Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, September 8, 2017

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, September 8, 2017 Twins save best for last, use ninth-inning rally to beat Royals. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Miguel Sano suffers minor setback. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Ervin Santana likely to get playoff start if Twins hold wild-card spot. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Twins shut down Fort Myers complex as Irma roars toward Florida. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3 Twins get three in the ninth to beat Kansas City. Pioneer Press (Brown) p. 3 Late-blooming Ehire Adrianza showing Minnesota Twins he can hit. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Twins report: Berrios worst Irma fears fail to materialize. Pioneer Press (Brown) p. 6 Twins rally in 9th vs. KC, extend 2nd WC lead. MLB (Flanagan & Bollinger) p. 7 Polanco stays clutch with two-run hit vs. KC. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8 Sano suffers setback with left shin soreness. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins rally for 3 in 9th, top Royals 4-2. (AP) p. 10 Twins save best for last, use ninth-inning rally to beat Royals Phil Miller Star Tribune September 8, 2017 KANSAS CITY, MO. The Royals have made a specialty of victimizing the Twins with spectacular defense in Kauffman Stadium so many times, and Alex Gordon in particular has made a career of diving and sliding and leaping for tough outs. So when Jason Castro skied a popup about 150 feet down the left field line Thursday, into one of the western Missouri counties that Gordon normally covers by himself, manager Paul Molitor mentally chalked up the ninth inning s second out. He had to erase it, though, when something happened he hadn t contemplated: Gordon slowed up as he neared where the ball was falling, didn t call Alcides Escobar off an impossible play, and then watched the Royals shortstop attempt a lunging, back-to-the-infield basket catch. It glanced off Escobar s glove, bounced off the turf, and handed the Twins the break they needed to construct a stunning three-run rally and claim a confidence-building 4-2 victory over the Royals. The Twins moved one full game in front of the Angels for the final AL wild card, two ahead of the Orioles and 3½ in front of the Royals. We ve seen Gordon make, I don t know how many dozens of [great] catches against us, Molitor said, confessing his faith in the Gold Glove left fielder. Usually off Joe Mauer, though, so maybe it was the different hitter. With what should have been the inning s second out transformed into a single, Brian Dozier connected on a fly ball that might have ended the game but instead went down as a clutch tying sacrifice fly. Moments later, Jorge Polanco grounded a two-run single up the middle, and the Twins erupted in a celebration that felt like an exorcism. It was really good to see us get over the hump in one of these games where we ve put pressure on down to the last pitch and just have come up a little bit short, Molitor said. In the last week alone, there were three other times when we were up there with a chance to do something [with] two outs in the ninth, and couldn t get that last hit. That it was provided by Polanco, the 24-year-old shortstop who was hitting.217 exactly one month ago, said a lot to the Twins. He has completely turned around his season over the past four weeks, a talent that belies his inexperience. And his ninth-inning at-bat Thursday take a 97-mph strike from Royals closer Kelvin Herrera, then connect with the next one impressed his teammates. He hasn t given up. A lot of times, when young guys go into slumps, they can let it really affect them, said Kyle Gibson, who gave up two runs over seven innings in his fourth consecutive quality start. We know the kind of player he is. You ve just got to give a guy like that at-bats. That s

2 what Mollie s done and it s paid off. For [Polanco] to stay in his approach, not let it get to him, shows a lot of maturity. That means something coming from a pitcher whose own dog-days revival on the mound resembles Polanco s at the plate. Gibson has been sent to the minors twice this season and appeared headed for nontender termination this winter. But in each of his past four starts, Gibson has gone at least six innings and given up two runs or fewer. His ERA since Aug. 22: He didn t strike out a batter Thursday, the first time that has happened in a couple of seasons. But of the eight hits off him, none left the ballpark, and seven were singles hits that were easily erased by double plays. And his defense turned three behind him, and a fourth for winning pitcher Trevor Hildenberger, too. It s part of his game, he can get the ball on the ground, Molitor said. We had to make some tough plays. None bigger than the one the Royals couldn t make, though. Miguel Sano suffers minor setback Phil Miller Star Tribune September 7, 2017 Miguel Sano s recovery from the stress reaction in his left shin suffered a minor setback Thursday