Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, April 19, 2018

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, April 19, 2018 Sons of Puerto Rico help Twins top Tribe in 16. MLB.com (Bollinger) p.1 Buxton headed to DL with migraines. MLB.com (Bollinger) p.2 Despacito's Daddy Yankee throws 1st pitch. MLB.com (Sanchez) p.3 Joe Mauer was 34 when the Indians-Twins game started, but he was 35 when it ended. MLB.com (Clair) p.4 Jose Berrios feels right at home in start before Ryan LaMarre's 16th-inning walk-off single. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4 Byron Buxton placed on 10-day DL with a migraine. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5 Twins hope Kepler's knee is just a minor issue. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 6 Wednesday's Twins-Cleveland game recap. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 6 Island-wide blackout hits Puerto Rico; Twins game still on as scheduled. Associated Press (Staff) p. 6 Power outage in Puerto Rico could affect Twins-Indians game. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 8 Eddie Rosario scores winner as Twins outlast Cleveland in 16. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9 Migraines force Byron Buxton to disabled list for Twins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 10 Migraines send Byron Buxton to the 10-day disabled list. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p.11 LaMarre s single in 16th inning lifts Twins over Indians in Puerto Rico. Associated Press (Staff) p. 12 Mets use 9-run 8th inning to cruise past Nats Assoiated Press (Staff) p. 13 Twins outfielder Buxton placed on 10-day DL with migranes. Fox Sports North (Staff) p. 13 Mayor: Twins-Indians will be played despite blackout. Associated Press (Staff) p. 13 Twins Starter Jose Berríos Looks Like an Ace. What's Behind His Transformation? Sports Illustrated (Beller) p. 14 And That Happened: Wednesday s Scores and Highlights. NBC Sports (Calcaterra) p.15 Twins place OF Byron Buxton on 10-day DL with migraines. Sporting News (Lott) p.16 Twins put Byron Buxton on DL because of migraines. ESPN (Staff) p.16 In Puerto Rico, José Berríos showed his home fans why he's an ace in the making. The Athletic (Hayes) p.16 Tales from Puerto Rico: Escobar meets Nic Cage, origin of Cigar Joe and more. The Athletic (Hayes) p.18 Sons of Puerto Rico help Twins top Tribe in 16 Rhett Bollinger MLB.com April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- On a night that saw Puerto Rico native Jose Berrios turn in a dominant performance of seven scoreless innings against the Indians in front of his home crowd, it was fitting that fellow Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in the longest MLB game ever held at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Rosario, a Guayama native, sparked a rally in the 16th inning with a leadoff single off Josh Tomlin before going to third on an error from second baseman Jason Kipnis on what should've been a double play hit into by Logan Morrison. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Ryan LaMarre provided the walk-off single into center for a 2-1 win in the second and final game of the Puerto Rico series that saw each team win one game. "They both handled it very well," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Jose is never going to forget about this day and the biggest concern was getting him through that first inning with all that hype and expectation. I told him after the first inning, 'Now we go.' And sure enough, he did. Jose couldn't have done a better job and [Rosario] scored the winning run. 'Rosie' started the rally and finished it." Rosario couldn't contain his emotions after scoring the winning run, and Berrios joined the celebration on the field, never changing out of his uniform while watching the game's final nine innings. "It was unforgettable -- this was one of the best nights of my life," Rosario said through an interpreter. "Being able to spend time here in Puerto Rico with my family and my friends, and them being able to watch me wear a Major League uniform."

2 The 5-hour, 13-minute game didn't see much offense, with neither team getting a hit with runners in scoring position until LaMarre's hit, but saw same late dramatics after the Twins fell behind 1-0 in the 14th on a go-ahead solo homer from Edwin Encarnacion off reliever Trevor Hildenberger. On the first pitch of the bottom of the 14th, Miguel Sano crushed a game-tying solo homer to left off Matt Belisle. Berrios, who hails from Bayamon, showed his maturity, not letting his emotions get the best of him. It was evident that he was locked in after he struck out fellow Puerto Rico native Francisco Lindor on three pitches to open the game. Berrios scattered three hits, striking out five and throwing 84 pitches. He retired 16 in a row to finish his outing, including retiring 19 of the last 20 batters he faced. "It was crazy, there were a lot of emotions going through my mind," Berrios said through an interpreter. "After the second inning, I was more concentrated. Tonight was a very important night for me and the island of Puerto Rico." Berrios, 23, has a 1.63 ERA in four starts this year, including three outings of at least seven scoreless innings. He's walked only one batter all year compared to 29 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings. Berrios ran into only one jam, putting runners at the corners with two outs in the first, but got Encarnacion to roll over a first-pitch curveball on a grounder to third to end the inning. Berrios was on a roll after the first; he gave up a one-out single to Tyler Naquin in the second but didn't allow a baserunner after that. But right-hander Carlos Carrasco was also impressive for the Indians, matching Berrios by throwing seven scoreless innings of his own. Carrasco gave up three hits and a walk but struck out seven. Twins relievers Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney, Zach Duke, Ryan Pressly and Taylor Rogers combined to throw 6 1/3 scoreless innings before Hildenberger served up Encarnacion's homer. Alan Busenitz threw two scoreless innings to pick up the win, working out of two jams. "There wasn't much fault to find," Molitor said. "We had to pitch out of a couple jams. Reed was crisp, Rodney had a couple baserunners. But you go down the line. Pressly had a couple big innings. I'm glad they were fresh because we needed them." KEPLER LEAVES