Tribe's 5 jacks, Salazar's 10 K's slow Twins By Jordan Bastian and Shane Jackson / MLB.com | 1:50 AM ET + 48 COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Danny Salazar continued his second-half resurgence, and Carlos Santana led a five-homer attack with a pair of blasts to power the Indians to an 8-1 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night in the opener of a key series between American League Central contenders. Cleveland is now 8-0 at Target Field this season. "We really stressed to him about being aggressive early and he did a really good job," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He held them down and our offense clicked in, we got the homers and then we spread it . That's a good way to play." Beyond Santana's two homers -- one off Bartolo Colon in the fourth and another off Dietrich Enns in the ninth -- Jason Kipnis, Edwin Encarnacion and Austin Jackson each homered to help back Salazar's effort. "It's contagious," Jackson said. "When you see those guys swinging the bats, doing their job in the middle of the order, it definitely takes a lot of pressure off the rest of us. When those guys are swinging the bat, it's a really tough lineup." Three solo home runs came against the 44-year-old Colon, who walked four and allowed seven hits in his five . It's the first time Colon issued at least four free passes since May 18, 2016, and only the second time he's done so in a start the past four seasons. Jackson broke the game open in the seventh with a three- homer off Twins reliever Buddy Boshers. The Twins struck first against Salazar in the second, when Eddie Rosario doubled and later scored on a single by Byron Buxton. Minnesota went 1-for-17 over the remainder of Salazar's outing. "Obviously, I'm well aware of the fact they have come in and dominated us in our home park," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "We have a couple more chances to get in the win column here." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Kipnis' go-ahead shot: When Kipnis stepped to the plate in the fifth, he had not cleared a fence in nearly two months due to the combination of a stint on the disabled list and offensive woes. That changed when he sent an 87-mph pitch from Colon out to right-center for his ninth homer of the year, and first since June 19. That shot put the Indians ahead for good, 2-1. "He's getting closer," Francona said. "And it might take a little time, but we've all seen what he can do when he gets going. He can kind of be a force, so we've just got to give him some time." Edwin stays hot: Encarnacion's season has been defined by hot and cold streaks, and the slugger has once again found a scalding rhythm. Two batters after Kipnis' blast, Encarnacion ripped a Colon pitch to the last row of the second deck beyond the left-field wall. It barely missed striking the facing of the third deck. The was the fifth in five games for Encarnacion, who had a two-homer outburst on Monday at Fenway Park. "You hope it goes to the end of the season," Francona said of Encarnacion's hot streak. "We're a different team when he swings like that." QUOTABLES "You know what? It doesn't surprise you anymore. We see it on highlights when we're not here. We see it when we're here. We've got to try to it somewhere else." -- Francona, on Buxton robbing Encarnacion of a home run in the seventh "They want to get in the fight to beat us. We're showing them that we're aggressive. This is what we do. We did it last year. We compete game by game. You saw the result." -- Salazar, on the Twins SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Santana now has 14 home runs in his career at Target Field, tying Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for the most homers in this ballpark by an opposing player. The Twins' eight losses are the most at home to the Tribe in club history. Cleveland has outscored Minnesota, 56-16, at Target Field this season. BUXTON, SANO FLASH LEATHER Miguel Sano and Buxton displayed their defensive prowess with outstanding plays. Sano showcased his arm strength, as he threw out Jackson at first base to end the fifth . Sano, who originally fielded the ball near the left-field line, ended up near the tarp when he completed his throw across the diamond. According to Statcast™, the 149-foot throw was Sano's longest from third base on the season. Buxton took a homer away from Encarnacion in the top of the seventh. Buxton had to change direction last minute and made a leaping snag at the center-field wall. The ball left Encarnacion's bat at 104 mph and had a 79 percent hit probability, according to Statcast™. "The defense continues to be solid," Molitor said. "We made some nice plays, those two stand out. Buxton getting back to the wall and giving them a chance to keep it in the park. I thought Sano's play was one of the better ones I have seen him make." WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) will start on Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET against the Twins at Target Field. In his last outing, Carrasco carried a no-hitter into the seventh, tossing eight shutout innings of 2-hit ball in a win over the Rays. He is 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA on the road this year. Twins: Right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02) is slated to start against the Indians on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. In his last outing, Gibson was charged with three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tigers. Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 12 career starts against the Tribe.

Santana surging, starts Tribe's homer parade By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:15 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Indians first baseman Carlos Santana did not have a good answer. When asked why he has hit so many home runs at Target Field, he first called it a good question, but then found that a shrug was the only appropriate response.

"I don't know. I feel good," Santana said after an 8-1 rout of the Twins on Tuesday night. "It doesn't matter if it's here or another park. Right now, I feel more comfortable." On this night, though, it did matter. Santana's comfort level in Twins territory -- coupled with his second-half surge -- set the tone for the Tribe in its five-homer outpouring. Joining Santana in the night's derby were Jason Kipnis, Edwin Encarnacion and Austin Jackson. Each home run carried significance not only in the game's outcome, but in individual terms. "It's contagious," Jackson said of the homers. "When you see those guys swinging the bats, doing their job in the middle of the order, it definitely takes a lot of pressure off the rest of us. When those guys are swinging the bat, it's a really tough lineup." For Santana, his two home runs -- one off the ageless Bartolo Colon in the fourth and another against Dietrich Enns in the ninth -- gave him 14 career jacks at Target Field. That puts him into a three-way tie with Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for the most homers by an opposing player in the ballpark's history. More critical for the Indians, Santana's homers continued his post-All-Star renaissance. After .238 with a .749 OPS in the first half, the switch-hitter headed into Tuesday's action with a .260 average and .858 OPS in the second half. Those marks are extremely close to his career production in the first half (.238 average and .781 OPS), compared to the second (.258 average and .836 OPS). "He's always been a second-half hitter," manager Terry Francona said. Kipnis' shot off Colon in the fifth pushed the Indians ahead, 2-1, and represented his first home run since June 19. In the nearly two months since that last blast, the has fought through slumps and injury issues. He's had shoulder, neck and hamstring problems throughout this campaign, hindering his slash line (.225/.285/.396) after setting career bests in homers (23) and slugging percentage (.469) a year ago. "He's getting closer," Francona said. "And it might take a little time, but we've all seen what he can do when he gets going. He can kind of be a force." Encarnacion also joined the power parade in the fifth -- two batters after Kipnis went deep to right. Encarnacion showed off his strength with a towering blast that nearly reached the third-deck beyond left field. That marked his fifth homer in as many games and gave him a .660 slugging percentage for the month of August. "You hope it goes to the end of the season," Francona said. "We're a different team when he swings like that." Jackson helped put the game away in the seventh with a three-run blast over the wall in left. In a season riddled with injuries in the outfield, Jackson has been a godsend, even between his pair of DL stints. Jackson has hit .323/.391/.516 in 53 games, filling in at all three spots and excelling against lefty pitching. "Guys have been feeding off each other," Jackson said. "It seems like we're just clicking on all cylinders right now."

Carrasco aims to stay hot in clash with Twins By Shane Jackson / MLB.com | 1:25 AM ET + 5 COMMENTS Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco will square off against Twins righty Kyle Gibson when the American League Central rivals continue a crucial series on Wednesday at Target Field.

