Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Transcription

1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, August 22, 2018 Twins rally in 9th to spoil top prospect's debut. MLB.com (Gelman) p.1 Finger injury might end Santana's season. MLB.com (Gelman) p.2 Austin apologizes for father's Twitter gripes. MLB.com (Gelman) p.3 Twins score three late runs to top White Sox after rain delay. Star Tribune (Miller) p.3 Paul Molitor says it's "less likely" Ervin Santana will pitch again this season. Star Tribune (Miller) p.4 Twins' Tyler Austin 'embarrassed' about dad's baseball tweets. Star Tribune (Miller) p.5 Postgame: Cave was patient, then aggressive, and it pays off with a run. Star Tribune (Miller) p.6 Tuesday's Twins-White Sox game recap. Star Tribune (Miller) p.7 Jose Berrios outlasts White Sox rookie Michael Kopech in 5-2 Twins win. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p.7 Twins pitcher Ervin Santana s return this year less likely after latest exam. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p.8 Twins score 3 runs in 9th inning, down White Sox. Fox Sports North (AP) p.9 White Sox send ace Rodon to mound versus TwinsFox Sports North (XChange) p. 10 Stephen Gonsalves admits to a little bit of nervousness in his debut on Monday. The Athletic (Hayes) p.11 Twins rally in 9th to spoil top prospect's debut Max Gelman MLB.com August 22, 2018 CHICAGO -- The Twins, with the help of some timely rain, played spoiler Tuesday night. Three ninth-inning runs boosted Minnesota to a 5-2 win over Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field, putting a damper on highly regarded White Sox prospect Michael Kopech's MLB debut. Eddie Rosario notched the go-ahead hit, driving in Mitch Garver with two outs in the inning on a bloop single to left-center field. "I wanted a good pitch to hit," Rosario said. "Line drive. Base hit." Kopech, baseball's No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his Major League debut but only lasted two innings due to a 52-minute rain delay. The Twins made him work, as Kopech needed 52 pitches to get through his two innings. Rosario, who singled off Kopech in the first inning, said he's excited to see more of him in the future. "I want to see what he has," Rosario said. "That's another great thing about the base hit, I didn't want to be the first strikeout for this guy." But the Twins also spoiled what would have been an inspiring comeback win for the White Sox. Yoan Moncada, the player acquired along with Kopech for Chris Sale two winters ago, slugged a solo home run in the seventh to tie the game at 2-2. The home run, while symbolic in nature, ultimately proved moot thanks to Minnesota's ninth-inning rally. The Twins nearly floundered in the ninth as well when Jake Cave was thrown out at home by Avisail Garcia with one out. Cave, who averages an above-average 27.8 feet per second sprint speed per Statcast, appeared likely to score on the play, but Garcia made a perfect one-hop throw. "We had to grind to find a way to score," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "You're kind of thinking that might have been your chance, but we still got a couple of big hits after that with Rosie and Polanco. So you take 'em." Jose Berrios pitched well despite sitting through the delay in the second inning. He appeared unfazed by the long break, pitching five innings of one-run ball while giving up just four hits and striking out four. "When we came in here for the rain delay, I kept moving to stay warm," Berrios said. "I didn't really play catch. Just move around, stretch myself,

2 roll out my arm. When he figured out what time we were going to start, I went into my routine: play catch and then go to the mound." "Give Jose a lot of credit, we were right on the edge there of putting him back out there, just concerned about how much time went by," Molitor said. "You can stretch it to close to an hour, but then you're getting real close you just worry about a guy, especially a young guy. That's why we limited him to five innings." Over his last two starts, Berrios had struggled getting deep into games. He'd pitched a combined 7 2/3 innings against the Indians and Pirates, allowing eight runs (seven earned) and threw 183 pitches during those starts. Berrios hurled 81 pitches Tuesday night, his fewest since a 78-pitch, 4 1/3-inning start June 29 against the Cubs, but gave up one run or fewer for the first time in almost a month. "A little bit of craziness that took place out there, the rundown, a couple of them actually," Molitor said. "You hate to see those kind of things, but we overcame them and found a way to win." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The ol' college try: The Twins scored an unorthodox run in the fourth inning thanks to heads-up baserunning by Robbie Grossman. With Jeanmar Gomez pitching, Grossman intentionally got into a rundown after getting picked off first base. Cave, who was on third, waited for a few throws, and then darted home after the White Sox took their eyes off him. Cave scored easily, putting the Twins up 2-1 at the time. Crazy eights: Minnesota got off to an inauspicious start in the eighth inning when speedster Adam Engel led off for Chicago with a single. Trevor May had Engel picked off, but Engel made it to second base after a throwing error from Joe Mauer. Then, as Tim Anderson laid down a sacrifice bunt, May stumbled fielding the ball and threw wide of first, allowing Anderson to reach safely. Anderson got himself into a rundown to try to allow Engel to score, but then Engel was caught between third and home. Ultimately, Engel was tagged out and Anderson ended up on third with one out. May then struck out Yolmer Sanchez and Matt Davidson swinging, walking off the mound shouting "Yes!" and pumping his fists. "We actually executed fairly well," Molitor said. "Sometimes the guys do a good job of