Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, September 23, 2015

 Tuesday's Twins-Cleveland game recap. Star Tribune p. 1  Twins' Kepler enjoys 'amazing' day with title, promotion. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Postgame: Indians played it conservatively during 8th inning. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Twins gain ground with 3-1 victory over Cleveland. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Kepler thrilled to the max in majors. Pioneer Press (Beradino) p. 4  beat Indians behind Ervin Santana, bullpen. Pioneer Press (Beradino) p. 5  Twinsights: Ricky Nolasco moves closer to joining bullpen. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Twinsights: Tommy Milone encouraged after first throwing session. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  Postgame Twinsights: Trevor May still dealing with back spasms. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  Kluber, Hughes set to square off as race heats up. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 8  Don't count out Twins, Tribe just yet. MLB.com (Castrovince) p. 9  Twins hold off Indians, now 2 back in WC race. MLB.com (Bollinger & Helfand) p. 10  Santana doing his part for postseason push. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11  He may not play much, but Kepler’s offensive approach portends success. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 12  Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Santana’s roll, Perkins’ role, walk sparks rally. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13  Santana strong again as Twins win first of 7 games left with Indians. Associated Press p. 14  StaTuesday: The Twins’ Max Kepler and German-born players. Fox Sports North (Heller) p. 15  Tuesday’s Top 5. ESPN.com (Schoenfield) p. 16  Eurostar: How German Native and Top Twins Prospect Max Kepler Can Help Continue to Go Global. Grantland (Baumann) p. 17

Tuesday’s Twins-Cleveland game recap

Star Tribune | September 22, 2015

GAME RECAP IMPACT PLAYER Ervin Santana, Twins The veteran righthander gave up only one in seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out seven and walking one. BY THE NUMBERS 13 Saves this season for Kevin Jepsen in 18 attempts. He has eight saves for the Twins. 2 Hits each for Aaron Hicks and Brian Dozier, the top two hitters in the batting order. ON DECK Indians righthander Corey Kluber will face righthander Phil Hughes, getting another shot in the Twins’ rotation. Game time is 7:10 p.m. Twins’ Kepler enjoys ‘amazing’ day with title, promotion

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 22, 2015

Max Kepler didn’t think a day in baseball could get much better than hitting a , then celebrating a championship shortly afterward. But it did. The German-born outfielder approached his Class AA Chattanooga , Doug Mientkiewicz, during the postgame revelry, planning to present him with a game ball. But Mientkiewicz cut him off. “He congratulated me on the great year, [and said] ‘You’re getting moved up,’ ” Kepler said. “I was speechless. I was about to cry. I don’t cry much, but I was tearing up. … It was amazing.” Kepler called his sister, Emma, in Tallahassee, Fla., and his mother, Kathy, in Berlin, and both immediately booked flights to the Twin Cities in order to be at Target Field on Tuesday night. His father is traveling for the ballet school he runs, so he’s unable to make it right away, Kepler said. But it’s not certain the Keplers will get to watch Max play much in the Twins’ remaining games, not with a playoff spot at stake. Twins manager said he believes the time spent in the majors will benefit the 22-year-old outfielder and , and it’s a nice reward for a brilliant season, but he’s likely to stick with more experienced players down the stretch. “It’s going to be tough to insert him in there in very many situations,” Molitor said. “I know he can run, I know he can play defense, I know he can put together a good at-bat against right and left. I would love to give him a chance to get exposed up here, I just can’t predict how it’s going to play out.” Not that Kepler minds. After hitting three home runs in the Southern League championship series, capping a breakout season at Chattanooga — a .318 average with 56 extra-base hits — he’s just delighted to be at Target Field. His plan for the next two weeks? “Just to learn from these big guys up here and just soak it up like a sponge,” Kepler said. “I’m just so happy to be here.” On the mend There was another new face in the clubhouse Tuesday: Logan Darnell, the lefthander who was sidelined because of pneumonia for 10 days. Darnell contracted the illness when the Twins arrived in Chicago on Sept. 10, and assumed it was a bad cold or the flu. But when he still felt ill upon returning to Minneapolis last week, the Twins sent him for X-rays. “It got real bad,” Darnell said. “On the X-ray, my whole right lung was covered” in fluids. So much for his September call-up. He stayed in bed at his hotel all last week, with fellow call-up A.J. Achter bringing him food and medicine. Darnell lost 17 pounds during the ordeal, “ so now it’s about gaining some of my strength back, gaining some of that weight, trying to get healthy again.” He won’t go on the road trip this weekend, and it’s unlikely he’ll pitch at all this month, now that he’s missed so much time. Darnell plans to play winter ball in Venezuela, so he’s preparing for that. Etc. • Ricky Nolasco threw nearly 50 pitches in instructional ball Monday, then worked out with the Twins’ rookies Tuesday before flying back to Minnesota. He likely will throw one more side session this week, but could be activated and in the Twins’ bullpen by the weekend. He won’t start, Molitor said, “but right now I’m thinking about winning. If we continue to do that, we’ll probably try to find a role for him out there.” • Tommy Milone played catch in the outfield Tuesday and likely will do the same Wednesday, he said, while the Twins determine when he will pitch next. “It felt a little tired, but that’s expected,” Milone said of his stiff shoulder. “It felt better coming out, so that’s the encouraging part.”

Postgame: Indians played it conservatively during 8th inning

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 23, 2015

A handful of extras from a tight, playoff-intense ballgame: Trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning, the Indians made a couple of non-aggressive decisions that ended up helping the Twins. Chris Johnson and Jose Ramirez led off the inning with back-to-back singles, chasing Ervin Santana from the game in favor of Glen Perkins. Indians manager sent Mike Aviles into the game to pinch-run for Johnson, then signaled leadoff hitter Jason Kipnis to bunt. It was an interesting decision, considering Kipnis is one of the Indians’ most dangerous hitters and rookie Francisco Lindor and backup Michael 2

Martinez were due up next, and the Twins weren’t sure that would be Francona’s move. “I wasn’t sure if Kipnis was going to swing or bunt, [so] we were conservative about our defense,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “But we got the out, which helped.” It did, and what came next may have helped even more. Lindor drove a fly ball to right field, and Torii Hunter backed up slightly to catch it. Aviles broke for the plate, but stopped after about five steps and retreated back to third as Hunter threw home. There’s no way to know, but Hunter’s throw was slightly up the first-base line, so it appeared Aviles would have scored. That’s what Molitor thought, anyway. “I think it was probably a fairly good proposition to score the run, but when you’re trailing by two and you’re a base away from tying the game, it’s a tough call for the third-base coach,” in this case Mike Sarbaugh, Molitor said. “I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with him there, to be honest, but I think they [decided] to take another shot at a base hit.” Didn’t happen. Martinez grounded into the hole at second base, and Brian Dozier made a diving stop to get the out and end the inning, the Twins’ two-run cushion intact. XXX Perkins, by the way, appears to be himself again, working out of that eighth inning on just six pitches, all strikes. Molitor said he tries to avoid bringing Perkins in with runners on base, but it worked out well this time. And the back problems that sidelined him for much of August and September? “He tells me the back [injury] is a thing of the past,” Molitor said. “I don’t think he has any lingering symptoms. I think he feels as good as he has in awhile.” That means that Molitor is free to use Perkins, Kevin Jepsen and Trevor May, when healthy, in any late-inning situation that might come up. “It certainly gives us options,” the manager said. XXX The Twins hadn’t beaten Danny Salazar since 2013. On Wednesday — weather permitting, since a daylong rain is in the forecast — they will get a chance to face another longtime nemesis, Corey Kluber, who has allowed four runs in three starts against Minnesota this season. It’s a rematch of the Aug. 9 game, Kluber vs. Phil Hughes, in which Kluber pitched a one-hitter and Hughes injured his back. The Twins’ righthander is only now healthy enough to pitch again, and Wednesday will be his second start. How long can the Twins count on him pitching? “We’re going to encourage him to go as long and as hard as he can. We don’t want him to finesse anything, just go as long as you can and when you’re done, you’re done,” Molitor said. “We could push him to 75 pitches. ‘Give us what you have and hopefully you keep us in the game till we get you out of there.’ “ XXX A funny moment during the game: Between innings TC Bear climbed on the Twins’ dugout carrying a sign reading “Willkommen, Max,” in honor of rookie outfielder Max Kepler, a native of Germany. The sign was shown on the scoreboard, which then switched to a shot of Kepler sitting in the dugout. Oh, wait — that was Tyler Duffey, who looked understandably confused by the confusion. Duffey helpfully pointed out Kepler sitting a few seats further down the dugout.