The Tribe, 8-0 at Target Field this season, increased its division lead to six games over the Twins and Royals with an 8-1 win in the series opener. Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) flirted with a no-hitter in his most recent outing, which took place against the Rays at Tropicana Field. In fact, Logan Morrison ended the bid with two out in the seventh inning. Carrasco allowed just two hits across a season-best eight scoreless innings, while recording 10 strikeouts. Carrasco has faced the Twins 15 times (12 starts) over his career, going 3-6 with a 4.43 ERA. Carrasco picked up seven of his 10 strikeouts in his last start with his curveball, a career high. He also matched a personal best with nine swinging strikes on curves. Meanwhile, Gibson (6-9, 6.02) will look to overcome his last start, in which he was unable to get out of the fifth inning. Against the Tigers, Gibson allowed three runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. Gibson hasn't lasted more than 5 1/3 frames in his two starts since returning to the big league club. In 12 career starts against the Tribe, Gibson is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA. Three things to know about this game • Since the start of 2016, Carrasco has an ERA of 2.76 over 153 1/3 innings on the road. That is the eighth-best mark among qualified starters in the Majors, while the average is a 4.60 clip. • Gibson has recorded 36 plays in 222 opportunities (16.2 percent) dating to the start of '16. Among qualified starters, that is the 10th- best mark in the Majors. • Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has a .440 batting average and four doubles in 25 at-bats against Carrasco. Edwin Encarnacion has clubbed three homers in 15 career at-bats against Gibson.

Chisenhall could shift to LF on return from DL By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | August 15th, 2017 + 4 COMMENTS MINNEAPOLIS -- Six years ago, Lonnie Chisenhall stood in left field for the Indians for precisely one pitch. That is the extent of his experience at the position, which may now be Chisenhall's way back to the roster when he is deemed ready to come off the disabled list.

Prior to Tuesday's game against the Twins, manager Terry Francona noted that Chisenhall will play all three outfield positions in a Minor League rehab assignment, beginning with right field on Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus. After that, Chisenhall will get at least two games in left field before possibly mixing in some innings in center, and potentially at first and third base. "In the near-term, that would be the best fit," Francona said of left field. Chisenhall -- a right fielder by trade -- has been on the 10-day DL since July 11 due to a right calf strain. While he was working his way back from the injury, left fielder Michael Brantley was shelved with a sprained right ankle on Wednesday and the Indians acquired right fielder Jay Bruce from the Mets later that same day. When healthy, Chisenhall was productive, hitting .305 with 12 homers, 13 doubles, 51 RBIs and a .953 OPS in 64 games. Having the ability to work him back into the mix -- along with Austin Jackson, Brandon Guyer and Bradley Zimmer -- could help the Tribe's lineup, but Bruce now has a home in right. Chisenhall's only experience in left came on Sept. 25, 2011, during a tribute to Indians great Jim Thome, who was playing in his final home game in Cleveland. During the ninth inning of that game, Chisenhall shifted to left from third base for one pitch, so Thome could take the field as a third baseman (his original position with the Indians). After one pitch, Chisenhall moved back to third (his position prior to transitioning to the outfield). Playing Chisenhall in left field is a far more realistic option now, especially with Brantley's timetable for return still unclear. "He's still in the boot," Francona said of Brantley. "He's doing [rehab] stuff at the ballpark, but he's still in the healing stages." Miller on target for Friday Indians relief ace Andrew Miller (10-day DL, right knee) is on schedule to work one inning for Triple-A Columbus in a Minor League rehab assignment on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks, Francona said Miller will rejoin the Major League team on Friday for the series opener against the Royals. "He's driving up there tonight to Columbus," Francona said on Tuesday. "And he'll throw an inning. We talked back and forth about bringing him in the middle of an inning. He'll have a clean inning and then, as long as everything is good, he'll meet us in Kansas City."

Covering the Bases: Game 117 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Danny Salazar said it began in the third inning, when Brian Dozier stepped to the plate for the second time on Tuesday night. As he prepared each pitch, the starter started muttering a mantra.

“Slow, up, set, and go.”

As the night wore on, and Salazar continued to get outs, the pitcher continued to use those words to focus himself before each throw. Eventually, the broadcast picked up on it and his self-coaching became more and more noticeable in the latter portion of his seven-inning outing. It looked a little like Billy Chapel’s “Clear the Mechanism” routine in “For Love of the Game.”

“I started that in the third inning — pitch by pitch,” Salazar said. “I felt like I was rushing a little bit. … I started saying that to myself. I started throwing the ball better.”

After allowing an RBI single to Byron Buxton in the second inning, Salazar shut the Twins’ lineup down. Minnesota went 1-for-17 against the righty the rest of the way and ended with 10 strikeouts and no walks in his time on the mound.

Heading into the night, Salazar’s 19.6 swinging-strike percentage going back to July 22 led baseball, among pitchers with 300+ pitches. Tribe ace Corey Kluber ranked second at 19.3 percent. Salazar’s SwK% dropped to 17.7% over his past five starts after the Twins whiffed just 11 times in 105 pitches.

In this particular outing, Salazar notched 20 called strikes, representing the eighth time in the past three years (and second time this month) he’s had that many. The swinging strikes weren’t as prevalent as in some of his recent outings, but the end result was still an overpowering performance. “I think my fastball was there,” Salazar said. “[I was] able to throw outside and inside, too. I think this is the most I’ve used my fastball to lefties. I think that was great.”

In his five starts since coming off the DL, Salazar has turned in these stats: 1.39 ERA 0.84 WHIP 38% K% 46 K 9 BB .161 AVG .223 OBP .223 SLG 12.8 K/9 5.1 K/BB “I’ll tell you what, he did pretty good,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “No walks and he was missing bats. I think we felt like that was important coming in. They were so hot. We really stressed to him about being aggressive early and he did a really good job.”

Maybe it had something to do with that mantra.

SECOND: Can there be something about a certain ballpark that helps a hitter? Maybe a backdrop at one stadium — solid black, or perhaps green with bushes or trees — just helps a specific batter see the ball better than at other venues.

“That happens. That happens sometimes,” Carlos Santana said.

Santana couldn’t pinpoint a good reason, but he’s always hit well at Target Field, especially in terms of power. On Tuesday night, he belted two homers — one from each side of the plate. He pulled one out at 110 mph from the left side against Bartolo Colon in the fourth and went oppo from the right side against reliever Deitrich Enns in the ninth. Over his past 19 games at Target Field, Santana has hit .385 with four homers and 15 RBI. And on Tuesday, he accomplished something that’s only been done eight times in Indians history. Santana reached base five times, including at least two homers and two walks.

Here’s a look at the others: Santana also said: “I feel good and I try to concentrate on good contact, and that happened. It doesn’t matter if it’s here or another park. Right now, I feel more comfortable.”

And, really, that’s the bigger point here. Target Field or not, Santana just feels better in the batter’s box right now, and that’s critical for the Tribe.

Entering the night, Santana was batting .260 with an .858 OPS and 128 wRC+ in the second half, compared to .238 with a .749 OPS and 98 RC+ in the first half this season. For his career, he’s hit .258 with an .836 OPS and 131 wRC+ after the All-Star break, and .238 with a .781 OPS and 116 wRC+ before the intermission.

Francona likes to say that “guys get to their levels,” and this certainly looks like the case once again for Santana after a tough first half.

“He’s always been a second-half hitter,” Francona said.

THIRD: On the night, Cleveland had five homers. It very well could’ve been six, if if weren’t for this: Yeah, Byron Buxton happened. Again.

“We’ve got to try to hit it somewhere else,” Francona quipped.

Joining Santana were Edwin Encarnacion (not even Buxton can jump into the second deck in left), Austin Jackson and Jason Kipnis. Edwin has five homers in five games. Jackson’s three-run blast effectively put the game out of reach. But it was the shot from the second baseman that may have carried the most individual weight.