staying in there long enough, we end up getting two guys at third and at least we got an out. And then May made it count by getting a couple of strikeouts." HE SAID IT "There was a lot of energy here. Obviously the Sox fans are very well aware of this guy, and put him being part of the future. I thought he handled it pretty well. He's got three good pitches that we saw, got his strikeouts, all those things. Pitched out of jam right out of the gate, got the pop up and strikeout on [Miguel Sano] there, and [Max Kepler] on the fly ball, so we missed an opportunity, and he came back out and was real solid in the second too. So kind of like our guys that have been up here for the first time, I'm sure there was a little bit of anxiousness there, I would at least imagine that, but I thought he handled it pretty well." -- Molitor, on Kopech's debut. UP NEXT The Twins wrap up their road trip to Chicago on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. CT, sending Kyle Gibson (7-9, 3.51 ERA) to the mound. Gibson gave up three runs in seven innings last time out against the Tigers. Carlos Rodon (4-3, 2.69) goes for the White Sox. Finger injury might end Santana's season Max Gelman MLB.com August 21, 2018 CHICAGO -- Ervin Santana's finger injury already cost him several months of the season. Now it appears he might not pitch again in Santana saw hand specialist Dr. Thomas Varecka and underwent X-rays on his right middle finger Tuesday, with Varecka expressing "concern about what he saw," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before Tuesday's game with the White Sox. Santana will have an MRI tomorrow, but it is "becoming a little less likely he'll pitch here the remainder of the season." "I'm not sure where it's going to go," Molitor said. "There's going to be communication from people that have seen him in the past, to Dr. Varecka, to our staff and try to come to some kind of consensus on what's the next step for him." The Twins placed Santana on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with "reoccurring symptoms related to his original injury to his third finger MCP joint on his right hand." Santana had surgery on the finger in February and was only supposed to miss a month of the regular season at most. But the injury continued to linger, and Santana has thrown only 24 2/3 innings this season in five starts since July 25. 2

3 A 16-game winner a year ago, Santana is 0-1 with an 8.03 ERA, walking nine and striking out 16. GONSALVES 'AFFECTED' BY MAJOR LEAGUE ATMOSPHERE Stephen Gonsalves couldn't make it out of the second inning in his MLB debut Monday against the White Sox, and said afterward that he had nerves on the mound, including his back leg shaking in the first inning. On Tuesday, Molitor concurred with Gonsalves' statements. "As much as I think he's got a pretty cool, calm demeanor, there was obviously an effect of being here for the first time in a Major League game, and not Spring Training," Molitor said. "That's not necessarily a bad thing or a knock, it's just kind of the reality of it sinking in. You're out there and you've got a lot of time to think and you look up and see your parents and your fiancee, in a big league stadium. "That's my take on it, I think it affected him." Gonsalves, Minnesota'sNo. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was charged with four runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings Monday, needing 55 pitches. The lefty, drafted in the fourth round of 2013's MLB Draft, owned a 1.27 ERA in his previous 11 starts at Triple-A Rochester. Despite the poor outing, he will stay in the rotation, Molitor said. "There's a lesson to be learned in everything you do -- good, bad, first, 100th, whatever," Molitor said. "It's up to the individual to apply those lessons and make yourself a better person and a better player. So we'll see. He's going to be back out there." TWINS POWER SURGING Over their last five games, the Twins have hit 15 home runs, bringing their total to 131 this season. But that recent power binge still puts Minnesota 12th in the American League in homers. Nonetheless, new acquisition Tyler Austin doesn't seem to mind. "For the most part, everyone's been swinging at good pitches, that's the big thing," said Austin, who hit two of the homers. "When you get a lineup with this much talent and you swing at good pitches, good things will happen." Molitor added that the Twins have been "reliant" on power this season, and that his players are trying to finish the season as strongly as possible. "The majority of our runs scored over the last stretch has been from the power, which is good," Molitor said. "There are different times of the season where your team is going to find different ways to compete offensively." Austin apologizes for father's Twitter gripes Max Gelman MLB.com August 21, 2018 CHICAGO -- Tyler Austin last tweeted on April 30 about drinking "some sweet tea" in Houston. But recently he's soured on Twitter for an entirely different reason. Austin's father caused a stir on Twitter after a user took screenshots of tweets seeming to complain about the playing time of former Yankee teammate, Greg Bird. As a result, Austin all but apologized for his father's tweets Tuesday before the Twins' game with the White Sox. "Pretty embarrassed about what my dad put on there," Austin said. "Didn't know about it until somebody sent me a picture of it, and told him immediately to take it down. It's embarrassing and it should never have happened." Austin added that he will reach out to Bird personally to apologize. Austin's father tweeted on Aug. 11, "18 homerun [sic] for Tyler on the year but bird is word." On Aug. 18, he sent out, "Tyler has more hits with the twins [sic] in a week than bird has in a month with the Yankees." The Twins acquired Austin from the Yankees at the Trade Deadline in the deal that sent pitcher Lance Lynn to the Bronx. After being called up from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 11, Austin has hit.370/.400/.741 with three homers for Minnesota. Twins score three late runs to top White Sox after rain delay Phil Miller Star Tribune August 22, 2018 CHICAGO After all that had happened, the rain delay and the various rundowns and the defensive mistakes and White Sox home runs, the 3

