Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, August 31, 2017

Twins bash their way toward the top of AL wild card. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Byron Buxton having left hand checked; Twins hire head of research. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins and No. 1 starters: One now (Santana), one in offing (Berrios). Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 3 As rosters expand, Twins may be slow with callus. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4 Twins name Gee starter; discuss September call ups. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5 Twins win sixth straight at home with 11-1 rout of White Sox. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 6 Twins prepare to welcome back former closer Joe Nathan on Friday. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 7 Colon looks to cap strong month vs. Sox. MLB.com (Jackson) p. 8 Berrios' gem, Rosario's 2 HRs fuel Twins' win. MLB.com (Bollinger & Jackson) p. 8 Plate discipline leading to results for Rosario. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Buxton (hand) exits early, to be reevaluated. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Dozier, Twins aiding Harvey relief efforts. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11 Not ready to come off the DL, Miguel Sano is cutting back activity and hoping to heal. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11 Rosario’s pair of homers ignite Twins in 11-1 triumph. Associated Press p. 12 Byron Buxton Anchors the Resurgent Minnesota Twins in a Crowded AL Wild Card Hunt. Sports Illustrated (Jaffe) p. 13 Roundtable: Which team will win the second AL wild card? Yahoo! Sports (Staff) p. 14 Falvey On Twins' Trade Deadline Moves. MLB Trade Rumors (Todd) p. 14 Twins players start Hurricane Harvey relief fundraiser. ESPN (Henken) p. 15

Twins bash their way toward the top of AL wild card

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 31, 2017

The focus has been on the Twins holding onto the second wild card spot. But the events of Wednesday might call for a recalibration of their potential. The day began with Cleveland pitchers holding New York to five runs over two games to secure a doubleheader sweep. Then the Twins took on the White Sox at Target Field. For the second straight night, they scored a run in the first and added on in the middle innings. Eddie Rosario blasted two home runs. Ehire Adrianza hit two run-scoring triples. Byron Buxton made another brilliant catch in center. Jose Berrios was dominant during seven shutout innings. And the Twins routed the White Sox 11-1. Coupled with the Yankees’ rough double dip, the Twins are now one game behind New York for the top wild card spot and remained a game ahead of Los Angeles for the second wild card. The focus has been on the Twins holding onto the second wild card spot. But the events of Wednesday might call for a recalibration of their potential. The day began with Cleveland pitchers holding New York to five runs over two games to secure a doubleheader sweep. Then the Twins took on the White Sox at Target Field. For the second straight night, they scored a run in the first and added on in the middle innings. Eddie Rosario blasted two home runs. Ehire Adrianza hit two run-scoring triples. Byron Buxton made another brilliant catch in center. Jose Berrios was dominant during seven shutout innings. And the Twins routed the White Sox 11-1. Coupled with the Yankees’ rough double dip, the Twins are now one game behind New York for the

2

top wild card spot and remained a game ahead of Los Angeles for the second wild card. “This team is hungry for the playoffs, to have a good season,” said Rosario, who now has 20 home runs. “Everybody is trying to have a good year. That is the key.” At the beginning of the month, the Twins had just returned from a rough west coast road trip where they went 2-6 and dealt Jaime Garcia to the Yankees and Brandon Kintzler to the Nationals shortly before the trade deadline. Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked about getting back in the postseason race and replied: “Let’s just focus on getting back to .500 first.” The Twins were 52-55 at the time. They have gone 17-8 since then. Once awful at home, they have won 10 of their past 14 at Target Field. “We welcome the road play that we have had most of the year,” Molitor said, “but we knew that when [we] try to accomplish something a little bigger, that our home play had to improve. That’s been the case as of late.” They are 19-10 this month, with a chance at winning 20 games in a calendar month for just the second time since 1991. On Wednesday, they took care of a White Sox team they should roll over to remain wild-card worthy. Joe Mauer beat the Chicago shift with a double to straightaway right field that scored Brian Dozier. Rosario then hit a two-run homer to left in the third for a 3-0 lead. Adrianza hit a two-run triple in the fifth. Rosario hit a solo shot to center in the seventh, with Adrianza following with an RBI triple to put the Twins ahead 7-0. Adrianza scored on Dozier’s infield hit that made it 8-0. It made it easier for Berrios to find a groove in his rematch with lefthander Derek Holland, who outpitched him in a 4-1 win in Chicago last Thursday. In seven innings, Berrios gave up just four hits and one walk while tying a career high with 11 strikeouts. “It was a way to show them and show everyone that I can beat them,” Berrios said, “regardless of who they are.” The Twins added three runs in the eighth before Chicago scored once off Glen Perkins in the ninth. Now, as September nears, the Twins have passed the .500 mark and look to remain in a race no one believed they would be in at the start of the season. “Over the last 20 games plus, we’re starting to put it together where we’re building over .500,” Molitor said. “That’s what you’ve got to do if you want to keep in it through September.” Byron Buxton having left hand checked; Twins hire head of research

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 31, 2017

A couple of notes following the Twins victory over the White Sox The Twins did not make an announcement as to why Zack Granite batted for Byron Buxton in the eighth inning. Most times, we'll hear if a player left because of an injury. But there was nothing this time. But after the game, Twins manager Paul Molitor said that Buxton is having his left hand checked out. "He had a little bit of a funny swing tonight when his hand slipped off," Molitor said. "I'm hoping it's nothing. But, given the score, I wanted to get him out of there before anything further would happen. We'll check him out in the morning." Molitor later said Buxton said he felt something as the hand slipped off that bat. "The guys are hoping, they are optimistic, that we don't find anything," Molitor said. "But he's probably going to get checked out in the morning."

