Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, May 6, 2017

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, May 6, 2017 Joe Mauer's first career walk-off home run carries Twins over Red Sox. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Rob Manfred says MLB looking into guidelines for racist taunts at ballparks. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Jose Berrios could get nod to replace Kyle Gibson in Twins rotation. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3 Reusse: 'Krusher' Kowalski of Murder Inc. also has a soft touch. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 4 Sano's triple "is a popup to second" for most players, Molitor says. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 5 Miguel Sano in lineup; Twins add Ehire Adrianza, Drew Rucinski, designate Danny Santana for assignment. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 6 Next two weeks will help tell us if Twins are for real or not. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 7 Joe Mauer lifts Twins past Red Sox with first career walk-off homer. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8 MLB commissioner exploring league policy on racist fan behavior. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 9 Ruling due early next week on Miguel Sano s suspension appeal. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 10 Tepesch set to make Twins debut. MLB (Donnelly) p. 11 Mauer's first walk-off homer sinks Red Sox. MLB (Bollinger & Donnelly) p. 12 Walk-off HR added to Mauer's stellar resume. MLB (Bollinger) p. 13 Sano hits unlikely (and time-consuming) triple. MLB (Bollinger) p. 14 Manfred praises potential top Draft pick Greene. MLB (Bollinger) p. 14 Manfred says he s impressed by prep star Hunter Greene, a possible Twins draft pick. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 15 Next step? MLB s Manfred says he wants to play real games in Mexico. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 16 Twins DFA Danny Santana, activate Ehire Adrianza and add another reliever. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 16 Twins await word on Miguel Sano s appeal; Chris Sale slated to start Sunday. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 17 After difficult 2016, Nick Burdi says he has improved mechanics and a new perspective. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 17 Joe Mauer delivers walk-off homer as Twins edge Red Sox. Associated Press p. 18 Twins hitting home runs like it s FOX Sports (FOX Sports North) p. 19 MLB Friday scores, highlights, updates, news: Mauer hits first career walk-off homer. MLB (Perry & Axisa) p. 20 Twins Designate Danny Santana. MLB Trade Rumors (Todd) p. 20 Joe Mauer's first career walk-off home run carries Twins over Red Sox Phil Miller Star Tribune May 6, 2017 Joe Mauer made the second-most impressive play of the night Friday, cracking a high fastball into the visitors bullpen for the first walk-off home run of his 14-year major league career. But as memorable as that moment was, he can t top the feat of strength that Miguel Sano demonstrated. Once Mauer crossed home plate, delivering the Twins thrilling 4-3 victory over the Red Sox, Sano grabbed the night s hero and hoisted him into the air. He was throwing me around like a rag doll, Mauer said of his unusual view. You ve got to keep an eye out for him. Pitchers don t always realize that they have got to keep an eye out for the 34-year-old Mauer, who might not be an MVP-caliber hitter anymore, but every once in a while he gets a high fastball, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, [and] he can put a charge into it. This charge was 415 feet in length, creating a huge roar among the announced 28,707 in Target Field, a crowd that had been subdued just minutes earlier by Boston s two-run tying rally in the top of the ninth off Twins closer Brandon Kintzler. I knew I hit it about as good as I could, so if that didn t go out, I d be pretty upset, Mauer said of the 96-mile-per-hour, letter-high fastball from Boston righthander Matt Barnes. It felt good off the bat, and I was just hoping it would go.

2 It did, and Mauer pumped his fist as he watched it disappear into the Red Sox bullpen. The Twins were feeling that good all night, at least until Kintzler s 10-save streak of success ended despite inducing a string of infield grounders. Trying to protect a 3-1 lead, Kintzler got Mitch Moreland to hit the ball toward second base, but some confusion over their shifted infield led to a leadoff single that scooted past Miguel Sano. Then Josh Rutledge hit a ground ball into the hole at shortstop, but Jorge Polanco had no play. Jackie Bradley Jr. dribbled a grounder to second baseman Brian Dozier, and while the Twins recorded the out, both runners moved up. A lot of nights, three ground balls like that, the game s over right there, Kintzler said. I feel like I made my pitches. Well, all but one. Chris Young then smashed a ground ball down the left-field line, tying the score. It prevented Phil Hughes from recording his major league-high fifth victory. Hughes gave up only one run, on Andrew Benintendi s homer, while pitching 6⅔ innings, his longest start since April Hughes stranded runners in scoring position five times, while the Twins scored two first-inning runs thanks to a Sano triple and added a run in the seventh on Eddie Rosario s triple and Mauer s RBI single. In the bottom of the ninth, Dozier having rolled his left ankle three innings earlier was pulled, with Molitor saying it was too early to tell how severe the injury is. Pinch hitter Kennys Vargas grounded out for the second out, setting up the joyous celebration at home plate for the Twins most veteran player one batter later. You re just happy for Joe, Molitor said. He s obviously got quite the résumé and has done a lot of things in this game. That s a nice one to add. You know what else Mauer is? He s heavy, Sano said with a grin. Because of the excitement when I first picked him up, he wasn t heavy. But afterwards, he got a little heavy. Rob Manfred says MLB looking into guidelines for racist taunts at ballparks Chris Miller Star Tribune May 6, 2017 Four days after Baltimore Orioles star Adam Jones was the subject of racial slurs in a game at Boston, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league office is consulting with all 30 teams to ensure both players and fans do not feel threatened. Manfred, paying a visit to Target Field on Friday, said before the Twins-Red Sox game that Major League Baseball is gathering information from clubs to get a good feel for what their practices are so we can provide our players with an environment where they feel comfortable in every major league stadium that they play. We want to make sure that we know exactly what the clubs are doing before we start recommending changes. Manfred spent much of the week addressing the Fenway Park controversy. The Red Sox banned another fan for life for making a racist remark Tuesday night. Other major leaguers maintained they have heard similar remarks. We re in the process of gathering information right now, Manfred said. With respect to drawing particularly African-American fans, our goal is to have an environment in all our ballparks that is welcoming to fans. We work hard to have a family-friendly and diversity-friendly environment and we will continue to do that. On other topics, pace of play continues to be an area of focus for the commissioner. The average major league game lasted exactly three hours last season, and MLB instituted automatic intentional bases on balls this season, with some other tinkering. Our focus is not on length as much as it is pace eliminating dead time, Manfred said. The length of a game sometimes is dictated by things 2

