Kluber's Run of Success Vs. Twins Ends Ace's Rough Fourth

Kluber's run of success vs. Twins ends Ace's rough fourth dents Tribe's AL Wild Card hopes By Betsy Helfand / MLB.com | MINNEAPOLIS -- Corey Kluber had made a habit out of shutting down the Twins this season. The Indians' ace came into Wednesday's game 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 26 innings against Minnesota. In one of those starts, he had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning. In another, he finished the game having given up just one hit. But Wednesday, with the two teams in the middle of an American League Wild Card chase when the Indians needed their ace, the Twins got the best of Kluber. They tagged him for four runs in the fourth inning in the Indians' 4-2 loss, and Kluber said he was fighting his delivery the whole night. The loss pushed the Indians two games under .500 and they remained 4 1/2 games behind the Astros, who hold the second American League Wild Card berth. "Obviously the games are more magnified right now, but I think throughout the course of the year, every game you lose is frustrating. I don't think it's any more or less frustrating when you lose a game in September or April," Kluber said. "I think our goal is to win every night and when that doesn't happen, it's a bad feeling. It's not something you look forward to." Wednesday was just Kluber's second start since coming back from a hamstring injury and he threw 72 pitches, getting knocked out of the game in the fourth. "His stuff is good, it always is good. He's not in midseason form. It's not through lack of effort or anything," manager Terry Francona said. "He missed 19 days and is fighting that hammy a little bit. But it's not like we don't think he can get people out. He made some mistakes up. My point was when he's in midseason [form], he doesn't do that." Kluber was quick to point out that he was healthy enough to go out and take the ball. He refused to use that as an excuse, instead saying that he wasn't able to make the adjustments he needed to quick enough. "Eventually, it kind of came back to hurt us," Kluber said. Kluber pinpointed Wednesday's effort to missing up. Whenever he missed, the ball was elevated. After Brian Dozier homered to lead off the fourth, the Twins strung together a rally off Kluber. Most of the damage came on a two-out, two-run single from shortstop Eduardo Escobar, which Kluber said was a breaking ball up that Escobar was able to get just enough of because of its elevation. "I just thought he made some mistakes up and we came probably within a pitch of getting out of the inning, but just threw a breaking ball up," Francona said. "Every time he got hurt, it seemed like he elevated the ball. That's frustrating, I know, for him. He's two starts back now. My guess is each start, he'll be sharper. We're just running out of starts."

Tribe prospects in development program By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com | + 0 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- There was a youth movement at Progressive Field on Wednesday. With the big league club on day two of a six-day road trip through Minnesota and Kansas City, the visiting clubhouse in Cleveland served as home base to 29 Indians prospects participating in the team's Fall Development Program.

The program, which started in 1995 and is typically held in January, was moved up to September this season to better utilize the facility and maximize the experience of participating players. It includes 17 of the team's top 30 prospects. The group attended Sunday's 6-3 series finale victory over the Chicago White Sox, and they met with Tribe manager Terry Francona and reigning Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. Kluber spoke to the prospects about the importance of hard work, dedication, and developing an effective routine and sticking to it. "That's what we're trying to instill on these guys," Indians director of player development Carter Hawkins said. "It means one thing if I say it, but when Corey Kluber says it, I feel it has a little bit more of an impact." During Wednesday's media session, reporters met with Cleveland's No. 1 prospect Bradley Zimmer, No. 2 Clint Frazier, No. 3 Rob Kaminsky, No. 6 Justus Sheffield, No. 7 Bobby Bradley and No. 14 Adam Plutko. Zimmer, the team's 2014 first-round pick, opened the season with a stellar showing with High-A Lynchburg before a promotion to Double-A Akron. Zimmer scuffled in Akron, perhaps in part