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Home , Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas, Robbie Grossman, Terry Ryan (baseball)

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

 Twins rip Detroit 8-1 as Kyle Gibson cruises. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 1  J.J. Picollo interviews for Twins director job, sources say. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 2  Kyle Gibson, Jorge Polanco lift past , 8-1. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 3  Minnesota Twins have interviewed Royals assistant J.J. Picollo, source says. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  MN Twins’ video plea to season-ticket holders: Stay with us. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Gibson, Polanco lead way as Twins thump Tigers. MLB.com (Beck and Bollinger) p. 7  Polanco drives in four, triple shy of cycle. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8  Twins' May done for season with back injury. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  Royals' Picollo up for Twins' front-office job. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  Anibal, Tigers continue playoff push vs. Twins. MLB.com (Beery) p. 10  Polanco has 4 RBI, Gibson strong in 8-1 Twins win over Tigers. Associated Press p. 11  Preview: Twins at Tigers. The Sports Xchange p. 12  MLB Rumor Central: J.J. Picollo a candidate in Twins' GM search. ESPN.com p. 13

Twins rip Detroit 8-1 as Kyle Gibson cruises

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 14, 2016

Kyle Gibson wasn’t satisfied Tuesday night. He wanted to finish what he started in an 8-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

“He wanted to go back for the ninth,’’ Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He was pitching well, but [108] pitches in mid-September — I just didn’t see the benefit of rushing him out there.’’

Molitor used that same argument with Gibson after he finished the eighth.

But the righthander had a counter-argument.

“I had to remind him that I missed six weeks,’’ said Gibson, who spent time on the disabled list this season. “So it was the beginning of August for me.’’

Nice try. Molitor was just happy to put the Tigers away early on the way to the victory at Comerica Park. Gibson held the Tigers to one run over eight innings, only the second time in 12 games this month a Twins pitcher has gone at least seven innings.

Gibson’s trip was made easy by Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco and Kennys Vargas, who each had three hits. Polanco was a triple shy of the cycle. Vargas a solo .

It enabled the Twins to end an 11-game road losing streak, which tied for the fourth longest in club history. The Twins’ last win on the road was Aug. 17 at Atlanta — when Gibson tossed a complete game.

“Being up 7-1 in the fifth inning makes it a lot easier to go on the attack,’’ Gibson (6-9) said.

The Twins took a 2-0 lead in the first on Robbie Grossman’s single to center, then took a 5-1 lead in the third behind a two-run homer by Polanco and a sacrifice fly by Kurt Suzuki.

The first three hitters in the Twins lineup — Dozier, Polanco and Grossman — combined to go 6-for-6 with a home run and three doubles after two trips to the plate.

With two outs in the fourth, Polanco worked a six-pitch at-bat before hitting a two-run single to center to give the Twins a 7-1 lead. Tigers fans booed as manager Brad Ausmus walked to the mound to replace lefthander Matt Boyd with righthander .

The game was set up for Gibson to make a deep run and keep the Twins’ leaky bullpen out of the game. After throwing only 33 pitches over the first three innings, Gibson loaded the bases in the fourth but threw three consecutive changeups to Jarrod Saltalamacchia before getting him to pop out and end the inning.

Gibson pitched 22 pitches in the fourth, but retired the next six batters on a total of 23 pitches.

Dozier was 3-for-4 with a walk and ran his career-best hitting streak to 17 games. Vargas added a solo homer in the ninth.

“Offensively, we backed it up,’’ Molitor said. “The top of the order did a nice job.’’

May done for season

Righthander Trevor May will not pitch for the remainder of the season after experiencing more back pain after pitching Sunday in his first appearance since coming off the 15-day disabled list.

“In a matter of a couple pitches, the symptoms returned,’’ Molitor said. “He finished it out the best he could. He told us when he came off that we were back to Square 1.’’

May will fly to California to be examined by specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Monday. May finishes the season with a 2-2 record and 5.27 ERA in 44 appearances. He was placed on the 15-day DL on Tuesday — the third time this season that he’s landed on it because of a back-related issue.

“It’s terribly frustrating,’’ Molitor said. “You can’t quite figure out the exact source of why you’re having the problem. You start thinking about the worst-case scenario. I think he’s going to be OK over time.’’

Acting Rob Antony said he would like May, once he gets over his back issues, to return to starting next season.

“Hopefully, he can win a spot in the rotation,’’ Antony said.

Etc.

The Twins named righthander Jose Berrios the starter for Friday’s game in New York against the Mets. He worked on fastball command during a bullpen session Tuesday.

Third baseman Miguel Sano said his back still was bothering him Tuesday after it forced him out of Monday’s game. He will need a couple of more days off.

Molitor hopes that first baseman Joe Mauer (sore right quadriceps) can play Wednesday.

J.J. Picollo interviews for Twins baseball director job, sources say

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 14, 2016

Two more names have surfaced in the Twins search for a leader of their baseball department, but only one of them turned out to be a candidate.