Twins gain ground with 3-1 victory over Cleveland

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 23, 2015

The Twins are alive, energized, optimistic. The Indians are subdued, disheartened, annoyed. One pitch did that Tuesday. So say the Indians, anyway, after the Twins struck for three runs in only four batters, a sudden microburst of offense that victimized one of their more frequent tormentors and carried them to a 3-1 victory at Target Field and edged them closer to a playoff spot. Aaron Hicks tripled, Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer both doubled, and Ervin Santana, Glen Perkins and Kevin Jepsen made that wisp of a rally stand up, beating Danny Salazar in the same way he had dominated them for five consecutive meetings. Combined with the Astros’ 4-3 loss to the Angels in Houston, the victory pulled Minnesota within two games of the final wild-card berth in the , and put a 2½-game margin between the Twins and Indians. “We were just able to take advantage of some mistakes,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. The biggest one, said Salazar, was made by home plate umpire Tom Hallion, a call that triggered the Twins’ lone outburst. Salazar, who allowed 3 three total runs in two previous starts against Minnesota this year, had retired the first eight Twins he faced when, with two outs in the third and a 3-2 count to Eduardo Escobar, he broke a 94-mph inside fastball over the plate for strike three. That’s Salazar’s version. Hallion’s (and Escobar’s) was, the ball stayed inside for ball four. “I did have him struck out. The umpire, he didn’t agree,” Salazar complained afterward. “That got me thinking a little bit too much on the mound, and got me out of my rhythm.” Whatever the cause, the Twins took advantage. Hicks followed with a deep fly ball to the warning track in left-center, a drive that Michael Brantley dived for, got a glove on … and had it bounce out of his glove on impact with the ground. Even Hicks thought the inning was over. Escobar scored on the triple and Brantley injured his right shoulder, forcing Cleveland’s All-Star outfielder to leave the game an inning later. Then Dozier hit a drive of his own to deep center, a double that scored Hicks. And Mauer waited on a 2-2 changeup and launched another drive, hustling to second base for an RBI double of his own. All that with two outs. Salazar seethed. “The umpires know these are really important games, they can’t be missing calls like that,” the Indians righthander said. “… Because of that bad call, it cost me 20 more pitches and three runs, and brings one of our guys out of the game, too.” Again, the Twins’ version is a little different. “We parlayed a nice two-out walk from Escobar into a three-run inning with three good at-bats there,” Molitor said. “Dozier had a good at-bat — he finally got a fastball he could handle. A hit in the gap, a hustle double and Joe followed it with a two-strike double on an off-speed pitch, another hustle double.” Maybe it wouldn’t matter, since Santana was brilliant once more, pitching his fifth consecutive quality start, this time going seven innings and allowing only one run while striking out seven. The Twins failed to score after loading the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Perkins pitched out of Santana’s two-on, no-out jam in the eighth and Jepsen earned his eighth Twins save (13th overall this season) in the ninth to complete the victory.

Kepler thrilled to the max in majors

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 23, 2015

Max Kepler thought he was being called into the manager's office Monday night to deliver a championship memento to Doug Mientkiewicz, hard-driving leader of the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. "I was going to go hand him the game ball," Kepler said Tuesday on his first day in the major leagues. "He did not want the game ball." Instead, with Twins farm director Brad Steil standing by, Mientkiewicz told his 22-year-old outfielder/first baseman he was headed to the Twin Cities. Fresh off his fourth championship in the past four years, including an Arizona Fall League title in 2014, Kepler grew emotional. "Speechless," Kepler said. "I was about to cry. I don't cry much, but I was tearing up. I got to celebrate with my team last night, and it was amazing." Kepler had just three hits in the five-game championship series victory over the Biloxi Shuckers, but all three were home runs. Named the Southern League most valuable player during the regular season and a member of Baseball America's minor league all-star team, Kepler also is the odds-on choice to be named Twins minor league player of the year. He probably won't play much over the final 13 games, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, at least as long as a postseason spot hangs in the balance. Others might be ahead of him in the pecking order for defensive replacement duty or pinch-running and pinch-hitting opportunities. However, Kepler's breakthrough season made him a deserving call-up, and there are plenty of potential benefits just from being in a big-league environment for the first time. His plan? "Just to learn from these big guys up here and just soak it up like a sponge," said Kepler, signed out of Germany in 2009 at age 16. "I'm so happy to be here right now. It's a blessing, and I want to enjoy every minute of it."

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NOLASCO THROWS 49 Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco came through his 49-pitch intrasquad outing with no complications Monday in Fort Myers, Fla. Field coordinator Joel Lepel, who watched the session along with minor league pitching coordinator Eric Rasmussen and other members of the instructional league staff, said Nolasco's first look at batters since May 31 "went well." Reports were that Nolasco threw "a high percentage of strikes," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Nolasco, coming off July 13 right ankle surgery, also was tested in the field and handled that part fine as well. "That went smoothly," Molitor said. The next step for Nolasco, who was due back in the Twin Cities on Tuesday night, will be to throw another bullpen session at Target Field. Barring a setback, he figures to be activated in time for the seven-game road trip through Detroit and Cleveland. MILONE ENCOURAGED Twins left-hander Tommy Milone (shoulder/biceps) made 10 to 15 throws out to 90 feet on Tuesday and pronounced it an "encouraging" session. "I didn't expect to go out there and be 100 percent right away," Milone said. "I think we're going in the right direction." Milone, who retired just four batters in his most recent start Sept. 17, will be skipped on his normal turn Wednesday in favor of Phil Hughes. Although initially hopeful he might be able to return to the rotation as soon as this weekend at Detroit, Milone dismissed that as a possibility after Tuesday's session. Right-hander Mike Pelfrey threw his bullpen Tuesday and appears in line to start Friday's series opener at the Tigers. BRIEFLY In addition to Kepler, six other Twins minor leaguers have won league championships in three of the past four seasons, starting in 2012 at rookie-level Elizabethton: Adam Brett Walker II, Travis Harrison, Dalton Hicks, Niko Goodrum and D.J. Baxendale and Brett Lee. ... Also completing postseason runs the past two years under Mientkiewicz: catcher Stuart Turner, and relievers Nick Burdi, D.J. Johnson and Brandon Peterson. Said Kepler: "We know how to read each other. When someone's having an off day, we know how to get them motivated and get them back in the game. We're all brothers. That's what you call a real team."

