Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, September 5, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, September 5, 2017 Rays use four-run sixth inning to pull away from Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Miguel Sano's latest step in recovery is hitting off a tee. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins postgame: Pitching gets roughed up in loss to Rays, other notes. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Miguel Sano, out with a stress reaction in his shin, finally grabs a bat. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Despite Dozier's HR, Twins open trip with loss. MLB (Butherus & Mount) p. 5 Adjustments, support fuel Buxton's breakout. MLB.com (Butherus) p. 7 Garver gets start at catcher; Sano progressing. MLB.com (Butherus) p. 7 Zulgad: Not done yet: Joe Mauer s bounce back season a pleasant surprise ESPN (Zulgad) p. 8 Developing top prospects: Derek Falvey on Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero ESPN (Depue) p. 9 It s progress: Injured Miguel Sano resumes baseball activities, able to hit off tee. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 10 Late-inning runs sink bullpen, Twins. Associated Press p. 11 Miguel Sano hits off tee, still has 'a ways to go' before return from DL. ESPN (Staff) p. 11 Sports-loving North Dakotan makes it her career. Inforum (Lind) p. 12 Rays use four-run sixth inning to pull away from Twins La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 5, 2017 ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. The Twins have played mostly clunker-free baseball since the All-Star break. But the sounds of opponents mashing their pitching staff suddenly returned Monday. From Jose Berrios looking scarred from his battles with Corey Dickerson, to the bullpen throwing kerosene on the fire, Twins pitchers just didn t have an answer for the Tampa Bay Rays, who rolled to an 11-4 victory at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay banged out 13 hits, including home runs by Dickerson and Logan Morrison, as the Twins lost by at least seven runs for the 15th time this season. But 13 of those came in the first three months. During their inspired month of August, they lost by seven runs just once. It was a good game for a while, Twins manager Paul Molitor said after his team lost for the third time in four games. It kind of fell apart for us when we couldn t contain once we went to the bullpen. The Twins have shaken off losses like this one before and have to do once again only this time while in a September postseason race. The Angels won in extra innings at Oakland on Monday to creep within a half-game of second wild-card spot the Twins hold. And the Rays, still believing they can make a run, sit three games back. If you want to take a little misstep, that s fine. It happens, pitching coach Neil Allen said. It s how you respond, how you get back on the horse. Berrios (12-7) and Rays righthander Alex Cobb (10-9) entertained with a duel for five innings, with Tampa Bay taking a 2-1 lead in the third on Evan Longoria s two-out RBI single. Out for the sixth, Berrios gave up a leadoff single to Logan Morrison, then walked Steven Souza Jr. That brought up Dickerson, who homered in the second and just missed a second homer in the fourth, settling for a double. So Allen sprinted to the mound for strategy against Dickerson, who can drive low pitches but will chase others. I said let s go inside this time, try to get strike one, then let s elevate, Allen said. Well, we did.

2 But Dickerson worked the count to 3-2 before lashing a fastball to right for an RBI double and a 3-1 lead. That was it for Berrios. Dickerson was 3-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, two RBI and two runs in three at-bats against Berrios. It was one of those nights, said Berrios, who gave up at least five earned runs for the fourth time this season. Something just happened to go wrong, and it was their night. That was the start of a four-run sixth for Tampa Bay. Morrison homered in the seventh off John Curtiss to give the Rays a 7-1 lead. The Twins scored three runs over the last two innings, but the Rays poured it on. Curtiss gave way to Glen Perkins in the eighth after a leadoff single. Perkins, making his fifth appearance since recovering from shoulder surgery, loaded the bases before Tampa Bay scored four more runs. Once again, the Twins have to prove then can rebound after a big loss. I m not worried about these guys coming out and having a lot of fight in them tomorrow, Molitor said. You try to keep it in perspective, but understand that every time you can post a win, it s giving you a better chance to accomplish you goals. I think we will be ready to play. Miguel Sano's latest step in recovery is hitting off a tee La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 5, 2017 St. PETERSBURG, FLA. Miguel Sano hit off a tee Monday, his first baseball activity since Aug. 19, when the third baseman went down because of a stress reaction in his left shin. Recovery has been a lengthy process, longer than the Twins hoped for, but the All-Star has shown enough progress in recent days for him to pick up a bat and take some swings in the batting cages at Target Field. That s the first step. Now he has to continue to see improvement in his shin while slowly increasing his baseball activities. We re hoping he handles that well, and we will try to increase his baseball activities the rest of the week if the leg allows him to do that, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Possibly, if we don t have any setbacks, try to get some batting practice in over the next couple of days. Sano fouled a ball off his shin Aug. 18 against Arizona, and the discomfort increased as he finished that game he ended up hitting home runs in his final two at-bats and attempted to play a day later. But now the shin has improved to the point to where the Twins can start building him up for a return. It is just a matter of when we can get him out there, try to jog a little bit and build up to where he can get around the bases, Molitor said. Then we ll start thinking about when he can contribute. It s getting closer to a day-to-day situation, but we re not there yet. We still have a ways to go. Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario has surged at the plate in recent weeks, softening the blow of Sano s absence. But the Twins remain eager to get Sano, his 28 home runs and 77 RBI back in the lineup. We don t really have a another Miggy-type player out there, Molitor said, a player who can do what he does, the threat that he brings every time he takes a swing. Rochester s season ends The Twins almost had every one of their minor league teams reach the postseason. Class AAA Rochester is the exception, as the Red Wings beat Pawtucket 10-1 on Monday but were eliminated from the postseason when Lehigh Valley beat Scranton 4-3 to claim the International League s wild-card spot because of a tiebreaker. Rochester appeared to be in the driver s seat but lost five of its final eight games. I m disappointed for them because they had a good opportunity the last few days, Molitor said. 2

3 But that means the Twins will bring up a few more players from Rochester to add depth to a club that s trying to hold on to a wild-card spot. Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey is traveling with the Twins during this week s seven-game road trip to Tampa Bay and Kansas City and met with Molitor to discuss possible reinforcements. It s unlikely that any new faces will be among the group that will be called up. In fact, the most important additions will come from the disabled list. For instance, Robbie Grossman, out because of a broken left thumb, went 1-for-7 in two games with Red Wings during a rehabilitation assignment and is now headed back to the Twins. Molitor and Falvey s discussions about call-ups are ongoing. We re talking about if there are any fits, Molitor said. Etc. Sam Perlozzo, the Twins minor league infield and base running coordinator, is with the major league club for this road trip. Afterward, he will return to Fort Myers, Fla., to prepare for the organization s annual instructional league. Molitor said that a couple more minor league coaches are scheduled to serve stints with the major league club before the season ends. Righthander Aaron Slegers was added to the roster Monday, on his 25th birthday. He will start Wednesday s series finale. Twins postgame: Pitching gets roughed up in loss to Rays, other notes La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 4, 2017 Here are three thoughts following the Twins loss to Tampa Bay PITCHING: Twins manager Paul Molitor though his pitchers were just a few inches away from getting big outs and keeping the game close. When Adeiny Hechevarria hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, he thought a better throw by Byron Buxton would have gotten Steven Souza at the plate and end inning. He liked the matchup of Buddy Boshers against Kevin Keirmaier, but Boshers got a pitch that Keirmaier could handle, and got a two run single out of it. Still, the staff did not make the right pitches at the right times. A lot of times. BUXTON: His stolen base in the second made it 20 straight for Buxton, tying him with Chuck Knoblauch for third on the Twins' all-time list. Zoilo Versalles swiped 21 straight. Matt Lawton shares the record with Knoblauch with 22. Buxton came to the majors stealing bases with pure speed. But now he's learning about getting bigger leads in the right situations and reading pitcher's moves. MAUER STREAK: Joe Mauer has a 13-game hitting streak after his double in the sixth inning. He's batting.423 during the run. But he was 1-for-4 in the game, so his career average at Tropicana Field dropped to.388 from.392. Miguel Sano, out with a stress reaction in his shin, finally grabs a bat La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune September 4, 2017 Miguel Sano hit off of a tee Monday, his first baseball activity since Aug. 19 when he went down with a stress reaction in his left shin. Recovery has been a lengthy process, longer than the the Twins hoped for, But Sano has shown enough progress in recent days for him to pick up a bat. That's step one. Now he has to continue to see improvement in his shin while slowly increasing his baseball activities. "We're hoping he handles that well and we will try to increase his baseball activities the rest of the week if the leg allows him to do that," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Possibly, if we don't have any setbacks, try to get some batting practice in over the next couple of days." Dukes Knutson, the press box attendant here at Tropicana Field greeted me today with the following: "A meaningful game in September!" Knutson said. Dukes is popular among visiting scribes for just being an all-around awesome person. But he's from Duluth and attended the U of M. So he's always happy to see the Twins in town. 3