A year ago, Kipnis had a career-high 23 homers and a .469 slugging, his best mark in a full season. This year? His season stalled in Spring Training and got off to a delayed start, and has endured bumps and bruises ever since. He’s batting .225/.285/.396 and that homer was Kipnis’ first since June 19.

The Indians can only hope it also jolts his season back to life.

“He’s getting closer,” Francona said. “And it might take a little time, but we’ve all seen what he can do when he gets going. He can kind of be a force, so we’ve just got to give him some time and try to protect him a little bit, too.”

HOME: For all the good that occurred on Tuesday night, there was still another hitless showing from rookie Bradley Zimmer.

With an 0-for-3 night, including a strikeout with the bases loaded in the second inning, Zimmer’s 0-for-August slump continued. The center fielder is now 0-for-32 this month, which is putting him in some unfortunate company.

Among hitless games streaks within the confines of one season, Zimmer’s slump is now tied for the third-longest drought in recorded Indians history: 40 at-bats (10 games): Tony Bernazard, 1984 40 at-bats (19 games): Gus Gil, 1967 33 at-bats (13 games): Richie Scheinblum, 1969 32 at-bats (11 games): Bradley Zimmer, 2017 32 at-bats (11 games): Jerry Dybzinski, 1982 “I don’t see anything different,” Francona said of Zimmer’s recent woes. “I just don’t think it’s realistic that guys like that don’t go through periods like that, especially when you’re long-levered like that. I just want to make sure he continues to [keep his head up]. I don’t want him to beat himself up too much.” Aug. 15: Tito’s pregame minutiae Update on Andrew Miller (10-day DL): “He’s driving up there tonight to Columbus. And he’ll throw an inning [on Wednesday]. We talked back and forth about bringing him in the middle of an inning. He’ll have a clean inning and then, as long as everything is good, he’ll meet us in Kansas City and be activated on Friday.”

Update on Chisenhall (10-day DL, also rehabbing at Triple-A):

“He’s going to play right field tonight, and then the next two games he’s going to play left field, just because he hasn’t been out there and in the near-term, that would be the best fit until Brantley comes back. And then we’re going to have him play a game in center. And he even spoke about playing a game at first and third. I want to make sure he gets in the corner outfield before and, if we can do that, good. If not, if something happens, you want to make sure he’s played left.”

On importance of Chisenhall being willing to move around:

“It’s not just him. It’s been a lot of guys. Josey doing it this year. It’s not just game to game, it’s in-game even. And it’s not just that they’re willing, but they’re able. There’s a difference. You’ve got to be able to catch the ball. I think all of us — Chris, Cherney, whoever — kind of feel like we try to make our roster bigger than maybe it appears, and versatility is the best way to do it. Whether you’re trying to create a platoon advantage, or trying ot give somebody rest, just being able to have guys that are reliable that can move around is a big asset.”

Asked if there’s more clarity on Brantley’s timetable for return:

“No. I mean, he’s still in the boot. So, he’s still in the healing stages. Once that stops, then we’ll start to get him [going]. And he’s doing stuff at the ballpark, but he’s still in the healing stages.”

Asked if he’s surprised by Bartolo Colon’s recent success with Twins:

“I stopped being surprised about 10 years ago. You obviously have to love what you’re doing to do it this long, because he’s made enough money. But, by all accounts, teammates love him. Shoot, I saw him in, oh my goodness, Santiago, in the Dominican, in ‘96? And he was just throwing on the side, because they wouldn’t let him play winter ball. That was ’96. He was throwing about 100. He’s been pitching for a long time.”

On Colon redefining himself as a pitcher:

“Most guys do. When you start going on 18–20 years, most guys at some point have to make some adjustments. But, for the most part, you know what’s coming. It might not be quite as hard. He’s not just survived. He’s dominated at times with what he has.”

On Bradley Zimmer’s recent struggles (0-for-29 in August):

“I don’t see anything different. It was probably unrealistic to think that he wouldn’t go through [some struggles]. The good part is he had done enough early where I think he’s hitting .250, and he’s gone quite a while without getting a hit. It’s not like he’s hitting .185. You know what I mean? He’s got some RBI. He’s still hustling down the line. He took one really good swing last night and just got under it. I just don’t think it’s realistic that guys like that don’t go through periods like that, especially when you’re long-levered like that. I just want to make sure he continues to… I don’t want him to beat himself up too much. He’s so athletic, sometimes you try to do too many things mechanically, and you forget about just seeing the ball and being athletic. I think it’s a good sign when he gets down the line. Shoot, yesterday he almost beat it. The other night, the popup, that’s when I was [worried]. That’s not laziness, that’s frustration. I thought we had a nice talk about that. I think he’s OK. He’s a pretty tough kid.”

On Zimmer having some success before hitting the slump:

“It’s not fun to go through it. I probably went through it more than most. I just don’t think it’s realistic that guys won’t. That’s just part of the game. It hasn’t affected him on defense. He’s fine. We try to watch for stuff like that. Does he need a day off? He’s OK. He’s a pretty tough kid.”

On being able to avoid using Cody Allen in Boston on Monday:

“He still warmed up — that means something. But it’s not [pitching]. It’s nice having Smitty. You know he’s going to throw strikes. Even if Cody came in, hopefully it was going to be for an out. Hopefully it wasn’t going to be a long inning. The fact that he didn’t get in was good.”

On Smith already making an impact in two weeks:

“It’s nice, because he’s such a good veteran. We try to pick our spots that make the most sense. Some of these lineups present some challenges. But he knows what he’s doing. Especially against right-handed hitters, he’s pretty damn good.”

On Joe Maddon using a four-man outfield vs. Joey Votto:

“He did that against David Ortiz. Joe has never been afraid to do that. He was probably in the perfect place in Tampa when he was younger, because you could do it. Now that he has a lot of years under his belt, he can do it. One, you have to get the players to buy in. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how good an idea it is. We’ve thought about a lot of things. That’s part of what makes the game so special. Everybody has their own ideas. I remember with Ortiz, David was so good those couple years where it was like, I hope he bunts. He had 40 home runs quicker than anybody or something. It made sense. I understood it. David was hitting so many damn balls. That’s what you’re always trying to do as a defense is take away something. As hitters, we’re trying to encourage our guys to not let him. Not the home run hitters, but what’s happened in our game is, it used to be the power hitters, the guys who would strike out, you’d sacrifice something. Now, it’s everybody almost. That’s what’s eating into the offense. You’re seeing home runs, but you’re not seeing as many runs. Each team doesn’t have a lot of guys — we have Ramirez, Brantley, guys who use the whole field. That’s why they’re hitting .300.”

On whether part of the goal of shifting or other strategies is to get in a hitter’s head:

“It could be. I’ve never really felt that way. I just want to do what I think puts our team in the best position. I think with hitters who are that good, you want to stay away from playing games. They’re pretty good.”