Minnesota Twins beat Indians behind Ervin Santana, bullpen

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 23, 2015

Nearly four weeks have passed since that desperation bullpen session in St. Petersburg, Fla., the one that saved Ervin Santana's season and maybe the Twins' postseason chances as well. Saddled with a 10.61 earned-run average in his previous four starts, twice failing to survive the third inning, the Twins right-hander could tell immediately that the adjustments had worked. "It was like that," Santana said with a snap of his fingers after Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians, his fifth straight quality start. "Everybody was on top of me, telling me what we needed to fix and all that. We've been working on it and working on it, and now we're getting good results." Improving to 8-5 against the Indians with six games remaining in the season series, the Twins pulled within two games of the Houston Astros for the second American League wild-card spot. In the loss column, the Twins (77-73) are a game behind with 12 to play. First-year Twins pitching coach Neil Allen reached deep into his bag of tricks to help his struggling veteran that Aug. 27 afternoon at Tropicana Field. At one point, Allen had Santana (6-4) bend at the knees and stretch his glove across his body, all the way down to the ground. As Allen softly rolled at him, Santana would grab the ball and mimic a 's actions, and he skipped forward and fired pitches toward bullpen catcher Nate Dammann. This, Allen explained, was a way Santana might rediscover his natural arm slot. "He told me, 'If you are a shortstop, you have to get the ball and crow hop and make a good throw,' " Santana said. "If you fly open with your front shoulder, the ball is going to go up. That was the point. He told me, 'Just stay closed and try to throw like an infielder.' " Had Santana, who grew up playing shortstop and center field when he wasn't pitching back home in the Dominican Republic, ever done that 5 sort of drill from atop a 's mound? "Never. Never," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "Hey, you always learn something new. You never stop learning when you play baseball." It took faith, but Santana could feel his natural three-quarters arm slot return by the end of that 20-minute session. He went out three days later and struck out 10 Houston Astros over seven shutout innings, and the roll hasn't stopped yet. Over his past 36 innings, Santana has gone 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA, striking out 39 and walking nine. "He's pitching coach for a reason," Santana said of Allen. "There's always something he has to offer you. That's how we learn." Tuesday, the Twins learned they can still win even when scoring in just one inning against a surging Indians club that had won 19 of its past 29 games to claw back to .500. A three-run rally in the third inning off hard-throwing Danny Salazar (13-9) started with a two-out walk for Eduardo Escobar, his first free pass in 12 games and just his third this month. Aaron Hicks followed with a run-scoring triple that glanced off the glove of left fielder Michael Brantley after a long run and a diving attempt in deep left center. "You're running around the bases thinking you got a hit," Hicks said. "All of a sudden you see a guy come out of nowhere and he has a chance at catching it, and you're like, 'Oh!' And then it's a hit. It's a rollercoaster." Slumping Brian Dozier initially tried to bunt Hicks over before ripping a hustle double to make it 2-0. Joe Mauer followed with a double to left-center -- the patented Joe Zone -- that made it 3-0 and extended his on-base streak to 41 games. Only Bob Allison, who reached in 42 straight in 1961, has compiled a longer streak in Twins history. Santana took a one-hitter into the fifth before Yan Gomes doubled and Jose Ramirez scored him with an . Consecutive singles to start the eighth chased the Twins' starter after 106 pitches. Jason Kipnis bunted the runners over against Glen Perkins, making his third appearance in four days after a back flare-up. Rookie Francisco Lindor then lofted a fly ball to medium right field, but third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh opted not to challenge the resurgent arm of Torii Hunter (six assists). Michael Martinez grounded sharply up the middle, but Dozier had him played perfectly.

Twinsights: Ricky Nolasco moves closer to joining bullpen

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 22, 2015

Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco came through his 49-pitch intrasquad outing with no complications on Monday in Fort Myers, Fla. Field coordinator Joel Lepel, who watched the session along with minor-league pitching coordinator Eric Rasmussen and other members of the instructional league staff, said Nolasco’s first look at batters since May 31 “went well.” Reports were that Nolasco threw “a high percentage of strikes,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Nolasco, coming off July 13 right ankle surgery, also was tested in the field and handled that part fine as well. “That went smoothly,” Molitor said. The next step for Nolasco, who was due back in the Twin Cities on Tuesday night, will be to throw another bullpen session at Target Field. Barring a setback, he figures to be activated in time for the upcoming seven-game road trip through Detroit and Cleveland. Because Nolasco is currently on the 60-day disabled list, the Twins would have create room for him on the 40-man roster. They could place left- hander Logan Darnell, coming off a bout of pneumonia, on the 60-day DL, which would effectively end his season. While the Twins could be in need of a Saturday starter if they seek to buy rookie Tyler Duffey a few more days of rest, it does not appear that assignment will go to Nolasco. In fact, he probably won’t start over the final two weeks of the regular season. “I don’t see that happening,” Molitor said. “Right now I’m thinking about wiNning. If we continue to do that, he’ll probably try to find a role out there in the bullpen.”

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Twinsights: Tommy Milone encouraged after first throwing session

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 22, 2015

Twins left-hander Tommy Milone (shoulder/biceps) made 10 to 15 throws out to 90 feet on Tuesday and pronounced it an “encouraging” session. “I didn’t expect to go out there and be 100 percent right away,” Milone said. “I think we’re going in the right direction.” Milone, who retired just four batters in his most recent start on Sept. 17, will be skipped on his normal turn Wednesday in favor of Phil Hughes. While initially hopeful he might be able to return to the rotation as soon as this weekend at Detroit, Milone dismissed that as a possibility after Tuesday’s session. “That’s not happening,” he said. His shoulder/biceps area “felt a little tired,” he said, but the ball felt better coming out of his hand. He will extend the distance of his throws and the length of his session on Wednesday and then reassess. Right-hander Mike Pelfrey threw his bullpen on Tuesday and appears in line to start Friday’s series opener at the Tigers. Ervin Santana, who started Tuesday, figures to take his regular turn on Sunday, which leaves Saturday as the only question mark unless the Twins bring back rookie Tyler Duffey sooner than expected. Briefly — Twins manager Paul Molitor called to congratulate Double-A Chattanooga manager Doug Mientkiewicz on a second straight league title. Under Mientkiewicz, the Class A Fort Myers Miracle won the Florida State League title with 11 of the same players that prevailed in Monday’s fifth and deciding game. “Doug is a a very knowledgeable, confident person,” Molitor said of one of his fellow finalists for the Twins job last fall. “Not only about the game, but he knows how to motivate people. He’s pushed the right buttons now for a few years in our system. He’s making a mark, and rightfully so.” –Lefty Logan Darnell (pneumonia) was back in the clubhouse for the first time since falling ill on the last road trip. He said he lost 17 pounds and was unlikely to get into a game this season. He does still plan to report to the Venezuelan Winter League in mid-October, where he is slated to be a starter for Ivan Arteaga’s Bravos de Margarita club. –In addition to Max Kepler, six other Twins minor leaguers have won league championships in three of the past four seasons, starting in 2012 at rookie-level Elizabethton: Adam Brett Walker II, Travis Harrison, Dalton Hicks, Niko Goodrum and pitchers D.J. Baxendale and Brett Lee. –Also completing postseason runs the past two years under Mientkiewicz: catcher Stuart Turner, and relievers Nick Burdi, D.J. Johnson and Brandon Peterson. Said Kepler: “We know how to read each other. When someone’s having an off day, we know how to get them motivated and get them back in the game. We’re all brothers. That’s what you call a real team.”