4 And he's right. This game means something. The Twins continue to hold on to the second wild card spot in the American League. But the Rays are four back with plenty of time to chop down the deficit if they can get hot. So they will be motivated against the Twins tonight. The Twins, however, have been comfortable at The Trop. They have won six of their last nine games here - basically two out of three the last three times they've played here. And Joe Mauer lights this place up. He's a career.392 hitter with a.497 on base percentage and on base plus slugging percentage. Tonight's game should be a pretty good pitching matchup between the Twins' Jose Berrios and the Rays' Alex Cobb. The Twins will be looking to shake off their latest tough loss, when they fell short against Kansas City on Sunday. Will check back with any updates. Twins Brian Dozier, 2B Joe Mauer, 1B Jorge Polanco, SS Eddie Rosario, LF Byron Buxton, CF Max Kepler, RF Eduardo Escobar, 3B Mitch Garver, C Ehire Adrianza, SS Jose Berrios, RHP Rays Kevin Kiermaier, CF Lucas Duda, DH Evan Longoria, 3B Lo-Mo, 1B Steven Souza, Jr., RF Corey Dickerson, LF Wilson Ramos, C Brad Miller, 2B Adeiny Hechavarria, SS Alex Cobb, RHP Twins Miguel Sano slowly resumes baseball activity John Shipley Pioneer Press September 4, 2017 Miguel Sano hit off a tee Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla., his first baseball activity since he was sidelined by a foul tip off his left shin on Aug. 19, manager Paul Molitor told reporters prior to Monday night s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. It s getting closer to a day-to-day situation, but we re not there yet, Molitor said. We ve still got a ways to go. Sano, on the disabled list with a stress reaction, has missed 15 games, during which the Twins were 9-6. The third baseman is batting.267 with a team-leading 28 home runs, and is tied with second baseman Brian Dozier with a team-leading 77 RBIs. He hit off the tee today, which is first baseball activity in a couple of weeks, Molitor said. He handled it really well, and we ll try to increase his baseball activities throughout the week if the leg allows him to do that. Possibly, if he doesn t have any setbacks, we ll try to get some batting practice here over the next couple of days. 4

5 Sano has been replaced at third by Eduardo Escobar, who has four home runs and 14 RBIs in those 15 games, during which the Twins offense has averaged 7.1 runs a game. So, if and when Sano returns, it likely will be as a designated hitter. If he can progress the baseball skills, it s just a matter of seeing if we can get him to jog a little bit and build up to where the can get around the bases, enough to maybe start think about how he can contribute, Molitor said. STILL SEARCHING The Twins are still trying to figure out how to use Glen Perkins, the former closer from Stillwater who returned from major shoulder surgery last month. A former starter who was the Big Ten s pitcher of the year as a Minnesota senior, Perkins moved to the bullpen, found more velocity on his fastball and became a three-time all-star. Since returning, that velocity which sometimes hit the high 90s has been peaking around 93 mph. He has given up four earned runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings since returning. Heading into Monday night s game, he hadn t pitched since Aug. 30, when he gave up a run on two hits in an 11-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He s active and ready to pitch, Molitor said. It s a little different version of Glen Perkins, and we re just trying to find opportunities for him to gain confidence in what he brings out there each day. He does have experience, which is helpful; there just haven t been many high-leverage situations I felt comfortable enough to put him into. We re trying to get him to that point. SANTIAGO WATCH Left-hander Hector Santiago was placed on the 60-day disabled list over the weekend, and the Twins aren t sure what s next. Molitor said Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has been talking to Santiago s agent about possible next steps. From what I ve heard, he s still having a little bit of issues somewhere in the back of the neck, upper shoulder area. I think his arm feels fine, Molitor said. But he s not throwing the way we know he s capable, so we re going to try to figure out what the next course should be. Santiago, 29, is 4-8 with a 5.63 earned-run average in 15 appearances, 14 of them starts, but hasn t pitched since July 2. NEW ADDITIONS? With the Class AAA Rochester Red Wings eliminated from postseason play on Sunday, the Twins appear ready to bring outfielder/designated hitter Robbie Grossman back. He was on a rehab assignment after breaking his thumb in an outfield collision with center fielder Byron Buxton on Aug. 17. That might be it for additions. The Twins recalled right-hander Aaron Slegers to pitch Wednesday s matinee against the Rays, and already had recalled left-handers Nik Turley and Buddy Bosheers from Rochester. I feel the people we have pitching, I feel really good about it, Molitor said. Despite Dozier's HR, Twins open trip with loss J. Scott Butherus and Connor Mount MLB September 5, 2017 ST. PETERSBURG -- A big day at the plate from Corey Dickerson and a strong outing from starter Alex Cobb gave the Rays an 11-4 win over the visiting Twins in the series opener at Tropicana Field on Monday evening. The win brings Tampa Bay (69-70) within three games of Minnesota (71-66) for the second slot in the American League Wild Card race. The Twins are up just a half-game over the Angels. "We needed one like that, for sure," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Cobb threw the ball really well, and he did it with a heavy fastball, heavy curveball. And offensively, a lot of people played roles. It's good to see some guys get hot." 5