Terry Francona no stranger to seeing some unique defensive alignments T.J. Zuppe MINNEAPOLIS — To the casual baseball fan, it may have looked unusual to see a four-man outfield defense employed against Joey Votto by the Cubs on Monday. But to Indians manager Terry Francona, that's a strategy he's seen Joe Maddon use before. Maddon's use of an extra outfielder in the fifth inning Monday reminded Francona of how the former Rays manager had used a similar alignment against former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz several years ago. In fact, if you count the second baseman and shortstop playing beyond the infield dirt, you could say Maddon used a six-man outfield during his rookie managerial season of 2006. “Joe has never been afraid to do that,” Francona said. “He was probably in the perfect place in Tampa when he was younger, because you could do it. “Now that he has a lot of years under his belt, he can do it.” On Monday night, Maddon sent third baseman Kris Bryant to left field for the at-bat, a strategy implemented to potentially cut down on Votto's ability to drive the ball to the gaps. But the Reds' first baseman cared not for the abnormal alignment and still found a way to double, hitting the ball down the right field line to beat the shift. Even though it didn't pay off in that particular at-bat, shifting has become a big part of the game in recent years. And while we still haven't seen a team commit to a positionless defense (maybe someday), you still see plenty of clubs pulling their middle infielders to the opposite side of second base for specific hitters, paying more attention than ever to spray charts and trends. But other than the occasional extra infielder to cut down on plays at the plate in game-winning situations, putting an infielder in the outfield or an outfielder in the infield hasn't been embraced to a casual degree. That doesn't stop Francona from thinking about it. But to even toy with a dramatic, outside-the-box idea in an extremely rare situation, he believes the players have to understand the reasoning behind the logic. “You have to get the players to buy in,” Francona said. “If they don't, it doesn't matter how good an idea it is. We've thought about a lot of things. That's part of what makes the game so special. Everybody has their own ideas.” For players like Votto or Ortiz, the idea behind such a major defensive shift is simple — try to take away their game-changing ability. Sure, if either player wanted to shoot for a larger infield hole or drop down a bunt, the defense is essentially giving them a chance to go for it. But there are plenty of situations where a team is more than happy to give up first base instead of allowing an extra-base hit of some variety. And by positioning the defense where a hitter might spray the ball most often, you are playing the odds and possibly forcing the hitter into taking a different approach. Anything to at least take away a portion of what makes a dangerous hitter special is a critical part of the strategy. “That's what you're always trying to do as a defense is take away something,” Francona said. “As hitters, we're trying to encourage our guys to not let him.” According to FanGraphs, the Indians have shifted for the 11th-fewest batters on defense this season, but Francona certainly isn't against using them. Brian Dozier, the first hitter they faced on Tuesday night at Target Field, saw the Tribe bring second baseman Jason Kipnis around to the shortstop side of second for the first home at-bat of the night. Sometimes the shifting is more subtle, with a middle infielder occupying the space just behind the bag or a third baseman pulled a little to his left. What Francona doesn't believe in, though, is using the shift as a way to get inside an opposing hitter's head. If you're going to use them, they should make sense strategically, not just for the sake of offering some sort of distraction. “I've never really felt that way,” Francona said. “I just want to do what I think puts our team in the best position. I think with hitters who are that good, you want to stay away from playing games. They're pretty good.” Here are some other topics Francona discussed with reporters prior to the game Tuesday. • Is Andrew Miller (knee) still on schedule to pitch a rehab game tonight at Triple-A? “I think he's driving [down] there tonight to Columbus. And he'll throw an inning. We talked back and forth about bringing him in the middle of an inning. He'll have a clean inning and then, as long as everything is good, he'll meet us in Kansas City and be activated on Friday.” • What's the rehab plan for Lonnie Chisenhall (calf)? Where will he play? “He's going to play right field tonight, and then the next two games he's going to play left field, just because he hasn't been out there and in the near-term, that would be the best fit until [Michael] Brantley comes back. And then we're going to have him play a game in center. And he even spoke about playing a game at first and third. I want to make sure he gets in the corner outfield before and, if we can do that, good. If not, if something happens, you want to make sure he's played left.” • Is there any additional clarity on Brantley's timetable? “No. I mean, he's still in the boot. So, he's still in the healing stages. Once that stops, then we'll start to get him [going]. He's doing stuff at the ballpark, but he's still in the healing stages.” • Has Joe Smith's presence in the bullpen over the past two weeks made a big difference? “It’s nice, because he’s such a good veteran. We try to pick our spots that make the most sense. Some of these lineups present some challenges. But he knows what he’s doing. Especially against right-handed hitters, he’s pretty damn good.”

By the numbers: Danny Salazar talks himself into another stellar performance T.J. Zuppe MINNEAPOLIS — Think back on every time you've encountered someone talking to themselves. Was it on a bus? A street corner? Outside Starbucks? At your local library? My guess is you tried your best to ignore and avoid them. The Twins would have preferred to stay far away from Danny Salazar on Tuesday night. You know, the move where you pull out your phone and pretend to be texting someone for the sake of avoiding an uncomfortable exchange? Whatever the baseball equivalent of that is, it would have led to a more desirable outcome. But Salazar's dominance was unavoidable. And those words uttered to himself throughout the outing? They proved to be pretty valuable. Salazar's latest gem was a seven-inning, one-run performance, scattering just three hits and striking out 10, as the Indians (65-52) won their fifth straight, topping the Twins, 8-1. Knowing how important his mechanics have been to his success since returning from the disabled list last month, the last thing the hard- throwing righty wanted was to get out of whack by not taking his time. So, in the interest of slowing the tempo, Salazar had a few key words with himself in the third inning. The same words. Over and over. “Slow, up, set and go,” Salazar said out loud, verbally reminding himself to remain calm and collected in between pitches. Slow, up, set and go. Salazar said it multiple times — so many, in fact, the team's television broadcast could see him mouthing the constant reminder on several occasions. Slow, up, set and go. “I started saying that to myself,” Salazar said. “I started throwing the ball better.” The most recent example of his dynamic talent also led to the Tribe's eighth straight win at Target Field this season. “We’re competing,” Salazar said. “This is a team, they want to get in the fight to beat us. We’re showing them that we’re aggressive. This is what we do.” By the numbers 1.39: That's Salazar's ERA in five starts since returning from the disabled list. It's hard to imagine his outings going much better since rejoining the rotation, a notion that Salazar laughed and agreed with after his most recent start. “I’m feeling great,” he said. “The main thing for me is feeling good. That was something that I wanted to be sure I was 100 percent and felt good when I was coming off the DL. That’s the way I was feeling right now.” That's been reflected in his performance, his swinging-strike rate and his ability to hold his velocity. There have been a few occasions where he's dipped into the low 90s, but his ability to reach back and still touch 95-96 in his final innings of every start is extremely encouraging.