3

No point in speculating on what he has, if he has anything, armchair physicians don't make a lot of money. We'll see how he is in the morning. New hire The build-up of the Twins baseball department has taken another step forward with the hiring of Daniel Adler as the new director of baseball operations. Adler most recently was the director of football research for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also was a football operations intern with the New England Patriots. He worked with the Cleveland Browns and the MLB Labor relations department. He's a native of Cleveland (!) who attended Harvard, where he graduated magna cum laude in economics and was president of the Harvard Sports Analytics Collective. Adler is going to oversee the Twins research development department, an area that the club has already made a few hires in over the last several months. The club recently parted ways with director of baseball research Jack Goin as it looked to reshape the department. But this move was high on Falvine's to-do list as they look to ensure that the Twins have everything they need to be successful. Twins and No. 1 starters: One now (Santana), one in offing (Berrios)

Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | August 31, 2017

It has been 20 years, maybe more, since a numbering system for ranking starters became popular in baseball conversation. And there are annually 20 teams that hear the same thing: “The _ _ _ _ _ don’t have a true No. 1 starter.’’ The problem when observers say this is that, generally, they are applying a ridiculously high standard for what constitutes a No. 1 starter. Max Scherzer and Chris Sale and Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw aren’t No. 1 starters … they are superstar starters. Suggesting that you don’t have a No. 1 starter if you don’t have someone that terrific is the equivalent of saying a team in the ‘80s didn’t have a true leadoff hitter because it didn’t have Rickey Henderson or Tim Raines. The Twins have shocked no one more than me in these past four weeks. On Aug. 3, the Twins lost 4-1 to Texas at Target Field. This put the Rangers ahead of the Twins by a fraction in the American League – for 10th place. The Twins were 51-55, compared to 52-56 for the Rangers. The Twins were 5 ½ games behind the Yankees for the first wild card and 4 ½ games behind Kansas City for the second. And the Rays, Mariners, Angels and Orioles were also ahead of Texas and the Twins in the wild-card race. I awoke the next morning inspired to write a blog ridiculing the idea that the Twins were ever worth being taken seriously as a postseason contender. The Twins have gone 18-8 since that insightful offering. They are now one game behind the Yankees for the first wild card and one game in front of the Angels for the second wild card. These are simply facts. No opinion will be offered as to what will become of the Twins in September. What can be said is that this is now a better ballclub than the one that still had an outside shot at the second wild card into the final weekend in 2015. On Wednesday night, the Twins were impressive in every way with an 11-1 victory over the White Sox. Jose Berrios went seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts, and he could have lasted longer and added to the strikeout total if necessary. At this time of year, you would rather hook a precocious 23-year-old starter early (88 pitches) than have him sit around for 20 minutes and push himself past 100 pitches. Berrios was throwing fastball strikes. And when he was ahead in the count, the White Sox hitters had to deal with his breaking ball – either the pitch that heads right at them and moves to the inside corner, or the pitch that looks like it could be center cut and then winds up away and ankle-high.

4

“No chance to hit his breaking ball, if he throws it where he wants to throw it,’’ a fellow Twins pitcher said. I was standing in the home clubhouse 25 minutes after the game, as reporters on deadline surrounded Berrios. I was watching and thinking (I can do both at the same time, as long as I’m not chewing gum) and decided on this: Assuming good health, Berrios will be a true No. 1 starter, and probably in 2018. I’m not talking Scherzer or Sale, but consistent goodness, which is a realistic definition of a No. 1 starter. Berrios spent the first month of the season at Class AAA Rochester and pitched 39 2/3 innings there. He made his first start for the 2017 Twins on May 7. Wednesday’s was his 20th and pushed his innings total to 118 1/3. He has 115 strikeouts and has allowed only 99 hits. His ERA is 3.80. The complaint aimed at Berrios has been a lack of consistency. I’d argue with that. This is his first full shot in a big-league rotation and he has rated from good enough to excellent in 70 percent of his starts. Raise that to 80 percent and you have a No. 1 starter. By the way, the 2017 Twins have one of those with Ervin Santana. He is 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA. He has allowed only 143 hits in 176 innings. He’s going to fly past 200 innings. That’s because, even when he isn’t sharp, Erv is still odds-on to offer a competitive effort, as demonstrated in Tuesday’s victory over the White Sox. Yup. The Twins have a true No. 1 starter at present with Santana, and they have one in the offing in Berrios. As rosters expand, Twins may be slow with callus

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 31, 2017

Friday is the first day that major league rosters can be expanded from 25 players to include whomever is on a 40-man roster. But don't expect a wave of reinforcements to hit Target Field right away. That's because factors such as injuries (significant) and Class AAA Rochester's playoff push (not as significant) make a mass call up difficult. Twins manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday that he would like to add three players in the next few days. One of them is expected to be a catcher, as Jason Castro remains on the seven-day concussion DL with his return to action unknown. With Castro out, Molitor wants a third catcher, which suggests the club could call up Anthony Recker, who was acquired along with Jaime Garcia in a July 24 trade. Recker would have to be put on the 40-man roster to make that happen — and Molitor hinted Wednesday that not all the planned call-ups are on the 40-man roster. "To have a third catcher, obviously, is a big plus," Molitor said, "how you can pinch hit and not put yourself at risk late in ballgames." Castro, meanwhile, has begun workouts and might try to swing a bat over the next couple of days. The Twins hope to have a better read on how long Castro will need Thursday. Lefthander Buddy Boshers, who has pitched in 27 games for the Twins, is expected to be one of the call-ups. Also consider that the Twins have six players on the disabled list — Castro, Miguel Sano, Robbie Grossman, Adalberto Mejia, Hector Santiago and Dietrich Enns. As those players get healthy, they can just be added to the roster. Hope for Houston Tyler Duffey lives in southwest Houston. Grossman lives in the northwest suburb of Cypress. So both have spent the past several days checking on family and friends after the devastation that Hurricane Harvey has inflicted. Both were relieved to report their families were fine, but they know of many who weren't as fortunate.

