Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Monday, August 22, 2016

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Monday, August 22, 2016 Santana's effort not enough as Royals edge Twins for four-game sweep. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 1 Light aims to make better first impression with Twins. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 2 Royals sweep of Twins has Paul Molitor fuming. Pioneer Press (Brown) p. 3 Twins: Byron Buxton s bout with flu concerns his manager. Pioneer Press (Brown) p. 4 Minnesota Twins: Paul Molitor still managing as he nears 60. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Santana's season-high 10 K's can't slow Royals. MLB.com (Flanagan and Bollinger) p. 8 Twins can't find way to solve pesky Royals. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins call up Light to replace Mejia. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Anibal looking to get Tigers on track against Twins. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Rochester pitching shuttle continues: Light up, Mejia sent back ESPN (Zulgad) p. 11 Twins suffer sweep in Kansas City despite 10 strikeouts from Santana. Associated Press p. 11 Santana's effort not enough as Royals edge Twins for four-game sweep La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune August 22, 2016 Righthander Ervin Santana appeared to be outdueled by Royals lefthander Danny Duffy on Sunday, but manager Paul Molitor s mood after the game suggested that the Twins 2-1 loss to the Royals was based on other factors. Molitor knew that his team bungled another one, as Kansas City swept a four-game series with the Twins at Kauffman Stadium for the first time since It wasn t about Santana getting beat, it was about them wasting Santana s seven innings of two-run ball. And falling to 0-7 at Kansas City this season. And falling to 2-11 against the Royals overall. There definitely was an edge in Molitor s voice after loss No. 76 on the season. We hung in there today with Ervin s help, Molitor said, but it s some of these situations and environments where guys need to step up and our mental toughness needs to improve, and hopefully we do that as we get more experience for our younger core. That s that what it takes to win on the road, especially against a team that is playing well. Kansas City has won eight consecutive games, the Royals longest streak since August Five of those victories have come against the Twins. The Twins inefficient offense has to take some of the blame. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning against Duffy and had a chance to get some licks in on one of the hottest pitchers in the league. But Eddie Rosario struck out, Kurt Suzuki flied out and Danny Santana hit into a fielder s choice to end the inning. The Twins also had a runner at third with one out in the fourth, but he was stranded as well. When you have your best pitcher going, Molitor said, those things can become huge.

2 The critical miscue came on a play that was scored a hit. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Lorenzo Cain was jammed with a pitch and had trouble getting out of the batter s box when he hit a grounder to short that bounced off Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco s glove. Cain reached first, and it was inexplicably ruled a hit. I think that s an error, Molitor said. It s a tough play, but it is a major league play. Polanco wasn t sure if he had a chance to throw Cain out. But if I catch the ball, I m going to make the throw, Polanco said. On cue, Eric Hosmer bashed a double to center, scoring Cain to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. Duffy (11-1) went 6 ⅔ innings, giving up one earned run on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He has won 10 consecutive decisions. Kelvin Herrera pitched a ninth to earn his seventh save. Santana (6-10) held the Royals to two runs over seven innings on five hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts, his most strikeouts since Sept. 5 last year at Houston. He has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his past 11 starts, going 5-2 with a 1.91 ERA in those games. It capped a series in which the Twins were blown out in two games and lost by one run in the other two, including Friday when the game was delayed by rain and power outages and ended past 2 a.m. Saturday. The common denominator this series: The Twins failure to execute. And it s killing Molitor. I m very frustrated, Molitor said. I can t tell you [what it s like] to come in here and have to try to endure these four games. The first one and third one were not pretty. There was the rain night. We hung in there today, with Ervin s help. Light aims to make better first impression with Twins La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune August 21, 2016 New Twins righthander Pat Light is looking forward to drawing a different reaction from fans than his first two appearances in the major leagues. Light made his debut on April 26 when he was with the Red Sox but gave up two runs in one inning to the Braves. He was sent back to Class AAA Pawtucket but was summoned again a couple of months later. He made a relief appearance July 2 when the Red Sox lost 21-2 to the Angels. He gave up five earned runs over 1 ⅔ innings including home runs by C.J. Cron and Carlos Perez. Light