6 Dickerson's double in the sixth keyed a four-run rally and highlighted a productive night in which he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, two RBIs and two runs. Cobb allowed just three hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings to pick up his 10th win of the season. He struck out seven and walked two before his elevated pitch count (99) forced the bullpen into early action. After a single to lead off the second, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton swiped second base -- his 25th steal in 26 attempts this season -- and scored easily on a line-drive single to right off the bat of Max Kepler to put the Twins on the board. The Rays quickly answered in the bottom of the frame when a 2-2 fastball from Twins starter Jose Berrios caught too much of the plate against Dickerson, who drove it over the wall in straightaway center for a solo homer. "It was one of those nights when something happens to go wrong," said Berrios (12-7) after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in the loss. He struck out seven and walked one. Logan Morrison tacked on an insurance run in the seventh with a solo home run -- his team-high 36th of the season -- off Minnesota reliever John Curtiss. The Rays added four runs in the eighth thanks to consecutive run-scoring singles from Trevor Plouffe, Evan Longoria and Morrison to put the game out of reach. "It was a good game there for a while," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We couldn't contain them once we went to the bullpen." Dozier hit his 28th home run in the top of the eighth for the Twins, who have dropped three of their last four after going in August. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Dickerson breaks it open: A single by Morrison and a walk to Steven Souza Jr. in the sixth brought Dickerson to the plate with two men on and nobody out. Dickerson, who had already homered and doubled in the game, drove a 95-mph fastball from Berrios to the gap in right-center to give the Rays a 3-1 lead and end Berrios' night. The Rays would tack on three more runs thanks to a sacrifice fly by Adeiny Hechavarria and a two-run single by Kevin Kiermaier. Longo gets it going: In the bottom of the third, Longoria sliced a soft liner to right field off Berrios. Kepler appeared to get a late jump on the ball and allowed it to drop, enabling Kiermaier to score from second. The Rays would never relinquish the lead. Longoria finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. QUOTABLE "That was huge. One through nine, throughout the whole lineup, everyone did their part. Cobb, great game out there. That was a game we needed, and I really hope that gets guys' confidence up and proves to everyone what kind of team we can be." Kiermaier SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Joe Mauer extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a double off Cobb in the top of the fifth. It also continued his dominance at the Trop, where he has reached base in 24 straight and 32 of 33 games in his career. Mauer is a.390 hitter (50-for-129) with a.493 on-base percentage at the dome, both the highest marks in the stadium's history. Souza shaken up Souza crashed into catcher Mitch Garver while tagging on Hechavarria's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Garver straddled the base line as he tried to gather Buxton's one-hop throw, and Souza collided with him on his way to the plate. Souza did not return to the field the next half-inning. "Back's a little tight, neck kind of jarred back on the hit," Souza said. "But I think I'll be OK." WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Bartolo Colon (6-10, 6.25 ERA) will take the mound Tuesday for the second game in the series, set for a 6:10 p.m. CT start at Tropicana Field. Since being acquired by the Twins, the 44-year-old Colon is 4-1 with a 4.09 ERA. Rays: The Rays will start Jake Odorizzi (7-7, 4.85) in the second of three games vs. the Twins in St. Petersburg, with a 7:10 p.m. ET start. Odorizzi has struggled to go deep in his last six outings, reaching six innings just once and being pulled earlier than the fifth on four ocasions. 6

7 Adjustments, support fuel Buxton's breakout J. Scott Butherus MLB.com September 5, 2017 ST. PETERSBURG -- Twins center fielder Byron Buxton is having a lot of fun right now, especially since his numbers are beginning to reflect his enormous potential. Not only is the former second overall pick in the 2012 Draft enjoying a breakout second half -- he scored two of the Twins' four runs in their 11-4 loss Monday -- but he and fellow outfielders Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler have helped the Twins into postseason contention. The 23-year-old Buxton has been working on a few adjustments, most notably cutting back on his front leg kick and choking up on the bat when he falls behind early in counts, and the results have been extraordinary. Since the All-Star break, Buxton has been one of the best hitters in baseball. In his past 29 games, Buxton has hit.369 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs and 28 runs, including 6-for-10 in September. "It's just part of a young player developing," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's made some adjustments this year to try and increase his contact and put the ball in play at the same time using the power skills he has. I think he's doing a better job, for the most part, of swinging at better pitches and having better plate coverage." Fourteen of his last 30 hits have gone for extra bases, and he has raised his average from.216 to.257 and slashed his strikeout rate in half since the break. "My teammates and coaches still believed in me after a rough start," Buxton said. "When I started the season off that way, they had faith to leave me up here and let me battle through it. It shows how much they