J.J. Picollo, a vice president and assistant general manager with Kansas City, has interviewed for the position, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the search. The same sources also have confirmed that the Twins reached out to former Boston GM , but he declined an interview, citing personal reasons. 2

These are the latest known developments as the Twins seek to restructure their front office and join a growing trend of teams that appoint a director of baseball operations, who then will hire a general manager. The Twins remain in the initial phase of finding someone to lead the baseball department, and have conducted several interviews in the Twin Cities and out of town. They have worked off a list of candidates they assembled along with suggestions from executive search firm Korn Ferry.

Picollo, who was interviewed last week when the Royals faced the Twins at Target Field, is considered one of the up-and-coming executives in the game.

Dayton Moore was hired from Atlanta in 2006 to take over baseball operations and, shortly thereafter, brought in Picollo from the Braves to be the director of player development. Since then, Picollo has moved up the ranks. He became the assistant GM in charge of scouting and player development in 2008 and currently is their vice president/assistant GM in charge of player development.

Under Moore and Piccolo, the Royals reached the World Series in 2014, losing to the Giants, then won it last year. Picollo interviewed for the Phillies’ GM job during that run but lost out to Matt Klentak.

Picollo, 45, was drafted as a catcher in 1989 and ’93 by the Reds, then played a season in the Yankees organization.

Cherington immediately was mentioned as a candidate when the Twins position become open, and it seemed like a forgone conclusion that he would be a target. He worked his way up the ranks with the Red Sox, finally getting his chance as GM before the 2012 season. When was hired as president of baseball operations during the 2015 season, Cherington decided to resign.

Cherington spent the past academic year teaching a “Leadership in Sports’’ class for the Columbia School of Management.

The Twins were unable to get Cherington to interview for the job, indications are that they ended up picking his brain about potential candidates.

On Monday, the Twins received permission to speak with Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ senior vice president of scouting and player development. The Twins could have interest in other Cubs officials as well.

The Twins also have been linked to current Dodgers executive — who used to run the Blue Jays — but indications are that he never was a serious candidate.

During an interview last week, Twins President Dave St. Peter said he believed that a new baseball boss could be installed by the end of October. The Twins even pushed back their deadline for the first installment for 2017 season tickets, one reason being that fans would then have time to learn who was hired.

On the surface, hiring someone with a team in the playoffs — such as the Cubs — would be problematic. But the Twins could announce a hire while allowing that person to finish out the season with that club.

Rob Antony, named acting GM on July 18 after was dismissed, still is expected to interview for the position.

Kyle Gibson, Jorge Polanco lift Minnesota Twins past Detroit Tigers, 8-1

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 13, 2016

Kyle Gibson didn’t go the distance this time, but he went far enough to reverse a disturbing downward trend.

Producing just his second quality start in his past nine outings, the Twins right-hander worked eight strong innings in Tuesday’s 8-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. The Twins had dropped 11 straight on the road since Gibson’s first career nine-inning complete game on Aug. 17 in Atlanta.

Despite being at 108 pitches, Gibson lobbied Twins manager Paul Molitor to let him start the ninth.

“He mentioned that it was mid-September,” Gibson said. “I had to remind him I missed six weeks earlier this year so it was really the beginning of August for me, but that didn’t work.”

Rookie shortstop Jorge Polanco was the offensive star, driving in four runs and going 3 for 4 with a walk and his second big-league home run. 3

Polanco, who chased Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd (5-4) with a two-run single in the fourth, fell a triple shy of the cycle. He popped out and walked in his final two plate appearances.

“Yeah, I knew I needed a triple,” he said with a smile. “My teammates were saying, ‘Give us a triple. Come on, let’s go.’ You have to think about it because they mentioned it.”

Brian Dozier didn’t homer, but he went 3 for 4 with a walk to run his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. Robbie Grossman added two hits, including a two-run single in the first, and Kennys Vargas hit his seventh homer.

Gibson (6-9) entered with a 5.33 earned-run average in five career starts against the Tigers, who fell to 5-6 in September as they dropped two games out of the second wild-card position. After giving up a first-inning run on a Cameron Maybin double and a run-scoring single, Gibson got Victor Martinez on a double-play grounder and settled in from there.

Gibson allowed just three hits over his final seven innings. Two of his three walks came in succession with two down in the fourth, but he used three straight changeups to get Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a pop up.

Over his previous eight starts since the start of August, Gibson had a 6.70 ERA and was allowing a .349 opponents’ batting average.

The Twins (54-91) improved to 3-11 against their division rivals, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series. They have won three of their past four at Comerica Park.

This was Polanco’s third three-hit game in the past four weeks.

“Man, he’s been impressive,” Gibson said. “It seems like he finds the barrel three or four times a night. He’s been playing good defense as well and kind of doing it all. He definitely looks like he’s ready to play and not overwhelmed at all, which is really cool to see.”