WITH RIGHT KNEE INJURY Twins outfielder Max Kepler, who moved over from right field to center with Byron Buxton on the 10-day disabled list with migraines, suffered a right knee injury and was replaced by LaMarre in the 10th inning. Molitor said the injury isn't considered serious. Kepler tweaked the knee earlier in the game and felt discomfort while trying to run down a fly ball in the ninth. "We think he's going to be OK," Molitor said. "He felt it a little bit earlier, and then when he went after that ball he felt it a little bit. So we thought it was best to get him out." SOUND SMART Berrios became the first Puerto Rican pitcher to throw seven scoreless innings at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in a regular-season game. He joins Javier Vazquez, Roberto Hernandez and Pedro Feliciano as the four Puerto Rico natives to pitch on their home island in the regular season. It was also the first neutral site walk-off since June 29, 2010, when the Marlins won on an RBI single from Dan Uggla at this ballpark. The 16- inning game is also the longest MLB regular-season game ever played outside the continental United States or Canada. HE SAID IT "It was a great experience playing baseball here the last two days in front of our families. It was great honor to be here and do this." -- Berrios UP NEXT After an off-day, right-hander Lance Lynn (0-1, 5.00 ERA) will take the mound in the opener of a three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Lynn, who hasn't started since April 9, will start opposite Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer. After giving up five runs in his first inning of the season, Lynn has thrown eight straight scoreless innings but said he needs to pitch deeper into games. Buxton headed to DL with migraines Rhett Bollinger MLB.com April 18, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- After missing Tuesday's Puerto Rico Series opener with a migraine, the Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday. He'll be eligible to come off the DL on April 25. To take Buxton's spot, outfielder Ryan LaMarre, who joined the team as the 26th man for the series, was added to the roster. "We don't have any reason to think this is an ongoing concern for us, so we'll just evaluate it as is and we'll learn more," Twins chief baseball 2

3 officer Derek Falvey said. "Coming into yesterday, he was in the lineup and we were ready to play him, but he got to the ballpark and it started to bother him. He was here until game time, but then we sent him back to the hotel." Buxton began suffering a migraine early Tuesday, and he was sent back to the team hotel during the game to recover. But Buxton didn't feel much better on Wednesday and was out of the lineup again. Manager Paul Molitor noted that Buxton has been plagued by migraines in the past, including missing time last year in July. He's still not sure what causes them, but they continue to be an issue for the burgeoning young star. "I have them very, very infrequently, but I can definitely sympathize with what he's going through," catcher Jason Castro said. "The tough thing is there's not much you can do for it. You have to just isolate yourself and hope they go away." Injury updates Right-hander Phil Hughes remains a candidate to be activated from the 10-day DL on Sunday to start against the Rays. Right-hander Jake Odorizzi could also start on normal rest against his former club. Hughes has been out with a strained left oblique, but he's throwing a bullpen session on Thursday to get ready for the possible start. He's made two rehab starts with Class A Advanced Fort Myers, posting a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings. Right-hander Ervin Santana continues to progress with his throwing program, throwing from 90 feet on flat ground. Santana, who had surgery on his right middle finger in February, suffered a bit of a setback in early April, but he has started to ramp it up. There's still no timetable for his return, but if he stays on track, he could be back by mid-to-late May or early June. No issues with Lindor Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor offered a preemptive apology in case he offended any Twins players for his celebration after his homer on Tuesday, but no Minnesota players or coaches took issue with his reaction to his memorable homer in front of his home fans. In fact, Molitor and Twins second baseman Brian Dozier thought it was a cool moment, and it never even crossed their minds to look at his celebration in a negative light. "I think as a whole our game has kind of changed in what you might want to call acceptable showism," Molitor said. "I think it's good for the game. I think fans respond to it." Said Dozier: "I love people showing emotion and getting excited. That's baseball for you. The more emotion you show and putting your heart and soul into it, I love it. I just wish... we hit the homer." Despacito's Daddy Yankee throws 1st pitch Jesse Sanchez MLB.com April 18, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- One of the biggest names in the music industry delivered once again. Puerto Rico's own Daddy Yankee threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of a star-studded program before the final game between the Twins and the Indians in the Puerto Rico Series on Wednesday night. The pitch was a strike. "I'm so honored for the invitation and to be a part of an important part of our history," said the recording artist superstar most recently known for "Despacito," a hit song on which he collaborated with Luis Fonsi. "More importantly, I'm so happy to see all the children having fun and enjoying the experience with all of the players here. I was a kid and I had dreams, and I know they do, too." Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, has already donated more than $1 million to Hurricane Maria relief on the island. He spent part of pregame chatting with players, including Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, near the dugout. "I want the kids to think they can make it to the Major Leagues and they can make their dreams come true," the singer said. "There is nothing these kids can't accomplish, and I hope I can also inspire them in some way." Daddy Yankee's pitch was preceded by Puerto Rican musician Pedro Capó performing "La Borinquena," the island's anthem. Marileyda, winner of the 2013 Idol Puerto Rico competition, sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar delivered the game ball to the mound. There was also a special pregame ceremony in support of Little Leaguers on the island that featured Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario, Lindor and 3

