Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 23, 2017 Soggy Day All

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 23, 2017

 Soggy day all around as Twins wait out long delay and lose 9-0 to White Sox. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1  Two more Class AAA pitchers called up by Twins. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Postgame: Turley learned the hard way about falling behind hitters. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Fans who had Thursday tickets get free tickets to future Twins game. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4  Twins-Cleveland series preview. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4  Twins roughed up by White Sox, lose 9-0. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 5  For Twins players, doubleheaders just the ticket for ‘a little kumbaya’. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 6  After record delay, Twins blanked by White Sox. MLB (Jackson & Mason) p. 7  Turley optioned after another rough outing. MLB (Jackson) p. 8  Twins, Mejia eye redemption against Tribe. MLB (Jackson) p. 8  Why are the Twins so much worse when they play at home? ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 9  Preview: Twins at Indians. (Associated Press) p. 10  Catcher Gimenez takes the mound again as Twins fall to White Sox .(Associated Press) p. 11  Twins’ Park bounces back at the plate with five multi-hit games. FOX Sports (Dierberger) p. 12  Athens Christian grad Alan Busenitz makes MLB debut for Minnesota Twins. OnlineAthens (Caldwell) p. 14  West Fargo Woman Celebrating More than a Century of Loving Baseball and the Minnesota Twins. KVRR (Cohen) p. 15  How Many Baseball Fans Must Be Maimed Before MLB Parks Extend Their Netting? Houston Press (Royal) p. 16

Soggy day all around as Twins wait out long delay and lose 9-0 to White Sox Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 23, 2017

Some 5,000 Target Field customers waited almost five hours Thursday to watch a game that was over in about 20 minutes.

Rookie lefthander Nik Turley, his third major league start delayed all afternoon by a steady summer shower, made a brief, and perhaps final, appearance on the mound for the Twins. Six of the eight Chicago batters Turley faced racked up hits, two of them smashed long home runs, and the Twins went quietly after that, closing their 11-game homestand with a 9-0 loss.

The Twins now embark on a difficult 11-game road trip, but Turley won’t be with them, having been optioned back to Class AAA Rochester after the shutout loss — Minnesota’s first of the season — finally ended.

“He got a chance to learn up here. He fought his way up here and went through a lot,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said after Turley’s ERA ballooned to 16.39. “Hopefully he’s learned and keeps himself on the radar. As we all know, our starting depth is in need of people that keep themselves in the mix.”

They need people who throw strikes, too, an ability that has eluded Turley in each of his three starts. On Thursday, Turley fell behind each of the first five hitters he faced, and four of them took advantage by smashing hits all over the park — two of them out of it. Jose Abreu crushed an 0-1 fastball five rows deep into the left-field bleachers, Avisail Garcia followed with a double into the corner, and Todd Frazier launched a 3-2 fastball into the White Sox bullpen, staking Chicago to a 4-0 lead before hecklers had even warmed up.

Turley faced three more batters, two of whom singled, and his very-long-yet-very-short day was over after 33 pitches. “Getting behind all the time didn’t allow him to use his curveball very much,” Molitor said. Turley didn’t throw a curve, in fact, until facing Matt Davidson, six batters in, “which was kind of surprising to everybody,” the manager added. “It just got out of hand. I wanted to try to get him through, because I needed some innings, but when it got to [4-0], I tried to stop the bleeding.”

Five other Twins pitchers took their turns facing the White Sox, the last of them catcher Chris Gimenez, who made his sixth appearance on the mound this season. Depending on how you define “position player” — excluding some players, such as ex-Cardinal Rick Ankiel, who switched positions midcareer — that might be the most such emergency outings in major league history, and certainly since the 1940s.

Turley goes down in Twins history, too; his first three career starts, since being called up June 11, have totaled 9⅓ innings, and included 17 runs allowed on 23 hits. His 16.39 ERA is the second-worst ever by a Minnesota pitcher in his first three career starts, topped only by Pete Filson’s 17.47 mark in 1982.

Buddy Boshers allowed two runs in two innings, and Craig Breslow two in 2⅔ as well, but it hardly mattered with Jose Quintana on the mound. The Chicago lefthander shut out the Twins on only five hits over 6⅔ innings, striking out nine while issuing no walks.

“He knows how to use a lead. His changeup was really good, we had trouble picking it up all day. His curveball was there, too,” Molitor said of Quintana. “He got them deep in the game, protected their bullpen after they were overused the last couple days. He did what a veteran, polished starter will do.”

Two more Class AAA pitchers called up by Twins Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 23, 2017

Their need for pitching growing desperate yet again, the Twins are looking inside their organization and out for new potential solutions.

This weekend’s newcomers: Rochester closer Trevor Hildenberger, a former 22nd-round draft pick, and Dillon Gee, a longtime Met who was released by the Rangers earlier this week.

According to sources familiar with the transactions, those two righthanders will be added to the Twins’ roster Friday in Cleveland, though moves to clear space on the 40-man roster remain unclear.

Nik Turley was sent to Rochester after Thursday's loss and Ehire Adrianza was placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Gee, 31, spent six seasons in the Mets’ rotation, and posted a 4.03 ERA with the NL team. He hasn’t pitched particularly well in a couple of seasons, turning in a 4.68 ERA last year with the Royals, and spending a month in the minors this season before joining Texas.

“He’s in the mix” to fill in on the pitching staff that will be updated Friday, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, a move that was later confirmed. “We’re trying to figure out what’s best in terms of protecting us. We just need to have some protection for innings. So him being a guy who has that potential, we have to consider whether we want to do that in the short term or just let him get some work down there and see where he’s at.”

Adrianza, who stole three bases Wednesday, was placed on the disabled list because of an abdominal issue, the Twins announced. Adrianza underwent tests and will have more done while the Twins are away.

“Hopefully, everything gets cleaned up and do what we need to as far as treating whatever’s going on there,” Molitor said.

Hildenberger, a sidearm pitcher who has saved six games for the Red Wings — three in the past week — has a 2.05 ERA in 21 games this year, striking out 35 with only eight walks in 30⅔ innings. He has held righthanded hitters to a .208 average in Class AAA, and has recorded double- digit saves in each of his three previous professional seasons.

Lefthander Hector Santiago (shoulder) will also join the team this weekend, after pitching three innings in a rehab start Wednesday, but will not be activated from the disabled list until next week.

