Minnesota Twins Daily Clips. Thursday, July 7, 2016

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1 Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, July 7, 2016 Ervin Santana tosses two-hitter as Twins shut out Athletics. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 1 Reusse: A decade later, Kintzler is living his dream. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 2 Twins handle quick turnaround after late finish. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 4 Hartman: Kepler outplays top Twins prospects. Star Tribune (Hartman) p. 5 Ervin Santana s 2-hitter lifts Twins to 4-0 victory over Athletics. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 6 Twins prospects late-night production gives some hope. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 7 Ervin spins 2-hit shutout to lead Twins vs. A's. MLB.com (Bollinger and Lee) p. 8 Santana impresses with sizzling start. MLB.com (Park) p. 9 Escobar nearing return after hamstring injury. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Duffey, Chi Chi set for rematch to open series. MLB.com (Park) p. 10 Twins' Santana pitches complete game, shuts out A's. Associated Press p. 10 Preview: Twins at Rangers. Sports Xchange p. 12 MLB Rumor Central: Escalating demand for Ervin Santana? ESPN.com (Mittler) p. 13 Ervin Santana tosses two-hitter as Twins shut out Athletics La Velle E. Neal lll Star Tribune July 6, 2016 Ervin Santana put manager Paul Molitor in an awkward spot Wednesday. Molitor checked on the righthander after the sixth inning to make sure he wasn't getting tired. Santana said he was good. Molitor did it again after the seventh and eighth innings, too. Both times, Santana said he was fine. Molitor is not used to repeatedly asking his starting pitcher such questions. But Santana was at the height of his powers, baffling Oakland hitters with a two-hitter while leading the Twins to a 4-0 matinee victory at Target Field. Santana's first complete-game shutout for the Twins also is the first shutout thrown by a Twins starter since Andrew Albers on Aug. 12, 2013 against Cleveland that's 453 games ago. Santana didn't walk a batter while striking out eight. "I haven't had many decisions in a year and a half of letting a guy go out there to try to get a shutout," Molitor said. "He was dominant. Early on we had trouble scoring runs, but he kept putting the zeros up." Santana's eighth career shutout required only 100 pitches (66 strikes). He got through two innings on seven pitches, and faced only one batter over the minimum of 27 thanks to a double play in the eighth. "Everything was working very good," Santana said, "and I was on the same page with [catcher] Juan Centeno the whole game." Now 3-7 with a 4.06 ERA, Santana could land on the radar of more teams looking for pitching before the Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline. Texas is one team that recently has scouted him. "That's why I don't even read the newspaper," Santana said, "because I don't want to think about it. I try to take it one day at a time. If it

2 happens, it happens. If not, it's not." Oakland could not square anything up Wednesday, and Santana piled up hitless innings until two outs in the fifth, when Billy Butler lined a double off the left field wall for the first Oakland hit of the game. Butler was stranded at second after Yonder Alonzo flew out to end the inning. Thanks to altering his grip, Santana threw fastballs of miles per hour with nasty sink. He still could reach back to throw 95 mph when he needed, like when he struck out Jed Lowrie in the seventh. Khris Davis came to the plate two batters later and struck out on three pitches. He slammed his bat to the ground in frustration. The Twins' runs eventually arrived. Joe Mauer hit an RBI double in the fifth for the first run. In the seventh, Max Kepler drew a bases-loaded walk and Eddie Rosario hit a sacrifice fly. Eduardo Nunez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it 4-0 just enough production for a team that was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position Wednesday. Both Mauer and Danny Santana had three hits. The announced crowd of 27,657 stood in the ninth inning as Santana finished his gem. He got Marcus Semien to fly out to center and Tyler Ladendorf to pop out to short before Billy Burns grounded to short to end the game. It took seven pitches to get through the final inning of the game to finish with an even 100. "You can't say enough about the way Ervin threw the ball," Molitor said. "I thought he had a lot of trust in all his pitches. He threw that slider early for strikes, then he put a little more bite on it when he wanted to get an out." Reusse: A decade later, Kintzler is living his dream Patrick Reusse Star Tribune July 7, 2016 The minor league staff of the San Diego Padres was meeting at the end of spring training in There were some cuts that had to be made with the players at the Class A level. Brandon Kintzler had spent two years in the organization as a righthanded relief pitcher. This was the report he received as to what went on inside the cutdown meeting: They brought up my name and a trainer said, He s going to need shoulder surgery. Then they asked if anyone in the room thought I was going to be a big-leaguer. Nobody stood up for me. Kintzler paused and said: That s understandable, I guess. Why would they keep a 5-10 pitcher who needed shoulder surgery that none of their people thought was going to be a big-leaguer when healthy? Kintzler was released from the Padres organization at age 21. He underwent the labrum surgery. He was unable to pitch in the 2006 season and went home to Las Vegas. My sister and her husband gave me a job working at the Cold Stone [Creamery] store, Kintzler said. Gives you a strong wrist, scooping out that ice cream. Rick Forney from the Winnipeg Goldeyes contacted Kintzler to pitch in the independent Northern League. My shoulder wasn t that strong yet, Kintzler said. I wasn t going to get out hitters throwing a straight four-seam fastball at 86 [miles per hour]. He decided to start working on a two-seam sinker. The question was how to get it to move around the strike zone. Kintzler had met Greg Maddux, another Las Vegas resident, at a workout facility earlier. He asked Maddux about his amazing talent for hitting corners. He said it was simple, Kintzler said. He threw the same pitch. He just lined up in a different place on the rubber. Kintzler had reasonable success with the self-taught sinker combined with the tip from Maddux. He was 5-2 with a 4.07 in 77 innings at Winnipeg in When he went back to Vegas this time, he landed a job in transportation for the Wynn hotel. 2

