Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Friday, March 20, 2015

 Twins day at camp: Allen wants to push starters harder, then back off. Star Tribune (Miller and Neal) p. 1  Meyer's control could prove costly in battle for final spot in rotation. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Perkins ready to gear up for Opening Day. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3  Twins: Eddie Rosario, Aaron Hicks need to win center field job to make team. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 3  Twinsights: Productive remains a bargain. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  Twinsights: Glen Perkins makes successful return. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  Twinsights: Alex Meyer left ‘searching’ after shaky outing. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Twinsights: Eduardo Escobar changes agents. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Competition in center still open for Twins. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 6  Oblique strain in rearview mirror for Perkins. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 6  Battle for final rotation spot heating up. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 6  Meyer shows the good and the bad vs. Rays. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 7  Nolasco solid early, falters in fourth. MLB.com (Bollinger and Chastain) p. 8  A look at the humorous expose of Eduardo Nunez’s ‘secret’ approach. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 9  Some of each: Meyer shows pitches and walks 4 in Twins loss. Associated Press p. 9  Escobar making Twins’ shortstop decision difficult with strong spring. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 10  10 Fun facts from the Red Sox, Twins media guides. The News-Press (Dorsey) p. 11

Twins day at camp: Allen wants to push starters harder, then back off

Phil Miller and La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. – One area where new Twins pitching coach Neil Allen differs from the previous administration is in workload. While Rick Anderson preferred to have his starters peaking near 100 pitches heading into the season, Allen likes to see his starters throwing 100 pitches a week before camp breaks. “I’m a 100 guy,” Allen said. “Let’s go. Let’s get it stretched out. We’ve got plenty of time to get it done.” Allen’s plan is to have his starters throw 100 pitches in their next-to-last outing before the end of spring training. Then he will throttle back to 75-80 pitches in their final outing. “I don’t want to take all their bullets away from them then,” he said. Phil Hughes is on board with the plan. “I’ve done that before,” the righthander said, “and I think that’s what Neil wants to do with everybody.” Kentucky fan Alex Meyer is fighting for a roster spot, so he’s trying not to appear too cocky. But the Kentucky Wildcats don’t make it easy. “I don’t think anybody can beat them. They’ve played down to their competition a couple of times, but there’s such a huge gap between them and everyone else,” the Twins righthander said shortly before pitching two against the Rays. “But I’m obviously super-biased.” He is, because he’s a Kentucky alum, like fellow Twins minor leaguers Logan Darnell and Taylor Rogers. Meyer was a sophomore when John Calipari was hired, was starring on the Wildcats team when the basketball team made a to the Final Four in 2011, and showed up to watch Anthony Davis andMichael Kidd-Gilchrist at a Kentucky-Louisville game during their championship season of 2012. Meyer is an Indiana native but made Kentucky his favorite team while attending an Indiana-Kentucky football game during his childhood. “It was right when I started to understand winning and losing. It was a terrible game, but I told my dad, ‘That’s going to be my favorite team,’ ” he said. “From a basketball standpoint, it’s been fun.” Even if it means being trash-talked by his teammates. Kansan Mike Pelfrey, for instance, “keeps trying to knock them down,” Meyer said. “I hear it all the time — a lot of people want them to lose.” But that just makes it more fun, he said. Start, or minors Molitor said that like Eddie Rosario, center fielder Aaron Hicks is not likely to make the major league roster if he doesn’t win the starting job. “He’s young enough where he probably still should be playing on a regular basis,” Molitor said. That likely means either Jordan Schafer or Shane Robinson, if they don’t earn the starting job, will make the team as a backup outfielder. Meeting day Players Association executive director Tony Clark will be in Fort Myers on Friday to hold the MLBPA’s annual union meeting with Twins players. The meeting is expected to cover issues such as baseball’s new pace-of-play rules and the possibility of a worldwide draft. The agreement between the union and MLB expires after the 2016 season. On deck Kyle Gibson has improved in each of his starts this spring, a trend he will try to continue as he faces Pittsburgh in Hammond Stadium.Gerrit Cole will pitch for the Pirates.