4 Indians pitcher Corey Kluber. MLB provided new equipment and apparel to 150 Little League youth softball and baseball teams, reaching a total of more than 2,000 players. "When I was a kid, I saw the Expos of Montreal and the Marlins play here at Hiram Bithorn. I saw Vladimir Guerrero and I told myself I wanted to play here one day, too," Rosario said. "This is my dream, and I hope it's a dream for the little kids to see me and try to do the same thing." Additionally, the Major League Baseball Players Association's Players Trust presented a $200,000 grant to Feeding America to help the organization's efforts to distribute food and supplies to those still impacted by Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. The grant will benefit four food banks in Florida and Puerto Rico and help underwrite additional staff support for Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico, a member of Feeding America. Lindor, Rosario and Minnesota infielder Eduardo Escobar were among the participants in the presentation. "Throughout the history of the players union and the players in general, Puerto Rico has a long history with us," said former Major League pitcher Javier Vazquez, an executive with the MLBPA who is the winningest Major League pitcher from Puerto Rico. "We always try to help out when it is needed. Whether that's Houston with the hurricane or Puerto Rico. We have a lot of players that want to help different communities." The pregame ceremonies capped a busy three days of giving back to the island by MLB, the MLBPA, the Twins and the Indians. There is still more work to be done. There was a power outage that impacted the entire island Wednesday. "This has been a very important event for Puerto Rico, especially after the hurricane," Vazquez said. "We needed an event like this that is shown worldwide and televised nationally to show the great players we have, the history of baseball here, and that Puerto Rico is strong and up and running. Slowly but surely, it's getting there." Joe Mauer was 34 when the Indians-Twins game started, but he was 35 when it ended Michael Clair MLB.com April 19, 2018 The Indians and Twins were in a deadlock. Playing in Puerto Rico's Hiram Bithorn Stadium, the two teams traded zeros until the 14th inning, when Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo home run. Only problem? Miguel Sano did the same in the bottom half. The game would remain that way until Ryan LaMarre's RBI single in the bottom of the 16th sent the Twins' fans home happy and let everyone watching go to sleep. Because this baseball marathon went for five hours and 13 minutes, the game didn't finish until the Earth completed one more circuit around the sun, bringing us to a new day. Not only was it #weirdbaseball and time to eat ice cream, but Joe Mauer turned 35, It's after midnight in Puerto Rico. Joe Mauer was 34 years old when this game started. He's now 35. Happy birthday, Joe! #MNTwins He gave himself a pretty good birthday present: With seven minutes to go until midnight, Mauer laced a single, closing the book on his 34-yearold statline: Mauer wasn't the only birthday boy: Zach Duke got to celebrate his 35th, too, closing out his 34th year with a scoreless inning of relief. Jose Berrios feels right at home in start before Ryan LaMarre's 16th-inning walk-off single La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune April 18, 2018 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO It s amazing how a 16-inning game can alter perspective. The day began with concern that the Twins and Indians would not be able to play. More than four hours later, the concern was if they would ever get to stop. But Ryan LaMarre s single through a drawn-in infield scored Eddie Rosario to give the Twins a 2-1 victory in 16 innings and a split of the twogame Puerto Rican Series. A pitcher s duel became an offensive eyesore as the teams combined to go 0-for-20 with runners in scoring position before LaMarre came through. The leadoff man reached base eight times, five times for Cleveland, but no one scored until LaMarre s RBI single. LaMarre replaced Max Kepler, who left after the ninth because of a sore right knee. He ended up with three of the Twins 13 hits. 4

5 During one stretch the Indians retired 19 of 20 Twins until Joe Mauer s double in the 11th. Cleveland had seven runners on base between the eighth and 12th innings but drove none of them in. When Edwin Encarnacion hammered a Trevor Hildenberger pitch into the left field foul pole in the 14th, it looked like the game was over. The Indians turned to Matt Belisle to close out the game. The former Twin was coming off an outing Friday against Toronto in which he gave up three runs. Miguel Sano swatted his first pitch into the seats in left, the remaining crowd letting out a roar when the ball landed. Rosario led off the 16th with a single. Logan Morrison, batting.068 as a Twin, hit a grounder that was misplayed by Jason Kipnis for an error. Rosario went to third. Eduardo Escobar was walked intentionally so there could be a force play at every base, but LaMarre, who was 3-for-4 and is batting.583, hit a 1-2 pitch up the middle to end the 5-hour, 13-minute marathon in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,537. The teams were assured the game was going to be played despite an island-wide power outage Wednesday that was the latest challenge for Puerto Ricans several months after Hurricane Maria brought her havoc to their homes. For the people that have had to endure a lot of heartbreak, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, it s just another day where they are having to try to find a get through another difficult situation. Hiram Bithorn Stadium nevertheless was packed, and fans roared when Bayamon native Jose Berrios took the mound. It was not the only time they cheered Berrios on Wednesday, as the strikeouts and the scoreless innings accumulated. But Cleveland righthander Carlos Carrasco matched him in putting up zeros before the pitcher s duel was handed over to the bullpens in the eighth inning. Berrios had thrown only 84 pitches when he was lifted for righthander Addison Reed. In 27⅔ innings this season, Berrios has one walk and 29 strikeouts. This was