Minnesota Twins have interviewed Royals assistant J.J. Picollo, source says

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 13, 2016

When the Kansas City Royals visited Target Field last week, both general manager Dayton Moore and top assistant J.J. Picollo were on the trip.

As it turns out, they were multitasking to the fullest, with Picollo sitting for a formal interview with the Twins for their top baseball operations opening. A person with direct knowledge confirmed the interview on Tuesday, making Picollo, 45, the first confirmed candidate to have interviewed with the Twins.

Moore, architect of the two-time reigning American League champions, also spoke at length with Twins officials running the search to make a case for Picollo, whom he coached as a catcher at George Mason University a quarter-century ago.

Picollo was the first person Moore hired, as director of player development, when he took the Royals GM job in 2006.

A former Atlanta Braves player-development official who spent seven years prepping under alongside Moore, Picollo was said to be club president Andy MacPhail’s first choice when he interviewed for the GM job last winter. The job went to former assistant Matt Klentak instead, ostensibly because of his deeper analytics background.

A similar thing happened to Picollo after the 2011 season, when he interviewed with the for their GM job, only to lose out to the analytically inclined Jeff Luhnow of the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was MacPhail who built the Twins’ two World Series title teams (1987 and 1991) after being hired in August 1985 at age 32.

“An incredible leader of men,” one Royals official said in July of Picollo, the club’s assistant GM/player personnel. “He helped build this from the ground up.”

On Monday, the Cubs announced the Twins had requested interview permission for Jason McLeod, senior vice president of amateur scouting and player development.

Raised in New Jersey, Picollo was drafted twice by the as a catcher but did not sign either time. A transfer from North Carolina 4

State, he went undrafted after his senior season at George Mason University due to elbow problems and spent five games with rookie-level Oneonta in the ’ farm system in 1994.

MAY SHUT DOWN

Trevor May was placed on the 15-day disabled list and shut down for the season after the latest recurrence of the lower back problems that have plagued him since late May.

The 26-year-old right-hander has an appointment on Monday to visit Dr. Robert Watkins, a renowned back specialist in Los Angeles. May ends his year with a 5.27 earned-run average in 44 relief outings, the last of which came Sunday, when he retired just one of four hitters in his first outing since Aug. 6.

A few pitches in, May could feel his back give out on him again, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, ending what has been a “tremendously frustrating” season for a pitcher who made a successful conversion to the bullpen in 2015.

This is May’s third DL stint of the year, and it likely ends his bullpen experiment. Groomed as a starter throughout the minors, he has the four- pitch mix and strong frame scouts look for in starters.

“I believe that’s what he wants to do,” interim general manager Rob Antony said. “In our search for starting pitching, one of the answers might be right here. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s been durable as a starter.”

BERRIOS GETS REPRIEVE

Due in part to a lack of acceptable alternatives, the Twins have opted to keep struggling rookie right-hander Jose Berrios in their starting rotation.

Berrios, 22, will take his 9.27 ERA to the mound again on Friday night at Citi Field against a team fighting for a postseason spot. Molitor, pitching coach Neil Allen and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado met with Berrios before his bullpen session, imploring him to improve his fastball command.

“We had a nice conversation,” Molitor said. “I still think getting him back on the mound is probably the best thing. We’ll see how he responds.”

After issuing 2.5 walks per nine innings in 99 appearances in the minors since 2012, Berrios has seen that figure spike to 5.6 in 11 big-league starts, all this season.

“Everything he’s had to endure in terms of what people have said about him, expectations put on him, it has added to the burden of trying to perform up here,” Molitor said. “We’ve tried to loosen that load.”

BRIEFLY

Third baseman Miguel Sano told Molitor his lower back felt a little better, but the Twins still had him avoid baseball activity on Tuesday, a day after he left in the seventh inning. He remains day to day.

Joe Mauer (sore quads) mainly has trouble swinging, Molitor said. No determination has been made on Mauer’s availability this weekend in New York, where the Twins will play an interleague series with the Mets and won’t have the as an option for Mauer.

MN Twins’ video plea to season-ticket holders: Stay with us

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 13, 2016

As the on-field product spirals toward a Twins franchise record for losses in a season, the full-court press to spur lagging season-ticket renewals continues.

Tuesday morning brought the inbox arrival for current season-ticket holders of a 3-minute, 22-second video — a copy of which was obtained by the Pioneer Press — featuring Twins president Dave St. Peter, manager Paul Molitor and second baseman Brian Dozier.

Interspersed throughout were rare highlights from a season with 91 losses (and counting) along with graphic messages such as “Getting back to 5 the Twins brand of baseball,” “Working to do the little things right,” “There is reason for optimism” and “Season ticket holders are our foundation.”