Meyer’s control could prove costly in battle for final spot in rotation

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. – Ricky Nolasco gave up three runs Thursday and was delighted. Alex Meyer allowed just one and was discouraged. Spring training will do that to you. Nolasco was largely effective for nearly four innings but gave up a on his final pitch that cost him, and eventually the Twins, in a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay at Charlotte Sports Park. Still, he looked right on target to start the season. Meyer, though, was another story. Hoping to keep pace in the competition for the final spot in the Twins rotation, the 25-year-old righthander gave up a single to leadoff hitter Juan Francisco in the sixth , then walked three of the next four hitters, with a sacrifice fly in between. He struck out Corey Brown (on a fastball) and Allan Dykstra (on a bat-freezing curve) to end that threat but then issued another four-pitch walk in the seventh. “I’m searching right now. I feel like there’s something mechanically going on,” said Meyer, whose problems commanding his fastball have long been the one caveat that scouts express about him. Meyer, who needed 28 pitches to escape the inning, consulted with pitching coach Neil Allen and coach after his sloppy performance, “and they think there’s something we can fix down in the bullpen. We’ll work on it this week and hope it clears up.” He needs a fix in a hurry, considering how well Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey and Trevor May have pitched as they all pursue a starting job. Paul Molitor will help make that decision, and he had no problem diagnosing Meyer’s trouble. “You can tell he starts getting sped up, and mechanically … he flies open a little bit and loses that release point,” the Twins manager said. “But he stuck with it. He got a couple of big to limit the damage and he had a strong next inning.” It’s possible, the 6-10 righthander conceded, that the excitement of the moment is making it difficult for him to repeat his delivery. “Probably just got a little over-amped up,” he said. “I’ve just got to relax, get back in the zone and finish the inning.” He wasn’t the only one who had problems on Thursday. The Twins made three notable defensive mistakes, all of them with Nolasco on the mound, which made his four-, three-run, one-walk, two-strikeout performance all the more positive. Danny Santana and Doug Bernier both hesitated on a ground ball up the middle, allowing it to roll past them, a mistake that seemed to annoy Molitor. 2

“Someone has to take charge on that play,” he said. “I’d rather have both of them run into each other going for the ball, rather than back off.” Later, Oswaldo Arcia drifted back to the left field wall and allowed a fly ball to bounce off his glove. And third baseman Jose Martinez allowed a foul popup to fall to the ground. “I thought [Nolasco] pitched really well overall,” Molitor said. “He picked us up a couple of times.” The Twins, using a roster of mostly non-regulars, managed only two runs off five Tampa Bay . Both runs were driven in by designated hitter Eric Fryer, who drove a two-out to the fence in right-center off starter Nathan Karns in the second inning.

Perkins ready to gear up for Opening Day

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | March 19, 2015 FORT MYERS, FLA. – Spring training has restarted for Glen Perkins. The Twins All-Star pitched an uneventful — as in healthy — scoreless inning Thursday against Class AAA Pawtucket of the Red Sox chain. Afterward, he said the plan is for him to pitch again Saturday against Baltimore, then Tuesday against Toronto. Both those games are at Hammond Stadium. Perkins hadn’t pitched in a game since March 4, when he pitched an inning against the Gophers in an exhibition game. After that he began experiencing discomfort in his right oblique, forcing him out for just over two weeks. Now healthy, Perkins expects to be ready in time for Opening Day. “It will just be a routine of getting into games and pitching and building up arm strength,” Perkins said. “I can tell that the strength you have when you warm up to get into games is just not there yet, which is expected. I just got a late start to spring training. Nothing I’ll be worried about going forward. I will be just fine. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to get appearances and get into game shape and be ready to rock and roll.” Perkins threw 14 pitches Thursday, nine for strikes. His fastball ranged from 90-93 miles per hour on the radar gun. His control was a little off and his slider could be better, but he expected that. “It was my first outing of the spring, essentially,” Perkins said.

Twins: Eddie Rosario, Aaron Hicks need to win center field job to make team

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Eddie Rosario, given another start in center field on Thursday, continues to impress the Twins' top decision-makers. Asked how Rosario has fared in center this spring, Twins manager Paul Molitor was highly complimentary. "He's not a burner like some of the guys, but he's fast enough," Molitor said. "He's in the game pitch to pitch. I've been paying attention to him in that regard, because that hasn't been a strong suit (in the past). "I think he understands. I think he's on a little bit of a mission to make an impression on myself, the staff. Whether or not things work out for him in the short term, he wants to be on the radar if nothing else. He's doing fine. He continues to have good at-bats." Molitor, who worked with Rosario on his infield play and baserunning for his first several pro seasons, noted that Rosario has thrown out runners from the outfield twice in recent days. "His arm is better than I thought it was, and better than I remembered it," the manager said. "He threw someone out again (Wednesday), I heard. A deep, accurate throw. We saw the one he made in left field the other day. He's got enough arm." The plan is to use Rosario in right field some too this spring, although he would have to break camp as an everyday player in order to stick with the Twins. Rosario remains more comfortable in left than in center, Molitor noted. "I don't see him being an extra guy at all," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. The Twins will meet after Saturday's home game to discuss the upcoming roster decisions. Molitor and Ryan both noted the candidates are making the decision tougher in center field with their solid play across the board.