due to a hairline fracture in his right foot that he suffered in June. The injury went undiagnosed until this week, and Zimmer may miss the Arizona Fall League because of it. Frazier, a 20-year-old center fielder drafted fifth overall in 2013, turned heads with his performance at Lynchburg, where he hit .285/.377/.465 with 36 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 15 steals in 133 games. Frazier struggled in the first half, and said "failing for the first time" in his life helped him learn. Going back to a toe-tap in his swing -- his timing mechanism -- allowed him to simplify his swing, dramatically cut his strikeouts and maintain his power in the second half. "The hardest thing for me when the timing was off, I wasn't able to recognize the pitches that were thrown at me," Frazier said. "Once I figured that out, I was able to pick up the ball a lot better." Kaminsky, acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline for Brandon Moss, threw for just two games in High-A before being shut down due to a minor lower back injury. In 19 High-A starts between Lynchburg and St. Louis' Palm Beach club, Kaminsky, who is working on developing his changeup and sinker, didn't allow a single home run. The vibe in the clubhouse of teenagers and young 20-somethings was a mixture of incredulity and business. Every prospect was quick to invoke the messages of hard work, determination and routines that were imparted by Kluber and Hawkins. At the same time, also present were the wide eyes of a room full of hopeful future Major Leaguers in a clubhouse of the stadium they hope to call their own one day. "It's eye-opening," Sheffield said. "It's crazy to think that I could be here in a few years, or however long it will take. It keeps that dream kind of a reality, putting it into perspective, coming out here with these guys, we're out here having a good time and soaking it all up." August Fagerstrom is an associate reporter

Top Tribe prospect Zimmer may miss AFL CLEVELAND -- Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, the top prospect in the Indians' organization, sat in front of a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field on Wednesday with a walking boot on his right foot. The club announced that he has a hairline fracture in his right foot and could miss the Arizona Fall League season. Zimmer, along with 28 other Tribe prospects, were at Progressive Field for the beginning of the team's annual development program -- now being held in the fall for the first time after previously being held in the winter. Zimmer sustained the injury in mid-June, before his promotion to Double-A Akron, after fouling a ball off the foot. "It's one of those things where we're glad that we found it at this point," said director of player development Carter Hawkins. "He had been playing with it for a couple months. He's a pretty tough kid to be working through that. We'll see how it plays out over the next couple weeks. Obviously, we're glad he was able to get a full season in and we want to make sure that nothing he does impacts Spring Training 2016." Zimmer, the club's first-round selection in the 2014 Draft, began his first full season with the team at High Class A Lynchburg, hitting .308/.403/.493 with 10 home runs and 32 steals in 78 games before a mid-July promotion to Double-A Akron. Zimmer got off to a hot start in Akron, but scuffled down the stretch, finishing his season there with a batting line of .219/.313/.374 and six homers and 12 steals in 49 games. Some of his late-season struggles could be attributed to the foot injury. "There's a lot of variables," Hawkins said. "First full season, first time playing 140-plus games plus Spring Training, plus Instructional League before that. There's a lot of variables involved, but I can't imagine [the foot] helped." Zimmer also says he got away from his approach at the plate once some of the struggles began at Akron, but a sit-down with his hitting coach, a better mindset and an eventual clean bill of health has him confident moving forward. "I think making a jump from High [Class] A to Double-A was more of a maturity thing," Zimmer said. "There are guys in Double-A that have been around, veterans that have played the game a lot longer and kind of have an idea of what they're doing. Up there, I wouldn't say the stuff's much different, but the overall maturity and command is definitely there. I think that was probably the biggest thing I noticed. Other than that, it was great."