at Target Field, Molitor said. Sano, out since Aug. 19 after fouling a ball off his leg, did some light running Wednesday, and got through it, Molitor said, but [Thursday] he was sore from having done that for the first time. Sano had been scheduled to take batting practice on the field, Molitor said, but we ended up limiting him to just hitting off the tee. We ll see if we can get on the field [Friday]. Ervin Santana likely to get playoff start if Twins hold wild-card spot Phil Miller Star Tribune September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Mo. The first postseason game of Ervin Santana s career was a win-or-you re-done game against the Yankees, and he remembers thriving under the pressure. It was the deciding fifth game of the 2005 AL Division Series, and Santana, then a 22-year-old rookie, was called upon in the second inning to take over for the Angels starter someone named Bartolo Colon when the veteran developed soreness in his shoulder. Elimination games are fun, Santana said, and his five-inning relief stint in that game was especially great, since he earned the victory and the Angels advanced to the ALCS. All that matters is what you do right then, in that game. Nothing before that game matters. That s the sort of attitude and experience, not to mention his strong 2017 season, that makes Santana the obvious choice to start this year s AL wild-card game, should the Twins emerge three weeks from now with the playoff spot they ve clung to for much of the past month. Twins manager Paul Molitor agrees, and on Thursday, he sounded inclined to make it happen as he lays out his pitching plans for the rest of the season. Keeping Santana on an every-fifth-day schedule, despite a couple of off days between now and the Oct. 1 season finale, would mean Santana would be pitching on his normal rest in a potential Oct. 3 wild-card game. We ve drawn up a couple of scenarios, [including] bringing Ervin back [next] Wednesday and skipping somebody, Molitor said. It s due diligence to try to map it out all the way to the end, including that scenario. American League wild-card standings Which is fine by Santana, who hasn t appeared in a postseason game since making four relief appearances against the Yankees in the 2009 ALCS. Everybody is waiting for that moment, Santana said. There s a lot of people who don t believe we belong where we are right now. And that s a good thing, because we trust in ourselves. We re still there. Sano setback Miguel Sano s recovery from the stress reaction in his left shin suffered a minor setback Thursday at Target Field, Molitor said. Sano, out since Aug. 19 after fouling a ball off his leg, did some light running Wednesday, and got through it, Molitor said, but [Thursday] he was sore from having done that for the first time. Sano had been scheduled to take batting practice on the field, Molitor said, but we ended up limiting him to just hitting off the tee. We ll see if 2

3 we can get on the field [Friday]. Hurricane planning As Hurricane Irma roars toward south Florida, first base coach Jeff Smith s wife and two sons have moved into a shelter in Naples, Fla. But that s because Ronna Smith is in charge of the shelter, as principal of Corkscrew Middle School. We talked about what to do every day we were in Tampa this week, and we felt the right thing to do is to stay at the shelter. It s a safe building, Smith said. Some nice friends boarded up our house [Thursday], and so Friday morning, she ll open the [school] building for residents seeking refuge, and the family [including sons Cooper, 15, and Cutter, 10] will just hunker down there. Smith is one of many Twins players and employees affected by the hurricane. The team shut down its Fort Myers, Fla., headquarters Thursday, and hired buses to take the entire Class A Miracle team, eliminated Wednesday from the now-canceled Florida State League playoffs, to Atlanta to catch flights home. Any players headed to the Caribbean will be housed in Atlanta until they can get home, said General Manager Thad Levine. The Twins Dominican complex, though, was used as a shelter as the storm passed the island Thursday, since several players, most of them Venezuelans, could not get flights. The Twins also offered to house any Dominican players who feel safer at the complex which was designed to withstand hurricanes and their families on the site. We extended the offer to players and all staff members in the country if you feel more safe coming to the complex, we re opening our doors. We have food and provisions there, and we ve communicated that to everyone there, Levine said. Twins shut down Fort Myers complex as Irma roars toward Florida Phil Miller Star Tribune September 7, 2017 As Hurricane Irma roars toward south Florida, first base coach Jeff Smith s wife and two sons have moved into a shelter in Naples, Fla. But that s because Ronna Smith is in charge of the shelter, as principal of Corkscrew Middle School. We talked about what to do every day we were in Tampa this week, and we felt the right thing to do is to stay at the shelter. It s a safe