Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Saturday, April 22, 2017

 Twins' bats come alive in six- sixth to thump Tigers. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1  Twins' roster remains unchanged. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Postgame: Kintzler was steadied by a close call; Sano makes pair of gems. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Twins announce "Purple Rain" umbrella giveaway. Star Tribune (Hansen) p. 4  Twins face extra-motivated Verlander in opener of three-game series. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4  ’s three-run homer keys six-run rally for . Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Minnesota Twins’ Phil Hughes hones missing in between-starts session. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Twins will be shaped by GM Thad Levine’s failures. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  Rookie Mejia to face Tigers for first time. MLB (Beck) p. 9  Twins take advantage of wild Verlander for win. MLB (Bollinger & Beck) p. 10  Patience a virtue for victorious Twins. MLB (Bollinger) p. 11  Falvey scouts McKay in advance of Draft. MLB (Bollinger) p. 12  Twins surge past Tigers, Verlander with big 6th . FOX Sports (Associated Press) p. 12  Slumping Tigers face Twins and look to end four-game skid (Apr 22, 2017). FOX Sports (Staff) p. 13  Twins’ Dozier: Major League ’s best leadoff power threat. FOX Sports (FSN) p. 14  Minnesota Twins to host ‘Prince Night’ honoring late musician. FOX Sports (Carson) p. 15  How did Twins fix pitching without changing rotation? ESPN (Simon) p. 15

Twins' bats come alive in six-run sixth to thump Tigers Phil Miller | Star Tribune | April 22, 2017

Is there an emoji that conveys “Thanks for the ”? Eddie Rosario is checking his phone.

Rosario jumped on a fastball from Joe Jimenez, his Puerto Rican teammate and group-text buddy, and deposited it into the left-field seats Friday night, rallying the Twins to a 6-3 victory over Detroit and ending their four-game losing streak.

All that’s left is the cellphone victory lap.

“I’ve [texted] nothing yet,” Rosario said after his first homer of the season, a three-run shot, capped a six-run sixth inning that handed Tigers starter his first career loss in . “But maybe later …”

Team Puerto Rico, you see, has stayed in touch since their run to the championship game of the , mostly through their mobile devices. “We have a WBC group chat, and it goes every day. It’s unbelievable how close we’ve gotten as a team,” said , another Puerto Rican vet and the beneficiary of Rosario’s three-run blast. “It’s a good, fun chat, where we keep in touch with friends. [Jimenez] was excited. He got called up [Thursday].”

Rosario beat Jimenez by attacking the first pitch. His teammates beat Verlander by doing just the opposite. The Twins drew six walks against the Tigers’ ace, a total he hadn’t allowed in more than a decade, and eventually cashed them in with a big inning.

“We showed pretty good discipline throughout the night, getting his up despite the zeros,” Twins manager said. “We made him work … just waiting him out until we got opportunities.”

Their moment arrived in the sixth inning, when Verlander, 12-1 in his past 13 decisions against the Twins and 6-0 at Target Field, walked , Miguel Sano and Joe Mauer with nobody out. Then — ironically, well-known for taking pitches — decided to swing at the first pitch he saw, producing a perfectly placed ground ball that turned into a two-run single.

“I knew that he was going to try to get the first pitch over. From past experience, taking that pitch doesn’t really do much for you,” Grossman explained. “So I tried to put a good swing on it. It was a pretty good pitch, but luckily I found a hole.”

That ended Verlander’s night after 107 pitches, and the Twins didn’t let up. Within three batters, the Twins had taken over the game and ended their four-game losing streak. Jorge Polanco greeted the hard-throwing Jimenez with a looper that carried just over shortstop Andrew Romine’s head, a single that scored Mauer with the tying run.

And Jimenez’s next pitch was the biggest of the night. Or maybe the fattest. Eddie Rosario bashed it into the upper deck in left field, a 400-foot blast that turned Santiago’s latest hard-luck start into a crowd-pleasing victory.

It also produced, let’s assume, some interesting text messages on Jimenez’s phone.

“You’ve got a guy who loves . But he’ll learn. We’ll say thank you to [Jimenez] tonight in our group chat,” Santiago said after collecting the victory after allowing three runs over 6⅓ . “He’s got to back it up. He texted us yesterday, said, ‘I’m coming to the big leagues. But he’s got to wear it tonight.’ ”

Twins' Opening Day roster remains unchanged Phil Miller | Star Tribune | April 22, 2017

For the 16th consecutive game this season, the Twins on Friday used the same 25-man roster that they’ve had since Opening Day. And while that may not seem like news, it’s not exactly normal, either.

“I don’t know when the last time we went this far into the year without a change,” manager Paul Molitor said. “It’s probably been a while.”

He’s right about that. The Twins haven’t gone 20 days into the season without making a roster move in this century, at least, but through Friday they are one of two major league teams — the Diamondbacks are the other — to stay the course without a roster tweak.

Injuries usually force a transaction by now, but the Twins have been completely healthy since Opening Day. Slow starts sometimes necessitate a demotion, but the Twins are sticking with while he tries to shake his slump.

“This is what we have, and this is what makes the most sense for us right now,” Molitor said.

Still, change comes eventually, and Molitor has had discussions with his coaching staff and the front office about reconsidering one aspect of his roster: the 13-man pitching staff. With the Twins’ stretch of 16 straight games without an off day coming to a close next Thursday, and with only one of their eight relief having pitched more than 10 innings so far, Molitor is considering exchanging a reliever for an added bench player.

“We talk about the eight [relief] pitchers a lot, compared to four bench players,” he said. “That’s our biggest discussion about changing things up.”

Among friends

Torii Hunter visited both clubhouses before Friday’s game, joking with his former teammates — he was a Twin in 2015 and a Tiger the two seasons previous to that — and collecting information.

“Gotta have stuff to talk about,” Hunter said.

That’s because Friday was the Twins Hall of Famer’s broadcasting debut, filling in for on Fox Sports North’s telecast. Hunter, like LaTroy Hawkins later this year, was added to a lineup with holdovers and Roy Smalley as analysts beside play-by-play announcer .

Hunter has been preparing for a while, talking to other players-turned-broadcasters about making a smooth transition to the booth.

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“Dick has given me advice, [MLB Network’s] Harold Reynolds gave me advice, and [Fox Sports Detroit’s] Rod Allen. Everybody has helped,” Hunter said. “Once the game starts, I talk about what’s going on in the game and I’ll be fine then, that’s totally different. But the pregame [show], you need a rhythm, and I’m trying to find that rhythm right now.”