Postgame Twinsights: Trevor May still dealing with back spasms

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 23, 2015

Trevor May, the Twins’ highly valued rookie setup man, was off limits again Tuesday with lingering lower back spasms. Having pitched once in the past week, May played some light catch before Tuesday’s game but continues to receive aggressive treatment in hopes of chasing the hip/back issue away for good. “There’s nothing wrong, there’s nothing structural,” he said after a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. “Just a little bit of muscle fatigue causing some back spasms.” May, who turns 26 on Wednesday, went and saw a chiropractor for the second time on Monday’s off day, then came in early Tuesday to receive massage therapy and “get hooked up to a couple (recovery) machines” in an effort to “fast-track” the healing process. If the Twins have to get by without May for a few more days, they will do that, at the urging of the team’s training staff. “Instead of doing this ‘pitch and then have to be down for four days’ thing, get it right and then hopefully be ready for the last little stretch here and then the playoffs,” May said. He will continue to do just enough throwing each day in order to keep his arm in shape.

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“I keep my arm moving in the general throwing direction, which is a big difference from not throwing at all,” he said. “Push comes to shove, I think I can stay ready for an inning. You don’t need as much (endurance) built up as you do as a starter, so that’s a good thing.” –All-star closer Glen Perkins handled eighth-inning chores, benefiting from the Indians’ reluctance to challenge Torii Hunter’s arm on Francisco Lindor’s potential sacrifice fly to medium right. Pinch runner Mike Aviles broke for home but was held halfway down the line by third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh. “I think it was probably a fairly good proposition to score the run,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said, “but when you’re trailing by two and you’re a base hit away from tying the game, it’s a tough call for the third-base coach there. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with him on that play, to be honest with you, but I think they were going to take another shot at a base hit.” Michael Martinez, who replaced the injured Michael Brantley (right shoulder) in the bottom of the fourth, hit a “bullet,” in Molitor’s description, that second baseman Brian Dozier gloved with minimal effort going to his right. That’s because the Twins had the little-seen Martinez played perfectly. With just 93 big-league at-bats over the past three seasons, the Twins had to rely on the expertise of third-base/infield coach Gene Glynn, who managed against Martinez often when he was in the International League. Tuesday was Glynn’s 59th birthday. –Twins right-hander Ervin Santana has four career streaks of quality starts longer than his current five-game run. His longest was 10 games in the middle of the 2010 season, during which he threw three complete games and posted a 1.69 earned run average for the Los Angeles Angels. His ERA during his current run is 1.50. –Perkins has now stranded nine of 10 inherited runners season. –Kevin Jepsen worked the ninth for his 13th save and eighth in nine tries with the Twins. It was his first successful save conversion in 13 days and just his second appearance since giving up four hits in one inning of work against the on Sept. 16. –The Twins loaded the bases against old friend Jeff Manship in the seventh but left scoreless when their Nos. 4-6 hitters came up empty. –The Twins got a scare in the seventh inning when catcher Kurt Suzuki buckled after taking a Yan Gomes foul tip off the front of his catcher’s mask. Suzuki fell backward onto the feet of plate umpire Tom Hallion. Time was called, and Twins head athletic trainer Dave Pruemer came out to check on Suzuki, who stayed in for the rest of the game. –Twins radio broadcaster Cory Provus missed Tuesday’s game as he tried to regain his voice. Studio host and backup play-by-play man Kris Atteberry was pressed into service and no doubt used lots of Stanford words.

Kluber, Hughes set to square off as race heats up

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | September 23, 2015

After his first start since returning from a back injury, the Twins decided the best place for Phil Hughes might be -- in the interim -- the bullpen. Hughes made one appearance there, but his stint was short-lived. With lefty Tommy Milone battling shoulder fatigue, Hughes will return to the rotation for Wednesday's start against the Indians. The Twins won the first game of the series, 3-1, and now trail the Astros by two games in the chase for the second Wild Card. The Indians are even further back, trailing the Astros by 4 1/2 games. But they'll send Corey Kluber to the mound, and the Twins haven't been able to solve the reigning American League Cy Young winner this year. In three starts against Minnesota, Kluber is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 26 innings. He has given up a combined seven hits in those three outings. Kluber threw back-to-back complete games against the Twins in August. In the first game, Twins first baseman Joe Mauer broke up a no-hitter in the seventh inning. Mauer had the only hit against Kluber in his second complete game against the Twins this season, a one-hitter.

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Things to know about this game • Hughes lasted three innings and gave up three runs on Sept. 15, his first start in about five weeks. He threw 65 pitches in that start and then 21 in a two-inning bullpen appearance on Sept. 19, and will have his pitch count monitored closely. • Indians left fielder Michael Brantley hurt his right shoulder trying to make a catch in Tuesday's loss and might be out on Wednesday. "He jammed his shoulder and it was hard for him to get extended when he was hitting so we got him in, got him iced," manager Terry Francona said on Tuesday. "He's already talking about playing tomorrow, so we'll see. We'll see how he shows up." • Mauer has reached base in 41 consecutive games, second longest in Twins history. If he reaches base on Wednesday, he will tie Bob Allison's 42-game streak he established in 1961.

Don’t count out Twins, Tribe just yet

Anthony Castrovince | MLB.com | September 22, 2015

Back on April 1, I would not have believed the Minnesota Twins would be playing meaningful baseball games in the second-to-last week of the season. Back on August 1, I would not have believed the Cleveland Indians would be playing meaningful baseball games in the penultimate week of the season. But here we are. A three-game set that begins Tuesday night at Target Field features baseball's two unlikeliest remaining contenders. For the Twins, it is because 2015 was supposed to be the bridge year sending them away from the 90-loss abyss of the past four campaigns and toward a better future. For the Indians, it's because they went from Sports Illustrated's pick to first-half flub to the dreaded midseason punt that usually signals a reboot. So what are the odds that either of these clubs will reach the postseason? For the uninitiated, this is the American League's second Wild Card picture, entering Tuesday (and as you know, the Astros, just a game back in the AL West, still have something bigger to play for): Baseball Prospectus gives Cleveland (7.8 percent) a higher percentage chance of reaching the playoffs than the Twins (5.5), despite being a game behind Minnesota in the standings. This makes sense, given the Indians have been the hotter team. They've won 16 of their past 24, while the Twins have a sub-.500 record (10-11) in September, including five losses in their past six games. So let's just focus for a moment on the hotter hand. The Indians have played .556 ball in the month of September. Just for the sake of discussion, let's say they continue that pace the rest of the way. That would leave them with an 82-80 record at season's end (a record, by the way, that they surely would have signed up for back on Aug. 7, when they were 10 games under .500). The Astros beat the Angels on Monday night, further complicating matters for the Indians. For the Astros to finish 82-80, they'd have to go 2-9 the rest of the way. That doesn't seem particularly likely, but remember, this is the same team that went 4-12 to start September. And though Houston plays much better at home than on the road, the rest of its home slate is the two games left in this series against the Angels, followed by a weekend set with the first-place Rangers team that swept it in Arlington last week. The Astros finish the season with six on the road, where they are an AL-worst 9-27 since July 5. So while it's doubtful that the Astros will collapse, it's at least remotely conceivable. It could very well be that, with seven games left against each other (they'll meet again in Cleveland next week), the Tribe and Twins may spoil each other's season, trading wins and losses and preventing either club from making a surge up the standings. All it takes, though, is a sweep in this series -- in either direction -- to make this race just a little more Wild. For the struggling Twins to have that in them, they'll need Phil Hughes to make a rousing return to the rotation after a (very brief) demotion to the bullpen. Hughes was Minnesota's best starter in 2014. In 2015? Not so much. And he missed several weeks with a herniated disk in his back before an not-so-encouraging (and again, very brief) outing against the Tigers last week. But Hughes pitched well in two innings out of the bullpen over the weekend, and Tommy Milone's tired shoulder prompted a need. So Hughes gets the ball Wednesday, sandwiched between Ervin Santana (who has a 1.55 ERA over his past four outings) and Kyle Gibson(who has been probably the Twins' most consistent starter).

