Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Monday, July 24, 2017

 Twins use six relievers, find little relief in loss to Tigers. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1  Souhan: Twins should remember that trades are no sure thing. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 2  Trade deadline a week away; Twins designate Craig Breslow for assignment. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3  Flyover at Target Field during Twins game as cool as imagined. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4  Twins-L.A. Dodgers series preview. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5  Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco tries contact lenses in 9-6 loss to Tigers. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Twins reliever Matt Belisle, on a quiet roll, makes no excuses for ‘volatility’. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Escobar goes deep in bid to remain at SS. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8  Late-game rally falls short for Twins vs. Tigers. MLB (Jackson & Bollinger) p. 8  Twins plan to rotate trio at shortstop. MLB (Bollinger) p. 9  Colon, Twins to head west, face Dodgers. MLB (Jackson) p. 10  Twins DFA veteran reliever Craig Breslow; lefty says he hopes to keep pitching. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11  Reports: Twins still talking to Braves; as many as 6 teams were in on Jaime Garcia. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11  Twins Designate Craig Breslow For Assignment. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 12  Blue Jays Acquire Nick Tepesch. MLB Trade Rumors (Byrne) p. 13  Late-inning flurry carries Tigers past Twins. Bemidji Pioneer (Staff) p. 13

Twins use six relievers, find little relief in loss to Tigers La Velle E. Neal lll | Star Tribune | July 24, 2017

Paul Molitor was forced to go to his early Sunday. And once that door opened, it wouldn’t close.

One by one, Twins relievers dashed onto the field looking to shut down the Tigers, only for Molitor to end up calling for someone else.

The Twins scored in every inning the Tigers did, but the relievers could not tame Detroit’s offense in a 9-6 loss at Target Field. The Twins scored four of their six runs over the last three innings, but Detroit scored seven runs during the same span.

“It’s disappointing when you keep fighting but you give up — I don’t know how many we gave up the last three innings — but crooked numbers in each and every one,” Molitor said.

The Twins committed three errors in the third inning, including two on one play. Of the six relievers, only Ryan Pressly had a clean outing. If that many relievers are involved, it’s not good. Especially for a bullpen that entered the game ranked 26th in baseball in ERA.

It made for a historically long afternoon. At 4 hours, 19 minutes, it was the longest nine-inning game in Twins history. It bettered the record of 4:11, set exactly a year earlier in Boston.

It’s not the way the Twins wanted to finish a homestand — during which they went 3-3 — before heading west for eight games, beginning with three against the mighty Dodgers. But they brought it on themselves in various ways Sunday.

Lefthander Adalberto Mejia threw a whopping 96 pitches over 4 ⅓ innings. Detroit hitters fouled off 21 pitches to help wear Mejia down. That’s nearly two innings worth of foul balls.

“They are a good team,” Mejia said, “because we kept going deep into the counts.”

After taking a 4-2 lead in seventh, on a two-run homer by Jose Iglesias off Trevor Hildenberger, Detroit nearly gave the game to the Twins. With one out and the bases loaded, second baseman Ian Kinsler booted Zack Granite’s grounder as a run scored to make it 4-3. Tigers reliever Shane Greene struck out Brian Dozier for the second out.

Eduardo Escobar then worked the count full before fouling off four consecutive pitches. On the 13th pitch of the at-bat — and the announced crowd of 28,373 on its feet — Greene blew a 96 mile-per-hour by Escobar to end the inning. The Twins finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

“That was the probably the moment where we were looking to get over the hump,” Molitor.

Detroit added two runs in the eighth off reliever Buddy Boshers. Brandon Kintzler gave up three runs in the ninth. Two of those scored on a single and a base-loaded walk given up by Craig Breslow, who was designated for assignment after the game.

Dozier homered in the bottom of the inning, but Detroit beat the Twins for the sixth time in nine meetings this season. And they are 15-3 against the Twins over their past six series at Target Field.

Kinsler, Iglesias, James McCann and former Twin Alex Presley each had three hits for the Tigers, and Matthew Boyd struck out a career-high eight.

“We had our opportunities,” Molitor said. “They had a misplay we didn’t take full advantage of, other than the run we scored on that particular play.”

The Twins (49-48) fell into third place in the AL Central, two games behind Cleveland and one game behind Kansas City.

Souhan: Twins should remember that trades are no sure thing Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | July 24, 2017

As the celebrated their 1987 title this weekend, the current inhabitants of Target Field lost two of three to a bad Tigers team. That only strengthens the comparison between the two Twins teams on the premises.

Remember, before winning the ALCS and , the ’87 Twins won just 85 regular-season games, took advantage of a weak division and survived their lack of quality pitching depth.

Both teams featured a powerhouse third baseman, a and manager born in Minnesota, a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder and a catcher who specialized in defense.

As you peruse trade rumors this week, here’s what you might have forgotten about the ’87 Twins:

They made a series of moves before the trading deadline.

Those deals did them little good during the regular season.

The ’91 Twins who won it all? They didn’t even make a trade that summer.

The ’87 Twins acquired four players in June and July: , Dan Schatzeder, Steve Carlton and .

As Twins during that regular season, Niekro posted an ERA of 6.26, Schatzeder of 6.39 and Carlton of 6.70. Don Baylor provided one extra-base hit — a double — in 58 plate appearances.