3 I drove the Escalade that would follow the Rolls-Royce that went to airport to pick up the celebrities and the big hitters, Kintzler said. Usually, the stars would take the Rolls and I d get the rest of the entourage. Garth Brooks, he didn t want the Rolls; he d take the Escalade. Kintzler agreed to come back to Winnipeg if Forney would use him as a starter. He made 19 starts, pitched 112 ⅓ innings and started reclaiming his velocity. He also met Melissa Elgert, now his wife, then a novice when it came to the economics of playing independent baseball. She thought I was making money, since I was a ballplayer, Kintzler said. I let her believe that for a while, even though I was clearing about 200 bucks a week. Kintzler spent the winter of in Winnipeg with Melissa. Winter on the Canadian prairie was a shock for a born-and-raised Las Vegan. Unbelievable, he said. I worked for the front office on a commission, trying to sell season tickets. I also gave pitching lessons in a tunnel at the stadium. We hooked up a space heater. The kids would go over, loosen up in front of the space heater, and then they would throw. They did great, considering how cold it was in there. Kintzler asked to be traded to the St. Paul Saints, now in the American Association. My shoulder was healthy and I felt there was a better chance to get signed out of St. Paul, he said. My goal when I got there in 2009 was actually to be a starting pitcher in the league s All-Star Game. He was that. And Tim Collinsworth, a scout for the Brewers, watched the game and called Milwaukee to say, I got a pitcher here who can go right to Class AA. The Brewers signed Kintzler on July 24, 2009, and sent him to Class AA Huntsville. He earned a minor league contract for Kintzler and Melissa had moved to Las Vegas. At a family gathering, his stepfather, Mark Jacobs, said to Kintzler: When are you going to stop playing games and go get a real job? Kintzler was 25 and said: Not yet. I m chasing my dream. He went back to the bullpen in 2010 and had a combined 1.47 ERA at Huntsville and Class AAA Nashville. He was called up to the Brewers in September. Obstacles remained. A stress fracture was found in his right elbow in He was designated for assignment by the Brewers in He went unclaimed and returned to the Brewers minor leagues. Finally came the breakthrough: 135 appearances for the Brewers in 2013 and 2014, although many of those came with pain in his left knee. It turned out to be a torn tendon and required surgery. He pitched in only seven games for the Brewers in He was a free agent last winter and signed with the Twins, on the recommendation of special scout Wayne Krivsky. Kintzler, 31, was sent to Class AAA Rochester at the end of spring training. He was recalled by the Twins on May 7, and had his first big-league save a month later. Did you keep the ball? he was asked. Kintzler was sitting in the Twins dugout before Wednesday s game. I m keeping the ball for all the saves four so far, he said. Hopefully, there will be more. Those baseballs can be kept as keepsakes for 8-month-old son, Knox, to show dreams are worth holding on to. 3

4 Twins handle quick turnaround after late finish La Velle E. Neal Star Tribune July 6, 2016 Since the Twins and Athletics waited until nearly 10 p.m. to start Tuesday s rain-delayed game, it meant a quick turnaround for Wednesday s 12:10 p.m. start. But the Twins met the challenge head on, technically winning two games on Wednesday, because Tuesday s game ended around 1 a.m. The two victories in roughly 14 hours set them up to head into the All-Star break with some momentum. Twins manager Paul Molitor felt both clubs were sluggish at the plate early Wednesday, but righthander Ervin Santana strung together scoreless innings until the Twins offense got going late. You re challenged as a professional to be out there and find a way to give it your best effort, Molitor said, even when your body is telling you it s being pushed a little bit. The Twins finished the homestand with a 4-2 record easily their best of the season and head to Texas for four games with the Rangers before the All-Star break. They re trending in the right direction in two key areas. Their starting rotation posted a 2.70 ERA and the offense averaged 6.7 runs during the homestand. Molitor is most pleased about his starters improvement. It s a trend we have been hoping to see for quite a while, Molitor said. It leads to more opportunities to win, protects your bullpen and I think the defense responds better. Just a lot of positives about stringing some starts together. Now the Twins will meet the Rangers in Texas after beating them two out of three games at Target Field last weekend. Big double play Stephen Vogt led off the eighth with a single, and Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler stepped to the plate. Butler hit a tricky grounder to first base, but Joe Mauer made a nice play to his right to start a double play with Danny Santana at short and Ervin Santana covering