Salazar has tinkered with several routines over the years. From working on specific things between starts, before starts or during starts, the righty has tried several different ways to approach getting the most out of his talent. On Tuesday, he tried to stay active between innings and slow down during them. “I was throwing every inning,” Salazar said. “I don’t know why, I was just trying to stay hot in-between innings. Sometimes, I threw some pitches in the [batting] cage. It worked.” 4.7: Carlos Santana slugged a pair of homers on Tuesday night, his 13th and 14th career home runs at Target Field. He has now hit a home run in 4.7 percent of his career plate appearances at the Twins home park, his sixth-highest rate among road stadiums. The 14 bombs at Target Field are now tied with Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for most all-time by a visiting player. Of course, the unbalanced schedule leads to a lot more chances to add to that lofty total. Still, his continued success in Minnesota made the obvious question worth asking: what's up with your numbers at Target Field? “What a question,” Santana responded. “I don't know. I feel good and I try to concentrate on good contact, and that happened. It doesn't matter if it's here or another park. Right now, I feel more comfortable.” .999: That was Austin Jackson's OPS against left-handed pitching this year entering the game Tuesday. He improved upon that, smacking a three-run, doubt-removing drive over the left field wall in the seventh to spread the Tribe's lead to six. His long ball off Buddy Boshers was his third homer against a lefty this season, finishing the day 3-for-4. We recently touched on Jackson hitting the ball in the air more than ever — essentially, how the combination of hard contact with the elevated approach had helped lead to more slugging and run-creation — but his dominance against left-handed pitching this year is especially unexpected. Throughout his career, the veteran outfielder has never been a drastic split guy, but this year, he's raked against lefties, something the club hoped he'd do when they signed him to a minor league deal before spring training. “It's really helped us,” manager Terry Francona said. “Because he's played more than just against left-handers out of necessity, and the fact that he's doing so well [is great]. He's gotten some really big hits for us.” 411 feet: That was the projected distance of Edwin Encarnacion's solo homer in the fifth, a ball that, when it finished scraping the sky, landed in the last row of the second deck in left field, just feet from reaching the Target Field upper deck. He's now hit five homers over his past five games — a stretch that gives him 27 on the year — and is now on pace for 37 homers this season. “We're a different team when he swings like that,” Francona said. 19: Coincidentally, 411 was also the sign on the left-center field wall where Byron Buxton robbed Encarnacion of a second home run. Buxton has been credited with 19 defensive runs saved this season in center field, and I'd be surprised if at least 15 of those didn't come against the Indians. His leap over the wall proves, once again, no ball is safe from his grasp. “You know what? It doesn't surprise you anymore,” Francona said. “We see it on highlights when we're not here. We see it when we're here. We've got to try to hit it somewhere else.” 5: That's how many home runs the Indians hit as a team in Tuesday's win. Jackson, Santana (2), Encarnacion and Jason Kipnis all joined the party. Three of the five came against the ageless wonder, Bartolo Colon. Of course, the Indians' power output paired with Salazar's dominance led a radio reporter from Minneapolis to ask Francona if his club is “putting it all together.” Having spent a few years covering and spending time around Francona, it was one of those questions that local media guys could have flawlessly answered for him. “It's so fluid,” Francona said, scoffing at the notion. “The minute you say that, somebody beats your ass. We won tonight. We'll put it behind us in a few minutes and then we'll show up tomorrow and see if we can do it again.” 0-for-32: Bradley Zimmer's hitless August continued with an 0-for-3 day at the plate, striking out twice to give him 16 total punchouts over the 13-game stretch. The skid has dropped his average over 40 points. He did, however, manage a walk in Tuesday's win. “It was probably unrealistic to think that he wouldn’t go through [some struggles],” Francona said before the series opener. “He’s still hustling down the line. He took one really good swing last night and just got under it. I just don’t think it’s realistic that guys like that don’t go through periods like this.” Francona conceded he would be far more concerned if not for Zimmer's ability to process the tough stretch. And as long as his scuffles don't bleed over into the other important elements of his game — most important, his defense — they'll remain patient with the rookie outfielder. “It hasn’t affected him on defense, he’s fine,” Francona said. “We try to watch for stuff like that. [Things like], does he need a day off? He’s OK. He’s a pretty tough kid.” We'll take a closer look at his struggles in the days ahead.

SPORTS Indians 8, Twins 1: Tribe belts 5 home runs in series-opening victory The Associated PressPublished on Aug. 16, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS — With Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion providing the power and Danny Salazar added to another deep pitching staff, the look ready to defend their American League championship.

Santana hit two of Cleveland’s five home runs and Salazar continued his strong second-half stretch in the Indians’ 8-1 victory over the on Tuesday night.

Santana, Jason Kipnis and Encarnacion all hit solo homers off Bartolo Colon (4-10) as Cleveland won its fifth straight overall and stayed unbeaten in eight games in Minnesota this season.

Austin Jackson added a 3-run shot and Santana homered from both sides of the plate for the Indians, who have outscored the Twins 56-16 at Target Field this season.

“We’ve been playing some good baseball and guys have been feeding off each other,” Jackson said. “Seems like we’re just clicking on all cylinders right now; pitching, offensively, defensively, we’ve just been really sharp. We’ve been carrying over good baseball each and every day.”

Salazar (5-5) cruised through seven innings, surrendering one run and three hits. He struck out 10 while running his mark to 2-0 with a 1.39 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings in five starts since coming off the disabled list on July 22.

Salazar finished a season-high seven innings for the third time in his past five starts. Byron Buxton’s RBI single in the second inning opened the scoring, but Salazar retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

“I think the main thing for me is, like, feeling good,” Salazar said. “That was something that I wanted to be sure I was 100 percent good when I was coming off the DL. That’s the way I’m feeling right now.”

Colon gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings.

“Fastball; that’s what they all looked for,” Colon said. “Obviously those three home runs were fastball. But other than that, my off speed they couldn’t hit it tonight.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME Santana and Encarnacion have always enjoyed hitting in Minnesota’s unexpectedly power-friendly park. Santana has 18 homers this season overall. He tied Jose Bautista and Salvador Perez for the most homers by a Twins’ opponent in Target Field with 14 in 66 career games.

Encarnacion hammered his 27th homer of the year to the back row in the second deck in left field for his third straight game with a homer. He has five in the past five games overall and 12 in his 31 games in Target Field.

UNCHARACTERISTIC COLON Colon worked around trouble in the first three innings, much like he had in previous starts. The solo home runs hurt the 44-year-old right- hander, who also walked four batters for just the second time in four seasons.

Colon also balked in the first inning, his first since 2005.

TRAINER’S ROOM Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee patella tendinitis) will make a one-inning rehab appearance in Triple-A on Wednesday and be activated on Friday before Cleveland begins a series in Kansas City. ... OF Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf strain) played in a rehab game with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. He’s been out since July 11. Manager Terry Francona said the team wants Chisenhall to play both corner outfield spots before his return.

Twins: LHP Hector Santiago was pulled off his rehab assignment for upper thoracic back pain. The team is doing more tests to discover why Santiago hasn’t been able to return to full strength yet, as well as looking at other possible sources of injury. ... LHP Glen Perkins completed his rehab assignment at Double-A Chattanooga after pitching on back-to-back days. The team will take the next few days to decide on the next step with its former closer, who hasn’t pitched in a game since April 10, 2016.

UP NEXT The Indians turn to RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-5, 3.83 ERA) on Wednesday as the Twins counter with RHP Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02). Carrasco is coming off an eight-inning, two-hit victory against Tampa Bay in his last outing. He beat Minnesota in Cleveland earlier this season with one run allowed and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Gibson is 0-2 in three starts against the Indians this season, with seven runs allowed in 16 innings.

Sizzling starting rotation making life easier for the Cleveland Indians By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com [email protected] MINNEAPOLIS -- Around the time Danny Salazar signed a professional contract with the Indians, Bartolo Colon was nearing his 1,500th major- league strikeout.

More than a decade later, they dueled on the same diamond, with Salazar besting Colon on Tuesday night at Target Field.

They natives of the Dominican Republic spent some time together at Petco Park for the All-Star Game last summer. Salazar solicited the veteran for some pitching insight.

It either paid dividends, or Salazar never needed it to begin with.

The right-hander has silenced opposing bats in five starts since his return from the disabled list. Meanwhile, Colon pitched on Tuesday like a 44-year-old who debuted in the big leagues when Salazar was 7 years old.

"I wish him a lot of luck and a lot of health and to accomplish what he wants to accomplish," Salazar said.

Here are a few thoughts on the Tribe.

1. Words of wisdom: Salazar started to give himself between-pitch pep talks on the mound in the third inning.

"I was like, 'Slow, up, set and go,'" Salazar said. "I felt like I was rushing a little bit."

Salazar began the routine amid a stretch of four consecutive strikeouts and 12 straight outs overall.

In his last five starts, Salazar has recorded a 1.39 ERA and a .161/.223/.223 opponents slash line. He has totaled nine walks and 46 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings.