Brantley out after jamming right shoulder Indians not planning to have left fielder get an MRI MINNEAPOLIS -- Michael Brantley was out of the Indians' lineup Wednesday, a day after jamming his right shoulder trying to make a play in left field. But for the most part, serious concerns about his shoulder seem to be assuaged. "He showed up and he really wasn't more sore, which was good," manager Terry Francona said. Though Brantley wasn't in the lineup, the Indians haven't done an MRI and don't plan to unless his condition worsens. Francona said the plan was for Brantley to work with the team's trainers and see where that leads him. "If he's able to go down to the cage and take some swings, we'll kind of see how it goes," Francona said. "We'll just kind of play it by ear." Brantley injured his shoulder diving for an Aaron Hicks triple in the third inning of Tuesday's 3-1 Indians loss. He took his next at-bat leading off the fourth, but Francona said Brantley had problems getting his shoulder extended during that at-bat and he was removed in the bottom of the fourth. The left fielder is hitting .314 with 15 home runs and 84 RBIs in 135 games. Michael Martinez came in to replace Brantley in the lineup Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mike Avilesgot the start in left. Worth noting • Giovanny Urshela was out of the lineup again Wednesday as he continues to deal with a lingering shoulder injury. Urshela hasn't played since Sept. 17. "He's been fighting that thing since Milwaukee [in late August]," Francona said. "It's just musculature, but it's still bothering him. He took a swing the other day in BP and it kind of grabbed at him. Obviously we're aware of it and we don't want to hurt him. He is struggling a little bit with it." • The Indians recalled C.C. Lee and Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Columbus, while also purchasing catcher Adam Moore's contract. Tyler Holt was designated for assignment. Lee was 4-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 48 games at Triple-A Columbus and Francona said he thinks the only hurdle Lee has left is understanding that he belongs in the Majors. Calling up Moore gives Francona some flexibility. Roberto Perez was the designated hitter Wednesday, something Francona said they wouldn't have done without a third catcher on the roster. He said Aguilar might not get much playing time, but they wanted to acknowledge the successful season he had in the Minors. "[Triple-A Columbus coach Chris Tremie] thought he did such a good job that I think as an organization, sometimes we need to listen to Trem, and a little bit of a reward for having a good year and being a good teammate," Francona said.

The longest ride: How a simple bus ride became unforgettable for Cleveland Indians prospect Rob Kaminsky Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The number began with a Missouri area code. Rob Kaminsky didn't know who has calling him. At first, the Cardinals' pitching prospect intended to ignore the call. "Then I'm like, 'Wait,'" Kaminsky said. "St. Louis. Missouri. And it started to click that it was the day before the [July 31 trade] deadline." Kaminsky was one hour into a bus ride from the east coast of Florida to the west coast when the Cardinals front office representative reached him by phone. "They said, 'We made a trade and you're involved,'" Kaminsky said. "It's a business. I said, 'Thanks for everything you've done for me and believing in me in the draft. Where am I going?'" The answer was Cleveland. But first, he had to get to Dunedin, Fla. Kaminsky still had another hour and a half on the bus with his Class A Palm Beach teammates. Or, former teammates. "Some of the [guys] were excited for me," Kaminsky said. "Some of them were mad I was leaving. "I was shocked." St. Louis had selected Kaminsky with the 28th choice in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft. The Indians, who sent Brandon Moss to the Cardinals in exchange for the left-handed pitcher, assigned Kaminsky to High-A Lynchburg. He met his new club in Winston Salem, N.C. "It's crazy. That's the best way to explain it," he said. "If I could sum it up in one word, it'd be crazy. You get real close to the guys. I was there for long enough that I made friendships that will last my whole life. I still talk to a bunch of the guys from St. Louis." Kaminsky, who turned 21 earlier this month, owns a 2.22 ERA in 45 career minor league outings. The New Jersey native stands at 5 feet, 11 inches and doesn't possess overpowering stuff. He still finds ways to stifle opposing hitters, though. "I like to think I can run it up there in velocity, but I just try to keep the ball on the ground and get a strikeout when I need one," Kaminsky said. "Coming out of New Jersey high school you strike a lot of people out and think you're a strikeout guy. Then you start to realize that 91 [mph] isn't going to work down the middle to strike people out. I'm developing a changeup to try to keep the ball on the ground and I learned a sinker this year." Kaminsky is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 3 prospect in the Indians' farm system. He posted an 8-2 record and a 1.88 ERA in his first full professional season as a 19-year-old at Class A Peoria. He struck out 79 and allowed only 71 hits and two home runs in 100 2/3 innings. In 17 starts with Palm Beach this year, he logged a 2.09 ERA, with 79 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings. He did not surrender a home run. He made two starts for Lynchburg, but was shut down for the final few weeks because of a lower back strain. "It's good now," he said. "I'm ready to go." He's ready for that call. Of course, given his experience this summer, he's ready for any type of call. "I'll answer it even it says Alaska," he said, laughing. "I'm answering it. You never know, right? Anything could happen."

