk for that Minnesota part. He must have hit a couple playing for Cretin-Derham Hall. right, Joe? Yeah, I probably bounced one (a grand slam ball) off The Nook, Mauer said, referring to the famed hamburger joint across the street from Cretin s ballyard. Gibson allowed no hits and one walk after Donaldson s second home run. He finished with 13 straight outs and a total of 96 pitches in six innings. Included was a Donaldson strikeout when the Jays slugger sent his bat flying as he waved at a 3-2 slider. Mollie asked me if I wanted to keep the baseball after getting out Donaldson, said Gibson, smiling slightly. I knew there was no chance to find the first two. Manager Paul Molitor also said Gibson s comeback to work six innings after the terrible beginning was as impressive as any of the five previous strong starts. It was one of the bigger wins we ve had in the last couple of weeks, Molitor said. Gibby hung in there, waiting for double-digit run support. The final was 13-7 for the Twins. They would be leaving for New York and other points East still in the lead for the second wild card... now two games after Texas beat the Angels. The Twins are now 78-71, and none of those 78 has been more vital than coming back from the 5-0 hole on Sunday. You can t afford to let a snag turn into a slump with two weeks left in the schedule. Twins-New York Yankees series preview La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 17, 2017 THREE-GAME SERIES AT YANKEE STADIUM Monday 6:05 p.m. FSN, 96.3-FM RHP Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.35) vs. LHP Jaime Garcia (5-9, 4.35) 4

5 Tuesday 6:05 p.m. FSN, 96.3-FM RHP Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84) vs. LHP C.C. Sabathia (11-5, 3.85) Wednesday 12:05 p.m. FSN, 96.3-FM RHP Bartolo Colon (6-13, 6.39) vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-11, 4.73) TWINS UPDATE Will Joe Mauer, batting.400 since Aug. 10, start against Sabathia on Tuesday? Mauer is batting.163 off Sabathia with no home runs against him in his career. With manager Paul Molitor sticking to giving Mauer occasional days off, this could another one of them. The Twins took two of three games from New York during a June series at Target Field. None of the Twins starters this series have faced Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. Santana has given up home runs to Greg Bird the past two times he s faced him. The Twins have homered in their past 16 games, tying a club record set in 1979 and tied earlier this season. YANKEES UPDATE Twins fans will not get to see their former first-round pick Aaron Hicks suit up against them this season. Hicks missed the June series at Target Field because of an oblique strain. He returned, but has landed back on the DL with another oblique strain. Manager Joe Girardi, in his 10th season, won his 900th game with the Yankees on Friday. Because of a rescheduled game with Kansas City on Sept. 25, the Yankees are in a stretch in which they will play 24 games in 25 days to finish the season. Sabathia, 18-9 with a 3.16 career ERA against the Twins, will pitch on seven days rest. Gibson king of run support; thoughts from Mauer La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 17, 2017 Here are a few leftovers from the Twins crazy 13-7 win over Toronto: BENEFITS FROM SUPPORT: Kyle Gibson, 11-10, ended up lasting six innings, giving up five runs. "The offense made that start a successful start," he said. No kidding, and there's a pattern developing. Gibson benefited from another offensive outburst. He started the Sept. 2 game when the Twins beat the Royals 17-0 and also Tuesday's game when they beat San Diego Now they scored 13 for him on Sunday. I asked Gibson if he should ask to pitch the wild card game since he's going to get double-digit run support. "If I'm going to start and they score 17 I'm sure Mollie would like that," Gibson said. "But I'm he wouldn't like being the first time up hitting and being down 5-0." Gibson began the day getting an average of 7.3 runs from his offense, tops in the AL DOES HE COUNT?: The Twins are facing Jaime Garcia on Monday - the same Garcia who was with the Twins for a week before he was traded when the front office thought they should be selling instead of buying. Garcia won his only start for the Twins - July 28 at Oakland. It was the only game they won of that series. So Joe Mauer was asked if Garcia qualifies as a former Twin. "Yeah, he wore the uniform didn't he?" Mauer said with a chuckle. "He won us a ballgame. Sure, he's a former teammate." QUOTES FROM MAUER: On facing the Yankees: "We haven't seen them in a while (July). Obviously, it was a team we might see a little later hopefully. We just have to keep playing the game the way we have been playing, Going into NY, where they are playing for something special, too. Stay focused and keep playing the right way." Will the younger guys have to guard against making these games too big? "It's been our message all year. Just do what we have been doing. Nothing different. This is the fun time of the year and the boys are having fun. Try not to make it more than what it is." Twins overcome early deficit to beat Blue Jays 13-7 Chad Graff Pioneer Press September 17, 2017 Nine outs into Sunday s matinee, the Twins seemed poised to erase the good feelings from winning the first three of this six-game homestand. Kyle Gibson looked like the pitcher who was demoted to the minors twice this summer, walking five straight in the first and watching Josh Donaldson smash two homers in two innings the first of which traveled 476 feet, the longest shot at Target Field by anyone not named Jim Thome. But with a third straight loss looming, an offense that has kept this surprising playoff push intact plated seven runs in the second, then six more 5