3 that you never can control how many runs get scored, whatever, how many pitches get thrown. When we think about changes to the game, the ones that are easiest are things like batters stepping out of the box, catcher visits to the mound, things like that that really there s no competitive issue associated with that particular behavior. There is plenty of that dead time in the game that we can take out. Asked about the possibility of an MLB franchise in Mexico, Manfred said he wanted regular-season games there, but his overall goal was to build a strong pro league south of the border. Manfred also said MLB continues to have hope for new ballparks for the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, although he called the markets our two most acute challenges. Jose Berrios could get nod to replace Kyle Gibson in Twins rotation Phil Miller Star Tribune May 6, 2017 Jose Berrios might be pitching for a promotion Saturday night. The Twins top pitching prospect, frequently flawless at Class AAA Rochester but mostly disappointing in 14 career major league starts, is one of two candidates to replace Kyle Gibson in the Twins rotation next week, manager Paul Molitor said Friday. I don t know what other options we really have right now, Molitor said about promoting Berrios or lefthander Adalberto Mejia, who posted a 6.75 ERA in three April starts for the Twins. We re just going to see if we can gather more information before we have to make that decision. Mejia, however, gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks in four innings Friday for Rochester against Pawtucket. Berrios, who owns a 1.09 ERA and 35 strikeouts in five starts for the Red Wings, faces the PawSox on Saturday. With an off day Monday, the Twins don t have to select a replacement for another week; they could put off that starter s slot until Saturday, though Molitor suggested he might move up the date. In the meantime, they added righthanded reliever Drew Rucinski, who has seven games of MLB experience with the Angels, to their bullpen. Rucinski, 28, signed as a minor league free agent in December, and has a 3.48 ERA at Rochester. He s not overpowering, Molitor said. He s got a nice cut fastball, and can throw that curveball for a strike early in the count. You hope he pitches from ahead and gets a chance to use it. Danny Santana DFAed Danny Santana was elated Thursday, enjoying the afterglow of belting a 465-foot home run, longest of his career, and also beating out a bunt single. It was one of those Danny Days, Molitor said. The Twins probably won t have another one, though, after designating Santana for assignment Friday. They must trade, release or place the utility player on waivers during the next week. I m sure it s a little bit tough news to take, Molitor said. Santana, 26, played parts of four seasons with the Twins, and opened 2015 as the starting shortstop. But he never repeated the strong offensive showing of his 2014 rookie season, when he batted.319 with seven home runs and a.353 on-base percentage in 101 games. He became a bench player able to play both infield and outfield but was batting only.200 this season. But the Twins needed Santana s spot on the 40-man roster to add Rucinski, and they had a ready replacement for his all-around role. Ehire Adrianza, an infielder with four seasons of big-league experience with San Francisco, was activated off the disabled list. Adrianza, 27, suffered a strained right oblique during the final week of spring training and had been rehabbing with Rochester for two weeks. The Venezuelan is a.220 hitter in 154 career games but is better known for his superior defense. He even played left field in a handful of games with the Red Wings, in case the Twins need an outfielder. I can play all four positions in the infield, even first base, Adrianza said. I think I can handle left field pretty good, and why not center and right field? It s kind of boring because you don t have many balls over there, but if I got to do that, I ll do it. 3