Danny Salazar told to cool it with umpire baiting: Cleveland Indians notes Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group MINNEAPOLIS – Pitching coach Mickey Callaway and Danny Salazar chatted on Wednesday. The message from Callaway went something like this – don't let one pitch ruin your game and whenever possible don't rip an umpire because they have long memories. After he lost control of his emotions and the game in the third inning Tuesday, Salazar uncharacteristically criticized plate umpire Tom Hallion, who called a 3-2 pitch on No.9 hitter Eduardo Escobar a ball. From all angles it looked like strike three, which would have ended the inning. A visibly upset Salazar then allowed three runs on three straight extra-base hits as the Twins beat the Indians, 3-1, in the first of seven games between the two teams that will go a long way in determining whether either team makes the wild card. "You have to overcome whatever happens in a game," said Callaway. "Whether it's an error or you walk a guy. You have to focus on the next thing. Obviously, he didn't do a very good job of that last night." Salazar said he let the ball four call upset him. "Right now we're fighting for a spot in the wild card," said Salazar. "I just think they need to make a better adjustment. Me, as a pitcher, I can't let that get into my mind as well." Asked if he thought Hallion would hold a grudge, Salazar said, "Not really. I know he's a good umpire. Sometimes they make bad calls. No one is going to be perfect. I know it's tough to be back there, but it's tough to be a pitcher too and throw the ball where you want to." Callaway understands Salazar's frustration, but added "you shouldn't speak out of frustration, you should keep that to yourself. You have to diagnose what really happened. You didn't make your pitches after that happened. Whatever the circumstances are, you have to continue to make pitches." As for calling out an umpire, that's an action that can never favor a player. "It's not a good thing," said Callaway. "They're human beings. They're going to miss calls; we're going to make bad pitches and errors. It's not like Danny was out there making every pitch he wanted to make. He made a lot of errors." Manager Terry Francona said he went back and looked at the pitch to Escobar and felt it was a good pitch. "But, that happens," said Francona. "We have guys who are learning on the job. I think that's another lesson. He needs to let me voice that because that's not the way we want to handle that. "If one pitch derails the whole game, we probably need to work on what we do. Tom Hallion is a good umpire. If he has a bad night or he had a bad call, those things happen. Normally, the team that is supposed to win, wins." Remembering Yogi Berra: Following the death of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra on Tuesday, Francona was asked about the Yankee catcher. "He used to always pop his head into Yankee Stadium and sit on the couch and start talking," said Francona. "Because it was Yogi, we'd fly right past the media time. "You could tell how fond everybody was of him. He'd walk into a clubhouse and you could tell that's where he belonged." Francona's father, Tito, played against Berra. "My dad always says that as good as those Yankee teams were, if Yogi came up in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings, he was the one player that was most feared," said Francona. Reinforcements: The Indians recalled first baseman Jesus Aguilar and right-hander CC Lee from Class AAA Columbus on Wednesday. They also purchased the contract of catcher Adam Moore from Columbus. Outfielder Tyler Holt was designated for assignment to make room for Moore. Francona wasn't sure how much Aguilar and Lee would play. He said that adding a third catcher would give him more flexibility. Wednesday night he DH'd backup catcher Roberto Perez because he was 5-for-9 against Twins starter Phil Hughes. "We probably wouldn't have done that if Moore wasn't here," said Francona. Francona believes Lee is a big-league reliever. "The only hurdle he has left is understanding that he belongs and the confidence factor that he'll let it go with conviction," said Francona. Lee went 4-3 with five saves and a 3.39 ERA in 48 games for Columbus. He struck out 65 and walked 16 in 58 1/3 innings. Finally: Third baseman Giovanny Urshela's right shoulder is still barking. He has not played the first two games of this series. "He took a swing the other day and it grabbed him," said Francona.