was booed off the field and hasn t appeared in a major league game since. Got booed pretty heavily there, he said. I think that prepares you for anyone. Not sure I ll see a much tougher crowd than that one that day. If he can use his hard fastball and sharp split-fingered fastball to his advantage, the boos will stop. Twins fans will see Light soon at Target Field, because he was called up Sunday to help keep the bullpen from being worn out. Light was acquired from the Red Sox on Aug. 1 in exchange for lefthander Fernando Abad. The Twins were interested in Light because they desperately need more velocity in their bullpen. Light s fastball averaged 96.3 miles per hour in his brief stints with the Red Sox, but he hit 100 mph a few times after joining Class AAA Rochester. His split-fingered fastball has averaged 87.6 mph, which, according to fangraphs.com, is the exact same speed as Tommy Milone s fastball. Light, who also throws an occasional slider, will throw the splitter half the time. Light, 25, was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six outings with Rochester before being promoted on Sunday. He doesn t figure to be used in high-leverage situations unless manager Paul Molitor is low on options, and he could be used in more than one inning. Another new guy that we hope is part of our future that I m looking forward to watch pitch, Molitor said. Light was drafted by the Twins out of high school in 2009 but didn t sign. Still, the Twins have seen plenty of him through the years because he has pitched against some of their minor league teams as well as spring training games. 2

3 Yeah, I see a lot of these guys, Light said. I ve thrown to a bunch of them, watched some of them throw. I m familiar with a lot of them. Buxton healthy Even Molitor wondered Sunday morning what was going on with Byron Buxton, who had been limited to one pinch-running appearance at Class AAA Rochester because of illness. I m going to do some digging here, Molitor said. There was no need to worry. Buxton returned to the Red Wings lineup Sunday and tripled on the first pitch of the game against Gwinnett. Buxton finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in the game and is batting.226 with 12 strikeouts in 10 games since being demoted on Aug. 7. Injury updates Milone (biceps), lefthander Buddy Boshers (elbow) and righthander Trevor May all are in the middle of throwing programs and have made enough progress that the Twins believe they could be ready to pitch by the end of August. There would be just enough time for them to go out on minor league assignments, if that s the case. Rochester, Class AA Chattanooga and Class A Fort Myers all finish their seasons around Labor Day. Chattanooga and Fort Myers could make the playoffs. Happy birthday Molitor turns 60 Monday, which coincides with a scheduled day off. He is not sure how he will celebrate his birthday, other than knowing he will be with his wife and children. There are plans being made for me, he said. I will be a willing participant. Royals sweep of Twins has Paul Molitor fuming David Brown Pioneer Press August 21, 2016 Paul Molitor appeared frustrated and angry, emotions he seemingly had avoided, or just buried, during what has been a rough second season as manager of the Twins. He admitted as much Sunday afternoon after the Twins lost 2-1 to the Kansas City Royals, who outscored them 25-6 over four games in executing a sweep at Kauffman Stadium. I m very frustrated, Molitor said. I can t tell you, to come in here and try to endure these four games (some of) them were not pretty. But in some of these situations and environments, guys need to step up. Our mental toughness needs to improve, and hopefully we do that as we gain more experience for our younger core. Molitor s team repeatedly frittered away early scoring chances against one of the top pitchers in the American League, and failed to make plays in the field that would have helped right-hander Ervin Santana, who has been getting his best results of the 2016 season. They just wait for any chance to do damage, said Santana, who played with the Royals in Knowing that left-hander Danny Duffy was on the mound for the opponent, Santana held the Royals lineup in check for the most part over seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits with a walk, also striking out a season-high 10. Santana has allowed a combined eight runs over his past six outings, and usually that had been good enough for the Twins to win. Not at Kauffman, where the Twins are 0-7 this season. Worse, Molitor s team sports the American League s worst record at After a 10-0 thumping by the Royals on Saturday night, Molitor said he worried about the team staying competitive emotionally. He didn t have a problem with its spirit in the series finale, but the execution needed a lot of work. We have fallen short of taking advantage of opportunities, Molitor said. And as for how they played behind Santana: We didn t back him up particularly well. Conversely, the Royals saved runs with athletic plays in the second and fourth innings. Notably a diving catch by outfielder Alex Gordon and a 3