6 in the fifth, helping turn an early 5-0 deficit into a 13-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Coupled with the Los Angeles Angels loss Sunday, the Twins have a two-game lead in the wildcard race with 13 games to play. We found a way to win what I thought was one of the bigger games we ve faced, manager Paul Molitor said. Two innings in, it looked as if Gibson s struggles might deplete the Twins bullpen heading into a potential playoff-previewing series against the New York Yankees, the start of a vital 10-game road trip. Molitor had a pitcher warming up in the bullpen before the first inning was over and admitted that he was one pitch away a couple times from removing Gibson. Yet with little warning, Gibson reverted back to the pitcher who solidified a rotation spot in August, putting away his final 13 batters en route to an eight-strikeout performance that tied his season high. In the first inning, (catcher Jason) Castro saw something mechanically that I was doing that was helping with the misfires and the walks, Gibson said. So I made an adjustment there. At the plate, the Twins gave him run support that Gibson somehow continues to draw. Two weeks ago, the Twins put up 17 runs with Gibson on the mound. Last Tuesday, they offered 16 runs of support. Sunday, they continued mashing the ball, totaling 16 hits. Once again, Gibson said, they picked me up. Joe Mauer hit a grand slam, Eddie Rosario hit two homers and Byron Buxton followed one of Rosario s long balls with a homer of his own as the Twins matched a franchise record by homering in a 16th straight game. The four home runs Sunday gave the Twins 74 since Aug. 8, the most in the majors in that time. The game was still within reach for the Blue Jays in the fifth inning when Mauer walked to the plate with the bases loaded. He took two quick strikes, but turned on an 0-2 fastball and deposited it over the right-field fence, one of three hits that raised his batting average to.306. Two batters later, Rosario hit his second homer of the game as the Twins turned a five-run deficit into an eight-run lead in less than four full innings. I think he kind of shocked us all by turning on that pitch, Molitor said of Mauer s grand slam. You don t see pull homers (from him) too much but it couldn t have come at a better time. The victory gave the Twins 12 wins in their last 16 home games, now at Target Field this season with only a three-game series left in Minneapolis to close the regular season at the end of this month. After closing this homestand 4-2, the Twins boarded a plane to New York for three games against the Yankees, the team they ll likely face in a one-game playoff if they beat out the Angels for a wild-card spot. Hopefully, our guys don t get too caught up with New York and the stadium and the history and just go out and do some of the things we ve been doing, Molitor said. Joe Mauer ups average to.306 with three hits, grand slam Sunday Chad Graff Pioneer Press September 17, 2017 With three hits Sunday, including a game-breaking grand slam in the fifth inning of the Twins 13-7 win over the Blue Jays, Joe Mauer upped his batting average to.306. The first baseman who hasn t hit above.277 the past three seasons is hitting at a.400 clip since Aug. 10, a major reason why the Twins continue to inch toward a postseason berth. Joe has endured a lot the last few years, manager Paul Molitor said. He s found a way this year to be out there on a regular basis, taking 6

7 advantage of a break here and there to make sure he stays strong. He s been our most consistent take-a-good-bat kind of guy not to mention playing gold glove defense. Mauer s grand slam Sunday helped the Twins overcome an early 5-0 deficit and boosted his already high numbers with the bases loaded. In those situations during his 14-year career, Mauer has four grand slams and is hitting.375 with 126 runs batted in in 112 at-bats. It s fun getting those opportunities, Mauer said. You try not to do more than what you need to. Hitting the home run there was great, but I was just trying to put a good swing on it and hit the ball hard. I try not to do too much in those situations. Mauer saved his infield at least one throwing error with his fine play at first base Sunday, and added a fourth inning double and second inning RBI. But he downplayed his recent success. It s been enjoyable just because of what we ve been doing collectively, Mauer said. It s been a lot of fun for me to see the progress of our young guys. We ve had some great additions to the team this