building, Smith said. Some nice friends boarded up our house [Thursday], and so Friday morning, she ll open the [school] building for residents seeking refuge, and the family [including sons Cooper, 15, and Cutter, 10] will just hunker down there. Smith is one of many Twins players and employees affected by the hurricane. The team shut down its Fort Myers, Fla., headquarters Thursday, and hired buses to take the entire Class A Miracle team, eliminated Wednesday from the now-canceled Florida State League playoffs, to Atlanta to catch flights home. Any players headed to the Caribbean will be housed in Atlanta until they can get home, said General Manager Thad Levine. The Twins Dominican complex, though, was used as a shelter as the storm passed the island Thursday, since several players, most of them Venezuelans, could not get flights. The Twins also offered to house any Dominican players who feel safer at the complex which was designed to withstand hurricanes and their families on the site. We extended the offer to players and all staff members in the country if you feel more safe coming to the complex, we re opening our doors. We have food and provisions there, and we ve communicated that to everyone there, Levine said Twins get three in the ninth to beat Kansas City David Brown Pioneer Press September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Mo. Paul Molitor obviously likes how Jorge Polanco has been swinging the bat. The Twins manager is trusting him to hit third in the order for a playoff contender, even though Polanco s just 24 years old, and his overall results in the majors haven t been great. Yet.Polanco came through in the ninth inning Thursday night with a two-run single to highlight a three-run rally for the Twins, who beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 at Kauffman Stadium to gain precious ground on everyone else in the crowded American League wild-card race. It was really good to see us get over the hump in one of those games where we put pressure on down to the last pitch, Molitor said. We had been coming up just a little bit short. 3

4 The Twins hadn t been coming through against the Royals, stranding four runners all in scoring position in the first four innings against Sam Gaviglio, who was making his first career start for the Royals. The Twins stranded two more runners in the fifth, and put the leadoff man aboard in the seventh and eighth before finally getting to Herrera in the ninth. Polanco s two-run single with two outs came after Brian Dozier knocked in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. An inning before the decisive rally, with the Twins behind 2-1, Polanco had bunted after a leadoff walk to Joe Mauer, who reached base in all five plate appearances. After Mauer was intentionally walked with one out in the ninth to load the bases, Polanco wasn t sacrificing himself. Tonight, I was pretty confident Polanco was going to take a good at-bat, Molitor said. He took that first-pitch fastball to gauge (Kelvin) Herrera s velocity and I just had a feeling he would come through in that at-bat. Matt Belisle closed for the save, with Trevor Hildenberger getting the win. With the victory, the Twins improved their record to 73-67, and moved a full game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels in the wild-card hunt. The other six teams jostling for the two wild-card spots had the night off. The Royals fell 3½ games behind the Twins. Right-hander Kyle Gibson did not get a decision, but he continued a string of solid starts dating to late July, allowing two runs over eight innings. Gibson praised Polanco s approach, saying he didn t get down after hitting just.224 in the first half. Polanco came in with a.958 OPS in the second half. He hasn t given up, Gibson said. A lot of times, young guys can cower in when they go into slumps like that and let it really affect him. We knew what kind of player he was, and what he can do at the plate and shortstop. Kansas City went ahead 2-1 in the fifth, with Alcides Escobar scoring from second on Alex Gordon s sharp single to center. With two outs, Whit Merrifield hit an RBI single to right, with catcher Jason Castro unable to hold onto Max Kepler s one-hop throw from right field on a bang-bang play at the plate. Otherwise, the Twins defense sparkled, turning four double plays. Late-blooming Ehire Adrianza showing Minnesota Twins he can hit Mike Berardino Pioneer Press September 7, 2017 From his usual vantage point, on the suite level down the third-base line, Twins general manager Thad Levine has a clear view into the first-base dugout at Target Field. Many times this season, it s been Ehire Adrianza who has caught his eye. I find in most games when he s not starting, you watch him in like the seventh inning and he starts walking up and down with his bat in hand, Levine said. I think it s fascinating because we thought he d be more of a late-inning defensive replacement and a (pinch) runner. Here he is, stalking the opposition with his bat, walking up and down. When Adrianza cracked a three-run home run in Wednesday