4 Twins 5-2 victory over Chicago came down to one critical play Tuesday night: an intentional walk. That was the White Sox big mistake, telling Joe Mauer to take his base not because of the strategy, but because of who it offended. I don t think it s smart. But I like it [because] I m focused to have a better at-bat, said Eddie Rosario, who turned that motivation into a tie-breaking, ninth-inning single. I know everybody respects Joe Mauer. But I don t like [getting] no respect. You d think the White Sox would know better, considering Rosario has driven in a dozen runs against them this season, more than anyone except Detroit s Nick Castellanos. But Sox reliever Jace Fry fell behind Rosario 3-1, then tried to sneak a low fastball past him. Didn t work. Line drive. Base hit, Rosario said of the fat pitch. I tried to [drive] in the RBI to finish the game. He did, looping the ball into center field, then moving up to second when Adam Engel bobbled it. Jorge Polanco followed with a two-run single of his own, and the Twins had made a wreck of what White Sox fans had hoped would be the kickoff of the Michael Kopech Era. Kopech, the much-hyped pitching prospect who was acquired from Boston in the Chris Sale trade, was the center of attention for only two innings, thanks to a sudden summer shower. He threw 52 pitches, most of them at 97 miles per hour, and struck out four, with the crowd roaring at his every move. They cheered him from the moment he stepped out of the dugout to warm up, after all. That s the sort of thing that motivates Rosario, too. A really good fastball, Rosario said of Kopech, though the Twins outfielder followed Mauer s first-inning single with one of his own. I didn t want to be the first strikeout for this guy. I think we ll see this guy a lot. The White Sox will see Jose Berrios a lot, too, and that seems to be good for the Twins. Berrios, 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA in his career against the White Sox, waited out the hourlong delay, did his best to stay warm, and convinced Twins manager Paul Molitor to leave him in the game. He gave up a solo home run to Nicky Delmonico, but no other Sox hitter reached second base. The Twins, who had scored nearly all their runs on home runs over the past five days, instead relied on crafty baserunning to take the lead Tuesday. With one out in the fourth inning, three consecutive singles, the last by Robbie Grossman, produced one run to tie the score, and left Jake Cave on third base and Grossman on first. Molitor signaled for a hit-and-run, but Bobby Wilson missed the sign. Grossman took off for second base and stopped halfway, realizing he was going to be out. But as White Sox first baseman Matt Davidson finally tracked down Grossman and tagged him out, Cave broke for the plate and easily beat Davidson s throw, giving the Twins a 2-1 lead. Jake made a nice read, Molitor said. They got a little overcommitted on the tag, and Jake got a good jump. Behind the strong pitching of Berrios and Gabriel Moya, that lead held up into the seventh inning. But after retiring five of the first six batters he faced, Moya finally slipped up against Yoan Moncada who, like Kopech, came to Chicago in the Sale trade. A hanging changeup on a 1-1 count wound up in the left-field seats, tying the game on Moncada s 16th home run. That merely set up Chicago s decision to walk Mauer in the ninth. Their biggest mistake. Paul Molitor says it's "less likely" Ervin Santana will pitch again this season Phil Miller Star Tribune August 22, 2018 CHICAGO Ervin Santana s visit to the Twins hand specialist didn t go as well as hoped Tuesday, and while further tests have been scheduled, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, it s becoming a little less likely he s going to pitch here again in Santana had X-rays taken of his pitching hand after an examination by Dr. Thomas Varecka in Minneapolis, Molitor said, and there was some concern about what he saw. Santana will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam Wednesday, and the Twins don t want to make any decisions or announcements about his status until the results of the MRI are reviewed. But Santana, who went on the disabled list Sunday after reporting increasing discomfort in his right middle finger, appears unlikely to be cleared to pitch again anytime soon. I m not sure where it s going to go, Molitor said. There s going to be communication from people that have seen him in the past, to Dr. Varecka, to our [medical] staff, and try to come to some kind of consensus [about] what the next step is going to be. After undergoing surgery to remove calcium deposits in early February, Santana, 35, missed nearly four months of the season. He pitched only 4