first. Ervin Santana then struck out Yonder Alonzo to end the inning and head into the ninth having thrown only 93 pitches. That s a tough play because you re coming off the bag and the ball is like a changeup because it got in on [Butler s] fists a little bit, Molitor said. But [Mauer] slowed the play down and gave Danny a good feed and Danny was able to finish it. That kept the score 3-0 before the Twins added a run in the eighth. That was a relief to Molitor, who didn t want to start warming up relievers in the ninth with Santana working on a shutout. Hard for fans Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said the club knows fans were put in a tough spot Tuesday night when the start of the game against the Athletics was delayed nearly three hours by rain. Neither team wanted to play two games Wednesday because both were traveling after the game. The biggest concern Tuesday was if rain would return once play began, but most of the game was played under clear skies until the final out occurred around 1 a.m. God bless the fans who stayed here, Ryan said. Of course, we extended an invitation for a [free] ticket down the road. Etc. Infielder Eduardo Escobar, who strained his left hamstring Saturday, ran on the field before the game and was available off the bench. The Twins didn t place Escobar on the disabled list because they believe he will return in fewer than 15 days. Escobar could return to the starting 4

5 lineup during the Rangers series. The Twins signed their fifth-round pick from last month s draft, righthander Jordan Balazovic from Mississauga, Ont. They also signed 15thround pick Tyler Wells, a righthander from Cal State San Bernardino. The Twins have signed all their picks from the first 15 rounds, including both their supplemental picks. Hartman: Kepler outplays top Twins prospects Sid Hartman Star Tribune July 6, 2016 In 2009, the Twins made one of their biggest international prospect signings when they inked Miguel Sano to a $3.15 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic. It was the same year they drafted righthander Kyle Gibson, who they gave a $1.8 million bonus in the first round, signed 16-year-old Max Kepler to a $775,000 bonus out of Germany and signed Jorge Polanco, also 16, to a $750,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic. Kepler has long been in the shadows of some of the Twins higher-profile prospects, especially Sano and center fielder Byron Buxton, who was drafted second overall in But Kepler s play of late is showing he might be just as important or more to the Twins future as any recent prospect. His performance this season has been better than Buxton s and Sano s, who got most of the media attention at spring training. Kepler started the year at Class AAA and played only two games before he was called up after Danny Santana strained his right hamstring. Kepler was with the Twins for seven games, then sent back to Rochester for 23 games, coming back up to the Twins on June 1. Kepler hit only.167 through his first 17 games with the Twins this season, but he has started showing the kind of hitting that made him the Southern League MVP after a breakout season hitting.322 at Class AA Chattanooga last year. Over his past 25 games with the Twins, Kepler has hit.275 with a.350 on-base percentage,.560 slugging percentage and.910 OPS. He has 25 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, 24 RBI and 16 runs scored in 91 at-bats over that time. Kepler said he believes it s merely repetition that has made him into a much better player of late. I would say it takes time and repetition and, you know, day-to-day play makes baseball a lot easier, he said. I wouldn t say I m a lot more confident. Demotion helped Kepler s breakout game was obviously his two-homer, seven-rbi performance against Texas on Saturday, but he has four RBI in the four games since and seems to be showing better power. He was asked if anything changed. I don t know, it just happens some days, he said. Some days the ball squares up perfectly and some days it doesn t. It s just how baseball goes. Kepler said being sent down to Rochester for those 30 games early in the season did allow him to improve his approach. It definitely is a calmer process and you re not surrounded by a bunch of fans and media that you can kind of lose your focus with, he said. You re able to focus on baseball itself and simplify a lot of things, which helps if you re struggling. So yeah, it does slow things down. When the Twins called him back up, Kepler said they were mainly looking for him to improve his focus on the plate. I would say this time around I came up and [Twins hitting coach Tom Brunansky] was happy with my mechanics, Kepler said. We re more focused on my mental game right now and situational hitting, which I have to work on what pitches to lay off and just being patient in the batter s box, because they know I m a young hitter and I want to attack. Having Kepler and Buxton in the same outfield has improved the team s defense. Kepler has posted a.972 fielding percentage in right field with two errors and two outfield assists. He said learning the contours of Target Field is a big part of his preparation. 5