Remember that as you beg the current Twins to trade a quality prospect for temporary help this summer. If the player acquired is a Twin for only two months, one slump — or for a , a couple of bad outings — can turn the trade into a waste of time. Or, worse, a waste of a prospect.

To be fair, the ’87 Twins would not have won the Series without Baylor. He went 7-for-18 in the postseason, and his in Game 6 of the Series might have been the most important swing of the postseason.

Players, as well as fans, should be cautious about begging for help. 2

When was young, he would tell me how upset he would be if the Twins didn’t make a trade deadline deal.

Later in his career, he changed his mind, saying that asking for a trade is an insult to current teammates, and shifts the onus of performance from players in the clubhouse to players who have not yet been acquired.

Even if the Twins managed a magical trade that brought back help in exchange for a player who turns out to of low value, the onus will remain on the core players on this team.

The ’17 Twins need more from Miguel Sano on his bad days, more from Max Kepler almost every day, more from Jorge Polanco or his replacement, more from center field.

They need more innings from their current starters — Adalberto Mejia tipping his cap after 4 ⅓ innings Sunday was not optimal — and more quality innings from relievers such as Ryan Pressly, who has the stuff to be a positive factor down the stretch.

If there is a lesson to be learned from the boys of ’87, it is that they didn’t wait around for help. Their best players carried them.

Most likely, the 2017 Twins will wind up being your average average team, one that hangs around .500, stays in contention because of the presence of two wild-card berths, and teases into September.

If this team is something more than that, it will succeed because its stars carry most of the water, and someone already on the roster fills a current void.

Sunday, the Twins traded Nick Tepesch for “cash considerations’’ and designated Craig Breslow for assignment. Neither move will soothe those who crave a bold move.

There probably won’t be any big moves that make sense. The best player this team could add in July would be a resolute Ryan Pressly, or Brian Dozier from last August, or Kyle Gibson from Saturday, or Byron Buxton from last September.

“There’s a lot of heat on the phone lines right now,’’ Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Most of it is sizzle without steak. The story of the season is most likely to be written by players who are already here.

Trade deadline a week away; Twins designate Craig Breslow for assignment La Velle E. Neal lll | Star Tribune | July 24, 2017

While Twins players wait to see if Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine add to the roster before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they also know there’s another side to consider.

That someone’s job could be on the line.

“That’s out of your hands,” reliever Ryan Pressly said. “You can’t control that. They have to make this team better. They are going to do whatever they can to do that.”

When the Twins closed in on a deal Thursday for Atlanta lefthander Jaime Garcia — a deal that the Braves pulled out of — that put lefthander Adalberto Mejia and righthander Kyle Gibson on the hot seat. One of them would likely be out of the rotation to make room for him.

A deal could still happen as the sides remain in contact. Minor league prospect Nick Burdi was set to head to the Braves before they backed out because of medical concerns, but the Twins could replace Burdi with another prospect. Other teams are now talking to Atlanta about Garcia.

“I know that each time I go out there I have to give the team a chance to win,” said Gibson, who went a season-high 7 ⅓ innings on Saturday. “If they do bring in a and I’m the guy who is out, they will give me a chance in the pen or whatever they need to do.”

The Twins also are expected to look for bullpen help, which could affect Pressly, who is 1-2 with a 6.82 ERA in 31 games.

Gibson and Pressly talked about their situations during batting practice last week. They concluded that the best way to approach the deadline is to force the Twins to trust them. 3

“We can be a couple of guys that, if we can get back to throwing the way we normally can throw, we can maybe eliminate the search,” Gibson said.

Breslow let go

The Twins designated lefthander Craig Breslow for assignment. They have 10 days to trade him, release him or send him to the minors.

Breslow expressed an interest in hooking on with another major league team. Twins manager Paul Molitor, who praised Breslow for his influence on the younger , said the club will try to trade him. Breslow, 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA, gave up an RBI single and walked in a run on Sunday.

“I feel like I’ve got some outs left in me,” Breslow said.

Righthander Alan Busenitz, with a 1.78 ERA at Class AAA Rochester, is Breslow’s likely replacement. Busenitz posted a 2.08 ERA over six outings with the Twins in June before being sent down.

Hughes has tests

Righthander Phil Hughes last week had an MRI of his neck and shoulder area as doctors try to determine why he’s still showing symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Hughes is on the 60-day disabled list, meaning his season is likely over. On Tuesday, he will spend most of the day at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, undergoing various tests.

Hughes, 4-3 with a 5.87 ERA, made nine starts this season before landing on the DL with right arm soreness. He came off the DL and joined the bullpen. But the symptoms continued.

Etc.

The Twins traded minor league righthander Nick Tepesch to Toronto for cash considerations. Tepesch made one start for the Twins, failing to get out of the second inning against Boston on May 6.

Flyover at Target Field during Twins game as cool as imagined Michael Rand | Star Tribune | July 24, 2017

Even the most rational among us tend to lose our minds — in a good way — in certain situations.

Fireworks and stadium flyovers are two of those situations for me. They might seem unnecessary and expensive, but none of that matters when they are happening. They’re just cool.

To see a stadium flyover from the stands is one thing, though. On Sunday, I had a chance to be in a Blackhawk helicopter for a flyover of Target Field in celebration of Armed Forces Appreciation Day.

That’s a far more complicated, amazing experience. Here are a few of the highlights and observations:

• Final clearance for a stadium flyover has to come from Washington D.C, and it arrived only a couple days before the game. On Sunday, I had to arrive at St. Paul’s downtown airport by 10:30 a.m. for a safety briefing.