4 Etc. Miguel Sano will learn Monday or Tuesday whether he must serve MLB s one-game suspension for shoving Tigers catcher James McCann April 22, but he can play this weekend. Sano took part via a video call in his 90-minute appeal of the suspension Friday. General Manager Thad Levine outlined the Twins position, and Sano, represented by an MLB Players Association attorney, and Molitor also told their sides of the incident. Byron Buxton was banged up a day after colliding with the outfield wall twice Thursday, Molitor said, dealing with headaches and overall soreness. He sat out Friday, but Molitor said the Twins believe he won t need to be placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Reusse: 'Krusher' Kowalski of Murder Inc. also has a soft touch Patrick Reusse Star Tribune May 6, 2017 Stan Kowalski was introduced to the Target Field crowd Friday night and followed by raising the flag. He was there as the latest member of the Greatest Generation to do the Twins the honor of being on hand to add an emotional edge to the national anthem. Kowalski enlisted in the Navy as a 17-year-old in 1943 and served on three submarines: the Plaice, the Barb and the Bashaw. He was a gunner s mate, charged with the 50-caliber artillery piece on the deck. The Barb was famous, Kowalski said. She did a lot of damage to Japanese ships. Stan is a week shy of his 91st birthday and in a wheelchair. These aged American heroes always draw an extra-warm ovation from the arriving crowd at the ballpark. A greeting such as this in a sports venue was novel for Kowalski, since he spent three decades of his life facing venom merely for walking down an aisle in an arena as a pro wrestling villain. Kowalski was raised in north Minneapolis as Bert Smith. He served in the Navy as Gunnery Mate Smith. He returned to the Twin Cities and enrolled at the University of Minnesota. I hadn t played football in high school, but as a big man and getting bigger, I went out for the Gophers, he said. I got in for one play in football, and I was Verne Gagne s backup as the heavyweight on the wrestling team. Joe Pazandak was a pro wrestler, and he worked out at the U. Stan wasn t quite sure what he was going to do for a job. He was 6-foot-2 and well-muscled and Pazandak suggested that he give wrestling a try. Bert Smith wasn t going to cut it as a wrestling name. He tried Buddy Marco and then Sammy Silver. He was only Sammy Silver for a few matches, said wrestling historian George Schire, who agreed that was a few too many. Finally, the fledgling wrestler decided he needed a name with an edge to it. He went with Stan Krusher Kowalski. We had a guy around here who didn t know how to spell, Stan said. He spelled Crusher with a C. Everyone knows that you spell it with a K. How about Kowalski? Koval is the Polish version of Smith, and we added the ski, he said. When someone says Bert Smith to me, I say, Who s he? Kowalski was wrestling in Honolulu in the 50s. Tiny Mills also was there. Tiny and his brother Al (a real brother, not just a wrestling brother) had been a tag team billed as Murder Inc. Al was getting out and Tiny recruited Kowalski as his partner. As you might suspect, a tag team called Murder Inc. was not going to be a crowd favorite. The National Wrestling Alliance was the umbrella for the sport nationally in the 50s with territorial promoters. Mills and Kowalski became the tag team champions for the Midwest territory. 4

5 There was also a singles match at the Minneapolis Auditorium on Jan. 19, 1960: Kowalski vs. Gagne. There was a crowd of more than 7,000, largest in several years according to the Minneapolis Tribune, and they witnessed Kowalski s lone victory over Gagne. Stan s son Scott has the photo and story on his cellphone. I had a calendar printed for Dad a few years ago, Scott said. And all 12 months had that same photo. Gagne and Wally Karbo started the American Wrestling Association later in Kowalski and Mills were the AWA s first tag team champions. They lost the title to Hard Boiled Haggerty and Lenny Montana late in the year. Another Crusher Lisowski came to town in Gagne saw him as a big money maker, and in November 1962 there was a match between Krusher and Crusher, with the loser giving up the name (in the Midwest, anyway). The new Crusher won, and became a main eventer here for years. Stan wrestled here, there and everywhere, including for the WWF in New York in the late 60s. The East Coast had Killer Kowalski, so Stan s name became Krippler Karl Kovachs. I had a lot of tights with K on them for Krusher Kowalski, Stan said. As Krippler Kovachs, I didn t have to buy new tights. Stan retired in the mid- 70s. He promoted wrestlers and ran nightclubs, including Mr. Nibs on 26th and 26th in Minneapolis. Tough neighborhood? I never had any trouble, Stan said. Everyone respected me. Kowalski had a long run as the state commander of the VFW. He spent decades promoting the United Way to companies, to the point the charitable group now has a Stan Kowalski Award. Who would have guessed that behind the chest of the co-star of Murder Inc. beats the heart of a good Samaritan. Sano's triple "is a popup to second" for most players, Molitor says Phil Miller Star Tribune May 6, 2017 A couple quick notes after the Twins moved back into first place in the AL Central: Friday didn t quite go the way Miguel Sano thought it would. If I can be honest, I thought today was the day I was going to be suspended, Sano said before the Twins dramatic 4-3 victory over the Red Sox. Good thing for the Twins he wasn t. The Twins hottest hitter mostly missed a first-inning fastball in on his hands from Eduardo Rodriguez, taking an awkward swing and slicing the ball down the right-field line. Most people take that swing, it s a popup to the second baseman, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. But Sano? Next thing you know, it s off the wall. A lot of strength there. And somewhat surprising speed, too. The ball bounced away from right fielder Mookie Betts, and Sano hustled out his second triple of the season, scoring Joe Mauer with the game s first run. Not bad for a guy who spent 90 minutes of his afternoon defending himself, via video link, before an arbiter in New York who will determine whether he must serve the one-game suspension levied by MLB for his shoving match with Tigers catcher James McCann two weeks ago. A decision is due next week, so he s free to play and, more menacingly, hit this weekend, even though the punishment has weighed on his mind. I thought about [the suspension] a lot yesterday, Sano said. The sooner I can find out, the better it is. 5