year and we have a good vibe going right now and we re trying to keep it that way. BATTLING BRUISES One hundred-and-forty-nine games into this surprising Twins season, the team is still playing meaningful games in their quest to nab a wild card spot, making it easy for players to take the field through minor injuries. Sunday afternoon, Byron Buxton and Jason Castro both took the field against the Toronto Blue Jays less than 24 hours after being bruised in the team s loss the night before. Buxton was back in center field even after he smacked his head against the wall in center field in the ninth inning Saturday while trying to rob Josh Donaldson of a home run. It was a little bit of an awkward fall given the fact that he made such an incredible effort to keep that ball in the park, manager Paul Molitor said. I talked to him this morning. I was concerned a little about him, but he s good. Behind the plate Saturday, Castro was bruised after taking foul balls off his collarbone and shoulder. Castro took a couple good shots, Molitor said. He s a little sore. But with only two weeks remaining in this season and the Twins still battling for the likely right to play the New York Yankees in a one-game playoff matchup, Molitor said players are more willing to remain in the lineup even if they re bruised or sore. It s that time of year where unless it s something major, you re probably going to give it a shot and go out there, Molitor said. I think the guys want to play. Buxton went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double in the win, while Castro went 2-for-5 Sunday with two runs. HILDENBERGER S FIRST HICCUP Even though Twins rookie reliever Trevor Hildenberger allowed three earned runs Saturday, the first time in his young career he s allowed more than two in an outing, Molitor said he doesn t feel he needs to give the 26-year-old a pep talk. In part because Hildenberger has been so effective this season in amassing a 3.11 earned-run average with 40 strikeouts in 37.2 innings, Molitor said he s confident the rookie will bounce back fine. I don t worry about him too much, Molitor said. I might offer a word of encouragement, but because he s been really good for a young guy who turns the page really well, he hasn t had many outings where we ve had to do that with him. He s been so clean for the most part, so I m not worried about any carryover physiologically for him. Because Hildenberger pitched in three of the Twins last four games, Hildenberger didn t pitch Sunday afternoon. 7

8 Twins use 2 big frames to build on WC lead Shane Jackson and Brian Hall MLB.com September 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins erased an early five-run deficit with a pair of huge innings to power past the Blue Jays, 13-7, on Sunday at Target Field. With the win, Minnesota split the four-game set and increased its lead over the Angels for the second American League Wild Card spot to two games. Minnesota batted around in both the second and fifth innings, pouring in seven and six runs in each frame, respectively. Eddie Rosario and Byron Buxton hit back-to-back homers in the second, while Buxton added an RBI double later in the inning. Rosario went deep again in the fifth after a grand slam by Joe Mauer. Both Buxton and Mauer finished a triple shy of the cycle. It proved to be more than enough run support to back Minnesota right-hander Kyle Gibson, who recovered after surrendering five runs in the first two innings. Gibson retired the final 13 batters he faced before exiting after six innings, during which he allowed three hits and five walks while striking out eight. "This one in some ways is maybe a little more impressive," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said of Gibson. "To give us six innings after that start was pretty good for us. We found a way to win one of the bigger [deficits] we faced in the last couple weeks." Josh Donaldson belted a pair of homers in his first two at-bats against Gibson. The former AL Most Valuable Player notched his fifth multi-homer game of the season and second in as many days. Donaldson, who has 30 dingers this season, became just the second Blue Jays player to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his first three seasons with the club. Blue Jays starter Joe Biagini took the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings, while reliever Chris Rowley allowed all six Twins runs in the fifth inning. "I put them in a tough position for what they want to do," Biagini said. "I don't blame them for taking me out. I wish I would have gotten a chance to stay in, fight through it and limit the damage. But I understand what they're thinking, so I don't blame anybody." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Mauer's slam: Mauer delivered the Twins' biggest blow during the six-run fifth with a grand slam off Rowley. Mauer's homer had an exit velocity of mph and traveled 398 feet, according to Statcast. It was his fourth career grand slam and first since Sept. 1, The Twins have hit four grand slams this season, all of which have come since Aug. 8. "[Bases-loaded situations] are fun," Mauer said. "You try not to do anything more than you need to. Hitting the home run was great, but I was just trying to get a good pitch. I try not to do too much in those situations. Today it just worked out that way." More > Donaldson's massive dinger: Donaldson obliterated a fastball from Gibson to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 advantage with one out in the first inning. According to Statcast, Donaldson's homer traveled 481 feet with an exit velocity of mph. It matched his longest homer tracked by Statcast (since 2015) and was his hardest-hit homer as well. It also tied for the seventh-longest hit in all of baseball this season. "Yeah, that was a bomb," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He can do that, though. We've seen him do that. He's a special player." More > QUOTABLE "When I finally got him out, [Molitor] asked if I wanted that ball. I told him I'd like one of the first two, but they are probably in St. Paul." -- Gibson, on allowing two home runs to Donaldson in the Twins' win SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Mauer, 34, is the oldest Twin to hit a grand slam since Molitor hit one at 40 years old on April 3, 1997, vs. Detroit. WHAT'S NEXT Blue Jays: Toronto returns to Rogers Centre to start its final homestand of the season on Tuesday with three games against the Royals at 7:07 p.m. ET. Right-hander Marcus Stroman (11-8, 3.08 ERA) starts the first game of the series looking for his first win since Aug. 16. He has lost backto-back games, including his last start when he allowed two unearned runs over six innings against Baltimore. Twins: Minnesota begins its final road trip of the season with a three-game set against the Yankees on Monday at 6:05 CT. Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.35 ERA) is slated to start the opener after six shutout frames in his last outing. The veteran right-hander is 6-9 with a 5.78 ERA in 19 career starts against the Yankees. Minnesota enters the series four games behind New York for the top American League Wild Card spot. 8

9 Mauer's slam highlights Twins' 6-run 5th inning Shane Jackson MLB.com September 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins first baseman Joe Mauer took his teammates and manager by surprise when he turned on a pitch, in a big way, in the sixth inning Sunday. Mauer's grand slam served as the signature blow in a six-run inning that wrapped up Minnesota's 13-7 win over the Blue Jays at Target Field. It was Mauer's fourth career grand slam and first since Spet. 1, "I think he kind of shocked us all by turning on that pitch," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "You don't see the pulled homers too much, but it couldn't come at a better time to spread it out a little bit." Mauer, 34, is the oldest Twins player to hit a slam since Molitor hit one at 40 years old on April 3, 1997, vs. Detroit. Mauer's four grand slams are tied for ninth most in club history. Mauer finished the game a triple shy of the cycle and tied his season high with five RBIs. He helped Minnesota increase its lead for the second American League Wild Card spot to two games over the Angels. It was also the latest example of Mauer's composure in key situations, a trait he has put on display throughout his career. "I think he had it at a young age," Molitor said. "A lot of guys acquire a better approach in those situations as their career unfolds. It always seemed to me that he makes the guy make good pitches." Mauer started the at-bat by watching a sinker from Toronto reliever Chris Rowley go by him for a strike. He then fouled off a 91.9-mph fourseamer to fall further behind in the count, before Rowley delivered an 0-2 heater that was pulled it over the right-field wall. According to Statcast, the slam traveled 398 feet with an exit velocity of mph. It gave the Twins, who were down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning, a 12-5 advantage and their fourth grand slam of the season. All four have come since Aug. 8. "[Bases-loaded situations] are fun," Mauer said. "You try not to do anything more than you need to. Hitting the home run was great, but I was just trying to get a good pitch. I try not to do too much in those situations. Today it just worked out that way." Minnesota hit four home runs in the finale and has now belted a homer in 16 straight games, dating back to Sept. 1. That is tied for the longest streak in club history, matching stretches from 1979 and earlier this season. The Twins have recorded a Major League-leading 74 home runs in 39 games since Aug. 8. That's due to a combination of the club's young core finding a rhythm at the plate in the thick of a postseason chase, as well as veterans like Mauer continuing to deliver in key situations. "It's been enjoyable because of what we are doing collectively," Mauer said. "It's been a lot of fun, for me, to see that progress. We just have a good vibe going right now, and we are trying to keep it that way." Santana starts crucial set vs. WC-leading Yanks Shane Jackson MLB.com September 17, 2017 The Twins will begin a 10-game road trip with a crucial three-game set at Yankee Stadium, with right-hander Ervin Santana slated to start