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The other thing that needs to happen is for Brian Dozier to come alive at the plate. He's been susceptible to a steady dose of sliders, and this is the third straight year he's slumped in September, turning in a .176/.282/.257 slash line in 18 games. You'd be hard-pressed to say the Twins do any one thing particularly well. Their rotation has been in constant flux with Santana's suspension and various injuries. Rookie Tyler Duffey has been a late-season savior, but he won't pitch in this series. And Minnesota's bats have been largely mediocre, with the obvious exception of Miguel Sano, who is an AL Rookie of the Year Award candidate. The Twins won 20 of 27 in May, but they haven't had a single month above .500 before or since, so it's hard to imagine them getting as hot as they'd need to get to bridge this gap. The Indians? Well, this 16-8 stretch is encouraging, to say the least. And though this isn't the specific cast SI and others expected to contend - - Brandon Moss, David Murphy, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher were all shipped off --- the Tribe is playing a brand of baseball that would have been worthy of all that preseason hype and hope. With Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor (my pick for the AL Rookie of the Year Award at the moment) and Michael Brantley at the top of the order, the Indians have an offense creating traffic. Their starting staff, with just a .297 OBP against, has done a strong job of avoiding traffic all season. In this series, Cleveland will go with Danny Salazar, whose strikeout stuff has been especially effective against Minnesota (21 K's in 13 innings, with just three total runs allowed over the two starts), reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and the unheralded Cody Anderson, who has a 2.12 ERA in his past five starts. There's a lot to like there. Again, though, even a sweep would require additional assistance. For either the Twins or Tribe to reach the playoffs would still best be described as unlikely. Of course, "unlikely" is a label both of these clubs have shown an ability to shake off.

Twins hold off Indians, now 2 back in WC race

Rhett Bollinger and Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | September 22, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Ervin Santana continued his impressive run, tossing seven-plus strong innings to outduel Danny Salazar to lift the Twins to a 3- 1 win over the Indians on Tuesday night at Target Field. With the win, the Twins improved to 77-73 and are two games back of the Astros for the second American League Wild Card spot. Cleveland (74-75) fell 2 1/2 games back of Minnesota. The two clubs meet six more times down the stretch. Santana was sharp yet again, as he lasted at least seven innings for a fifth straight start and has a 1.50 ERA over that span. He allowed one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts to win his fourth straight decision. He left after allowing consecutive singles to open the eighth, but Glen Perkins came in and got out of the jam. "He was really good," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Santana. "He got my attention in the first inning because his command wasn't great and he was kinda finessing his fastball, but I know he knows how to pitch that way, too. But he reached back as the game went on and had better command and a better ratio of strikes to balls and his breaking ball got better." Santana outlasted Salazar, who went six frames, surrendering three runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Salazar was hurt by a three-run third inning that also saw Indians left fielder Michael Brantley leave with a right shoulder injury. "He jammed his shoulder and it was hard for him to get extended when he was hitting, so we got him in, got him iced," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He's already talking about playing tomorrow, so we'll see. We'll see how he shows up." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Twins strike with three-run third: Eduardo Escobar sparked a three-run rally in the third after drawing a two-out walk on a close pitch from Salazar that appeared to be a strike. Aaron Hicks followed with an RBI triple off Brantley's glove on a diving attempt in left-center to get the Twins on the board. Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer followed with RBI doubles. "Being aggressive to the fastball was a big key of ours," Hicks said. "We were laying off his good changeup and slider and being aggressive to his fastball and trying to hit it hard." Lindor ends rally: Rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor stopped the bleeding for the Indians in the third, ranging to his right and making a great play to throw Trevor Plouffe out at first. The Twins had two runners on at that point and had had five consecutive runners reach base before Lindor made the diving stop to limit the damage.

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Perkins gets out of big jam: After Santana left with two runners on and nobody out, the Twins called on Perkins to get them out of the eighth. Perkins is still working his way back toward the closer role after missing 18 games with a lower back strain, but came up big for Minnesota. After a sacrifice bunt from Jason Kipnis, Lindor flied out to right and Michael Martinez, who replaced Brantley, grounded out to Dozier at second base to end the inning. "We were in a little bit of peril there with a couple guys on with a two-run lead," Molitor said. "Ideally, you don't want to bring him in with runners on, but he's done it a few times with four-out saves. I wasn't sure if Kipnis would bunt or not, so we were conservative on our defense there, but he got that out, which I think helped. And then the matchups after that were right-handed hitters, but relatively young, so he was able to get the fly ball and the ball to Dozier." Manship recovers: Jeff Manship pitched himself into a jam. And then, he pitched himself right out of it. Manship came on in the seventh and immediately gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases. With power-hitting rookie Miguel Sano hitting, it looked like a recipe for disaster. But Manship fed Sano a steady dose of curveballs and struck him out on four pitches. He then retired both Plouffe and left fielder Eddie Rosario to end the inning and keep the Indians within striking distance. "It was huge. It was definitely a big boost for the team, too," Manship said. "We pushed at the end right there, so it was a very crucial part of the game and I'm glad I came out on top." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his RBI double in the third, Mauer has now reached safely in 41 straight games, which is just one off the Twins record of 42 consecutive set by Bob Allison in 1961. It's also tied for the third-longest streak in the Majors this year, as Matt Holliday had the longest, reaching safely in 45 straight games from April 5 to June 1. QUOTABLE "We know all these games are important. We're just trying to get as many wins as we can and play good baseball. That's what we have to continue to do to make our chances that much better for the postseason." -- Hicks WHAT'S NEXT Indians: On Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET, Corey Kluber will make his second start since coming off the disabled list. In his first, manager Terry Francona limited him to just 61 pitches. Kluber has shut down the Twins this season, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in three starts. He tossed back- to-back complete games against Minnesota in August. Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes starts for the Twins in the second game of the series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Left-hander Tommy Milone was slated to start, but he was scratched with shoulder fatigue. Hughes missed more than a month with a herniated disc in his back before returning on Sept. 15, but he lasted just three innings in a loss to the Tigers.