5

"I have friends where their houses, cars, business have 4 feet of water inside," Duffey said. Grossman has seen pictures of water that covers overhead highway signs. He said his parents were lucky. The water only got curb high, but a nearby neighborhood was under water. The Twins are assisting in the relief efforts. Twins players are auctioning off autographed spikes and matching the highest bids. At Friday's game, Twins players' wives will sell autographed baseballs, cookbooks, T-shirts and totes, with all proceeds going to the relief fund. Injury updates Sano will be backed off the activities he's been doing in an attempt to help him recover from a stress reaction in his left shin. Sano's recovery has been slower than expected, so the Twins hope that restricting his work will help him get over the hump. Molitor revealed Wednesday that Sano has been wearing a boot on the leg to help his recovery. Santiago gave up one run over 2⅔ innings on Tuesday in a rehab outing for Class AAA Rochester. His command was off, and he was in the mid-80 miles per hour range with his fastball. "Obviously some rust there," Molitor said. Santiago will start on Sunday, and the Twins hope to see some progress. Etc. •The deadline for trades of players who have cleared waivers is at 11 p.m. Thursday. The Twins have spent the month putting in waiver claims on players they have been interested in and on players they want to keep fellow playoff contenders away from. But there are no indications the Twins were close to any moves as of Wednesday night. Any players traded after Thursday are not eligible for the postseason. • The Twins named righthander Dillon Gee the starter for Friday, when they open a three-game series against Kansas City. Twins name Gee starter; discuss September call ups

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 30, 2017

The Twins have named righthander Dillon Gee the starter on Friday when they open a three-game series against the Royals. Gee thrived in a long relief role before stepping into the rotation the last two times through. He gave up four runs over four innings on Saturday in his most recent outing. The Twins could have opted for rookie righthander Aaron Slegers, but decided to give Gee another shot. "We're going to keep the way it's been here," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "At least through the weekend." Kyle Gibson will start on Saturday, with Ervin Santana going on Sunday. The Twins are not expected to announce any additions on Thursday, the first day players on their 40-man roster will be allowed to be added to the major league roster. But, some reinforcements are expected soon. Molitor said on Wednesday that he would like to add three players in the next few days. One of them is expected to be a catcher, as Jason Castro remains on the 7-day concussion DL with his return to action unknown. Molitor wants a third catcher, which suggests that the club could call up Anthony Recker, who was acquired along with Jamie Garcia in a July trade. Recker would have to be put on the 40-man roster to make that move happen. Castro, meanwhile, has begun workouts and might try to swing a bat over the next couple of days. "Maybe he got set back a hair in terms of how he felt after he was done, but he was glad he got it in," Molitor said. Molitor said Castro still has some stages to go before he can return to game action, therefore the need for another catcher in the short term.

6

Miguel Sano will be backed off the activities he's been doing - riding a bike, running on a underwater treadmill, etc. - in an attempt to help him recover from a stress reaction in his left shin. Sano's recovery has been slower than expected, so the Twins hope that restricting his work will help him get over the hump. Molitor revealed on Wednesday that Sano has been wearing a boot on the leg to help his recovery. Again, it looks like several days for Sano. He has to get the soreness to subside before he does any baseball activities, then he has to go through a few days of activities with no setbacks before the Twins will be comfortable using him. A has to happen before they can get to B. So his return to the lineup has become a mystery, Speaking of mysteries, Hector Santiago gave up one run over 2.2 innings on Tuesday in a rehab outing for Class AAA Rochester. His command was off, and he hit 86 miles an hour on the gun. "Obviously some rust there," Molitor said. Santiago will start on Sunday, and the Twins hope to see some progress. Twins win sixth straight at home with 11-1 rout of White Sox

Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | August 30, 2017

Jose Berrios’ best outing since May ended unceremoniously Wednesday with a conversation in the dugout and some congratulatory handshakes from teammates on their way to yet another win. He had needed a mere 88 pitches to put the White Sox away for seven scoreless innings, sending 11 of them back to the visitors’ dugout at Target Field with a strikeout. But after a lengthy bottom of the seventh inning and with a large lead, manager Paul Molitor spared Berrios the eighth inning, the Twins already well on their way to an 11-1 rout of the Central Division dwellers from Chicago. “I was ready to go out there and pitch my first complete game in the big leagues,” Berrios said through a translator. “Obviously the inning went too long and it was smart to pull me out when they did.” Even if Berrios missed out on a standing ovation from a home crowd that has had plenty to celebrate, there was little hiding his dominance. As the Twins continue marching along, nights like Wednesday’s offer substantial hope this once improbable playoff run could y ield more than a feel-good story for a team that was the worst in the majors a year ago. A night after Ervin Santana helped limit the White Sox in the series opener, Berrios was stellar, yet another reminder of the 1-2 punch they could provide on the mound in a playoff series. Berrios has turned in some masterful outings during this breakout season, including his first two, which spanned more than 15 innings in May and yielded only one run. But Wednesday, he got better the more he faced the White Sox, striking out 10 batters in his final four innings en route to matching a career high with 11 total. He allowed only one runner to reach third base and scattered just four hits. “I think Jose had one of his better games,” Molitor said. With that, the Twins continued humming in this surge for a potential playoff berth that seemed so unlikely at the beginning of this month. Yet the Twins enter the final day of August with six straight wins at Target Field, a 9-2 record at home in their last 11 games, a 17-7 record in their last 24 games, and with postseason hopes that continue to grow. The latest win brought the Twins within one game of the slumping New York Yankees for the top AL wild card spot and a chance to host a postseason game.

