Brantley finding form to fuel Tribe's offense Left fielder leads Indians over Twins with deep drive, 2 RBIs By Tyler Mason / Special to MLB.com | 1:03 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS -- Tribe manager Terry Francona said Michael Brantley is looking like, well, Michael Brantley. That's a good thing for the Indians and their left fielder. Brantley, who dealt with a shoulder injury last year, has gotten off to a hot start in 2017. That includes a solo homer inCleveland's 3-1 win over Minnesota on Monday night, a sign that Brantley is returning to form. "I'm getting there, let's put it that way," said Brantley, who drove in two of Cleveland's three runs. "It's going to take some repetition. It's going to take some time. I understand that. I understand the process that it takes now from being out for a little while -- actually a long while." Monday marked Brantley's 11th game of the 2017 season, which matches the total number of games he played in 2016. His season ended last year on May 9, as shoulder surgery cut things short for the former All-Star. Brantley, 29, now has two homers -- in a span of four games -- and eight RBIs overall. "He looks like Brantley, which is a big compliment to him and his work ethic," Francona said. "It's one thing to come back, but you've got to still hit Major League pitching, and he really doesn't look like he missed a beat." Brantley's homer -- projected by Statcast™ to travel 411 feet -- came in the fifth inning. Cleveland had scored twice in the third to give starter Danny Salazar a one-run lead. With one swing of the bat, Brantley gave Salazar another run of support. Brantley connected on a 1-0 pitch from Twins starter Kyle Gibson and deposited it into the second row in right-center, one of the deepest parts of the park at Target Field. "It's something that can't happen, as a guy who primarily throws sinkers," Gibson said. "That insurance run is big, especially against a team with their bullpen. That's the most frustrating part. The one tonight was right in Brantley's wheelhouse." Brantley didn't initially think the ball was gone. Many batters have hit deep drives to that same spot in Target Field, only to watch it hit off the wall. "I was trying to get on second. That was my whole goal," Brantley said. "I was running out of the box. Luckily it went out, and we got a win tonight." Brantley also pushed across Cleveland's first run of the game when his groundout to first base drove in Yan Gomes from third. That tied it at 1- As Cleveland looks for different players to step up offensively, a hot bat from Brantley is a good sign. "Now he's starting to get some games in a row," Francona said. "He's starting to get some timing, and it's exciting for us."

Tribe hopes to have Kipnis back on Friday MINNEAPOLIS -- Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis could make his season debut as early as Friday. Kipnis has been working his way back from right shoulder inflammation that began during Spring Training. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said before Monday's game in Minnesota that Kipnis could return from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus for the opener of a road series against the White Sox.

Salazar stifles Twins as Brantley brings pop By Rhett Bollinger and Tyler Mason / MLB.com | @RhettBollinger | 2:48 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS -- Danny Salazar settled down after scuffling early, and was backed by two RBIs from Michael Brantley, including a solo homer, to lead the Indians to a 3-1 win over the Twins on Monday night at Target Field. Salazar allowed a combined six baserunners in the first two innings, but escaped trouble, allowing just one run. He went six innings, scattering seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to get his first win of the year and improve his ERA to 3.57. He finished strong, striking out the side in his final inning. "He competed like crazy, because the way it started, there were five or six hits early and a walk -- a lot of traffic," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Salazar. "And then he just really competed and got us to a point where we could turn it over to our bullpen and not ask more of them than we're supposed to." Salazar outlasted Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson, who went 5 1/3 frames, surrendering three runs on eight hits and two walks. Gibson fell to 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA. "I think there were some good aspects to it and some frustrating aspects to it," Gibson said. "If I don't keep the ball in the park, I'm going to be really frustrated for a long time. It's something that can't happen, as a guy who primarily throws sinkers." Francisco Lindor sparked a two-run rally in the third with a double that extended his hit streak to a career-high 11 games. After an RBI groundout from Brantley, Lindor scored on an RBI single from Edwin Encarnacion. Brantley crushed his solo blast to right-center off Gibson in the fifth. The Twins threatened in the ninth with a single from Eddie Rosario, a two-out double from Max Kepler and a walk from Miguel Sano to load the bases, but Joe Mauer flied out to center to end the game and hand Cody Allen his third save. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Salazar's high-wire act: The Twins loaded the bases with two outs in the first after three straight singles, but Salazar wriggled his way out of the jam, as Lindor got to Jason Castro's grounder up the middle to end the inning. Salazar ran into trouble again in the second, as the first three batters reached, including Rosario, who singled in a run after a double from Eduardo Escobar. But Escobar and Rosario were both stranded, as Salazar struck out Brian Dozier, got Kepler to pop up to third and struck out Sano to leave runners at the corners. "We left a lot of guys on," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Opportunities early, you talk about how that comes back, especially when you've got a good pitcher on the mound. He settled in after he got through those first couple innings." More > Brantley goes boom: Brantley's second homer of the year was a no-doubter to right, coming on a 1-0 fastball from Gibson. It had an exit velocity of 105.4 mph and traveled a projected 411 feet, per Statcast™. It was a good sign from Brantley, who missed most of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. "It's going to take a little bit of time," Brantley said. "But we're taking the right steps in the positive direction." More > QUOTABLE "I was looking for a fastball, but I never saw it. But if he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, I swear to God, I'd crush it." -- Sano, on not getting anything to hit against Allen in the ninth SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Mauer recorded career-hits Nos. 500 and 501 at Target Field by going 2-for-5. He has the most hits in the ballpark's history. It was also Mauer's first multi-hit game of the year. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Josh Tomlin will try to bounce back from a rough outing when he faces the Twins on Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET. Tomlin (0-2, 18.47 ERA) lasted just 1 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs against Detroit his last time out. Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes starts the second game of the series on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Hughes (2-0, 3.86 ERA) is off to a solid start, especially considering he's coming back from surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome.