6 He was fooled by his triple, he admitted, believing when he hit it that the ball would drift foul. But I see Mookie Betts running to the ball, so I said, Uh-oh, better start running, Sano explained. It was a little bit of a bad swing. I didn t get the whole thing. Everybody said when they saw the ball, they thought popup. I guess the wind took it back. XXX Joe Mauer s home run ball, the first walk-off homer of his career, was retrieved and presented to him in the Twins clubhouse afterward. A nice souvenir, he said. As I ve gotten a little later in my career, I ve started to keep some of these things, Mauer said. I ve got to do a better job of keeping some of that stuff so maybe my kids and their kids can see it. Miguel Sano in lineup; Twins add Ehire Adrianza, Drew Rucinski, designate Danny Santana for assignment Phil Miller Star Tribune May 5, 2017 Quick update on Miguel Sano, who is facing a one-game suspension: His appeal was heard today by MLB in a 90-minute Facetime session. He expects to learn his fate early next week. A Players Association lawyer represented Sano, and he told his side of shoving match with Tigers James McCann. An MLB lawyer defended the suspension. Now to some changes... Ehire Adrianza, a utility infielder with four seasons of major-league experience in San Francisco, is in uniform at Target Field and will be activated by the Twins for tonight s game with the Red Sox. Danny Santana, who hit the longest home run of his career on Thursday, has been designated for assignment to make room on the roster. Meanwhile, the Twins have also called up righthanded reliever Drew Rucinski to fill Kyle Gibson s roster spot, at least temporarily, and add another arm to the bullpen. Rucinski probably won t be here long, however; the Twins will recall either Jose Berrios or Adalberto Mejia next week to join the rotation, according to manager Paul Molitor. Adrianza, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Brewers in February, but has been on the disabled list with a strained right oblique since the last week of spring training. The Venezuelan infielder owns a.220 lifetime average in 154 career games, but is better known for his superior defense. He went 7-for-27 (.257) in a weeklong rehab stint at Class AAA Rochester. Santana, 26, played parts of four seasons with the Twins, and opened the 2015 season as the starting shortstop. But he never repeated the strong offensive showing of his rookie season, when he batted.319 with seven home runs and a.353 on-base percentage in 101 games. He became a bench player able to play both infield and outfield, but was batting only.200 this season. Rucinski, 28, has played seven major-league games with the Angels, and signed as a minor-league free agent with the Twins last December. He had a 3.48 ERA in six games at Rochester. Byron Buxton is banged up, Molitor said, dealing with headaches and overall soreness after colliding with a padded post in front of the visitors bullpen during Thursday s loss to Oakland. He s not in the lineup tonight, but Molitor said the Twins are fairly confident that he won t need to be placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. This is the first of three games against the Red Sox at Target Field. Here are tonight s lineups: RED SOX Pedroia 2B Benintendi LF Betts RF Ramirez DH Bogaerts SS 6

7 Moreland 1B Rutledge 3B Bradley CF Vazquez C Rodriguez LHP TWINS Dozier 2B Mauer 1B Sano 3B Grossman RF Kepler CF Escobar DH Castro C Polanco SS Rosario LF Hughes RHP Next two weeks will help tell us if Twins are for real or not Michael Rand Star Tribune May 5, 2017 A cynic, or at least a skeptic, might point to the Twins encouraging start with this yeah, but : they ve largely feasted against teams that have struggled, and when they ve played better teams the results haven t been great. The Twins have played 11 games against teams that currently have losing records (Kansas City, Oakland and Texas) and have gone 9-2 in those games. The Twins have also played 15 games against teams that currently have winning records (the White Sox, Tigers and Indians) and are 5-10 in those games. Of course, at this point in the season those numbers have a certain chicken-egg quality to them. It stands to reason that those opponents would have losing records if so many of their early games were losses to the Twins; same goes for the teams that have winning records and have done better against the Twins. It doesn t mean they are necessarily bad or good teams. Texas, after all, won 95 games last year. The Royals have played in two of the last three World Series. Still, the larger point more or less stands: the Twins have looked good against teams who have struggled and have struggled against teams that look good. That s not to take anything away from their start, particularly considering they ve played more games against teams with winning records than losing records (and because you can only, of course, play the teams on your schedule). That said, we might also start to get a better idea of just where the Twins stand over the course of the next two weeks. Not only is the bottom of their pitching rotation in flux, but also they are about to begin Friday night against Boston a stretch of 12 consecutive games against teams with winning records: the Red Sox, White Sox, Indians and Rockies. Boston and Cleveland, in particular, figure to be AL pennant contenders and good tests for the Twins. Minnesota is already 0-3 against Cleveland this year. If the Twins come out of this 12-game stretch (six at home, six on the road) looking good, it will be further evidence that they just might be better than we thought (and more than just a little better than last year). If not, the cynics/skeptics would be justified in warning us to be cautious with our optimism. 7