Deals are struck

The Twins have reached contract agreements with 10 of their first 12 picks in last week’s draft, with only a pair of high school pitchers and a Puerto Rican outfielder still unsigned among the top dozen, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said. Landon Leach, the first pick in the second round from Pickering High in suburban Toronto, and Blayne Enlow, from St. Amant (La.) High, taken one round later, are still working out contract details, with Enlow expected to be in the fold on Friday. Outfielder Gabriel Rodriguez from Adela Rolon Fuentes High near San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first player taken on the draft’s third day, also remains unsigned.

High school seniors taken in the early rounds often require above-slot bonuses to convince them to forgo college, and Leach and Enlow are expected to receive more than their designated bonuses. Similarly, fifth-round pick Andrew Bechtold, a third base prospect and redshirt sophomore from Chipola College in Florida, agreed to a deal worth $600,000, well above the $378,700 targeted for that pick, rather than return to school. The Twins — who also signed 12th-round righthander Bailey Ober from the College of Charleston (S.C.) on Thursday — can offer more and still stay within MLB draft limits, because of the money saved by signing first-round pick Royce Lewis to a contract worth $1 million less than the $7.7 million target for his bonus.

Patience rewarded

The Twins waited nearly five hours for a break in Thursday’s afternoon showers but were able to start the game at 5 p.m. under bright sunshine.

They haven’t always been able to do that. The official delay of 4 hours, 50 minutes is a Minnesota record, and an example of how modern drainage technology at Target Field allows the grass to absorb even a daylong rain and still be playable.

Both teams were committed to getting the game in, a desire made easier by the fact that the White Sox were flying home to Chicago after the game, and the Twins only to Cleveland, both relatively short flights. Neither team wanted to schedule another doubleheader; the Twins have already played three this season, with two more to come, including an Aug. 21 makeup game in Chicago.

The announced attendance was 27,684, and perhaps half the crowd remained in the ballpark around 2 p.m. By the time the game began, though, perhaps one-fifth of that number remained, and it continued to dwindle as the lopsided game went on.

The Twins rewarded their fans, though, whether they stayed or not. The team announced that all tickets to Thursday’s game, whether they were used or not, can be exchanged at the Target Field box office for tickets to any regular-season game after Aug. 28.

Postgame: Turley learned the hard way about falling behind hitters Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 22, 2017

He didn’t say it with Kyle Gibson’s Midwestern accent, but Nik Turley sure sounded a lot like Gibson after Thursday’s loss to the White Sox. Both pitchers are tall, both possess mid-90s fastballs, and both get in trouble when they can’t throw first-pitch strikes.

“I feel like I was trying to be too fine. I was trying to hit the corner instead of just being aggressive,” said Turley, virtually word-for-word as Gibson when he has a game where he’s constantly pitching from behind. “I know the stuff’s there. The stuff’s always been there. I’m just going to work as hard as I can to get it back.”

He’ll have to do it in Rochester, N.Y., of course, having been optioned back to Class AAA after his third straight short-start loss in three tries. This time, the rookie lefthander lasted only eight batters before Paul Molitor had seen enough, and he fell behind six of them. No shock here: Five of those hitters, able to sit on a fastball in the zone, collected hits, two of them homers.

“I feel like today it was a lot to do with my mentality. There’s no excuse. It’s just I went out there and I was a little cautious instead of pitching my game,” Turley said. “So, I started getting behind guys. I know if I get ahead and stay aggressive in the zone than I’ll be all right.”

It’s a lot easier to say than to do, of course, and nobody knows it better than Gibson, who has been battling that fall-behind plague for most of his career. But Turley had other problems, too. He rarely threw his curveball — not at all to the first five batters, actually — which was one of the points the Twins had emphasized to him before the game.

And his changeup wasn’t fooling anyone. “It was basically like a [batting practice] fastball. It was a 4- or 5-mph difference from my fastball instead of what you want. You want it to be around 10,” Turley said. “My curveball’s my best pitch, so I should have gone to it more. I regret not going to it.”

He didn’t sound regretful about the past two weeks, though, despite the disastrous (16.39 ERA) results. “I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Turley, who spent nine seasons in the minors before getting his shot. “I hope to be back here soon.”

Fans who had Thursday tickets get free tickets to future Twins game Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 23, 2017

The Twins waited nearly five hours for a break in Thursday’s afternoon showers but were able to start the game at 5 p.m. under bright sunshine.

Twins-Cleveland series preview Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 22, 2017

THREE-GAME SERIES AT PROGRESSIVE FIELD

Friday, 6:10 p.m.: LHP Adalberto Mejía (1-3, 5.53) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (6-5, 5.54)

Saturday, 3:10 p.m.: RHP Kyle Gibson (4-5, 6.56) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (6-2, 3.58)

Sunday, 12:10 p.m.: RHP Ervin Santana (9-4, 2.97) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (4-8, 6.07)

All games on FSN and 96.3-FM

TWINS UPDATE

They bounced back from four consecutive losses to Cleveland by winning two of three from the White Sox. … They are 20-9 on the road, which is the second-best away record in the majors but will be tested on this difficult 11-game trip to Cleveland, Boston and Kansas City. … They went 9-10 against the Indians last year and 5-5 in Cleveland, and 12-7 overall in 2015 and 6-4 at Progressive Field. … They hit 19 home runs in Cleveland last season, by far their best road showing, and posted a .901 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in Progressive Field. But that OPS fell to .613 in three games there in May. … Mejia and Gibson faced the Indians in their last start. Mejia allowed two earned runs in 4⅔ innings, while Gibson gave up three runs in six innings. … 3B Miguel Sano entered Thursday with 52 RBI, third-most in the AL, and 39 walks, ninth-most. He is also tied for fourth in on-base percentage (. 391) and fifth in slugging percentage (. 579).

INDIANS UPDATE

Their explosive weekend in Minneapolis carried over to Baltimore, where they won 12-0 on Monday, then won three of the next four. … They outscored the Twins 28-8 in sweeping four games at Target Field, and have won eight of 10 against Minnesota this season. But the Twins took two of three in Cleveland in May. … They are 15-17 at home, yet remain atop the AL Central. … OF Michael Brantley, who missed last weekend while on the paternity list, is now on the disabled list because of a sprained ankle. … RHP Danny Salazar (shoulder) and RF Abraham Almonte (biceps strain) are also on the DL. … RHP Corey Kluber has a 2.90 ERA in his past 11 starts against the Twins. … Closer Cody Allen has 15 saves in 16 opportunities, but in his past two appearances he pitched the eighth inning, with LHP Andrew Miller pitching the ninth.