an important night for me, and for the people of Puerto Rico, said Berrios, who stayed to watch the rest of the game from the dugout. The only two people on the island who could have been booed Wednesday were Molitor and the head of the power company. And some boos came out of the stands as Reed was announced. But he stranded Bradley Zimmer at second to get out of the inning. And Molitor acknowledged that as Berrios entered the interview room after the game. Come on in, Jose, Molitor said with a smile. He s probably still mad at me for taking him out. Byron Buxton placed on 10-day DL with a migraine La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune April 18, 2018 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO -- Outfielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday after missing a second straight game because of a migraine. Outfielder Ryan LaMarre, who was already with the team as a special 26th man for the Puerto Rico Series, was moved to the 25-man roster. The Twins will have one less player for Wednesday's game. Buxton's move is retroactive to April 15, the furthest they can backdate such a move to. The Twins were ready to put Buxton in the lineup on Tuesday when he arrived at Hiram Bithorn stadium showing symptoms and was sent back to the team hotel. "You could tell he wasn't right when he came in," Molitor said. "He got checked out and we sent him back to the hotel." Twins catcher Jason Castro, who has had migraine issues of his own, knows what Byron Buxton is going through. "I have then very infrequently, but I can sympathize with what he is going through," Castro said. "The thing is there is nothing you can do, just isolate yourself and hope that it goes away." Just like on Tuesday, Max Kepler started in center while Robbie Grossman started in right field and batted eighth. LaMarre can play all three 5

6 outfield spots, making the move a no-brainer. Twins hope Kepler's knee is just a minor issue La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune April 19, 2018 Eddie Rosario singled in the 16th inning but had a leg cramp on his way to first base. Trainer Tony Leo came out to check on him, and he stayed in. We didn't know that, of course. We were wondering if Rosario would have to leave the game and be replaced by Ehire Adrianza. That would have given the Twins an outfield of Adrianza, Ryan LaMarre and Robbie Grossman. Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday due to a migraine. Max Kepler left Wednesday's game after the ninth inning with a sore right knee. He pulled up while chasing after Michael Brantley's sinking fly ball and had to come out. That left Rosario as the last man standing among the first-choice outfielders. This was meant to be a Kepler injury update that I have driven off the rails. So here's Twins manager Paul Molitor with the update. We think he s going to be OK." Molitor said. "He felt it a little bit earlier and then when he went after that ball he felt it a little bit. So we thought it was best to get him out. We will know more on Friday at Tropicana Field. A couple things that didn't make it into the gamer: This was the longest game, in terms of innings, played by the Twins since they lost 6-5 to the Nationals on April 24, Matt Belisle faced the Twins in both games. The last time a neutral site game was decided by a walkoff hit: Hiram Bithorn Stadium on June 29, 2010, when Dan Uggla's walkoff single gave the Marlins a 7-6 win over the Mets. Wednesday's Twins-Cleveland game recap La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune April 19, 2018 GAME RECAP IMPACT PLAYER Ryan LaMarre, Twins The team s 25th player proved his worth when his bases-loaded single finally settled matters in the bottom of the 12th inning. BY THE NUMBERS 1-for-21 Combined Twins and Indians success with runners in scoring position Wednesday ERA for Twins starter Jose Berrios after pitching seven innings of shutout ball back in his native Puerto Rico. 17 Number of pitchers used by both teams. Island-wide blackout hits Puerto Rico; Twins game still on as scheduled Staff Writer Associated Press April 18, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as the U.S. territory struggles to repair an increasingly unstable power grid nearly seven months after Hurricane Maria. Officials said an excavator accidentally downed a transmission line. The Twins are in San Juan to play the second of a two-game series tonight against Cleveland. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz tweeted that back-up systems at Hiram Bithorn Stadium have been tested and the game will go on as scheduled. 6

7 Officials said it could take 24 to 36 hours to fully restore power to more than 1.4 million customers as outrage grew across the island about the state of Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority. It is the second major outage in less than a week, with the previous one affecting some 840,000 customers. "This is too much," said Luis Oscar Rivera, a 42-year-old computer technician who just got normal power back at his house less than two months ago. "It's like the first day of Maria all over again." Several large power outages have hit Puerto Rico in recent months, but Wednesday was the first time since the Category 4 storm struck on Sept. 20 that the U.S. territory has experienced a full island-wide blackout. It snarled traffic across the island, interrupted classes and work and forced dozens of businesses to temporarily close, including the island's largest mall and popular tourist attractions like a 16th-century fort in the historic part of Puerto Rico's capital. Backup generators roared to life at the island's largest public hospital and at its main international airport, where officials reported no cancellations or delays. Meanwhile, the power company said its own customer service center was out of service and asked people to go online or use the phone. Officials said restoring power to hospitals, airports, banking centers and water pumping systems was their priority. Following that would be businesses and then homes. Carmen Yulin Cruz, mayor of the capital of San Juan, said the outage would not interrupt the last of a two-game series between the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, which is being played on the island. She said all emergency systems at Hiram Bithorn stadium are functioning and that tower lights and additional security will be placed at the stadium's parking lot. Justo