s 10-6 win at Tampa Bay, it was just his fifth career big-league homer and his first with anyone on base. Yet it also represented the latest development in a quiet breakthrough season of sorts for the 28-year-old utility man who was claimed off waivers not once but twice in the days leading up to spring training. First, the Milwaukee Brewers grabbed him from the San Francisco Giants, where the switch-hitter had spent his first 11 professional seasons, including parts of the last four in the majors. Then, six days later, the Twins took him from the Brewers after designating reliever Pat Light for assignment. A career.220 hitter through 291 at-bats entering the season, with park-adjusted production that was 31 percent below league average, Adrianza has boosted those numbers significantly while making starts at five different positions: shortstop (22 games), third base (five), left field (five), second base (two) and first base (one). 4

5 His.329 on-base percentage ranks sixth on the team, and his park-adjusted on-base-plus-slugging percentage is now just 10 percent below league average through 153 plate appearances. Adrianza has been caught stealing just once in nine attempts and is tied for the team lead with six sacrifice flies, a key part of his career-high 23 RBIs more than double his previous high. No wonder his confidence is soaring. We saw him the other night, standing right in the tunnel there, as if he was going to check himself into the game, Levine said with a chuckle. Certainly, I think his perception of himself is different than what the scouts felt, and I think first you have to give the scouts tremendous credit. I think he s always felt he s a guy who can play both sides of the ball. MIDSEASON SCARE As Ehire Adrianza the elder stood outside the Twins clubhouse last week, he couldn t stop smiling. With his namesake son translating for him, the former Chicago White Sox scout and boyhood friend of former World Series-winning manager Ozzie Guillen was still beaming over his son s ninth-inning pinch single that led to just the third walk-off victory of the year for the surprising Twins. That it came against those same White Sox, including several players the family patriarch played a role in signing, only added to the moment. I m very happy with the opportunity the Twins have given him so far, the elder Adrianza said. I m very proud of him. I m watching him play every day, and I m just thankful for the opportunity. Before the proud father traveled back this week to their troubled home country of Venezuela, he considered what he s seen from his son over these past four months while staying in the Twin Cities. From the beginning of his career, he s always been a defender, the father said. I knew with the little adjustments he makes every year, eventually he was going to be more consistent at the plate and more productive at the plate. He got stronger, too. After breaking in at 170 pounds with the Giants in 2013, Adrianza has worked to add muscle over the past few years. He reported to Twins camp at 198 pounds and remains at 190, even after a June scare in which he contracted food poisoning and ultimately an ulcer from some questionable seafood during an interleague series in San Francisco. I was very worried, his father said. The first time I saw him this year, he was stronger. Suddenly, when he lost 10 to 15 pounds, he was skinny. Since coming off the disabled list July 4, Adrianza has slugged.421 in 90 plate appearances. The spring adjustments he was able to make at the plate, when hitting coaches James Rowson and Rudy Hernandez implored him to incorporate his legs better, finally began to take root. I see the difference at the plate when he s using his legs, his father said. So far, it s pretty good. Guillen, godfather and mentor to the younger Adrianza, has enjoyed his achievements from afar as well. Ozzie says he can be a super-utility guy, Adrianza s father said. He just needs to be more consistent at the plate. He already can play every position. He s very proud of him. You might think his son s long-awaited success would take his mind off the political unrest back home in Venezuela, but the elder Adrianza shook his head sadly when the subject was raised. I m worried about our country right now, he said. It doesn t matter if he s playing good or bad. It s our country. It s where we were born, and it s not good right now. MOLDABLE CLAY Coming off a 103-loss season, the Twins held top waiver priority all the way through the month of April. They were notably quiet in that regard 5