believe in me, and it pushed me to want to be better and contribute to the team." One of his instructors likes the progress. "It's really been about introducing some things, making suggestions," said Twins hitting coach James Rowson. "At the end of the day, he's taken what feels good and what we've talked about and put it into his swing to make it work." His power surge hasn't affected the other parts of his game. Buxton stole his 25th base of the season (in 26 attempts) on Monday, and he continues to play Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field. Buxton credits Rosario and Kepler, who have been red-hot in their own right since the start of August -- Rosario hit.298 with nine homers in August, while Kepler had seven homers and 22 RBIs -- for pushing him to reach his potential. "We've been picking it up by competing with each other a little more, and that makes it even more fun," Buxton said. "As an outfield group, we've tried to stay aggressive knowing that we've got each other's back no matter what." Garver gets start at catcher; Sano progressing J. Scott Butherus MLB.com September 4, 2017 ST. PETERSBURG -- Twins catcher Jason Castro was eligible to return to the lineup for the series opener against the Rays on Monday, but manager Paul Molitor felt it was best to go with Mitch Garver behind the plate due to the chemistry Garver has with starter Jose Berrios. Castro (concussion) was reinstated Sunday from the seven-day disabled list. Berrios is coming off his best start of the season, in which he threw seven shutout innings against the White Sox with a career high-tying 11 strikeouts and just one walk. Garver was his battery mate for that start. The 26-year-old Garver, who is hitting.242 with a pair of triples in 10 games, has impressed the team with his baseball acumen since being recalled on Aug. 18. "He is what I had hoped I would see," Molitor said. "The maturity and the intelligence he brings behind the plate with his game-planning and pitch-calling, and he's had good at-bats. He hasn't had a ton of success in terms of results when he's swinging, but I like how he's going about it." 7

8 Castro (.229/.327/.370) is expected to start Tuesday, and Molitor said he would likely sit out Wednesday with left-hander Blake Snell starting for Tampa Bay. "Physically, as far as the concussion, I think he is fine," Molitor said. Sano progressing Third baseman Miguel Sano hit the ball off a tee Monday. It was his first time swinging a bat since being placed on the 10-day DL on Aug. 21 due to a left shin injury. "We're hoping he handled that well, and we'll try to increase his baseball activities throughout the week if the leg allows him to do that," Molitor said. Sano did not make the trip to Florida. Molitor did not give a timetable for him, but added that Sano could progress to full batting practice over the next few days. "If we can progress the baseball skills along, it's just a matter of when we can get him out there to try to jog a little and hopefully get built up where he can get around the bases. Then maybe we can start thinking about how he might contribute. It's getting closer to a day-to-day situation, but we're not there yet." Sano is the Twins' leader in home runs (28) and RBIs (77) this season. Santiago struggles, return in doubt The return of starting pitcher Hector Santiago has been delayed after he was roughed up in his rehabilitation start for Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. Santiago (4-8, 5.63 ERA) allowed six runs -- five earned -- in four innings. The left-hander, who has not pitched for Minnesota since July 2, has had trouble regaining his velocity in his six rehab starts for the Twins' affiliate. "He's still having some issues somewhere in the back of his neck and shoulder area," Molitor said. "I think his arm feels fine, but he's not throwing the way we know he's capable of, so we are going to have to figure out what the next step should be." His return for the 2017 season is now in jeopardy after being transferred to the 60-day DL on Friday. Santiago can become a free agent at the end of the season. Zulgad: Not done yet: Joe Mauer s bounce back season a pleasant surprise Judd Zulgad 1500 ESPN September 5, 2017 The vitriol directed at Joe Mauer by Minnesota sports fans for many years seemed to have turned to apathy by last winter. A countdown had begun on the mammoth eight-year, $184 million contract the St. Paul native signed in March Mauer, coming off a 2016 season in which the three-time American League batting champion had hit a career-low.261, would collect $23 million in each of the next two seasons and then disappear. That was if the Twins new baseball bosses, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, didn t decide to pay Mauer to go away. It had gotten that bad. That s what makes Mauer s re-emergence one of the better story lines for a franchise that has had plenty of good ones to pick from in The Twins have rebounded from being 103-loss disaster a year ago and the 34-year-old Mauer has gone from being a near non-factor to an important contributor. Mauer went 1-for-4 in the Twins 11-4 loss at Tampa Bay on Monday, extending his hitting streak to 13 games and leaving him with a teamleading average of.302/.382/.416 with six home runs and 56 runs batted in. He went 4-for-4 on Saturday against Kansas City to raise his batting average to.303, the first time Mauer had been above.300 this late in a season since There was a time when it was a given that Mauer would be above.300 hitter, but that hasn t been true since his average dipped to.277 in Mauer would go weeks, and occasionally a month, in recent seasons when he would hit the ball with authority and it appeared as if the old Joe might be back, but that would be followed by lengthy periods of grounders to second and weak fly outs to left. 8