“We have to look at ways where we’re going to get better,” St. Peter said in the video, filmed at Target Field. “Part of that is our ongoing search for new leadership within our baseball operations, but beyond that we’ll continue to look at our systems, look at our people and find ways to ensure that we’re in the best possible position to return to postseason play.”

Molitor, who received another public vote of confidence from club owner Jim Pohlad in last week’s letter to season-ticket holders, has the largest speaking role in the unusual marketing vehicle as the Twins seek to prop up a season-ticket base that was at roughly 14,000 this year.

In 2010 and ’11, their first two seasons at Target Field, the Twins had a robust season-ticket base of 25,000 full-season equivalencies. With six home dates remaining, the Twins ranked 22nd in the major leagues with an average home attendance of 24,413, a figure they surpassed in each of their final five seasons at the Metrodome, from 2005-09.

“(Last season) brought a lot of excitement to Twins fans,” Molitor said. “It boded well for the offseason, into . Hopes were raised and rightfully so. We came out of the gate this year and we just could not find a way to win close games. The losses mounted and we dug ourselves too big a hole. We’ve learned by what we’ve experienced this year and hopefully it will make us better in the long run.” As the Twins sputter toward another last-place finish during the 25-year anniversary of their last World Series title, Molitor referenced former manager Tom Kelly in his message to fans.

“I saw what TK did for this franchise in bringing two World Series here,” Molitor said, “and the big thing that he changed in the dynamics and the direction of this franchise was the way he went about attacking the little things of the game. We’re trying to continue that tradition. We know it’s important, and we’ll continue to get better.”

While the video was filmed recently, no spoken mention was made of young center fielder , who has been sent back to the minors three times already in his career. Receiving specific mention: injury-plagued slugger Miguel Sano, who Molitor said is “only going to get better,” and rookie right fielder , who “has exploded,” according to his manager.

Three separate clips are shown of Kepler, including a slow-motion replay of a home-run swing.

Opening Day starter Ervin Santana is shown at two points during the video, including his trademark smelling of the baseball, and injured pitcher Phil Hughes is shown interacting with fans. Also shown are Eduardo Escobar, Kennys Vargas and .

“My optimism going forward lies in the foundation of the team that we have already assembled,” Molitor said. “I see the guys now that have had a chance to build up a little bit of tenure, that are kind of our core players: Brian (Dozier), Joe Mauer, some of our pitching staff, and we’re supplementing that with this youthful exuberance that we’ve brought in, which we saw a lot of last year and this year, and these guys can play.”

The surprising power surge of Dozier, who on Monday night joined hall of famer Harmon Killebrew as the only 40-homer players in Twins history, was never mentioned. Dozier did look into the camera and offer an explanation of sorts for the disappointment of 2016.

“We know as players that we have to get the job done,” Dozier said. “I think early on our youth began to show. We made a lot of fundamental mistakes that cost us games, especially late in the ball game, that you look back at it now (and) we can try to find ways to correct those things.”

Dozier, who is signed through 2018 at a total of $15 million over the next two seasons, also offered an optimistic view on the future.

“One of the things I love more than anything about our young players is they’re willing to listen,” he said. “They’ve grown a lot, and that is one of the most rewarding things I think I’ve seen throughout this year.”

The earnest, somewhat somber video ended with direct pitches to the fans from Dozier, Molitor and St. Peter.

“We love electric stadiums, electric fans, and we feed off that as players,” Dozier said. “We say it all the time that the fans are an extension of the 25-man roster. … I believe we’re on the cusp of doing something great here, and I just want to say thank you.”

Added Molitor: “We know that the lifeline of our fan base is our season-ticket holders. You’ve been incredible. We understand how important you are to us. We appreciate it and would welcome the opportunity to keep you in the fold.”

6

Gibson, Polanco lead way as Twins thump Tigers

Jason Beck and Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2016

The surprising summer of Matt Boyd took a mid-September downturn Tuesday night, and the Twins took advantage of a chance to play spoiler to the Tigers' postseason hopes. Jorge Polanco had three hits and four RBIs as Minnesota built a big early lead and cruised to an 8-1 win at Comerica Park, snapping an 11-game road losing streak.

With the loss, the Tigers fell two games behind the Blue Jays and Orioles, who are tied for the first American League Wild Card.

Boyd (5-4) entered with a 2.56 ERA and .232 batting average allowed in 10 starts and a relief appearance since joining the rotation in early July, including two wins in quality starts over the Twins. But the second-year left-hander was off from the outset, from a downtick in his fastball to battles with his command.

"Not every start is going to be a great start," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "The timing isn't great because we're in September, but there's going to be days when our starters don't have great outings. Even over the next three weeks. So we hope when that happens next time, we overcome it with offense."

Though Minnesota has had its struggles, offense hasn't been one of them lately. Robbie Grossman singled in two runs before Boyd recorded his first out, then Polanco slugged a two-run home run in the third. Once Polanco singled home two in the fourth, he had a career night, and Boyd's night was over, having allowed seven runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. His ERA for the season rose from 3.89 to 4.43.