Those who have been on an airplane enough times tend to tune these things out. When you are about to get on a helicopter for the first time in your life — a Blackhawk at that — you pay MUCH closer attention to words like “water landing.”

• Departure from St. Paul was at noon; from there, we flew to Crystal to land and link up with a Chinook helicopter, with which we were flying in tandem. We then left Crystal shortly before 1 p.m.

• The route to Target Field followed almost directly down Central Avenue into downtown Minneapolis, with a flight time of 10 minutes to the field. Pilots knew exactly when to be there, but they also looked for the flares that shoot from Target Field during the “rocket’s red glare” part of 4 the national anthem. At that point, they wanted to be 45 seconds away from flying over the field.

• They nailed the timing pretty much perfectly, flying over the stadium to the delight of the crowd. It was all very cool except for one thing: as it turns out, the worst place to see a flyover of a stadium is from the helicopter itself. From my seat, I was buckled into my harness so tightly that I couldn’t really move to see directly down to the ballpark.

The rest of the views of the Twin Cities, from no more than 1,000 feet off the ground, were amazing. And the only really nerve-wracking part was flying so close to another helicopter. When the helicopters went their separate ways a few minutes after the flyover, I was not heartbroken.

• As it turns out, by the way, the flyover isn’t just an expensive luxury. Sure, it’s cool. But it also doubles as a training exercise.

“It’s good exposure for us to be flying over the stadium, but at the same time if we’re going to be out flying we want to find a training value,” said Lieutenant Brandon Hale, one of the pilots on our flight. “More than anything, we just like to say thank you to everyone in the state of Minnesota who supports us.”

Twins-L.A. Dodgers series preview La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 24, 2017

Three-game series at Dodger Stadium

Monday 9:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Bartolo Colon (2-9, 8.19) vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6, 4.21)

Tuesday 9:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Jose Berrios (9-3, 3.50) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (8-4, 4.23)

Wednesday 12:10 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Ervin Santana (11-6, 3.26) vs. LHP Alex Wood (11-1, 2.17)

Twins update

This is the first meeting between the teams since the Dodgers swept three games at Target Field in 2014, and the Twins’ first trip to Chavez Ravine since 2005. … The all-time series is tied at 3-3. … Outfielder Byron Buxton (groin muscle strain) and righthander Justin Haley will be ready to be activated in a few days. … Eduardo Escobar is batting .318 against lefthanded pitching. … Zack Granite reached base in six straight plate appearances over the weekend before striking out in the ninth inning Sunday. … Brian Dozier is hitting .351 during a nine-game hitting streak.

Dodgers update

Ryu is being activated from the disabled list in time to make the start Monday. He’s been on the DL twice this season because of a hip contusion. … The Dodgers (68-31) placed lefthander Clayton Kershaw on the DL because of a tight back Sunday, but he’s not their only concern. Maeda is starting in place of righthander Brandon McCarthy, who was also placed on the DL Sunday because of a blister on his right index finger. … Maeda has never faced the Twins but has given up a home run to . …. Chase Utley is batting .478 against Bartolo Colon.

Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco tries contact lenses in 9-6 loss to Tigers Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 23, 2017

Slumping Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco played for the first time in contact lenses Sunday afternoon, but not even that adjustment could lift him from his doldrums.

Hitting just .111 in his past 70 at-bats, Polanco struck out and lined to right in two at-bats before Jason Castro hit for him with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh. Polanco also bounced an off-balance throw in the third inning of a 9-6 loss to the for his fifth error in his past 14 starts.

“I’m just trying to see if I get used to them,” said Polanco, who has been splitting time with Ehire Adrianza and Eduardo Escobar. “(Twins officials) said I could try it.”

Polanco had experimented with contacts during early work and in the batting cage but had yet to wear them during a game until Sunday. A promising switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic, Polanco recently was fitted with contacts in an effort to improve his ability to track the ball at the plate.

5

While most big-league hitters have 20/12 vision, Polanco said he wasn’t sure to what extent his vision had deteriorated.

“The doctor didn’t tell me, but everything’s good,” the 24-year-old said through a translator. “There’s nothing going on with my eyes whatsoever.”

After a standout rookie season in 2016, Polanco has ranked among the game’s least-productive shortstops at the plate. Since June 24 his OPS before Sunday had slipped to a ghastly .328, due in part to a luck-driven .148 batting average on balls in play.

He also has struck out 17 times in that span, but his season rate for chasing pitches outside the zone is a respectable 28.4. He’s still making contact on 94.3 percent of his swings at pitches in the zone, which ranks among Twins leaders.

“I’ll just keep working hard like I have done since the beginning,” he said. “Eventually I’ll find myself back to who I used to be.”

Twins manager Paul Molitor spoke again Saturday with Polanco, who is out of minor-league options, to reassure him.

“I told him it’s not that I’ve lost confidence in what he’s going to do in this game,” Molitor said. “I just think right now it’s not happening. We’re in a position where it’s tough to put him out there on a day-to-day basis when we’re trying to win. I’m giving other guys a chance. It’s a little bit of a revolving door.”

The Twins tied Sunday’s game in the third on Escobar’s 438-foot blast off the facing of the third deck in left. The two-run homer off lefty Matthew Boyd (4-5) was Escobar’s ninth overall and sixth from the right side.