5 five times for the Twins, between July 25 and Aug. 16, and the results weren t encouraging: an 8.03 ERA, a fastball that averaged only 89 miles per hour and, he revealed this week, a return of the pain in his finger. The Twins own a $14 million option on next year, but are likely to pay a $1 million buyout instead and allow Santana to become a free agent. No tweeting please, Dad Tyler Austin s efforts to unseat Greg Bird as the Yankees first baseman ended when New York included him in the trade for Lance Lynn last month, and Austin says he s excited to be a Twin. But his father, Chris Austin, obviously isn t happy about the Yankees choice. And Tyler Austin isn t happy about his father making that public. Twice in the past 10 days, Chris Austin compared his son to Bird on Twitter, and Tyler wishes he hadn t. Pretty embarrassed about what my dad put on there, Austin said. On Aug. 11, after Austin homered in his debut with the Twins, his father tweeted 18 homerun for Tyler on the year but bird is word. And Saturday, after Austin singled twice and connected on his third home run as a Twin, Chris Austin tweeted Tyler has more hits with the twins in a week than bird has in a month with the Yankees. Both tweets were later deleted. I didn t know about it until somebody sent me a picture of it. I told him immediately to take it down, Austin said of the latest tweet. It s embarrassing and should never happen. Austin, 26, is off to a strong start with the Twins, batting.370 (10-for-27) with three home runs in eight games so far. Bird is the object of much criticism in New York, and it s grown louder given his 9-for-64 (.141) slump since Austin was traded July 30. But the Twins new first baseman and DH is clearly eager to move on from the controversy in New York. I m excited to be here. We ve got a great group of guys that I m happy to share a locker room with, Austin said. This team is filled with talent, from top to bottom. Austin will be contacting his former teammate to apologize, he said. I will be reaching out to him, because something like that should never happen, he said. Etc. Michael Pineda allowed only two hits over four innings Tuesday in his Class AAA debut with Rochester, walking two and striking out two against Pawtucket. The former Yankee, recovering from elbow surgery a year ago, remains on track to return to the major leagues in September. Twins' Tyler Austin 'embarrassed' about dad's baseball tweets Phil Miller Star Tribune August 22, 2018 CHICAGO - Tyler Austin s efforts to unseat Greg Bird as the Yankees first baseman ended when New York included him in the trade for Lance Lynn last month, and Austin says he s excited to be a Twin. But his father, Chris Austin, obviously isn t happy about the Yankees choice. And Tyler Austin isn t happy about his father making that public. Twice in the past 10 days, Chris Austin compared his son to Bird on Twitter, and Tyler wishes he hadn t. Pretty embarrassed about what my dad put on there, Austin said. On Aug. 11, after Austin homered in his debut with the Twins, his father tweeted 18 homerun for Tyler on the year but bird is word. And Saturday, after Austin singled twice and connected on his third home run as a Twin, Chris Austin tweeted Tyler has more hits with the twins in a week than bird has in a month with the Yankees. Both tweets were later deleted. I didn t know about it until somebody sent me a picture of it. I told him immediately to take it down, Austin said of the latest tweet. It s embarrassing and should never happen. 5

6 Austin, 26, is off to a strong start with the Twins, batting.370 (10-for-27) with three home runs in eight games so far. Bird is the object of much criticism in New York, and it s grown louder given his 9-for-64 (.141) slump since Austin was traded July 30. But the Twins new first baseman and DH is clearly eager to move on from the controversy in New York. I m excited to be here. We ve got a great group of guys that I m happy to share a locker room with, Austin said. This team is filled with talent, from top to bottom. Austin will be contacting his former teammate to apologize, he said. I will be reaching out to him, because something like that should never happen, he said. Postgame: Cave was patient, then aggressive, and it pays off with a run Phil Miller Star Tribune August 22, 2018 CHICAGO Jake Cave knew the hit-and-run was coming, so he was already creeping down the third-base line in the fourth inning Tuesday, ready to run at the crack of the bat. Only there was no crack. Bobby Wilson hadn t picked up the sign, and didn t swing. Trouble was, Robbie Grossman had already broken for second base, and on the rain-soaked dirt, he knew he was going to be an easy out. Grossman stopped. And Cave waited to see what would happen next. Once I saw the throw down to second, I started leaning that way [toward the plate], because I thought if they were going to throw it my way, then I ll just stay in a rundown so Grossman can get to third base, Cave said. Then I saw [second baseman Yoan Moncada] throw to the first baseman, and he kind of put his head down to try to tag the guy. I knew that was the time to try to make it happen. And it worked. It did, with Cave easily beating Matt Davidson s throw to the plate. Great read by Jake, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I was just hoping Bobby would give us a ground ball that would score a run. When [Grossman] didn t get a great jump, he decided to go the rundown route, and Jake got a good jump on it. XXX Jose Berrios knew he hadn t been himself over the last two starts. Eight runs, two homers, eight walks, and no outs recorded in the fifth inning. So he was delighted to change things on Tuesday. My teammates had my back my last [two] starts. That s why we call it a team, the Twins, he said. It gives me more inspiration and confidence. I can go five or six innings and have a chance to win the game. I just go out there, compete, have fun, like I ve been doing all season, and it s going to be great. Berrios spent the last five days focused on getting ahead in the count and trying to have the same release point for each of his three pitches, in order to better hide what s coming. It paid off with five strong innings one run, four hits even though he wasn t crazy about having five days between starts instead of four. I didn t ask for it, I don t want it, but they pushed me back one day, Berrios said. So today s my day, and I did my work. He did, and even though he didn t get credit for the victory, he kept another streak intact. Berrios is 7-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 11 starts against AL Central teams this year. Tuesday's Twins-White Sox game recap Phil Miller Star Tribune August 22, 2018 GAME RECAP IMPACT PLAYER Eddie Rosario, Twins 6