Twins roughed up by White Sox, lose 9-0 Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | June 22, 2017

For nearly five hours Thursday, a few thousand dedicated, if imprudent, fans took cover at Target Field, enduring the longest rain delay in Twins history, eager to see if their team could complete a sweep of the White Sox and revitalize a season that was dampened after last weekend’s sweep by Cleveland.

Four hours and 50 minutes after the first pitch was scheduled to be thrown, Nik Turley toed the rubber, and a few minutes later, the Twins were well on their way to a 9-0 loss.

A night after Jose Berrios showed the pitching potential the Twins have lacked from their starters in recent years, Turley reminded all why this team’s pitching struggles beyond its top two arms. Turley surrendered five runs while recording only two outs.

“It got out of hand,” manager Paul Molitor said.

Thursday marked the first time the Twins were shut out this season and ended their 11-game homestand with a 4-7 record.

Turley was pulled before the first inning was over, and 8 1/2 more innings mercilessly marched on, the game finally ending 8 hours, 11 minutes after the scheduled first pitch.

The Twins watched the White Sox cross the plate seven times before they had made eight outs.

The revolving door of Twins starting pitchers will surely continue with Turley headed back to the minors after a stint as bad as any in franchise history.

His 16.39 earned-run average is the worst among Twins to make at least three starts.

“We all know our starting depth is in need of people who keep themselves in the mix,” Molitor said. “Hopefully he’s learned and can keep himself on the radar.”

After roughing up Turley, the White Sox smacked around the five other pitchers the Twins needed just to close out the game. The Twins again leaned on catcher Chris Gimenez, who made his sixth pitching appearance in the 70th game of the season, a poor sign the Twins have needed him so much.

At the plate, the Twins looked half asleep, perhaps a byproduct of the large early deficit.

In April, the Twins roughed up Chicago starter Jose Quintana for five earned runs. Thursday, the lefty limited the Twins to six hits and only allowed one runner to reach second base.

“He was good,” Molitor said. “He got them deep in the game, protected their bullpen after they were overused the last couple days. He did what a veteran, polished starter will do.”

Quintana’s impressive outing against the Twins was overshadowed by Turley’s tough time. It took the Twins 25 minutes just to escape the top of the first inning. Turley was demoted to Triple-A Rochester after his three-start trip to the majors yielded 9.1 innings, 23 hits and 17 runs.

BRIEFLY

The Twins placed infielder Ehire Adrianza on the disabled list after the game with abdominal issues. That move, coupled with Turley’s demotion, will allow the Twins to call up two pitchers Friday.

For Twins players, doubleheaders just the ticket for ‘a little kumbaya’ Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | June 22, 2017

Back when Paul Molitor was a big-league rookie, doubleheaders were routine enough, he said, that he hardly remembers worrying about playing two games on the same day or stressing about how the bullpen might hold up.

Nearly four decades later, so much has changed, Molitor said, that the Twins manager already is thinking about the team’s upcoming doubleheader in Kansas City on July 1, still more than a week away.

“You plan ahead the best you can,” Molitor said. “Who is to say where we’re going to be at that day and who is going to start. Do we have to do anything roster-wise to make sure we have enough pitching? Who can play two games? With short benches, some guys are going to get a heavy workload, especially given the fact that we’re in the middle of a long streak.”

The doubleheader comes during a 10-day road trip that squeezes in 11 games before the Twins return home for another seven straight games leading into the all-star break. Despite that, Molitor is tasked with trying to keep his team rested, something he said wasn’t as big a concern when he entered the league in 1978.

“There’s a lot more that goes into it now,” Molitor said of prepping for doubleheaders.

The Twins already have played three doubleheaders, with two more on the schedule.

They’re 2-4 in those games. As a rookie, Molitor played in 10 doubleheaders. In his second season, he played in 12.

Molitor joked that players do “a little kumbaya” bonding between doubleheader games.

“Guys have their own routines,” Molitor said. “We don’t formalize anything. They have some down time and if guys want to get a few swings in the cage, they can. A lot of things have changed (from when I played) including the mind-set of doubleheaders and batting practice and of when we should back off. We’ve made such a big deal of resting players and making sure they’re fresh that they maybe feel that’s the way they should feel when you play a lot of games in a row.”

Molitor said that traditional doubleheaders featuring games played back to back as opposed to the more popular day-night ones, were easier as a player.

“Just turn around and go,” he said. “I think that would be preferable for players. Just keep trekking on through the day.”

STILL STEALING

With four stolen bases in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the White Sox, the Twins moved into the top 10 for team stolen bases this season with 41 swipes. The Angels have 66 stolen bases this season, most in the MLB, and the Orioles have the least with 16.

“We definitely have guys that know how to run the bases and can be somewhat proficient in that area,” Molitor said. “(Byron) Buxton is still learning. (Ehire) Adrianza has shown a pretty good instinct for getting jumps and reading pitchers. (Brian) Dozier has always been good at that. (Eddie) Rosario and (Max) Kepler are some other guys we can put in the running mix from time to time.”

In recent years, teams have placed less emphasis on stolen bases, but Molitor said there is still value.

“They can be disruptive and you can put yourself in scoring position to give your team more chances to deliver runs with a base hit instead of needing a double or home run,” he said. “I still think they’re an important part of the game — but not as much as a couple of decades ago. But we still understand the value of 90 feet at different times and the risk-reward of taking that chance.”

After record delay, Twins blanked by White Sox Shane Jackson and Tyler Mason | MLB | June 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- After a record-breaking rain delay, a five-run first inning from the White Sox was more than enough to back a strong start by left-hander Jose Quintana in a 9-0 win over the Twins on Thursday at Target Field.

The 4-hour, 50-minute rain delay was the longest in Twins history, and nearly two hours longer than the next longest delay (three hours) at Target Field. Chicago won for the first time in its last five games against Minnesota, which was shut out for the first time since Sept. 16, 2016.

"Both clubs had to deal with the same thing, the uncertainty of a start time," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "You can't control the weather. It is what it is. Fortunately for us, it was a good bounceback win for us."

Quintana tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and not allowing any baserunners past first base. The lefty had nine strikeouts, with no walks. He has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last four outings.

Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier and Matt Davidson all homered for Chicago's third three-homer game in the last five contests. The two blasts by Abreu and Frazier highlighted a five-run opening frame, which was capped by Adam Engel -- who had a career-high four hits -- notching his first career RBI with a single. Davidson, who was a triple shy of the cycle, hit a solo shot in the fifth. According to Statcast™, his blast traveled an estimated 427 feet, with an exit velocity of 105 mph.

Twins starter Nik Turley couldn't escape the first inning, taking the loss after recording just two outs. The left-hander allowed five runs on six hits. Turley's ERA through his first three starts (16.39) is the highest mark of any Minnesota pitcher in franchise history with at least three starts.

"Today, [my changeup] was basically like a [batting practice] fastball," said Turley, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after the game. "My curveball is my best pitch, and I should have gone to it more, and I regret not going to it. But most of all, I went two-thirds of an inning. I wish I could go back out there right now. I would if I could."

MOMENT THAT MATTERED Worth the wait: The White Sox wasted no time after the delay, scoring five runs in the first and collecting three extra-base hits. Abreu and Frazier each hit two-run homers, with a double by Avisail Garcia in between. All three hits came off Turley, and each had an exit velocity of at least 99 mph, according to Statcast™. Abreu's homer came off the bat at 110.5 mph. All 13 of his blasts this year have come on the road, the longest stretch in club history to start a season. For Frazier, it marked his fourth hit (second homer) over his previous 31 at-bats.

"We came out banging," Frazier said. "We took it to them in that first inning. That was huge. It kind of gave relief to our starting pitcher."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Twins used a challenge to record their first out. White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera rolled a chopper to first baseman Joe Mauer, who turned and attempted to throw Tim Anderson out at second base. Initially, the runner was ruled safe, as Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier received the relay from Mauer at second. After a review that lasted 1 minute, 2 seconds, the call was overturned.

WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Chicago returns home for a 10-game homestand, beginning Friday against Oakland at 7:10 p.m. CT. Mike Pelfrey (3-5, 3.56 ERA) will start the series opener for the White Sox. The right-hander won his last start by allowing just one run over six innings against Toronto.

Twins: Minnesota will begin an 11-game road trip with a three-game set against Cleveland on Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Left-hander Adalberto Mejia (1-3, 5.53) is slated to start for the Twins in the series opener. He took a loss against the Tribe last time out, allowing two runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Turley optioned after another rough outing Shane Jackson | MLB | June 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- If it were up to left-hander Nik Turley, he would go straight back out to the mound at Target Field.

After recording just two outs in a 9-0 loss to the White Sox on Thursday, the Twins optioned Turley, 27, to Triple-A Rochester. Minnesota also placed infielder Ehire Adrianza (abdominal issues) on the 10-day disabled list, and will make corresponding moves in Cleveland on Friday.

For Turley, it brought his brief first stint in the Majors to an abrupt end.

"I don't feel like I pitched well enough to stay," Turley said. "I have things to work on. There were things I didn't know I needed to work on, but I got exposed when I pitched here. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

After a franchise record 4-hour, 50-minute rain delay, Turley's third career start ended quickly. He allowed five runs on six hits, including a pair of homers and a double.

Turley fell behind to eight of the nine batters he faced. The only two outs he recorded came on fielder's choices, one of which needed a replay review to overturn. Turley gave up three hits with an exit velocity of at least 99 mph.

Perhaps most surprising was the fact Turley didn't use his curveball, which is his best pitch. Turley threw 33 pitches (18 strikes), and only six were breaking balls. He didn't throw his first breaking pitch until he faced Matt Davidson, 22 pitches in.

"Today [my changeup] was basically like a [batting practice] fastball," Turley said. "My curveball is my best pitch, and I should have gone to it more, and I regret not going to it. But most of all, I went two-thirds of an inning. I wish I could go back out there right now, I would if I could." Over three starts, Turley had as many outs (28) as baserunners allowed. Opposing teams batted .489 against him, and he allowed 17 runs on 23 hits over 9 1/3 innings.

Turley's ERA (16.39) is the highest of any Minnesota pitcher in club history with at least three starts.

Turley was the latest unsuccessful audition for a contending team trying to figure out what to do beyond reliable starters Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. The Twins are 15-7 in games started by Santana and Berrios, but 20-27 in other contests.

Turley could get another opportunity this season, especially if the Twins continue to struggle to stabilize a shaky rotation.

"He got a chance to learn up here, and, hopefully, he's learned and keeps himself on the radar," manager Paul Molitor said. "As we all know, our starting depth is in need of people that keep themselves in the mix."

Twins, Mejia eye redemption against Tribe Shane Jackson | MLB | June 22, 2017

The Twins will start an 11-game road trip on Friday with a chance at redemption during a three-game set in Cleveland. The Indians swept the four-game series between the division foes last weekend to surpass the Twins atop the American League Central.

Left-hander Adalberto Mejia will take the ball for Minnesota, while the Tribe will send right-hander Trevor Bauer out for the series opener at 7:10 p.m. ET/6:10 CT on Friday at Progressive Field. The Indians have outscored the Twins by 34 runs in 10 meetings in 2017, posting an 8-2 record in the seasonal tilt.

Bauer (6-5, 5.54 ERA) earned the victory over Minnesota in his previous outing. He used his knuckle-curveball to record seven of his eight strikeouts. Bauer is 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the Twins this year.

Meanwhile, Mejia (1-3, 5.53 ERA) is coming off a loss to the Tribe in his previous start. The lefty allowed two runs off five hits across 4 2/3 innings of work. Mejia is now 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in four starts this month, tossing a total of 19 1/3 innings.

Three things to know about this game

• Bauer is 4-5 with a 4.84 ERA in 14 career starts against Minnesota. Twins first baseman Joe Mauer is hitting .324 (12-for-37) with six RBIs lifetime off the right-hander. • Bauer's first pitch is crucial to his success. Opponents are hitting .560 (14-for-25) off Bauer on the first pitch of at-bats against him this season.

• Opposing hitters have a miss rate of 41 percent (16-for-39) against Mejia's changeup this season, but he's thrown it just 8.5 percent of the time when he's behind in the count.

Why are the Twins so much worse when they play at home? Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | June 22, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – The Twins were 36-33 entering play Thursday, and one unexplained and persistent theme with the 2017 club is that it dominates teams on the road (20-9, .690 winning percentage) and can’t keep the party going at home (16-24, .400).