The Tigers retook the lead for good in the seventh on Jose Iglesias’ two-run, 430-foot homer off rookie reliever Trevor Hildenberger. In 198 1/3 career innings since being drafted out of Cal-Berkeley, the sidewinding right-hander had allowed just five long balls.

One came in the Gulf Coast League in 2014 against an Orioles catcher, two more came last year at Double-A Chattanooga and the last one came back on April 28 for Triple-A Rochester, when Louisville outfielder Phillip Ervin (who also got Hildenberger with the Lookouts) connected for the game-winning homer in the top of the 10th.

The other homers were by Bubba Starling (Royals) in the Arizona Fall League and Ronnie Freeman (Diamondbacks) in the Southern League.

“I can remember them all,” said Hildenberger, who struck out Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrera in the fifth. “Keep them low, and I know when I face them again I can get them.”

The good news for Hildenberger (1-1) is it took so long to play Sunday’s game, most eyewitnesses completely forgot his hiccup. At four hours, 19 minutes, this was the longest nine-inning game in Twins history, exceeding the 4:11 marathon exactly one year earlier at Boston.

These same teams combined on a four-hour game on April 22 at Target Field and had set the Twins’ previous nine-inning mark for longest game on Aug. 24, 2014, a 13-4 loss to the Tigers (also here) that took 4:10 to complete.

The longest nine-inning game in Tigers history remains a 4:20 tilt at the on April 5, 1997.

Twins lefty Adalberto Mejia labored through four-plus innings on 96 pitches. A two-run third was made possible by three Twins errors, including two on the same ill-advised play by Mejia and catcher Chris Gimenez.

“We compounded our problems by not catching the ball,” Molitor said, “and a snowball fight came into play at one point when the ball was flying around the ballpark.”

In falling to 3-6 against the Tigers, the Twins dropped into third place, 2 1/2 games behind the first-place in the American League Central. Since the end of April, this marked just the third day the Twins had ended lower than second place.

Twins reliever Matt Belisle, on a quiet roll, makes no excuses for ‘volatility’ Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | July 23, 2017

Matt Belisle has temporarily lost his eighth-inning setup role, so it has been easy to miss, but the veteran reliever entered Sunday with a 0.51 average over his past 14 outings.

6

Since June 14, he had worked 17 2/3 innings and allowed a .234 batting average, a .618 combined on-base/ and just one home run. Yet, he had appeared in just 14 of the Twins’ last 37 games, working a combined 4 2/3 innings over his past two outings.

Second wind?

“I feel like I’ve been on the same wind I’ve been on,” he said. “It’s just baseball, you know. Early I was trying some things and it didn’t necessarily work out real well. Then I got into a little bit of a mechanical issue, but in the midst of that pitched well, then didn’t pitch so well. All those things where you just keep going.”

Now 37 with a 4.99 season ERA that is his highest in eight years, Belisle has give up 18 of his 22 earned runs across four disastrous appearances. He recorded just six outs in those games, leaving him with a 0.96 ERA in the other 37 2/3 innings he’s worked.

“I’ve had times where I’ve pitched great numbers-wise and all the reporters ask me what’s going on, but deep down I know that I’m not pitching well,” he said. “And then I’ve had times where the numbers don’t look great and I’m actually pitching very well. That is the life of the reliever.”

After making 74 total appearances the past two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and , Belisle is on pace for 68 outings and 70 innings this season. He has worked back-to-back days just eight times, but two of his ugliest outings came on the second day of those instances.

“I’ve never looked at stats,” he said. “I really don’t care about them. I just love trying to prepare each day to see what I can do to help my team win and constantly try to improve myself. That’s the fun part, and the team is doing well.”

While the Twins, like every other contending team, are looking around for potential late-inning relievers to bolster their bullpen, Belisle might be the best in-house solution if can build on the gains of the past five weeks.

“I’m not giving any excuse,” he said. “I’ve had volatility, we all know that. I’ve always tried to get better. Sometimes I can go a little too far with trying to add something or omit something. Sometimes I can tweak too much. Sometimes not doing anything can hurt you, but it’s all in the good source of trying to get better.”

BRESLOW DESIGNATED

After Sunday’s game veteran left-hander Craig Breslow was designated for assignment.

Breslow, 36, posted a 5.23 in 30 outings and recently spent several weeks on the disabled list with a rib issue.He retired two of the four batters he faced Sunday.

“Craig was a hard one, given the character of the man, what he brought here,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Part of the reason we’re still at least somewhat relevant for now here as we head into late July is I think the clubhouse culture has been upgraded tremendously, and he was a big part of that.”

The Yale-educated Breslow, who lowered his release point during the offseason in hopes of recapturing his old form, struggled against righty batters in particular. He earned a base salary of $1.25 million after making the team out of but fell short of his first bonus level of $150,000 that would have come with his 40th appearance.

“I know there’s some guys here that the Craig Breslow Effect will go beyond him being here physically in our clubhouse,” Molitor said. “You watch what he does. He chooses his words wisely. He’s a wise man. He’s an intelligent man, but I know he has influence.”

The Twins will try to deal Breslow to another big-league club but it’s possible he would continue pitching for them at Triple-A Rochester should he clear waivers. Molitor said Breslow wants to keep pitching.

QUICK FIX

After noticing some surprisingly good takes by opposing batters for a second straight start, Ervin Santana believes he has found the culprit.

