Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, September 27, 2017 Brian Dozier's home run gives Twins a win, reduces magic number to 1 over Angels. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Twins, Indians both have postseason goals within reach. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Bullpen picks up Colon after he gets sick, other notes. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Magic of 2017 was on full display Tuesday for Twins. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4 Scoggins: New Twins regime's patience pays off, now and in future. Star Tribune (Scoggins) p. 4 Molitor's 1982 Brewers provide cautionary tale for Molitor's 2017 Twins. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 5 Late Brian Dozier homer lifts Twins to 8-6 win over Cleveland Indians. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Max Kepler returns to lineup, plays through bruised lower back. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Twins’ ByungHo Park plans to stay in Twin Cities this offseason. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8 Twins' magic number 1 thanks to Doz, Bux. MLB.com (Bollinger & Kosileski) p. 9 Twins thrilling! Byron, Brian topple Tribe. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11 Dozier lifts Twins one step closer to WC. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11 Good news for Twins as Kepler back in action. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12 Zulgad: Twins write another winning chapter in the Summer of Resilience. 1500 ESPN (Zulgad) p. 13 Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Close to clinching, some thoughts on Twins postseason roster. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 14 Dozier, Twins inch closer to postseason with resilient win over Indians. Associated Press p. 16 Twins would wrap up playoff spot with win over Indians. STATS p. 17 Brian Dozier's home run gives Twins a win, reduces magic number to 1 over Angels La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 27, 2017 CLEVELAND - The Indians are the hottest team in baseball with one of the best bullpens in the game, and they had a lead in the eighth inning. That did not matter to the Twins. "The momentum can shift, just like that," Byron Buxton said. "With just one hit." Brian Dozier turned out to be right man at the right time with the right swing. Dozier launched Bryan Shaw's cut fastball over the right field wall for a three-run homer in the eighth inning to bring the Twins back from a two- run deficit. Buxton added an RBI single in the ninth, and the Twins toppled the Indians 8-6 at Progressive Field for their fifth consecutive victory. They were ready to party if they had clinched a wild-card berth, so they retreated to the clubhouse to watch the end of the White Sox-Angels game in Chicago. Alas, the Angels won 9-3. So the Twins' magic number to clinch the second wild-card spot is down to one. A victory over Cleveland on Wednesday — or an Angels loss to Chicago — and the Twins are back to the postseason for the first time since 2010. "We still have work to do," Dozier said. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Dozier's homer slowed down Cleveland's 29-2 rampage through the league heading into Tuesday. And the Indians bullpen was 87-4 when leading after seven innings. The Twins won a game in which starting righthander Bartolo Colon left after one inning because of illness, leading manager Paul Molitor to use a club-record 10 pitchers in a nine-inning game. It also was a relief after the Twins were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position before Dozier faced Shaw in the eighth. With five games left to play, the Twins already have improved by 24 victories from last season, the biggest turnaround in club history. Part of the reason is the young core of hitters continuing to produce. In addition to Buxton's insurance run, Eddie Rosario was 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. "Just because we are close to the playoffs, we didn't go out there and change anything or try to be something we're not," Buxton said. "We stayed within ourselves." Jason Castro singled with one out in the eighth and was replaced by pinch runner Niko Goodrum. Robbie Grossman singled, with Goodrum advancing to third, and Zack Granite pinch ran for Grossman. Dozier was 3-for-23 against Shaw, but knew one thing: He was getting a cut fastball. The 0-1 pitch was 96 miles per hour, but broke down and over the middle of the plate. Dozier swatted it out to right, then threw his right fist into the air as he rounded first base. "That was probably as explosive as our dugout has been all year, when that ball cleared the right field wall," Molitor said. "That was quite a moment." The Twins scored two runs in both the first and third innings, only for the Indians to tie the score in the bottom of each inning. Then the Twins began leaving runners in scoring position. Francisco Lindor gave Cleveland a 5-4 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Edwin Encarnacion added a solo homer in the seventh off Ryan Pressly to make it 6-4. But those runs only set up the Twins' 38th come-from-behind victory, putting them one game away from a celebration. "The magic number is one," Dozier said. "We control our own destiny. We can win [Wednesday]. And then there will be a party. "I probably won't see you guys for a day and a half." Twins, Indians both have postseason goals within reach La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | September 27, 2017 CLEVELAND – Who knew, when Cleveland was sweeping the Twins at Target Field and the Twins were winning five out of six at Progressive Field, that it would come to this? Both teams have something to play for during the final week of the regular season. The Twins are trying to clinch the AL’s second wild card, while the Indians are after baseball’s best record. And it all goes down this week at Progressive Field. Cleveland entered Tuesday 10-6 against the Twins, but the Twins have gained confidence from their success in the Indians’ park. This should still be a test, as the Twins arrive in the middle of the Indians’ run of dominance. Manager Paul Molitor doesn’t expect his team to back down, especially since they have played well here. “I’m not going to be overly concerned how these games go other than I want to win,” he said. “You just keep looking for your team to keep doing what it has been doing. We have played well in this park, and we have matched up fairly well.” Cleveland entered the series having won a ridiculous 29 of their past 31 games, putting them in the running with the Astros and Dodgers for the best record in the majors. Indians manager Terry Francona feels much like Molitor, given his response when asked about the Twins’ ability to score in different ways. “Well, I don’t really sit around and think of that because what I care about is trying to beat them [Tuesday],” Francona said. “The philosophy of how they got good is — I just care about how we’re going to beat [Bartolo] Colon [Tuesday] and how we’re going to move on to [Wednesday]. “I mean they’ve been a fun team to watch because they’ve scratched and clawed so much, so when you think they’re down and out, now all of a sudden their [magic] number is two. Anyone who knows [Twins Chief Baseball Office and former Indians exec] Derek Falvey is thrilled for them. Guess my hope is while they’re here, they clinch that spot but they clinch it by the other team losing.” 2 Still won’t go there Before the game, Molitor continued to avoid directly answering questions about clinching the wild-card spot. He has not forgotten about his 1982 Brewers team that led by four games with five to play and ended up needing to win on the final day of the regular season to reach the playoffs. “I happen to have personal experience in watching a comfortable lead squandered in the last four days of a regular season,” Molitor said. “It was real. It happened.” He grimaces when the postseason logistical questions come up in the clubhouse, as well as the media inquiries. He knows it’s part of being in the race the last week of the season. “They had to have a [playoff] shares meeting, and MLB demands they do that,” Molitor said. “We had one two years ago, and no one got a penny.” Kepler back in lineup Outfielder Max Kepler was back in the starting lineup after missing Sunday because of a sore left hip suffered while he fielded a ball a night before. “Talked to the trainers, watched him work out,” Molitor said. “… We think it is more like a bruise than any type of pain, so our risk is relatively nonexistent.” Kepler, batting .243 with 19 home run and 68 RBI, is one player Molitor would like to see heat up during the final week. “He is excited to be back, and he should be,” Molitor said. “And I’m glad to put his name down.” Etc. • Molitor did not receive an update on third baseman Miguel Sano which, to him, means that nothing has changed. Sano is still undergoing treatment for a stress reaction in his left shin and has not recently attempted any baseball-related activities. Bullpen picks up Colon after he gets sick, other notes La Velle E.