The notion of Hunter’s enthusiasm being spread over the airwaves even intrigued some in the clubhouse. “How long is the delay?” Molitor joked about the need to bleep Hunter’s language. “I talked to him, asked if he’s nervous about it. He said he’s excited about trying something a little bit new. … I’m interested in how it’s going to go up there tonight. Some of the knowledge he has, the way he loves our game, I think it will be entertaining television.”

Scouts afield

Two weeks after Derek Falvey scouted prep phenom Hunter Greene in Sherman Oaks, Calif., the Twins’ chief baseball officer turned up in Louisville on Friday to watch Brendan McKay, a lefthanded and at the University of Louisville.

Greene and McKay are widely considered the top two prospects in the June 12 amateur draft, in which the Twins hold the first pick.

It wasn’t McKay’s finest performance. With Falvey in the stands, he allowed five runs in six innings, walking three and striking out seven, and took the loss in Duke’s 5-3 win.

Postgame: Kintzler was steadied by a close call; Sano makes pair of gems Phil Miller| Star Tribune | April 22, 2017

Three more notes after the Twins climbed back to .500 on the season:

Brandon Kintzler just needed to get three outs without allowing three runs. But his job suddenly got a lot tougher.

Kintzler, called upon to nail down the Twins’ 6-3 victory, surrendered a leadoff single to Mike Mahtook, then immediately threw three pitches outside the strike zone to James McCann, who had homered earlier in the game. Just like that, the Twins’ closer was facing a dicey situation.

“The top of the order is lurking, so there’s a lot of things that are a little bit precarious,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “But he found his way back in the zone.”

Well, maybe. Even Kintzler can’t say for sure. McCann watched the 3-0 go by, dropped his bat and began taking off his shin guard. Ball four, he figured.

Umpire Bruce Dreckman saw it differently.

“I haven’t looked at it yet, but I know it was close,” Kintzler said. “That was definitely a borderline pitch right there, could have gone either way. I think I’ve lost enough borderline pitches that I could get that one.”

Given another chance, Kintzler threw another sinker, and McCann grounded it to third base, a ball that Miguel Sano turned into a force out at second. The danger past, Kintzler needed only five more pitches to secure his fourth of the season.

“It kind of wakes you up. It’s time to be aggressive instead of just nibbling,” Kintzler said.

Molitor said he’s not surprised it took his closer a few pitches to get settled. “He hasn’t pitched a lot, two outings in the past 12 or 13 days, and four days off. So there’s going to be a feel thing that’s part of getting consistency.”

Miguel Sano had a spectacular game on Friday, and he never even put a ball in play. Sano walked twice and struck out twice, but it was his defense that especially energized the Twins.

Sano charged up the third-base line in the fourth inning to turn JaCoby Jones’ three-hopper into an out, and in the eighth, he made an even better play, ranging near the pitcher’s mound to scoop and throw a dribbler by .

“He made great plays. The athleticism for a big man continues to impress,” Molitor said. “Those are tough plays. Not only do you have to eliminate the panic, but trust your hands. He’s got the arm to finish the play, and those are beautiful plays. I think he’s getting more confident 3 with his defense.”

Molitor also said he’s encouraged by the way Eddie Rosario is approaching the game, not letting his slow start overwhelm him. He had a brief conversation with the outfielder last week, telling him to relax and let the game come to him.

That’s not easy for the 25-year-old, but it may be working. Rosario’s on Friday was to the opposite field.

“Just in general, he’s not a guy that lets the game come to him in too many aspects. He thinks he can make every play, wants to steal on every pitcher, thinks he can anybody,” Molitor said. “So you just try to slow him down just a tick without taking away his aggressiveness.”

Minnesota Twins announce "Purple Rain" umbrella giveaway Haley Hansen | Star Tribune | April 21, 2017

As fans in the Twin Cities and across the world mourn Prince one year after his death, the Minnesota Twins announced how the team plans to pay homage to the musician.

The Twins’ June 16 matchup against the at Target Field will be “Prince Night,” the team announced Friday.

The first 10,000 fans will receive a “Purple Rain” umbrella. After the seventh inning stretch, fans will open their umbrellas during a moment of remembrance for the Minneapolis icon.

Twins players will also don Prince T-shirts for practice that will later be auctioned off on the Twins website to help Achieve Minneapolis fund music grants for Minneapolis Public Schools.

Students from MPS will perform during the seventh inning stretch.

Prince tracks will play before and during the game and Prince-themed fireworks will light up the sky at the end of the night.

“Along with our fans, we look forward to remembering the legacy of a man who brought an international spotlight to our great city,” Twins President and CEO Dave St. Peter said in a news release.

The Twins are also donating $10,000 in Prince’s honor to Minneapolis Public Schools to benefit students interested in music.

Twins face extra-motivated Verlander in opener of three-game series Phil Miller | Star Tribune | April 21, 2017

Joe Mauer has collected more career hits (25), walks (13) and home runs (four) against Justin Verlander than any other pitcher. Yes, it’s true that he’s faced the Tigers righthander more times (88 plate appearances) than any pitcher, too, but his career .992 on-base-plus-slugging is awfully good.

You must feel like you own Verlander, right Joe?

Mauer got a good laugh out of the question. “It doesn’t work that way,” the Twins’ veteran first baseman said Friday, a few hours before his 28th game against Verlander. “He presents a lot of problems.”

That’s true, too, of course, as Mauer’s 2-for-13 (.154) record against Verlander over the past three seasons attests. But Verlander is coming into tonight’s game at Target Field (7:10 p.m., FSN) off the worst start of his career, a nine-run, three-homer, four-inning disaster against the Indians last Saturday. The terrible outing, and the fact that the Indians have won eight of Verlander’s last nine starts against them, has revived speculation that the former MVP is tipping his pitches.

“I heard about that,” Mauer said. “But I’m sure he’s done his homework and will change things up.”

Yeah, he could be motivated, something the Twins, who haven’t hung a loss on Verlander since 2014, fear. “Pitchers like him don’t have back- to-back poor outings very often,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. “Part of it is that their stuff is that good, part of it is they’re that competitive. … I’m sure when he has a bad game he gets anxious about the next time he gets a chance to take the ball.”

Verlander, who is 10-1 against the Twins since 2011, will face Hector Santiago, who has pitched well three times this season but has only one 4 victory to show for it. Santiago’s 1.47 ERA ranks seventh among starters, and he hasn’t allowed a run in his last eight innings, since taking a 2-1 loss to the Tigers in Detroit. The hitter who beat Santiago that day with a two-run homer, Tigers James McCann, bats seventh in Detroit’s lineup tonight.