“I’m flying open with my front shoulder,” he said. “That’s giving them a longer look at my grip, so they can tell what’s coming.”

That mechanical flaw also impacts Santana’s ability to locate his fastball and bury his . 7

Since June 1 Santana has allowed 13 homers in nine outings along with a 5.47 ERA and .560 slugging percentage. On pace for 219 innings, his highest total since 2011, Santana is making solid progress on the 400 combined innings he needs in 2017-18 (including 200 in 2018) to trigger a $14 million vesting option for 2019.

In the meantime, the Twins could choose to stay in rotation after Santana’s next start on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium and give him two extra days of recovery before closing out the upcoming road trip on Aug. 2 at San Diego.

Starting Aug. 1, the Twins will play 27 games in 27 days, including a doubleheader on Aug. 21 at the Chicago White Sox.

BRIEFLY

Veteran right-hander Nick Tepesch, recently returned to Triple-A Rochester on a rehab assignment, was traded to the for cash.

Escobar goes deep in bid to remain at SS Rhett Bollinger | MLB | July 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Eduardo Escobar has been swinging a hot bat since mid-June and it continued against the Tigers on Sunday, although an impressive 13-pitch at-bat ended in a key during a 9-6 loss to the Tigers at Target Field.

Escobar, who entered hitting .321/.383/.495 over his last 33 games dating back to June 11, crushed a two-run homer in the third, which was the hardest-hit ball by Escobar since Statcast™ was introduced in 2015. The homer, which came off lefty Matthew Boyd with the switch-hitting Escobar batting right-handed, left Escobar's bat at 108.4 mph and went a projected 438 feet into the third deck in left field. It was also the second-farthest-hit ball by Escobar since 2015, just six feet off his career high.

"I'm not a home-run hitter," Escobar said with a smile. "But yeah, I was able to connect well and drive it. I don't think I'll be able to do that again."

Escobar came up in the eighth in a critical situation with the bases loaded and two outs with the Twins down by one run. Escobar, batting left- handed, had a battle with right-handed reliever Shane Greene, fouling off eight pitches in the at-bat, including four consecutive pitches with a full count.

The at-bat ended on the 13th pitch with Greene blowing a 96.3-mph fastball past Escobar for a strikeout to leave the bases loaded. It was still an impressive effort from Escobar, who started the game at third before moving over to shortstop.

"You have to give credit to that pitcher where it's due," Escobar said. "He was throwing his best stuff at me, but someone has to win it. And obviously he won. He did a good job and was able to get me. The last pitch, I was trying to hit it up the middle but he beat me."

With Molitor saying he plans to rotate shortstops going forward between Jorge Polanco, Ehire Adrianza and Escobar, Escobar made a statement that he can continue to provide offense, especially with his underrated power. Escobar has nine homers in 70 games with a .442 slugging percentage, and is only three off his career best of 12 homers set in '15.

Late-game rally falls short for Twins vs. Tigers Shane Jackson & Rhett Bollinger | MLB | July 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jose Iglesias homered late to support a solid showing by Matthew Boyd as the Tigers claimed the series finale over the Twins, 9-6, on Sunday at Target Field. The win was Detroit's third series victory over Minnesota in as many meetings, and the Tigers hold a 6-3 record against the Twins.

With the loss, the Twins dropped to third place in the American League Central.

Boyd was pulled after a leadoff single by Eddie Rosario in the seventh after he held the Twins to three runs. Boyd struck out a career-high eight batters and walked three, while scattering four hits. His lone mistake came on a 2-1 fastball, which Eduardo Escobar clubbed for a game-tying home run in the third. Escobar's blast had an exit velocity of 108.4 mph and marked his hardest hit tracked by Statcast™.

"I'm not a home-run hitter," Escobar said with a smile. "But yeah, I was able to connect well and drive it. I don't think I'll be able to do that 8 again."

Detroit right-hander Shane Greene, who made his American League-leading 48th appearance, relieved Boyd in the seventh and the Twins trimmed the deficit to one on a fielding error by Iglesias. Greene then fanned Brian Dozier and Escobar -- the latter after a 13-pitch at-bat -- with the bases loaded to help preserve the victory. tallied the final four outs to earn his 12th . "Greene really just gritted it out and picked up his teammate," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "To me, that was the turning point in the game."

Minnesota lefty Adalberto Mejia was handed the loss after lasting just 4 1/3 innings. Mejia gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. Iglesias mashed his third homer to break a 2-2 deadlock in the top of the seventh. He and Ian Kinsler later added insurance runs with consecutive singles in the eighth, which proved necessary after a two-run single by cut Detroit's lead back to one run.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Jose's jack: Iglesias reclaimed the advantage for the Tigers with a monster home run in the seventh. Alex Presley opened the frame with a leadoff single to left to extend his hit streak to 10 games. One batter later, Iglesias crushed a first-pitch sinker from Trevor Hildenberger. According to Statcast™, the ball traveled an estimated 430 feet with an exit velocity of 103 mph. Statcast™ has tracked only one longer homer by Iglesias, which was a 433-foot shot on April 8 against Boston. The homer came one game after Iglesias was thrown out trying to stretch a double in the ninth inning of a loss.

"That's what we do every day; turn the page as quickly as possible," Iglesias said. "Go up there and compete the next day."