Twins starter Kyle Gibson (6-9), meanwhile, thwarted the Tigers from there, delivering eight innings of one-run ball for his first win since Aug. 17. He lobbied to manager Paul Molitor to stay in for the ninth, but was removed because he had thrown 108 pitches.

"I wanted to," Gibson said with a smile. "He told me it was mid-September, but I reminded him I'd been out six weeks earlier, so it was like the beginning of August for me. But it didn't work. But I appreciate him giving me the eighth there."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Polanco powers up: Polanco finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and four RBIs. Polanco crushed a two- run shot in the third off Boyd to give the Twins a three-run lead. It was his second career homer and his first while batting right-handed. He also chased Boyd with a two-run single with two outs in the fourth.

"He's coming along well," Molitor said. "He did a nice job early in the game. He drew a walk there at the end, but we were kind of pulling for him to get the triple. He put together good at-bats and it's something he's been doing fairly consistently."

Tigers aggressive on bases again: For the second consecutive night, the Tigers tested Byron Buxton's arm in center field and got a run out of it. After Cameron Maybin's one-out double in the first, third-base coach Dave Clark was waving him home before he approached third on Miguel Cabrera's line-drive single to center. Buxton's throw was down the line as Maybin ran past to cut into Detroit's early deficit.

Grossman delivers: Minnesota got out to an early lead with Grossman connecting on a two-run single in the first after a single from Brian Dozier and a bloop double from Polanco. Grossman also doubled in the third and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Kurt Suzuki.

"The top of the order did a nice job," Molitor said. "Grossman had one early. A lot of guys contributed. It's not something we can say often that we had a nice all-around game."

Cold Salty: The Tigers had one chance to slug their way back into the game, courtesy of back-to-back two-out walks from Gibson to load the bases in the fourth. But Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has had his share of heroics this season, fell into an 0-2 hole before popping out to second base. His single next time up ended an 0-for-17 streak since hitting a go-ahead two-run homer Aug. 29 against the White Sox.

"That was our best opportunity during the game," Ausmus said, "but at the time, you're hoping you come away with just a run or two, maybe just a couple runs just to cut the lead and then you can cut your way into it as the game goes on, but nothing really happened."

Farmer mows down Twins: Buck Farmer entered after Boyd gave up the two-run single to Polanco in the fourth and struck out the first four batters he faced. Farmer went on to pitch 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks.

"He was outstanding," Ausmus said. "He helped us a ton because it frees up our bullpen the next couple days, especially with [Mike] Pelfrey 7 going in on a pitch count in a couple days."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Dozier's single in the first extended his hit streak to a career-long 17 games, which is the second-longest active streak in the Majors behind Atlanta's Freddie Freeman (19). Dozier is also the first Twin with two hitting streaks of at least 16 games in the same season since Kent Hrbek in 1982.

QUOTABLE "I feel fine. My mechanics just weren't right in that sense. That's what the problem was today and I wasn't able to do my job because of it." -- Boyd, after saying he didn't feel right physically

"I know what I need to do. I know the adjustments that I need to make and I'm going to make them. Next time I pitch, it's probably going to be against these guys, so you can bet your dollar that I'm going to make the adjustments and be better next time out." – Boyd

WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander (8-11, 6.13 ERA) is slated to start for the Twins on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Duffey was hurt by his defense last time out, as he allowed five runs (two earned) over five innings against the Indians on Friday.

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (7-13, 5.69) starts Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET looking for his first win since he tossed seven quality innings against the Twins on Aug. 23 at Target Field. He hasn't pitched six innings in any of his three starts since then.

Polanco drives in four, triple shy of cycle

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2016

While Brian Dozier's epic run to 40 homers and Byron Buxton's emergence this month have dominated the headlines as the Twins head to the finish line, shortstop Jorge Polanco's impressive rookie year has flown under the radar.

Polanco continued his strong season, falling just a triple shy of the cycle by going 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and a career-high four RBIs to help lead the Twins to an 8-1 win over the Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park. Polanco, 23, is hitting .298/.348/.442 with two homers, 12 doubles, four triples, 20 RBIs and 20 runs in 52 games.

"He's coming along well," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He did a nice job early in the game. He drew a walk there at the end but we were kind of pulling for him to get the triple. He put together good at-bats and it's something he's been doing fairly consistently."

Polanco doubled in the first, helping spark a two-run rally with Robbie Grossman connecting on a two-run single to give the Twins an early lead. He helped Minnesota pad that lead with a two-run blast to left off lefty Matt Boyd. It was Polanco's second career homer and his first batting right-handed.

Polanco singled in the fifth, but fell short in his attempt for the cycle, as he popped out with two runners on the sixth and drew a walk to load the bases in the eighth.