The Twins, who have lost four straight games, will use their Opening Day starting nine, albeit in a different batting order. Here are the lineups for the first game of a three-game series at Target Field:

TIGERS

Kinsler 2B Castellanos 3B Cabrera 1B V. Martinez DH Upton LF Mahtook RF McCann C Jones CF Romine SS

Verlandet RHP

TWINS

Dozier 2B Kepler RF Sano 3B Mauer 1B Grossman DH Castro C Polanco SS Rosario LF Buxton CF

Santiago LHP

Eddie Rosario’s three-run homer keys six-run rally for Minnesota Twins Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | April 21, 2017

Upon returning last month from Puerto Rico’s exhilarating run to the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, three Twins participants washed the bottle blond right out of their hair.

Eddie Rosario, noted lover of the spotlight, kept his stylish streaks.

“Maybe I’ll make more memories,” he said, running a mischievous hand over his scalp. “More walk-offs.”

It wasn’t a game-ender, but the Twins left fielder delivered the deciding blow in Friday night’s 6-3 win over the . That his tiebreaking, three-run homer came off a first-pitch, 95-mph fastball from Tigers right-hander Joe Jimenez only made the moment sweeter for Rosario.

Jimenez, the burly rookie reliever, played for Puerto Rico as well at the WBC. Rosario, who smoothly took him out to the opposite field, knows him well, both from the WBC and the Team Rubio group chat that has continued over the past month since the event’s completion.

“We’ll say thank you to him tonight in our group chat,” said Twins starter Hector Santiago, another proud member of Team Puerto Rico. “Thanks, Joe, and attaboy Rosey. Joe was excited he got called up. He texted us (Thursday): ‘I’m coming to the big leagues.’ He’s got to wear it tonight. He’s got to back it up.”

Jimenez, 22, and Rosario, 25, had faced each other for the first time in the majors last week in Detroit, where Rosario popped to shortstop on a 5

2-2 fastball at 96 mph.

“I remembered his fastball goes up,” Rosario said. “I waited for this pitch, and he threw it to me. I know he’s a rookie, but he throws hard and he has good stuff. Don’t miss the fastball.”

Likewise, Rosario also knows right-hander Seth Lugo as his WBC teammate. Lugo, last Sept. 17 at Citi Field, had been the last pitcher to allow a Rosario homer before Friday.

“It’s been a long time, I know, since I hit a home run, but I hit it at a good moment,” Rosario said. “It’s difficult when it’s cold, but I’m doing the same approach I did last year when I came back to the big leagues. I’m hitting hard to the opposite field.”

Breaking a four-game losing streak, the Twins climbed back to .500 after dropping the first two series of this homestand. They also snapped an 11-game home losing streak against the Tigers, dating to Sept. 15, 2015.

Limited to two hits through five innings by Tigers ace Justin Verlander, the Twins worked three straight walks off him to start the sixth. Robbie Grossman then rolled a first-pitch fastball through the right side for a two-run single that chased the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner after 107 pitches.

After Jason Castro moved up both runners with a groundout to second, Jorge Polanco greeted Jimenez with a game-tying flare in front of left fielder Justin Upton. That left the young shortstop 5 for 12 (.417) with runners in scoring position in what has mostly been a team weakness.

Before Grossman came through, the Twins had been 8 for 49 (.163) on the homestand with runners in scoring position.

Santiago worked the first 6 1/3 innings and turned in his third straight quality start. Recording a season-high eight , he threw 17 first- pitch strikes and fanned at least one Tigers batter in five different innings.

Four-straight two-out hits led to a two-run third, with Victor Martinez (single) and Justin Upton () providing the run-scoring hits. James McCann added a 404-foot solo homer with two down in the sixth, but Santiago (2-1) left with the victory thanks to Rosario’s heroics.

As soon as the ball cleared the fence, Santiago hopped the dugout railing and made a beeline for the plate. Rosario had been 3 for 15 (.200) with runners in scoring position and overall had been hitting just .212 with one extra-base hit.

“That young factor came into play right there,” Santiago said. “You got a guy up there that loves fastballs. You’ve got to understand that. Joe’s got a good fastball, and Eddie went up there looking for it. Eddie got one and put it over the wall. Joe will learn.”

Asked what sort of smack he might talk on the group chat, Rosario just shook his head and smiled.

“I won’t say nothing,” he said.

Pause. Smile.

“Maybe later.”

Minnesota Twins’ Phil Hughes hones missing changeup in between-starts session Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | April 21, 2017

Given an extra day between starts after Wednesday’s rainout, Twins right-hander Phil Hughes had one main focus during his side session Friday: his erstwhile changeup.

A key part of Hughes’ 2-0 start on the road, the pitch proved elusive for him in Tuesday’s loss to the Cleveland Indians, when it was admittedly “awful in the bullpen” and was quickly shelved. Hughes, who starts Monday at the , lasted just 3 1/3 innings and gave up six runs (four earned) on eight hits against the Indians.

“We did a lot more work on the changeup,” Twins pitching coach Neil Allen said. “We didn’t change anything with his grip, just made him throw it. Oh, gosh, he probably threw 25 to 30 when it was all said and done. It was just getting him back to throwing it, that’s all.”

Hughes saw his percentage of thrown jump to 26.5 in his first two starts, up from a career rate of 9.1 percent. That resulted in more 6 swing-and-miss strikes than he’s able to get these days with his traditional fastball-cutter mix.

After returning to a “heavy arsenal of cutters,” according to Twins manager Paul Molitor, Hughes likely recognized that’s not sustainable at his age-30 velocity ranges. Hughes hit 91 mph with his four-seam fastball just a handful of times in his first home start since suffering a broken femur on a line drive last June 9.

“The other night he pretty much abandoned (the changeup) because he didn’t feel comfortable with it,” Allen said. “Is it an excuse? No. But it’s the first time for him having to make the adjustment he’s making.”

Even though the scouting report against the Indians didn’t call for many changeups, Allen still wanted to see Hughes keep using the pitch in order to “make his fastball and his cutter look better.” Perhaps Tuesday’s loss will be a turning point in Hughes’ remaking of his repertoire, now that he sees what happens if he regresses to his traditional patterns.

“We all know; we saw it first-hand now,” Allen said. “If he doesn’t throw the changeup and he looks like the old Phil Hughes with the fastball- cutter, we saw the results. I’m hoping we learned a lot from that and we can get back to square one.”

SCOUTING MCKAY

Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey scouted Louisville lefty Brendan McKay for the first time in person on Friday in Kentucky.