9 The mantra of What s wrong with Joe? eventually turned to Same old Joe, as frustration turned to resignation. Mauer hit only.146 over his final 20 starts of 2016 after suffering a strained right quadriceps while running the bases against Atlanta in mid-august. While the rise of Mauer s average is encouraging, it s only part of the story and it might not be the most impressive one. Mauer also has turned himself into a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman. Mauer won the award three times ( ) as a catcher, but he was forced to give up that position after the 2013 season because of concussion issues. Because Mauer had been so good behind the plate, an incorrect assumption was made that he would be a standout at first base. While Mauer certainly wasn t a train wreck, he also didn t do anything that stood out and it did not appear as if he had worked particularly hard to make himself into a success. That has changed this season as Mauer has made a variety of highlight-reel worthy plays at first base. On Sunday, he dug out a throw from third baseman Eduardo Escobar for the second out of the third inning against Kansas City Mauer has made that play look routine this year and made an outstanding catch to end the sixth inning, racing toward the first base seats with his back to the infield before reaching into the stands and grabbing Mike Moustakas pop foul. Mauer s Ultimate Zone Rating of 5.9 is the best among American League first baseman only San Francisco s Brandon Belt has a better UZR rating (7.7) and his defensive runs saved above average of seven is second in the AL to Boston s Mitch Moreland. Moreland, then with Texas, was the Gold Glove winner at first base in the AL last season in part because he led the league in UZR at the position. Moreland beat out the Royals Eric Hosmer, who won the award in Although errors are no longer considered to be the important barometer they once were when it comes to measuring fielding success, Mauer has been charged with only one this season. That came on Aug. 4, when he dropped a foul pop up against Texas at Target Field. Mauer s last error before that came on July 6 of That meant he went 119 games and 1,037 chances between miscues. The Twins played their 137 game of the season on Monday and Mauer appeared in his 118th game. Mauer s durability has been questioned on many occasions but he has remained mostly healthy this season. He missed six games in July because of a lower-back strain that landed him on the 10-day disabled list but that was his first time on the DL since August Twins manager Paul Molitor has done a good job of picking and choosing places to rest Mauer, at times holding him out against a lefthander pitcher, but Mauer has been far better against lefties than he was a year ago. Last season, Mauer had a.224 average against southpaws in 116 at-bats and 68 games. This season, he has hit.299 in 97 at-bats and 58 games against lefties. Mauer s success this summer doesn t mean he will play in a seventh All-Star Game or come close to replicating his 2009 AL MVP performance. It also doesn t mean he will return to the Twins after his contract expires following the 2018 season. It does mean Mauer has a good chance of ending his tenure with the Twins on his own terms and as a productive player. A year ago, that seemed like a long shot. Developing top prospects: Derek Falvey on Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero Jake Depue ESPN 1500 September 4, 2017 As the Twins continue to play well and occupy the second American League wild card spot, Twins CBO Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine have had to weigh the potential benefit of calling up top prospects against the damage an early call up could do to their continued development in the minor leagues. This season, the duo has generally been conservative in calling up young pitching prospects, though they did give two spot starts to Felix Jorge earlier this season. As top prospects Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero have progressed and pitched well this season, Twins fans have increasingly called for the club to give those young pitchers a shot in the big leagues, particularly as the team continues to stay in the playoff hunt. 9

10 When the Twins had an opening a couple of weeks ago against the White Sox, I questioned whether Gonsalves should have been called up to make the start. They opted to go with Tim Melville instead, who got shelled by the White Sox and DFA d a day later. I asked Falvey about Gonsalves, and some of the factors that went into not giving the Twins No. 4 prospect a chance in the big leagues so far this season. When you look at a young pitcher transitioning through the minor leagues, you want to see guys hit certain benchmarks, in terms of innings, pitching at certain levels, fighting through the last stages of a long season, he said. And Stephen, since he s transitioned to Triple-A, we ve seen a little bit of both. Falvey indicated that since Gonsalves has gotten to Triple-A Rochester, there s been a bit of inconsistency that s natural for a pitcher who hasn t had a lot of innings in the high minors and is pitching deep into the season. Indeed, Gonsalves has posted a 5.56 ERA and WHIP in 22.2 IP at Rochester after pitching to a 2.89 ERA and WHIP in 87.1 IP at Double-A Chattanooga. We ve seen really good outings from him, where he s in a great position, he said. We ve also seen probably the natural fatigue that a pitcher goes through late in the year, and he s had some of those