Tomlin looks to get on track in Minnesota By Tyler Mason / Special to MLB.com | April 17th, 2017 Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin is 0-2 this season while Twins right-hander Phil Hughes is off to a 2-0 start. They square off on Tuesday night in the second matchup of a four-game series at Target Field. Tomlin surrendered seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in his most recent start against the White Sox. Hughes received plenty of run support in his last outing, an 11-4 win against Detroit. Despite earning the pair of wins, he hasn't gone deeper than six innings in his two starts this season. Things to know about this game • Center fielder Byron Buxton is expected to return to the Twins' lineup after receiving a day off Monday. Buxton is off to a slow start this year, batting .093 with 23 strikeouts in 43 at-bats. • Hughes, who made just 11 starts in 2016 due to injury, did not face the Indians last season. He's 6-3 with a 3.90 ERA lifetime against Cleveland and was 2-2 in four starts against the Indians in 2015. • Joe Mauer has had more success against Tomlin than any other Twins batter. Mauer is 9-for-22 (.409) with a double and four RBIs against the Cleveland righty. Indians DH Edwin Encarnacion has hit Hughes hard in the past, going 15-for-45 (.333) with a homer, five doubles and six RBIs. • Despite a slow start to the season, Indians third baseman Yandy Diaz has been hitting the ball as hard as some of the most elite hitters in baseball. Of the 186 hitters who had put at least 25 balls in play through Sunday, only one, Miguel Cabrera, had a higher average exit velocity than the 95.7 mph put up by Diaz. Tyler Mason is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Facing Indians an emotional reunion for Falvey Francona: Minnesota exec 'was a favorite' in Cleveland By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com | @RhettBollinger | April 17th, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey admitted it was a little strange to have his former organization, the Indians, in town for a four-game series that began Monday night at Target Field. Falvey, 34, got his start in baseball with the Indians as an intern in 2007 before working his way up to assistant general manager. He was hired by the Twins last offseason after Cleveland made its run to the World Series. Falvey said he mostly misses the people he worked with, but that he has never had any second thoughts or regrets about taking Minnesota's top post in baseball operations. "It's strange," Falvey said. "I'm competitive at heart but it was family to me for a long time, so it's hard for me not to feel that side of it, too. But Pitch 1, it's on. That's the way it is. We're all in this game competitively. But you certainly don't forget where you came from." Falvey worked particularly close with manager Terry Francona as part of his day-to-day responsibilities, including breaking down pitching data for the coaching staff to absorb. It meant a lot for Falvey to talk with Francona before Monday's game. "I saw him today and I almost cried," Falvey said. "It's just that type of relationship. He's been a mentor of mine. I still call him about stuff, from being a dad to baseball. I have a lot of conversations with him. It's pretty special." Francona had nothing but positive things to say about Falvey, after beginning his media session joking that nobody liked Falvey during his time in Cleveland. "It's hard to talk to him today because everybody wanted to say hello to him, which I think speaks volumes," Francona said. "He found a way to connect with everybody here. Whether it was in the office or with the players or coaches, he crossed over every line there was. He was a favorite." Falvey said Francona asked him how to pitch to some of Minnesota's hot hitters but that he didn't take the bait. Falvey did talk with Twins manager Paul Molitor about Cleveland's players, although Molitor joked he didn't need to get Cleveland's signs from Falvey because he's known them for years. "We've had chats about their personnel a little bit and things that jump out at you, like their numbers," Molitor said. "Whether they'll be game- changers, we'll see. But we'll take all the information from insider trading, if you will. Try to use it the best way we can." Francona said he has no doubt that Falvey will succeed in Minnesota because of his personality, willingness to be open to ideas and positive approach. "Even at such a young age, he had a very good way of looking at things," Francona said. "[The Twins] are fortunate. He's a keeper. Somebody here made a good decision." Rhett Bollinger has covere

Best case scenario for Jason Kipnis' return to Cleveland Indians? Friday against White Sox Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com MINNEAPOLIS -- Manager Terry Francona said if things go right, second baseman Jason Kipnis could be activated on Friday when the Indians open a three-game series against the White Sox in Chicago. Kipnis has been on the disabled list since the start of the season with a strained right rotator cuff. He's currently on a rehab assigment. "Best case scenario, I think he joins us Friday," said Francona before Monday's series opener against the Twins at Target Field. "He's going to play Tuesday and Wednesday and is off Thursday. Then he flies and joins us in Chicago. Again, that's the best case scenario." Kipnis has already had one minor setback in his rehab. He was hit in the left hand with a pitch Wednesday during a rehab game at Class AA Akron and was sidelined for a couple of days. He started playing rehab games again on Saturday with Class AAA Columbus. Kipnis went 2-for-4 with the RBI double on Sunday. If Kipnis is activated on Friday, it will be interesting to see how they create a roster spot for him. Last week the Indians activated outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall from the disabled list and they surprised some people by optioned Tyler Naquin to Columbus instead of Abraham Almonte. Chisenhall, since the move, has been playing center field. The logical move when Kipnis is activated would be to send down third baseman Yandy Diaz. The Indians could then move Jose Ramirez from second to third. Ramirez has been playing second base since the start of the season. Diaz is hitting .250 (11-for-44) with one double and one RBI in 12 games. When the Indians moved Ramirez from third to second to replace Kipnis, Diaz made the team at third base. It helped, of course, that he hit .458 (22-for-48) in spring training. Kipnis, who lives in Chicago, is a .305 (54-for-177) hitter with five home runs and seven RBI at U.S. Cellular Field in his career. He's played 46 games there. Good thoughts: Catcher Yan Gomes, who has struggled at the plate since the start of the season, was in the starting lineup again Monday night. Gomes is hitting .438 (7-for-16) with two homers and four RBI against Twins starter Kyle Gibosn. Francona said Gomes' success against Gibson played a role with him getting the start. The former Silver Slugger winner has started the season in a 2-for-30 funk. Fire down below: Mike Clevinger was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for Columbus. Clevinger, in two starts last week, threw 13 scoreless innings. He's 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA (one earned runs in 19 innings.) Clevinger is 15-1 in his career with the Clippers. Finally: Carlos Santana, among visiting players to Target Field, is tied for second with Miguel Cabrera with 12 homers. He ranks third in RBI behind Cabrera (47) and Victor Martinez (40) with 35.

Danny Salazar strikes out seven as Cleveland Indians beat Minnesota Twins, 3-1 Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The last time Danny Salazar faced the Twins at Target Field he walked off the mound with a strained right forearm on Sept. 9. It was his last start of the 2016 season and had a direct bearing on the Indians' deep dive into the postseason. Monday night Salazar faced the Twins at Target Field in the April chill with a sound right forearm and gave a hint of what might have been in October and November. He allowed five hits, one walk and a run in the first two innings before finding whatever it was he was missing. For the night Salazar allowed one run and struck out seven in six innings as the Indians beat the Twins, 3-1, for just their third win in the last 10 games. Eddie Rosario gave the Twins a 1-0 lead with a single in the second after Salazar walked Jorge Polanco and allowed a double off the right field wall to Eduardo Escobar to start the inning. He retired the next three batters to stop the rally and turn around his night. The offense, mostly a rumor for the first two weeks of the season, did just enough against Kyle Gibson to give Salazar a lead. After Yan Gomes singled and went to third on Francisco Lindor's double in the third, Michael Brantley delivered Gomes on a ground out to first to make it a 1-1 game. Edward Encarnacion followed with a single to left to score Lindor for the lead. The RBI was Encarnacion's second of the season and his first since the season opener on April 3 against Texas. Brantley made it 3-1 with a one-out homer in the fifth. He hit a 1-0 pitch into the seats in right-center field for his second homer of the season. Salazar (1-1, 3.57) allowed three base runners after Rosario's RBI single. Along the way, he recorded his seven strikeouts. In 11 starts against the Twins, Salazar is 4-3 with a 4.45 ERA. He was 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in three starts against them last year. Gibson (0-2, 6.91) allowed three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He is 2-4 with a 6.26 ERA in 10 starts against the Indians. The bullpen continued the roll Salazar started. Bryan Shaw retired the Twins in order in the seventh. Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless eighth, but closer Cody Allen made things interesting as he loaded the bases with two out before retiring Joe Mauer on a fly ball to center for his third save. Allen has 13 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings this season. The pitches Salazar threw 103 pitches, 63 (61 percent) for strikes. Gibson threw 88 pitches, 52 (59 percent) for strikes. What it means Gomes entered the game in a 2-for-30 funk to start the season. Manager Terry Francona started him behind the plate because he has good numbers against Gibson (7-for-16) and felt it might help his confidence. In three plate appearances against Gibson, Gomes singled, scored and reached base on a hit by pitch. They call him the streak Lindor's double in the third extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. It was his fifth double in the streak and matches the longest on the Indians since Jose Ramirez had an 11-gamer from Sept. 4 through Sept. 14. He's hitting .391 (18-for-46) in the streak with four homers and seven RBI. Indians manager Terry Francona on Danny Salazar Thanks for coming The Indians and Twins drew 16,961 to Target Field on Monday night. First pitch was at 8:11 p.m. ET with a temperature of 56 degrees. Next RHP Tomlin (0-2, 18.47) will face Twins right-hander Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86) on Tuesday night at 8:10 p.m. ET. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game. Tomlin has allowed 13 earned runs on 15 hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings in his first two starts. He's 4-4 with a 5.67 ERA lifetime against the Twins. Joe Mauer is hitting .409 (9-for-22) against Tomlin. Hughes, injured for much of last year, is 6-3 with a 3.90 ERA in his career against the Indians. Encarnacion is hitting .333 (15-for-45) against Hughes

Nick Goody learned about his move to the Cleveland Indians while honeymooning in the Caribbean Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The newlyweds were wrapping up the packing for their honeymoon when the call came. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reached out to inform Nick Goody that he had been designated for assignment. Goody was on his way to paradise -- Saint Lucia, to be exact -- but career-wise, he was stuck in limbo. He spent the first few days of the vacation texting his agent. You hear anything? You hear anything? You hear anything? "You want to know and feel secure that you have a place to be," said Goody, 25. "It's always going through your mind. That's the first time I had been [let go]." The Yankees selected Goody in the 22nd round of the 2011 amateur draft. He returned to college for another year and the Yankees grabbed him in the sixth round in 2012. He had climbed through their organization, making his major-league debut in 2015. And then the only franchise he ever knew severed ties with him, despite his sparkling minor-league numbers. "Until it happens to you, you really don't think about it," Goody said. "Baseball is a business. The longer you stay in it, the more you see that." The Yankees had signed Aroldis Chapman to a five-year contract in December and they needed an opening on the 40-man roster. Goody, who had posted a 1.68 ERA the previous two years at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was the odd man out. "It was a shock," Goody said, "but at the same time, you're excited for a new opportunity, or at least you're hoping for a new opportunity." Goody spent the first few days of his honeymoon haunted by the uncertainty. Finally, five days into the trip, his agent texted him some news. You're going to be an Indian. Goody scanned the Indians' roster. As soon as he returned to the U.S., he texted Andrew Miller, his former Yankees bullpen mate. Goody had played against Cody Allen in high school. He and Francisco Lindor both hail from the Orlando, Florida, area. "The transition over here has been so easy," Goody said. His numbers certainly reflect that sentiment. Goody stymied the opposition during spring training (0.70 ERA in 10 innings) and he tallied 10 strikeouts in his first three outings at Triple-A Columbus. When the Indians needed a fresh arm last week, they summoned the right-hander to replace Shawn Armstrong. Goody, who relies on a fastball/slider mix, made his Indians debut on Friday, when he logged a pair of scoreless innings. "He's been really good," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "This is a good opportunity for him." ----- Are there any future MLB managers on the Cleveland Indians' coaching staff? Going Deep Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to another installment of Going Deep, a regular series in which we'll take a deep dive into a reader-proposed topic. To have your question or comment covered (or, at least, to have it read), send an email to [email protected]. Include your first name and city. I was surprised when a question was asked about potential managers on the Indians coaching staff that nobody mentioned Mike Sarbaugh. If you look at his history, he typically had winning teams in the minors with some of the marginal talent that the Indians in the past had in their farm system. Now he's got some major-league coaching experience and seems to do well with the infield defense, he's the right age to become a big-league manager, and having heard him speak, I would expect he would interview well. While Sandy is the emotional favorite, I expect that Mike would do well. -- Tom, Concord Consider this: Terry Francona has kept the core of his coaching staff intact during his entire tenure in Cleveland. In 2013, the Indians formed a major-league staff that consisted of Francona, third-base coach Brad Mills, pitching coach Mickey Callaway, bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and first-base coach Mike Sarbaugh. A couple of roles have changed, but the individuals remain the same. Not only is that pretty rare in baseball, but it's especially so considering Mills has prior managerial experience, Alomar has interviewed for a handful of managing gigs and Callaway and Sarbaugh are well-regarded around the league. On that topic, Sarbaugh said: "It's nice that we've had that continuity for these four or five years. You hear Sandy's name a lot and think he might get that opportunity. [Mills], hopefully he gets another chance. We feel lucky that we've been able to work and get along so great, which even makes it better." Sarbaugh is a staple in the Indians' organization. He started as a hitting coach at Kinston in 1995 and worked his way up the ladder for nearly two decades before he joined the Indians' staff. (He also played in the Tribe's system from 1990-94.) As manager, he directed Class A Mahoning Valley, Class A Kinston, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus to league titles. So, yes, he's been successful at just about every stop along his journey. In nine seasons as a minor-league manager, he posted a .577 winning percentage. But how does a coach find himself on the radar of a big-league team in search of a new skipper? That's the key. Sarbaugh said no longer devotes time to daydreaming about the possibilities. In the minors, he pondered his future quite often. "[In the minors], you're always thinking about, 'I want to try to get better and keep improving and hopefully move to that next level,'" Sarbaugh said. "[In the majors], this is it. This is the peak. So, from a coach standpoint, you just want to keep getting better. It's a similar mentality, but there's a lot more room for growth in the minor leagues." Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez take infield practice In addition to his role as third-base coach, Sarbaugh oversees the Indians' infield defense. He works daily with Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis. Each afternoon, he hits them grounders and has them working on various plays and situations. He'll turn 50 next week, so there's plenty of time for his career to take another step or two. And it's not as though he hasn't thought about that. "I mean, that'd be great if that opportunity comes up," Sarbaugh said, "but I think we're all in this game because we love the game and enjoy what we do. I'm trying to be the best third-base coach and best infield coach. If that can lead to something else, that'd be great. "The older you get, the longer you're in the game, I think you get to where you're just thinking about that year. You're always striving to learn more about the game and just get more involved. If you start thinking about other things, you lose sight of what you're doing now and you're not going to enjoy it as much. That's what I try to do. You're always trying to prepare yourself for if an opportunity arises, but you never know.

Danny Salazar uses change up to tame 'crazy' game and pitch the Cleveland Indians to victory Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com MINNEAPOLIS - Danny Salazar says sometimes baseball is crazy. Not howl-at-the-moon crazy, but crazy enough to make your eyes water and stomp your feet in anger. It's just hard to figure out. In the first inning Monday night of the Indians' 3-1 win over the Twins, Salazar allowed three straight singles with two out to Miguel Sano, Joe Mauer and Robbie Grossman. The bases were loaded with Twins, but Jason Castro lined out to Carlos Santana at first base to end the inning. In the second inning, Salazar allowed a leadoff walk to Jorge Polanco, a double off the wall to Eduardo Escobar and single by Eddie Rosario. The single made it 1-0. How many times have Indians' fans seen games like this slip away from Salazar? The only missing ingredient was a torrent of strikeouts that would push his pitch count to the limit and help expedite yet another early exit. Perhaps that was the key. The strikeouts didn't come until they were absolutely needed. "Baseball is crazy sometimes," said Salazar. "I didn't have my best stuff. I didn't feel the best out there. I started the game a little bit slow. I had to speed it up." Salazar wasn't just talking velocity, he was talking about the tempo of his delivery. So he forgot about the 56 degree chill which iced his shoulder between the first and second inning and started to pitch to his internal clock. Indians manager Terry Francona on Danny Salazar There was another thing he turned to - his change up. Salazar struck out Brian Dozier, who came into the game hitting .462 (12-for-26) against him, on a 87 mph change up with runners on the corners. He popped up Max Kepler, who hit two homers against him last year, on a 87 mph change up. Then he struck out Sano on a 3-2 change up at 89 mph to end the inning. Salazar likes to pitch in the fast lane. He set up Sano with a 97 mph fastball before striking him out and a now-you-see-it-now-you-don't change of pace. But when his change up is working, batters are at a decided disadvantage. "I just got more aggressive with every pitch," said Salazar about the second-inning jam. "That inning I started throwing the change up. I wasn't trying to throw it for a strike. I was just trying to make it move." The way the Indians have been scoring in the first 13 games of the season -- three or fewer runs in seven games - manager Terry Francona knew how important it was for Salazar to get out of the second having allowed just one run. "If they get three or four runs there, the way the scoring was going, it might have been too much," he said. Salazar (1-1, 3.57) allowed just three baserunners over the next four innings, striking out seven batters along the way. He ended the night allowing one run on seven hits in six innings. Not only was the change up a big pitch for him, but so was staying warm. He started stretching and using a heat pack between innings. Some offense helped as well. As soon as the Twins took a 1-0 lead, the Indians came with back with two runs in the third on Michael Brantley RBI groundout and Edwin Encarnacion's single. Brantley added his second homer of the season in the fifth. "It was a weird night," said Salazar. "I tried to battle. Yan (Gomes) did an awesome job catching. And the guys swung the bats. "When you come back and score right away like we did, it makes you feel like you're right back in the game. Even though giving up one run isn't that big of a deal, you can lose a game like that. When we got the lead, I told myself, 'We need to win games.'" The Indians are 6-7, but Monday's win was just their third in the last 10 games. "Danny competed like crazy," said Francona. "It was good to see." Salazar's six innings were enough where Francona could use his bullpen as it was designed to use. Not just to cover inning in a losing effort, but to pitch with a lead. Bryan Shaw and Andrew Miller held the Twins scoreless in the seven and eighth innings. Closer Cody Allen loaded the bases with two out in the ninth before retiring Joe Mauer to end it. What are the Cleveland Indians' options if Yan Gomes can't turn it around? Going Deep Zack Meisel,April 17, 2017 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to the second installment of Going Deep, a regular series in which we'll take a deep dive into a reader- proposed topic. To have your question or comment covered (or, at least, to have it read), send an email to [email protected]. Include your first name and city. Do you see the Tribe looking at perhaps waiving or designating [Yan] Gomes? He looks lost and without hope at the plate. He seems to be overwhelmed by his failure to live up to his Silver Slugger Award, [which he won] seemingly last decade. He has the lowest average of any player not a pitcher over parts of three seasons. I think he might be done, at least here. With [Roberto] Perez also a poor hitter and for that matter perhaps the slowest afoot in the AL, will we sacrifice offense from the catcher spot? The body language and the long, loopy swing I see of Gomes looks like he will never hit again like he did three years ago. Your thoughts? -- Jerry, Medina In basketball, does a coach let an ice-cold shooter shoot his way out of a slump? What if the shooter has been frigid for two years? At some point, Terry Francona has to swing the pendulum toward Roberto Perez, who isn't lethal at the plate, either, but hasn't struggled with his lumber to the degree that Gomes has since his sterling 2014 season. Let's examine some of Gomes' numbers. 2017 stat line: .067/.152/.167 clip (2-for-30) 2016 stat line: .167/.201/.327 clip (42-for-251) 2015 stat line: .231/.267/.391 clip (84-for-363) 2014 stat line: .278/.313/.472 clip (135-for-485) The 2014 campaign seems like the outlier now, but Gomes still should be expected to produce more than he has over the last two seasons plus 12 games. His body language screams that his confidence is shot, even if he contends that he's keeping his head above water. 2016 vs. righties: .127/.163/.282 clip 2016 vs. lefties: .271/.297/.443 clip Against righties this season, Gomes is 1-for-25 with no walks and 10 strikeouts. He fared better in 2015. 2015 vs. righties: .240/.275/.427 clip 2015 vs. lefties: .208/.248/.297 clip The Indians have two strong defensive catchers. No one is disputing that. But if a trip to Triple-A could solve some of Gomes' offensive woes or alleviate some pressure, maybe that wouldn't be such a poor decision. Gomes has a minor-league option remaining, and it was a point of discussion for the Indians last season when he couldn't get untracked at the plate. 'Holy cow, it's still going': Gomes on his struggles The No. 9 spot in the Indians' lineup is a black hole. It was last year, too, and the Indians still reached the World Series. So the season certainly doesn't hinge on offensive output from the catching position. But it can't hurt to find a way to receive more. A return to just an average output for Gomes won't vault the Indians' offense toward the top of the ranks. A return to normal production for Edwin Encarnacion and Carlos Santana and others, on the other hand, might. More than anything, Gomes' profound struggles are a head-scratcher. How can a player suffer such an immediate, drastic fall? Was his 2014 season just a mirage? Gomes posted a .290/.348/.483 slash line in the minors. When he joined the Indians in 2013, he batted .294 with an .826 OPS in 88 games, as he wrestled away the catching duties from Santana. Lowest batting average since start of 2015, minimum 600 plate appearances: 1. Mike Zunino: .186 2. Yan Gomes: .199 3. Chris Iannetta: .201 Lowest on-base percentage since start of 2015, minimum 600 plate appearances: 1. Yan Gomes: .236 2. Omar Infante: .245 3. Mike Zunino: .258 Worst wRC+ (weighted runs created, an all-encompassing offensive measurement; 100 is league-average) since start of 2015, minimum 600 plate appearances: 1. Omar Infante: 46 2. Yan Gomes: 54 3. Nick Ahmed: 59 The Indians' current setup can't persist for the duration of the season if the results don't change. Will that mean a trip to Columbus for Gomes? Or will he just take a backseat to Perez? Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.18.2017 Akron RubberDucks rally in 10th for win at Reading By Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com READING, Pennsylvania -- The RubberDucks scored three runs in the 10th, then shut down the Fightin' Phils in the bottom of the inning to secure a 6-3 Class AA Eastern League victory. With one out in the 10th and facing Phils reliever Miguel Nunez, third baseman Ivan Castillo walked, then center fielder Greg Allen moved him to third with a double. Yacksel Rios replaced Nunez, but hit second baseman Yhoxian Medina with a pitch to load the bases. Catcher Francisco Mejia then hit a sacrifice fly to give the RubberDucks a 4-3 lead. A single to right field by first baseman Bobby Bradley brought in two more runs to make it 6-3. RubberDucks reliever Matt Whitehouse (1-0, 4.00 ERA) retired Reading in order in the bottom of the 10th. Whitehouse pitched three innings, giving up just one run on one hit. Akron (3-8) right-hander Julian Merryweather surrendered only two runs on two hits and struck out seven in seven innings. Allen, Medina and shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang each had two hits for the RubberDucks. Outfielder Dorssys Paulino had a solo homer. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.18.2017 Derek Falvey, using what he learned with Cleveland Indians, to revitalize Twins By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com MINNEAPOLIS -- Derek Falvey never had a real chance to say goodbye to the Indians. After they lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Cubs in November, Falvey left the organization to take over the baseball operations of the Minnesota Twins. The chance to say goobye and hello came Monday and will continue this week during a four-game series at Target Field between the Indians and Twins. "The last time I saw a lot of these guys was when I walked out of the ballpark an hour after Game 7," said Falvey. "It's been fun to see all those guys again. To get back in touch with all the coaches and see some of the players." The Twins hired Falvey in October as their Chief Baseball Officer. They allowed Falvey, 33, to stay with the Indians through their run to Game 7 of the World Series against the Cubs. "We miss him," said manager Terry Francona. "We're happy for him, but we miss him." Falvey spent nine years with the Indians, rising to the position of assistant general manager. He became close with Francona and the coaching staff, breaking down scouting reports with an emphasis on the pitchers the Indians would be facing. He was also involved in the organization's planning regarding trades and free agent signings spearheaded by Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, and GM Mike Chernoff. "What Cleveland really afforded me the opportunity to do the last few years, and this is a credit to Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff, was to be involved in all those big picture conversations as much as I was in the day-to-day stuff with the team," said Falvey. The Twins lost 103 games last year, but Falvey and new GM Thad Levine did not turn the organization or the roster upside down when they took over. Terry Francona says Indians miss Derek Falvey "I think that's critical anywhere, but particularly with the Minnesota Twins," said Falvey. "People don't just work for the Minnesota Twins for a paycheck. It's very similar to the way I felt about the Cleveland Indians -- it's a family. "It's connected to the region. It matters deeply to the employees of the Twins. We wanted to make sure we didn't tear away the fabric of that with our organization. . .It's been a blend of some of the old traditional elements of what the Twins have been about for a long time and some new ideas." The Twins big free agent addition over the winter was catcher Jason Castro. "Last season was certainly a difficult year here with 103 losses," said Falvey. "We did feel like there was a core, particularly on the position player side, of young talent that we wanted to see grow and develop. "As you saw in Cleveland, some young players, when they come up, their development isn't always linear. They're not the players they're ultimately going to be right away. We wanted to make sure we didn't stand in the way of the growth and development of some of those players." Minnesota had the worst pitching staff in the American League last year. Falvey said the addition of Castro and former Tribe catcher Chris Gimenez has helped those pitchers in the early part of this season. The Twins went into Monday's game in second place in the AL Central at 7-5. The Indians were in last place at 5-7. When the Indians travel, they always send a member of the front office work with the coaching staff. Falvey, especially last season, made a lot of those trips. Francona called him a "voice of reason' when things weren't going well and he needed someone to talk to. "Whoever was in charge of hiring for the Twins, did a real good job here," said Francona. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.18.2017