7

Their playoff dream has been dampened before – once by trading their closer, and again thanks to an injury to their best hitter – and yet these Twins keep finding a way to compile runs. They outhit the White Sox 16-6 Wednesday. “I try not to get too caught up in that,” Molitor said of the wild card race. “The overall American League play has allowed .500 to be competitive this year. But at the end, that’s not going to be good enough. Somewhere along the way you’ve got to make some kind of run. Over the last 20-plus games, we’re starting to put it together where we’re building over .500 – and that’s what you’ve got to do if you want to keep it going through September.” Two hitters into Wednesday night’s game, the Twins had begun their scoring binge. Joe Mauer followed a leadoff Brian Dozier single with a run-scoring double, part of a balanced offensive attack that contributed runs in five of their eight innings at the plate. Eddie Rosario contributed in the biggest way, smacking two homers for the third multi-home run game of his career, which left him with 20 on the season. He ballooned the lead in the third inning with a two-run shot that drove in Jorge Polanco, then deposited a first-pitch shot over the center field fence to open the seventh frame. “A lot of guys contributed with the bats,” Molitor said. “It was about as good as you can draw it up.” BRIEFLY Byron Buxton exited the game in the seventh inning after what Molitor described as an awkward swing. He’ll undergo testing Thursday morning, but Molitor said the Twins are optimistic it’s nothing serious. Twins prepare to welcome back former closer Joe Nathan on Friday

Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | August 30, 2017

When Glen Perkins was called up to the Twins in 2006, his first introduction came from someone he didn’t expect. Then-closer Joe Nathan welcomed Perkins to the clubhouse and made him his throwing partner for pregame warm-ups, a gesture Perkins often thinks back to now that he’s an elder former all-star in the bullpen. That moment is one Perkins reflected on this week as the Twins prepare to welcome Nathan back to Minnesota, where he’ll announce his retirement from a 16-year career Friday at Target Field before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch. Perkins went on to replace Nathan as the Twins’ closer following Nathan’s departure in 2011. But he said he remembers most how welcoming Nathan was when Perkins was a rookie. “That’s something I’ve tried to instill in every other guy that comes up,” Perkins said. “I don’t care if you’re Trevor Hildenberger or John Curtiss and you have a month or a couple days in the big leagues – you’re one of us and you’re helping us win. You’re a part of our team. It’s hard enough to have success here, and it’s even harder when you don’t feel comfortable. That’s something he did for me. I’m eternally grateful not only for what he did for me, but for what he taught me about helping other young guys once I became an older guy.” Only two Twins remain from Nathan’s seven seasons in Minnesota, which included four All-Star Games. “He was great,” said Joe Mauer, the other Twin who played with Nathan. “We felt pretty good about our chances when we gave him the ball. He was a great teammate and was a leader of the bullpen. Guys followed him since Day 1 when he came over. It’s sad to hear that announcement, but he’s had a heck of a career.” Nathan totaled 260 of his 377 career saves with the Twins, including a career-high 47 in 2009. From the bullpen, a young Perkins watched the way Nathan finished games, eventually succeeding Nathan, who will retire at 42 years old. “He was always the same (on the mound),” Perkins said. “That’s something that I learned from him. Even the way he finished the game – it wasn’t a show. He would go high-five his teammates and the catcher, and I respected him for that. That’s something that I’ve done in my career. You’re not bigger than the moment. What I learned through baseball with him is immeasurable.” A SANO SETBACK?

8

Without any progress on Miguel Sano’s injured shin, the Twins will ease back the third baseman’s rehab, hoping less work will help faster heal the stress reaction. Sano is wearing a walking boot and had been doing cardiovascular workouts on a bike and in a pool. “They’re going to try to cut back on some of the things he’s been doing to see if we can get some of the soreness out of that leg,” manager Paul Molitor said. “It’s been slow. … He’s back to where he’s just going to have to do less to see if we get better results, because it hasn’t been progressing with what he’s been doing.” REINFORCEMENTS COMING Molitor met at length Tuesday with the team’s front office to form a plan for the roster expansions that all teams are allowed starting Friday. Teams can have 40 players on their active roster instead of 25, but at least initially the Twins only plan to call up three players. “I think we need to supplement and take advantage of the rule,” Molitor said. BRIEFLY The Twins set their starting rotation for this weekend’s series at Target Field against the Kansas City Royals. Dillon Gee will start Friday, Kyle Gibson will start Saturday, and Ervin Santana will pitch Sunday. … Rehabbing pitcher Hector Santiago struggled in a start at Triple-A Rochester Tuesday, showing rust with his command and having a velocity that Molitor said was “not where we hoped.” He’ll pitch again for Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. Colon looks to cap strong month vs. Sox

Shane Jackson | MLB.com | August 31, 2017

The Twins and White Sox will wrap up a three-game set, and the season series, on Thursday afternoon at Target Field. Minnesota right-hander Bartolo Colon will counter Chicago righty Miguel Gonzalez. Colon (6-10, 6.35 ERA) has stabilized the rotation since joining the Twins in mid-July, posting a 4.04 ERA over eight starts. Last time out, Colon tossed 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays. In five starts this month, Colon is 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA over 33 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Gonzalez (7-10, 4.30) will look to continue his strong second half. Since the All-Star break, Gonzalez has a 2.94 ERA over eight starts. He has had four straight quality starts, including a pair of eight-inning outings. Over that span, Gonzalez has a 1.29 ERA. Three things to know about this game • Colon has made 23 starts against the White Sox over his 20-year career, going 11-8 with a 3.81 ERA over 151 innings. • Gonzalez has made five career starts against the Twins, going 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA over 29 2/3 innings. Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier is 6-for-14 with a double and an RBI in his career against Gonzalez. • According to Statcast, Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco's hard-hit rate (35.3 percent against Chicago, 25.2 percent in 2017), barrel rate (9.8 percent to 2.5 percent) and weighted on-base average (.447 to .307) were all much higher against the White Sox than over the entire season, entering Wednesday. Berrios' gem, Rosario's 2 HRs fuel Twins' win