Santana doing his part for postseason push

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 23, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- While right-hander Ervin Santana isn't eligible to pitch in the postseason, he's doing everything he can to help lead the Twins there. Santana, who can't pitch in the playoffs after serving an 80-game suspension for the use of a performance-enhancing drug, turned in his fifth straight sterling outing to help lead the Twins to a 3-1 win over the Indians on Tuesday night at Target Field. His strong effort helped the Twins move to two games back of the Astros for the second American League Wild Card spot with 12 games to play. Santana allowed one run over seven-plus innings to mark his fifth start of going at least seven frames. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 36 innings over those five outings. "He was really good," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He got my attention in the first inning because his command wasn't great and he was kind of finessing his fastball, but I know he knows how to pitch that way, too. But he reached back as the game went on and had better command and a better ratio of strikes to balls and his breaking ball got better." Santana pointed to a bullpen session with pitching coach Neil Allen in Tampa Bay in late August as the turning point to his season, as he had a 6.05 ERA through his first 10 starts after going 2 2/3 innings against the Rays on Aug. 25. Since then, Santana has been on a roll and has lowered his ERA to 4.31 on the year. "I worked with Neil in my bullpen and can really see the difference right now," Santana said. "Everyone told me what I had to fix and then I kept working on it, working on it. And there's been good results."

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Molitor said Santana's tweaks to his mechanics have played a big role in his turnaround, but added that the 11-year big league veteran's confidence is also soaring. "I don't think I'm smart enough to give you a pitching analysis of what he's done mechanically, but I know there has been some tweaking from everything to arm angle, landing spots to finishing off his pitches better," Molitor said. "And I think it's confidence. Every time he goes out there, he's expecting to get good results and that's what's happened over his last four starts or so." Santana, though, was helped in a big way by lefty Glen Perkins, who came in relief of Santana after he allowed consecutive singles to open the eighth. Perkins is still working his way back to closing after being out for nearly three weeks with a lower back strain, but was able to get out of the jam to help preserve the win. After a sacrifice bunt from Jason Kipnis, he retired rookies Francisco Lindor and Michael Martinez to end the threat. "We were in a little bit of peril there with a couple guys on with a two-run lead," Molitor said. "Ideally, you don't want to bring him in with runners on, but he's done it a few times with four-out saves. I wasn't sure if Kipnis would bunt or not so we were conservative on our defense there, but he got that out, which I think helped. And then the matchups after that were right-handed hitters, but relatively young so he was able to get the fly ball and the ball to [Brian] Dozier."

He may not play much, but Kepler’s offensive approach portends success

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 22, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler was well on his way to winning the Southern League MVP for Double-A Chattanooga when rumors and speculation began to swirl about who might be called up once Major League rosters expanded Sept. 1. Kepler said that he had heard rumblings that the Twins wouldn't be calling up players from the Doule-A team until the postseason was over, which he said allowed him to strictly focus on the title chase, rather than worry about external speculation. Kepler and the Chattanooga Lookouts won the league championship Monday, and then Kepler found out that he'd be making his way to the big leagues. That qualifies as an emotional day for the 22-year-old from Germany. "He's had a good year. We think there are a lot of ways you could use him up here," Twins GM Terry Ryan said, explaining the decision to promote Kepler. "He's got the type of bat that could give you a good at-bat here in case. And this will be good experience for him. See what it's like to be a part of a team in the mix at this time of year." Kepler's mother flew in from Germany to see her son's debut, and his sister flew to Minneapolis from Tallahassee, Fla. The rookie plays outfield and can play first base, too. Manager Paul Molitor said he doesn't think Kepler will play much down the stretch, but added that it's been good to see his progress, which led to an incredible .322/.416/.531 batting line in Double-A. "I know he can run, and I know he can play defense and I know he can put together a good at-bat against right and left," Molitor said. "I'd love to get him a chance to get exposed up here a little bit I just can't predict how it's going to play out." When he was first signed as an international prospect from Germany, Molitor said, "everyone always talked about, for being a guy that hadn't played a lot of baseball, he had a very natural-looking swing." "It was fluid and smooth, there wasn't a lot of strength there in the beginning. He had a tall frame but it wasn't very filled out as a 16-year-old kid. His body has matured and his ability to understand competing and getting a little mentally tougher against better competition has been a process. Even in talking to Doug [Mientkiewicz] today -- I don't know if it's verbatim -- but he became a man this summer," Molitor said. Aside from the strength and the physical maturity, Kepler showed the kind of approach at the plate that suggests he's ready to hit in the Majors. Kepler walked more often than he struck out at Double-A this season, which is a rare feat, reserved typically for good hitters with a great eye at the plate. Kepler drew 67 walks and struck out 63 times. Terry Ryan said that's a good sign at the level Kepler reached. "And that, many times, will translate [to the Majors]," Ryan said. "It means that the guy's got a pretty good idea of the strike zone. And believe me, he was pitched tough down there. He had some protection [in the lineup] but he was pitched tough because his reputation started to spread. But he did a nice job of taking his walks and not chasing [pitches outside the strike zone]. That's a good thing to see." "You walk as much as you strike out, that's a pretty good indicator that you're probably a decent hitter," Ryan said. Not many players pull off that feat, and one that came to Ryan's mind Tuesday was Joe Mauer. "I'm not saying it's a lock because it's not. [But] it's one of those things, if I see that, it catches my eye, I know that," Ryan said. 12

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Santana’s roll, Perkins’ role, walk sparks rally

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 22, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- It seems that these days for the Twins every game is their new most important game of the season. That'll be their mentally over the final two weeks of the season, and the Twins won their latest 'most important' game Tuesday by beating the Indians, 3-1. This column presents 5 thoughts from Tuesday's game. -- 1. Ervin Santana pitched 7 strong innings in the win, his fifth consecutive good start. Santana scattered five hits and one walk through his evening of work, and also struck out seven batters and had 11 ground ball outs. As usual, his primary strikeout weapon was his slider (five victims), but he also got a whiff with his fastball and changeup. "He reached back a little bit as the game went on. Got a little better command, better ratio of strikes and balls, breaking ball got a little bit better," manager Paul Molitor said, after noting that Santana had caught his attention in the 1st inning for trying to finesse his fastball. That's five good outings in a row, and although Santana wouldn't be eligible to pitch for the Twins in the postseason, he's been doing his part to help get them there. He worked with pitching coach Neil Allen on several adjustments after he encountered a real rough patch in August. He's bounced back and had a much better September. In his five starts since August 30, Santana has a 1.55 ERA and a 32:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 innings. "I know that there's been some tweaking on everything from arm angle to landing spot to trying to finish his pitches a little bit better instead of falling off," Molitor said. "And when you're getting good results it just adds to your confidence. I think he goes out there expecting to get good results and that's what's happened over his last four starts or so." -- 2. Glen Perkins pitched an important three outs in the 8th inning to clean up Santana's mess. Santana pitched well through 7 innings, but he gave up a pair of singles to lead off the 8th inning. So manager Paul Molitor went to the former (and future) Twins closer to get three big outs. With the go-ahead run at the plate, Jason Kipnis bunted to put runners on second and third base with one out. Then Perkins got rookie sensation Francisco Lindor in an 0-2 hole and got him to fly out to right field. It wasn't deep enough to score the runner from third base on a sacrifice fly, and Torii Hunter's throw to the plate kept pinch runner Mike Aviles from trying to score. Then Perkins pumped two more fastballs to Michael Martinez and got him to ground out to second base to end the frame and get out of the 8th inning with a 3-1 lead intact. Perkins didn't use a slider in his six-pitch outing, but he ran his fastball up to 95 mph, a good sign he's feeling healthy after recovering from a series of back troubles. Arguably those were the most important three outs of the game and the Twins used their best reliever to record them. "We were in a little bit of peril there. Couple guys on, two-run lead. Ideally you don't want to bring him in with base runners," Molitor said. "He tells me the back [injury] is a thing of the past. I don't think he has any lingering symptoms. I think he's feeling as good as he has in a while. It kind of deepens our bullpen, we've got options." It remains to be seen how the Twins treat the closer role the rest of the season, but for now, Perkins is the setup man, as Jepsen has had success closing games. Jepsen pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn the save Tuesday. -- 3. The Twins put together a 3-run rally against Danny Salazar in the 3rd inning, and it all started with a missed third strike call on a full-count pitch to Eduardo Escobar. Salazar had been cruising before Escobar stepped to the plate. The Indians righty retired the first eight Twins hitters he faced with just 22 pitches. Then Escobar walked to the plate and with the count full he took the eighth pitch of his plate appearance for ball four, on what appeared to be a clear strike. -- In any case, credit Escobar for prolonging a plate appearance and credit the Twins for piling on after that point. Aaron Hicks tripled to the left- 13 center field gap and scored on Brian Dozier's RBI double. Joe Mauer drove home Dozier with a hustle double to left-center field. The bad call may have ignited the rally, but then there was Escobar's next time up. When this first strike call was made in Escobar's next plate appearance, it was either a makeup call or an indication of where the strike zone was located Tuesday. -- 4. Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor made a fantastic diving stop to throw out Trevor Plouffe in the 3rd inning. Lindor is having a heck of a rookie season. There are arguments to be made for Carlos Correa -- or Miguel Sano -- as American League Rookie of the Year candidates. When you consider the offensive contributions and defensive plays like this one, it's easy to understand why many feel the award should go to Lindor. -- 5. Max Kepler was called up to the big leagues Monday night, and he was in uniform and on the bench Tuesday. Kepler, who was signed out of Germany in 2009, is an outfielder who can play first base. His call-up is a reward for a fantastic season in Double-A, in which he won the Southern League MVP and the Lookouts won the league title. Kepler hit .322/.416/.531 in Double-A, and he also showed impressive strike zone control. He walked more than he struck out, which is rather rare and portends well for his future success as a hitter in the big leagues.