McKay, under strong consideration by the Twins as the No. 1 overall draft pick on June 12, took the loss against Duke after giving up five earned runs on six hits and three walks in six innings. The fast-rising junior struck out seven and threw a pair of wild pitches in a 98-pitch outing.

He also went 0 for 2 with two walks and a run as the Cardinals’ DH.

On April 7 Falvey flew to Sherman Oaks, Calif., to scout high school right-hander Hunter Greene, also projected among the top two picks.

O’ROURKE PLAN

Lefty Ryan O’Rourke, out since March 16 with a strained flexor pronator mass in his forearm, will travel to Texas with the Twins after Sunday’s game and receive a second opinion Tuesday from Rangers team physician Keith Meister.

“Clarity — that’s all I need,” said O’Rourke, who recently suspended his throwing program after a recurrence of pain.

A recent follow-up magnetic resonance imaging exam on O’Rourke’s elbow area again showed no structural damage.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Clay Buchholz is projected to miss four to six months after recently undergoing surgery to repair a partial tear in the same area of his throwing arm.

BRIEFLY

With infielder Ehire Adrianza (oblique) progressing to Fort Myers on his rehab assignment, where he played shortstop Friday and went 3 for 5 with three runs and a , the Twins have had recent conversations about dropping back to a 12-man pitching staff to boost their flagging offense. Adrianza, out since March 25, showed encouraging signs at the plate this spring and is out of minor league options.

Twins hall of famer was set to make his debut as an in-game analyst this weekend. He will handle primary color analyst duties for all three games involving two of his former teams, then fly home to Texas on the Twins’ team plane after Sunday’s game.

The Twins announced Friday on the one-year anniversary of Prince’s death that they will honor the late music impresario on June 16 during a home game against the Cleveland Indians. The first 10,000 fans will receive a “Purple Rain” umbrella and commemorative Prince-themed batting practice T-shirts will be auctioned off on the team’s web site to benefit Achieve Minneapolis, a local music-education charity that serves public schools.

Twins catcher , a member of the Indians last season, did not receive his American League championship ring during his former team’s visit to Target Field this week. The assumption is he and Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, the former Indians assistant general manager, will receive their rings when the Twins visit Progressive Field one May 12-14.

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Twins will be shaped by GM Thad Levine’s failures Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | April 21, 2017

When Twins general manager Thad Levine returns to his former workplace in Arlington, Texas, for the first time on Monday, a wave of nostalgia is sure to wash over him.

The 45-year-old executive will have the opportunity to see old friends and co-workers from his 11-year run with the Texas Rangers while reminiscing about the most successful period in franchise history, one that included back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010-11 and seven winning seasons out of his final eight with the club.

Just as vivid, however, will be the failures and miscalculations that shaped his burgeoning front-office career along with that of first-time GM Jon Daniels, which Levine readily admits could have been short-circuited with a less patient boss than former Rangers owner Tom Hicks. Those lessons continue to color Levine’s work today as he pairs with another first-time boss in Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, 11 years his junior.

“Tom Hicks was very supportive of our decision-making process,” Levine, formerly assistant GM with the Rangers, said this week during a 30- minute interview in his Target Field office. “He gave us a lot of latitude at the outset. I’m very aware of and appreciative of that. General managers have lost their jobs for similar trades or quite candidly even lesser trades than we, you could argue, made mistakes on.”

The Rangers swung a dozen trades involving 32 players in Levine’s first seven months on the job. Hungry to push the Rangers to the postseason after a six-year absence that mirrors the Twins’ current drought, they swung blockbusters that sent away established all-star Alfonso Soriano and future all-star Adrian Gonzalez in exchange for disappointments such as outfielder Brad Wilkerson and pitcher Adam Eaton.

When those Rangers improved by only one win and manager Buck Showalter was fired at season’s end, there was a period of introspection and self-assessment from which the Daniels-Levine team emerged stronger, better prepared and armed with a newfound fearlessness.

“In a weird way, we felt as if making mistakes was something that was incumbent to the job,” Levine said. “What Jon and I pledged to each other at the time was we would never retreat and narrow our band of willingness to make moves in the name of self-preservation.”

SUPPORT AND EMPOWERMENT

Promoted in the fall of 2005 as the youngest GM in majors’ history, Daniels, then barely 28, reminded Hicks of himself at a similar stage of his career as a venture capitalist.

Levine also was given the ability to explain the rationale behind various front-office brainstorms, both before and after they were consummated (and, sometimes, later regretted). Hicks, the former Dallas Stars owner who sold the Rangers to its current ownership group in August 2010, just two months before the first American League pennant in club history, was more than willing to listen.

“His refrain with us was always: ‘How does this help us win?’ ” Levine said. “If we were able to provide compelling arguments, he was very supportive of what we were doing. But he did want that level of engagement. He certainly was not dictating moves that we were making, but we didn’t have carte blanche to make moves absent of some check and balance.”

LESSONS LEARNED

Approaching the six-month mark of their Twins tenure, it’s notable that Falvey and Levine have made just one trade thus far: swapping the top spot in the December for -A right-hander Justin Haley, who made the team out of spring training.

For all of the trade buzz surrounding Brian Dozier during the offseason, the new regime chose to hold onto its 42-homer second baseman when it couldn’t procure a suitable package of younger talent.

In the room when the Rangers launched their rebuild with a July 2007 trade of to the for a five-player bounty that included shortstop Elvis Andrus, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, left-hander Matt Harrison and closer Neftali Feliz, Levine knows how such deals should look at their optimum.

He also knows the pain of including lesser-known pitching prospects such as Kyle Hendricks (), Tanner Roark (Washington Nationals) and Jerad Eickhoff (Philadelphia Phillies) in win-now trades for Ryan Dempster, Cristian Guzman and Cole Hamels.

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Hendricks was an eighth-round pick out of Dartmouth, while Roark and Eickhoff were taken in rounds 25 and 15, respectively. In Roark’s case, Levine said the Rangers weren’t even sure how to pronounce his last name when they let him get away.

“I think there are times when you trade players and the biggest shame is that you don’t know your players as well as you should,” Levine said. “We loved the makeup, we liked the person. Great work ethic, great passion, great minds, and we clearly did not have the vision of what they could accomplish in the big leagues. To be fair, I’m not 100 percent sure the teams that acquired them did either.”

Rookie Mejia to face Tigers for first time Jason Beck| MLB | April 22, 2017

The track record suggests that when Matthew Boyd faces the same team twice in a short time span, he fares better the second time around. But after six innings of one-hit ball against the Twins last week at Comerica Park, he won't have much room for improvement in today's rematch at Target Field.