4 reaching play on a grounder to third by Cheslor Cuthbert in the second helped to prevent the Twins from scoring when they had the bases loaded and no outs. The Twins stranded six runners in the first four innings against Duffy, and Molitor gave some credit to him and the Royals vaunted defense. They make plays, Molitor said. We re trying to getting to that point. Those guys look forward to making plays. They don t back off. As for Minnesota, a grounder to short bobbled by rookie Jorge Polanco allowed Lorenzo Cain to reach first on what was scored a single, and Eric Hosmer followed with an RBI double against Santana to drive in the go-ahead run in the sixth. I ran hard to the ball, tried to catch it and make a throw, but I couldn t catch it, Polanco said with the help of interpreter Carlos Font. It was a hard play to make. I m not sure if Cain would have made it the way he runs fast. Molitor said it was an error, and he tried to get the official scorer to change his mind. It was a tough play, but it was a major league play, Molitor said. Duffy came in with a 2.73 earned-run average, which was fourth in the major leagues, and a WHIP of 0.985, which was second. In all, the Twins put the leadoff man aboard four times against Duffy, but cashed in just once, in the third, when Trevor Plouffe came through with a two-out RBI double to score Robbie Grossman, who had doubled with one out. It wasn t like we were knocking him around the park, Molitor said of Duffy. But those guys who are on a roll, they find a way to escape jams, like Duffy did today. We made him work, but he s a little different pitcher than we ve seen in the past. We saw a lot of offspeed pitches when we d have runners in scoring position, and our guys didn t really make adjustments to that. Before coming to Kansas City, the Twins had been hitting well, winning 16 of 24 on the road. We had been playing pretty good, noted second baseman Brian Dozier. It just seemed like, these four games, we d always make that one mistake to hurt us, and you can t do that against a good team like Kansas City. Twins: Byron Buxton s bout with flu concerns his manager David Brown Pioneer Press August 21, 2016 Twins manager Paul Molitor said Sunday morning that he was worried about top prospect Byron Buxton not being in the lineup for four days for Triple-A Rochester because of flu-like symptoms. Buxton was back in the lineup and playing center field Sunday afternoon, going 1 for 4 with a triple and run scored in a 3-2 victory. Whatever was ailing Buxton recently seems to have passed, but Molitor still wants a full report. A couple days doesn t concern me, Molitor said. Four days, I m going to try and do a little digging there. Buxton has struggled in stints in the majors but has had little problem dominating in the minors, including at Triple-A, batting.313 with a.945 OPS and seven stolen bases. He is likely to be among those who the Twins bring up when rosters expand in September. MOLITOR HITS 6-0 Molitor s 60th birthday coincides with an off day Monday, and Molitor said he plans to celebrate quietly, relatively speaking, with his wife, Destini, and kids. There s some plans being made for me, Molitor said. I ll be a willing participant. It ll be nice to have an off day. And it ll be nice to have a chance to do something with my family. I don t know about celebrating. You get past that point. But there has to be cake. And what kind of birthday cake does Molitor prefer with his 60 candles? Chocolate on chocolate, Molitor said. Molitor is the oldest Twins manager in history by three years. Second-oldest? Billy Gardner, who was the skipper for parts of five seasons, from , before Tom Kelly took over. 4

5 LET THERE BE LIGHT On his second career attempt, right-hander Pat Light made it to the Twins clubhouse in time to be available to pitch. Light was added to the 25- man roster Sunday morning after the team sent left-hander Adalberto Mejia, who had pitched 2 1/3 innings Saturday in a pinch, back to the minors. The Twins tried to bring Light to the major leagues as an extra player for a doubleheader Aug. 11, but a flight delay and cancellation impeded him long enough to keep him from being helpful. That was a special day, Light said sarcastically. This is much better. Light came over from the Red Sox organization in a trade for Fernando Abad just before the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline. Twins manager Paul Molitor did not use Light on Sunday in a 2-1 loss the Royals, but he was there if needed. Light was strong for the Red Sox in the minors at Triple-A, and for the Twins at Rochester, posting a 2.37 earned-run average with 42 strikeouts in 38 innings. He has been roughed up in two brief stints in the majors this season, allowing seven earned runs, including two home runs, in 2 2/3 innings. Triple-A has been good to me, Light said. The big leagues, not so much. Hopefully it turns around. Much of the damage came in a 21-2 loss to the Angels at Fenway on July 2. Not fun, Light said. I got booed pretty heavily there. Not sure I ll see a much tougher crowd than that. Light s best pitch is a split-finger fastball that, when right, looks like a great juicy fastball and then it drops out of nowhere, Light said. I love throwing it. Best-case scenario, I throw it where it starts right down the middle, mid-thigh, and it drops down below mid-shin. Light said he is not related to Matt Light, a three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the Patriots, though he has been asked about it frequently. Minnesota Twins: Paul Molitor still managing as he nears 60 Mike Berardino Pioneer Press August 21, 2016 Twins manager Paul Molitor turns 60 on Monday. Can you believe it? No, says Carol Rolland, second-oldest of the eight children born to Dick and Kathleen Molitor. It s hard for all of us to believe. I just kind of welcomed him into the world of being 60, which is kind of scary. What about younger sister Judy Gergen, four years Molitor s junior? It s surreal, she says. That means the rest of us are past 60 or close. University of Minnesota baseball coach John Anderson, 61, calls it hard to believe he s welcoming his longtime friend and former Gophers teammate to Club 60. It doesn t seem possible he s 60 already, Anderson says. It seems like he just finishing playing yesterday. Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, Molitor s teammate with the pennant-winning Milwaukee Brewers, shakes his head, as well. It seems like just yesterday we were in our mid-20s playing in Milwaukee, but that was back in the early 80s, Yost says. I mean, time flies. Does it ever. 5

6 One minute Molitor is hustling his way up through St. Paul s youth baseball scene, playing on as many as three summer teams at once, and the next he s the third-oldest manager in the American League, trailing only Yost, who turned 62 on Friday, and Buck Showalter of the Baltimore Orioles, who is three months older than Molitor. Already the oldest manager in Twins history Billy Gardner was 57 when he was fired in June of 1985 and replaced by Ray Miller Molitor now becomes the first 60-something manager in combined franchise history since Chuck Dressen, then 62, was fired 20 games into the 1957 season with the Washington Senators. You d never know it from looking at Molitor, who appears thinner even than he was at the end of his 22-year professional playing career in Oh, I see the little gray hairs on his temple, says Rolland, semi-retired and working in eldercare after many years as a doula, assisting expectant mothers. There are a few things that remind us all, but he s a solid guy and I think he s handling 60 really well. Ever since playing ball so early, when he was always setting records for being the youngest to do this or that, he s been kind of ageless all along. ABOVE AND BEYOND Losing takes a toll on everyone involved, particularly the person in charge of the operation. Hall of fame basketball coach Pat Riley has said there are only two states in big-time sports: Winning and misery. Oh, no doubt, says Yost, whose reigning World Series champions were puttering along close to.500 this year. Losing, it s almost unbearable. So you can imagine how hard this season has been on Molitor in light of his hall of fame playing career and the World Series ring he won with the Toronto Blue Jays in Coming off an 83-win debut season in the dugout, Molitor challenged his second edition to do more and then watched it promptly fall on its face. There was the unthinkable 0-9 start, followed by the total system failure review from club owner Jim Pohlad a month into the season. Eventually, Molitor was able to right the ship after an start but even playing.500 ball over these past 76 games hasn t gotten the Twins out of American League Central cellar. Along the way Molitor has witnessed the firing of close friend Terry Ryan, who seemed to be tenured as Twins general manager, followed immediately by a public promise by Pohlad that no matter who takes over baseball operations, Molitor will return as manager in Even those who know him best marvel at how quickly Molitor is able to process nightly defeat and turn the page to the next day. I think he s held up great, says Yost, whose Royals had taken 11 of their past 13 meetings with the Twins, dating to last season, through Thursday. I voted for him for manager of the year last year. For Mollie to come in and do what he s done here the last two years is fantastic. As good a job as Molitor did last season, his first managing at any level keeping the upstart Twins in playoff contention until the final weekend his work this season might be even better. I think he s done an amazing job being a teacher, helping those guys learn and grow, Anderson says. What he s been through this season, I ve been impressed with how steady he s been, how patient, how upbeat and the encouragement he s given his team through it all. That s a special quality not many people have. With a quarter of the schedule left to play, the Twins are still waiting for their first on-field or clubhouse tantrum from their unflappable manager. Twin Cities media can hardly believe the complete lack of surly responses from Molitor in the wake of loss after loss, even following four-error embarrassments like last Sunday s against the Royals. The patience is extraordinary above and beyond, Rolland says. I do think some of us (in the family) are much more emotional and distraught over it than he is. My dad, he kept his feelings pretty close to his chest, and Paul is like my dad in that regard. I have to say, I do think some of that patience is God-given. UNSHAKABLE OPTIMISM 6