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"I haven't made up my mind on how that's going to play," Molitor said. "Aaron (Hicks) knows that. I think (Jordan) Schafer and (Shane) Robinson and Eddie all know. They're out there playing. They have reason and motivation to play as well as they can. We don't have to make a decision yet. We've got a little time." As for Hicks, Molitor suggested the 25-year-old would probably need to reclaim the starting role he held the past two Opening Days in order to break camp with the club. A platoon option would not be as palatable. "I have to be a little careful on that," Molitor said. "My opinion would be that he's young enough to where he probably should be playing on a regular basis somewhere. It's not in stone -- there's not a lot of things in stone. I think for him to play on a regular basis would be important."

Twinsights: Productive Danny Santana remains a bargain

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Even with Danny Santana on track to open the year as the Twins’ starting shortstop and leadoff man, the switch- hitting speedster remains one of the best bargains in the game. Santana recently agreed to a 2015 salary of $530,000, according to a person with direct knowledge. That is a solid raise after making the major- league minimum of $500,000 last year, when he hit .319. The 2015 minimum salary rises to $507,500. Meanwhile, young slugger Kennys Vargas, Santana’s fellow rookie sensation, has agreed to a $517,500 salary for this year. Santana, called up from Triple-A on May 3, accrued 149 days of service time last season. Vargas, called up from Double-A on July 31, finished the year with 60 days of service time. Other 2015 salaries for Twins yet to reach arbitration eligibility, according to sources, include second baseman Brian Dozier ($590,000), right- hander Kyle Gibson ($537,500), outfielder Oswaldo Arcia ($532,500), infielder Eduardo Escobar ($532,500), relievers Caleb Thielbar ($520,000) and Aaron Thompson ($520,000), catcher Eric Fryer ($520,000), outfielder Aaron Hicks ($515,000), catcher Josmil Pinto ($512,500), reliever Ryan Pressly ($512,500), catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann ($510,000), right-hander Trevor May ($510,000) and relievers Michael Tonkin ($510,000), Stephen Pryor ($510,000) and A.J. Achter ($507,500).

Twinsights: Glen Perkins makes successful return

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Twins closer Glen Perkins (strained right oblique) faced opposing hitters for the first time in 15 days Thursday. Working on a back field against Triple-A Pawtucket in the Boston Red Sox system, Perkins threw 14 pitches in one inning. He gave up a single to right, struck out one and induced a pair of fly outs. Perkins had not pitched in a game setting since throwing one inning against his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, on March 4. According to eyewitnesses, Perkins’ fastball ranged from 90-93 mph against the PawSox and his slider was 81-82 mph. If Perkins were to work every other day the rest of the spring, he could break camp with exactly 10 innings of game action. That would be put him right in line with the innings target set by pitching coach Neil Allen. Twins general manager Terry Ryan has said there is “ample time” for Perkins to get ready by Opening Day. Briefly –Left fielder Oswaldo Arcia underwent precautionary tests on his balky stomach about a week ago, Twins general manager Terry Ryan said, but the results showed no reason for alarm. “He’s fine,” Ryan said. “It wasn’t anything serious.” –Veteran right-hander Tim Stauffer threw a perfect eighth inning on just 10 pitches. Twins manager Paul Molitor termed the outing “crisp” as Stauffer, recently dropped from the rotation mix, cut his spring average to 12.86.

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Twinsights: Alex Meyer left ‘searching’ after shaky outing

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE. Fla. — Alex Meyer couldn’t seem to slow his delivery down Thursday. As a result, his chances of securing the final spot in the Twins’ starting rotation could soon disappear. “I’m searching right now,” the highly touted right-hander said after issuing four walks in a two-inning relief stint in a 4-2 loss to the . “I feel like there’s something mechanically going on.” Pitching coach Neil Allen and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado told Meyer they thought they could help him fix the problem in his next bullpen session. However, with the Twins moving closer to their second round of roster cuts, it’s fair to wonder if Meyer will get another opportunity in big-league camp this year. “I hope so. That’s not up to me,” Meyer said. “Obviously I’m not making it too hard on them to have to give me another shot.” Through 5 2/3 spring innings, Meyer has walked seven, struck out six and posted a 1.59 . His three main competitors for the fifth spot in the rotation — Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey and Trevor May — have issued one walk in 23 combined innings, including a Monday showdown on the minor-league side for Milone and May. “I just have to get back to square one, stop overanalyzing things and just throw the baseball,” Meyer said. “Quit worrying about leaking early, pulling with the glove. It’s just getting back to the basics. The good thing is it’s spring training. It’s not the season. You’ve got plenty of time to figure it out.” At 25, Meyer could soon be asked to figure things out at Triple-A Rochester, where he spent all last season. “Obviously, you’re concerned about it,” he said. “It’s not an extreme worry right now. I feel like it’s something I’ll figure out. I just have to get my reps in and figure it out then. “In the bullpen I feel good. I don’t know what it is. When the batters get in the box, I’m just not throwing the ball where I want to. It will come. I still have time. It’s my third outing. First one was bad, second one I was happier with and this one was not what I wanted. It’s a process. The good thing is we’re just getting started.” Meyer threw his final 20 pitches in the bullpen as Tim Stauffer came on to work a 1-2-3 eighth on just 10 pitches.