"Honestly, it's not a good or bad thing," Boyd said. "There are advantages for the hitter. There are advantages for the pitcher. You get to see guys more. I don't put too much extra thought into it."

His opposing starter has no such track record to worry about. Twins rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia will be facing the Tigers for the first time in his third Major League start.

Mejia faced the White Sox in each of his first two starts, delivering five innings of one-run ball with three walks and four strikeouts last week at Target Field.

As Boyd became a critical part of the Tigers' rotation down the stretch last season, he faced the White Sox and Twins in back-to-back starts each from late August into September. After lasting just four innings over 94 pitches against the White Sox on Aug. 29, he tossed seven innings of two-run ball a week later in Chicago.

Likewise, after the Twins roughed up Boyd for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings on Sept. 13 in Detroit, he bounced back with eight innings of one- run ball and seven strikeouts a week later at Target Field.

The problem: How does he follow up his gem of April 11, when he took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before Robbie Grossman broke it up with a two-out single?

"It just comes down to execution," Boyd said. "I have to execute my pitches. They have to execute to counter me. The goal of it really doesn't change. You have to go out there and just keep doing your thing, just keep attacking."

One way Boyd could improve is pitching deeper into the game, helping shorten the bridge to the late-inning relief duo of setup man Justin Wilson and closer Francisco Rodriguez. Manager expressed concern on Friday about carrying leads through to them, and left open the possibility he could deploy top prospect Joe Jimenez to pitch the sixth or seventh in a tight situation. That's a change from last week, when Ausmus kept Jimenez in reserve for a low-leverage situation.

Three things to watch for in this game: • Byron Buxton ended an 0-for-9 streak on Friday with an infield single, but his struggles continue with strikeouts. He entered Friday having missed on 41 percent of his swings, second highest among hitters with at least 100 swings, according to Statcast.

• Rookie Dixon Machado could get his second start in three days at shortstop in place of the injured Jose Iglesias, Ausmus hinted. Andrew Romine started Friday's series opener at short.

• Brian Dozier has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games against the Tigers, including a third-inning single off Justin Verlander in Friday's series opener.

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Twins take advantage of wild Verlander for win Rhett Bollinger and Jason Beck | MLB | April 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins used a patient approach against Justin Verlander, drawing six walks against the veteran ace, including three as part of a six-run sixth inning capped by a three-run homer from Eddie Rosario in a 6-3 win over the Tigers on Friday night at Target Field.

Verlander, coming off a start in which he gave up nine runs in four innings against the Indians, got through five scoreless frames before it unraveled in the sixth with three straight walks. The six walks he surrendered were the second most in his career, and the most since he walked seven as a rookie in 2006.

"It's inexcusable. You can't walk that many guys," Verlander said. "I mean, I'd rather throw it right down the middle and say, 'Here you go, hit it,' and put it right on a tee and hope our defenders can make a play."

After Verlander loaded the bases with nobody out, Robbie Grossman came through with a first-pitch two-run single just past first baseman . That knocked Verlander from the game, and rookie Joe Jimenez struggled and couldn't preserve Detroit's lead.

"We had shown pretty good discipline throughout the night despite the zeros," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "That inning we got the three walks to make him work and get around the 100-pitch count. We tried to wait him out to get opportunities. He hung in there, but we found a way to put up a crooked number, which we haven't had too many of."

Jorge Polanco dropped an RBI single into shallow left before Rosario gave the Twins a lead they wouldn't relinquish with a three-run shot to left.

The offensive outburst gave left-hander Hector Santiago the win, as he went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk. He gave up an RBI single to Victor Martinez and an RBI double to Justin Upton in the third before serving up a solo shot to James McCann in the sixth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rosario's go-ahead blast: Rosario wasted no time giving the Twins the lead, crushing a first-pitch 95.3-mph fastball from Jimenez for a three-run homer to left field. It had an exit velocity of 101.6 mph with a launch angle of 32 degrees, getting classified as "barreled" by Statcast™. It was the first homer of the year for Rosario, and it came against his Puerto Rico teammate in the World Baseball Classic.

"I saw him the first time we played Detroit," Rosario said. "I remembered his fastball goes up. I was waiting for that pitch, and he threw it the first pitch. It was a long time since I've hit a home run, but when I hit it, it was a good moment."

Grossman's first-pitch ambush: Grossman is one of Minnesota's most patient hitters, but after Verlander walked three batters, he jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Verlander for a two-run single. But it was far from crushed, as it left the bat at only 69.8 mph and had a hit probability of only 12 percent, per Statcast™. But the unlikely hit got the job done and helped spark Minnesota's six-run rally.

"I knew that I was going to try to get that first pitch over," Grossman said. "From past experience, taking that pitch doesn't do much for you. So I tried to put a good swing on it. It was a pretty good pitch, but luckily I a found a hole."

QUOTABLE

"We'll say thank you to him in our group chat and tell him we appreciate it. We'll definitely talk about that tonight. 'Thanks, Joe,' and 'That a boy, Rosie.' We have our [Classic] group chat, and we text every day." -- Santiago, on Jimenez giving up the homer to Rosario, as all three were teammates in the Classic

"This is all on me. I put that kid in a tough spot. I've got to be better." -- Verlander, on Jimenez

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

McCann's solo homer was the fourth of his career at Target Field. He has four home runs in every other road ballpark combined. He has 15 career homers at Comerica Park.

CABRERA EXITS EARLY

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Cabrera left the game after the sixth inning due to a right groin strain and was replaced by . Cabrera, who went 3-for-3 with a run scored prior to the injury, will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tigers: Left-hander Matthew Boyd, who tossed six innings of one-hit ball against the Twins last week at Comerica Park, gets a rematch when he takes the mound on Saturday at 2:10 p.m. ET for the second game of this three-game series. Boyd has allowed one run in 12 innings over his last two starts, making him the most effective member of the Tigers' rotation over the last couple weeks.

Twins: Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia is set to start on Saturday against the Tigers at 1:10 p.m. CT. Mejia (0-1, 4.05 ERA) was pushed back a few days, as he was scheduled to start on Thursday, but it was rained out, and the Twins wanted to keep veterans Ervin Santana and Hector Santiago on schedule while giving Mejia extra rest.

Patience a virtue for victorious Twins Rhett Bollinger | MLB | April 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Through the first 15 games of the season, the Twins have been a patient team, leading the Majors with 73 walks.