Terry Francona on Indians' 8-1 win vs. Twins

2. Rotating: The easiest path to a lengthy winning streak is a torrid stretch from the starting rotation. The Indians' unit has produced a 1.89 ERA over the last 12 games. In that stretch, Tribe starters have limited the opposition to one run or zero runs on nine occasions.

The Indians are 17-7 over their last 24 games. Aside from a brief, two-game blip on the radar in Boston, the rotation has served as the catalyst.

"It's so fluid," Francona said. "The minute you say that, somebody beats your [behind]."

3. That's a start: One solo home run off a quadragenarian does not a return to form make, but any strong swing from Jason Kipnis is a plus at this point. Kipnis launched his ninth homer of the season into the seats in right-center to hand the Indians the lead on Tuesday. Terry Francona seems intent on keeping Kipnis near the top of the order, so the second baseman -- constantly hampered by injuries this season -- might as well start hitting.

4. Outer space: Edwin Encarnacion doesn't get cheated. His home runs typically scratch the ozone layer before landing in the seats. He nearly reached the third deck at Target Field with his fifth-inning home run on Tuesday. Byron Buxton ensured Encarnacion wouldn't register his second straight multi-homer effort with a leaping grab at the wall in the seventh.

Encarnacion has produced a .253/.370/.491 slash line this season, with one home run every 18.3 plate appearances.

Last season, Encarnacion logged a .263/.357/.529 slash line, with one home run every 16.7 plate appearances.

So, there's a slight drop-off (to be expected from a 34-year-old), but it's not as dramatic as it appeared earlier this season. It helps that that he has clubbed five homers in his last five games.

5. Tale of two outfielders: As Austin Jackson continues his season-long resurgence, Bradley Zimmer continues his downward spiral at the plate.

Jackson, who signed a minor-league deal with the Indians over the winter, couldn't be giving the club better bang for its buck. He owns a .323 average and a .907 OPS this season. He's fared well against both lefties and righties. He's filled in at all three outfield spots.

Zimmer, on the other hand, is hitless in 32 at-bats in August. He drew a walk and stole a base on Tuesday. He can still impact games with his legs and his glove, but his bat has gone missing. Few, if any, rookies can avoid hitting a wall at some point, but this has been a brutal stretch for the Indians' center fielder.

Salazar, who has fashioned a 1.39 ERA in five outings since coming off the disabled list on July 22, logged 10 strikeouts and no walks over seven innings. The right-hander helped the division-leading Tribe increase its lead to six games over the Twins and Royals, who dropped a 10- 8 decision to the A's.

Cleveland Indians rookie Bradley Zimmer lacking bite in his bat during dog days of summer Zack Meisel MINNEAPOLIS -- Bradley Zimmer entered Tuesday's series opener against the Twins in an 0-for-August funk. The rookie center fielder has gone hitless in his first 29 at-bats this month, with four walks and 14 strikeouts. "It was probably unrealistic to think that he wouldn't go through [some struggles]," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. The two-week slide has taken Zimmer's slash line to .249/.320/.409 from .284/.346/.466. Zimmer's strikeout rate, by month: May: 29.3 percent June: 24.4 percent July: 26.9 percent August: 40.0 percent His line-drive rate has tumbled to 6.3 percent (it was 28.3 percent in June) and he has been hitting the ball in the air far more than he did in previous months. Fly-ball rate: June: 26.4 percent July: 28.1 percent August: 62.5 percent "Sometimes you try to do too many things mechanically," Francona said, "and you forget about just seeing the ball and being athletic. ... It's not fun to go through it. I probably went through it more than most. I just don't think it's realistic that guys won't. That's just part of the game." Even when his bat isn't producing, Zimmer can still offer something with his defense in center or his speed on the bases or hustling down the line. He has stolen 13 bases in 14 attempts and has logged two defensive runs saved this season, per FanGraphs. "I don't want him to beat himself up too much," Francona said. ... "It hasn't affected him on defense." The Indians were scared when Michael Brantley went down with an injury Tuesday These boots: Michael Brantley is still sporting a walking boot meant to ease the burden on his sprained right ankle. Francona said there is no timetable on the left fielder's return. "He's still in the healing stages," Francona said. Brantley re-injured the ankle on Aug. 8 against Colorado. The 30-year-old has appeared in 88 games this season, one year after recurring shoulder issues limited him to 11 games. All around the world: Brantley's injury has moved left field toward the top of Lonnie Chisenhall's priority list. Chisenhall was scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. After one game at his normal position of right field, Chisenhall is expected to make several appearances in left field. He'll also play a game in center. The Indians' acquisition of Jay Bruce could create a log jam at the corner outfield spots, but only if everyone heals in a timely manner. Chisenhall has limited experience in center. He has even more limited experience in left. Jim Thome manned third base for one pitch as a fitting sendoff in his last home game at Progressive Field in 2011. For that pitch, Chisenhall shifted from third base -- his regular position at the time -- to left field. Francona said Chisenhall has expressed a willingness to play at first or third if it would help the Indians sort things out. "I want to make sure he gets in the corner outfield [first]," Francona said, "and if we can do that, good. If not, if something happens, you want to make sure he's played left." Terry Francona says Andrew Miller could be back on Friday Ready to roll: Andrew Miller was scheduled to drive to Columbus on Tuesday night. He'll throw an inning for the Triple-A club on Wednesday and, if all goes off without a hitch, Miller will join the Indians in Kansas City on Friday. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 08.16.2017 Danny Salazar dazzles again, Cleveland Indians crush five home runs to win fifth straight, 8-1 Zack Meisel MINNEAPOLIS -- The Indians turned back the clock on Tuesday night at Target Field. In a scene straight out of the '90s, Bartolo Colon manned the mound and the Indians belted a bunch of home runs. Only, Colon was pitching for the Twins, not his former franchise. And the Indians' lineup backed Danny Salazar with five home runs as they collected their fifth straight win, this time by an 8-1 score in the series opener in Minnesota. Austin Jackson's three-run blast broke the game open in the seventh. The poor, innocent baseball traveled 386 feet and landed in the left-field seats, one pitch after Carlos Santana placed an infield single a few feet in front of home plate. The Indians' first three home runs came at the expense of Colon, a 44-year-old marvel who signed with Cleveland in June 1993, about five months before Francisco Lindor was born. The 23-year-old greeted his elder with a leadoff single in the first. Edwin Encarnacion's solo shot produced the most noticeable gasp from the Target Field crowd. The ball, after a quick orbit around the solar system, landed in the last row of the second deck in left field. Encarnacion has clubbed five homers in his last five games. He hit a pair at Fenway Park on Monday. "We're a different team when he swings like that," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. He nearly hit a second one on Tuesday, but Byron Buxton squared up in the nick of time and made a leaping grab of Encarnacion's fly off Alan Busenitz at the wall in center in the seventh. Jackson countered the defensive wizardry with his back-breaking homer a few batters later. To start the fifth, Jason Kipnis crushed an 87-mph two-seamer that leaked over the middle of the plate. Santana struck twice, once from each side of the plate. Both baseballs soared over the right-field fence. The first cleared the white drink rails, bounced toward the entrance gate and erased the Indians' 1-0 deficit. His second, an opposite-field shot, padded the Indians' cushion in the ninth off reliever Dietrich Enns. "The last couple games," Santana said, "we've been hitting great. Before we went to Tampa, we were struggling. But, that happens. This is a long season." Terry Francona on Indians' 8-1 win vs. Twins Colon doesn't throw like he did in the past. His heater clocked in around 85-91 mph on Tuesday night. Salazar, on the other hand, chucked change-ups in that range of velocity. The Tribe right-hander continued his recent mastery, as he tallied 10 strikeouts over seven innings. He retired Joe Mauer in that fashion in all three of their battles. Salazar limited the Twins to one run on three hits. "He held them down and our offense clicked in, we got the homers and then we spread it out," Francona said. "That's a good way to play. Since returning from the disabled list in late July, Salazar has logged a 1.39 ERA in five starts. He has held the opposition to a .161/.223/.223 slash line. His resurgence has provided a significant boost to the rotation, which has flourished over the last two weeks. Tribe starters have limited the opposition to zero runs or one run in nine of their last 12 outings. In those 12 games, the rotation has compiled a 1.89 ERA. What it means The Indians improved to 8-0 at Target Field this season as they extended their advantage over the Twins to six games. The Royals and Twins entered Tuesday's action tied for second in the American League Central, five games behind Cleveland. The Indians have outscored the Twins, 56-16, in Minnesota this season. August rut Bradley Zimmer went 0-for-3 with a walk. He remains hitless in August, with an 0-for-32 showing that includes 16 strikeouts. Nice start Jay Bruce collected a pair of doubles to improve his average with the Tribe to .421. Bruce is 8-for-19 with five doubles and four walks since the Indians acquired him from the Mets. Long time coming Colon committed a balk in the first inning, his first balk since May 2005. That placed a runner at second with no outs, but the Indians couldn't capitalize. Quotable On Tuesday afternoon, Francona said of Colon's longevity and productivity: "I stopped being surprised about 10 years ago." Happy to hit here Santana has clubbed 14 home runs at Target Field, his second-highest total at any park not named Progressive Field. He has totaled 16 homers at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Santana notched the ninth multi-homer game of his career (second this season). It's the fifth time in his career that he's homered from both sides of the plate in the same game. Nice stop Twins third baseman Miguel Sano made an impressive backhanded stop on a sharp bouncer off Jackson's bat in the fifth. He made a quick, one-hop throw to first to retire the outfielder. They came, they saw A crowd of 29,626 took in the game at the ballpark. What's next The Indians, in the midst of an 11-game road trip, will battle the Twins again at Target Field on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET. Carlos Carrasco, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Rays in his last outing, will take the hill for the Tribe. Carrasco stands at 11-5, with a 3.83 ERA. He'll oppose Kyle Gibson (6-9, 6.02 ERA), who has already made three starts against the Indians this season. In those outings, Gibson has allowed 30 base runners in 16 innings, but has kept Cleveland to seven runs (3.94 ERA). Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 08.16.2017