6 Every time I get some spare time, me and [outfield coach] Butch [Davis] are out there working on balls off the wall [and] ground balls that are pretty fast in our outfield, they tend to skip and skid a little, Kepler said. Every time I get some time off, I m out there. Today I m out there throwing balls off the wall and off the hanger, just to see how it plays. While the Twins are mired in a difficult season, the play of Kepler and the team winning four out of five and six of the past 10 has been a sign that things could get better soon for this squad. Making progress With their 4-0 victory over Oakland on Wednesday, the Twins are now 7-3 over their past 10 games at Target Field, including three consecutive series wins over Philadelphia, Texas and Oakland. The team was only at Target Field through June 18 but now stands at overall. Joe Mauer went 3-for-5 on Wednesday and is hitting.438 (7-for-16) against Oakland this season and.320 in his career against the Athletics. Danny Santana has hit in four consecutive games after going 3-for-4 Wednesday and making his first start of the season at shortstop. Then there s Robbie Grossman who went 1-for-3 and has reached base in 38 of 43 games this season. He has also drew two walks, giving him 35 on the season, which is tied with Josh Donaldson of Toronto for the most in baseball since Grossman was called up May 20. In minor league news, Twins standout pitching prospect Jose Berrios appears to have really turned it on at Rochester. He recently was added to the International League All-Star Game roster and was named IL pitcher of the week Monday. Since being sent down on May 16, Berrios is 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA over 60⅔ innings with 60 strikeouts and an opponent s batting average of.190. Over his past four starts, he is 3-1 with a 0.60 ERA and.104 opponents batting average over 30 innings with 29 strikeouts. Ervin Santana s 2-hitter lifts Twins to 4-0 victory over Athletics John Shipley Pioneer Press July 6, 2016 Ervin Santana says he s not aware of trade rumors swirling around him. That s why I don t even read the newspaper, or anything like that, he said, because I don t want to think about it. That might get harder for the Twins right-hander after his performance in Wednesday s 4-0 victory over the Oakland A s at Target Field. With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching, Santana boosted his trade value with a two-hit complete game. He was dominant, manager Paul Molitor said. Santana (3-7) struck out eight and walked none, facing just one batter over the minimum in his eighth career complete-game shutout, and first since June 16, 2012, at Arizona, when he was pitching for the Los Angeles Angels. The performance was witnessed by half a dozen scouts in the press box, and certainly more in the stands. Under major league rules, teams can trade players without first passing them through waivers until Aug. 1. Teams can add players for the postseason through August, but they ll be subject to waiver claims after the deadline. Santana, who has two years left on a deal paying him $13.5 million annually, had a perfect game until Billy Butler doubled off the left-field wall with two out in the fifth. He shook his head when asked if he knew he is being watched closely by playoff contenders. If you think about that, you re not going to do your job, Santana said. I stay away from that and do my thing. Eduardo Nunez, selected for his first All-Star Game on Tuesday, drove in the Twins final run with a sacrifice fly to deep center in the eighth inning, making the decision to pitch Santana in the ninth an easy one for Molitor. Santana retired the final three batters on just seven pitches. I didn t even want to get (a reliever) up until they got a base runner in the ninth, and he eliminated that problem, too, Molitor said. Just a dominating performance. Joe Mauer, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario also drove in runs, but only Mauer s came on a hit a double to the wall in left-center that scored Robbie Grossman with the game s first run in the fifth inning. Kepler drew a bases-loaded walk and Rosario followed with a sacrifice fly on a 3-2 count in the seventh. 6

7 The Twins took two of three games from the A s and left Wednesday afternoon for Texas, where they ll finish out the first half with a four-game series against the Rangers. After the All-Star Game break July 11-14, the trade rumors will really heat up, and with right-hander Phil Hughes (fractured leg) and Trevor Plouffe (broken rib) on the disabled list, the focus in Minnesota will be on Santana, who lowered his earned-run average to 4.08 this season and is with a 4.04 ERA in parts of two seasons with the Twins. He missed the first half of last season because of an 80-game PED suspension. I just try to take things one day at a time, he said of trade rumors. If it happens, it happens; if it doesn t, it doesn t. Twins prospects late-night production gives some hope John Shipley Pioneer Press July 6, 2016 Few saw it, at least in person, but the Twins won a game early Wednesday morning on the strength of their prospects. It was a welcome sight, and a glimmer of hope, for a team that entered play Wednesday 27 games under.500 and 23 games out in the American League Central. We need to have those things happen more often than not, Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. We ve got to have some hope. Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas, Max Kepler and Byron Buxton went a combined 7 for 15 with three home runs and seven runs batted in in an 11-4 victory that started after a rain delay of 2 hours, 42 minutes and ended at 1 a.m. That s a welcome sign. We need that to happen, Ryan said. A lot of us have been waiting for some of those guys for a while. Sano, Vargas and Kepler each homered, and Buxton doubled, scored and drove in a run. Trevor May, another top prospect, pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Kepler, a rookie in his first call-up, entered Wednesday s series finale with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his past four games. Sano had only three hits since returning from a strained hamstring on July 1 but has two homers, six RBIs and five walks. Buxton, who rested Wednesday, is batting.278 with six extra-base hits and six runs scored in his past 10 games. Manager Paul Molitor said it was encouraging to win a game behind the organization s top prospects. You look for glimpses, what could