8 Joe Mauer lifts Twins past Red Sox with first career walk-off homer Mike Berardino Pioneer Press May 5, 2017 Leave it to Joe Mauer, ever understated, to flash his self-deprecating sense of humor after the first walk-off homer of his big-league career. It s pretty fun, yeah, he said after lifting the Twins to a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Target Field. Only took me 14 years to do it. One strike from heading to extra innings after blowing a two-run lead in the top of the ninth, the Twins came pouring out of the home dugout after Mauer connected on a 96-mph high fastball from Red Sox right-hander Matt Barnes. As the ball disappeared over the bullpen wall in deep left-center, Mauer punched the air with his right fist halfway between first and second base. Homering for the second time on the homestand after the worst April of his decorated career, the 34-year-old Mauer found his teammates waiting for him upon reaching home plate. It was his third career walk-off hit but the first that ended with Miguel Sano lifting him off the ground and waving him around like a sack of grain. He was throwing me around like a rag doll, Mauer said. You kind of got to keep an eye out for him. Will the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mauer reciprocate the next time Sano delivers a walk-off? Oh, no, Mauer said. Not a chance. I know my limitations when it comes to that, for sure. Even Sano, who tips the scales at 270-plus pounds, wasn t sure how he was manipulating Mauer like that. It was the excitement, Sano said. When I first picked him up, he wasn t heavy, but afterwards he got a little heavy. It was a beautiful game. That moment was really exciting for everybody here. Twins closer Brandon Kintzler had suffered his first blown save in 11 tries, dating to Sept. 17. He had been 24 for 27 since assuming the role last June until pinch-hitter Chris Young ripped a game-tying, two-run single past third in the ninth. That scored Mitch Moreland and Josh Rutledge, who began the inning with singles through the shift and off shortstop Jorge Polanco s glove, but Mauer erased that disappointment by turning around a 1-2 pitch. You re happy for Joe, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. He s obviously got quite the resume and has done a lot of things in this game, but that s a nice one to add. We haven t had a lot of those kind of wins here in a while. Unable to remember his last walk-off homer at any level, whether it was in the minors from or at Cretin-Derham Hall High School before that, Mauer had the ball in his locker for safekeeping afterward. As I ve gotten a little later in my career, I ve tried to start keeping some of these things, he said. I ve got to do a better job of keeping some of that stuff so maybe my kids and their kids can see it. An energetic crowd of 28,707 was on hand to witness Mauer s latest bit of history on a night when the wind howled and Molitor thought back to old Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The Twins (15-12) jumped out to a quick lead with a two-run first off Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Sano s rainmaking triple off the wall in right, where Mookie Betts mistimed his jump, scored Mauer from first after a rare plunking. Robbie Grossman followed with a run-scoring single. Twins starter Phil Hughes came in 4-0 on the road but in dire need of a good start at home, where he still hasn t won in more than a year (April 18, 2016 against Milwaukee). Facing the Red Sox for the 27th time in his career, the crafty righty bobbed and weaved through 6 2/3 solid innings. Rookie left fielder Andrew Benintendi clobbered a changeup out to dead center, halving the Twins lead in the third, but otherwise Hughes was highly efficient in gutting out 98 pitches. 8

9 Sent back out for the seventh, Hughes gave up a two-out double off the wall to longtime nemesis Dustin Pedroia. Lefty Taylor Rogers came on to retire Benintendi on a fly to right. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier rolled his left ankle in the sixth while fielding a Xander Bogaerts grounder. After lobbing the off-balance throw to first for the out, Dozier went down in a heap. Molitor and a team trainer went out to check on him, but after several minutes of evaluation the team s reigning MVP was able to stay in the game. Kennys Vargas pinch hit for Dozier in the ninth after his ankle tightened up. MLB commissioner exploring league policy on racist fan behavior John Shipley Pioneer Press May 5, 2017 Major League Baseball is exploring a league-wide policy on how to deal with fans exhibiting racist behavior during games. In the wake of remarks thrown at Orioles outfielder Adam Jones during a game in Boston this week, Major League Baseball is surveying its 30 teams about similar incidents and how they are dealt with, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday. Manfred, at Target Field to meet with Twins officials and players as part of his duties, said the survey could be a prelude to more industry-wide guidelines in this area. Twins president Dave St. Peter said survey results likely will be shared during owners meetings May in New York City. We expect it could come with a series of recommendations and suggestions from the league office, he said. Jones, the Orioles center fielder, said a fan used the N-word while berating him during Monday night s game at Fenway Park. On Thursday, the Red Sox banned the fan from Fenway for life after he acknowledged the abuse. Since Monday, Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia has told reporters he has received similar abuse at Fenway, and Twins special assistant Torii Hunter told MLB Online Radio that he often heard the N-word in visiting parks when he played for the Twins, Anaheim Angels and Detroit Tigers from St. Peter said he couldn t recall a fan being ejected, or banned from, the Metrodome or Target Field for racist behavior. We have banned a fan or two in the past, but not for racial slurs; more for disruptive behavior, physical contact with staff, things of that nature, he said. Most notably, some Twins fans celebrated Dollar Dog Night on May 2, 2001, by throwing them among other projectiles at former Minnesota second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who was playing left field for the Yankees. Twins manager Tom Kelly had to trot to the outfield to get fans to stop. Any time you re dealing with human beings, there s always the potential for behavior that is less than optimal, St. Peter said. I do think, historically, we ve been fortunate to have fans that have gone about it the right way. We don t have any history with these types of specific allegations, particularly around race. We have had some issues at times with fans throwing things on the field, and things of that nature. Nobody s perfect. Local police told the Boston Herald on Friday they have talked to Jones and are working on two separate incidents of racist taunts at Fenway, one directed at another fan, another made against a woman who sang the National Anthem this week. It s unwelcome news for any professional sports league but particularly for MLB, which has been trying to increase participation and interest among African-Americans for more than a decade. Seventy-five years after Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player in the majors, there are only 62 black Americans on major league rosters. In the 2017 MLB report card by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in sports, director Richard Lapchick notes that while men of color represent 42.5 percent of rosters, an all-time high, only 7.7 percent of Opening Day rosters were composed of black Americans or Canadians. 9