Red Wings 6, Clippers 2 | Lonnie Chisenhall’s play is silver lining in loss By Mark Znidar The Clippers’ chances of making the International League playoffs for the fourth straight season are going, going and gone if they don’t catch fire as soon as possible and have Indianapolis stumble at least a bit.

But on a night when the Clippers lost for the eighth time in 12 games, Cleveland Indians followers at Huntington Park had to be relieved seeing outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall being able to play at full speed for the first time in almost five weeks.

Chisenhall drove in a run with a stinging ground-rule double to center field in three at-bats in the Clippers’ 6-2 loss to the Rochester Red Wings on Tuesday night before 8,704.

Columbus (63-59) fell 5 1/2 games behind Indianapolis (68-53) with 20 games left in the season. The chances of earning the lone wild-card spot in the IL looks even bleaker, with the Clippers trailing Rochester by seven games.

The plan for Chisenhall, Clippers manager Chris Tremie said, is for him to work out with the team Wednesday. He is not scheduled to play in the second game of the series against the Red Wings.

“I think he looked good, Tremie said. “He said he felt good coming out of the game. He looked good in right field. There were a couple of balls he had to go after. It was encouraging to see. ″

Tremie said Cleveland would be evaluating Chisenhall’s status on a day-to-day basis.

Chisenhall, 28, was having his finest season in the big leagues when he was put on the disabled list on July 9 because of a strained calf muscle.

This is his third time on the disabled list this season. He started the season with the Clippers because of a sprained right shoulder suffered running into a wall in spring training. On March 30, he was lost to a concussion.

This has been a breakout season for Chisenhall. He batting .305 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI and was leading baseball with nine RBI as a pinch-hitter. His on-base percentage is .376 and OPS .953.

When manager Terry Francona needed a center fielder, Chisenhall manned the position as though he had been there extensively.

On Tuesday night, Chisenhall struck out in the first inning, doubled in the third and popped up to second base in the fifth before leaving the game. The Indians rarely have players on injury rehabilitation play nine innings their first game back.

Other than that, the Clippers saw too much of triple-A rookie Stephen Gonsalves. The right-hander gave up four hits and one run, walked two and struck out eight in six innings. He struck out five of the first six batters.

Gonsalves was a fourth round draft choice by the Minnesota Twins in 2013.