Twinsights: Eduardo Escobar changes agents

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | March 20, 2015

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar has switched representation. Escobar, 26, has signed on with Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro, who also represent Twins left-hander Tommy Milone and left fielder Oswaldo Arcia. Escobar, who just missed Super 2 arbitration eligibility by a handful of days this winter, had been represented by Melvin Roman. Like Arcia, Escobar will earn $532,500 this season. Escobar, batting .346 with a team-high nine runs batted in through 26 spring at-bats, was in Friday’s lineup at shortstop as he continues his position battle with Danny Santana. Briefly –Twins closer Glen Perkins came through Thursday’s inning on the minor-league side without issue. Perkins, who said he threw about five sliders, is slated to work again in Saturday’s split-squad home game with Baltimore. –Right-hander Trevor May is slated to start Saturday’s split-squad road game at Tampa Bay in Port Charlotte, Fla. May will be extended to about 60 pitches. Left-hander Tommy Milone figures to start Saturday’s home game against Baltimore. Milone is up to 75 pitches at this point. –Mets left-hander Sean Gilmartin, grabbed from the Twins at the Rule 5 draft in December, was struggling with a 9.64 earned run average through five outings this spring. In 4 2/3 innings, Gilmartin had allowed eight hits and three walks. He must be carried on the Mets’ big-league roster all season or offered back to the Twins for half the $50,000 draft fee.

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–Representatives of the Players Association visited Twins camp Friday morning for their annual briefing. Among those on hand: St. Paul product and hall of famer Dave Winfield, who pulled up a chair and had a long conversation with Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks. Winfield now works as a special adviser to executive director Tony Clark.

Competition in center still open for Twins

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Twins manager Paul Molitor said the competition for the starting center field job remains open, but that he plans to meet with general manager Terry Ryan on Saturday to discuss the situation. Molitor said it's essentially a four-way battle between Aaron Hicks, Jordan Schafer, Eddie Rosario and non-roster invitee Shane Robinson. Robinson, though, isn't on the 40-man roster so he's the biggest longshot of the four. "I haven't made up my mind on how that's going to play," Molitor said. "Aaron, Schafer, Robinson and Eddie, they're all out there playing and have reason and motivation to play as long as they can. … But we don't have to make a decision yet. We still have a little time." Hicks is still regarded as the favorite to win the job and has been the best offensively this spring, hitting .300/.400/.500 with two triples and two RBIs in eight games, but he was also benched early in the spring for forgetting how many outs there were while on first base. Rosario has also turned heads with a strong start to the spring, and made his fourth appearance of the spring in center field on Thursday. Rosario, unlike Schafer who could serve as a fourth outfielder, has to win the job to make the roster given his inexperience. The 23-year-old has yet to play above Double-A and struggled there last year after missing 50 games due to a suspension. He's not as solid defensively in center field as the other candidates because he profiles better in left field, but he did fare well offensively in the Arizona Fall League and it has carried it over into the spring. "I think he's on a little bit of a mission to make an impression on myself and the staff," Molitor said. "Whether or not things work out for him the short term, he wants to be on our radar if nothing else. But he's been doing fine and getting a lot of playing time." Molitor also said he believes Hicks, 25, needs to win the job to make the roster, as the Twins want him to play every day to continue his development. "My opinion would be that he's young enough to where he probably should be playing on a regular basis somewhere," Molitor said. "But it's not in stone. There's not a lot of things in stone. I think for him to play on a regular basis would be important for him."