That’s a big gap. Why can’t the Twins play as well at home as they do on the road? If they could, they’d probably be in the driver’s seat in the American League Central right now. Of course, you could cut that both ways and say that if they played as poorly on the road as they do at Target Field they’d probably be in last place and looking toward spring training in 2018.

I don’t have a definitive answer for why it’s been so much worse in Minneapolis. But it’s clear it starts with pitching.

The Twins’ pitching staff at home is the worst in baseball. On the road, the staff is good enough to be in postseason contention.

I don’t know why that is. It’s just what the numbers say. Check out these extreme splits, which I pulled using the great splits tool at FanGraphs.com. I split the stats up and included their MLB ranking in parenthesis.

Twins 2017 pitching staff:

Home Road ERA 5.45 (30) 4.27 (12) Home Runs allowed 69 (30) 36 (4) Opponent AVG .279 (30) .234 (3) Opponent wOBA .353 (30) .308 (7) Strikeout rate 18.% (30) 17.6% (25) Walk rate 9.1% (24) 8.6% (11) Source: FanGraphs.com

Other teams hit more home runs, score more runs, and become better hitters when they face the Twins at Target Field.

My first thought when this home-road disparity started to become a story was simple. Meh. Small sample size. Maybe some weird variance in the data that will even out by the end of the year.

But now I’m not so sure. We’re one week away from July and this extreme split continues to persist with the Twins’ pitching staff.

After I started to look into the wide gap and I settled on the pitching staff as the primary culprit, I thought it must be an unfavorable distribution of starts. Maybe Ervin Santana and J.O. Berrios were getting their work in on the road, while the Twins turned things over to the revolving door and back-end staff fillers at Target Field.

Since Santana and Berrios have been the staff leaders – every other starter has an ERA north of 5.00 – let’s draw the line after those two. Together, they account for 13 of the Twins’ 40 starts at home (32.5%). And they’ve started 10 of the team’s 29 road games (34.5%). On the road, the other starts have gone to Hector Santiago (5), who had a great start to the season for Minnesota; Kyle Gibson (5); Phil Hughes (5); Adalberto Mejia (3); and Nik Turley (1).

So it could be that, but it seems unlikely. I guess it depends what you think about the relative chance each of those back-end starters gives his team to win, because I think there is a drop-off to guys like Adam Wilk and Nick Tepesch. Still, it’s not like the others on that list have been awesome for the Twins this season.

The next thought is that maybe a series like when the Houston Astros came to Target Field are heavily skewing the numbers. Houston scored 40 runs in 3 games. But even if you completely ignore that ugly series for the Twins, the pitching staff has still surrendered 202 runs at home, which would rank 28th in baseball instead of 30th.

There’s one last thing I’ve considered before I just throw my arms up and admit that I don’t know what’s going on.

Pressure.

Maybe the Twins – a particularly young team – have continued to hear the drumbeat about how they can’t win at home, and as a natural reaction that, they’ve dialed up the pressure to the point where it’s negatively impacting their performance.

Framed another way: Are they playing worse because they have a bad home record? Or do they have a bad home record because they haven’t played well?

It’s sort of a chicken-and-egg scenario for manager Paul Molitor’s bunch. Molitor said he thinks the media’s magnification of the story might be having an influence on it right now. Players read stories or get asked questions about the surprising disparity. They internalize it. Maybe they carry it with them onto the mound.

I don’t know if that’s why. Even if it is a real factor, it’s probably only a part of the equation.

All I know is that I’d expected the home-road split to start to even out by now. It hasn’t. At Target Field, the Twins own the worst pitching staff in baseball. That’d be tough to take if you were a Twins fan. But there’s some solace – or maybe deeper frustration? – in the knowledge that when they go on the road, they’re actually a lot better.

Preview: Twins at Indians Associated Press | June 23, 2017

CLEVELAND — After a rousing eight-game road trip, the red-hot Cleveland Indians return home Friday night to host the staggering Minnesota Twins in the first game of a three-game series.

The Indians went 7-1 on the trip to Minnesota and Baltimore that ended Thursday with a 6-3 win over the Orioles. The Indians (39-32) are a season-high seven games over .500.

The Twins, who were shut out 9-0 by the White Sox on Thursday, have lost five of their last seven games and eight of their last 12.

During their eight-game trip, the Indians made up 4 1/2 games on the Twins. At the start of the trip, the Indians were in second place in the Central Division, two games behind first-place Minnesota. The Indians then swept a four-game series in Minnesota and won three of four in Baltimore to come home in first place in the division, 2 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Twins.

Indians manager Terry Francona isn’t getting carried away by his team’s hot streak.

“I don’t care about what happened a week ago. I only care about the game today,” Francona said. “We don’t want to get too down or too full of ourselves. We want to stay in the moment.”

Cleveland has several hot hitters at the moment, the hottest being third baseman Jose Ramirez, who had a streak of nine multi-hit games snapped Thursday. During his streak, Ramirez hit .548 (23-for-42), with 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs and seven RBIs. It was the longest such streak by an Indians player in 82 years, the third longest in franchise history.

Cleveland’s offense is flourishing without No. 3 hitter Michael Brantley, who missed the trip and is on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. He will miss the Minnesota series as well.

Veteran Austin Jackson replaced Brantley in the lineup, and in his last five games Jackson has hit .421 (8-for-19) with eight RBIs.

“He’s getting hits, driving the ball into gaps, driving in runs. You can see how much fun he’s having,” Francona said.

The Twins’ offense has begun to sputter. In losing five of their last seven games, the Twins have been outscored 46-21.

Manager Paul Molitor feels like the offense can get a boost through stolen bases. The Twins rank sixth in the league in steals.

“We definitely have guys that know how to run the bases and can be somewhat proficient in that area,” Molitor told the Pioneer Press. “(Byron) Buxton is still learning. (Brian) Dozier has always been good at that. (Eddie) Rosario and (Max) Kepler are some other guys we can put in the running mix from time to time.”

Infielder Ehire Adrianza was placed on the disabled list Thursday with an abdominal injury. The Twins also optioned pitcher Nik Turley to Triple- A Rochester and are expected to add two players before Friday’s game.

The pitching matchup features Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer (6-5, 5.54 ERA) against Minnesota’s Adalberto Mejia (1-3, 5.53).

Bauer’s last start was a 5-2 win on June 18 in Minnesota. Bauer pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. He is 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the Twins this year. In 14 career starts vs. Minnesota, Bauer is 4-5 with a 4.84 ERA.