"I knew I needed a triple," Polanco said with a laugh. "My teammates kept telling me, 'Come on, get a triple. Let's go.' I was just waiting for my pitch."

Molitor was impressed Polanco didn't try to do too much in his last plate appearance, as he drew the five-pitch walk instead of swinging at something he couldn't handle.

"To be patient and take the walk, that's kind of what he's been about here," Molitor said. "He continues to get adapted to this level of play and he's handled himself well. I've been pleased."

A career .286 hitter in the Minors, Polanco's bat was never the question, but he's done well while establishing himself as the club's everyday shortstop since August. Polanco didn't play any shortstop at Triple-A Rochester this year, but has handled himself well at short in the Majors, even though there are those within the organization who believe he profiles better as a second baseman.

"He's been impressive," right-hander Kyle Gibson said. "He's made a couple adjustments when it looks like pitchers are adjusting to him. He seems to find the barrel at least three times a night. He's also playing defense well. He's kind of doing it all, so it looks like he's ready to play and 8 not overwhelmed at all, which is really cool to see from a rookie."

Twins' May done for season with back injury

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2016

Twins reliever Trevor May suffered a setback with his back injury Sunday in his return from the 15-day disabled list, was placed back on the DL Tuesday and will miss the rest of the season.

May, who missed 29 games with a lower back strain before being activated Friday, recorded one out against the Indians on Sunday, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.

"He warmed up well and had no issues, but when he came into the game, it was a matter of a few pitches before the symptoms returned," Twins manager Paul Molitor said before Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Tigers. "He tried to finish it the best he could. He told us when he came off the field he was back at square one."

It's the third time May has missed time with a back injury this season, as he also missed 23 games in June with back spasms. He saw a specialist at the Mayo Clinic before his return and thought he had found the root of his problem, but will seek another opinion and will see specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in California.

It ends a disappointing season for May, who posted a 5.27 ERA with 60 strikeouts, 17 walks and seven homers allowed in 42 2/3 innings. "It's been tremendously frustrating [for him]," Molitor said. "At some point you even wonder when you can't find the exact source of the problem, you start thinking worst-case scenario. I think he's going to be OK over time, but we need to start putting together a program where his focus this winter will be on being healthy."

May's back issues have only flared up when pitching in relief, so Twins interim general manager Rob Antony said he's hopeful May will start next year.

"He'll be told as he was last year to go home and prepare to be a starter and hopefully he comes in and wins a spot in the rotation next spring," Antony said. "He didn't earn one this spring and he had success as a reliever so it was easy enough to put him back in the pen. But I'd like to see him earn a job as a starter next year."

Worth noting

Molitor met with right-hander Jose Berrios before Tuesday's game to talk about the rookie's struggles, especially with his fastball command. After talking with pitching coach Neil Allen and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado, it was determined Berrios will get another chance to start Friday despite posting a 9.27 ERA in 11 starts.

"We had a nice conversation today," Molitor said. "There was a lot of discussion about the difference between the Minor Leagues and here. There are a lot of things we want him to do."

Third baseman Miguel Sano was held out of the starting lineup Tuesday after leaving Monday's game with a sore right lower back. Molitor said the Twins remain hopeful he'll return soon, but he couldn't say when.

"I can't speculate on it," Molitor said. "I know talking to him today he said he feels a lot better, but sometimes you don't know if that means a lot until you go out there and try to do things. We're not going to have him swing or take grounders today to allow him a chance to let it calm down."

Royals' Picollo up for Twins' front-office job

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2016

Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo has joined Cubs vice president Jason McLeod as a candidate for the Twins' vacant front-office position and has already interviewed to run the baseball operations department, a Major League source confirmed to MLB.com.

Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball was the first to report Minnesota's interest in Picollo.

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McLeod and Picollo are the only known candidates after former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous removed himself from consideration. Former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington also declined an interview, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer confirmed on Monday that the Twins asked permission to interview McLeod, who is Chicago's senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting. But Royals GM Dayton Moore wouldn't confirm whether Picollo had already interviewed for the position when Kansas City played at Target Field last week.

"It would be inappropriate for us to discuss the general manager search of another team, but I will say that J.J. has been an important part of our success," Moore said. "And we've been very supportive of our people when they have opportunities."

The Twins are looking to emulate the structure of organizations such as the Cubs, who have a president of baseball operations and a general manager. Minnesota plans to hire a president of baseball operations who will hire a GM.

Picollo, who holds the title of vice president/assistant general manager of player personnel, has been with the Royals since 2006, coming over from the Braves with Moore. Picollo was Atlanta's director of Minor League operations. He's also worked as an area scout supervisor. Picollo is considered a key part of the front office that helped lead Kansas City to two straight World Series, including last year's title.

Picollo, 45, was a finalist for the Phillies' GM opening last year before that team hired Matt Klentak. Picollo played at George Mason University, getting drafted three times and playing five games in the Minors for the Yankees in 1994.