Oblique strain in rearview mirror for Perkins

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Twins closer Glen Perkins, who has been out with a mild right oblique strain, returned to action by throwing a scoreless inning in a Minor League game in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday. Perkins, facing Triple-A Pawtucket, allowed a single to right field, but struck out one and induced two fly outs. He threw 14 pitches in his one inning of work. It was his first outing since throwing a scoreless inning against the University of Minnesota on March 4. "I felt stronger and better than I did in the Gopher game," Perkins said. Perkins is set to make his Grapefruit League debut this weekend, and is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

Battle for final rotation spot heating up

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Twins manager Paul Molitor has maintained throughout Spring Training that he wants the decision on the club's fifth starter to be a difficult one, and so far, he's been getting his wish. Right-hander Mike Pelfrey turned in another solid outing on Wednesday against the Red Sox, while left-hander Tommy Milone has also pitched well this spring. Prospects Trevor May and Alex Meyer remain in the mix with May outperforming his counterpart so far. 6

"We hope it's tough because people are performing well," Molitor said. "Mike has had a good spring to this point and is scheduled to pitch again in Clearwater, Fla., [against Philadelphia] on the 23rd. And Milone has looked good and we'll see him [Saturday]. Meyer is a little behind on pitch count but has been fine, and May seems like he has a little more mound presence so far than he did last year. That's probably what that experience did to him." Milone and Pelfrey remain the top two candidates for that final spot, and neither has turned in a subpar outing this spring. Milone has yet to give up a run in a five Grapefruit League innings, but did give up two runs in four innings in a Minor League game on Monday, while Pelfrey has allowed just one run in nine Grapefruit League innings for a 1.00 ERA. Milone and Pelfrey have the edge over May and Meyer because of their contract situations and because May and Meyer can be optioned to Triple-A Rochester. With a split-squad on Wednesday, Molitor went on the road to watch Pelfrey against the Red Sox at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., and came away impressed by the right-hander, who gave up one run over four innings. "Mostly, his fastball is getting the groundballs he needs, but he's using his split-finger more and gaining confidence with that pitch, and mixing in his curveball, which he hasn't done for a while," Molitor said. "His pace was pretty good, and we're always looking for those little things like pace and holding runners, and he knows that's important."

Meyer shows the good and the bad vs. Rays

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The stuff that makes Twins right-hander Alex Meyer a top prospect and the mechanical issues that have held him back were both on display against the Rays on Thursday. Meyer, ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect by MLB.com, struggled with his fastball command, walking four batters in two innings, but was also able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with the help of a pair of strikeouts to limit the damage. Meyer gave up just one run over two innings with the run coming on a sacrifice fly, but came away frustrated by his outing and plans to talk more with pitching coach Neil Allen and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado about fixing his mechanics. "I'm searching right now," Meyer said. "I feel like there's something mechanically going on. Talking to Neil, talking to Eddie, they think there's something we can fix down in the bullpen. We'll work on it this week in between, and hope it clears it up." Meyer has a 1.59 ERA in three Grapefruit League outings this spring, but has yet to go more than two innings. He was better last time out with two scoreless frames and just one walk against the Cardinals on Saturday, but saw his command issues return on Thursday. "I've just got to get back to square one, quit over-analyzing things, quit worrying about leaking early, just getting back to the basics," Meyer said. "The good thing is, it's Spring Training, not the season. I've got plenty of time to figure it out." But Meyer acknowledged he's not sure if his next outing will come in a Major League game or if he'll be optioned to Triple-A Rochester before the season. He's competing for a fifth spot in the rotation, and is hopeful he'll remain in the running for that final spot even though it looks like Tommy Milone, Mike Pelfrey and Trevor May are ahead of him at this point. "I hope so," Meyer said. "It's not up to me. Obviously, I don't make it too hard on them not to have to give me another shot. I just want to come out, come back tomorrow, get back to work and just go about my business." One positive aspect of Meyer's outing was his off-speed pitches were sharp and he got two swings and misses with his changeup. Twins manager Paul Molitor was pleased to see Meyer get out of the jam, and wanted to have his outing end on a positive note with a scoreless seventh. "You can tell he starts getting sped up and mechanically he flies open a little bit, and loses that release point," Molitor said. "Obviously, his fastball command got him in a little trouble the first inning. But he stuck with it. He got a couple big strikeouts to limit the damage and he had a strong next inning."

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Nolasco solid early, falters in fourth