10 In 1991, they composed 18 percent of all major-leaguers. Byron Buxton is the only African-American playing for the Twins, one of eight teams with only one black American. Two teams the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres have none. To help boost those numbers, MLB has launched initiatives such as Urban Youth Academies, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and other elite development camps. Over the past five years, 20.2 percent of first-round picks in the first-year player draft have been African-American. We re making progress, Manfred said. Ruling due early next week on Miguel Sano s suspension appeal Mike Berardino Pioneer Press May 5, 2017 Nearly two weeks after an April 22 bench-clearing incident with the Detroit Tigers, Twins third baseman Miguel Sano took part in a 90-minute video hearing on Friday to appeal his one-game suspension. A mediator heard the case, which included testimony from chief baseball officer Joe Torre, who handles game-related discipline for Major League Baseball. A ruling isn t expected until Monday or Tuesday, meaning Sano will be able to play in all three games of this weekend s series against the Boston Red Sox. It s great, Sano said through a team-issued translator. It s good for me and good for the team to be able to play this weekend and help the team win. Sano, coming off a four-strikeout game in Thursday s loss to the Oakland A s, said the issue had been weighing on him as Friday approached. Sano was allowed to give his testimony to supplement the case made by Twins general manager Thad Levine. A lawyer from the players union took part in New York City as well. If I can be honest I thought (Friday) was the day I was going to be suspended or I knew I was going to hear about my suspension, Sano said. I thought about it a lot (Thursday). As far as the decision, at this point I m just trying to get it done with as soon as possible. Obviously I don t want to lose any games but if that s what it comes down to let s do it as soon as possible so we can move on from this. BUXTON STILL AILING Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was out of Friday s lineup after crashing into the outfield wall on Thursday, which caused him to leave the game after five innings. Buxton passed the initial concussion test but was due to be tested again on Friday, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, as he dealt with lingering headaches. Those tests could continue into the weekend or until Buxton s is fully recovered. He s banged up, Molitor said. I think we re fairly confident about not having to deal with concussion. That could possibly change given how the rest of the day unfolds. I know his body s sore. Buxton, who suffered a season-ending concussion in August 2014 while playing in Double-A, also hit the ground two other times Thursday while attempting catches in the outfield. Headaches are not good, but if you bang your head against the wall, you re going to have a headache, Molitor said. It doesn t mean you re concussed. Max Kepler, who played the final four innings in center on Thursday afternoon, moved over from right field again Friday night with Robbie Grossman getting the start in right. SANTANA DESIGNATED Popular utility man Danny Santana, signed nearly a decade ago as a teenager in the Dominican Republic, was designated for assignment on Friday to make room for newly recalled reliever Drew Rucinski on the 40-man roster. 10

11 In addition, utility man Ehire Adrianza was activated off the disabled list after missing nearly six weeks with a strained right oblique. Adrianza, whose 20-day rehab assignment could have run through May 10, had a.375 on-base percentage in seven games at Triple-A Rochester after previous stops in Class A and extended spring training. Hitting just.200 through 25 at-bats, the lightly used Santana did homer and drop a bunt single on Thursday in a rare start. It was one of those Danny days, Molitor said. Bunt one 30 feet and you hit one 420 feet. That might be the longest home run I ve ever seen him hit. Santana, who like Adrianza is out of minor-league options, could remain with the Twins if he clears waivers, which would enable them to outright him to Triple-A. He s a little sad, Sano said. That s going to happen with anybody here. This is part of baseball. Nobody can be for a long time with one team. Everybody here is surprised. BRIEFLY Rule 5 right-hander Justin Haley (strained biceps) started his rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Friday. He can spend up to 30 days on rehab, which runs through June 3. Lefty reliever Buddy Boshers would have been the first choice for another recall but he is ineligible for another promotion due to the 10-day restriction following his latest option on Wednesday. That rule was waived last weekend due to Hector Santiago s use of the bereavement list, but Santiago s return unpaired him with Boshers in terms of future transactions. Triple-A lefty Adalberto Mejia and right-hander Jose Berrios are under consideration to replace the demoted Kyle Gibson in rotation, Molitor said. The Twins could wait until May 13 at Cleveland to add another starter or might prefer to summon one sooner. Right-hander Nick Tepesch, making his first Twins start Saturday, downplayed the challenge of facing the Red Sox on 15 days rest since his last outing at Rochester: Every game is a challenge. It s why we play the game. Tepesch set to make Twins debut Patrick Donnelly MLB May 6, 2017 The Red Sox send right-hander Rick Porcello (1-4, 4.46) to the mound Saturday afternoon to face the Twins at Target Field. The 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner has lost four starts in a row, though he has given up just four earned runs in 19 2/3 innings in his last three outings. Porcello will face off against right-hander Nick Tepesch, who will be making his 2017 debut. Tepesch started a combined 39 games for the Rangers in 2013 and 2014 but has made one Major League appearance since. The Twins have won seven of their last nine games, while the Red Sox are set for Game 2 of a six-game road trip through Minneapolis and Milwaukee following a 4-5 homestand. Things to know Outfielder Chris Young (1-for-3) is the only player on the Red Sox roster who has faced Tepesch in the Majors. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has three home runs in 37 at-bats against Porcello. 11