opposite former Minnesota lefty Jaime Garcia in Monday's MLB Network Showcase Game. This three-game tilt between the two clubs is a potential American League Wild Card Game preview. The Yankees hold the top AL Wild Card spot by four games over the Twins, while Minnesota has a two-game advantage over the Angels for the second spot. "It could be a really good experience for a lot of these young guys," Twins catcher Chris Gimenez said. "It's a good experience, because emotions run when there is energy in the stadium like that. You have to be able to continue to slow the game down and do what you have always done." Garcia (5-9, 4.35 ERA) pitched one game for the Twins, in which he defeated the Athletics on July 28, before he was dealt to the Yankees on July 30. With New York, Garcia is 0-2 with a 4.60 ERA over six starts. The veteran southpaw is yet to throw six innings with the Yankees. Meanwhile, Santana (15-7, 3.35) has been strong since the start of August with a 3.30 ERA over nine starts. He is 4-0 in that span and the Twins are 7-2 with him on the mound. Santana has pitched at least six innings in eight of his last 10 outings. He will have a tough task, however, 9

10 against a Yankees lineup that has found rhythm of late. "We're on a nice little run right now," New York third baseman Todd Frazier said. "We understand what we're capable of and we get runs by the bunches. It's been a lot of fun to watch and be a part of." Three things to know about this game CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka are set to pitch the final two games of the series on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, for the Yankees. Manager Joe Girardi indicated that Luis Severino, who has never faced the Twins, could be an option to start the finale if New York dropped the first two games of the series, though. "If he starts on Wednesday, it would be three starts [before the end of the season] and he would be available the final weekend," Girardi said. "Right now, we're planning on Tanaka for Wednesday, but I could change my mind." Santana has faced the Yankees 19 times in his career. He is 6-9 with a 5.78 ERA over a total of 113 2/3 innings. Santana's last win against New York came on June 19, 2016, when he allowed two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. Jacoby Ellsbury has a Yankees-high 36 career at-bats against Santana, posting a.278 batting average with a home run. Brett Gardner is hitting.321 with three doubles in 28 at-bats against the Twins right-hander. Wetmore s 5 thoughts: Joe Mauer s grand slam, Josh Donaldson s blast, Kyle Gibson s recovery Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 September 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The Twins on Sunday took a punch in the first inning and didn t stagger or fall down. Instead, they rallied behind starter Kyle Gibson and delivered a few big blows of their own, including a couple haymakers that landed, and by the end of the day Sunday, they d boarded a plane headed for New York with a 2-game lead over the Angels for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Paul Molitor contended that Sunday s was one of the biggest games the Twins have faced in recent weeks. One Twins scribe said it s the biggest win of the year for the Twins, because of what losing would have meant. This column presents 5 thoughts from Sunday s 13-7 win for the Twins. 1. Kyle Gibson recovered from a terrible first inning to complete 6 innings and improbably earned the win. Here s how the 1st inning went for Kyle Gibson and the Twins: Strikeout Home run (Josh Donaldson) Walk Walk Lineout Walk Walked in a run Single (2 more runs) Strikeout Before you settled into your seat for the afternoon, every Blue Jays hitter had been up to the plate, the Twins were down 4-0, and long reliever Nik Turley was warming up in the bullpen. The Jays appeared close to chasing Gibson for good, and it would have been a rotten start for the Twins righty after a string of 9 really good outings overall. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he was one pitch away from pulling Gibson from the start on multiple occasions. Jason Castro found a minor thing with Gibson s delivery his release point may have been off, Gibson said and then the catcher coaxed his starter through the early troubles. Gibson s been on a great run of starts lately and part of that has been cutting his walk rate in half. So it was surprising when he came out in the 1st inning Sunday and couldn t find the plate. He walked four hitters from the first nine, before he settled down the rest of the way. Don t you love that baseball cliché? As Gibson explained, what changed had little to do with nerves and a lot more to do with a feel for his pitches. Bouncing a slider to No. 9 hitter 10