be forthcoming, he said. A lot of that, when you project, is how your young guys that have been given expectation labels start to surface. Guys that are contributing to these wins Vargas, the way Kepler s going, Sano, Buxton you continue to watch for the development of these guys. I think our future bodes well offensively as these guys continue to come on. I think we all know that finding a way to be more efficient as a pitching staff would probably be the more critical piece of better baseball overall. But I think you re seeing our offensive guys. BERRIOS WATCH The Twins fully expect top pitching prospect Jose Berrios, 22, to re-join the team this season. In his first major league callup, Berrios mostly struggled, going 1-1 with a earned-run average in four starts. In the last, he failed to get out of the first inning, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits and four walks in a 10-8 loss at Detroit. But he also showed fans his electric arsenal, including a sharp-breaking curveball that resembles a slider and a fastball that averages in the mid-90s. In his past two starts at Class AAA Rochester, he is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings. Asked if it s just a matter of time before he s recalled, Ryan said, Yeah, probably so. His last numbers have been pretty decent, he added. Now, his last (start) was probably his best. There are still some things we are looking for, but he s done a nice job here as of late. So, it gives us a little depth, and it s good to see. BRIEFLY Infielder Eduardo Escobar was available Wednesday after testing his strained hamstring before the game. After stealing second in the third 7

8 inning, all-star Eduardo Nunez became the first Twins player to steal 20 bases before the all-star break since Carlos Gomez stole 21 in Gomez finished that season with 33 steals in 153 games. Ervin spins 2-hit shutout to lead Twins vs. A's Rhett Bollinger and Jane Lee MLB.com July 6, 2016 Ervin Santana was absolutely dominant against the A's, outdueling Sonny Gray by throwing a two-hit shutout to lead the Twins to a 4-0 win on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field. It gave Minnesota its second straight series win. Santana, who struck out eight and walked none, was perfect until giving up a two-out double to Billy Butler in the fifth inning. He also allowed a single to Stephen Vogt to open the eighth, but he promptly got Butler to ground into a double play. It was Santana's eighth shutout of his career, and his first since June 16, 2012, while with the Angels. He faced one batter over the minimum, and needed exactly 100 pitches to get the shutout. "There were maybe a couple minor storylines, but the big one jumps out at you," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I haven't had many decisions the last year and a half to have a guy go back out there and get a shutout. But he was dominant. He kept putting zeros up here." Gray was also solid, but he had to pitch out of several jams, as he allowed a baserunner to reach in each of his six innings, which drove his pitch count up. Gray allowed one run, scattering six hits and four walks. The only run he surrendered came on an RBI double from Joe Mauer in the fifth. "He was outstanding," A's All-Star catcher Vogt said. "They did a great job fouling pitches off. They strung together really good at-bats, especially the first three innings, making him work and not allowing him to go deeper than he probably should have in this game. Sonny was very good." The Twins tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh against reliever John Axford after loading the bases with one out. Max Kepler drew a bases-loaded walk before Eddie Rosario added a sacrifice fly to left. Minnesota scored again in the eighth on a sac fly from Eduardo Nunez to score Danny Santana, who tripled to open the inning. Santana and Mauer each had three hits, with Santana picking up a single, double and triple. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Mauer gets Twins on the board: The Twins had chances to score early, but they couldn't get a run across until the fifth, when Robbie Grossman opened the inning with a walk and came around to score on a double to left-center from Mauer. It was the first RBI for Mauer since June 15. "Joe had a good day and drove in that first run," Molitor said. "Danny also had a good day. But you really can't say enough about the way Ervin threw the ball." Walk this way: Gray's walk to Grossman in the fifth was his fourth of the day, tying a season high. The right-hander mostly did well in working out of jams, stranding seven baserunners in his first four innings, but his propensity for the walk Wednesday cost him in that inning. Gray has issued 34 walks in just 90 2/3 innings this season, averaging out to 3.4 per nine innings. That mark was at 2.6 last season. Santana dazzles: Santana notched the first shutout for the Twins this season and the first for Minnesota since Andrew Albers threw a two-hit shutout against the Indians on Aug. 12, Santana, who has been subject to trade rumors, has been heating up recently, as he is 2-0 with a 1.63 ERA over his past four starts. "When I was behind in the count, I was able to throw offspeed for strikes, and that helped me a lot today," said Santana, who has changed the grip of his two-seam fastball. "It was a long night last night, but we got the win. So I came in today trying to throw up zeros and not think about it. So it was good." Offense missing: The A's scored just seven runs total in three games in Minnesota and have been held to three runs or fewer in five of their past six games. Prior to that, their bats couldn't be contained, plating at least six runs in seven consecutive contests -- showcasing the inconsistency that has plagued this team all season. "[Santana] didn't throw fastballs up in the zone, for one," Vogt said. "He was locating his fastball down at the knees and working his offspeed. We had some pretty good at-bats against him at times, and some not-so-good ones. When a pitcher has his stuff and you don't have very consistent at-bats against him, it's going to be very hard to win. He was very, very good today. " QUOTABLE "It was one of those games where you're challenged as a professional to be out there and give it your best effort even when your body is telling 8