Rhett Bollinger and Bill Chastain | MLB.com | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Steven Souza Jr. connected on a go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth inning to help lift the Rays to a 4-2 win over the Twins on Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park. Minnesota got busy early with a two-out rally in the second. Rays starter Nathan Karns, who is a contender to earn a spot in the rotation, allowed three hits and hit a batter in the inning. Eric Fryer's two-run double to center provided the big blow that put the Twins up 2-0. Karns allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four in 4 ⅓ innings. Evan Longoria singled off Minnesota starter Ricky Nolasco to start the Rays' second inning and scored one out later when Souza Jr. grounded out to third. Souza added a two-run homer with two out in the fourth inning to chase Nolasco and put the Rays up 3-2. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Karns' streak ends at 22: Nathan Karns retired the first five batters of Thursday's game, running his streak to 22 consecutive batters retired in order. The right-hander's streak dated back to the second inning of his March 9 start against the Yankees. Nolasco struggles in final inning: Nolasco cruised through the first three innings despite several miscues by the defense behind him, but struggled with his command in the fourth. The right-hander started to fall behind hitters, reaching three-ball counts to each of his final three batters. After a two-out walk to Logan Forsythe, Nolasco served up a two-run blast to Souza. Nolasco, projected to be the club's third starter, allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two in 3 2/3 innings. "I thought I was really sharp," Nolasco said. "I'm not going to let the last pitch ruin the whole outing. It happens. Everything else before that was really good. I was really pleased with how everything went." Good day for Souza: Souza Jr. had a good day against the Twins Thursday with a two-run homer and a groundout that scored another run. The home run, his second this spring, left the ballpark in an instant, landing on the tarp in left field. Souza Jr. came to the team from the Nationals in the three-way deal that sent Wil Myers and Ryan Hanigan to the Padres. He is hitting .154 with two home runs. Meyer has trouble with his control but recovers: Right-hander Alex Meyer, ranked the No. 29 overall prospect by MLB.com, walked three batters in his first inning of work in the sixth. After loading the bases with nobody out, he gave up a sacrifice fly to Curt Casali before promptly walking Jake Elmore to load the bases again with one out. But he showed off his impressive stuff by getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and limit the damage. He was also much sharper in his second inning, but did walk another batter. QUOTABLE Nick Franklin was expected to start at shortstop on Thursday, but Evan Longoria's desire to play changed those plans. When asked if Longoria had earned that right, Rays manager Kevin Cash chuckled: "Yep." He then explained. "I think it's because he's feeling good and he wants to continue feeling good. And I'm all for that." "Get it over with in spring, hopefully. Get it out of the way now. It's obviously never fun when you have to deal with that but it's part of the game and it happens. I thought I was able to recover pretty well after a couple little things happened there," -- Nolasco on the defensive miscues behind him. STERNBERG IN CAMP: Stu Sternberg was in camp on Thursday, prompting the question of whether this year's team can win 90 games. The Rays principal owner said that last season, "things would have had to break pretty badly for us not to win 80. They broke badly and we didn't." Fast forwarding to the 2015 season, he allowed: "I think things have to break really well for us to win 90. But I fully expect us to have that opportunity to be in the hunt at the end of the year, for two reasons. There are no slam-dunk teams to win 97 to 103 games as we saw. ... [Several years ago] you had to build a team in the American League East to win at least 90, and then get fortunate to win 95 or 100. Right now, and it could turn out to be wrong, you need to build a team to at least win 85 to 90 to get into the playoffs and get into the hunt." While he believes the magic number has shifted, he acknowledged it could shift back. "That's just the nature of the business right now." WHAT'S NEXT Right-hander Kyle Gibson is set to make his fourth start of the spring when the Twins host the Pirates at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday at 12:05 p.m. CT on Gameday Audio. Right-handed relievers Michael Tonkin, Blaine Boyer and Stephen Pryor are also scheduled to pitch.

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A look at the humorous expose of Eduardo Nunez’s ‘secret’ approach

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | March 19, 2015

Although both players were once highly regarded as prospects, you could think of Joe Mauer and Eduardo Nunez as opposites. While Mauer had his struggles at the plate last season, he has had a long career as an on-base machine. Nunez, meanwhile, is fighting for a spot on the Twins' bench at age 27. There's a specific different between these two that I want to point out. Mauer almost never pops up and Nunez lives to pop up. Two weeks ago I wrote about a Fangraphs post that illustrated how remarkably good Joe Mauer is at staying away from infield popups. He has popped up in the infield twice in the past four years and 2,000 plate appearances. In a humorous piece published at Grantland this week, Ben Lindbergh highlighted Nunez's affinity for the infield popup. He wrote the thing with a satirical slant but the numbers are pretty staggering. In that same time frame, 2011-present, Nunez has 987 plate appearances (so basically half of Mauer's total), and he's popped up in the infield 57 times, according to Fangraphs. Here are a few short excerpts from the long-form Grantland piece that help to illustrate the premise: On batted balls that MLBAM classified as popups in 2014, batters hit .021/.021/.026, according to the database at Baseball Prospectus. Baseball Info Solutions classifies popups that are fielded by infielders or travel fewer than 160 feet as "infield fly balls." Last year, only 1.45 percent of infield fly balls resulted in the batter reaching base. [Getting on base with a popup is the least likely way to reach base besides a dropped third strike.] Players [whose careers have started since 2003 and have at least 1,000 plate appearances] have averaged .27 popups per fly ball. Nunez, however, has hit .70 popups per fly ball. In other words, when he hits a ball in the air, it's almost as likely to be classified a popup as it is to be classified as a regular fly ball. The next-highest qualifier comes in at a comparatively modest .53. -- With this next excerpt you get to see a taste of the humor in the piece, which suggests that Nunez is on a crusade in pursuit of hitting as many popups as possible without revealing his true intentions: Nunez has been one of the five least valuable players who's made as many plate appearances as he has over the past five years. But now that we know his secret, a minus-1.9 career WAR doesn't seem so bad. How well would Nunez have hit if he'd been trying to collect base hits the usual way, instead of by the most difficult method imaginable? Maybe he is an offensive juggernaut, with his bat voluntarily tied behind his back. ... For the past few years, a constantly scrutinized major leaguer has made hitting popups his priority, and no one has noticed his counterproductive approach until now. If Nunez could fool front offices, field staffs, and fans for this long, we have to wonder what else we're missing.