Rhett Bollinger and Shane Jackson | MLB.com | August 31, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Right-hander Jose Berrios pitched a gem to help push the Twins past the White Sox, 11-1, on Wednesday night at Target Field. Minnesota's third straight victory pulled it within one game of the Yankees for the first American League Wild Card spot. The Twins are one game ahead of the Angels for the second Wild Card spot, while the Orioles are 1 1/2 back. Berrios, who faced Chicago for the second straight outing, tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed just four hits. Berrios matched his career high with 11 strikeouts and had one walk, while lowering his ERA to 3.80. Berrios also struck out 11 on May 18 against Colorado. "It was a really good game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I thought Jose threw one of his better games. He's had some impressive ones

9

along the way, but when you look at the command and strikeouts, he seemed to get stronger." Eddie Rosario supported Berrios' gem with a pair of home runs -- a two-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the seventh. It was the 10th multi-homer game of the season by a Twin, and the third for Rosario. Ehire Adrianza went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, Brian Dozier collected four hits, matching his career high, and Mitch Garver went 3-for-4, a homer shy of the cycle. • Plate discipline leading to results for Rosario White Sox left-hander Derek Holland gave up five runs, taking his 14th loss. He allowed eight hits across five innings, struck out four and walked four. Avisail Garcia (3-for-4 with a triple) notched half of the four hits off Berrios with a pair of singles. • Facing Twins again, Holland can't adjust "Have to give these guys credit, they are a good ballclub and in the Wild Card," Holland said. "You have to continue to battle against these guys. After just seeing them six days ago, they made some adjustments, and I didn't quite make my adjustments when I needed to." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Rosario goes deep: Rosario launched a 2-2 fastball from Holland over the left-field wall in the third. According to Statcast™, Rosario's 19th homer traveled an estimated 364 feet with an exit velocity of 96.9 mph. It was just the second time this season Rosario went deep off a left-handed pitcher, and the sixth time in his career. It marked the first time Rosario recorded an opposite-field homer off a lefty in his career. "A home run is a home run," Holland said. "I can try to sit here and make excuses of the weather, but at the end of the day, he hit the ball over the fence, and that's just how it goes. You have to tip your hat to him." Berrios escapes: Chicago threatened in the fourth after Rosario's two-run blast gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead. After starting the inning with a strikeout, Berrios hit Jose Abreu and allowed a single to Garcia, before recording another strikeout. Berrios walked the bases loaded to set the stage for Tim Anderson. However, Anderson swung through an 0-2 four-seamer from Berrios for an inning-ending strikeout. "I felt good," Berrios said. "I just kept thinking I didn't want to lose another game to them. That's what I went out there and did, and stayed positive the whole day." QUOTABLE "This team is hungry for the playoffs. We want to make the postseason. We're trying to have a good year. That's the goal." -- Rosario, on the Twins, who are 19-10 in August • Buxton (hand) exits early, to be reevaluated FOUR-STAR CATCHES Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was credited with a four-star catch by Statcast™ for his running grab to rob Adam Engel of extra bases in the fifth. Buxton had 4.2 seconds to cover 68 feet, giving it a catch percentage of 49 percent. He reached a sprint speed of 29.7 feet per second, while improving to a Major League-best 24-for-25 on four-star catch opportunities. Engel answered back with a four-star catch of his own in the bottom of the inning. Engel traveled 75 feet in 4.6 seconds to snag a potential extra-base hit from Rosario. According to Statcast™, Rosario's lineout had a 41-percent hit probability. Engel has now recorded eight four-star catches on the season in 12 tries. WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (7-10, 4.30 ERA) is slated to start Thursday's series finale at 12:10 p.m. CT. Gonzalez has recorded four straight quality starts, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA over that span. In five career starts against Minnesota, Gonzalez is 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA. Twins: Right-hander Bartolo Colon (6-10, 6.35) is set to start the series finale against the White Sox on Thursday. Colon allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays last time out, and has posted a 3.21 ERA in five August starts.

10

Plate discipline leading to results for Rosario

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | August 31, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- As a group of reporters walked past Eddie Rosario's locker after the Twins' 6-4 win on Tuesday to interview Jorge Polanco about Polanco's two-homer game, Rosario jokingly asked why no one wanted to talk to him about his 1-for-4 performance. Rosario didn't have that issue on Wednesday, as he matched Polanco with a two-homer game of his own to help the Twins notch an 11-1 win over the White Sox at Target Field. It was his third multi-homer game of the year, and his first since homering twice against the Brewers on Aug. 8. It also helped him reach 20 homers for the first time in his three-year career. While Byron Buxton and Polanco have been impressive in August, Rosario has also been hot this month, hitting .303/.336/.606 with nine homers, 24 RBIs and 22 runs in 28 games. The Twins have gone 19-9 in those contests, helping them hold onto the second American League Wild Card spot and move within a game of the AL Wild Card-leading Yankees. "He's had a nice run here for what seems to be stretched out for a significant amount of time," manager Paul Molitor said. "He's a player getting affirmed for making an adjustment." Rosario's improvement has been buoyed by better plate discipline, which has always been an issue for him. He has incredibly quick hands, but has been a free-swinger much of his career. Rosario cut his swing percentage on pitches out of the zone from 45.6 percent in 2015 to 41.7 percent last year to 36.2 percent this year, per Fangraphs.com. "When you don't swing at balls," Rosario said, "you have more chance to have good contact on a strike." Rosario's first homer came in the third off lefty Derek Holland, and Rosario got just enough of a 2-2 fastball to hit it the opposite way to left for a two-run shot. It was the first time he'd hit a homer to left field off a lefty in his career. "To be able to take the lefty out the other way, I thought it was a really good at-bat," Molitor said. "He laid off some good pitches. He feels good about his game and his swing. He's letting the ball travel and letting those hands do the work." Rosario's second homer -- a solo blast off right-hander Mike Pelfrey -- came on a first-pitch curveball in the seventh. Rosario's first homer was projected at 364 feet, but his second went an estimated 409 feet, per Statcast™. Rosario said he got the pitch he was looking for. "I was waiting for that pitch," Rosario said. "I remembered last week in Chicago he threw me a first-pitch curveball, so I was looking for it this at-bat." Buxton (hand) exits early, to be reevaluated