12 Mauer's first walk-off homer sinks Red Sox Rhett Bollinger & Patrick Donnelly MLB May 6, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer hit his first career walk-off homer in the ninth inning to lift the Twins to a 4-3 win over the Red Sox on Friday night at Target Field. Mauer's game-winning blast to left field came on a 1-2 fastball from reliever Matt Barnes. It left the bat at mph and went a projected 404 feet, per Statcast. It was his third career walk-off hit, but his first walk-off homer. "It was pretty fun," Mauer said. "It took me 14 years to do it. It was a great atmosphere tonight. It was a good ballgame, and the crowd was into it." Despite being down 1-2 in the count, Mauer thought Barnes might challenge him with a fastball and was able to come through with his second homer of the year. "I couldn't tell you how he hit it out of the park," Barnes said of the high fastball Mauer turned around. "But he's a good player. He's been around for a long, long time, a great hitter. Tip your cap." It came after the Red Sox rallied back to tie it in the ninth against closer Brandon Kintzler, keyed by a pair of infield singles to open the inning. Chris Young tied the game with a pinch-hit two-run single down the left-field line. It broke a streak of 10 straight save conversions for Kintzler. Right-hander Phil Hughes went 6 2/3 innings, limiting Boston to one run on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts, but was saddled with a no-decision after Kintzler couldn't hold the lead. The lone run he allowed came on a solo shot from Andrew Benintendi in the third. Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was also solid, going six-plus innings and allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk, with six strikeouts. Miguel Sano opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the first before scoring on a hit from Robbie Grossman. Eddie Rosario, who saw his hit streak extended to a career-best 15 games, tripled off Rodriguez to open the seventh and scored on an RBI single from Mauer off reliever Joe Kelly with the infield in. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Sano's unlikely triple: Sano lifted a high fly ball down the right-field line and didn't even run out of the box, thinking it would go foul. But it drifted back into fair territory and Mookie Betts couldn't handle it near the right-field wall, allowing Mauer to score all the way from first and Sano to reach third for a triple. Sano's hit left the bat at 96.1 mph with a launch angle of 47 degrees, giving him a hit probability of just one percent, according to Statcast. "When I hit the ball, I thought it was a foul ball," Sano said. "When I saw Mookie Betts run into the wall, I thought, 'Uh oh.' So I started running." What a relief! Hughes was one out away from getting through the seventh inning when Dustin Pedroia stroked a double to right-center. Benintendi, who had homered off Hughes in the third, was up next, prompting Twins manager Paul Molitor to bring in lefty Taylor Rogers. Benintendi fell behind, 1-2, and Rogers got him reaching for a curveball that he popped up to right field for the third out, preserving the Twins' 2-1 lead. QUOTABLE "He was throwing me around like a ragdoll. You have to kinda look out for him. But it was fun. It was our first one this year, so hopefully we do it a lot." -- Mauer, on Sano lifting him after he reached home "That was the exact pitch we were trying to locate, the exact pitch we were trying to throw. Baseball's a funny game, and that happens sometimes. You execute exactly what you want to do and the results aren't what you want them to be." -- Barnes, on the pitch Mauer hit for the game-winning home run 12

13 SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS According to Statcast, Sano's 16-second home-to-third time was the slowest tracked time on a triple this year by more than two seconds, in part because he didn't run initially. The previous slowest time was Justin Smoak's seconds. It gives the Twins both the fastest and slowest triples recorded by Statcast this year, as Byron Buxton reached third in seconds on Wednesday. DOZIER EXITS EARLY Twins second baseman Brian Dozier twisted his left ankle while trying to field a ground ball from Xander Bogaerts in the sixth. He initially remained in the game, but Kennys Vargas pinch-hit for him in the ninth and grounded out to first. "We're not sure the severity of the sprain," Molitor said. "It's probably a mild one in there, so it's a day-to-day situation." REPLAY REVIEW The Red Sox unsuccessfully challenged a play in the fourth, when Eduardo Escobar was initially ruled safe at first base by umpire Brian Gorman. After a review, the call on the field stood. WHAT'S NEXT Red Sox: Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (1-4, 4.46 ERA) will try to get back in the win column against the Twins on Saturday at 2:10 p.m. ET. Porcello has lost his last four starts but was 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA in two starts against the Twins last year. Twins: Right-hander Nick Tepesch is set to make his season debut when the Twins host the Red Sox on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. CT. Tepesch, who had a 2.00 ERA at Triple-A Rochester, hasn't appeared in a game since April 20, so he'll be limited to roughly 75 pitches. Walk-off HR added to Mauer's stellar resume Rhett Bollinger MLB May 6, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- In his 14-year career, Joe Mauer has won an American League MVP Award, five Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Glove Awards and has been named an All-Star six times. But before Friday night, he had never hit a walk-off homer in any of the 1,615 games he had played. That changed against the Red Sox, as Mauer smacked a walk-off homer to lift the Twins to a 4-3 win after closer Brandon Kintzler couldn't hold a two-run lead in the ninth. The solo shot off reliever Matt Barnes was Mauer's third career walk-off hit, but his first homer. "You're happy for Joe," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's obviously got quite the resume, and that's a nice one to add. We haven't had a lot of wins like that in a while, especially after we lost the lead there in the ninth. There was great energy in the park." Despite falling behind 1-2 in the count after a pair of breaking balls from Barnes, Mauer figured a fastball was coming and jumped all over a 95- mph fastball above the strike zone, depositing it into the left-field seats. It left the bat at mph and went a projected 404 feet, per Statcast. "It took me 14 years to do it," Mauer said with a grin. "It was a great atmosphere tonight. It was a good ballgame and the crowd was into it. To finish it like that, it was pretty fun." Mauer showed rare emotion when rounding the bases, pumping his fist and letting out a "Yeah," as he rounded first. Mauer is off to a slow start this year, hitting.242/.310/.352 despite a dramatic increase in his contact percentage, but he was finally rewarded with his second homer of the year. "I knew it had a chance," Mauer said. "I was just hoping it would go over, and it did." Barnes said he was shocked Mauer ripped the fastball above the letters over the fence, as he executed the pitch where he wanted it. "When a guy's been in the league as long as he has, you tip your cap," Barnes said. "That was the exact pitch we were trying to locate, exact pitch we were trying to throw. Baseball's a funny game, and that happens sometimes." Mauer's teammates have stood behind him during his early-season struggles, and they were there to celebrate with him as he crossed home, 13