Michael Brantley, Danny Salazar lead way as Indians down Twins Dave Campbell | The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — Having Michael Brantley back in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup has produced some promising early returns. The multiskilled Indians left fielder is cautiously content. Brantley homered and drove in two runs and Danny Salazar finished six innings strong after a shaky start to lead the Indians to a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Salazar (1-1) struck out seven and retired 15 of his last 18 batters. Brantley’s groundout tied it in the third, and Edwin Encarnacion’s single gave the reigning AL champions the lead on their way to only their third win in their last 10 games. Brantley took Kyle Gibson (0-2) deep on a four-seam fastball left over the plate in the fifth inning. “He looks like Brantley, which is a big compliment to him and his work ethic,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It’s one thing to come back, but you’ve got to still hit major league pitching, and he really doesn’t look like he missed a beat.” Brantley hurt his right shoulder in Minnesota on Sept. 22, 2015, after diving for a ball. He had surgery but never completely healed and later needed an operation on his right biceps and was limited to 11 games last season. He’s hitting .268 with two doubles, two homers and eight RBIs in 11 games this year. “I’m getting there,” Brantley said. “Let’s put it that way. It’s going to take some repetition. It’s going to take some time.” Cody Allen loaded the bases in the ninth on a carefully pitched walk to Miguel Sano, but he completed his third save in three attempts by getting Joe Mauer to fly out to center field. Sano hit a sizzling line drive that hooked left of the third-base line before taking ball three. “Fastball, I don’t see it,” Sano said. “You know, if he throws me a breaking ball in the middle, I swear to God, I crush it.” The Twins left 12 runners on base. Salazar allowed five hits and one walk over a seven-batter stretch spanning the first two innings, with the only run allowed on Eddie Rosario’s single with none out in the second. “If they get three or four there, it might be too much,” Francona said. “But he kept them in check and really battled, which was good to see.” Predictably for the Twins and their missed opportunities, the right-hander went on a roll from there. Salazar struck out the side in the sixth, despite a one-out walk. He sent Rosario back empty after missing an 87 mph change-up that dived down and out of the strike zone to finish the frame. “He’s a very good pitcher,” said Rosario, who had two hits to raise his average to .186. Getting Gomes going Catcher Yan Gomes, who was 2-for-30 entering the game, reached base all three times against Gibson and is batting .444 (8-for-18) against him in his career. “Little things can help,” Francona said. “I’m sure it did a lot for his spirit.” Going deep on Gibson Gibson pitched into the sixth for the first time in three starts, getting one out that inning before being pulled. In 14 1/3 innings, he’s allowed four home runs. “That’s just something that can’t happen,” Gibson said, adding: “That’s just not who I am. Let’s keep the ball on the ground and let the defense work.” Trainer’s room Cleveland: In the best-case scenario according to Francona, 2B Jason Kipnis (sore right shoulder) would rejoin the team for his season debut Friday in Chicago to face the White Sox. The two-time All-Star’s rehab assignment was interrupted last week when he was hit on the left hand with a pitch. Minnesota: CF Byron Buxton, off to an abysmal 4-for-43 start with a majors-most 23 strikeouts, was on the bench for just the second game. Max Kepler played CF, with Robbie Grossman in RF. Up next Cleveland: RHP Josh Tomlin (0-2, 18.47 ERA) will make his third start after two ugly turns. He allowed 18 of 36 batters to reach base. Minnesota: RHP Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for the third time this year, seeking his first 3-0 start since going 5-0 in six turns in 2010.

Breaking down Edwin Encarnacion’s slow start and examining other early Indians trends by T.J. Zuppe, Yesterday One of the easiest connections to make while assessing Edwin Encarnacion’s first 12 games with the Indians is a belief that he’s pressing. Manager Terry Francona has even indicated as much, thinking he is out of his comfort zone a bit in an attempt to immediately live up to the three-year, $60 million contract he signed in the offseason. “I always feel as frustrated as you get or as cold as you get, good hitters get that hot,” Francona said last week. “There will be days, hopefully soon, when I’m sitting here saying he carried us or he did this and this. He’s too good. Just right now, he’s a little stuck in-between. He’ll be fine.” Truth is, there has appeared to be a little of that in the early going for Encarnacion, who has posted a .205/.327/.295 slash line with just one homer in the first two weeks of the season. But it’s not like slow starts are unusual for Encarnacion. In fact, four of the past six seasons have resulted in undesirable showings in the first 12 games of the season. Now, that’s not reason alone to believe he’ll reclaim his prolific slugger status. But it does serve as a reminder that 12 games is hardly enough of a sample size to make any definitive statements about anyone. What we can look at, however, are some of his other statistics on the periphery. In that department, his average exit velocity this year (90.1 MPH) is a little below last season’s mark (91.5 MPH), but not so drastic that a few more hard-hit balls can’t get him back on par. His walk rate (15.1 percent) is about five percent higher than his career percentage, which means he’s still able to recognize pitches and get on base. The biggest difference we’ve seen so far has been Encarnacion’s contact rate. An ability to avoid massive strikeout totals while generating tremendous power has always been one of his most impressive skills. But so far, we’ve seen far more swing-and-miss than typical, striking out 34 percent of the time. Through 12 games, Encarnacion’s contact rate sits at 65 percent, nearly 16 points lower than his career rate. And it’s not as if that lack of contact has come down to just swinging at bad pitches, as he’s managed to keep his swings outside the strike zone (O- swing) below his normal career averages, per FanGraphs. He is making contact outside the zone nearly 30 percent less than his career rate, and inside the zone, he’s down about 10 percent. “I just need to keep making adjustments,” Encarnacion recently said through the team’s translator. “That’s what this game is all about, making adjustments. That’s what I need to do to get unstuck, as they say.” Of any of his early trends, his whiffs are the only potential concern area. But how concerning is it? It’s way too early to know. And his history of starting slow only to finish with monster numbers should be reason enough to gather more information over the next few weeks before getting too panicked about his start. *** Josh Tomlin has an 18.47 ERA in his first two starts, and his second outing of the season was one to forget, lasting just 1 2/3 innings against the White Sox. During that game, he gave up two homers — the first coming on the first pitch of the game — and was knocked around with some hard contact. When you throw the ball between 86-88 mph, on average, it’s always easy to just assume those sorts of troubles are an indication that the end is near. But Tomlin isn’t thinking that way, and neither are the Indians. And from the very moment he left the mound this week, he went to work on breaking down his issues. What he found was tangible. And that’s far better than being unsure. In his first two starts, his arm slot had dropped, as indicated by the small dot on the right side below. As you can see, arm slots can change throughout the season due to a number of factors, such as fatigue. Even last year’s release point fluctuated a bit, but not drastically. Part of the reason for the large difference this year, at least in Tomlin’s belief, was due to an attempt to account for some additional run on his four-seam fastball. Instead of the pitch having limited tailing action back in the direction of right-handed hitters, the offering had developed some late life and, as a result, was leaking back over the plate far too often. For example: look at the first pitch of the game Tim Anderson clubbed for a home run in Tomlin’s latest start. The pitch starts off the plate but eventually finds itself in a hittable part of the strike zone.