Fielding miscues: Minnesota granted Detroit with the early lead on three errors, including two on one play, in the third. Justin Upton (double), Kinsler (single) and Iglesias (single) recorded the only hits in that frame. The Twins were charged with two errors when Upton doubled in the gap to score a run. Iglesias rounded third and Minnesota attempted to nab him at home, but Mejia's throw sailed wide and catcher Chris Gimenez botched a catch afterward to put the Tigers up 2-0. Entering Sunday, Minnesota's 47 errors were the second-fewest in the American League.

"There were no quick outs today, particularly early," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "I think [Mejia] had to fight to get everyone that he did. We compounded our problems a little bit by not catching the ball, and a snowball fight came into play there at one point, when the ball was flying around the ballpark."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The series finale lasted 4 hours, 19 minutes, the longest at Target Field and Minnesota's longest nine-inning game in club history. The previous record of 4 hours, 11 minutes was set on July 23, 2016, in Boston.

"It was long, there is no question about that," Ausmus said. "We can play as long as we have to, as long as we come out with a 'W'."

TWINS MAKE MOVES

The Twins traded right-hander Nick Tepesch to the Blue Jays for cash considerations. Tepesch, who was not on the 40-man roster, allowed seven runs (one earned) over 1 1/2 innings in his lone start with the Twins this year. He also had a 5.59 ERA in six appearances with Triple-A Rochester.

Minnesota also designated reliever Craig Breslow for assignment. Breslow logged two outs in the series finale, allowing one hit and walking one. Breslow had a 5.23 ERA in 30 appearances for the Twins, who are expected to announce a corresponding move Monday.

WHAT'S NEXT Tigers: Right-hander Justin Verlander (5-7, 4.54 ERA) is slated to start the series opener against Kansas City at 7:10 p.m. ET, as the Tigers return home. Verlander held the Royals to two runs over seven innings in his last start. He is 23-10 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 career starts vs. Kansas City. Twins: The Twins head to Los Angeles for the first time since 2005 to take on the Dodgers in a three-game series that starts Monday at 9:10 p.m. CT. Veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon (2-9, 8.19 ERA) is set to make his second start since joining the Twins, and allowed four runs in four-plus innings in his Minnesota debut against the Yankees on Tuesday.

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Twins plan to rotate trio at shortstop Rhett Bollinger | MLB | July 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- With rookie shortstop Jorge Polanco struggling offensively, Twins manager Paul Molitor said he plans to rotate Ehire Adrianza, Eduardo Escobar and Polanco at the position based on matchups going forward.

Polanco started at short on Sunday, but it was his first start there since Tuesday, as Adrianza started on Wednesday and Friday, and Escobar manned short on Saturday. Polanco, 24, entered Sunday hitting .218/.269/.313, while Adrianza, 27, is batting .306/.349/.417 and Escobar, 28, is slashing .275/.331/.432.

"It's not easy," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's not that I've lost confidence in what he's going to do in this game. I just think right now it's not happening. We're in a position where it's tough to put him out there on a day-to-day basis when we're trying to win. It's not that he can't go out there and get a hit or contribute, but I'm giving other guys a chance."

As Molitor noted, the Twins remain in the thick of the playoff race, which complicates things with Polanco, who otherwise would have more time to work out of his slump as he continues to develop at the Major League level. Further complicating matters is that Polanco is out of Minor League options, so he must stay on the roster and can't be sent to the Minors to work out the kinks.

Molitor remains hopeful Polanco will start heating up, especially based on his offensive track record as a prospect and his early success in the Majors. For now, Molitor is turning to Adrianza and Escobar, who have both been much better offensively than Polanco this year. Adrianza is also a plus-defender at the position, while Escobar offers versatility.

"We'll look for matchups instead of an everyday guy at this point," Molitor said. "I think it's the best way to go forward, at least in the short- term. It's a little bit of a revolving door."

Colon, Twins to head west, face Dodgers Shane Jackson | MLB | July 23, 2017

The Twins head out on Monday for an eight-game West Coast trip, starting with a three-game series against the Dodgers. It will be Minnesota's first trip to Dodger Stadium since 2005 and a good test for the Twins as Los Angeles boasts the best record in the Majors.

Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6, 4.21 ERA) is expected to be activated to make the start for the Dodgers. Ryu missed three weeks with with a bruised left foot and has thrown two simulated games. Ryu posted a 1-1 record with a 4.73 ERA in five starts in June, while striking out 27 batters in 26 2/3 innings.

Right-hander Bartolo Colon (2-9, 8.18 ERA) will make his second start in a Twins uniform. In his debut for his 10th MLB team, Colon lost to the Yankees after allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings.

Shortly after, it was rumored Colon was mulling retirement depending on how he fared Monday. Sources close to the 20-year veteran told MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez that Colon is focused on contributing to the Twins. Minnesota manager Paul Molitor echoed that sentiment.

"I don't know the context of those conversations, but to think about retiring when you're 44 years old and in baseball, it's a pretty normal thing," said Molitor, a Hall of Famer who retired at 42. "We had a little conversation [Wednesday] morning. He's fine physically. He's scheduled to pitch on Monday so he'll prepare for that."

Three things to know about this game • Ryu has not faced the Twins in his career. The 30-year-old lefty has a 3-3 record with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts against the American League.

• Colon is 2-6 with a 5.27 ERA in nine career starts against the Dodgers with 34 and 10 walks in 56 1/3 innings.