7 The texts start buzzing into Molitor s smartphone soon after the final pitch of the night. When you work in your hometown and come from a family of eight, with dozens of extended family members and legions of friends in the area, managing each Twins game is a communal experience. It might take him some time, but Molitor always makes sure he answers as many of those texts as possible, if not every single one of them. Quite often, emojis are part of his reply. The thumbs-up emoji is one of his favorites. I have never tried to elicit his reaction, says Gergen, who spends most of her time with husband Bob in Sarasota, Fla. I m just trying to let him know so many people here love him and are cheering for him and backing him all the way through. No one s given up here at all. After an Aug. 11 doubleheader blasting at home, when the Twins lost a pair of games to the Houston Astros by a combined score of 25-9, Rolland sent her younger brother a text that was even more ambitious than usual. I said something about it being a long journey, something very poetic, Rolland says with a chuckle. He wrote back, Tough day, but tomorrow is a brand new day. It s that relentless optimism that keeps Molitor from wearing the stress of a losing season on his face or displaying it in his public interactions. His sisters watch his postgame news conferences on Fox Sports North, just to make sure their brother is doing all right, and almost without fail they come away encouraged. About this Twins season. About the future of baseball in this town. And most of all about the emotional well-being of their famous brother. I see his composure, Gergen says. I look for fissures in that, and they just don t exist. I don t know how deeply he reaches into that well, but he always manages to find it. Sometimes, I ll text him: That was your best postgame ever. LOOKING FOR LIGHT Even after painful defeats, Molitor will sometimes pause and look directly into the camera and offer a slight, knowing smile before beginning his answer. His sense of perspective is positively Kiplingesque, one might say, a beacon for an impressionable young roster not to mention a frustrated fan base to follow into an uncertain future. I love that he s calm, Gergen says. I love that he s not a table-tipper. As opposed to last year, when it really probably looked too easy, he s had to remind us that regardless of the final score, there are victories in almost every inning with one or two of his players. There s always a silver lining, Molitor will tell his siblings, if you re willing to search for it. He s always looking for that light, that hope, that growth, Gergen says, all the things he s so good at trying to impact with his brand of dignity and being a gentleman in the game. I believe this year he has revealed more of who he is in his attempt to move this sucker over the goal line. Rolland agrees, adding that even with two young children there are no signs her brother is gazing ahead to a post-dugout life. I think he is doing what he was born to do, being a good teacher and a good mentor for the young players especially, she says. He doesn t show any signs or doesn t speak any words about slowing down or stopping or he s had enough or this is too hard. So, how long can she see him managing? Will Molitor still be guiding the Twins when he turns 70? He ll know when it s time, Rolland says. It won t necessarily be because of a championship or whatever. He ll just know. He s smart that way. He knew when to get in, so he ll know when to get out. 7

8 Santana's season-high 10 K's can't slow Royals Jeffrey Flanagan and Rhett Bollinger MLB.com August 21, 2016 The Royals continue to ride dominating starting pitching with their seventh quality start in their last eight games. This time it was back to left-hander Danny Duffy, who held the Twins to one run, while Eric Hosmer's go-ahead RBI double in the sixth was the difference offensively for the Royals in a 2-1 win on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City swept the four-game series with its eighth straight victory. Minnesota dropped to 2-11 in the season series and is 0-7 vs. Kansas City on the road. Royals manager Ned Yost said of the hot streak, "I can't, it's just a -- well, I can't explain it. You just ride it. It's funny, when they get cold, they get cold together, too. We joke about it, but it's true. It's a close-knit group. When we're playing like we are right now, everyone's relaxed and loose, and going up and having great at-bats. Everybody's just, quite frankly, doing their job." The Royals moved to 3 1/2 games back of the Orioles for an American League Wild Card spot. Duffy (11-1) exited after 6 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits and one run, walked two and struck out four. It was his sixth straight quality start, and ninth in his last 10 starts. Kelvin Herrera pitched a ninth for his seventh save. "There was a lot of traffic out there," said Duffy, who won his 10th straight. "But we made pitches when we had to. Drew [Butera] called a great game. When you don't have your best stuff, you just battle. That was kind of how I felt today. Just get through as many outs as you can and let your defense play behind you. And goodness, didn't they? They killed it out there today." Twins starter Ervin Santana was outstanding, going seven innings and giving up just five hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out a season-high 10. "It was a lot better game for us in terms of competing compared to yesterday, but we've fallen short of taking advantage of opportunities," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We had another situation with a runner at third and nobody out, and we can't get him in. When you have your best pitcher going, those things can be huge." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hot Hoz: Hosmer singled in the second and scored, extending his hitting streak to six games. More importantly, Hosmer rifled an RBI double to center in the sixth, scoring Lorenzo Cain, who extended his hitting streak to eight games with two more hits. Hosmer now has driven in a run in seven straight games, a season-high stretch. Of the pitch he hit for a double, Hosmer said, "Actually it was a changeup. I was just trying to see something out over the plate. He'd been busting me in all day and I was trying to shut it down, down and in, and look for anything out over the plate. He tried to bust it [the changeup] out with me. He likes to mess with me." Plouffe doubles up: Trevor Plouffe had Minnesota's first hit with a leadoff double in the second, but was stranded at third, as the Twins couldn't cash in despite loading the bases with none out. But Plouffe doubled again in his next at-bat, driving home Robbie Grossman to tie the game in the third. "For the most part, we saw the ball pretty well against [Duffy]," second baseman Brian Dozier said. "We had the bases loaded with nobody out, and first and third with one out. So we had our chances. But it's like Nate Diaz against Conor McGregor last night; Diaz didn't pop him when he had the chance." Manufacturing a run: The Royals got on the board first in the second inning when Hosmer singled and raced to third on Kendrys Morales' double into the left-field corner. Alex Gordon struck out -- and he went hitless to end his 11-game hitting streak -- but Alcides Escobar, with the infield playing back, grounded out to short, scoring Hosmer. Santana keeps it rolling: Santana has been on an impressive run since mid-june, and kept it going against the Royals despite getting saddled with the tough-luck loss. Over his last 11 starts, Santana has a 1.91 ERA with nine quality starts over that span. "I was able to keep them off-balance for the most part," Santana said. "You have to keep the ball down and elevate when you need to." QUOTABLE 8

9 "I was just kind of the generic pitcher out there, doing what I had to do to get outs. My team picked me up today." Duffy WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Kyle Gibson (5-7, 4.90 ERA) will look to post back-to-back quality starts for the first time this month on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. CT, when the Twins return home for a three-game set against the Tigers. Gibson pitched a complete game in his last outing, giving up three runs in nine innings. Royals: Right-hander Yordano Ventura will get the ball on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. CT for the opener of a three-game Interleague series at Marlins Park. Ventura hasn't yielded more than three runs in an outing since July 3, while the Royals have won in each of his last four starts. Twins can't find way to solve pesky Royals Rhett Bollinger MLB.com August 21, 2016 After the Twins won both games in Atlanta earlier this week, it gave them 16 wins over their previous 24 road games. But despite that recent success away from Target Field, the Twins just can't find a way to beat the Royals this season, especially at Kauffman Stadium. Those woes continued on Sunday in a 2-1 loss, leaving the Twins 2-11 vs. the Royals this year, including an 0-7 mark in Kansas City. It was the Kansas City's first four-game sweep of Minnesota since 1999 and its first four-game sweep over the Twins at Kauffman Stadium since "I'm very frustrated," manager Paul Molitor said. "I can't tell you. To come in here and have to endure these four games. Some of these situations and environment where guys need to step up, our mental toughness needs to improve. Hopefully we do that as we get more experience from our younger core. That's what it takes to win on the road against a team that's playing well." It gave the Royals a season-high eighth straight win, but they're still on the fringes of the postseason race at But when they have played the Twins this year, the Royals look just like the team that won the 2015 World Series. "It's terrible," second baseman Brian Dozier said. "We're playing good, but it seems like these past four games, we always make that one mistake you can't make against a good team like the Royals." On Sunday, the issues mostly came with runners in scoring position, as the Twins went 2-for-9 in those situations, including loading the bases with none out in the second, only to come up empty-handed. The lack of offense against Royals lefty Danny Duffy gave right-hander Ervin Santana a tough-luck loss, as he gave up two runs over seven innings with a season-high 10 strikeouts. "We've fallen short of taking advantage of opportunities," Molitor said. "We had another situation with a runner at third and nobody out, and we can't get him in. When you have your best pitcher going, those things can be huge." Another mistake came in the sixth, when Jorge Polanco couldn't handle a grounder from Lorenzo Cain with two out. The play wasn't ruled an error, although Molitor felt it should've been one, and it came back to bite them, as Eric Hosmer doubled on the next pitch to bring home the go-ahead run. "It turns out the winning run comes on a play we need to make," Molitor said. It spoiled another strong start for Santana, who has been pitching like an ace with a 1.91 ERA over his last 11 starts. He did what he could do to try to stop the streaking Royals, but it wasn't enough. "They're really hot right now," Santana said. "Everything is going their way. They just wait for any chance so they can try to do damage." Twins call up Light to replace Mejia Rhett Bollinger MLB.com August 21, 2016 With Adalberto Mejia optioned to Triple-A Rochester after throwing 2 1/3 innings in his Major League debut on Saturday, the Twins called up right-handed reliever Pat Light prior to Sunday's game against the Royals. Light, who was acquired from the Red Sox on Aug. 1 in the trade that sent Fernando Abad to Boston, posted a 2.57 ERA with six strikeouts and 9