Santana strong again as Twins win first of 7 games left with Indians

Associated Press | September 22, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- If the Minnesota Twins can make the playoffs, Ervin Santana won't be allowed to participate. He's been throwing well enough for them to get there, at least. Santana pitched strong into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks and Brian Dozier each had two hits and an RBI from the top two spots in the lineup, and the Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Tuesday to start a critical series between the American League wild card chasers. "I feel good. I didn't have my best stuff, but it was a good fight," said Santana, whose positive test for a performance-enhancing drug kept him out of the first 80 games, a punishment including a postseason ban. The Twins (77-73) moved within two games of Houston (80-72) for the second AL wild card spot. The Indians (74-75) are two slots behind the Twins, with Los Angeles (77-75) in between. The Angels beat the Astros Tuesday in Houston. "Why not? We just have to perform like we did today and we'll be fine," Santana said. Santana (6-4) turned in his fifth straight stellar start, surrendering five hits, one run and one walk while striking out seven. He gave up two singles to start the eighth, but Glen Perkins got three straight outs. Kevin Jepsen struck out two in the ninth inning for his eighth save in nine tries since replacing Perkins as the closer. "It's kind of one of those games that you've got to go through, get experience, kind of step up a little bit," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "You know you've got to grind." The Indians have had a winning record just once this year, April 9 at 2-1. They've alternated wins and losses over the last 10 games. Danny Salazar (13-9) struck out 21 batters over 13 innings in his first two turns against the Twins this season, beating them April 18 and May 10 with just seven hits and three runs allowed. Salazar retired the first eight batters he faced until Eduardo Escobar fouled off three straight 2-2 pitches before drawing a walk. Hicks followed with a triple that left fielder Michael Brantley nearly nabbed with a diving catch, only to have the ball leak out of his glove. Dozier and Joe Mauer followed with hustling, sliding doubles to left-center, giving Santana and the Twins a three-run lead. Salazar finished six innings with five hits, three runs and three walks allowed. He struck out four and was still fuming about the full-count fastball to Escobar that home plate umpire Tom Hallion called a ball. "I could have gone, like, seven, eight innings easily today. Because of that bad call, it cost me 20 more pitches and three runs," Salazar said. "That brings one of our guys out of the game too." Jose Ramirez had an RBI single when Mauer couldn't quite make a diving stop of his grounder to first base. That was all Santana yielded. "Once he gets a little more comfortable, he gets tougher," Indians manager Terry Francona said. 14

Said Hicks: "He's a great pitcher, and he's done it for a long time." The Indians and Twins started a stretch of seven games against each other over the next 10 days, with four at Cleveland next week. STREAKING MAUER Mauer, who also walked twice, stretched his career-long streak of reaching base to 41 straight games, tied for the third-longest in the major leagues this year. Only Bob Allison (42 games in 1961) had one longer in Twins history. TRAINER'S ROOM Indians: Brantley hurt his right shoulder, diving for the triple by Hicks. He batted in the next inning, before being replaced by Michael Martinez. Brantley, who had trouble with his left shoulder last month, will be re-evaluated Wednesday. Twins: RHP Ricky Nolasco was expected to rejoin the team Wednesday, ready to pitch out of the bullpen if there's a role available. Nolasco had surgery on his right ankle July 14. He last pitched May 31. UP NEXT RHP Corey Kluber (8-14, 3.44 ERA) will take the mound for the Indians Wednesday, likely on a pitch limit. Twins RHP Phil Hughes(10-9, 4.58 ERA) will start, coming off his first relief appearance of the season during the doubleheader Saturday.

StaTuesday: The Twins’ Max Kepler and German-born players

Derek Heller | Fox Sports North | September 22, 2015

When this season's Southern League's Most Valuable Player takes the field for the first time he'll become the 43rd German-born player to appear in the majors. When it comes to producing major leaguers, Germany has actually had the third-most players of any European country, trailing only Ireland and the United Kingdom, with 47 each. (However, only one player born in Ireland has appeared in a major-league game since 1918, and that was for one game in 1945.) There are actually three other active major leaguers who were born in Germany: Miami's Jeff Baker, Atlanta's Edwin Jackson and Philadelphia's Aaron Altherr. Of the 42 previous players born in Germany, only 16 have been since 1947. In fact, there was a a30-year game between Heinz Becker (1943-47) and Mickey Scott (1972-77). That isn't to say Kepler has an easy path to being the best German-born player ever. Here's the list of the top-10 German-born players by plate appearances (as to knock out the pitchers, although one of the below both pitched and played outfield in the 19th century). Included are: several with nicknames which we'd probably consider politically incorrect nowadays, the first baseman who took over for Hall of Famer George Sisler when he had to miss a season and a former Twins manager:

PLAYER YEARS GAMES HR SB BA OBP SLG Glenn Hubbard 1978-89 1,354 70 35 .244 .328 .349 Bill Kuehne 1883-92 1,085 25 150 .232 .258 .337 Mike Blowers 1989-99 761 78 7 .257 .329 .416 Jeff Baker 2005-active 748 54 14 .264 .318 .432 Fritz Mollwitz 1913-19 534 1 70 .241 .278 .294 Fritz Buelow 1899-1907 431 6 20 .192 .238 .251 Pretzels Getzien 1884-92 303 8 17 .198 .257 .275 Ben Koehler 1905-06 804 2 31 .233 .295 .281 Ron Gardenhire 1981-85 285 4 13 .232 .277 .296

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Dutch Schliebner 1923 146 4 4 .271 .333 .362

If Kepler can live up to his promise and his minor-league statistics -- he batted .322 with a .416 on-base percentage and .531 with 18 steals in 112 games for Double-A Chattanooga this season -- he should be able to climb up this list in no time and have a chance to be just the third German-born player to make an All-Star team, joining Hubbard and Jackson.