Gonzalez, the power company's executive sub-director, told reporters that a private contractor removing a collapsed tower during unrelated power restoration efforts near the south coast hit the transmission line on Wednesday with an excavator. "We are working in areas that are quite crowded with high voltage lines," he said. It is the second such incident in less than a week. On Thursday, a tree fell on a power line as the same private contractor cleared land in central Puerto Rico, leading to a widespread power outage. A backup line that was supposed to prevent that outage failed. Fredyson Martinez, vice president of a union that represents power company workers in Puerto Rico, told The Associated Press that he was concerned about the two back-to-back incidents. "That is not normal," he said. Government officials said that a company hired by Cobra Energy known as Dgrimm was involved in both incidents that led to the power outages. Dgrimm had been asked to change its security protocols after the first incident, and it has since been terminated, said William Rios, power generation director. "This is unacceptable for us," he said, adding that government attorneys are meeting with officials at Cobra Energy, a Mammoth Energy subsidiary hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help with power restoration efforts. Angel Figueroa, president of the power workers' union, told reporters workers are investigating why a backup breaker at a main power station in the island's southern region did not function when the outage occurred, causing the entire electrical grid to shut down to protect itself. He noted it was the same problem that caused a 2016 power outage that affected the entire island. Geraldo Quinones, a power company spokesman, said in a phone interview that crews are investigating why the breaker failed. Rivera said he worries that such serious power outages are still occurring as the new Atlantic hurricane season, which starts on June 1, approaches. "If there's a slight storm, we're going to be worse off than we are right now," he said. Federal officials who testified before Congress last week said they expect to have a plan by June on how to strengthen and stabilize the island's power grid, noting that up to 75 percent of distribution lines were damaged by high winds and flooding. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the federal power restoration efforts, said they hope to have the entire island fully energized by May. Some 40,000 power customers still remain without normal electrical service as a result of the hurricane. The new blackout occurred as Puerto Rico legislators debate a bill that would privatize the island's power company, which is $14 billion in debt 7

8 and relies on infrastructure nearly three times older than the industry average. Power outage in Puerto Rico could affect Twins-Indians game La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune April 18, 2018 Well, today is going to be interesting. The Twins and Indians plan to play tonight (6:10, FSN) as scheduled. But a massive power outage hit the island earlier on Wednesday. I awoke this morning, ate breakfast and was preparing to head to Old San Juan for a bit when I was contacted by newsroom editors about power outages in the area. What power outages? I replied. Then KFAN s Paul Allen cold-called me for an update on the island being out of power. I told him I ve got the TV and my computer on, and see no signs of a power outage. After I got off the phone, I texted someone with the Twins. You guys got power where you re at? I asked. The reply : Hotel, yes. Ballpark, no. Yikes. Then I went to the front desk. The person at the desk said she has a friend who works at the power plant. There was a power episode around 10 a.m. this morning. And the island lost power. The hotel has a generator and was able to keep the power on. But it got me thinking. It was around 10:40 this morning when the TV in my room claimed I had checked out and thanked me for staying. I called the front desk (I have one more night on my reservation) and was told the computer re-booted for some reason. There must have been a moment the power affected that. I still took an Uber to Old Town. I m currently at the Cigar House of San Juan, one of the many buildings down here that oozes with character. They have their own generator and have power. No credit card sales right now, however. I suspect many buildings have their own generators. The Mayor of San Juan recently tweeted that backup systems are working. But I didn t see a single traffic light on during my ride. They plan to use backup generators tonight for the Twins-Indians game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. The Twins were going to go to the park early, but now will show up just in time for press conferences and pre-game work. I m officially crossing my fingers. Once everyone plugs in their phones and computers, we ll find out how well those generators are working. A little baseball before I let you go. A pro-cleveland crowd was not disappointed Tuesday when Francisco Lindor homered during the Indians 6-1 win. The tables could be turned tonight when Jose Berrios takes the mound with an expected throng of supporters in the stands. Fans here initially snapped up tickets for Tuesday s game when it was believed that Berrios was going to start that game. When he was pushed back to Wednesday - just over a week ago - fans here scrambled to make arrangements to attend Wednesday s game. When the Twins started postponing games last week, many of Berrios fans panicked. That s no lie. I got down here last week and went to the park on Saturday. Someone asked me if it was official that Berrios was going to start on Wednesday, and threw his hands in the air when I told him he was. I knew some people were worried that I wasn t going to pitch, Berrios said Tuesday. But I was confident that I was. And now Berrios, born in Bayamon, will get the thrill of his life as he pitches in front of his people tonight - electricity permitting. The Twins were committed to have Berrios pitch one of the games. It will be a little bit of test in how he s matured in terms of handling his emotions when things get going fast, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I m sure he ll be excited. Hopefully he can stay in the box he s been in because he s been pretty good. 8