7 The left fielder knocked in Mitch Garver with the go-ahead run in the ninth inning. BY THE NUMBERS 1 Runs given up by starter Jose Berrios in five innings, giving up just four hits. 2 Innings pitched by White Sox rookie Michael Kopech, who struck out four in the two innings he pitched. He did not come back after the game was delayed by rain after two innings. 2 Insurance runs knocked in by Jorge Polanco in the ninth inning. Jose Berrios outlasts White Sox rookie Michael Kopech in 5-2 Twins win Mike Berardino Pioneer Press August 22, 2018 CHICAGO A 52-minute rain delay short-circuited a tasty pitching duel between Twins all-star Jose Berrios and 22-year-old flamethrower Michael Kopech, the Chicago White Sox pitching prospect making his big-league debut. With a little help from the elements, Berrios outlasted Kopech by three full innings, but it took Eddie Rosario s go-ahead single in the ninth inning to push the Twins to a 5-2 win. Jorge Polanco added a two-run single for some breathing room, and Taylor Rogers worked the ninth for his second career save. Two more hits for Joe Mauer moved him within one of tying Hall of Famer Rod Carew for second-most in Twins history. Give Jose a lot of credit, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. We were right on the edge there of putting him back out there. Just concerned about how much time went by. He did a nice job of putting up some zeroes after the delay. Berrios, still just 24, was making his warmup tosses for the second inning when the skies opened. By the time he returned to resume that process, 48 minutes had passed. In terms of pitches thrown in anger, the delay was easily more than an hour for Berrios, considering he was watching from the dugout as Kopech weaved his way through a 30-pitch second. Philosophies vary on the maximum amount of time that should pass before shutting a pitcher down for the night, but the answer is typically somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour. Pitchers in Berrios situation typically play catch in the indoor batting tunnel in order to stay loose. Berrios gave up a solo homer to Nicky Delmonico and a walk to Yoan Moncada in the second, but a caught stealing wiped out that threat and the White Sox would manage just two singles over Berrios final three innings. He finished with 81 pitches, two walks and four strikeouts in lowering his earned run average to You talk to different people, and they have different parameters about what s feasible as far as downtime after being hot, Molitor said. He was trying to stay loose and doing some things inside. We got him out there playing catch on the grass when the rain let up a little bit. You can stretch it to close to an hour, but then you re getting real close. You just worry about a guy, especially a young guy. Berrios couldn t remember staying in through a longer rain delay, although he did recall one last August against the Texas Rangers that lasted maybe 30 minutes. I didn t want to come out of the game, Berrios said. I kept myself warm, and that s why they kept me in the game. I didn t really play catch. Just move around, stretch myself, roll out my arm. When (Molitor) figured out what time we were going to start, I went into my routine: play catch and then go to the mound. It was a relief, no doubt, to see Berrios come out firing mph after the delay. He even blew a 97-mph fastball by ex-twins prospect Daniel Palka for a strikeout in the fourth. I feel great, Berrios said. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I had an opportunity to stay in the game so I took advantage. Kopech, meanwhile, did not return after the delay in his much-anticipated debut. I don t know if it s going to mean a lot for Joe Mauer to face this guy in his debut, Molitor said before the game. But his name s out there. Everybody knows about this kid. Hopefully it s memorable for him, in maybe not such a positive way. 7

8 Rated the fourth-best pitching prospect by MLB.com and No. 13 overall, the 6-foot-3 former supplemental first rounder from East Texas gave up singles to the first two batters he faced, Mauer and Eddie Rosario. But Kopech, firing 98-mph fastballs at will, stranded both of them as the largerthen-normal crowd of 23,133 roared its approval. Miguel Sano became his first big-league strikeout victim, chasing a slider. Acquired along with Yoan Moncada in the five-player deal that sent Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox in December 2016, Kopech struck out Logan Forsythe and Jake Cave to start the second. A 98-mph fastball nicked Robbie Grossman, and Bobby Wilson followed with a flare single into short left field. That brought up Mauer, who fouled off four straight fastballs before getting rung up by plate umpire C.B. Bucknor on another 98-mph heater that Mauer thought was high. That ended Kopech s night at 52 pitches (35 strikes) with four striekouts, no walks and three singles. Two starts ago, facing the Twins Triple-A Rochester affiliate for the only time this season, Kopech fired seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. Of the five hits Kopech allowed against the Red Wings, just one went for extra bases: Gregorio Petit s double. Fernando Romero, another strong-armed rookie, opposed Kopech that night, giving up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits with just two strikeouts in four innings. Over his final seven starts for Charlotte, Kopech posted a 1.84 ERA with 59 strikeouts and just four walks. In addition to manager Rick Renteria, who remained in the Twin Cities after undergoing tests, the White Sox were without first baseman Jose Abreu. The all-star slugger underwent lower abdominal/groin surgery on Tuesday after complaining of pain in that area upon reporting to the