6 as the new front office sought to familiarize itself with the holdover roster. Adrianza was the exception. You may have a guy who could be a carry-forward big leaguer out of the waiver process, and that s pretty significant, Levine said. So, we didn t really play on the volume side of things, but we really got a high-quality guy. In advance of the claim, video of Adrianza had been distributed to Twins scouts, coaches and others on the player-development, Levine said. Everyone could see the premium glove, especially at shortstop. What the Twins new decision-makers wanted to know was whether Adrianza could hit. Levine said assessments by Rowson and Hernandez were key to the decision to claim the infielder. When we were prospecting players this offseason, we were wont to distribute videos to the guys and say, Hey, is there something here that you see? Levine said. We definitely felt the carrying tool was his glove and his arm, but there was some (offensive) promise there. Hernandez, as bench coach for the Aragua Tigers, had seen Adrianza across the way in the Venezuelan Winter League for many years. He still believed in his offensive potential. When they got their hands on him, I think they felt he took to it, Levine said. They felt as if there was clay to be molded there, and when he demonstrated a willingness to be molded, I think they were extremely encouraged. An oblique strain forced Adrianza to open the season on the disabled list. A lengthy rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester followed, but since his arrival in early May there have been many eye-opening moments. Even while eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this winter, Adrianza appears to have found a new home. I think what he s contributed offensively, and really consistently it hasn t been fits and spurts has resulted in some meaningful contributions, Levine said. I certainly wouldn t tell him that we thought he was a defense-first guy. He seems to be carrying himself very much like he s capable of contributing on both sides of the ball and he s done just that since we got him. Twins report: Berrios worst Irma fears fail to materialize David Brown Pioneer Press September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Mo. Right-hander Jose Berrios breathed easier Thursday after Hurricane Irma spared his home country of Puerto Rico the kind of devastation other places in her path endured earlier this week. Berrios said his wife and mother live with him in Minneapolis, but he s been praying for other family members back home. Thank God that, for my family, it didn t do too much, Berrios said. They don t have power and water right now, but that is normal. Thank God they re safe though. Other people nobody in my family they ve got damage to their house and car, light poles falling down on them. Berrios is among several Twins players from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic who had been fearing the worst after Irma, a Category 5 storm and one of the strongest ever recorded, devastated other parts of the Caribbean. Puerto Rico and the Dominican still might endure severe problems related to flooding but, for now, immediate concerns about possible loss of life have been lessened. Twins manager Paul Molitor had been concerned about Kennys Vargas, Eddie Rosario and Berrios all Puerto Ricans along with Dominicans Ervin Santana, Bartolo Colon, Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano. The Twins reportedly are closing their facility in Fort Myers, Fla. out of caution for Irma, which scientists think is headed for Florida soon. Hurricane Irma s appearance comes in the wake of another deadly storm, Harvey, which has caused widespread destruction in Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere. And on the horizon, another big storm in the Atlantic is forming one named Jose. SANO S SNAIL S PACE: The Twins continue to play without Sano, whose return from a bruised shin is coming along slowly. Molitor said that Sano was too sore Thursday to take batting practice after trying to do some light running the day before. 6

7 He got through it, Molitor said of Sano s cardio workout, but he was sore from having done that for the first time. We were talking about him taking some BP on the field today but we ended up limiting him to just hitting off the tee today. We ll see if we can get him on the field tomorrow. Sano, who has been sidelined since fouling a pitch off his left leg and sustaining a stress reaction Aug. 19, began hitting from a tee Monday. With or without you: Sano leads the team in slugging percentage, but the Twins had gone 10-8 without him heading into their series opener at Kansas City. Getting most of the time at third base has been Eduardo Escobar, who came into Thursday with 12 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs in 87 at-bats since Aug. 17. Molitor said he likes how Escobar has matured and stepped forward in his fifth full season. I don t think he s intimidated by much anymore, where he was as a younger player, Molitor said. THINKING AHEAD The Twins are planning for a possible Game 163, Molitor said, which would be needed in the event of a wild-card tie. It is possible that with a day off coming Monday, the Twins might stagger their starting rotation so that right-hander Ervin Santana would become available for a tiebreaker come the first Tuesday in October. It s due diligence to map it out all of the way until the end, Molitor said. The Twins came into Thursday as the second wild-card team, holding a half-game lead on the Los Angeles Angels. In all, eight teams came in within 3 1/2 