Corey Kluber running out of starts, Cleveland Indians running out of time Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group – Corey Kluber is running out of starts and the Indians are running out of time. This three-game series against the Twins set up well for the Tribe. Danny Salazar went into Tuesday's start with a 2-0 record this season against the Twins. Kluber went into Wednesday's start with an identical 2-0 record against Minnesota with both wins coming on consecutive complete game victories. So much for past victories playing a rule in the present. Salazar and Kluber were each undone by one pitch and one bad inning as the Twins took the first two games of this seven-game home and away series with the Indians by scores of 3-1 and 4-2. The wins have pushed the Twins to within one game of Houston and the AL's second wild card spot. The losses have lengthened the odds considerably on the Indians wild-card hunt. The Angels, 1½ games out of the second wild card spot, spent the last two days beating Houston. If the Indians had been able to take advantage of that opening with two wins over the Twins instead of two losses, there would be music in their clubhouse instead of silence. "I care more about us right now," said manager Terry Francona, when asked about the missed opportunity. "You can look at the math all you want, but I care more about us finding ways to win. Regardless, of what happens, I'll always feel better when we're winning games. Then we can figure that stuff out." It's not just the losses that are hurting the Indians, it's the fact that some of their best players are hurting. Kluber is still pitching with a sore right hamstring after going 18 days between starts. Michael Brantley, who has great numbers against the Twins this season, missed Wednesday's game with a jammed right shoulder and might not play until next week, if then. Jason Kipnis has been grinding through games with a sore right shoulder since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 17. Third baseman Giovanny Urshela, who stabilized the left side of the infield since his arrival in June, is seeing less and less playing time because of a persistent sore right shoulder. Terry Francona on Corey Kluber, Phil HughesManager Terry Francona said Corey Kluber's problems in the fourth inning had to do with elevating the ball. He said Phil Hughes, the Twins winning pitcher, did a nice job against the Indians left-handed hitters. Kluber opened the game with three scoreless innings. In the fourth, he allowed four runs. That's as many as he allowed against the Twins in his previous three starts against them this season. The worst part is he knew it was coming. "I was fighting my delivery the whole night," said Kluber. "When I missed, I missed up the whole night. By the fourth inning, they took advantage of it." Still, Kluber was one pitch away from making a bad situation tolerable. The Twins had a 2-0 lead and the bases loaded, but Kluber had two outs and a 1-2 count on No. 9 hitter Eduardo Escobar. Kluber hung a breaking ball and Escobar barely pushed it into right field for a two-run single. "When Corey is in midseason form, that doesn't happen," said Francona. "This is his second start back from missing 18 days. Each start is getting better, but he's running out of starts." On Tuesday night, Salazar had two out in the third inning with a 3-2 count on Escobar in a scoreless game. Salazar threw what he thought was strike three. Umpire Tom Hallion called ball four and Salazar lost control of his emotions and the game as the Twins went on to score three runs in the inning. Francona said the Twins have done a good job all season of extending innings like that. "They don't strike out," he said. Said Kluber, "I don't know how I'd characterize their offense. It's just the last two nights Danny and I were in a situation where we were one pitch from getting out of the inning and we weren't really able to make that pitch. They did a good job of taking advantage of it and getting multiple runs." Francona said Kluber is still being "nagged' by his hamstring. Kluber said forget about it. "I'm healthy enough to take the ball," he said. "I don't want to make excuses. I just wasn't where I wanted to be tonight and didn't make the adjustment quick enough." Regarding adjustments, the Indians offense has been a little slow as well. They've scored three runs in the first two games against the Twins.