11 Richard Urena to end the first inning with a strikeout helped Gibson get his full arsenal of pitches back on track, he said. And the Twins have scored runs in bunches for Gibson lately. The Twins have won each of the past 6 games that Gibson has started, and in those games they ve scored at least 13 runs on three separate occasions. That includes a 17-0 shutout over the Royals and a 16-0 shutout of the Padres. Maybe he knew subconsciously that the double-digit run support was going to come somewhere along the way, Molitor joked Sunday. Sure, he gave up one more solo shot to Donaldson, but to get through 6 innings with just one run allowed after that 1st inning was a remarkable turnaround. 2. The first of Josh Donaldson s two home runs landed in the third deck in left field. And it s one of the longest home runs ever hit at Target Field. The accounting on this is a little questionable, and it depends who you believe. Here s what I ll tell you: Donaldson came up with 1 out and nobody on base in the 1st inning and Kyle Gibson threw a middle-middle sinker and Donaldson put a hurt on it. It sailed into the third deck in left-center field, which is typically reserved for the show-off round of batting practice and even then, it s only for guys like Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas. A member of the Twins communication team estimates the distance on every home run hit at Target Field, and it s based on charts that project how far it should be based in part on where it landed. Statcast also estimates the total distance, and it s based on the velocity and angle of a ball off the bat, and I m guessing it also factors in the part of the stadium that it landed, although that s never been fully clear to me. Anyway, Statcast measured Donaldson s first bomb at 481 feet, which is longer than any home run this year except for one Kennys Vargas big blast on June 20 against the White Sox (483 feet, according to ESPN s Home Run Tracker). When Miguel Sano crushed a pitch over the batter s eye and into the lounge/bar area in center field, it was measured at 466 feet. Paul Molitor said at the time that there s a very, very small percentage of guys that could dream of hitting a ball like that. The same could be said of Donaldson s drive. Donaldson got Gibson again in the 2nd inning before the Twins starter finally retired him in the 4th inning with a strikeout. When I finally got him out, Mollie asked me if I wanted the ball, Gibson cracked, apparently not interested in the keepsake. I told him I d like one of the first two, but they re probably in St. Paul so he couldn t get them. 3. Joe Mauer pulled an 0-2 fastball in the right-field bleachers for a grand slam. Can we take a second to appreciate how great Mauer s been this season? He missed some time in early July because of a strained lower back. He returned after the all-star break and has basically been a consistent force in Minnesota s lineup ever since. Dating back to August 1, the Twins first baseman is hitting.346/.410/.463. That batting line is every bit as good as the great numbers he posted in 2013, the season he caught a foul tip on his catcher s mask, which gave him a concussion and forced a mid-career position change. He s been our most consistent taking-a-good-at-bat kind of guy, not to mention Gold Glove defense, Molitor said. I think he kind of shocked us all a little bit by turning on that pitch you know, you don t see the pulled homers too much. But it couldn t have come at a better time. Mauer has legitimately been one of the Twins best players this year, and he s a big reason the offense has gone from decent to excellent in the second half. I can t believe it sometimes, but despite losing Miguel Sano for at least a month (and probably more), the Twins are in the conversation with teams like the Cubs and Indians for the best offense in all of baseball right now. Yes, Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco and Eddie Rosario and others should be credited. But don t overlook Mauer right in the middle of everything. And after having seen most Twins games this season, including some against some very good defensive first baseman, I think Mauer s put himself in a great position this year to win his first Gold Glove as a first baseman. His grand slam on Sunday put the Twins up 12-5, and the blast was impressive. Not just because of where it landed, but because of where it started. Jays reliever Chris Rowley had nobody out and the bases loaded in the 5th inning. He got Mauer down in the count 0-2, and tried to 11

12 force a fastball inside, out of the strike zone and tight against Mauer s body. No problem. Here s a clip of the pitch, where you can see how quickly Mauer got his hands through the hitting zone on his home run. He was playing a day game after a night game, which you don t always see from Mauer. He must be feeling pretty good right now, and he s a big reason the Twins are competitive in the race for the postseason. 