That was certainly evident against Tigers ace Justin Verlander on Friday, as they drew six walks against him, including three straight to open the sixth en route to a six-run inning and a 6-3 win that snapped a four-game losing streak at Target Field. The six walks were the second most in Verlander's career and the most since he was a rookie in 2006.

"We had shown pretty good discipline throughout the night despite the zeros," manager Paul Molitor said. "That inning we got the three walks to make him work and get around the 100-pitch count. We tried to wait him out to get opportunities. He hung in there, but we found a way to put up a crooked number, which we haven't had too many of."

Although that patience set up the rally, it was the club's most patient hitter, Robbie Grossman, who made Verlander pay, with a single on a first- pitch cutter that just got past Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler into right field. The ball left the bat at 69.8 mph and had a hit probability of just 12 percent, per Statcast™, but it got the job done.

"I knew that was going to try to get that first pitch over," Grossman said. "From past experience, taking that pitch doesn't do much for you. So I tried to put a good swing on it. It was a pretty good pitch but luckily a found a hole."

Grossman's hit knocked Verlander from the game, but Verlander maintained that the walks were more on him than the Twins, because several of his pitches weren't close to the zone.

"I think that falls into what I'm doing," said Verlander, who has a 6.04 ERA. "I was throwing pitches that, even if they wanted to swing, they probably couldn't have."

Verlander's struggles put Tigers rookie right-hander Joe Jimenez in a tough situation, and Jimenez promptly allowed a one-out bloop RBI single to Jorge Polanco before Rosario jumped all over a first-pitch 95.3-mph fastball for a three-run blast that put Minnesota up for good.

"I saw him the first time we played Detroit," Rosario said. "I remembered his fastball goes up. I was waiting for that pitch and he threw it the first pitch. It was a long time since I hit a home run, but when I hit it, it was a good moment."

The homer pumped up Minnesota's dugout, and left-hander Hector Santiago, who picked up the win as a result, jumped over the railing to congratulate Rosario at home. Santiago, Rosario and Jimenez were all teammates on Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, and Rosario knew Jimenez was going to try to challenge him with a fastball and drilled it over the left-field fence.

"I think the young factor came into play there [for Jimenez], because you've got a guy up there who loves fastballs," Santiago said. "He'll learn. We'll say thank you to him in our group chat and tell him we appreciate it. We'll definitely talk about that tonight."

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Falvey scouts McKay in advance of Draft Rhett Bollinger | MLB | April 21, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- With the Twins holding the No. 1 pick in the 2017 Draft, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey continues to scout top prospects, and he watched the University of Louisville's Brendan McKay pitch on Friday night.

Falvey, who saw Southern California high schooler Hunter Greene strike out 12 batters on April 8, witnessed McKay struggle against Duke, allowing five runs over six innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader. McKay struck out seven but allowed six hits, including a triple and a homer, and walked three.

McKay, ranked as the No. 7 overall Draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is a two-way player, as he also excels as a first baseman, although most clubs, including the Twins, see him as a left-handed starting pitcher. He went 0-for-2 with two walks in the game.

McKay has impressive stats on the season, carrying a 1.83 ERA in nine starts with 83 strikeouts in 59 innings. He's also hitting .391 with a .523 on-base percentage with seven homers, eight doubles and 28 RBIs in 36 games.

The Twins have been strongly linked to both McKay and Greene, who is the No. 1 overall Draft prospect.

The last time Minnesota had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2001, when they selected Joe Mauer.

• Infielder Ehire Adrianza, who is on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right oblique, started a rehab assignment with Class A Advanced Fort Myers on Friday. He was previously playing in extended spring training games.

• The Twins announced plans for Prince Night at Target Field on June 16. The first 10,000 fans will receive a limited-edition "Purple Rain" umbrella, Prince's music will be played throughout the game, and Twins players and staff will wear Prince-themed shirts during batting practice that will be auctioned off to benefit Achieve Minneapolis, which provides music grants.

• First baseman ByungHo Park, who is on the Minor League DL with a strained right hamstring, has progressed to participating in baseball activities, but he isn't ready to return to playing in games.

• Former Twins and Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter made his broadcast debut for Fox Sports North on Friday as an analyst alongside play-by-play man Dick Bremer. Hunter, who is also a special advisor to the front office, will broadcast the entire series and will also travel with the club to Texas on Sunday, although he won't be on the air for the series against the Rangers.

Twins surge past Tigers, Verlander with big 6th inning Associated Press | FOX Sports | April 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — For five innings Friday night, everything was working for Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers.

It all unfolded in frustrating fashion in the sixth.

Verlander stumbled again, Cabrera left after straining his right groin and Detroit wasted a three-run lead against the Minnesota Twins, who burst ahead when Eddie Rosario hit a three-run homer that capped a six-run sixth inning in a 6-3 victory.

Cabrera, a two-time AL MVP, had three hits but was hurt in the sixth when he dove for a ground ball by Robbie Grossman that got past Cabrera and second baseman Ian Kinsler to score two runs. Cabrera felt it again when he stretched for a throw from third baseman Nicholas Castellanos on Brian Dozier’s inning-ending grounder.

Cabrera was replaced at first base by Alex Avila to start the seventh and the team announced he would be re-evaluated Saturday.

“When he got back into the dugout after the inning, he let the trainers know and we just removed him from the game,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Six days after allowing nine runs and 11 hits in four innings against Cleveland, Verlander (1-2) held the Twins to two hits in five innings and led 3- 0 before walking Max Kepler, Miguel Sano and Joe Mauer starting the sixth.

Grossman chased Verlander with a two-run single, Jorge Polanco singled in the tying run against Joe Jimenez and Rosario hit an opposite-field 12 homer to left.

“I know I faced him the first time actually in Detroit, I remember the fastball goes up,” Rosario said of Jimenez. “But I waited for this pitch and he threw me first pitch.”

Verlander, whose ERA rose to 6.04, allowed four runs, three hits and six walks — one shy of his career high — in five-plus innings. He had been 12-1 in his previous 18 starts against the Twins.

“Inexcusable there,” Verlander said. “I just lost my tempo and rhythm. That many walks, with us up like that, that can’t happen.”

Hector Santiago (2-1) gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Ryan Pressly, Taylor Rogers and Brandon Kintzler combined for one-hit relief. Kintzler got his fourth save in as many chances.

Victor Martinez and Justin Upton had RBI hits as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third, and James McCann hit his fourth homer in the sixth.

Both teams were coming off being swept in their last series.

“It was just a good win,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We kind of feel like you need one after kind of stumbling through the last series.”

WBC CHATTING

Rosario, Santiago and Jimenez all played together for Puerto Rico in the WBC and the team has kept a chat going since the tournament. Santiago said Jimenez would hear about giving Rosario a first-pitch fastball.