9 Eddie Rosario scores winner as Twins outlast Cleveland in 16 Mike Berardino Pioneer Press April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Jose Berrios certainly did his part in an emotional homecoming, reeling off seven scoreless innings before an adoring crowd on Wednesday night at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Then it was Eddie Rosario s turn to make a memory of his own as the Twins outlasted the Cleveland Indians 2-1 in 16 innings. Rosario scored from third with the winning run on Ryan LaMarre s walk-off single in the 16th inning. Rosario, who went 3 for 11 in this two-day Puerto Rico Series, stayed in the game despite a cramp in his left calf after a leadoff single off losing pitcher Josh Tomlin. This is going to be unforgettable, the Guayama-born Rosario said through a translator. It s one of the best times in my life, these few days here in Puerto Rico in front of my family and friends and having them be able to watch me wear a major league uniform and represent the Twins. I m very grateful. The marathon took five hours, 13 minutes to complete and became the longest regular-season international game in terms of innings in major league history. It was the longest Twins game since a 16-inning loss at Washington on April 24, Miguel Sano tied the game in the 14th with a homer off former Twins teammate Matt Belisle. Edwin Encarnacion had given the Indians a brief lead with a solo homer off Trevor Hildenberger in the top of the 14th inning. But the story on this night was the poise of the Twins two Puerto Rican stars. They both handled it very well, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Jose couldn t have done a better job, and Rosey scores the winning run. Started the rally and finished it. Pretty good. As a jubilant Eddie Alberto Rosario, the outfielder s father, said in the crowded concourse among nearly 50 friends and family members: My son is a hero! He scored the winning run. Berrios, pitching 10 minutes from his hometown of Bayamon with nearly 150 friends and family in the stands, gave up a pair of soft singles in the first but quickly settled into a deep, comfortable groove. Matching Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco zero for zero, Berrios retired 19 of his final 20 batters, including 16 straight before being lifted at just 84 pitches on a steamy 80-degree night. That included just five strikeouts, the last one coming against No. 8 hitter Tyler Naquin in the fifth, but it also was another walk-free outing for Berrios. Of the 99 batters Berrios has faced this season, he has walked just one: Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis back on April 1 on a full count in the ninth inning of his first career complete-game shutout. With his wife Jannieliz and their three young children watching along with a sellout crowd of 19,537, Berrios seemed to gain strength as the night progressed. His pitch count by inning offered a glimpse of how easy he made this look: Berrios started 15 of 24 batters with a first-pitch strike, fell behind 2-0 just twice and ran just a pair of three-ball counts. He has been pushed to three balls just five times over his past two starts (48 batters). No one on hand could understand what Berrios was experiencing better than Javier Vazquez. Now an international special assistant for the Major League Baseball Players Association, the retired right-hander pitched on his native island four times in 2003 as a member of the Montreal Expos. That made Vazquez, a 165-game winner for six different clubs from , the last Puerto Rico native to pitch here in a regular-season game before Wednesday. Oh, my God, said Vazquez, who has 34 more big-league wins than any other Puerto Rican-born pitcher. It was really emotional. Just the opportunity to pitch for your fans, for your family that s not able to see you throw in the States, it s just a different feeling pitching in your hometown. Berrios had pitched here back in 2013 in the World Baseball Classic, striking out Robinson Cano in a mop-up appearance, but this was different. This was a start before an international audience on ESPN against the two-time defending division champions. I m sure his adrenaline is going to be really high coming in, Vazquez said, but I m sure he s going to settle in after the first hitter. I think that s what happened to me. 9

10 Vazquez, born 68 miles away in Ponce, worked to a 4.15 ERA in 26 innings for the Expos at Bithorn Stadium that year. He split two decisions, but also struck out 36 batters while walking just five. That nine-inning strikeout rate of 12.5 was the second-best for Vazquez in any of the 34 parks in which he made at least four starts. It helped, he said, knowing he would get multiple chances to pitch at home that season as the Expos prepared to move to Washington, D.C. The first time I came home to pitch it was kind of tough, Vazquez said. You re dealing with so much stuff away from the game, which I m sure he s dealing with also. Besides his throwing, it s tickets, it s family. I m sure he wants to help everybody, wants to please a lot of people. Already without center fielder Byron Buxton (migraines), the Twins removed fellow outfielder Max Kepler with a right knee injury in the 10th inning. Migraines force Byron Buxton to disabled list for Twins Mike Berardino Pioneer Press April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday after being unavailable for a second straight game because of recurring migraine headaches. After being sent home from Hiram Bithorn Stadium without taking batting practice on Tuesday, Buxton stayed at the team hotel for the second and final game of the Puerto Rico Series. It s improved some but not enough to where we feel like over the next couple of days he s going to be available to us, Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. He s obviously not feeling very well. The placement was retroactive to Sunday, meaning Buxton won t be eligible to come off the DL until April 25 at Yankee Stadium. Outfielder Ryan LaMarre was recalled from 26th-man status to take Buxton s place on the active roster. I m concerned, obviously, because there s history there, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I called him earlier (Wednesday), and he was obviously very disappointed, but he s got to take care of himself, first and foremost. There were no plans to put Buxton, who will travel with the team to Tampa Bay on Thursday, through additional tests beyond what head athletic trainer Tony Leo and team physician