Mejia’s last start came against Cleveland, a 6-2 loss on June 17. It was his only career appearance vs. the Indians. Mejia pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.

Catcher Gimenez takes the mound again as Twins fall to White Sox Associated Press | June 23, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Playing cards. Kicking soccer balls. Dancing to the music. Watching movies. Just hanging out with the guys.

Whatever the Chicago White Sox needed to pass the time with the uncooperative weather was well worth the wait.

Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier each hit two-run homers in the first inning , Jose Quintana cruised behind the extra support, and the White Sox beat Minnesota 9-0 on Thursday after a rain-delayed start of 4 hours and 50 minutes that was the longest in Twins history.

“They’ve been able to respond well,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “That’s just part of who they are.”

Frazier first described the experience as “miserable.” Then he raved about strong team chemistry and a loose clubhouse atmosphere that aided the wait.

“We’re having a good time,” Frazier said. “We enjoy each other’s company.”

Quintana (4-8) departed with two outs in the seventh inning after throwing 113 pitches. He scattered just five singles while striking out nine without a walk for his second consecutive victory. To stay relaxed, Quintana watched “Fast and Furious 7” and “Get Out” on his tablet, giving two thumbs up to the former but not the latter.

“Too much time on the iPad. I may be bored, so I wanted the game to start quick,” he said. “It’s a little hard, but we don’t have control with that. You just stay focused on the game and be ready.”

The White Sox have scored 20 runs in the last two turns for Quintana, whose run-support average of 3.91 per game since 2012 entering the afternoon was the third-lowest in the major leagues among active pitchers. That included no runs in four of his first seven starts this year.

Beginning to find his rhythm for a White Sox rotation that badly needs some stability, Quintana has a 2.25 ERA in four starts this month. His changeup was the key to this one, helping him strike Twins slugger Miguel Sano out three times.

“We had trouble picking it up all day, and the curveball was there, too,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He did what a veteran, polished starter will do.”

Unlike rookie Nik Turley (0-2), who recorded only two outs while allowing six hits and five runs before the first of five Twins relievers — including backup catcher Chris Gimenez’s sixth appearance of the season — was summoned. The White Sox had seven runs before the Twins even got eight outs.

Matt Davidson had three hits with a home run , and Adam Engel had four hits and the first two RBIs of his career. TWO FOR ONE

By the time Turley threw his first pitch at 5 p.m. local time, perhaps 10 percent of the announced paid attendance of 27,684 remained. The Twins granted all ticket-holders an exchange for a seat of equal or lesser value for any game from Aug. 29 through Oct. 1.

TURLEY TO TRIPLE-A

Turley was sent to Triple-A Rochester afterward. Infielder Ehire Adrianza (abdominal issues) went to the disabled list too, so the Twins will promote two pitchers from the minors Friday. In three starts, Turley allowed 23 hits and 17 runs over just 9 1/3 innings. In this one, his changeup turned into a batting-practice fastball.

“My curveball’s my best pitch, so I should have gone to it more,” Turley said. “I regret not going to it.”

THE GREAT ABREU ROAD TRIP

Abreu has hit all 13 of his home runs on the road, a White Sox record to start a season. The last time he went deep at Guaranteed Rate Field was Sept. 15, 2016.

REMEMBER WHEN?

The White Sox once waited out a 7-hour rain delay in Chicago, finally declaring a postponement before the game ever began against Texas on Aug. 12, 1990.

The White Sox preferred to reschedule for four days later when both teams had an off day, but the Rangers didn’t want to return to Chicago for one day before starting a home series against the White Sox the following weekend. So the game was actually made up as a doubleheader in Texas, five days after the marathon wait.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Mike Pelfrey (3-5, 3.56 ERA) will pitch Friday in Chicago to start a three-game series against Oakland. He’s 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA over his last six turns. For the Athletics, RHP Jharel Cotton (4-7, 5.40 ERA) will start.

Twins: LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-3, 5.53 ERA) will take the mound Friday in Cleveland to begin a three-game series. He has topped five innings just twice in nine starts. RHP Trevor Bauer (6-5, 5.54 ERA) will pitch for the Indians.

Twins’ Park bounces back at the plate with five multi-hit games Tom Dierberger | FOX Sports | June 22, 2017

The Minnesota Twins are reshaping their franchise with an injection of youth and prospects.

Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports North will take a closer look at some specific young players — as well as noting others who might be stepping up — measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress.

This is the 8th edition of the 2017 Young Twins Tracker.

Lewin Diaz (age 20/Low-A)

Last week: 4 games, 15 AB, 2 H, 0 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 4 K, .133 BA.

Season: 65 games, 251 AB, .271 BA, .314 OBP, .446 SLG, .760 OPS, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 28 R, 38 RBI, 0 SB, 15 BB, 45 K.

Notable: Diaz didn’t have a great week at the plate, but his lone hit in Sunday’s game drove in two runs and contributed to a 16-3 rout over the Clinton LumberKings. He also drove in two runs with a home run in the Midwest League All-Star Game, guiding the West to a 5-2 victory.

Stephen Gonsalves (age 22/Double-A)

Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Season: 6 games (6 starts), 2-3, 3.18 ERA, 34 IP, 23 H, 4 HR, 8 BB, 42 K, .184 OBA, 0.91 WHIP

Notable: Gonsalves might have suffered the loss on Thursday but might have had his best outing of 2017. He fanned a season-high 10 hitters and pitched a full seven innings for the second time this year.

Nick Gordon (age 21/Double-A)

Last week: 3 games, 15 AB, 4 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 0 BB, 4 K, .267 BA.

Season: 64 games, 270 AB, .315 BA, .376 OBP, .504 SLG, .880 OPS, 21 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 41 R, 43 RBI, 6 SB, 26 BB, 65 K.

Notable: The 6-foot shortstop continued his recent surge by hitting two doubles and scoring three runs in a 10-2 win over the Tennessee Smokies on Sunday. Gordon’s .315/.376/.504 slash line is his best production — at any level — during his four-year professional career.

Tyler Jay (age 23/Double-A)

Season: 2 games (0 starts), 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 K, .143 OBA, 2.00 WHIP

Notable: Jay, who was activated from the disabled list May 23, was put back on the DL on June 1 due to left shoulder impingement.

ByungHo Park (age 30/Triple-A)

Last week: 8 games, 30 AB, 11 H, 4 2B, 5 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 7 K, .367 BA.