Some of each: Meyer shows strikeout pitches and walks 4 in Twins loss

Associated Press | March 19, 2015

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- A pair of ex-Washington Nationals who came to Tampa Bay with vastly different expectations helped the Rays beat the 4-2 Thursday. Steven Souza, who is expected to provide power in the middle of a lineup that produced only 117 home runs last season, hit a long two-run homer. Making his fourth start, right-hander Nate Karns pitched 4 1/3 innings. When spring training began, Karns was among several candidates for what appeared to be the only open spot in the Tampa Bay pitching rotation. After injuries to Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly, and Alex Colome's bout with pneumonia, the 27-year-old right-hander appears on track to be the Rays' third starter. "We've had some guys hit the injury bug," said Karns, who was 1-1 in a pair of September starts for the Rays last season. "Everyone works really hard during the offseason to get here and I feel bad for the guys who get cut short like that." Karns was sidelined during 2010, his first professional season, because of a shoulder injury. He was 9-9 with a 5.08 ERA in 27 starts at Triple-A Durham.

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"I'm happy with I've done so far," Karns said. "I'm just going to continue to progress and put my work in, and whatever happens happens. I can't control the rest." Two of Souza's first four hits for the Rays have been home runs, including Thursday's drive off Ricky Nolasco. "Finding barrels and putting together quality ABs, that's all I'm looking for right now, but when you hit a ball like that, it feels good," Souza said. Tampa Bay acquired him on Dec. 19, just 10 months after the Nationals traded Karns to the Rays. "I don't know that I feel pressure to live up to any standards that anybody puts, but I feel like if I go out there and do my best every day, the numbers will play out," Souza said. "I'm not looking to hit 50 or 60 homers a year, but getting those runs across, that's important." TRAINER'S ROOM Twins: Closer Glen Perkins threw 14 pitches in a Triple-A game, his first inning since straining his oblique on March 4. Rays: Alex Cobb, sidelined by tendinitis in his last start Tuesday, said the pain in his elbow intensified Wednesday but subsided after heat and cold treatments. STARTING TIME Twins: Nolasco gave up three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings. Rays: Karns reached his pitch limit of 65 after allowing two runs and six hits while striking out four. UP NEXT Twins: Kyle Gibson is to make his fourth start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, at Fort Myers.

Escobar making Twins’ shortstop decision difficult with strong spring

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | March 19, 2015

Eduardo Escobar is making his bid this spring to be the Twins starting shortstop. He's having his best spring training at the plate on the heels of his best full season as a professional. There's one problem. He's competing with Danny Santana, who also is having a strong spring and likewise is coming off his best season as a professional. Escobar hit a grand slam in the Twins' 10-9 win against the Orioles this week, his second home run of the spring. Although the sample size is small, Escobar is hitting .346/.346/.615 through eight games and 26 plate appearances. Santana, meanwhile, is hitting .333/.364/.571 in 22 plate appearances. The Twins won't make the starting shortstop decision based exclusively on spring training numbers, so Santana probably entered camp with a slight edge, despite Escobar's good season at the plate in 2014. In any case, it figures to be a difficult decision for the Twins. That's a good problem to have for an organization that for years was lacking in middle infield prospects and depth. Escobar claims he's content no matter what happens. "I don't know yet what's the plan," Escobar said earlier this spring. "If I get my opportunity [to be the] starting shortstop every day, I'm fine. If not, I'm ready where they need me, third base, second base or shortstop. ... I'm here waiting for my opportunity again." Two players competing for the same job can make for an awkward dynamic. On the contrary, Escobar and Santana were in the same batting practice group earlier this spring, and could be seen laughing and joking around in Spanish between rounds in the batting cage. "Danny is a good person. For me, he's my friend," Escobar said. "He's in competition for [the same job]. I don't know what [will] happen. ... Then fine, this is work. Two friends talking, working hard together." This offseason, Escobar played winter ball in Venezuela, where he was the starting shortstop for his team. Every day, he said, he was thinking about what it would take to earn the starting shortstop job with the Twins. That's because even after a season in which he hit .255/.315/.406 -- a good batting line for a middle infielder -- Escobar knew Santana had a good season and would probably be moved back into the infield from center field.