Dr. Thomas Jetzer have already been able to evaluate on site. The Platinum Glove Award winner as the top overall defender in the American League last season, Buxton was hitting.195 through 41 at-bats while playing every inning of the Twins first 11 games. He said this spring he gets migraines about once a month, but stronger medication prescribed late last July helps him control their severity. Twins catcher Jason Castro was scratched a couple of times this spring due to migraines related to allergies. I have them very, very infrequently, but I can definitely sympathize with what he s going through, Castro said. The tough thing is there s nothing you can really do for it. You just kind of have to isolate yourself and just hope that it goes away. KEPLER LEAVES Usual right fielder Max Kepler, who replaced Buxton in center field for a second straight night, was lifted with right knee discomfort in Wednesday s top of the 10th inning. We don t think there s anything structurally wrong, Molitor said. He thought it was catching a little bit. We ll check it out again (Thursday) but we think he s going to be OK. Kepler got a poor jump on Michael Brantley s bloop single in the ninth inning. After the inning he told the training staff his knee had acted up earlier in the game, so the Twins inserted eventual walk-off hero Ryan LaMarre in Kepler s place. (Kepler) said he felt it a little bit earlier and then when he went after that belt he felt it a little bit, Molitor said. We thought it was best to get him out. POWER OUTAGE Despite a general power outage that hit the hurricane-ravaged island of Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning, the second game of the Puerto Rico Series between the Twins and Cleveland Indians remained scheduled as planned. 10

11 All emergency systems at Hiram Bithorn Stadium have been tested just now and are fully functional, San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz posted on her Twitter account late Wednesday morning. The game will GO ON. Nothing will stop us. According to a spokesman from Major League Baseball, there is a backup power source at the ballpark and MLB remains confident tonight s game will be played without issue. Paid attendance for the Indians 6-1 victory over the Twins on Tuesday was 19,516, and a similar crowd was expected for Wednesday s finale of the two-game visit, the first regular-season major league games here since An Electric Power Authority spokeswoman told the Associated Press that crews were investigating the cause of the power outage. Officials said it could take 24 to 36 hours to restore power across the island, which is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria last Sept. 20. According to the AP, even before the first full island-wide blackout since the Category 4 storm hit, 40,000 customers were still without normal electric service as a result of Hurricane Maria. LINDOR S APOLOGY Twins leaders took no apparent umbrage at the emotion-charged home run trot by Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, who apologized preemptively after Tuesday s game in case anyone was offended by his antics. Coming in we knew it was a big deal for all the Puerto Rican players, Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. I thought it was really cool (Tuesday) night, the atmosphere after Lindor hit the homer. The emotion and everything, that s really good. I mean, that s awesome. Neither Dozier nor Molitor had any idea Lindor had apologized. Nor did they believe an apology was necessary. I love it, Dozier said. People showing emotion, getting excited, that s baseball for you. Our teammates, their guys, the more emotion we show and putting heart and soul and everything into it, I love it. I just wish we didn t give up the homer. I wish we had hit the homer. Molitor, who broke into pro ball more than four decades ago, said it s important to consider the context. I would think that boundaries or the limits around any type of display would be kind of wiped clean, he said. I would think anything goes, especially for the guys that are native here. To have a special moment like that for (Lindor), I didn t think twice about how he handled it. I would have been excited, too. Asked by a Spanish-language reporter if he understood the differences in the way Puerto Rican players might celebrate on this homecoming visit, Molitor smiled. Absolutely, he said. I think as a whole our game has kind of changed in what we might want to call acceptable show-ism. I think it s good for the game. I think fans respond to it. He did note the special cases that might have to do with game location and the like. There might be a point where in our game sometimes it gets close to being disrespectful to your opponent, he said. But I think to show emotion, and particularly in these special cases like Lindor last night and hopefully my guy tonight I hope he has a lot of reason to show emotion tonight. That would be good for us. BRIEFLY Ervin Santana (finger) has progressed out to 90 feet in his throwing program and is eager to do more, but the Twins continue to err on the side of caution with his plan. Phil Hughes (oblique) is slated to throw another bullpen and appears to be a candidate to start for the Twins as early as Sunday at Tampa Bay. Hughes has made a pair of rehab starts for Class A Fort Myers, working to a 2.70 earned run average with nine strikeouts and one walk in 10 innings. Migraines send Byron Buxton to the 10-day disabled list Derek Wetmore ESPN 1500 April 18, 2018 Migraine headaches are not to be taken lightly. And they ve been a recurring problem for Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton. Buxton was scratched from Tuesday s lineup with migraines, and Wednesday the Twins announced that they ve placed him on the 10-day disabled list. They backdated the stint to the team s last game, April 15, so the pain will keep Buxton out of the lineup for at least a week. 11