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | August 31, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was removed from Wednesday's 11-1 win over the White Sox in the seventh inning after injuring his left hand on a swing. The Twins are hopeful it's a minor injury, but he'll be reevaluated Thursday morning. Buxton was hurt swinging at a pitch in the sixth, as his hand came off the bat on the swing, causing him discomfort. He still singled into center and played defense the next inning, but was lifted for pinch-hitter Zack Granite in the seventh. Granite remained in the game and took over in center. "He had a little bit of a funny swing when his hand slipped off," manager Paul Molitor said. "Hopefully it's nothing. Given the score, I wanted to get him out of there before there was anything further in that game." Buxton, 23, has been hot recently, hitting .324/.354/.619 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in his past 29 games. With his defense and speed, the Twins can't afford to lose him for an extended period. He leads the team with 4.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to baseball-reference.com. Molitor said the initial tests showed it wasn't serious, but they'll know more before Thursday's series finale. "He got checked out, and the guys are optimistic they won't find anything in the morning," Molitor said. "But he's still going to get checked out."

11

Dozier, Twins aiding Harvey relief efforts

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | August 30, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- With six native Texans on their 40-man roster, including Houstonians Tyler Duffey and Robbie Grossman, Twins players have created a fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey relief. Second baseman Brian Dozier, a Mississippi native affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, posted a video to his Twitter page late Tuesday night, urging fans to donate to the relief effort. Fans can donate at youcaring.com/twinsfortexas, and the Twins are also hosting an auction on game-used apparel with the proceeds going toward the relief efforts, with players matching whatever funds are raised by the auction. The auction items, which include game-used cleats signed by players such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler and Dozier, can be found at auctions.mlb.com. "However bad you think this is, it's a lot worse," Dozier said. "You're talking about thousands and thousands of people who have lost everything. You want to be down there helping physically, which we can't obviously, so the next best thing is monetarily. It's going to take so much to get people back on their feet." Through the donation page, the Twins have raised more than $20,000 from more than 100 donors, and are looking to reach their goal of $50,000. Duffey, a Houston native who also pitched at Rice University, retweeted Dozier's effort Tuesday night, and said he's trying to raise as much awareness and money as possible. "It's huge," Duffey said. "The toughest part is I'm here, and my family and friends are all at home. It's nothing in the grand scheme, but it's as much as I can do from here, trying to make as many people aware as possible. I'm guessing it'll be in the hundreds of thousands of people who are uprooted and have damage and things like that." Duffey said he's fortunate his family's home didn't suffer any flooding, but that he has many friends who have been impacted by the storm, and several who have joined the relief efforts in Houston. "There's no telling how bad the damage will be until all the water is gone," Duffey said. "Fortunately for me, everyone is safe and dry. Everyone is back home getting things back together. But I can't say the same about a lot of my friends. It's tough. But it's great to see people rallying behind it to help. It's made me proud. I've had buddies at home use their boats to go rescue people. It's crazy." Worth noting • Sano continues to recover slowly from the stress reaction in his left shin. He was eligible to return Wednesday, but has been using a walking boot and will back off his rehab for the next few days to let his shin heal. • Right-hander Dillon Gee will remain in the rotation and get another start on Friday against the Royals. He gave up four runs in four innings against the Blue Jays last time out. • Catcher Jason Castro (concussion) has started to increase his baseball activities, but the Twins are still being cautious with him. He's eligible to return on Thursday, but still has more hurdles to clear before being activated. • Twins manager Paul Molitor said he expects about three players to initially join the team when rosters expand Friday. Not all of them are on the 40-man roster, and Molitor said they're still working on what day they'll be brought up. Not ready to come off the DL, Miguel Sano is cutting back activity and hoping to heal

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | August 30, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Miguel Sano had on a soft walking boot on his sore right leg as he walked into the Twins’ clubhouse several hours before Wednesday night’s game. Sano is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list Wednesday, but that won’t happen. Sano is recovering from a stress reaction in his left shin, and Twins manager Paul Molitor has characterized his progress as slow. “The only thing I’ve heard is that he’s going to try to keep that boot on as much as possible to try to take as much stress off the leg as [he] can,” Molitor said. Sano was in the clubhouse Wednesday and said he’s feeling good. But that doesn’t mean he’s close to returning to the field.

12

Sano has been working on a stationary bike and doing work in a running tub, Molitor said, to keep up his cardio while he’s unable to support to full weight of his body on his injured shin. But with the soreness in his leg still lingering, the Twins are backing off those activities for a few days, to see if a step backward will help the star slugger take a step forward. “He’s back to where I think he’s just going to have to do less to see if we can get better results,” Molitor said, “because it hasn’t been progressing with what he’s been doing. I don’t know if that’s going to be a day or two or three or how that’s going to go.”