• Adrian Gonzalez is .448 with four RBIs and two home runs in his career against Colon.

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Twins DFA veteran reliever Craig Breslow; lefty says he hopes to keep pitching Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | July 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins front office on Sunday made a roster decision that ws undoubtedly much more difficult than it would seem with just a cursory glance at the stats sheet.

The Twins chose to DFA veteran lefty reliever Craig Breslow, manager Paul Molitor announced Sunday. The team will call up another arm on Monday, in all likelihood, as Molitor hopes to protect a pitching staff that has been worked heavily recently.

Breslow pitched 2/3 of an inning in Minnesota’s 9-6 loss to the Tigers on Sunday. He walked a batter, gave up a hit, and allowed two inherrited runners to score. That didn’t hurt his ERA, but on the season, his 5.23 ERA still stands out in a bullpen that has been a topic of conversation all season long.

“Craig was a hard one today,” Molitor said, “given the character of the man. What he brought here. We talked a lot this winter about increasing character, and people that influence our young guys in the right direction.”

“Part of the reason that we’re still at least somewhat relevant, for now here as we head into late-July, is that, I think, the clubhouse culture has been upgraded tremendously, and he was a big part of that.”

Multiple younger relievers this year have mentioned learning a thing or two from Breslow’s experience. He’s a very bright guy with a mind for the game, too. He was among the most stats-savvy players in the Twins’ clubhouse.

Breslow said that he intends to continue pitching. The next step is not yet clear. The Twins will have 10 days to put him through waivers or find a trade partner for Breslow. Molitor said that the desire on the Twins part is to find a club with a Major League fit because the lefty has “earned that.”

“It’s humbling, for sure,” Breslow said.

“I think right now it’s a wai-and-see kind of game,” Breslow said. “I’m healthy. I feel like I’ve still got some outs in me. I’ve been in a bad stretch for some time now and recognize the organization’s desire to go in a different direction. But I feel I can still be an effective big-league pitcher. I think spring training [and] the first couple months of the season convinced me of that. So we’ll see what lies ahead.”

Entering play Sunday, lefties hit just .158/.262/.235 off Breslow, which suggests he could still have value in a specialist’s role. That sample comprises just 43 lefties, though, and he rarely pitched in any type of high-leverage situation this year for the Twins.

Breslow, 36, remade his delivery this winter after he’d been released last summer and didn’t get another job. As part of that process, he used a Rapsodo tracking device, PitchF/x and TrackMan data to compare the shape and spin of his pitches to guys like Zach Britton and Andrew Miller.

He said it’s still a battle for consistency — both in terms of work and in execution — but said that his remade breaking ball is better today than it was at the onset of spring training. “Hopefully that’s something to build on. Hopefully this isn’t the end of the road,” Breslow said. “We’ll just wait and see.”

Breslow reportedly picked the Twins on a minor league contract despite a handful of suitors interested in his services this winter. Perhaps that’s a sign that there’s a club out there interested.

Reports: Twins still talking to Braves; as many as 6 teams were in on Jaime Garcia Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | July 23, 2017

Can you guess the mystery teams?

The Twins on Thursday were reportedly closing in on a trade that would have netted them a new left-handed starting pitcher, Jaime Garcia, from the Braves. That deal hasn’t happened (and may not), and Garcia made his regularly scheduled start for the Bravos on Friday. He pitched 7 11 innings, and drove in more runs than he allowed (3 earned runs, and at the plate he hit a grand slam).

So where do things stand now? Good question.

The Twins are still talking to the Braves, according to 1500ESPN contributor Darren Wolfson. They’re also still talking with other teams willing to trade pitching. I’d also speculate that the Twins are keeping open dialogue with teams looking to sell off relievers before the non-waiver trade deadline. And you have to at least keep your ear to the ground of the market for bats, don’t you?

The strange thing about the Twins-Braves trade that apparently fell through is that it may have been hung up by medical reports. Here’s what’s strange to me, as we piece together various reports from this story: Garcia was going to go to the Twins; the remainder of his 2017 salary would be worked out to offset the cost; a prospect was going to go to Atlanta (reportedly Nick Burdi); and perhaps the Twins would have received a low-level prospect back in addition to Garcia.

But according to one report, the deal “stalled” because of a medical concern, and Nick Burdi was the reported prospect headed Atlanta’s way. It would be strange if the Braves were willing to take a gamble on Burdi’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, but then backed out after looking at the preseason medical information that’s exchanged in the final stages of making a deal.

If the Twins don’t get Garcia, who would? The Braves do appear to be clear sellers as the deadline approaches. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Friday that as many as six teams were still talking with Atlanta about Garcia, who will be a free agent this winter.

It’s not clear which teams are on that list. It would make sense, based on Wolfson’s report, if the Twins were one of them. Mark Bowman, who covers the Braves for MLB.com, tweeted that the Astros and Royals are in that mix.

And ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick writes that Garcia is on the “radar” for the Brewers. Althought it’s no guarantee that they’re one of the teams “actively speaking” with Atlanta.

After a weird couple of days, here’s basically all I know:

-The Twins want to upgrade their rotation. -They’re willing to pay to get it done. -Jaime Garcia is still a member of the Braves, for now. -It’s hard to predict what will happen as the deadline approaches for trades without waivers.

Twins Designate Craig Breslow For Assignment Mark Polishuk |MLB Trade Rumors | July 23, 2017

The Twins have designated veteran left-hander Craig Breslow for assignment, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link).