12 Ryan LaMarre, who already was with the team in Puerto Rico as the 26th man, will replace Buxton on the 25-man roster. LaMarre s single in 16th inning lifts Twins over Indians in Puerto Rico Staff Writer Associated Press April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Ryan LaMarre started this series as Minnesota s extra player. He got the Twins a split in extra innings, and gave Eddie Rosario a memory he ll never forget. Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the bottom of the 16th inning, coming around on LaMarre s single that gave Minnesota a 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night, and a split of the teams two-game series in Puerto Rico. The game took 5 hours, 13 minutes with the teams combining for 117 at-bats. They were a combined 0 for 21 with runners in scoring position until LaMarre ended it around 12:23 a.m. It was a heck of a baseball game, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Obviously, just try to find a way to put some points on the board and find a way to win. Outstanding pitching on both sides. Rosario led off the 16th with a single and went to third when Logan Morrison s grounder which could have been a double-play ball got past second baseman Jason Kipnis. Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out, and LaMarre came through with the game-ending swing. LaMarre was brought to San Juan as the Twins 26th player; Major League Baseball allowed each club an extra body for the series. LaMarre didn t even come into the game until the 10th, and was 3 for 4. He s a nice guy to have around, Molitor said. The game took so long that Minnesota s Joe Mauer and Zach Duke both aged a year they turn 35 on Thursday, which meant their birthdays started around the 16th inning. The teams were scoreless until trading solo homers in the 14th. Edwin Encarnacion got his off the left-field foul pole for Cleveland, and Miguel Sano tied it for the Twins leading off the bottom half against former Minnesota pitcher Matt Belisle. Cleveland used 23 players, with only three starting pitchers left on the bench by game s end. Josh Tomlin (0-2) made his first relief appearance since 2016 and took the loss though the only run he allowed was unearned. Minnesota used eight pitchers, Alan Busenitz (1-0) the last of them. Busenitz worked the last two innings. The game was played hours after an island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico in the morning, though officials quickly determined the game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium could go on as scheduled with the help of backup systems. Even with a split, the visit brought back good memories for Indians manager Terry Francona, who played and managed at Hiram Bithorn in his winter league days. When we play games, normally when something happens you hear something, Francona said. But here there s a constant going on, whether it s people yelling or hitting those sticks or bands or whatever music. It s a little different. Both starters were brilliant, each throwing seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Jose Berrios finished with five strikeouts and no walks for Minnesota, and Cleveland s Carlos Carrasco struck out seven and walked one. The game started with Puerto Rican vs. Puerto Rican, Berrios vs. the Indians Francisco Lindor, Cleveland s offensive hero in Tuesday night s win. Berrios set the tone in three pitches: Lindor fouled off the first two, then couldn t check his swing on the third. From there, the pitcher s duel was on. Berrios ERA fell to 1.63, and some fans were unhappy when he got pulled after 84 pitches. Carrasco s ERA dropped to I m not satisfied, Berrios said. But we got the win. That s what matters. TRAINER S ROOM 12

13 Indians: Francona is seriously concerned about the future of 1B Mike Napoli, who was with Cleveland for its run to the World Series in 2016 and is now dealing with a serious knee injury. Napoli was hurt Tuesday night playing for Cleveland s Triple-A affiliate, chasing down a foul ball. I believe things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe this now starts him on a second journey in his career, Francona said. He was an impact player. My guess is he ll impact the game doing something else now. Twins: CF Byron Buxton missed his second consecutive game with migraines and was placed on the 10-day DL retroactive to Sunday. His spot on the roster went to LaMarre. BITHORN HISTORY Berrios became only the second Puerto Rican pitcher to start a regular-season MLB game at Hiram Bithorn; the other was Javier Vazquez, who made four starts there in 2003 when the Montreal Expos used San Juan as an alternate home site. ANOTHER HOMECOMING It wasn t just players returning to Puerto Rico for work. Umpire Roberto Ortiz, who s been in the big leagues for about two years, was on the crew assigned to the series. He was at third on Tuesday and second on Wednesday. UP NEXT Indians: Off Thursday, then RHP Trevor Bauer (1-1, 2.25) starts Friday at Baltimore and RHP Dylan Bundy (0-2, 1.40). Twins: Off Thursday, then RHP Lance Lynn (0-1, 5.00) starts Friday at Tampa Bay and RHP Chris Archer (1-1, 7.84). Lynn hasn t pitched since April 9, getting pushed back because of the Twins weather-related postponements last week. Mets use 9-run 8th inning to cruise past Nats 11-5 Staff Writer Associated Press April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the 16th inning, coming around on Ryan LaMarre s single to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Wednesday night for a split of their two-game series in Puerto Rico. Rosario led off the 16th with a single and went to third when Logan Morrison s grounder which could have been a double-play ball got past second baseman Jason Kipnis. Eduardo Escobar was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out, and LaMarre finally ended the 5-hour, 13-minute marathon with a sharp liner to center. Alan Busenitz (1-0) worked two innings for the win. Josh Tomlin (0-2) got the loss in his first relief appearance since Twins outfielder Buxton placed on 10-day DL with migranes Staff Writer Fox Sports North April 19, 2018 Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to migranes, the team announced Wednesday. Ryan LaMarre, who was already serving as the Twins 26th man for the two-game Puerto Rico Series, will take his place on the 25-man roster. The Twins made the move retroactive to April 15, so Buxton can return to action Sunday. In 11 games this season, Buxton has a recorded a modest.195/.233/.244 slash line but has collected a hit in three straight games. Mayor: Twins-Indians will be played despite blackout Staff Writer Associated Press April 19, 2018 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The lights were on for Cleveland and Minnesota on Wednesday night, while much of the rest of Puerto Rico was without electricity after yet another blow to efforts across the island to recover from damage caused by Hurricane Maria. 13