clubhouse. Twins pitcher Ervin Santana s return this year less likely after latest exam Mike Berardino Pioneer Press August 22, 2018 CHICAGO Ervin Santana s lost season inched another step closer to its official end with Tuesday s examination of his surgically repaired right middle finger. Orthopedist Thomas Varecka viewed X-rays of the pitcher s troublesome digit in the Twin Cities and ordered a magnetic resonance imaging exam for Wednesday. I think there was some concern about what (Varecka) saw, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. I think it s becoming a little less likely (Santana) is going to pitch here the remainder of the season. The Twins are gathering more information on the condition of Santana s finger, which has bothered him off and on over the years. Even though it bothered him down the stretch last season, including a two-inning stint in the American League wild-card loss at Yankee Stadium, the decision was made to delay surgery. Then the condition flared up again in late January. Surgery followed on Feb. 6 in New York with Dr. Charles Melone, and the public prognosis was for Santana to return to the majors in 10 to 12 weeks. Instead, it took Santana until late May to begin the first of two separate rehab stints in the minors. Upon finally making his 2018 debut in Toronto on July 25, Santana was still dealing with diminished velocity. Had he been able to reach 200 innings for a second straight season, he would have triggered a $14 million option for Instead, the Twins appear almost certain to buy out that option for $1 million while weighing whether to bring him back on a lower base with performance bonuses for innings pitched. In five big-league starts this year, Santana has pitched to a career-worst 8.03 earned-run average with nine home runs allowed in just 24 2/3 innings. Wednesday s MRI will definitely be a part of the eventual plan for Santana, Molitor said, after the veteran was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday. According to people with direct knowledge, the Twins took out insurance policies on the contracts of Ricky Nolasco (four years, $49 million) and Phil Hughes (six years, $66 million after an extension). In Hughes case, they were believed able to recoup some of his salary after two surgeries for thoracic outlet syndrome limited him to 124 2/3 innings for the Twins after the start of It seems likely the Twins also took out a policy on Santana after guaranteeing him $55 million over four seasons in December 2014, although his elbow probably would have been an exception after he pitched through a torn ulnar collateral ligament suffered nearly a decade ago. How much such a policy would have covered of the $13.5 million the Twins paid Santana this year would depend on the deductible period and other factors. 8

9 FIRST-HAND LOOK Former Twins minor leaguer Daniel Palka, now batting cleanup with 18 homers as a rookie slugger for the Chicago White Sox, singled and walked on four pitches to help wreck Stephen Gonsalves big-league debut Monday night. Gonsalves teammate for large parts of the past two seasons at Double-A and Triple-A, Palka joined another ex-twins outfielder, Ryan LaMarre, during a pregame visit near the Twins dugout with their old friends. Palka said he wasn t surprised to see Gonsalves admit his left leg was shaking as he toed the pitching rubber. I could tell (he was nervous), said Palka, lost on waivers to the White Sox early last offseason. I think he had a little too much adrenaline, which is natural. It s going to happen. A 33-minute rain delay only added to the challenge as Gonsalves retired just four batters, tying him for the third-shortest debut by a Twins starter in club history. I saw he said (the delay) helped him, Palka said. I was like, Man, that would not help me. His stuff looked good. He just wasn t his normal self. Once he settles in, I think he s going to be successful. He s got every tool he needs to be successful. It will pan out. BRIEFLY White Sox manager Rick Renteria missed a second consecutive game after experiencing lightheadedness Monday afternoon at Target Field. Renteria was released from Hennepin County Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon after undergoing tests but wasn t due to return to Chicago until Wednesday, when he will likely undergo further testing. Right-hander Michael Pineda, working back from Tommy John surgery 13 months ago, gave up a run on two hits and two walks in four innings for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Pineda, who gave up a solo homer in his first inning, threw 32 of his 55 pitches for strikes. He is due to make two more starts for the Red Wings before September roster expansion. LaMarre, claimed off waivers from the Twins on July 9, was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte after a left hamstring injury landed Leury Garcia on the disabled list. LaMarre, who made the Twins roster after a monster spring, was hitting.273 in nine games for the White Sox. Twins score 3 runs in 9th inning, down White Sox Associated Press Fox Sports North August 22, 2018 CHICAGO Michael Kopech s anticipated debut for the Chicago White Sox was cut short by a rain delay, and Eddie Rosario led the Minnesota Twins to a 5-2 victory on Tuesday night. The game was tied at 2 before Minnesota pushed across three runs in the ninth. Jake Cave was thrown out when he tried to score from second on Mitch Garver s pinch-hit single, but Dylan Covey (4-11) issued an intentional walk to Joe Mauer before Rosario greeted Jace Fry with a tiebreaking RBI single into center field. Jorge Polanco tacked on a two-run single as Minnesota won for the sixth time in eight games. Trevor May (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory, and Taylor Rogers got three outs for his second save. The 22-year-old Kopech, one of baseball s top pitching prospects, struck out four in