Rosario’s pair of homers ignite Twins in 11-1 triumph

Associated Press | August 31, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Jose Berrios pitched seven scoreless innings, Brian Dozier had four hits and Eddie Rosario homered twice on Wednesday night as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Chicago White Sox 11-1. Berrios (12-6) tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, including seven of the last nine batters he faced. He walked one and gave up just four hits to win his seventh straight start at Target Field. The Twins, who entered the night with a one-game lead over the Angels for the second AL wild card spot, ran their August record to 19-10, the most wins in the major leagues this month. Mitch Garver and Ehire Adrianza each had three hits for the Twins. Adrianza tripled twice and drove in four runs, while Garver scored three runs and was a home run short of the cycle. After Joe Mauer drove in Dozier with a double in the first inning, Rosario came up big in the third to give the Twins a 3-0 lead. With a runner on and two outs, Rosario lifted a fastball from Derek Holland (7-14) into a stiff breeze blowing in from left, and the ball just cleared the fence. He left no doubt on his second homer, a blast to center field leading off the seventh against reliever Mike Pelfrey. It was Rosario’s third multi-homer game of the year and gave him a career-high 20 home runs on the season. In his last start, Holland held the Twins to one run over six innings, but he left Wednesday’s game after giving up five runs in five innings. In six career starts at Target Field he’s 0-5 with a 7.98 ERA. Chicago’s only real threat came in the fourth, when Berrios hit Jose Abreu with a pitch, gave up a broken-bat single to Avisail Garcia and walked Omar Narvaez to load the bases with two outs. Berrios struck out Tim Anderson on three pitches, the last a 96-mph fastball, to escape the jam. Garcia tripled off reliever Glen Perkins in the ninth. He came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Matt Davidson for Chicago’s only run. LOVE THE GLOVE Mauer continued his Gold Glove-caliber play at first base with a handful of outstanding plays. He robbed Abreu of a hit with a leaping grab of a line drive in the first inning. Then he made a dive to his left, fielded a ground ball and made a backhanded flip to Berrios at the bag to retire Alen Hanson in the third. TRAINER’S ROOM Twins: 3B Miguel Sano (left shin) is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday, but he won’t. Sano, who suffered a stress reaction after fouling a ball off his leg, was seen in a walking boot in the clubhouse on Tuesday. Twins manager Paul Molitor said that Sano’s leg was still sore and he would take a couple of days off from the cardio work he’d been doing to stay in shape. UP NEXT White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (7-10, 4.30) has given up just four earned runs in his last 28 innings, cutting his ERA by nearly a full run. In his only start against the Twins this year he held them to two runs in six innings in a White Sox victory on April 8. Twins: RHP Bartolo Colon (6-10, 6.35) is 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA in five August starts. He gave up just one run in 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Blue Jays in Toronto last Friday. He hasn’t faced the White Sox since he shut them out while pitching for the Oakland A’s on May 31, 2013.

13

Byron Buxton Anchors the Resurgent Minnesota Twins in a Crowded AL Wild Card Hunt

Jay Jaffe | Sports Illustrated | August 30, 2017

The American League wild card race is an unholy mess. Seven teams—nearly half the league—are within 3 1/2 games of the second spot, four of them have records that are below .500 and two more have a negative run differential. Leading the pack is the Minnesota Twins, last year's doormats, who are vying to become the first team to make the playoffs after losing at least 100 games the year before, and at the center of it all is Byron Buxton, the former top prospect who at age 23 is finally making good. Two years ago, the Twins appeared to be emerging from the doldrums. After four straight seasons with at least 92 losses, they went 83–79 under first-year manager Paul Molitor and finished second in the AL Central. Last year, they backslid in gruesome fashion, going an MLB-worst 59–103. This year, by taking advantage of the Indians' slow start, they climbed atop the division in early May and held a share of the lead for more than a month. A long stretch of bad baseball—18-27 from June 11 through July 31—knocked them below .500, and as the trade deadline approached, the new regime of chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine started to sell. A team that didn't seem to have much pitching to spare dealt away both Jaime Garcia (to the Yankees) and Brandon Kintzler (to the Nationals); the former had been acquired from the Braves less than a week earlier and made just one start while the latter had just earned All-Star honors in his first full season as a closer. A funny thing happened as the calendar flipped to August. Taking advantage of a soft schedule (18 of 28 games against sub-.500 teams and eight of the 10 others at home), the Twins have gone 18–10 for a .643 winning percentage and a +46 run differential, both good for third in the league (they're still 26 runs in the red overall). Their offense has bashed out an AL-high 5.75 runs per game while their pitching staff and defense has held opponents to 4.11 runs per game. Perhaps no player has made a bigger contribution to that turnaround than Buxton, who spent the first half of the season playing spectacular defense while disappointing on offense. When he went on the disabled list due to a groin strain on July 15, he was hitting just .218/.292/.311, and that came at the end of a six-game, 10-for-21 hot streak that raised his OPS from .552 to .604. Since returning, he's hit a sizzling .327/.358/.634 with eight homers—one of them the fastest inside-the-park homer of the Statcast era—and eight steals. In a 7–2 victory on Sunday against the Blue Jays in Toronto, he went 4-for-5 with three home runs, making him the 10th player this season and the second for the Twins (after Eddie Rosario on June 13 against the Mariners) to hit the trifecta. That was just two days after he did this in center. Buxton’s spectacular play on both sides of the ball is a welcome sight for the Twins. The second overall pick of the 2012 draft out of Appling County High in Baxley, Ga., Buxton was the consensus top prospect in the game heading into the 2014 season; Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline had him first the following year as well, with Baseball America and ESPN ranking him second behind Kris Bryant, and all four outlets had him second behind Corey Seager last year. Bouncing up and down between Triple A Rochester and majors from June 14, 2015 through last season, he hit just .220/.274/.398 in 469 plate appearances, occasionally dazzling on defense or the basepaths but largely looking overmatched at the plate; he struck out in 34.5% of the time while walking just 6.2%. Even those meager number might have overstated his progress, as he hit .287/.357/.653 with nine of his season's 10 homers in September 2016 after carrying a .562 OPS to the minors in early August. Buxton's September 2016 surge was initially attributed to a new leg kick at the start of his swing, but he has continued tinkering this year and has further simplified his mechanics while becoming more selective and making more consistent, harder contact. His hard hit percentage has risen from 25.3% before the All-Star break to 29.3% since, while his soft hit percentage has fallen from 22.4% to 11.0%. While Buxton's overall offensive line (.249/.310/402/89 OPS+) hardly looks exceptional and is in fact one point of OPS+ below last year, he's cut his strikeout rate to 28.4% while boosting his walk rate to 7.8%—still not great, but a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, the rest of his game has taken off, bolstering his value considerably. He's 24-for-25 in stolen base attempts and is seven runs above average in Baseball-Reference's baserunning component of WAR, tied with Mookie Betts for the AL lead. His 23 Defensive Runs Saved is tops among centerfielders in either league, and his 4.3 WAR leads all Twins players. Buxton hasn’t carried the Twins back into contention by himself. Among Twins hitters, shortstop Jorge Polanco has been the hottest this month, batting .387/.424/.720 with 17 extra-base hits, and Brian Dozier (.299/.400/.589 with nine homers), Rosario (.298/.333/.558 with seven homers) and Joe Mauer (.340/.396/.450) have been particularly productive as well. They've helped pick up the slack for Miguel Sano, the team leader in homers (28) and OPS+ (129) who's been out since August 19 due to a stress reaction in his left shin. He has yet to resume baseball activities and has no timetable for his return. On the other side of the ball, a pitching staff whose 4.75 rotation ERA ranks 10th in the league and whose 4.56 bullpen ERA ranks 13th has been much better at both ends in August, with respective ERAs of 4.11 and 3.45. Staff ace Ervin Santana has delivered a 2.95 ERA and 3.38 FIP in six