outings too. So all of those factor into our consideration, and Stephen s someone who s really important to us moving forward, so we want to be thoughtful about his development alongside what can help us here. I got a chance to see him down in Rochester recently and he put himself in a great position, and I m excited about what we ll see from him in the future, but as it stands right now we felt like that was the best environment for him. Romero, who pitched with Gonsalves for most of the season at Double-A and is seen as an equally high-level prospect, also opened eyes this season with a strong performance. Although he s struggled a bit at the end of the season and has seen his workload curtailed, Romero has a 3.53 ERA and WHIP in a career high 125 innings this year. There s a belief by some in the organization that Romero may be a future ace, and they ve been justifiably conservative with his innings and pitch count, particularly late in the season. Romero hasn t pitched since August 24, when he gave up five earned runs in five innings. Falvey was non-committal about whether Romero will be shut down for the year, but it doesn t sound like he s dealing with any serious health issues. He s [Romero] somebody who dealt with some small setbacks a little bit along the way late in the year, said Falvey. Some it s fatigue, some of it s soreness. You expect some of that late in the year. We managed his innings down the stretch with that in mind. Innings aren t the only metric the Twins have been tracking with their young pitchers generally, and Romero in particular, as they try to manage fatigue and the stress a long season puts on young arms. Romero also underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the 2015 season. You don t just look at innings totals, you look at velocity, quality of stuff, consistency of strikes, all the things that also are part of the conversation around fatigue. And we felt like for him [Romero], we had to be more cautious, especially with him coming off surgery. So, very different situation between what he s going through and what Stephen s going through because he has had the surgery and we want be a little more careful about the arm rebuild. Although it s unlikely Twins fans will see Gonsalves and Romero this year, Falvey did make clear that factors like minor league playoff races don t play a large role in their decision to call them or anyone up. The Twins have been criticized in the past for keeping players down to compete in minor league playoff games. Certainly, the goal is to win here. And if that player can help us win here right now we ll go and get him, he said. We also recognize that there s some benefit sometimes to guys continuing to play. So we weigh those two against each other, but the priority is here. It s progress: Injured Miguel Sano resumes baseball activities, able to hit off tee Judd Zulgad ESPN 1500 September 4, 2017 Miguel Sano hadn t been able to do any baseball activities since being sidelined Aug. 19 because of a stress reaction in his left shin. That changed Monday as manager Paul Molitor said Sano was able to hit off a tee before the Twins played the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. We re hoping he handles that well and we will try to increase his baseball activities the rest of the week if the leg allows him to do that, Molitor told reporters. Possibly, if we don t have any setbacks, try to get some batting practice in over the next couple of days. It s getting closer to a day-to-day situation, but we re not there yet. We ve still got a ways to go. 10

11 Sano fouled a ball off his shin in the Twins victory over Arizona on Aug. 18 and had to leave the game the next day. He had missed 15 games since suffering the injury and the Twins had gone 9-6 in that time. Sano leads the Twins with 28 home runs this season and is tied with second baseman Brian Dozier for the team lead in runs batted in with 77. It s expected when Sano is ready to return he will do so as the Twins designated hitter to lessen the stress on his shin. The Twins have been using Eduardo Escobar at third base with Sano sidelined. Escobar had three home runs and eight RBIs in the final two games of the Twins weekend series against Kansas City at Target Field. Late-inning runs sink bullpen, Twins Associated Press September 4, 2017 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Corey Dickerson hit his 26th home run and also doubled twice, powering the Tampa Bay Rays past the Minnesota Twins 11-4 Monday night to tighten the AL wild-card race. The Twins lead for the second wild-card spot was trimmed to a half-game by the Angels. Logan Morrison, who got his 36th homer, and Kevin Kiermaier each added three hits for the Rays. Evan Longoria drove in three runs with a pair of singles. Alex Cobb (10-9) gave up one run on three hits while striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings. Winning for the first time since July 26, he retired nine in a row before giving up a double to Joe Mauer in the sixth. Mauer stretched his hitting streak to 13 games. Brian Dozier hit his 28th homer for the Twins. Jose Berrios (12-7) gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings. Berrios left the game after Dickerson s RBI double in the sixth made it 3-1. Kiermaier, hitting.379 in 16 games since coming off the disabled list, drove in two runs with a single later in the inning off reliever Buddy Boshers to put Tampa Bay ahead 6-1. Max Kepler drove in Minnesota s first run with a single in the second after Byron s Buxton s leadoff single and stolen base. TRAINER S ROOM Twins: 3B Miguel Sano hit off a tee in Minneapolis, his first baseball activity since injuring his