The Twins have kept their search for Terry Ryan's replacement quiet, but are believed to have a long list of candidates and reportedly have begun to interview them. Ryan was dismissed as GM in July.

Anibal, Tigers continue playoff push vs. Twins

Kyle Beery | MLB.com | September 13, 2016

The Tigers continue their push for the postseason Wednesday at Comerica Park against the Twins. Heading into the third game of a four-game series against the team with the worst record in baseball, it could be an opportunity for the Tigers to gain ground in the American League Central and Wild Card standings.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus understands that, but he knows that baseball can be a funny game.

"Well we've got to win," Ausmus said. "I don't really get concerned with where they're at or what their record is, we've got to win. And in baseball, on a given day, if the opposing pitcher has a good night it can be tough to win regardless of what your record is."

Minnesota righty Tyler Duffey will be the one to try to have himself a good night and put a hitch in the Tigers' postseason aspirations. That could be a tough task for Duffey, who is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in two starts against Detroit this season.

The Tigers last faced Duffey on Aug. 24, when they tagged him for six runs in three innings at Target Field. Detroit collected a pair of home runs off Duffey, a first-inning solo shot from Miguel Cabrera and a three-run homer from Justin Upton in Duffey's last inning.

While the Tigers are fighting for a shot at the playoffs, the Twins have a chance to play spoiler.

"I don't talk about having goals in terms of how many games we'd like to win here, but I think they know I have the expectation of playing the season out until the last out," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We're playing teams that need to win so we're going to run our best team out there when we can when people are healthy and able. Hopefully we can find a way to win."

Veteran righty Anibal Sanchez takes the mound opposite Duffey looking to settle in in the back end of the rotation, with Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Pelfrey trying to bounce back from injuries and rookie on an innings limit as the end of the season draws near.

Sanchez was moved to the bullpen in June after a rough start, but has since returned to the rotation. While his inconsistency has been an issue, Sanchez had a mostly successful August and has two solid September starts under his belt.

He has a 3.97 ERA in eight starts since the beginning of August, which would be much lower if it weren't for one clunker in that stretch -- a loss at Texas in which he allowed eight runs in four innings.

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Three things to know about this game

Sanchez's last win came at Minnesota on Aug. 23 when he allowed three runs in seven innings. He is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA against the Twins this season.

Cabrera, Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Upton have a combined .486 batting average and .914 slugging percentage off Duffey.

Duffey, who has allowed a team-high 23 home runs, has given up homers in 16 of his 23 starts, including seven of his past eight.

Polanco has 4 RBI, Gibson strong in 8-1 Twins win over Tigers

Associated Press | September 14, 2016

Kyle Gibson got a little help in one of his best starts this season.

"It's a lot easier to pitch with a 7-1 lead in the fifth," Gibson said.

Jorge Polanco homered and drove in four runs, Brian Dozier added three more hits to his torrid second half and the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 8-1 on Tuesday night.

The Tigers lost for the third time in 14 games against Minnesota, costing them precious ground in a crowded race for the second AL wild card.

Gibson (6-9) dominated, allowing one run and five hits in eight innings. The win ended a four-start winless streak, including when Gibson allowed five runs in five innings to Detroit on Aug. 23.

"He had a couple nervous moments in there, but that was a great overall outing," Molitor said. "It's not easy to get through that lineup with one run on five hits in eight innings."

Kennys Vargas homered for the Twins, and Robbie Grossman drove in two runs.

Matt Boyd (5-4) took the loss in his worst outing since June. He gave up seven runs, eight hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings.

"I was just out of sync," Boyd said. "I wasn't right physically. I feel great, but my mechanics were off. I couldn't repeat my delivery, and that's a recipe for disaster. That can't happen at this time of year."

Dozier entered hitting .318 with 26 homers since the All-Star break. He's hit safely in 17 consecutive games.

Buck Farmer saved Detroit's bullpen by pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings, but now the Tigers long reliever will be unavailable for starts by Anibal Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey on Wednesday and Thursday. Sanchez has struggled all year, while Pelfrey will be pitching for the first time since July and is expected to be on a low pitch count.

"He was outstanding, and it helped us a ton," Ausmus said. "That frees up the rest of the bullpen for the next couple days."

Boyd got into trouble quickly, allowing two runs before recording an out. Dozier led off with a base hit and Polanco blooped a double down the right-field line. Grossman lined Boyd's 11th pitch of the night into center for a two-run single, but the Tigers defense prevented further damage.

Vargas hit a hard grounder up the middle, but Jose Iglesias fielded it behind second and got off a backhanded flip toward the bag. Ian Kinsler caught it in his bare hand and threw in one motion to turn the double play.

Miguel Cabrera's RBI single made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first, but Gibson took control after that.