Season: 34 games, 132 AB, .189 BA, .262 OBP, .326 SLG, .588 OPS, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 12 R, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 12 BB, 41 K.

Notable: Now that’s the Park we saw in spring training. ByungHo racked up five multi-hit games in the past week, raising his average 33 points from .189 to .222. Park’s two doubles during Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Buffalo was his second game of the season with multiple extra-base hits.

Fernando Romero (age 22/Double-A)

Season: 13 games (12 starts), 6-5, 3.27 ERA, 71 2/3 IP, 67 H, 2 HR, 27 BB, 70 K, .241 OBA, 1.31 WHIP

Notable: Romero didn’t have a start last week due to the Lookout’s three-day break for the Southern League All-Star game … even though it was rained out. He’ll toe the rubber during a five-game series against Pensacola this weekend. Kohl Stewart (age 22/Double-A)

Season: 6 games (6 starts), 0-4, 5.63 ERA, 24 IP, 26 H, 1 HR, 22 BB, 14 K, .280 OBA, 2.00 WHIP

Notable: Stewart remains on the disabled list (placed there May 10, retroactively to May 8) due to left knee tendinitis.

Others: Chattanooga 3B T.J. White (18th round, 2014) raised his average to .321, which leads the Lookouts. … Cedar Rapids 3B Travis Blankenhorn (3rd round, 2015), 2B Brandon Lopez (10th round, 2016) and catcher Ben Rortvedt (2nd round, 2016) all had at least three hits in that 16-3 win on Sunday. … Blankenhorn has tallied a .407/.500/.852 mark in his last seven games, enough to earn him an Offensive Player of the Week honor. … Two Cedar Rapids pitchers performed well at the Midwest All-Star Game: Clark Beeker (33rd round, 2016) allowed one hit in 2/3 innings, and Sean Poppen (19th round, 2016) pitched a scoreless inning and recorded a strikeout.

Athens Christian grad Alan Busenitz makes MLB debut for Minnesota Twins Matthew Caldwell | OnlineAthens | June 22, 2017

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Alan Busenitz throws his first pitch in the majors to the Cleveland Indians during the seventh inning of the second baseball game of a doubleheader Saturday, June 17, 2017, in Minneapolis. Busenitz graduated from Athens Christian.

Alan Busenitz grew up in Watkinsville with the goal of any baseball player – reach the Major Leagues.

“When you are growing up, that is always the dream,” he said. “I don’t know that you really think you will get a chance in the back of your head, but you always want to.”

He attended Athens Christian School, where he was a right-handed pitcher for the Eagles’ baseball team and graduated from in 2008. Then he signed and played for Kennesaw State to continue his baseball career.

On June 17 in the seventh inning of game two of a doubleheader against the reigning American League champion Cleveland Indians, Busenitz realized a dream when he stepped on a Major League Baseball field for the first time as a professional to make his debut for the Minnesota Twins.

“Pretty exciting. Hard to breathe, I guess. I don’t know how to explain it. Something I have been wanting to do my whole life,” Busenitz said. “The manager in triple-A called me into his office and let me know. He tried to pull one over on me, told me I was going to be starting the next day in the doubleheader in triple-A. I was like, ‘Uh oh.’ He said, ‘No, you are probably going to have to throw in a doubleheader but not here.’ That is when he told me. That was pretty cool. I couldn’t stop smiling. I couldn’t even say anything. I was sitting there smiling. I called my wife. She didn’t believe me. I was trying to convince her. It was pretty sweet.”

Busenitz said he received several calls and texts from friends and former teammates.

“I tried to get back to everybody but that day, I got so many calls and texts, I couldn’t tell you who all I talked to,” Busenitz said. “I tried to respond to as many as I could. On top of flying and coming in for media and stuff here, it was a really crazy day.”

Busenitz pitched two innings for the Twins in his debut. He allowed two hits with one strikeout and one walk.

“It was all such a blur. When I came in after I was done, someone was in here in the locker room and was like, ‘Do you remember anything.’ ‘No.’ It was exciting,” Busenitz said. “Everybody was extremely excited for me. I came in after the first inning and everybody was giving me high fives. It was special. It was awesome. When you step out on the field and see how high the stands go up and see how many people are there, it is a different feeling.”

The firstbatter he faced, Jose Ramirez, was a strike out. His wife has the baseball from his first strikeout.

“She was pretty excited about that,” Busenitz said. “I didn’t even realize what was going on. He didn’t toss the ball back. After the game I got it.”

Depending on traffic, it can take around 18 hours to get from Watkinsville to Minneapolis. When Busenitz was on the mound pitching for the Twins, his family and some friends were in attendance at Target Field to watch. His parents were interviewed by Fox Sports North’s Audra Martin in the top of the eighth inning.

“I knew they were planning to be there. I knew they were planning on driving,” Busentiz said. “It was a long drive for them. I was pretty excited. I was glad they all got to be there because they have all done so much for me. It is great I got to share it with everybody.

The following afternoon was Father’s Day.

“I don’t know if I can ever give a better Father’s Day present,” Busenitz said. “I don’t know if I will be able to top it. He better enjoy that one.”

One of the hits he allowed was a home run to Francisco Lindor in the top of the eighth inning. It was Lindor’s 13th home run of the season and came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

“I learned that here, they foul off good curveballs a whole lot better than they did in the minor leagues,” Busenitz said. “What I tried to do is do a little too much. After he kept fouling off my good ones, I tried to make it a little bit better and that was not the route to go. When you try to do too much, you don’t get close to where you were. I got to figure out how to stay within myself. If I had thrown another good one, maybe he 14 would’ve grounded out instead of hanging it and sending it over the wall. That is something I have to figure out. Just trust my stuff a little bit.”

Busenitz has been in the Twins organization since Aug. 1, 2016, when they acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels. The Twins also acquired Hector Santiago in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.

“Everybody always tells you trades are good but it is kind of difficult because you don’t know anybody on the other team. Fortunately everybody here has been really nice,” Busenitz said. “It is a little different because you are walking into a new clubhouse and you don’t know anybody.”

He was assigned to Chattanooga in Double-A before moving up to the Twins’ Triple-A team in Rochester, N.Y., the Red Wings.

In 19 games this season for the Red Wings, he had a record of 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA.

He said his journey to the big leagues has been long and fun.