“At the end of the season, his arm slot dropped a tad, and he started to get a little run on his four-seamer,” pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. “I think even the Trackman and stuff was classifying it as a two-seamer. I think what he’s begun to do is try to make it move instead of taking the same approach that he did last year, and just throw it like it’s a four-seamer and allow it to have a little bit of action on it … We had a little bit of a discussion about it. I think we’re going to get back to trying to drive the ball toward home plate and not trying to play some run.” With the additional movement on his four-seamer, Tomlin conceded that he was trying to account for the run of the pitch, which was leading to some additional mistakes and, perhaps, even more unintended movement. Now that they’ve diagnosed the lower arm slot, he’s hoping that getting back to his checkpoints and establishing some muscle memory of where he needs to be will help. From there, he’ll allow the pitch to power through the zone, “as opposed to trying to manipulate the ball.” *** While it’s easy to remain optimistic about Encarnacion, the struggles of Yan Gomes offensively aren’t as easy to write off as a bad start. Gomes’ issues go back to 2015, so it’s not as simple as believing the small two-week sample size just doesn’t give us enough data. One of the glaring issues thus far has been his low exit velocity. Let’s take Yandy Diaz, for example. The rookie doesn’t just appear at the top of the Tribe leaderboard in hard contact, he’s second in the majors behind Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers in average exit velocity among those with at least 25 results this year. Knowing he’s hitting the ball consistently hard makes it easier to believe his .250 average will rise with some better luck. Gomes, on the other hand, has the second-lowest exit velocity on the club, at 84.8 mph. It’s not as if he’s just running into some bad luck, helping to explain his .083 batting average on balls in play. Making matters more alarming, his strikeout rate continues to climb. After an 0-for-8 showing against the Tigers this weekend, he is now striking out a career-high 30.3 percent of the time and is making contact five percent less in the zone than last year. On the plus side, Gomes isn’t dealing with any injuries, so all of his focus at the plate is finally back on his offense. That gives him hope that he’ll eventually bust out. “I know I’m a good hitter,’ he said last week. “I’ve got a silver trophy at home that tells me I am. It’s just a matter of being myself and not trying to do too much. Sometimes, things are not going to go your way, but you’ve got to try to have a competitive at-bat.” *** The Indians’ starting staff, consisting of Tomlin, Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco, have combined to yield the highest ERA in baseball (6.38). That grows even higher when removing Carrasco’s terrific performance to begin the year. The second-highest team on the ERA list are the Red Sox at 5.51, revealing a pretty sizable gap. Now, there are two very distinct ways to look at the Tribe’s total. First, one could panic, wondering if those five are no longer capable of consistently giving their club a shot to win. Second, and more likely, their alarming performance could be a bit of a fluke. ERA doesn’t always tell the entire story. The Indians’ eighth-best FIP (fielding independent pitching) indicates some of that. For instance, Kluber was charged with six runs Saturday in the blowout victory over the Tigers, but two of those runs crossed the plate after he left the game. Andrew Miller, who came on in relief of the ace, was on the mound when those runners scored, but his ERA remains a sparkling 0.00. Tribe starters have given up the third-most home runs per nine innings and have stranded the second lowest total of base runners through 12 games. However, they’re still second in the bigs in strikeout percentage (26.6) and reside in third in strikeout minus walk percentage (18.9). If the strikeout totals were lower or the walk rates higher, perhaps there would be more cause for concern this early. While Kluber piled up far more innings last year by pitching deep into October, let’s not forget that the Cy Young finalist had a 6.16 ERA through his first three starts of 2016 and didn’t truly become consistently dominant until July. How he continues to handle that workload is worth monitoring, but his April velocity this season is on par with last year’s, and some blister and tight back issues in his first two outings caused some minor problems. His 6.38 ERA through three starts shouldn’t be overblown.

Danny Salazar keeps collecting whiffs in his refined approach by T.J. Zuppe, 11 hours ago Notes, quotes and observations from the 3-1 victory over the Twins on Monday night. Whiffs keep coming If Danny Salazar’s goal this season was truly to be the best version of himself when he’s on the mound — a thought he revealed to the media before his first start this season — he’s doing a pretty good job through three starts. He tossed six innings of one-run ball Monday night, striking out seven hitters and allowing seven hits, walking two before handing things off to the Indians’ bullpen. In addition to the seven punch outs, Salazar also induced 18 swings-and-misses, eight of which coming on his split-finger change-up. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as he contended with early command issues. In fact, Salazar had to deal with a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the first and allowed a walk and two hits to allow the Twins to score in the second. In those early innings, far too many of his offerings missed back over the plate. Salazar appeared to find a good rhythm after Eddie Rosario’s RBI single, striking out Brian Dozier, getting Max Kepler to pop out and retiring Miguel Sano via the strikeout, neutralizing the rally. From the third inning on, he allowed just two hits and a walk, striking out the side in his final inning of work. The biggest indication of the importance of location — a shocking discovery, really — is revealed when examining the difference between the hits Salazar allowed and the swinging strikes he forced Monday. The pitches Twins hitters found to their liking caught a decent chunk of the plate. The offerings they came up empty on were littered all around and out of the zone but were rarely on a hittable portion of the plate. Sure, Salazar’s stuff is good enough to get away with some mistakes, but his true dominant form emerges when locating his fastball, setting up his lethal change and occasional breaking pitch. Couple some better location with the separation from Salazar’s four-seam velocity (95.1 mph average on Monday, courtesy of Brooks Baseball) to his dominant changeup (86.8 mph average), and it’s easy to see why he is on pace for his highest strikeout-per-nine total of his career, an excellent trend if even in a limited sample size. Storylines We already spent a good portion of the day detailing the early-season slump of Edwin Encarnacion and whether any trends offer an indication of how concerning it truly is, so we won’t spend a lot of time rehashing those thoughts (but you can read about them here). What is worth noting is that Encarnacion finally collected his first hit with a runner in scoring position. This particular hit, a single, drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the third inning on a ball struck 112 mph off his bat, the top exit velocity Monday. Before his rocket to left off Kyle Gibson, he was 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, a trend no one expected to continue but was still frustrating to watch. Encarnacion still struck out twice, continuing an early theme that’s not consistent with his career rates, but getting off the RISP schneid was enough to feel good about for one day. Baby steps. Speaking of small positives, Michael Brantley’s solo homer to right-center in the fifth inning didn’t just offer some insurance for the Indians, it also was his second of the season, which is certainly deserving of a mention. Brantley’s progress has been a little inconsistent at times, but an occasional demonstration of power is good to see. His one-run blast left the bat at 105.4 mph, the eighth ball he’s struck at 100 mph or faster this season, according to Baseball Savant, and the hardest ball he’s hit overall. Perhaps the biggest continued work-in-progress for Brantley and his road to 100 percent recovery from shoulder issues is pitch recognition and timing. Typically a high-contact hitter, he has struck out 26.1 percent of the time in 46 plate appearances this season. With that noted, given what Brantley’s been through, many would have been thrilled to know he’d carry an .811 OPS and 124 wRC+ through the first 13 games. There’s still a noticeable gap to close, but we’ve seen enough positives, at least for now, to feel better about an eventual return to consistent form. Takeaways It seems every club’s fan base is upset with their closing situation. In that regard, it’s a lot like most NFL field-goal kickers. Every group of fans is nervous about their guy, but more often than not, they hold them to a silly, unreachable standard for excellence. Cody Allen absolutely falls under that category — despite unquestionably being one of baseball’s best relievers. Sure, Andrew Miller gets the headlines and makes hitters look silly enough to turn their exchanges into .gifs, but pretending like Allen isn’t downright filthy in his own right is to blatantly miss the privilege of watching some really good pitching. You know why he Allen has to pitch his way out of jams? Because the last three outs of the game are tough to consistently get. And he fits so perfectly in the ninth because of his ability to miss bats, which allows him to escape trouble more often than a hurler yielding more contact. Just so were on the same page, while some will choose to focus on how the Twins managed to load the bases in the ninth before Allen emerged unscathed, the rest of us can marvel at his 13 strikeouts (13!) in just 5 2/3 innings this year. He used his negative FIP of -1.13 (yeah, negative, I know) to help the Indians climb within a game of the .500 mark, giving them a record equal to the reigning World Champion Cubs. Is anyone in Chicago panicked over their 6-7 start? Asking for a friend. On deck Will some of the adjustments Josh Tomlin has attempted to make between starts pay off? We’ll get our first look at him since a short outing against the White Sox, as he’ll be opposed by Phil Hughes (2-0, 3.86). First pitch on Tuesday is set for 8:10 p.m.