Polanco's two-run homer gave the Twins a three-run lead in the third. Grossman followed with a double, giving the top three in Minnesota's order six hits in six plate appearances, including three doubles and a homer.

Detroit loaded the bases in the fourth, but Gibson got Jarrod Saltalamacchia to pop out and end the inning.

Polanco had two shots at the triple he needed for the cycle but popped out and walked. 11

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Miguel Sano was out of the lineup one day after leaving a game with stiffness and soreness in his lower back. Sano is listed as day to day but said he expects to miss two or three games.

Tigers: Justin Upton didn't play after aggravating a calf injury on Monday. Upton, one of Detroit's hottest hitters over the last three weeks, hopes to return within a day or two.

OLYMPIAN IN THE HOUSE

For the second day in a row, a medalist from the 2016 Summer Olympics threw out the first pitch. After boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields did the honors on Monday, it was Canadian Shelina Zadorsky, who won bronze as a member of the women's soccer team after a college career at the University of Michigan.

UP NEXT

The teams play the third of a four-game series Wednesday night, with Detroit's Anibal Sanchez (7-13, 5.69) facing Minnesota's Tyler Duffey (8- 11, 6.13). Sanchez has shown some signs of improvement, going 1-1 with a 3.34 ERA in his last five starts.

Preview: Twins at Tigers

The Sports Xchange | September 14, 2016

Jarrod Saltalamacchia realizes the Detroit Tigers need to go on a hot streak to stay in the playoff race. The veteran catcher hopes it starts Wednesday.

The Tigers are on the outside looking in for a wild-card spot after losing five of their last seven. They were thumped 8-1 by the last-place Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game series.

"When you're fighting and clawing to get a playoff spot and you get tied for the second wild-card spot, then you drop down two, get back up one, then drop back down to two, it's frustrating," Saltalamacchia said. "I've said from the beginning, the hottest team at the end of the season is the one that's going to be able to pull it off."

With 18 games remaining, the Tigers' margin for error continues to shrink.

"You can no longer say it's a long season," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Every game is extremely important, especially the position we're in."

The Tigers would prefer if they didn't have to keep right-hander Anibal Sanchez (7-13, 5.69 ERA) in the rotation, but injuries have forced their hand. They need Sanchez to have one of his better outings Wednesday.

Detroit has lost nine of the last 12 games Sanchez has started, including a 7-4 decision to the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday. Sanchez allowed three runs on eight hits in that five-inning start.

Sanchez has a good track record against the Twins, posting a 5-4 record and 2.60 ERA in 15 career appearances (14 starts).

Detroit is hopeful to get left fielder Justin Upton back in the lineup. Upton left Monday's game with a mild left calf strain and did not play Tuesday.

Any offensive help would be welcome for a team that has produced only 17 runs in the last seven games.

"We're struggling offensively," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "That's just the way it is. You go through ups and downs. We're going to through a down spell, offensively. I think the upside, with an offense like this, it's going to come back around, and hopefully we get hot here soon, for the remainder of the season."

The Twins are dealing with a number of injuries, with first baseman Joe Mauer and designated hitter Miguel Sano the latest to join the walking 12 wounded. Mauer has missed three consecutive games with a quad injury while Sano sat out Tuesday with a lower back strain.

Minnesota is 3-11 against Detroit this season but got a little payback Tuesday while snapping an 11-game road losing streak.

"They've been tough on us and we've had difficulty finding ways to win games in this building," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We haven't had a road win in a long time. I'm more focused on those things. I know it disrupts them for a day but they've got a lot of games left, and a lot of things can happen for them these last few weeks."

The Twins need to win at least nine of their remaining 17 games to avoid a 100-loss campaign.

"This has definitely been a trying year for everybody in this clubhouse and organization," Molitor said. "When you have at least somewhat elevated expectations and you fall short -- in our case, significantly short -- you have to look inside. You're constantly trying to evaluate how you're going about doing your job, ways you can do it better and trying to draw things out of people the best way you can."

Right-hander Tyler Duffey, who starts Wednesday, hasn't found any bright spots facing the Tigers this year. He's lost both of his outings against them while posting a 6.75 ERA. He's 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA in four career starts against them.

MLB Rumor Central: J.J. Picollo a candidate in Twins' GM search

ESPN.com | September 13, 2016

It's possible that Kansas City Royals assistant general manager of player personnel J.J. Picollo might be moving to the front office of an American League Central opponent come next season.

Picollo is the second confirmed candidate for the Minnesota Twins' general manager job, reports Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball, the first being senior vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod.

It's not known whether the Royals have given the Twins permission to interview Picollo, but Heyman writes "that’s a given since Royals people have been promoting Picollo as a GM candidate for a couple years now."

The Twins have been quiet about who's on their supposed long list of candidates for general manager, Heyman writes. Interim general manager Rob Antony, who's been serving in the role since former general manager Terry Ryan was fired in mid-July, is also considered to be a candidate.

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