“I didn’t even think I was going to be play baseball out of high school,” Busenitz said. “I got a call towards the end of senior year and they told me I had a couple of chances to play. I wasn’t even going to play. I was going to go to school. I was honestly trying to figure out how to pay for school. When they told me I could pay for school playing baseball, I was excited. You always hope this is a possibility but I didn’t think it was early on. It is pretty amazing.”

After his time at ACS, he played baseball for Kennesaw State and on June 14, 2013, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels after he was drafted 757th overall in the 25th round by the Angels.

Initially, he didn’t know who drafted him.

“That was a good day because it was also my wife’s sister’s wedding. I kind of thought I had a chance of getting drafted so I was trying to pay attention to that while the wedding was going on,” Busenitz said. “I got a call from the Angels but I didn’t know who it was. I guess from the excitement, I didn’t hear him say who he was. He said, ‘Congratulations, you have been drafted.’ My cousin called me immediately after that. He was like, ‘You got drafted! Let’s go!’ I was like, ‘Joe calm down. I don’t even know who drafted me. Who drafted me?’ ‘The Angels!’ It was pretty exciting. I got a lot of calls after that. It was a good day in general because the wedding and that as well.”

The Twins were in first place for most of the season until last weekend when the Indians took over the top spot in the American League central.

“I want to help the team,” Busenitz said. “We are a great team. I want to be a piece of the puzzle that helps out a lot and enjoy my time and play for a while. There are a lot of great guys here. I am looking forward to that.”

West Fargo Woman Celebrating More than a Century of Loving Baseball and the Minnesota Twins Jessie Cohen | KVRR| June 21, 2017

WEST FARGO, ND — As the Minnesota Twins get ready to take on the Chicago White Sox Thursday, West Fargo’s Viola Toppin will be in the crowd.

Toppin has been following the Twins for as long as she can remember and that means being a baseball fan for more than a century.

“I kind of grew up listening to baseball,” she said.

The decade long resident of Sheyenne Crossings is decked out in her Twins gear, ready to celebrate her birthday.

“Today, I am 103,” she said.

But Toppin is no ordinary fan.

“I kind of tune out the world when I watch,” she admitted.

She may be the team’s oldest living fan, but she hasn’t let age stop her from rooting them on.

“I can’t do everything. I am legally blind and my hearing is not sharp but my legs are pretty good,” Toppin said. “They say I can kick as high as anybody.”

Although this Twins fan can’t always see the game, she has a special way of tracking it with a pen and paper.

“I write down the order of the players so I kind of know the next time they come up and which one is going,” she said. “If they make a home run, I put a little asterisk there. I have my own little system.”

She knows baseball language like the back of her hand which helps her keep track of each inning.

“I don’t have to actually see the strike or ball because I can’t see it, but I know what’s going on because of the announcers,” she added.

Her favorite part about going to Target Field?

“Probably the hot dog,” laughed Toppin. “I’m going to have that.”

Toppin will be going to the game tomorrow with four generations of her family, celebrating 103 years of loving baseball.

How Many Baseball Fans Must Be Maimed Before MLB Parks Extend Their Netting? John Royal | Houston Press| June 23, 2017

A hard line drive off the bat of a major league hitter can make rocket into the seats behind the dugout in six-tenths of a second. That means a fan intensely watching the game can see the ball hit the bat, blink an eye, then have the ball just inches from his or her head.

Safety measures intended to protect the fans sitting behind the dugout seem like a no-brainer. That’s what the players think, and Major League Baseball appears to share their concern. This past offseason the Astros, along with a number of major league teams, extended their ballpark's netting, which for years has protected the fans sitting from behind home plate to the end of the dugouts. Last week, the Mets said that they would extend CitiField's netting even further, to the foul poles, exceeding the MLB request that teams have nets to the dugouts.

This has not necessarily been a popular move among fans. Horror writer (and Red Sox fan) Stephen King whined about his view being blocked by the net. Others have complained about a nanny state philosophy and lawyers who are hell bent on destroying baseball. Then there’s the old- fashioned complaint that maybe people should pay attention to the game if they’re so worried about being hit by a line drive into the stands.

But why should the onus be on fans to pay attention? Especially since a mere blink of the eye can be enough to lose sight of a batted ball. And what about those fans who are trying to pay attention but have to deal with the guy in the row in front standing up and trying to start the wave? Or what about a fan who keeps score and notes every pitch and looks down to make a mark in the scorebook?

People are seriously injured by foul balls and broken bats during games. This concerns players who have lobbied for the extended nettings for many years, going so far as to include the request in collective bargaining talks. There are some players who are afraid for family members to sit in the family seats at some ballparks because of netting concerns. The situation is worsened by the new ballparks that have the stands even closer to the field than before.

“Our footprint gives our fans great sightlines,” Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins, told the New York Times last year when asked about that team’s extended netting. “But we were fully aware of the proximity of those seats. When the commissioner decided to take a deeper look at fan safety, it was very much welcomed by Jim Pohlad, our owner, and myself.”

Now add in smart phones and social media. Fans are often looking at phones, reading Twitter or checking texts. Teams encourage fans to interact on social media during games with online polls and various giveaways. So it’s almost part of the actual game experience for fans to watch the game and their phones. But with the speed that a batted ball can travel, that’s also a recipe for danger.

Some of those upset about the increased netting presence feel that the game is being diminished because they can’t reach out and get autographs before games (the Astros raise the net during batting practice so that fans can do just this. The nets are also shorter towards the end of the dugout, allowing fans to catch pop fouls). Some fans also believe that this devalues otherwise prime seats, harming teams and costing them money because of so-called blocked view.

The problem with this argument, of course, is that for many, many, many years, the most expensive and desirable seats in baseball have been behind home plate. Those seats are protected by the netting. Fans who sit behind home plate do not complain about obstructed views or about 16 not being close to the action.

“Going to the ballpark and watching a game of baseball is a different experience now than it was even ten years ago with the growing popularity of social media and real-time updates,” Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan said back in February. “We want our fans to be able to enjoy a ballgame however they like, whether that's from behind a more protective layer of netting or right in the middle of the action.”

The Astros did the right thing this offseason when the team extended the netting. The Mets and Twins have done well by their fans as well. The players know all about the damage that can be done by a hard hit ball to the head. And think of it this way, if the game watching experience of the people paying big bucks to sit behind home plate isn’t ruined by the netting, then the experience of the fan sitting behind the dugout won’t have an ruined experience either.