Minnesota Twins sit slumping Byron Buxton for second time this season By Mike Berardino | April 17, 2017 at 6:39 PM Struggling Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, off to a 4-for-43 start, was omitted from the starting lineup again Monday night with hard-throwing right-hander Danny Salazar starting for the Cleveland Indians. Max Kepler shifted over from right field to take Buxton’s place in the field. Robbie Grossman got his second straight start in right. “When Byron gets a day we have options,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Buxton’s .093 batting average ranks second-lowest in the majors among qualifying players. Only New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (.087) is off to a slower start through the first two weeks in that category. On Sunday Buxton flied out to the warning track his first time up and drew a leadoff walk in the seventh off ex-Twins right-hander Anthony Swarzak. Buxton also ran his majors-leading strikeout total to 23 with two more whiffs, including one with the bases loaded to end the fourth. He reached on a sharp double to right-center and was hit by pitch his final two trips on Saturday. “I think there’s been a couple of at-bats where we’ve seen a little better approach in terms of either trying to get into a hitter’s count or recognition in trying to put a better swing according to what you see,” Molitor said. “But he’s still sped up to the point where it’s making it really hard for him to handle both velocity and offspeed at the same time.” Buxton, whose parents and younger sister flew in from Georgia over Easter weekend, also sat out April 12 at Detroit. “Just trying to keep having those talks and work sessions where you can translate some of the things he knows he needs to do once the adrenaline starts flowing and the game is on the line,” Molitor said. “The ball he hit to left field, it was close. Still hit it off the end of the bat, still probably too far out front and maybe tried to pull a pitch that was tough to pull, but at least it was better. We’re looking for positive signs.” Last season Buxton was sent to Triple-A Rochester on April 24 after 49 plate appearances. He was hitting .156 with a .208 on-base percentage and a .289 slugging percentage, and the Twins were off to a 5-14 start. FULL BELLY, SPEEDY DOZIER Brian Dozier’s first career inside-the-park homer didn’t just come a day after he missed his first game of the season with a minor knee issue. Per Statcast, he also rounded the bases in 15.41 seconds a few hours after he and his family enjoyed a four-course Easter brunch at Red Rabbit, a North Loop restaurant a stone’s throw from Target Field. “There were six of us eating,” Dozier said Monday. “First course was cinnamon rolls. Second course was salmon, scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes. Third course was chicken parmigiana, arugula salad and noodles; and the fourth course was a coffee cake with coffee.” Did he enjoy a glass of midday champagne as well? “No champagne,” he said. “They had mimosas, I had water.” A new Sunday tradition at home, perhaps? “My body can’t handle that every Sunday,” Dozier said with a laugh. “That’s probably why I was a little slow.” GIMENEZ THE LEADER Well-traveled catcher Chris Gimenez, who caught Ervin Santana’s one-hitter on Saturday in just his third game behind the plate for the Twins, drew high praise Monday from Indians manager Terry Francona. “There’s a lot of leadership ability there for a guy that doesn’t have to play every day,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He’s enthusiastic and he has a way of making people better around him. He’s a good teammate. That’s probably the best compliment you can almost give any player.” Gimenez, whose third stint with the Indians resulted in an American League pennant last season, had pitch-calling responsibilities for a pair of two-hitters since reaching the majors in 2009. On Oct. 2, 2012 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he caught the first eight innings and 13 strikeouts of James Shields’ complete-game, 15-strikeout performance in a 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Needing a sweep to claim the American League wild card, the Rays sent Carlos Pena up to hit for Gimenez, who gave way to Jose Lobaton behind the plate for the ninth. In 2015 with the Texas Rangers, Gimenez caught a complete-game two-hitter by Colby Lewis on Sept. 11 in a 4-0 win over the Oakland A’s. Lewis, who went the distance on 97 pitches, was five outs away from completing a no-hitter. Gimenez, 34, said he never caught a no-hitter in the minors, so Santana’s Saturday gem ranks as his personal low-hit game as a pro catcher. “That was my first one-hitter,” he said. “That’s pretty cool. I’ve been lucky. I’ve gotten to ride some coattails that made me look a lot better than I think I really am.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.18.2017 1062296 Minnesota Twins Bond between Terry Francona, Derek Falvey remains strong By Mike Berardino | PUBLISHED: April 17, 2017 Over the four years they worked together in Cleveland, including an exhilarating run to Game 7 of last year’s epic World Series, Derek Falvey became nothing short of Indians manager Terry Francona’s Mr. Fix-It. “He was so helpful, whether it was the (pitcher-batter) matchups or fixing my printer,” Francona said before Monday’s 3-1 win over Falvey’s Twins at Target Field in their first meeting of the year. “Like, nothing was really beneath him. He was just one of us. He’s a pretty special guy.” Hired in October to recalibrate the Twins’ baseball operations from top to bottom, Falvey impressed Francona from the first days of their association in the fall of 2012. Then serving as director of baseball operations in the Indians’ front office, Falvey offered to compile full transcriptions of interviews for Francona’s first pitching coach after jumping back into managing following a year in television. “I was out over my skis, so ‘D’ kind of said, ‘I’ll help you with it. I’ll take notes and stuff,’ ” said Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. “That was really like the second time I’d met him. We just kind of hit it off that day. When you get relationships that are that strong they don’t happen overnight, but it started that day.” Shortly after that, Francona knocked his glasses off the nightstand of his downtown Cleveland hotel and accidentally stepped on them when he got up that morning. Due in Detroit that night for an ESPN assignment at Game 3 of the World Series, Francona called Falvey in a panic. “He called me about 7:15 in the morning,” Falvey recalled. “This is Day 3 of knowing him. He said, ‘Can you find me a glasses store?’ We figured it out and got him his glasses so he could see.” Falvey, who had lived in Cleveland since signing on as an intern in the fall of 2007, found a place and had the whole thing smoothed out in a matter of hours. “We figured it out,” Falvey said. “I think they popped the lens back in and it wasn’t shattered.” There are so many other stories, but those two remain vivid for both men because they helped forge an instant connection. Whether it was lineup construction, pitch-sequencing data, spray charts, roster needs or myriad other questions, Falvey eventually became invaluable to the widely respected skipper and his coaching staff. It’s why Francona, who played parts of two seasons (1989-90) in Milwaukee at the end of his career, didn’t hesitate when asked how he could see Falvey working with Twins manager Paul Molitor, his ex-teammate. “I don’t see anybody not getting along with Derek,” Francona said. “I told Derek, ‘I think you’re going to love Paulie.’ I was around Mollie enough to know the way he sees the game, how much he cares about the game and how passionate he is. I told both of them I thought they’d do great together, and I meant that.” Even though Falvey, 34, grew up in Lynn, Mass., and was finishing up at Hartford’s Trinity College when Francona’s ’04 Red Sox ended the 86-year Curse of the Bambino, there was never a fan-hero dynamic to their pairing. “I know D’s young, but he didn’t ever really come across that way,” Francona said of the club’s former assistant general manager. “I always felt like I was with a peer. I really felt that way. He found a way to connect with everybody here.” Still, nearly a quarter century separates them in terms of chronological age, so there is no getting around the fatherly pride Francona clearly feels at seeing his former protégé secure his dream job with the Twins. It’s that connection that moved Falvey to stop by the Indians’ team hotel Monday morning for the first of four straight days of reminiscence. At some point, he will accept the American League championship ring that his hard work behind the scenes helped make possible. “I saw him today, and I almost cried,” Falvey said of Francona. “It’s just that kind of relationship. He’s been a mentor of mine. He’s someone I’ve learned a ton from. I still call him.” Their conversations range from fatherhood to baseball minutiae, and just because they now work for division rivals that doesn’t mean the connection stops. “I’m looking forward to more conversations with him,” Falvey said. “Not just today, but going forward. It’s pretty special.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.18.2017 1062297 New York Mets Twins boss Derek Falvey's ties to Cleveland still strong By Phil Miller Star Tribune Terry Francona really wanted to catch up with Derek Falvey, his longtime colleague with the Indians, on Monday, but found it nearly impossible. Every few seconds as they chatted, somebody else came up to greet Falvey, too. “He’s one of all of our favorites, not just mine. He found a way to connect with everybody here,” Francona said before the first meeting between Falvey’s former team and the new one he’s now in charge of. “Whether it was in the office or with the players or coaches, he crossed over every line there was. He was a favorite. We miss him.” Safe to say, the feeling is mutual. Seeing his mentor at the ballpark on Monday, Falvey said, was an emotional experience. “We talked today and I almost cried,” Falvey said. “It’s just that kind of relationship.” It was a relationship that grew over four seasons together in Cleveland, Francona as the manager and Falvey as a front-office junior executive willing to do anything to help the team win. “He was so helpful, whether it was [analyzing pitching] matchups or fixing my printer,” Francona said. “Nothing was really beneath him. He was just one of us.” But it became a long-distance relationship once Twins owner Jim Pohlad asked for permission in September to talk to Falvey about running his baseball team. Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, informed the manager that the team was likely to lose the then-33-year-old assistant GM. “The brutal truth is, it hurts when you lose people. But it doesn’t ever get in the way of your excitement or your pride for them,” Francona said. “We were really happy that the Twins people let him stay with us last year during our playoff run, because they really didn’t have to, and we weren’t going to stand in his way. But we didn’t know what we were going to do without him, either, so it worked out pretty well.” Except for the World Series, of course, which the Indians lost in the 10th inning of Game 7. The Indians earned AL championship rings, which were handed out last week, and there is one with Falvey’s name on it, awaiting a private ceremony, perhaps when the Twins travel to Cleveland next month. From now on, the relationship is a competitive one. The Twins and Indians meet 18 or 19 times per season, and the games figure to mean a little more to those involved. “Pitch one, it’s on,” Falvey said. “That’s the way it is. We’re all, in this game, pretty competitive. You certainly don’t forget where you came from, and a lot of people on that side there are responsible for the things I’ve learned in my life in baseball so far. So I feel very fortunate. But once the game’s on, it’s full tilt.” He even conferred with Twins manager Paul Molitor about some of his old team’s players. “There were some things maybe that wouldn’t jump out at you, in terms of numbers,” Molitor said. “Whether they will be game-changers or not, we’ll have to see, but we’ll take all the information, inside trading if you will, and try to use it the best way we can.” Buxton battling again Byron Buxton was out of the Twins’ lineup on Monday, with Max Kepler moving to center field in his place. Buxton hit a couple of balls hard over the weekend, once flying out to the left-field wall, but Molitor said he sees the same problems in the slumping Buxton’s swing. “The ball hit to left field yesterday was close, [but he] still hit it off the end of the bat, still [was] probably too far out front, and maybe tried to pull a pitch that was tough to pull,” Molitor said. “But at least it was better.” Still, Buxton’s average sits at .093, or 4-for-43, with 23 strikeouts. One of them Sunday came with the bases loaded. “There have been a couple of at-bats where we’ve seen a better approach, trying to get into a hitter’s count,” Molitor said. “He’s still sped up to the point where it’s making it really hard for him to handle both velocity and off-speed at the same time.” Star Tribune LOADED: 04.18.2017 Cleveland gets to Gibson, beat Twins 3-1 Game-breaking innings, early and late, flame out as Twins lose opener to Indians. By Phil Miller April 18, 2017 Miguel Sano has never clouted a walk-off home run in his young career, but he’s always eager for his chance. And so it came to pass in the bottom of the ninth on Monday, with the Twins trailing by two runs, Eddie Rosario standing on third base and Max Kepler on second. As he dug in against Indians closer Cody Allen, what was the 23-year-old slugger thinking? “If he throws me a breaking ball in the middle,” Sano said, “I swear to God, I crush it.” Good plan. But Allen knew it, too. Cleveland’s closer pitched carefully to Sano and their tense, dramatic showdown ended in an anticlimactic walk. Joe Mauer ended the game two pitches later with a fly ball to center, sending the Twins to their fifth loss in seven games, 3-1 to the Indians at Target Field. Perhaps the Twins wouldn’t have had to try to crack the Indians’ superb bullpen had they cashed in a few of their other opportunities along the way. Minnesota collected five hits and a walk over the first two innings, and turned all of that into only one run, on a Rosario single. They left the bases loaded in the first inning, and after Rosario’s hit put runners on first and third with no outs in the second, they couldn’t move either runner. “We left too many guys on,” Twins manager Paul Molitor complained. “You leave 12 men on base, that’s not a good sign.” Neither is Indians righthander Danny Salazar settling in after the early trouble; the Twins didn’t move another runner past first base until the ninth inning, and Salazar, second in the AL in strikeouts, whiffed seven in six innings. Indians manager Terry Francona says Derek Falvey never considered any task beneath him, and they built a strong relationship from the start. Kyle Gibson pitched an even more messy game, allowing a baserunner or two in every inning. Gibson managed some damage control that limited the Indians to three runs, one of them coming on Michael Brantley’s towering home run into the seats in right-center. But Taylor Rogers and especially Tyler Duffey — who retired eight hitters without allowing anyone past first base, his fourth spotless relief appearance of the season — kept the Twins within range. But winning the game meant denting that Indians bullpen. They couldn’t do much against Bryan Shaw in the seventh inning, or Andrew Miller in the eighth. That left Allen in the ninth, and the Twins gave it a try. Rosario smacked a one-out single, and Kepler lined a two-out double to the wall in right-center, putting the tying runs in scoring position. Up came Sano, easily the Twins’ most dangerous hitter through the first two weeks of the season, with the chilly Target Field crowd roaring. Allen pitched Sano brilliantly, alternating 82-mph curveballs at the bottom of the strike zone — pitches Sano swung at and three times fouled off, one of them just missing an extra-base hit down the line — with hard, low-90s sliders that darted out of the zone. Sano let each of them go by. “He’s a good closer, had good slider. I looked for a fast one, but I don’t see it,” Sano said. “At that moment, I was looking for one pitch to hit. Not looking for two or three, only one. A fastball. I don’t see it.” “Obviously, they pitched him carefully. He didn’t get a fastball to hit,” Molitor said. “He’s just trying got get [Sano] to expand [the strike zone] a little bit there.” Allen faced Mauer instead, and while the Twins’ cleanup hitter had two hits on the night, Allen got him to lift a 1-0 fastball to center. “