left shin on Aug. 19. Said manager Paul Molitor: It s getting closer to a day-to-day situation but we re not there yet. He s still got a ways to go. C Jason Castro, activated Sunday after missing nine games due to concussion symptoms, will be in the lineup Tuesday night and probably Thursday at Kanaas City, Molitor said. Rays: RHP Chris Archer, who left Saturday s game in the first inning after only eight pitches, was diagnosed with lateral forearm tightness. He will throw lightly Tuesday. SS Matt Duffy, who has yet to play this season following Achilles surgery, took groundballs. UP NEXT RHP Bartolo Colon (6-10) will make his 10th start for the Twins on Tuesday night against Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (7-7), who is coming off his first win in six starts since July 17. Miguel Sano hits off tee, still has 'a ways to go' before return from DL Staff ESPN September 5, 2017 Miguel Sano still has "a ways to go" before he'll be ready to return to the Minnesota Twins, according to manager Paul Molitor. Sano, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 19 with a stress reaction in his shin, resumed baseball activities Monday by hitting off a tee. Molitor told reporters that Sano "handled it really well" and said that the slugger may be able to take batting practice at some point later this week. 11

12 "If we can progress the baseball skills along, it's just a matter of when we can get him out there to try to jog a little and hopefully get built up where he can get around the bases," Molitor said before Monday's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB.com. "Then maybe we can start thinking about how he might contribute. "It's getting closer to a day-to-day situation, but we're not there yet. We've still got a ways to go." Molitor did not give a timetable for when Sano will return to the Twins (71-66), who entered Tuesday just a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels (71-67) for the American League's second wild card. Minnesota has gone 9-6 in the 15 games that Sano has missed. Sano, 24, is tied for the team lead with 28 home runs and is batting.267 with 77 RBIs this season. The third baseman fouled a ball off his shin on Aug. 18 and was placed on the 10-day DL two days later. Sports-loving North Dakotan makes it her career Bob Lind Inforum September 5, 2017 Many North Dakotans are fans of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Well, here's a North Dakota native who not only is one of those fans, but she also helps you enjoy the games on TV. She's Marney Gellner, a Fox Sports North sideline reporter. Marney is one of those who gives pre-game and post-game reports, visits with the players along the sidelines, gives inside stories about the game and goes into the stands to talk to the fans between innings. She and her family live in Carver, about a 30-minute drive from Minneapolis. But Marney says, "I am a North Dakotan through and through." After Neighbors heard Marney mention during a broadcast that she was from North Dakota, it wrote to her for more information about herself. She kindly and quickly responded. She was born in Langdon, N.D., in 1973 to Duane and Lola Gellner. When she was 6, the Gellners moved to Minot, N.D., where Marney graduated from Bishop Ryan High School, where she played four sports. She then attended the University of Mary in Bismarck, majoring in communications. And yes, she was involved in sports in college, also; she played volleyball for four years and softball for two. Her first job in TV was at KXMB, Bismarck, where she worked for 1½ years in She then worked at WDAZ, Grand Forks, from 1997 to 1999, and WISC in Madison, Wisconsin, from 1999 to She was a sports reporter and weekend sports anchor at all three stations. In 2002, she joined Fox Sports North, Minneapolis, for which she is a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves men's basketball team, the Minnesota Wild hockey team and the University of Minnesota hockey team as well as the Twins, and she also does play-by-play for the Minnesota Lynx women's basketball team. Marney's husband, Matt Mathiasen, is from St. Cloud, Minn. He attended the University of North Dakota from 1994 to 1998, graduating with an accounting degree. He and Marney met through mutual friends who attended UND. Matt has been the ice arena manager at Dakotah Ice Center in Prior Lake, Minn. for the past 15-plus years. He and Marney have a son, Grady, 9, and a daughter, Finley, 7. Marney's parents live in Fargo after moving from Minot in Marney's older brother, Rob, and his family live in Grafton, N.D., where he works for Marvin Windows, and her younger brother, Ryan, and his family live in West Fargo. Ryan works for the North Dakota Association of Counties and has done North Dakota State University Bison football games on both radio and TV. A 'people person' Neighbors asked Marney what she most enjoyed about her job. "I'm a people person," she replied, "so I really love being able to work with and meet a lot of different people every day." Any especially memorable moments from her job? "Too many to count," she says. 12

13 "Growing up in North Dakota helped shape me into the person I am today," Marney says. "I'm extremely proud of my roots and would not change the way I grew up for anything. "My closest friends are from North Dakota, my family is from North Dakota, and that beautiful state will forever be an important part of who I am." At this point Marney had to sign off on her , as she was working a Twins double-header. Besides that, she'd be working a Lynx game that evening. So this woman from North Dakota went back to giving an inside peek at those Twins from Minnesota. 13