9 it's being pushed a little bit. So to win two games in situations we're not usually accustomed to was a good sign. We had a good homestand and had a chance to win all six games." -- Molitor, on the win after the Twins and A's didn't finish Tuesday's game until 1 a.m. CT SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS All-Star Nunez stole his 20th base of the season in the third inning, becoming the first Twins player with at least 20 stolen bases before the All- Star break since Carlos Gomez had 21 prior to the break in WHAT'S NEXT A's: Oakland heads to Houston for four games with the Astros ahead of the All-Star break. Left-hander Rich Hill takes an 8-3 record and 2.31 ERA into Thursday's 5:10 p.m. PT series opener at Minute Maid Park. Twins: Minnesota heads to Texas for a four-game series against the Rangers that begins on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. CT. Tyler Duffey (4-6, 5.62 ERA) starts for Minnesota, and he has been pitching better recently, winning his past two starts with a 3.21 ERA. Santana impresses with sizzling start Do-Hyoung Park MLB.com July 6, 2016 With trade murmurs surrounding Twins ace Ervin Santana starting to mount, several scouts were on hand at Target Field on Wednesday afternoon to evaluate the right-hander. He certainly gave them a lot to think about. Santana only needed 100 pitches to navigate a two-hit shutout against the A's in a 4-0 Twins victory. He faced one batter over the minimum and retired his first 14 batters before finally yielding a hit, a fifth-inning double to Billy Butler. "You can't say enough about how Ervin threw the ball," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I thought he had a lot of trust in all of his pitches, he threw the slider early for strikes and he put a little more bite on it when he wanted to get a chase pitch. He was in control." Santana struck out a season-high eight and didn't issue a walk in his first complete game and shutout since giving up two hits on June 16, 2012, when he was still with the Angels. It was the first complete-game shutout thrown by a Twins pitcher since Andrew Albers did it on Aug. 12, According to Santana, the thought of a no-hitter or a shutout didn't even cross his mind when he was on the mound. "Not at all," Santana said. "You never know against a team like that who's swinging, so I'm just trying to be patient and take it one pitch at a time. Everything was working very good, and I was on the same page with [catcher Juan] Centeno the whole game." The veteran right-hander felt that his command was particularly strong on Wednesday, especially when behind in counts. And even in the 12th season of his Major League career, Santana is still finding ways to learn on the job, as he experimented with a new grip on his two-seamer that gave the pitch a little more bite. "He didn't throw fastballs up in the zone, for one," said A's catcher Stephen Vogt, who singled in the eighth. "He was locating his fastball down at the knees and working his offspeed. When a pitcher has his stuff and you don't have very consistent at-bats against him, it's going to b very hard to win. He was very, very good today." Although there was some concern from Molitor and the Twins' coaching staff about Santana's pitch count, especially coming off a season-high 117 pitches in his last start, his efficiency throughout the game essentially made it a non-factor. "After about the sixth inning, I kept checking in, and he was good," Molitor said. "I didn't even want to get anybody up until I got a baserunner there in the ninth. He eliminated that problem as well. Just a dominant start by him." Not only was Santana able to shut out the A's, but he was also able to shut out the trade rumors that are getting hotter by the minute following his fourth consecutive strong start. "If you think about that, you're not going to do your job, so I just tried to stay out there and do my thing," Santana said. "That's why I don't read the newspaper or anything like that -- because I don't want to think about it. I just want to take it one day at a time." 9

10 Escobar nearing return after hamstring injury Rhett Bollinger MLB.com July 6, 2016 Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar ran sprints in the outfield to test out his strained left hamstring before Wednesday's game against the A's, and he is getting closer to making his return. Escobar, who sustained the injury while running the bases on Saturday, has been able to avoid the 15-day disabled list because it's considered a minor strain. He should be ready to return this weekend, according to Twins manager Paul Molitor. The Twins have been playing with a short bench in Escobar's absence, but they went from eight relievers to seven after calling up first baseman/designated hitter Kennys Vargas from Triple-A Rochester on Monday. "He's doing better," Molitor said of Escobar. "When he got hurt, everyone thought going on the DL would be too long. I'm hoping with his work this morning, he's at least available in an emergency. I would think tomorrow he'd be a little bit more ready. But he's been getting better." Center fielder Byron Buxton was also held out of the lineup in Wednesday's series finale after he ran into the center-field wall to make a catch in the seventh inning of Tuesday's 11-4 win over Oakland. Buxton had missed the prior two games