games of a wild-card spot. Molitor said it s hard to see controlling much with such a slim lead, so many games left and with so many teams involved, but it s better than being behind. I mean, with 23 games, it could all change tomorrow, Molitor said. We ll see if we re still in control on the last weekend. That would be good. Molitor, crediting former commissioner Bud Selig, said so many teams being in the race was going to happen sooner or later. Of what could possibly happen in a given year, this has to be the pinnacle of that, having so many teams in the American League involved here, Molitor said. It can be consuming, because it s getting a lot of coverage. Or you can choose to kind of ignore it and concentrate on your own business which is hard to do too. But I try to do that as much as I can. Otherwise, it can drive you a little crazy to figure out who s playing who and who you re rooting for, and what s the remaining schedule for eight teams? Twins rally in 9th vs. KC, extend 2nd WC lead Jeffrey Flanagan and Rhett Bollinger MLB September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY -- After having issues with runners in scoring position, the Twins came through in a big way in the ninth, shocking the Royals with three runs against closer Kelvin Herrera for a 4-2 win on Thursday night in the opener of a critical four-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Minnesota improved its lead to one game over the Angels for the second AL Wild Card spot, while Kansas City fell 3 1/2 games behind the Twins. "It was really good to see us get over the hump in one of these games where we put pressure down to the last pitch," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We've come up short, even in the last week alone, we've had three times where we've had a chance in the ninth to do something, but couldn't get the big hit. The guys had some really good at-bats to get it done." The three-run rally was sparked by a defensive misplay by the Royals with one out, as Jason Castro lifted a high fly ball to shallow left field that dropped in for a hit off shortstop Alcides Escobar's glove as left fielder Alex Gordon converged. The Twins capitalized after a walk from Robbie Grossman loaded the bases with one out, as Brian Dozier tied it with a sacrifice fly before Jorge Polanco's go-ahead two-run single. It was Herrera's first appearance since leaving Friday's game with right forearm tightness. 7

8 "I was playing no-doubles and Esky had a long way," Gordon said. "It was going to be a tough play. I saw Esky go for it and I thought Esky was going to have it -- typical Esky play. I kind of got turned around. It was probably a ball I should have took. "This was a tough one to lose. It definitely hurts, having the game, the lead in the ninth, and to give it back. But we can't let this linger." It spoiled a solid Royals debut by right-hander Sam Gaviglio, who went five frames, surrendering one run on four hits and three walks. The lone run came on a solo shot from Grossman in the fifth, as Gaviglio worked his way out of several jams. Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson was saddled with a no-decision, but he pitched well, allowing two runs on eight hits and a walk over seven strong innings. The Royals scored their runs against him in the fifth with Gordon lacing a one-out RBI single to tie the game and Whit Merrifield smacking a two-out RBI single into right to score Gordon on a close play at the plate. "Any time you go seven innings and you don't strike a guy out, it means your defense played pretty good," Gibson said. "They helped me out with several double plays and I was able to execute some big pitches in big spots." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Pop fly proves pivotal: Castro's popup in the ninth left the bat at 83.1 mph with a launch angle of 61 degrees, giving it a hit percentage of just one percent, according to Statcast. So the Twins were fortunate to see it hit off Escobar as he tried to make the catch near the left-field line. Gordon had a catch probability of 91 percent on the play, as he had to cover 105 feet to make the play, while Escobar had to run 119 feet going backward. "We've seen Gordon make how many dozens of catches against us, but Escobar was looking at Gordon and vice-versa, and they tried to close on it," Molitor said. "I couldn't tell how close it was to being fair or foul." Polanco comes up huge: With the bases loaded and two out in the ninth, Polanco came to the plate with the score tied and took the first pitch for a strike on the outside corner. But when Herrera came back with the same 97-mph fastball in a similar location, Polanco didn't miss it, stroking it back up the middle for a two-run lead. Matt Belisle worked a ninth for his sixth save. "When I went to the plate, the first thing I was thinking was he had to throw me a strike," Polanco said. "So I just waited for my pitch and he threw it in the zone, and I hit it." QUOTABLE "It's no more devastating this time of year when you have a chance to win and gain a game. It's a big game. We had everything lined up. We just didn't win it." -- Royals manager Ned Yost SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Entering the game, the Royals were 58-1 when leading after eight innings, while the Twins were 2-59 when trailing after eight frames. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana (14-7, 3.35 ERA) is set to start for the Twins on Friday in this crucial series against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Santana was saddled with a no-decision against Kansas City his last time out, allowing four runs over 6 2/3 innings.. Royals: Right-hander Ian Kennedy (4-10, 5.37) tries to snap a 17-game home winless streak as he starts against the Twins on Friday at 7:15 p.m CT. Kennedy gave up two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Royals' 5-4 win over the Twins on Sunday. Polanco stays clutch with two-run hit vs. KC Rhett Bollinger MLB.com September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY -- After heating up in August to bust out of a month-long offensive slump, Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco is showing no signs of slowing down. The 24-year-old came up huge yet again for the Twins, lacing a go-ahead two-run single with two out in the ninth to cap a three-run inning against closer Kelvin Herrera in a 4-2 comeback win over the Royals on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium. After hitting.373/.413/.686 in 27 games in July, Polanco is batting.360/.452/.600 in seven games in September, helping the Twins fill the void left by Miguel Sano's shin injury. So when Polanco came to the plate in a critical spot in the ninth, manager Paul Molitor had plenty of confidence in Polanco, an atypical No. 3 hitter on a club that moved to a one-game lead for the second American League Wild Card spot. "Polanco has been taking really good at-bats for the last several weeks," Molitor said. "I was pretty confident he'd take a good at-bat. He took that first-pitch fastball to gauge where Herrera was with his velocity. [Polanco] got a good look at [Herrera] and he banged it up the middle. I 8

9 had a good feeling if he got a strike, he was going to hit it hard somewhere." Polanco took the first pitch -- a 97.4-mph fastball from Herrera on the outside corner -- but when Herrera threw the exact same pitch at 97.4 mph in a similar location, Polanco laced it back up the middle for the lead. "When I went to the plate, the first thing I was thinking was he had to throw me a strike," Polanco said. "So I just waited for my pitch and he threw it in the zone, and I hit it." Polanco's emergence has been critical for the Twins, and it hasn't been lost on his teammates, who have enjoyed watching him mature as a player after going 4-for-51 in July. "A lot of times when young guys go through slumps like that, they really cower in and let it affect them," Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson said. "We knew what kind of player he was, and you have to keep giving him at-bats and get him in the game, and that's what Mollie has done, and it's paid off." Polanco has maintained that cutting down on swinging at bad pitches is the reason for his recent success, as he worked hard with hitting coaches James Rowson and Rudy Hernandez to identify the pitches he can handle. Polanco has never been adept at drawing walks, but he's always had a good judgment of the strike zone and quick hands to create contact. The results have led to sky-high confidence for Polanco, who is playing meaningful baseball in September for the first time in his career. "It motivates me a lot and gives me confidence knowing these games matter," Polanco said. "If you do something good in a game, it just gives you more confidence to keep it going, and hopefully it ends with us going to the playoffs." Sano suffers setback with left shin soreness Rhett Bolinger MLB.com September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY -- Twins third baseman Miguel Sano, who has been out since Aug. 19 with a stress reaction to his left shin, continues to make slow progress with the injury and encountered a slight setback on Thursday. Sano participated in light running drills for the first time on Wednesday, but he came out of it with soreness on Thursday, which caused him to push back his first attempt at taking batting practice. There remains no exact timetable for his return. "We ended up limiting him to do just hitting off the tee again today," manager Paul Molitor said. "We'll see if we can get him back on the field tomorrow." With Sano out, Eduardo Escobar has been entrenched at third base, as he made his 13th consecutive start there on Thursday. He's also started at third in 18 of the 20 games Sano has missed due to injury. Escobar entered Thursday hitting.271/.312/.557 with four homers, two doubles, three triples and 17 RBIs over that stretch to help make up for Sano's absence. "With Miggy being down, we had to find a guy to fill that spot at third base, and it's good to have a guy with a resume and a track record," Molitor said. "It's been a luxury for us. [Escobar has] been