“I think that young factor comes into play there, where you got a guy up there that loves fastballs,” Santiago said of the rookie Jimenez. “You got to understand that. He’ll learn.

“We’ll say thank you to him tonight in our group chat and we’ll say, `Appreciate you giving it.’ We’re definitely going to talk about that tonight, for sure. But thanks Joe and attaboy Rosie.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: SS Jose Iglesias was placed on the seven-day concussion DL, retroactive to Thursday. Iglesias took a knee to his jaw on the final play of Wednesday’s game.

Twins: INF Ehire Adrianza (right oblique strain) went 3 for 5 in his first rehab start for Class A Fort Myers on Friday, starting at shortstop.

UP NEXT

Rookie LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 4.05 ERA) is to start for Minnesota on Saturday and LHP Matt Boyd (2-1, 3.77) for Detroit. Mejia’s rotation spot was skipped when Minnesota’s game on Wednesday was rained out. Boyd beat the Twins on April 11 with six scoreless innings.

Slumping Tigers face Twins and look to end four-game skid (Apr 22, 2017) Staff | FOX Sports | April 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins snapped a four-game losing streak Friday by defeating the Detroit Tigers. Now the Tigers hope to do the same with a win against the Twins on Saturday.

Detroit dropped the series opener by a 6-3 final score at Target Field for its fourth straight loss. The Tigers, who at one point were 7-3 to start the season, now find themselves back at .500 (8-8).

A win to halt the skid would be nice, but a lopsided victory would be even better for the Tigers, who have the worst run differential in the American League (-24). “We’d like to have a game where it’s a laugher in favor of us,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “It’s just baseball. You’re going to go on streaks where you have good offensive output and you’ll go on streaks where you have good pitching. We haven’t had a lot of those.”

The Tigers will have their chance to get a win against Twins starter Adalberto Mejia, a left-hander who was originally slated to start Wednesday 13 against Cleveland. His start got skipped, though, after Wednesday’s game was postponed due to weather.

Mejia (0-1, 4.05 ERA) made his major league debut last season by making one relief appearance. He has made his first two career starts in 2017 with the Twins and has had mixed results. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his first start, but gave up just one run in five innings the next time out.

Friday’s win was just the second for the Twins (8-8) in the first seven games of their current homestand. Minnesota lost three straight to Cleveland after dropping the series finale against the White Sox.

Thanks to a six-run sixth inning Friday — capped by an Eddie Rosario three-run homer — Minnesota is back to .500 after losing five of its last six.

“It was just a good win,” Twins manager Paul Molitor. “We kind of feel like you need one after kind of stumbling through the last series.”

The Tigers will counter Mejia and the Twins with left-hander Matthew Boyd (2-1, 3.77 ERA). Boyd beat Minnesota earlier this month when he held the Twins scoreless for six innings in a 2-1 Tigers victory.

Boyd was almost as good his last time out, giving up just one run in six innings of against Cleveland as the Tigers won 4-1.

Detroit may be without slugger Miguel Cabrera on Saturday. Cabrera, who has three home runs and nine RBIs this year, left Friday’s game with a right groin strain. Ausmus said Cabrera will be re-evaluated Saturday.

If Cabrera can’t play, the Tigers will have an even shorter bench. They’re currently using just a three-man bench while carrying 13 pitchers on the roster.

“We just hope he’s all right,” Detroit outfielder Justin Upton said. “But if he can’t go, we’ve got to pick him up. Things happen, and at the end of the day, if he can’t go, somebody’s got to step in and do the job.”

Twins’ Dozier: ’s best leadoff power threat FOX Sports North | FOX Sports | April 21, 2017

There’s the Sa-No doubter. The Park Bang. But what do you call a Brian Dozier home run?

A Dozier dinger? Maybe, but many times it’s simply called a leadoff home run.

Dozier sure knows how to start games with some pop. Since 2014, the slugging second baseman leads the major leagues in leadoff home runs with 17.

Fittingly, his first home run of this season was a leadoff bomb. Dozier sent the fourth pitch of the game on April 12 over the wall off Detroit Tigers starting pitcher .

Last year, Dozier went deep a career-high 42 times and set an American League record for home runs hit while playing second base (40). His two home runs thus far may seem like a slow start, but through 14 games last season, he actually had only recorded one.

In fact, Dozier only hit five home runs through the month of May. But he heated up and smashed eight out of the park in June, capped by a stretch when he hit five moon shots in five games.

Ian Kinsler, who brings his Detroit Tigers to Target Field for a three-game series starting Friday night, ranks third in MLB with 12 leadoff home runs since 2014.

Could the series come down to a battle between the leadoff hitters?

Sounds fun, but probably not. It will likely come down to pitching.

Despite allowing 17 runs in the past two games against the Indians, Minnesota’s pitching staff has been impressive this season. It has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of 15 games (67 percent), tied with the Royals for the most in the big leagues.

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This is a dramatic improvement over last season, when the Twins gave up three or less runs in a league-worst 48 games (30 percent).

A big contributor to the improved staff has been Hector Santiago, who has whizzed through the first three innings in each of his three starts. The southpaw has worked his way to a 0.56 WHIP, a perfect 0.00 ERA and an impressive .111 opponent batting average in the game’s opening trio of innings.

OTHER NOTABLES:

— Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander might be 12-2 since 2010 against the Twins, but he doesn’t seem to bother Joe Mauer. Mauer is a career .333 hitter against the right-hander with four homers and 11 RBI.

— Minnesota is looking for its first home win against the Tigers since 2015. The Twins went 0-9 at home last year when Detroit rolled into town.

— All five teams in the are within a game of .500. The Tigers and Indians lead the division at 8-7, Chicago is close behind at 7-7 and the Twins and Royals are nipping at their heels at 7-8.

Minnesota Twins to host ‘Prince Night’ honoring late musician Dan Carson | FOX Sports | April 21, 2017

Exactly a year after Prince’s death, the Minnesota Twins have announced a special theme night in honor of the late rock star and Minnesota native.

“Prince Night” will take place on June 16, according to the team website. The first 10,000 fans through the doors at Target Field will receive “Purple Rain” umbrellas, and Prince’s music will, naturally, be played throughout the evening before, during and after the game.

Twins players will wear special themed t-shirts during batting practice — shirts that will be auctioned off afterward, with the profits benefitting the Achieve Minneapolis initiative, which funds music grants for local public school students.