two scoreless innings before a 52-minute rain delay. Luis Avilan came in for the White Sox when the game resumed. Leaning heavily on his blazing fastball, Kopech allowed three hits, hit a batter and walked none while throwing 52 pitches. The right-hander was acquired in the December 2016 trade that sent ace left-hander Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox, and the White Sox are counting on him to be a prominent figure in their rebuilding project. Nicky Delmonico and Yoan Moncada homered for Chicago, which was without manager Rick Renteria for the second straight day due to an episode of lightheadedness. Minnesota grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Logan Forsythe and Jake Cave singled off Avilan with one out. After Robbie Grossman s RBI single against Jeanmar Gomez, Cave scored during a rundown on which Grossman was tagged out on a steal attempt. Moncada tied it at 2 with a solo drive off Gabriel Moya in the seventh. Twins right-hander Jose Berrios allowed one run and four hits in five innings. He is winless in his last three starts. 9

10 RENTERIA OUT Renteria will return to Chicago on Wednesday and undergo further testing, according to the team. The 56-year-old Renteria experienced lightheadedness and was hospitalized before Monday night s 8-5 victory over the Twins in Minnesota. He sounds good, said bench coach Joe McEwing, who spoke with Renteria before Tuesday s game. He s a very tough individual. AUSTIN IS SORRY Twins first baseman Tyler Austin apologized for his father s recent embarrassing tweets about New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird. The Yankees opted to keep Bird instead of Austin, who was traded for pitcher Lance Lynn on July 30. TRAINER S ROOM Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (sore right middle finger) will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, but manager Paul Molitor said it s becoming less likely he s going to play the rest of the season. The organization has a $1 million buyout option on his $14 million contract for next season. White Sox: INF Jose Abreu underwent outpatient surgery on his lower abdomen after complaining of discomfort upon his arrival to the ballpark. He could resume baseball-related activities in two weeks. OF Leury Garcia will be sidelined for three to six weeks after an MRI showed a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring. OF Ryan LaMarre was recalled from Charlotte and RHP Tyler Danish was sent to the Triple-A club. UP NEXT Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (7-9, 3.51 ERA) will take a career 6-3 record and 2.77 ERA against the White Sox into Wednesday s game. White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon has been on a roll of late 3-0 record, 1.41 ERA and.148 opponent batting average over his last six starts. White Sox send ace Rodon to mound versus Twins The Sports XChange Fox Sports North August 22, 2018 Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon has pitched like an unmistakable ace in recent weeks. Rodon cannot afford to let up when the White Sox host the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon in the conclusion of a quick two-game home series. Top-line starters stay consistent that s part of being an ace. The 25-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 starts this season. In his past seven starts, he has posted a 3-0 record with a miniscule 1.60 ERA. He is limiting hitters to a.159 average in that span. Against the Twins, Rodon is 4-2 with a 3.50 ERA in eight career appearances (seven starts). He s throwing the ball really, really well, White Sox manager Rick Renteria told the Chicago Tribune after a recent outing by Rodon. He s minimizing anything (the opponents) can do. His stuff is really good. His off-speed, his breaking ball are working well. That front-door action, also. Very focused. Chicago (47-78) will need to stay focused amid a difficult and distracting week. Renteria was hospitalized Sunday after complaining of light-headedness and has missed the past two games although the 56-year-old skipper has been released from the hospital. His availability for Wednesday is uncertain, with bench coach Joe McEwing able to manage in his place once again if necessary. In addition, All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu (22 home runs, 78 RBIs) is out for the next two weeks after undergoing outpatient surgery on his lower abdomen and groin Tuesday. The absence of Abreu leaves the White Sox without one of their biggest leaders on and off the field. His fourseason streak of 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs is almost certain to come to an end. Minnesota (60-65) is in better shape but also has shown plenty of warts this season. However, the Twins have won six of their past eight games and are coming off a 5-2 victory over Chicago. 10

11 Right-hander Kyle Gibson (7-9, 3.51 ERA) will make his 26th start for the Twins. He has won back-to-back starts while limiting opponents to four runs over his past two outings. Gibson is 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 12 career starts against the White Sox, and he is 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season. The Twins are riding high after Eddie Rosario (one RBI) and Jorge Polanco (two RBIs) put their team on top with two outs in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday. Polanco understands his role is to have good at bats and get hits, Twins manager Paul Molitor recently said to The Athletic. He s done well with runners in scoring position. He keeps the line moving. But everyone likes to contribute power every now and then and to see one from the right side (recently) was really nice. Both teams will head to the airport after the matinee, with the White Sox flying over Lake Michigan to face the Detroit Tigers and the Twins traveling home to host the Oakland