a good defender. We know he's streaky and can get really hot offensively." Worth noting Molitor said the club is more than likely done with September callups after making roster moves on Tuesday, including selecting the contract of reliever Michael Tonkin. But it doesn't mean the Twins won't activate left-hander Adalberto Mejia, who is currently rehabbing his biceps strain with Double-A Chattanooga, which is in the postseason. With Hurricane Irma hitting Florida and potentially reaching the club's Spring Training complex in Fort Myers, the Twins shut down the facility and bused the players from Class A Advanced Fort Myers to Atlanta to fly home. The Twins are deciding whether to skip fifth starter Aaron Slegers' next start, as they can keep everyone on regular rest with an off-day on Monday. It also would keep veteran right-hander Ervin Santana in line to start a potential American League Wild Card Game or one-game playoff after the end of the regular season. 9

10 Twins rally for 3 in 9th, top Royals 4-2 Associated Press September 7, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Twins had seen the scenario that faced them Thursday night play out seemingly countless times over the past few weeks: They rally down the stretch only to come up short in the ninth. The outcome was far different this time. Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead runs off ailing Kansas City closer Kelvin Herrera with two outs in the ninth, and Minnesota rallied to beat the Royals 4-2 on Thursday night in a game that could have massive implications on the American League wild-card race. It was really good to see us get over the hump in one of these games. We ve been putting pressure on to the last out, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Guys put together some really nice at-bats. Herrera, who has been dealing with a mild forearm strain, inherited a 2-1 lead before giving up a pair of singles and a walk. Brian Dozier hit a tying sacrifice fly to the warning track, and after Joe Mauer was walked intentionally, Polanco lined a single up the middle for the lead. Trevor Hildenberger (3-2) earned the win with a scoreless eighth in relief of Twins starter Kyle Gibson, while Matt Belisle handled a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save. Any time you can go seven innings without striking anybody out, your defense is playing good, Gibson said. And hats off to the offense. That s why we won the game. The offense didn t give up. Herrera (3-3) squandered a solid night from Sam Gaviglio, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Mariners, and the rest of the Kansas City bullpen. Gaviglio allowed only a homer from Robbie Grossman and three other hits in five innings before a trio of relievers got the game to the ninth. We had it lined up the way we wanted it to line up, Royals manager Ned Yost said. The loss was especially devastating for the roller-coaster Royals given their place in the crowded AL wild-card race. They began the night 2 1/2 games back of the Twins with 24 games to play. That s a tough loss right there in the last inning, the Royals Alcides Escobar said. Just come back tomorrow, keep playing hard and win the series. Gaviglio and Gibson matched each other through four scoreless innings before Grossman drove a 3-2 pitch from the Royals new starter into the bullpen in right field with one out in the fifth. Alex Gordon singled in Escobar in the bottom half, and Whit Merrifield s hard-hit single gave Kansas City a lead that would stand until the ninth. Max Kepler started the Twins go-ahead rally with a single. Then, after Eduardo Escobar struck out, Jason Castro singled and Grossman walked to set up Dozier, whose deep fly ball tied the game. Polanco followed with the eventual game-winning hit. It was a pretty big game, Yost acknowledged. It looked like we had everything lined up to win it but we just didn t win it. STATS AND STREAKS The Twins are 10-6 against the Royals this season. They were 4-15 against them last season. Herrera has not recorded a save since Aug. 16 at Oakland. Gibson has a 1.69 ERA in his last four starts. Mauer reached safely five times for the second time this season. TRAINER S ROOM Twins 3B Miguel Sano (left shin) did light running but hit off a tee rather than taking batting practice after experiencing soreness. He has been on the DL retroactive to Aug. 20. We ll see if he can get on the field (Friday), Molitor said. 10

11 Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert was out of the lineup while dealing with a gallbladder issue. LHP Danny Duffy (left elbow impingement) and RHP Joakim Soria (left oblique strain) threw off the mound. Both did OK, Yost said. They re making progress. 3B Mike Moustakas was the DH to give his achy right knee a rest. He s playable, Yost said, or he wouldn t be in there. UP NEXT Royals RHP Ian Kennedy and Twins RHP Ervin Santana meet in a rematch of last Sunday, when neither factored into Kansas City s 5-4 victory. Kennedy allowed four runs, two earned, in 5 2/3 innings while Santana yielded four runs in 6 2/3 innings. 11