There will also be “Prince-themed fireworks,” which I can only imagine are the most charming explosions to ever rend the night sky. The team will also give $10,000 to Minnesota Public Schools to “benefit students with an interest in music.”

The Twins will host the Cleveland Indians for the game, and I, for one, hope they serve pancakes afterward regardless of the results.

How did Twins fix pitching without changing rotation? Mark Simon | ESPN | April 22, 2017

Ervin Santana's first pitch of the 2017 season to Royals left fielder was a 93 mph fastball, on the black, knee-high on the inside corner. The Minnesota Twins starter didn't get the call, but he came inside again with his second pitch, this one 92 mph and well off the plate, but one that moved Gordon's feet just a little bit.

Those first two pitches might have put Santana in an early hole, but they sent a message, both to his fellow pitchers and to opponents that the Twins were going to try to be different this season in their hopes of turning around a 59-103 finish last season.

How do you fix a pitching staff that finished with the second-worst ERA in the majors last season (5.08), without any significant changes in mound personnel? Twins management and their coaching staff have put a multi-pronged plan into place. Now, it's just a matter of execution.

Behind the plate

Twins ranked 27th last season in strikes looking rate above average. That’s a number that indicates whether a pitcher and catcher are getting calls, both on pitches they should and pitches they shouldn't.

One of executive vice president Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine's first moves this season was to sign former Astros catcher Jason Castro to a three-year deal. Though three years and $24.5 million might have seemed like an overpay for someone who hit .211 and .210 the past two seasons, Castro’s skill is in his work at getting called strikes for his pitchers. He ranked 14th out of 76 catchers in strikes looking above average. Falvey also changed backup catchers, bringing in Chris Gimenez, whose numbers hover around average in that stat, to replace Juan Centeno (who ranked among the worst). 15

It’s amazing what going from bad to slightly above average can do for a staff. The Twins pitching staff has a 3.17 ERA, which ranks sixth in the majors through 16 games.

"In spring training, [Castro] had pitcher-catcher relationship meetings," Twins pitching coach Neil Allen said. "He talked to each guy about this pitch and that pitch, how he was going to receive it and how he was going to let the ball travel and not reach for it. He opened up the eyes of our guys. He’s been fantastic in how he communicates with our pitchers."

Confirmed Santana: "We’re on the same page all the time. We worked in spring training and we’ve brought that to games."

In the field

The Twins have a great ERA, but it’s not necessarily a deserved one. Their fielding independent pitching, an estimate of what the ERA should be based on strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed is just below 4.00. One of the ways a pitching staff can be better than its FIP is to excel defensively, and the Twins have.

Last season, the Twins had some major defensive holes, particularly when they played Robbie Grossman and Miguel Sano in the corner spots. Grossman moved to , and Sano to third base. In their place, the Twins have better athletes sandwiching center fielder Byron Buxton with Eddie Rosario in left and Max Kepler in right. Again, upgrading from not good to average can do wonders. Twins corner outfielders combined for minus-31 defensive runs saved last season. This season, they’re average. And Buxton, despite not hitting, has flourished with a couple of phenomenal extra-base hit saving catches.

"They’re all young, they’re all good, they’re all quick," Allen said of the current trio. "They get good breaks and good jumps. They’re situated better. They’re moved around depending on each individual’s style of pitching. You get behind in the count, our pitchers trust our outfield [to make plays] now."

"They catch everything," Santana said.

The Twins’ infield defense has similarly done its part. The Twins rank fourth in the AL with 10 defensive runs saved this season and have the highest rate of turning batted balls into outs of any team (74.6 percent). They ranked last in the latter last season.

Mechanics and strategy

Four of the five starting pitchers in 2017 ended 2016 in the team’s rotation (the exception being rookie Adalberto Mejia). The bullpen is almost entirely the same, save for 36-year-old middle relievers and Craig Breslow.

This isn’t a pitching staff that blows you away. It averages the fewest strikeouts per nine innings of any team in the majors. Getting the most out of them requires creativity and work.

This takes us back to those first two inside fastballs that Santana threw this season. At the start of spring training, Allen told all of his pitchers that they would be pitching inside with greater frequency, both for strikes and for effect, that throwing strikes with the four-seam fastball was a high priority, and that they’d be pitching up in the zone as well.

This was emphasized during spring training side sessions, where pitchers wouldn’t be allowed to do anything else until they executed Allen’s plan.

"We know that the inside fastball is very effective," Allen said. "The ball’s on the hitter a lot quicker. We’re doing it more this year. It has to be done. Last year, we went down and away more than we should have. We’ve got to control the inner-half better."

It’s early, but the Twins lead the majors in the percentage of pitches thrown to the inner-third of the plate or off the corner. They also have the sixth-highest rate of fastballs thrown to the upper-third of the strike zone or over the top of the zone.

The second component to this is making sure his pitchers can execute such a plan. That required some mechanical tweaks. Allen got to Santana last year when he noticed Santana’s front shoulder flying open and gave him a drill that fixed the issue within two starts. Since last June 19, Santana has the best ERA in the majors (2.06) and has a 0.64 ERA with nine hits allowed in 28 innings in 2017.

With veteran lefty Hector Santiago, who had a 5.58 ERA in 11 starts last season, Allen came up with a change that kept Santiago’s left elbow 16 even with or higher than his shoulder, ensuring his pitches would have movement. In four starts this season, Santiago has a 2.19 ERA.

The Twins moved righty Tyler Duffey and his 6.43 ERA to the bullpen. In five outings, he’s started to establish himself as reliable for multiple innings, with a 2.00 ERA. The tweak there was simply ensuring that Duffey’s release point was consistent. Extra work between appearances has produced success.

"It’s important we come out of the gate stronger this year," Allen said. "Last year was a disaster out of the gate. These guys are now aware they can compete and they felt good about themselves."

The other step in this is in game-planning. Falvey, formerly the Indians assistant GM, and Levine, formerly with the Rangers, brought a more data-driven approach than his predecessor, Terry Ryan. As such, the Twins' advanced scouting reports are different from what they’d provided their players in the past.

"We recognize how Phil Hughes' stuff is different from 's stuff," Allen said. "So we have individual reports for each pitcher. Before, we would get a report and it would say we pitch this guy this way and that guy that way. That doesn’t apply to everybody. Now we break down what each pitcher's stuff will do against that particular club."

And so far, everything’s gone according to plan. The Twins aren’t overwhelming opponents, but those who experienced the 59-103 season can tell you that things are a heck of a lot better.

"We’re enjoying the moment, keeping positive and having fun with what we’re doing," Santana said. "We can tell the difference compared to last year. We’re winning. That’s different."

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