10 two walks in seven innings with Rochester. Light also had a 2.32 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 17 walks in 31 innings with Triple-A Pawtucket prior to the trade. "He's another guy that's a part of our future," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I'm looking forward to watching him pitch. Right of the chute, we'll try to get him into a situation that's not overly stressful. We'll see where he's at. But I know he can go more than an inning." Light was napping on Saturday when he got the call from Red Wings manager Mike Quade that he was coming up to the big leagues, and Light said he was excited to be called up by his new team. "It's awesome," Light said. "Any time you're in the big leagues, it's nice, whatever the case may be. Whether it's the Twins or Red Sox." Light was nearly called up by the Twins on Aug. 11, when lefty Buddy Boshers was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the first game of a doubleheader, but Light's flight was ultimately cancelled. Light, though, took it in stride and was able to joke about the incident. "That was a special day," Light said with a laugh. "I went to the airport in Syracuse and they kept delaying the flight. I ended up not being able to get there by game time. So it is what it is." It's not the first time Light has been called up to the Majors, however, as he made appearances with the Red Sox on April 26 and July 2. But they didn't go well, as he yielded a combined seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. Light called it a learning experience and Molitor said that taste of the big leagues is a good thing, even with the struggles. "The fact that he went through that and recovered by going back down to the Minor Leagues before he got traded, he's got into a better rhythm," Molitor said. "He's been throwing more strikes. I think he'll have that experience to help him for the next time he's in a Major League game." Light is a hard-thrower who mostly relies on his fastball and splitter. He has a career 3.68 ERA in Triple-A, and the 25-year-old is looking to carry over that success to the Majors. "I threw the ball really well at Triple-A all year whether it was with Pawtucket or Rochester," Light said. "Triple-A has been good to me, but the big leagues, not so much. So hopefully I can change that here." Anibal looking to get Tigers on track against Twins Rhett Bollinger MLB.com August 21, 2016 The Tigers have scuffled a bit lately, losing five of their last eight games, but will look to get back on track against the Twins in a three-game series that begins on Tuesday at Target Field. Right-hander Kyle Gibson (5-7, 4.90 ERA) is set to start opposite Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez (6-12, 5.94 ERA) in the opener. Despite their uneven seasons, both are coming off impressive starts. Detroit is 7-2 in the season series, but the American League Central rivals haven't met since July 20. Things to know about the game Gibson is coming off his first career complete game of nine innings, as he limited the Braves to three runs on eight hits in a win on Wednesday. Gibson threw only 115 pitches, but with the off-day on Monday, he'll get an extra day of rest. After posting a 3.69 ERA in July, Gibson has a 6.08 ERA in August. He is 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA in eight career starts against the Tigers, but hasn't faced them this year. Sanchez was impressive last time out, allowing just one hit in seven scoreless innings against the Royals on Wednesday in a no-decision. After a rough July that saw him post an 8.41 ERA in four starts, Sanchez has turned it around in August with a 3.60 ERA in four outings. He has had a lot of success historically against Minnesota with a 2.49 ERA in 14 career outings. Detroit received a boost on Sunday, when outfielder Cameron Maybin was activated from the 15-day disabled list, which was sooner than expected. Maybin was out with a left thumb sprain. The Twins also made a roster move on Sunday, as they called up reliever Pat Light from Triple-A Rochester. Light gives Minnesota a 13-man pitching staff. 10