after making a similar running catch into the wall on Saturday, but Molitor said he's fine and is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday. "He said there were no issues," Molitor said. "Today was one of those tricky days as far as who to play, because we played late. It makes sense to play the guys who didn't play last night and get some fresh bodies out there." Duffey, Chi Chi set for rematch to open series Do-Hyoung Park MLB.com July 7, 2016 The last time the Twins and Rangers met, Minnesota snapped Texas' streak of 13 straight series without a loss by taking two of three at Target Field. The Twins, victorious in four of their past five games, will look to continue their winning ways in the opener of a four-game series at Texas on Thursday night. Right-hander Tyler Duffey will start for Minnesota after taking the team lead in wins on Saturday with a victory over the Rangers. He allowed four runs in six innings but got a season-high 17 runs of support from his offense, which allowed him to take more risks in the zone. Chi Chi Gonzalez, who will start for the Rangers on Thursday, didn't make it out of the first inning in his last outing, in which he allowed four runs (one earned) to the Twins and walked two before being pulled with two outs in Minnesota's blowout victory. He has yielded six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take Colby Lewis' spot in the rotation. "We didn't make a couple plays behind him," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said of the right-hander's most recent start. "He only gave up two hits. It was not a situation where he was failing. We did not perform behind him." Things to know about this game The Twins are 12-9 against the American League West and against the rest of the AL this season. Rougned Odor hit nine home runs June 6 to July 5, the third most in the AL in that span behind 10 each for Chris Davis and Edwin Encarnacion. Joe Mauer snapped a streak of 15 games without an RBI with his run-scoring double in the fifth inning on Wednesday. He needs 10 more RBIs to tie Torii Hunter for sixth on the Twins' all-time list at 792. Twins' Santana pitches complete game, shuts out A's Associated Press July 6, 2016 It's been a rough go of it for Ervin Santana in his first season-and-a-half with Minnesota. On Wednesday, he finally resembled the pitcher the Twins thought they were getting when they signed him to a $55 million, four-year deal. 10

11 Santana struck out eight and walked none in a two-hitter that led the Twins over the Oakland Athletics 4-0. Santana (3-7) needed just 100 pitches for his eighth shutout and 15th complete game, helping the Twins take two of three from the A's. Joe Mauer had three hits and an RBI. "Every time you do it with a new team, it's even better," said Santana, who was suspended for 80 games last year after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance. "It builds more confidence for me and for the team." Sonny Gray (3-8) gave up one run, six hits and four walks in six innings, losing his seventh straight decision, the longest active skid in the American League. Billy Butler's two-out double in the fifth and Stephen Vogt's leadoff single in the eighth were Oakland's lone hits. "I haven't had many decisions in a year and a half of letting a guy go out there to try get a shutout," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "But he was dominant." Minnesota got off to a historically bad start and quickly got buried in the AL Central. But the Twins have won four of their last five games and each of their last three series at home. The bleary-eyed clubs were back at it on Wednesday less than 12 hours after finishing a rain-delayed game that started at 9:52 p.m. "I know it was a long night last night," Santana said. "I just came today and tried to put zeros on the board." Both teams appeared to be swinging heavy bats, and Minnesota stranded 12, going 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Santana frustrated Oakland's hitters all afternoon. Josh Reddick slammed his bat in anger after popping out to the catcher in the fourth inning and Khris Davis did the same after a strikeout in the seventh. "We had some good at-bats off him at times and we had some non-competitive at-bats," Vogt said. "When a pitcher has his stuff and you don't have consistent at-bats against him it's going to be hard to win. He was very, very good today." As sharp as Santana was, he didn't have much cushion for most of the afternoon because the Twins kept leaving runners on base against Gray. They left nine on in the first six innings before finally scratching two more runs across. Danny Santana had three hits, including a double, a triple and a run scored for Minnesota. SANTANA'S GEM It was Santana's first complete game since a one-hitter for the Angels against Arizona on June 16, It was the first shutout by a Twins pitcher since Andrew Albers in SPEEDY NUNEZ Twins All-Star Eduardo Nunez stole his 20th base this season in the third inning. That made him the first Twins player to swipe at least 20 bases before the All-Star break since Carlos Gomez had 21 in A's BULLPEN Oakland's bullpen entered with a 5.63 ERA in its 22 games. Opponents were hitting.312 off of A's relievers, and they had another rough day on Wednesday. Marc Rzepczynski was charged with two runs on one hit and didn't record an out in the seventh inning. And John Axford didn't give him any help when he walked Max Kepler with the bases loaded and gave up a sacrifice fly to Eddie Rosario to give Santana some breathing room. TRAINER'S ROOM Athletics: RHP Fernando Rodriguez was played on the disabled list after an MRI revealed a strained rotator cuff. Manager Bob Melvin said there is no timetable for a return, but he would not need surgery. 11