Tuesday’s Top 5

David Schoenfield | ESPN.com | September 22, 2015

1. Jake Arrieta, . What can you say about the kind of run he's on? Here, let's do this. These are the number of runs Arrieta has allowed in each of his past 18 starts, working backward from Tuesday's three-hit shutout over the Brewers that made him the majors' first 20- game winner and the Cubs' first since Jon Lieber in 2001: 0, 2, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 3, 0, 0, 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 1, 1, 0. That's 18 consecutive quality starts. He's 14-1 with a 0.94 ERA in this stretch. Opponents are hitting .158 against him and he has allowed just two home runs in 134 innings. As Cubs manager Joe Maddon said to begin his postgame news conference: "Jake is good." As for Arrieta, he was a little more subdued. "I've alluded to it before but it just means that I'm putting my team in positions to win ballgames," he said. "At the end of the day, that's our goal, is to try and pile on as many as we can especially with where we're at in the season." Clayton Kershaw had 17 consecutive quality starts last season so Arrieta has passed him and, according to the Baseball-Reference.com Play Index, becomes just the 10th pitcher with at least 18 in a row since 1914. The last pitcher with 18 in a row was Johan Santana with the Twins in 2004, when he had 21. Santana's run, in the heart of the big-offense era, is one of the most amazing I've seen -- he went 18-2 with a 1.34 ERA. Maybe I'll do a more in-depth post on great runs before Arrieta's next start. Aside from that, he creeps a little closer to Zack Greinke in season ERA -- 1.65 to 1.88 -- meaning Greinke can't afford a bad start or the Cy Young Award odds may shift in favor of Arrieta. By the way, when the Orioles traded Arrieta to the Cubs in July of 2013, this was Arrieta's comment about a change of scenery after his struggles in Baltimore: "I think that is really the best way to look at it. This is something that is going to do me a lot of good." Yep. 2. Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins. Santana's streak of quality starts stretched to five. Hey, considering how poorly he pitched when he first came off his PED suspension, even a five-game run like this is a nice surprise. He allowed one run in seven innings as the Twins beat the Indians 3-1. Combined with Houston's loss, the Twins climbed to 2 games back for the second wild card and pretty much knocked out the Indians, now 4.5 behind the Astros, but also behind the Twins and Angels. The Indians were left pondering a missed third strike call to Eduardo Escobar that would have ended the third inning. Instead, Tom Hallion called it a ball and Escobar walked. Salazar lost his composure or focus, because Aaron Hicks tripled, Brian Dozier doubled and Joe Mauer doubled and the Twins had their three runs. Salazar let known his frustration after the game: "Right now, as a team, we can't be losing games," he said. "And the umpires know these are really important games. They can't be missing calls like that." 3. Greg Bird, . His 10th-inning three-run homer gave the Yankees a 6-4 victory over the Blue Jays, but it was Brian McCann's bunt that started the rally. Yankees 2.5 games back. 4. Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners. Remember him? He hit two of Seattle's four home runs off Jeremy Guthrie, whose return to the rotation in place of Danny Duffy was awful (2 1/3 IP, 9 H, 9 R) as the Mariners won 11-2. Cano is now up to .282/.333/.444 with 19 home runs, including .329/.395/.554 in the second half. The Royals fell to 7-13 in September and have a 5.47 staff ERA -- 28th in the majors. 5. Lazarito. Who? He's a 16-year-old Cuban prospect -- full name Lazaro Robersy Armenteros Arango, but they call him Lazarito -- who has established residency in Haiti. As MLB.com reports, keep on eye on this kid.

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Eurostar: How German Native and Top Twins Prospect Max Kepler Can Help Baseball Continue to Go Global

Michael Baumann | Grantland | September 23, 2015

I love international athletic competitions. I know that everyone gets geared up for the World Cup and the Olympics, but I even get jazzed for the Ryder Cup. That’s right: I love my country so much, I’ll sit through golf. But it’s not the same with baseball. We’ve got the World Baseball Classic, which is great and fun in its own way, but it doesn’t carry the same weight as those other competitions. Some of that is understandable, because the WBC came into being only a decade ago, and it’s been contested only three times since then. Uruguay and Argentina decided not to show up for the third FIFA World Cup because it was too far to travel, so give the WBC some time and it’ll grow. But another part of the problem is that baseball is an international game that isn’t truly global yet. While 208 nations attempted to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2014, only 24 nations entered qualification for the WBC the year before. And of those 24 countries, at least half relied mostly on semipro players or American expatriates.1 We’ve got a ways to go still. But baseball took another step toward becoming a truly global game on Tuesday, when the Minnesota Twins called Max Kepler up to the big leagues. Kepler, a 22-year-old outfielder from Berlin, might be the most promising prospect ever to be born and trained in Europe. German-born major leaguers aren’t that unusual, but most of them are the children of American servicemen (and women) who returned to the United States and came up through American amateur baseball programs. Kepler’s mother is American,2 but he was raised in Germany and got his first taste of professional baseball in the German Bundesliga. Most significantly, Kepler signed with the Twins through the same international amateur signing system that governs players from Latin America, and his $850,000 signing bonus was a record for a European player. Since then, Kepler’s had his ups and downs, playing mostly in the shadow of fellow Twins prospects Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, and struggling with injuries at times. But he returned to his star track with a breakout year in 2015: .322/.416/.531 with 18 stolen bases at Double-A, a line that won him MVP honors in the Southern League and a spot on Keith Law’s short list for prospect of the year. Kepler won’t play much in the next couple of weeks as the Twins fight to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, but his presence on a major league roster still carries great significance. Before the 2013 season, I declared Alex Liddi the most important player in baseball. Liddi, who was born and raised in Italy, was a 24-year-old four-corners guy for the Mariners, and I reasoned that if he carved out any kind of career in the majors, he might inspire other European players to do the same. It would’ve been unthinkable for an American to become a top-flight soccer player in Europe until John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, and others showed it could be done, and in the 20 years that followed, dozens of other Americans have made it more or less commonplace. Liddi could’ve served a similar purpose for his sport. In the weeks that followed that article, Liddi played for the Italian WBC team that beat Canada and Mexico, then played eight more games for the Mariners. He’s been at Triple-A ever since. So that didn’t exactly work out, and the European tipping point that looked possible after strong Italian and Dutch performances in the WBC never came. It’s a reminder that like the WBC, baseball’s popularity in Europe will grow slowly and incrementally. Liddi was one step, as was the Netherlands’ semifinal run.3 Kepler is simply the next phase. In a best-case scenario, Kepler would not only inspire other Europeans to take up the game, but also serve as proof that there’s enough talent and interest in Europe to inspire MLB to scout the region more, and to invest in baseball there to cultivate more talent, which would generate interest in the game among European fans, all of which would feed back into the cycle. We’re dozens of Max Keplers and hundreds of Alex Liddis away from baseball having the kind of presence in Europe that it has in Canada or South America, and even then, that’ll leave Africa and much of Asia outside of baseball’s sphere of influence. But until Tuesday, we didn’t even have one Max Kepler in the major leagues, so we’re making progress.

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