11 Rochester pitching shuttle continues: Light up, Mejia sent back Judd Zulgad 1500 ESPN August 21, 2016 A day after adding pitching depth by promoting recently acquired prospect Adalberto Mejia from Rochester and sending down slugger Kennys Vargas, the Twins sent Mejia back to their Triple-A affiliate and called up righthanded pitcher Pat Light. The moves are being made because of manager Paul Molitor s need for fresh arms in the bullpen. Like Mejia, Light was acquired by the Twins near the trade deadline. The Twins sent lefthanded reliver Fernando Abad to Boston for the hardthrowing Light. Light was 2-1 with nine saves, a 2.37 earned-run average, 19 walks and 42 strikeouts in 31 games with Triple-A Pawtucket and Rochester this season. Light went 1-0 with two saves and a 2.57ERA in six appearances with Rochester. Mejia pitched 2.1 innings in relief of Hector Santiago on Saturday night, giving up two runs, five hits and a walk in the Twins 10-0 loss at Kansas City. Mejia was acquired from San Francisco for utilityman Eduardo Nunez. Twins suffer sweep in Kansas City despite 10 strikeouts from Santana Associated Press August 21, 2016 The Minnesota Twins just couldn't get the big hit they needed. The Twins loaded the bases in the second with none out and came away empty. They had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth, but failed to score in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals, who have won eight straight. "We had our chances," Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. "We just didn't, like Nate Diaz last night, he just didn't pop him when he had the chance." Diaz lost a decision to Connor McGregor in a UFC fight Saturday night. The Twins were shut down by Kansas City left-hander Danny Duffy, who won his 10th straight decision. The Royals swept a four-game series from the Twins for the first time since 1999 and have their longest winning streak since an eight-game run Aug. 3-11, The Royals have won 13 of 15 since the Rally Mantis showed up in the dugout. Duffy (11-1), unbeaten since June 6, improved to 5-0 with a 1.18 ERA in August. His 2.66 ERA ranks second in the American League, while his.917 winning percent tops the majors. Duffy left after 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run and a season-high eight hits while walking two and striking out four. "You know, this a lot better game for us in terms of competing compared to yesterday (a 10-0 loss), but still we have fallen short in terms of taking advantage of opportunities," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "And when you've got your best pitcher going, those things can become huge." Duffy outpitched Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (6-10), who allowed two runs and five hits while striking out 10 and walking one over seven innings. "Ervin had a really nice day," Molitor said. "We didn't back him up particularly well defensively, but, he made some pitches to get off the field. He minimized as best he could. Not enough timely hitting and the defense needs to continue to improve. Ervin was as good as advertised." Santana has a 1.91 ERA in his past 11 starts after beginning the season 1-7 with a 5.10 ERA. "The way he's been pitching the last few games, he's lights out," Santana said of Duffy. "He's doing his job. He's doing what he's supposed to do. He just keeps everybody off balance. He just locates his fastball and his changeup. So, that's what makes him better today." 11

12 Duffy worked out a no-out, bases loaded jam in the second inning with the help of a couple of fielding gems. After Eddie Rosario struck out, Alex Gordon made a sliding catch of Kurt Suzuki's fly to shallow left. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert snagged Danny Santana's hard hit grounder and threw out Eduardo Escobar at second base. Hosmer's two-out double in the sixth over the head of center fielder Rosario scored Lorenzo Cain, who had an infield single. Hosmer singled in the second, moved to third on Kendrys Morales' double and scored on Alcides Escobar's ground out for the first Kansas City run. "It's terrible, man," Dozier said to be swept by the Royals. "We're playing good, it seems like. These past four games we've always make that one mistake and against good teams like Kansas City, it's not getting people in, bases loaded, nobody out, that's the ballgame." Robbie Grossman and Trevor Plouffe doubled in the third to produce the only run off Duffy. Kelvin Herrera pitched a perfect ninth to log his seventh save in nine chances. MOLITOR'S BIRTHDAY Molitor turns 60 Monday. "There's some plans being made for me," Molitor said. "I'll be a willing participant. It'll be nice to have an off day and do some things with the family. But not celebrate, I'm past that point." NO MAUER 1B Joe Mauer, who is a career.326 hitter with 14 home runs and 111 RBI against the Royals, went 0 for 12 in the series and was not in the lineup Sunday. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the ninth. SEEING THE LIGHT The Twins recalled RHP Pat Light, who was acquired from Boston on Aug. 1, from Triple-A Rochester, where he had a 2.57 ERA in six outings. He appeared in two games for the Red Sox this season, giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. TRAINER'S ROOM Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (rotator cuff inflammation) made a Saturday rehab start for Triple-A Omaha, allowing three runs and two hits, including a home run, and a walk in 1 2/3 innings against Nashville. He threw 22 strikes in 34 pitches. UP NEXT Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson starts the series opener against Detroit on Tuesday. Gibson threw a complete-game Wednesday at Atlanta. Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura starts the series opener at Miami on Tuesday. Ventura is 0-2 in two interleague starts, yielding 11 runs over eight innings. 12