Breslow signed a minor league deal with Minnesota last winter that ended up paying him $1.25MM in guaranteed money when he broke camp with the team after Spring Training. After getting off to a good start in his first 21 outings, Breslow struggled in June and then spent much of July on the DL with a rib injury. Overall, Breslow has a 5.34 ERA, 5.3 K/9, 1.64 K/BB rate over 30 1/3 IP for the Twins.

Twins manager Paul Molitor told Berardino and other reporters that Breslow (who turns 37 on August 8) intends to continue his career. Despite the lackluster overall numbers, there is still evidence that Breslow has something left in the tank — he held left-handed hitters to just a .176/.262/.235 slash line this season. Since right-handed batters (.992 OPS) were responsible for much of the damage against Breslow this season, he could still provide value to another team in a strict specialist role. With several teams looking for bullpen help, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Breslow get some calls should he hit the open market, or perhaps even a club could work out a minor trade to acquire Breslow from Minnesota during the DFA period.

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Blue Jays Acquire Nick Tepesch Connor Byrne | MLB Trade Rumors | July 23, 2017

The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Nick Tepesch from the Twins for cash considerations, reports Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

This is the second trade of the day for the Blue Jays, who picked up utilityman Rob Refsnyder from the Yankees earlier this afternoon. Like Refsnyder, Tepesch should only be a minor contributor for the Blue Jays – if he contributes anything, that is. Tepesch made one start this season in Minnesota, on May 6, and yielded seven runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. The Twins released the 28-year-old a month later, but he quickly re-upped on a minor league contract. Tepesch logged 29 innings with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate this year and recorded a 5.59 ERA, 8.38 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9.

At one point in his career, Tepesch was a passable back-end starter in Texas, where he posted a 4.56 ERA, 5.42 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 43.9 percent ground-ball rate across 219 frames (39 starts, 42 appearances) from 2013-14. Tepesch hasn’t been nearly that effective since, though, so it’s doubtful he’ll do much at the major league level with his new organization.

Late-inning flurry carries Tigers past Twins The Sports Xchange | Bemidji Pioneer | July 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The longer the at-bat continued for Minnesota Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar against Detroit Twins pitcher Shane Greene in the seventh inning on Sunday, the more the tension built in an already long game.

Greene, reaching back for fastball after fastball, was just hoping Escobar would put the ball in play on the ground. Escobar was trying to give the Twins a lead and a comeback victory.

Greene won out, Detroit added insurance runs late as Minnesota again tried to creep back in the game, and the Tigers held on for a 9-6 win.

Jose Iglesias had three hits, including a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, helping Detroit win the series with its 15th victory in its past 17 games at Minnesota's Target Field. The teams played for 4 hours, 19 minutes on Sunday, setting a Twins record for a nine-inning game.

"It was long, there's no question about that," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We can play some long games, but I'll play as long as we have to as long as we come up with a 'W.'"

Matthew Boyd pitched into the seventh inning to win his second consecutive start since being recalled from Triple-A. Ian Kinsler, James McCann and Alex Presley each added three hits for Detroit, which is 6-4 since the All-Star break.

Escobar hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, and Dozier added a solo shot in the ninth.

"You have to give credit when credit's due to the pitcher," Escobar said, through an interpreter, of his at-bat against Greene in the seventh. "He was throwing his best stuff to me. It's good to be part of that at-bat, but someone has to win in the end, and obviously he won."

Greene escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Escobar, and Justin Wilson closed out his 12th save in 14 chances with four outs. Wilson entered with two outs in the eighth after Bruce Rondon allowed two runs on a single by Joe Mauer.

Greene struck out Jason Castro looking and got rookie Zack Granite to hit a ground ball to second base for a possible double play. however, Kinsler had trouble picking up the ball, and a run scored on the error.

Greene came back to strike out Dozier and Escobar, the latter on a 13-pitch at-bat, to preserve the one-run lead.

"He's fearless," Ausmus said of Greene, who leads the league in appearances. "I don't really worry about the situation scaring him."

After being down 1-2, Escobar battled back in the at-bat and Greene threw a for the ball three. Greene followed with five in a 13 row before getting Escobar to swing through one.

"I wasn't going to give them another run, so I was just challenging him," Greene said.

The Tigers added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth.

"We hung in there with the game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's just disappointing when you keep fighting but you give up -- I don't know how many we gave up the last few innings - but crooked numbers each and every one."

Boyd (4-5) allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in six innings. The left-hander struck out a career-high eight batters.

Trevor Hildenberger (1-1) allowed Iglesias' homer to take the loss in relief of starter Adalberto Mejia. Hildenberger surrendered the two runs and four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Mejia yielded two runs (one earned) while throwing 96 pitches in 4 1/3 innings.

NOTES: Minnesota announced a trade of minor league RHP Nick Tepesch to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. ... Speaking before the game, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said he doesn't think it's "inevitable" that the team would make another trade before the upcoming deadline. The Tigers sent OF J.D. Martinez to the last week and rumors have centered around closer Justin Wilson, RHP Justin Verlander and 2B Ian Kinsler. ... The game set a Twins record for longest nine-inning game at four hours, 19 minutes. ... Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera was back in the lineup after missing a game with a right clavicle contusion. Cabrera was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and is now hitting a career-low .256 this season. ... Minnesota 3B Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

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