Athletics. Stephen Gonsalves admits to a little bit of nervousness in his debut on Monday Dan Hayes The Athletic August 22, 2018 CHICAGO Stephen Gonsalves sat in the chair in front of his locker on Tuesday and reviewed footage of his major-league debut from 24 hours earlier. Clearly, events didn t transpire how the Twins rookie pitcher wanted. The team s No. 5 pitching prospect earned the loss after he lasted only 55 pitches and allowed four earned runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings. But after a follow-up chat with pitching coach Garvin Alston and watching video on Tuesday, Gonsalves felt better about what happened Monday. The rookie suspects that a case of nerves played a significant role in his struggles, including a lack of command with his go-to pitch, the changeup. It wasn t where I wanted it to be, Gonsalves said. I was missing middle of the plate with it. It was cutting on me. I think I was getting overanxious, kind of drifting to the plate. Just a little bit of nervousness that s my go-to pitch. Gonsalves changeup is easily considered his best pitch. MLBPipeline.com grades it as a 60 on the scouting scale. His fastball grades at 55, his curve is a 50 and the slider rates at 40. The left-hander spent the past eight outings in the minors polishing his command and said his changeup has improved. But a pitch that he normally buries was thrown up in the zone routinely throughout his debut. Gonsalves threw his changeup 12 times, according to BaseballSavant.com. Two of them were below the zone and the other 10 were belt-high or more up. Gonsalves induced two swinging strikes, got a pair of called strikes and four foul balls. The White Sox also hit two mistake changeups, accounting for three runs. Jose Abreu doubled in two runs on a 2-0 changeup and Matt Davidson singled in another on a 1-2 changeup. As much as I think he s got a pretty cool, calm demeanor, there was obviously an effect of being here for the first time in a major-league game, and not spring training, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. That s not necessarily a bad thing or a knock, it s just kind of the reality of it sinking in. You re out there and you ve got a lot of time to think and you look up and see your parents and your fiancée, in a big-league stadium. That s my take on it, I think it affected him. The command issues that were hampering him a little bit earlier (in the season that) had been kind of cleaned up, and he had been doing really well with all his pitches, and last night, we didn t see that. Alston liked one thing he discovered on Tuesday when he spoke with Gonsalves in the dugout. He was excited by how much information Gonsalves retained and processed despite all that was going on around him. Most times when you re going through stuff and it s going so fast that you remember bits and pieces of it, Alston said. That he remembered certain things going on verbatim is good because it tells me he was in the moment. I was happy about that. He went through the jitters. it s to be expected. Things could have gone a whole different way. I just like the way he held his composure. 11

12 Gonsalves did so in spite of wobbly legs. Alston also noticed Gonsalves saliva was white, which he suspected was the cause of working with a lot of adrenaline. Gonsalves estimated 25 friends and family attended the game at Target Field on Monday night. Despite the results, Gonsalves is proud to have reached the major leagues. He also thinks he ll be in a more comfortable place when he pitches on Saturday at home against the Oakland A s. It s been my childhood dream to get here, Gonsalves said The fact I can call myself a big-league pitcher is unbelievable. All the bullpen guys, I put a little stress on them. But they all came up to me and said it s still a big deal. My whole first inning, the back leg was shaking. By the second inning, I was fine. MRI scheduled for Santana Two days after he spoke about the 2018 season as if it could be over, pitcher Ervin Santana s checkup, which included an X-ray, will lead to another examination. Santana is now scheduled to undergo an MRI to have his injured right middle finger examined on Wednesday, manager Paul Molitor said. After missing much of the season recovering from a February surgery, Santana was placed on the disabled list on Sunday with a recurrence of the original injury. I think (there) was some concern about what he saw, Molitor said. I m not sure where it s going to go. I think it s becoming a little less likely he s going to pitch here the remainder of the season. Rosario comes through late after White Sox show no respect Eddie Rosario understands exactly why he batted in the ninth inning instead of Joe Mauer. It was a sign of respect for Mauer s outstanding abilities with runners in scoring position and the fact that first base was open that led the White Sox to intentionally walk the veteran hitter to face Rosario instead. But it doesn t mean Rosario favored the decision. He doesn t, however, mind seeing the batter in front of him walked, it gets him more locked in. Rosario took advantage of his heightened state of mind and singled off Chicago reliever Jace Fry to drive in the go-ahead run. Jorge Polanco singled in two more runners as the Twins topped the White Sox 5-2. I like when I m focused to have a better at-bat, Rosario said. Better at-bat, 100 percent. I like that. I know everybody respects Joe Mauer. But I don t like (getting) no respect. Rosario also singled earlier in the contest off White Sox top pitching prospect Michael Kopech. Rosario thinks Kopech, who struck out four in two innings before rain disrupted his major-league debut, has a pretty good fastball. That s another great thing about the base hit, I didn t want to be the first strikeout for this guy, Rosario said. I think we ll see this guy a lot. I liked him. I want to see what he has. 12