4. The Twins as a team tied a couple of records during Sunday s win. One of them owes a bit to consistent and balanced power, and the other to my own short-view accounting. Eddie Rosario lifted a home run in the 2nd inning, the first of his two long balls Sunday. The Twins now have hit at least one home run in 16 games in a row, which ties the longest such streak in franchise history, according to the team. Let s see if they can set a new high-water mark in New York against the Yankees. That s a possible preview for the Wild Card game for the right to face the Cleveland Indians (probably) in the Division Series. The other record is a little hazier. Since the second Wild Card team was introduced in 2012, only five teams have lost 100 or more games: the 2016 Twins; the 2013 Astros and Marlins; the 2012 Astros and Cubs. The 2013 Astros held the record for biggest improvement after a season with triple-digit losses, when they improved by 19 wins in 2014 (70-92). The 2017 Twins now have 78 wins, which is 19 more than they had a year ago, and they ll almost definitely set a new record at some point here. Admittedly, it s a very short time window to draw from. But I don t think we should let that fact diminish the accomplishment the Twins have already secured, regardless of the way this season ends. 5. The Twins have already scored more runs this year than they did all of last year. They put 7 runs on the board in the 2nd inning, shortly after Gibson put them in an early hole, and then they tacked on 6 more runs in the 5th inning to win One year ago the problem was pitching. Let s focus on the offense for a second. How many standout offensive players did Minnesota have last year? Brian Dozier and his 42 home runs; Robbie Grossman and his.386 on-base percentage; and Miguel Sano, who hit 25 home runs despite an overall step backward in his second year in the big leagues; and Max Kepler had a nice year. That s pretty much it. This year? Go up and down the lineup. Dozier s turned it on since the non-waiver trade deadline; Mauer s doing his thing; Sano was having a great overall year before he was hurt; Byron Buxton has broken out in a big way; Jorge Polanco stunningly transformed from one of the worst hitters in the big leagues to one of the best, and has flipped his season on its head in the process; Eddie Rosario has a emerged as a real threat; Grossman is still getting on base at a good clip. Writing out the lineup card must be fun these days for Paul Molitor. Last year s Twins team scored 722 runs, which ranked 16th in baseball. Middle of the pack. (The trouble was that the 889 runs they allowed as a team was just one run short of the worst in baseball.) This year, they ve already scored 23 more runs than they did last year, including Sunday s offensive outburst. It s just the latest in a run that s seen the Twins erase a run differential that was so far negative that it helped convince the Twins front office that the team wasn t worthy of big additions at the trade deadline. That they even got into positive territory (+3 entering Sunday) is impressive, but that they ve done it without Sano is almost unbelievable. The Twins began play Sunday ranked 9th in baseball and 5th in the American League in terms of runs scored. This might sound like a hot take, but I think I believe it. With or without Sano in the lineup, I m not sure the Twins are a team you d want to face in a one-game playoff series, or even in the 5-game Division Series after that. 12

13 Rosario s 2 homers, Mauer s slam drive Twins over Jays 13-7 (Sep 17, 2017) Associated Press September 17, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Kyle Gibson appeared headed for a short outing, and the Minnesota Twins playoff outlook looked as shaky as their starting pitcher. Minnesota s offense boosted both with a big rally. Eddie Rosario homered twice, Joe Mauer hit a grand slam and the Twins overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-7 Sunday and maintain control for the second AL wild card. Minnesota trailed 5-0 in the second inning after Josh Donaldson s second homer. Rosario and Byron Buxton hit consecutive homers to start the rally as the Twins burst ahead with a seven-run bottom half that included Jorge Polanco s tiebreaking RBI grounder. You never feel like your offense is going to put up 13 runs, Gibson said. But that inning kind of had that kind of a feel. You can see early on when the guys have a lot of confidence. Rosie hits that homer and Buck hit that homer. They both walk by me and say, `Hey, we got you. Let s go. Minnesota pulled away with six runs in the fifth against reliever Chris Rowley. The Twins reopened a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild card and closed within four games of the Yankees heading into a three-game series at New York that starts Monday. Gibson (11-10) allowed five runs, three hits and five walks in six innings while tying a season high with eight strikeouts to help the Twins gain a four-game split. Minnesota manager Paul Molitor nearly took out Gibson early. There was one pitch away a couple of times, Molitor said. It s hard to explain a beginning like that. Of all the things he s done, this one s, in some ways, is maybe a little more impressive to give us six innings after that start. Joe Biagini (3-11) gave up six runs four earned and five hits in 1 1/3 innings for Toronto. He is 0-1 with a ERA in two starts and two relief appearances against the Twins. I put them in a tough position for what they want to do, Biagini said. I don t blame them for taking me out. I wish I would have gotten a chance to stay in, fight through it and limit the damage. But I understand what they re thinking, so I don t blame anybody. Rosario also homered