14 especially third baseman Miguel Sano, who lifted the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mauer up as he scored the winning run. "It was the excitement," Sano said. "When I first picked him up, he wasn't heavy. But then after a little while, he was heavy. It was a beautiful game to come back and win." The win also showed resolve from the Twins after losing their two-run lead in the ninth, which is something that wasn't lost on Mauer. "We've done that a lot this year," Mauer said. "When things don't go our way, we kept fighting. We kinda stress that here, especially with our young guys. Anything can happen at the ballpark." Sano hits unlikely (and time-consuming) triple Rhett Bollinger MLB May 6, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins third baseman Miguel Sano has been crushing the ball all year, leading the Majors in average exit velocity, but he was helped by some good luck against the Red Sox on Friday. With one out in the first, Sano skied a high fly ball down the right-field line and didn't run out of the box initially, thinking it was a foul ball. But it drifted back into fair territory and Mookie Betts couldn't make the play in the right-field corner as it caromed off the wall, allowing Joe Mauer to score from first and Sano to reach third with a triple. Sano then scored on an RBI single from Robbie Grossman, and the triple proved pivotal in Minnesota's 4-3 walk-off win. Sano's triple left the bat at 96.1 mph with a launch angle of 47 degrees, and balls hit a similar exit velocity and trajectory have only a one percent chance of being a hit, according to Statcast. "Most people take that swing and it's a popup to the second baseman," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's just one of those things. It looks like it went way in on him and he took an awkward swing, but somehow it gets to the wall. A lot of strength there. And that's the understatement of the night. But it was a big play." Sano didn't run out of the box, as evidenced by the fact that his 16-second home-to-third time was the slowest tracked time on a triple this year by more than two seconds. The previous slowest time was Justin Smoak's seconds. It gives the Twins both the fastest and slowest triples recorded by Statcast this year, as Byron Buxton reached third in seconds Wednesday. "When I hit the ball, I thought it was a foul ball," Sano said. "When I saw Mookie Betts run into the wall, I thought, 'Uh oh.' So I started running." Manfred praises potential top Draft pick Greene Rhett Bollinger MLB May 5, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins continue to be linked with Southern California high school star Hunter Greene for the No. 1 pick in this year's MLB Draft, and Commissioner Rob Manfred showed he's already a big fan of the potential No. 1 overall pick while addressing the media at Target Field on Friday. There are other candidates the Twins are looking at for the No. 1 pick, including Louisville first baseman/pitcher Brendan McKay, but Greene, ranked as the No. 1 Draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com, has received buzz recently after the Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) High School star appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Greene, who excels as both a pitcher and a shortstop, could become an African-American star for a sport that has been investing heavily to find and develop more talented African-American athletes. Manfred had the chance to meet Greene at the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles in March, and came away impressed. Manfred described Green as "poised, mature and impressive." "From our perspective what is most important to us is he's someone who is to a certain extent, not exclusively, a product of one of our MLB Academies," Manfred said. 14

15 Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Greene played and trained at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. Manfred pointed to those Academies across the country and the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs as helping bring more diversity into the game. "We've invested literally millions of dollars to encourage African-Americans to play the game," Manfred said. "You have to start playing to becoming a Major Leaguer. We have a wide variety of programs like the Urban Youth Academies, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and the elite development camps. They're all aimed at increase the number of African-American players. In the last five years, 20 percent of our firstrounders have been African-American, which is a big increase from the 7 percent or so of the current Major Leaguers that are African- Americans. So we're making progress. "Almost all of those players touch one of our programs in some way, shape or form, and it's encouraging to us in two regards," Manfred said. "One, we may have a great, young star coming into the game, and it also tells us that our investments are actually starting to pay off." Manfred says he s impressed by prep star Hunter Greene, a possible Twins draft pick Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 May 5, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The Twins own the first pick in the MLB Draft next month and all eyes are on the front office as we wait, watch and wonder where they ll go with the pick. Will it be Louisville lefty/first baseman Brendan McKay? Vanderbilt righty Kyle Wright? Some other pitcher? Position player? One possibility remains high school hurler and shortstop Hunter Greene from Sherman Oaks, Calif., who sits atop a lot of mock drafts as the draft approaches. If the Twins do pick him and they choose to make him a full-time starter, he ll be the first high school pitcher selected No. 1 overall in draft history. Rob Manfred, for one, is excited about the prospect of adding another young star to the game and not just for the obvious reason. I ve actually had a chance to meet the young man in L.A. at the [World Baseball Classic]. Really poised, mature and impressive, Manfred said Friday at Target Field. I think from our perspective the thing that is most important to us he s someone who is to a certain extent, not exclusively a product of one of our MLB [youth] academies, Manfred said. Greene played in MLB s Urban Youth Academy before he became a prep star andprojected first-round draft pick. Published scouting reports say Greene could be a real prospect as a shortstop. But it d be hard to pass up his potential on the mound for any team, much less a Twins team that has been starved for pitching for years. He s done pitching for the year, according to a Baseball America report, but not based on any injury. Greene is also an African-American, and for years there s been talk about the declining participation among kids, and how that s suppressed the number of black players in the big leagues. Manfred sounded optimistic Friday that the league has made strides to improve. Twenty percent of the first-round players are African-Americans over the last five years, Manfred said. Almost all those players touch one of our programs in some way, shape and form. He said Greene s high profile as a 17-year-old entering the first-year player draft is encouraging for a couple of reasons. 1) We may have a great, young star coming into the game, that s a good thing; and 2) it tells us that our investments are actually starting to pay off, Manfred said, referring to the leagues that he says are producing a wave of talent finding its way to the top of the draft. 15