Twins mulling next step for rehabbing reliever Glen Perkins By MIKE BERARDINO Veteran reliever Glen Perkins, fresh off back-to-back rehab outings for Double-A Chattanooga, returned to the Twins clubhouse Tuesday. What happens next remains anyone’s guess. “There’s not really an official word,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I think over the next couple days we’ll contemplate what the best move is moving forward, not only for him but for our team.” While Perkins struck out 10 in 7 1/3 innings across eight rehab outings at three levels, he also walked five (including two on Sunday) and allowed a 6.14 earned run average. His fastball velocity, which touched 93 mph last week in Birmingham, was 88-91 mph on Monday, Molitor said. Lookouts manager Jake Mauer told Molitor that Monday’s scoreless inning was Perkins’ best showing in terms of command, adding his “breaking ball was sharp enough to get swings and misses.” Perkins’ 30-day rehab window runs through Sunday, so the Twins could ask him to make a quick stop with Triple-A Rochester as it travels through Columbus and Louisville this week. Perkins, however, has enough service time to block such a request after publicly stating back-to- back outings would be the last key hurdle in his mind. His last big-league pitch was thrown on April 10, 2016 and he underwent major shoulder surgery on June 23, 2016. He is roughly five months behind schedule, but the Twins were willing to let things take their natural course. Asked if Perkins was ready to help at the big-league level, Molitor demurred. “I don’t even know if that’s fair to try to answer,” he said. “I mean, the guy’s pitched (seven) innings in (16) months. It’s not even what you would get in a normal spring training. He’s had enough time up here, you trust some of that. Given the fact he missed the majority of last year, it just makes you tread a little slowly.” Molitor talked with Perkins about the need to “be smart” as the Twins “see how his stuff plays up here.” With diminished velocity and a two- seam fastball he’s using more frequently, Perkins is still adjusting his methods of attack. “He’s still learning how to use a different arsenal,” Molitor said. “Some of those things he’s been trying to bring into his game considering his velocity is not where it was when he was closing at an all-star level. I do try to imagine best-case scenarios, but we’re just going to have to see what it looks like when we see him on the mound.” SANTIAGO PLAN Another veteran lefty, Hector Santiago, was recalled from his rehab assignment after undergoing additional tests on his back Monday. The Twins were still awaiting results from the magnetic resonance imaging exam on his neck and upper-spine areas. “He’s not feeling quite right yet,” Molitor said. “We’re still trying to do things that maybe get to the bottom of why he’s been slow to get back to 100 percent.” Santiago’s original rehab window ran through Aug. 23, but he walked six in 4 1/3 innings his last time out while his fastball remained down in the 86-90 mph range. Santiago, a prospective free agent, started experimenting with his arm angle to see if that would help alleviate the discomfort in his mid-back area. He played catch Tuesday and remains encouraged his neck and shoulder aren’t the problem. Nor is thoracic outlet syndrome a concern as he isn’t experiencing numbness in his fingers. “It wasn’t shoulder, it wasn’t elbow, it wasn’t lat,” Santiago said recently. “It was like mid-back between the scapula and the spine. It’s a tough thing to work on. I can’t actually dig my finger on it, so I’m kind of like, ‘It’s here.’ They say I need to loosen up the pecs and get the shoulders back and stretch it out and keep it loose.” Like Perkins, Santiago would have to approve any additional rehab outings. He’s already made four starts when the original agreement was three. In 14 innings, he has walked 12 and allowed 12 hits while fanning 18 with a 5.14 ERA. BRIEFLY Lefty Adalberto Mejia, out since Aug. 8 with soreness in his upper arm, has yet to play catch but said his arm was feeling better. Mejia is hopeful of playing catch in another day or two. … Lefty Dietrich Enns, slated for a second start Saturday against Arizona, had yet to appear in relief or throw a bullpen since making his big- league debut on Aug. 10 at Milwaukee. Enns will throw a bullpen of 25-30 pitches on Wednesday if he’s not used in relief on Tuesday. Lefty Stephen Gonsalves was set to make his second Triple-A start Tuesday and remains an option to be called up Aug. 21 to start one half of Monday’s doubleheader in Chicago. Twins hall of fame manager Tom Kelly turned 67 on Tuesday. … Former Twins outfielder Danny Walton died recently at age 70 in Morgan, Utah. Walton spent parts of nine seasons in the majors, including 79 games with the Twins in 1973 and 1975. Star Tribune LOADED: 08.16.2017 Indians pound five homers, trounce Twins By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune AUGUST 16, 2017 If the Twins fall just short of a postseason berth, they can look at their lack of success against Cleveland at home as a big reason why. And they can directly blame Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion. Tuesday night, the Indians hit five home runs that fueled an 8-1 victory over the Twins in the first game of this three-game showdown series. Santana hit two home runs — one from each side of the plate — while Encarnacion hit one as they moved up the list of visiting home run hitters at Target Field. The long ball is one way the Indians have won all eight games here this season. The Twins have countered by winning five of the six meetings at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. “It doesn’t really make sense,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “But there’s a lot of things in our game that you can spin your head around, trying to figure out.” If the trend continues, the Twins will be eight games out of the AL Central lead by the time Cleveland leaves. Tuesday’s loss knocked the Twins to six games back in the division and kept them from moving into the second wild-card spot. “I’m well aware of the fact they have come in and dominated us in our home park,” Molitor said. “We’ve got a couple more chances to get in the win column against them here.” Cleveland righthander Danny Salazar (5-5) continued his recent strong form, helping the Indians win their fifth in a row. He gave up one run, on Byron Buxton’s RBI single in the second, over seven innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts. He has a 1.39 ERA in five starts since coming off the disabled list July 22. Facing the team he debuted with 20 years ago, Twins righthander Bartolo Colon (4-10) had fans out of their seats early as he danced out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second inning, receiving a standing ovation as he walked off the field. He did it again in the third, when he got a double-play grounder with two on to end the inning. “I was able to get out of it, and I thought we had the game,” Colon said. “But, obviously, things didn’t go that way.” Colon was making the right pitches at the right times — but danger lurked. The leadoff batter reached every inning. He had six three-ball counts in the first three innings. He never retired the side in order. And many of Cleveland’s outs were loud -- witness this defensive gem by center fielder Byron Buxton against Encarnacion in the seventh inning off reliever Alan Busenitz that prevented another homer. It all caught up to Colon during a span of eight batters over the fourth and fifth innings. Santana hit a homer to right to tie the score in the fourth. Jason Kipnis led off the fifth with a homer, and two batters later Encarnacion hit a fastball well into the second deck to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Austin Jackson’s three-run homer off Buddy Boshers made it 6-1, and Santana added a second homer, his 18th of the season, in the ninth as Cleveland pulled away. It was also Santana’s 14th at Target Field, drawing him into a tie for the lead among visiting players with Kansas City’s Salvador Perez and Toronto’s Jose Bautista. Encarnacion’s blast was his 12th at Target Field, tying him with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera for fourth most. All five of Encarnacion’s homers vs. the Twins this season have come in Minnesota, and in the seventh inning Buxton robbed him of what might have been another one. The power display highlighted a game in which Cleveland continued a run of dominance here that is hard to explain. “I don’t know,” Colon said. “All I know is that I’m 0-1 against them.” Star Tribune LOADED: 08.16.2017 Now healthy, reliever Glen Perkins, Twins weighing next steps

By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune AUGUST 16, 2017

Lefthander Glen Perkins returned from his minor league rehabilitation stint at Class AA Chattanooga on Tuesday, but the Twins aren’t quite ready to add the three-time All-Star to the active roster. While Perkins is healthy after being out since April 2017 because of a torn labrum, he has only thrown 7 ⅓ innings in minor league games, and the Twins would like to see Perkins get some more work in. “It’s not what you would get in a normal spring training,” manager Paul Molitor said. “He’s had enough time up here to trust some of that. You don’t always have to go through a full spring training to get back to being ready to play. “The fact that he has missed the majority of last year, it just makes you tread a little slowly.” Technically, Perkins has until Sunday before his 30-day rehabilitation stint expires. So the Twins will decide if he can make an appearance or two at Class AAA Rochester or have him throw live batting practice at Target Field. The Twins would need to add Perkins to both the 25- and 40-man rosters to activate him. What can Perkins offer? He pitched in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday for the first time this year. On Sunday, he pitched a scoreless inning with a walk and two strikeouts. Molitor said Perkins’ fastball was from 88-91 miles per hour. “I did have a chance to talk with [manager] Jake Mauer down there, and he said last night was his best night in terms of his command, that his breaking ball was sharp enough to get swings and misses,” Molitor said. “I think that over the next couple of days we’re contemplating what the best move forward is, not only for him but for our team.” With the Twins fighting to remain in the postseason race, they can’t afford to just hand appearances to Perkins, who has missed a whopping 272 games because of his shoulder problems. There could be an occasional blowout game he could pitch in, but Molitor is in all-hands-on-deck mode with his bullpen. It’s hard to ease your way into a playoff race. “I talked to him today about when it does happen,” Molitor said. “We are going to have to be smart about when we get him in and how his stuff plays.” Santiago setback Lefthander Hector Santiago was scratched from his rehab start at Rochester and is back in the Twin Cities. The Twins have pulled him off his minor league rehabilitation stint. “He’s not feeling quite right yet,” Molitor said. “We’re still trying to do things that maybe get to the bottom of why that is.” The Twins were waiting for the results of a test Santiago underwent over the weekend at Rochester. Santiago last pitched for the Twins on July 2 and has made two trips to the disabled list since then, most recently because of upper thoracic back pain. He could help the staff either as a starter or a reliever, but this most recent setback makes it unclear when he will be able to return to the staff. Etc. • Rod Carew and his wife, Rhonda, will be at Target Field on Friday as the Twins honor organ donors and donor families. Carew in December underwent heart transplant surgery, a heart that was donated by the family of former NFL player Konrad Reuland. The first 10,000 fans Friday will receive a Carew bobblehead honoring his 1977 AL MVP season. • Lefthander Dietrich Enns pitched 1⅔ innings out of the bullpen Tuesday to get some work in before his start Saturday vs. Ar izona. Enns made his major league debut Thursday at Milwaukee, lasting 2 ⅓ innings. • The Twins observed a moment of silence for Danny Walton, who died last week in Morgan, Utah, at age 70. Primarily an outfielder, he played for the Twins in 1973 and 1975, part of a nine-year major league career. Star Tribune LOADED: 08.16.2017