in the fifth for his fourth career multihomer game and went deep five times during the homestand. Mauer hit his fourth slam, his first since Sept. 1, 2012, at Kansas City and his first ever at home. Minnesota tied a franchise record by homering for the 16th consecutive game and has a major league-high 74 since Aug. 8. Gibson walked four batters as the Blue Jays took a 4-0 lead in the first, and Donaldson homered again in the second. Gibson retired his final 13 batters he faced. LONG BALLS Donaldson had a go-ahead homer in the first, a drive into the third deck in left that would have traveled 481 feet, according to MLB Statcast. It tied for the seventh-longest home run tracked by Statcast this season. Donaldson reached 30 homers for the third straight season after hitting 29 in He has an AL-high 21 home runs since the AL break, including consecutive multihomer games. GIBSON S RUN SUPPORT Gibson received double-digit run support for the third time in four starts. He pitched six scoreless innings in a 17-0 win against Kansas City on Sept. 2 and another six scoreless in a 16-0 win in his last outing against San Diego. Maybe he knew subconsciously that the double-digit run support was going to come along somewhere along the way, Molitor joked. We just 13

14 kept firing. TRAINER S ROOM Blue Jays: OF Steve Pearce missed his ninth straight game with back soreness.. LHP Brett Anderson threw a bullpen session on Sunday after leaving his last start with a blister on his pitching hand. Gibbons said he should be set to make his start on Wednesday. Twins: Miguel Sano (left shin stress reaction) is traveling with the team to New York, then will return to Minnesota early as his slow recovery continues. UP NEXT Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (11-8, 3.08 ERA) starts on Tuesday as Toronto begins its final homestand of the season with three games against Kansas City. Stroman lost his last start despite giving up two runs none earned in six innings against Baltimore. Kansas City counters with RHP Sam Gaviglio (4-5, 4.35). Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.35) starts for the Twins. New York goes with LHP Jaime Garcia (5-9, 4.35), who started one game for Minnesota this season after he was acquired from Atlanta and then was dealt to New York MLB series to watch: Twins-Yankees, Brewers-Cubs clashes loom large as races stay hot Jorge L. Ortiz USA Today September 18, 2017 The final two weeks of September figured to be crucial for teams like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs in their attempts to solidify division leads. The Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, on the other hand, seemed more likely to be taking a look at their prospects at this time of year. The standings tell a different story. The Twins are stubbornly holding on to a wild-card spot in the American League, while the Brewers refuse to go away despite losing top starter Jimmy Nelson to a shoulder injury. Both clubs play fellow contenders this week. Here s a look at those series and two others that may have the most impact on the playoff races: Twins at New York Yankees: These teams have barely seen each other all season, meeting only three times before Monday s opener of a threegame set. All the games will be televised nationally, and Monday s holds special interest because Yankees starter Jaime Garcia was a Twin for all of one start in July a winning effort before they shipped him to New York in a move that appeared to indicate Minnesota was not serious about contending. Byron Buxton looks like a star just in time for the Twins Marc Normandin SB Nation September 18, 2017 Byron Buxton had the potential to be a superstar when he was MLB's top prospect, but things did not work that way at first. At age 21, he was a disaster and one of the worst regulars in the majors for the 46 games he appeared in. The next year, Buxton improved across the board, but he still had a below-average bat, with his glove his saving grace. At 23 now, though, Buxton seems to finally be coming into his own and looking a lot like the player prospect experts expected him to. And it's just in time for the Twins. Buxton has been hitting since July, and not just a little bit, either. Since July 1, a stretch that includes 55 games and 214 plate appearances, Buxton is batting.332/.379/.601 with 12 homers. He was especially torrid at the plate against the Blue Jays this weekend, going 7-for-16 with a pair of homers to help the Twins secure a four-game split. The Twins need this kind of production from Buxton, who has brought his season OPS up from well below.600 to just shy of the league-average thanks to his tremendous turnaround since July. They're here a little early in the whole rebuilding process, contending before anyone expected them to just one season after leading the league in losses. And the reason the dream of the first half remains alive is thanks to players like Buxton coming into their own to become the players they were supposed to be later on in the process. The Twins were selling at the trade deadline, but now they're two games up on the Angels for the second wild card spot. They are four games 14