14

starts, while Kyle Gibson, who was lit for a 6.08 ERA in 18 starts through July, has pitched to a 3.90 ERA and 3.49 FIP in five starts. Somehow, 44-year-old scrapheap pickup Bartolo Colon has outpitched his peripherals, posting a 3.21 ERA in August despite a 5.89 FIP and 2.1 HR/9 in his five turns. Jose Berrios and most of the five (!) other starters the team has used this month have struggled, but the makeshift unit has nonetheless turned in nine quality starts in their last 13 games. In the bullpen, Matt Belisle has converted five out of six save chances since taking over from Kintzler, and rookie Trevor Hildenberger has pitched his way into setup duty while posting a 15/1 K/BB ratio in 12 1/3 August innings. Via the Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds, which account for remaining schedule and projections for available players, the Twins now have a 40.0% chance of claiming a wild card spot, more than double the odds of any of the six other AL wild card contenders besides the Yankees (the Angels, at 19.6%, are next). That's mostly due to the continued softness of their schedule. The team's average opponent winning percentage of .477 (equivalent to a 62-68 record) is the AL's second lowest. At Target Field, where they're just 32–35, they play host to the Blue Jays, White Sox, Tigers, Royals and Padres, none of whom have winning records, while the only .500 or better teams they face on the road the rest of the way are the Indians and Yankees, who own a 2 1/2 game lead on them for the top wild card spot. All of that suggests it's hardly out of the question for the Twins to return to the postseason for the first time since 2010. If they do, they'll make history, becoming the first team to make the playoffs in the year after losing at leas 100 games. Like Buxton, the player at the center of their latest run, that will certainly be something to see. Roundtable: Which team will win the second AL wild card?

Staff | Yahoo! Sports| August 30, 2017

With roughly a month to go before the postseason, the most exciting race in baseball is the second wild card spot in the American League. Seven teams are within 3.5 games of that final spot, and each one of them is far from perfect. With things so bunched up, we asked The Stew crew to try and sort things out. Which team do they think will come out on top when the dust settles? Let’s get to it. Oh, and for the sake of this argument, we assumed the New York Yankees had the top spot locked up. Is that a good idea? Probably not, but it makes the answers more fun. MINNESOTA TWINS: CURRENTLY A GAME UP ON THE ORIOLES AND ANGELS One of the most surprising teams in baseball this year has been the Minnesota Twins. Back in 2016, they finished with the worst record in baseball by nine games. They were 35.5 games back in the AL Central, and 30 games out of the Wild Card. Fast forward just one year, and the Twins spent the early part of the year at the top of the AL Central, and have spent the second part of the season battling the Cleveland Indians. That’s a major improvement that no one could have predicted, and it’s so exciting. Joe Mauer looks more like his “old” self than he has in years. Byron Buxton is providing speed and top-notch defense. Miguel Sano has the team lead in homers with 28. And Ervin Santana is having the best season of his career. Despite a few late-season injuries, it feels like everything is coming together. The home stretch won’t be easy — they have a lot of games to play against the Royals, who are nipping at their heels, and the Tigers, who could play spoiler — but they’ve battled the whole season. All they need to secure their first playoff appearance since 2010 is gut it out for 31 more games. (Liz Roscher) Falvey On Twins' Trade Deadline Moves

Jeff Todd | MLB Trade Rumors | August 30, 2017

Twins GM Derek Falvey spoke with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic about his team’s interesting summer (subscription required and recommended). The rookie front-office man says that the club’s mid-July pivot, in which it acquired and then traded away Jaime Garcia and also shipped out Brandon Kintzler, led to some clubhouse disappointment. But, he says, “the front office had a plan for the long term.” Of course, Minnesota’s players have made a pivot of their own ever since, surging into Wild Card position.

15

Twins players start Hurricane Harvey relief fundraiser

Sam Henken | ESPN | August 30, 2017

The Minnesota Twins are the latest team to start a fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey relief. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier started the "Twins for Texas" campaign with a video on his Twitter account that included a link to a donation page with a goal of $50,000. Twins pitcher, and Houston native, Tyler Duffey shared his teammate's video and asked for any donation. The Twins players are following the model of Houston Texans star J.J. Watt who set up a donation page on Monday. He is well on his way to the current $6 million goal that he continues to push up as the donations roll in. You can donate to the Twins players' page here.