12 Twins: SS Eduardo Escobar was available after missing the last two games with a strained hamstring. UP NEXT Athletics: LHP Rich Hill (8-3, 2.31) will start the series opener at Houston on Thursday. Twins: Minnesota opens a four-game series in Texas on Thursday, sending RHP Tyler Duffey (4-6, 4.62) to the mound against RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-1, 9.53). Preview: Twins at Rangers Sports Xchange July 7, 2016 The Texas Rangers are looking forward to a few days off with the All-Star break looming. They've been scuffling some and are battling injuries, especially to their pitching staff, so the Midsummer Classic couldn't come at a better time. But before the American League West leaders can kick their heels up, the Minnesota Twins are coming to town for four games. The series opener is Thursday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington. These are the only four home game for the Rangers (53-33) in a span of 23 games overall. Texas just came off a 4-6 road trip that ended with Wednesday night's 11-6 loss at Boston and heads out on a nine-game trip after the break. The Rangers committed three errors in the second inning Wednesday, allowing the Red Sox to break the game open. "Not the way we wanted to end the road trip," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said, "but it will be nice to get back home, get to Arlington, show up tomorrow, and hopefully put together four quality baseball games before the break and allow these guys to have some time off their feet." Texas is at home and in its last 13 home series. The Rangers still own a (7.5 or 6.5-game) division lead over Houston. Minnesota (29-55) won two out of three against the Rangers last weekend at Target Field to snap Texas' streak of 13 straight series victories. The Twins have also claimed five of the last seven between the clubs. "It's necessary for us to regain some momentum," Banister said. "Obviously it's nice to be able to try to do it in our ballpark. "We didn't play so well against Minnesota. We've got to play better against that ballclub. They look to be playing a little bit better right now. It's nice that we saw them recently, so we know what to expect." Minnesota is coming off Wednesday afternoon's 4-0 home shutout of Oakland, and have won four of their last five. The Twins technically beat the A's twice Wednesday, as Tuesday night's 11-4 victory ended after 1 a.m. due to a long rain delay. Getting back on the field about 11 hours later and winning again wasn't lost on manager Paul Molitor. "It was one of those games where you're challenged as a professional to be out there and give it your best effort even when your body is telling it's being pushed a little bit," he told MLB.com. "So to win two games in situations we're not usually accustomed to was a good sign. We had a good homestand and had a chance to win all six games." The Twins are 12-9 against the AL West, compared to against the rest of the AL this season. Minnesota sends right-hander Tyler Duffey (4-6, 5.62 ERA) to the mound for the series opener. The right-hander leads the team in wins and beat Texas on Saturday after allowing four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks over 6.0 innings. Duffey was backed by plenty of offense in the 17-5 victory. Texas righty Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-1, 9.53) was on the losing end of that one and didn't get out of the first inning. The Rangers' defense didn't do Gonzalez any favors, failing to make several plays that could have resulted in outs and ended the inning much sooner. 12

13 Texas starters have taxed the bullpen lately with short outings. Gonzalez going deep into the game would be a big help. Minnesota, making its only trip of the season to the Lone Star State, should get back shortstop Eduardo Escobar during the series. He ran sprints before Wednesday's game at Oakland to test his strained left hamstring. "He's doing better," Molitor told MLB.com. "When he got hurt, everyone thought going on the DL would be too long." Escobar was injured running the bases Saturday, but didn't go on the disabled list. Texas made a roster move Wednesday by recalling outfielder Jared Hoying for insurance reasons with Shin-Soo Choo dealing lower back stiffness. Nomar Mazara started in right field in place of Choo against the Red Sox. MLB Rumor Central: Escalating demand for Ervin Santana? Doug Mittler ESPN.com July 7, 2016 The odds of Ervin Santana finding a new home may have increased Wednesday when the Minnesota Twins right-hander threw a dazzling twohit shutout over the Oakland Athletics. Santana is just 3-7 with a 4.06 ERA, but he looked like an ace on Wednesday, needing just 100 pitchers to record his eighth career shutout. Santana s ERA has declined in each of his last four outings and the rest of baseball may be taking notice. Santana could land on the radar of more teams looking for pitching before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, reports La Velle E. Neal of the Star Tribune. Texas is one team that recently has scouted him. The Rangers reportedly are looking for starting pitching to bolster their injury-plagued rotation and have the quality of available prospects that would interest the Twins. The Red Sox and Orioles are other logical fits for the native of the Dominican Republic. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, reported last week that the 33-year-old Santana is "seen as perhaps the most viable trade deadline pickup on the market." "He's the one guy out there who could be a sure thing in the middle of the rotation. Teams like Boston, Toronto, Baltimore need that guy," an American League assistant GM tells Cafardo. ESPN s Jim Bowden reports the last-place Twins are hoping to deal Santana in order to get his contract off the books. Santana is in the second year of a four-year, $55 million deal that includes a $14 million team option for