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If he doesn't win the shortstop job, he'd likely be a strong bench player for the Twins, with the versatility to play anywhere in the infield besides first base. He was also the emergency catcher at times last year, although it's unlikely Minnesota would use him behind the plate. How would he feel if he does pull an upset and earn the starting nod? "Very happy. Because I come for this. My concentrating, my thinking every day, [when] I come into work, when I leave work to go home, I'm concentrating on making the team, making the shortstop every day," Escobar said. "That's my thinking." The guess here is that manager Paul Molitor will settle on one or the other to play shortstop soon. He's talked about managing several games in the final week of spring training as if it were a regular season game. That probably also means playing with a regular-season lineup, which includes an everyday shortstop. After the Twins went years without strong options at shortstop, the fact they have a decision to make at the position should be viewed as an encouraging sign.

10 Fun facts from the Red Sox, Twins media guides

David Dorsey | The News-Press | March 19, 2015

The Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, for the second and final time until spring training ends April 4, are both on the road on the same day. So it's a "dry day" again, the second since March 9, for spring training in Lee County. To fill the gap, with the Twins returning to town for a 1:05 p.m. game Friday at Hammond Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates, here are 10 fun facts for each team, lifted from the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox media guides. Another important note: At 11:45 a.m. Saturday, I will be at Harborside Event Center, discussing my new book, "Fourth Down in Dunbar," which profiles many of the NFL players who grew up in Fort Myers but also describes much of our city's history, going back to the 1940s. I'll be signing the book at 12:45 p.m. at Harborside. The room I will be speaking in seats 400 people. Please help me fill the room. Minnesota Twins 10 fun facts 1.First baseman Joe Mauer and manager Paul Molitor graduated from the same high school, Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minn. 2.Mauer has the team's longest bio in the Twins media guide at five pages. 3.Outfielder Torii Hunter's sons are in the process of making their own names as athletes. Darius Hunter is a wide receiver at Riverside Community College in Riverside, Calif. Torii Hunter Jr. is a wide receiver at Notre Dame. And Monshadrik Hunter a defensive back at Arkansas State. Hunter Sr. graduated from Pine Bluff (Ark.) High, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football and track. 4.Outfield prospect Max Kepler, who is from Berlin, Germany, attended South Fort Myers High School as a junior. His parents Marek Rozycki and Kathy Kepler were both professional ballet dancers in Berlin. Max Kepler grew up playing baseball, soccer, tennis, swimming and skiing. He was given a tennis scholarship to the Steffi Graf Tennis Foundation in Berlin. He is 22 and played for the Fort Myers Miracle last season, hitting .264 with five homers and 59 RBI in 102 games. 5.Second baseman Brian Dozier scored 112 runs in 2014, second-most in the major leagues to Angels outfielder Mike Trout's 115. Those 112 runs ranked seventh all-time among Minnesota Twins in a single season. Chuck Knoblach set the record of 140 in 1996. 6.Starting Phil Hughes set a big league record for strikeout-to-walk ratio in a single season last year at 11.63. Brett Saberhagen (11.00, 1994), Cliff Lee (10.28, 2010), Jim Whitney (10.00, 1884 and 9.86, 1883) round out the top five. 7.Pitcher Tommy Milone became the 100th former USC Trojan to play in the big leagues, which is the most among all universities/colleges. Milone made his big league debut in 2011 with the Washington Nationals. 8.Second baseman Jorge Polanco, 21 and from San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, beat fellow hometown friend Miguel Sano to the big leagues. Polanco, born July 5, 1993, played in five big league games last season. Sano, born May 11, 1993, hopes to make his big league debut this season. 9. Mark Hamburger originally signed with the Twins out of an annual open tryout camp at the Metrodome in 2007, one of three ever to play in the major leagues following a Twins tryout camp. Charley Walter (1966) and Gary Serum (1975) were the others. 10.The Twins employ 12 people carrying the title "vice president" among their business and baseball executives. The ultimate boss is chief executive officer Jim Pohlad, the majority owner, although team president Dave St. Peter oversees the club's business operations.

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