Michael Brantley not in Cleveland Indians lineup with sore right shoulder Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group MINNEAPOLIS – Left fielder Michael Brantley came to Target Field on Wednesday and his sore right shoulder felt the same as it did when he injured it Tuesday night diving for a triple by Aaron Hicks in the third inning. Manager Terry Francona took that as a good sign. If Brantley reported to the park and the shoulder was worse than it was Tuesday, a trip to Cleveland and an MRI was probably the next step. So far that's not the case. "The plan is to let him work with the trainers during the afternoon and see where that leads him," said Francona before Wednesday night's game against the Twins. "If he's able to go down to the cages and take a few swings, we'll see how that goes. "I think the good news was that he didn't show up and he was really stiff." Brantley just missed catching Hicks' drive in the Tribe's 3-1 loss. In fact, he had the ball, but when he landed near the warning track it came loose. Brantley batted in the top of the fourth inning and then left the game. Mike Aviles started in left field Wednesday night and Francisco Lindor filled Brantley's No.3 spot in the lineup. Brantley needed a cortisone shot and some rest in mid-August because of soreness in his left (throwing) shoulder. He's also dealt with an ongoing back injury since spring training. For the season, he's hitting .314 (164-for-523) with 15 homers and 84 RBI. He's third in the AL in batting average and leads the league with 45 doubles. Last year when Brantley finished third in the AL MVP voting, he hit 45 doubles in 156 games. Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley has 'jammed' right shoulder Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group MINNEAPOLIS -- Left fielder Michael Brantley was in the locker room after the Indians 3-1 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night, but told a team spokesman that he didn't want to talk to reporters about his injured right shoulder until Wednesday when he had more information. Brantley left the game in the game in the fourth inning after grounding out to shortstop. In the third inning, he injured the shoulder on a diving attempt to catch a triple by Aaron Hicks that scored the Twins first run. "On the play where he dove in left field he jammed his shoulder," said manager Terry Francona. "It was hard for him to get extended when he was hitting. So we got him him and got him iced. "He's already talking about playing tomorrow. We'll see. We'll see how he shows up at the park." It has been a trying year for Brantley. He dealt with back problems in spring training and throughout much of the first half. In mid-August, he was given a few days off because of a sore left (throwing) shoulder. Now he's injured his right shoulder. Brantley, however, has produced through the pain. He's hitting .314 (164-for-523) with 45 doubles, 15 homers and 84 RBI. Brantley has scored 68 runs and stolen 14 bases in 15 attempts. With just 13 games left in the season, and the Indians trying to run down the second wild card spot, this would not be a good time to lose Brantley. The Indians will play the Twins six more times in the next nine days and Brantley is hitting .395 (15-for-39) with one homer and seven RBI against them. Houston owns the second wild card spot, but the Angels are two games out and the Twins 2 1/2. The Indians are 4 1/2 out. Terry Francona on Danny Salazar's loss, Michael Brantley's injury Manager Terry Francona talks about Danny Salazar's loss to the Twins on Tuesday night and Michael Brantley's injured right shoulder. Utility man Michael Martinez, a switch-hitter, replaced Brantley in left field. Francona could have gone with Jerry Sands, Mike Aviles or Ryan Raburn, but he wanted a left-hander to face Twins right-hander Ervin Santana. "He's a switch hitter and we didn't have a left-hander on the bench," said Francona. "I felt like he can catch the ball as good as anybody out there and if we wanted to pinch-hit a right-hander we could. But have a switch-hitter was probably our best best." In the eighth, with two out and runners on second and third, Martinez hit a hard grounder behind second, but second baseman Brian Dozier turned it into the third out. "He squared that ball up," said Francona. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2015 Cleveland Indians prospect Bradley Zimmer dealing with broken bone in foot Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bradley Zimmer fouled a ball off of his right foot earlier in the year. Now, he's in a walking boot. The Indians' prized outfield prospect, selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2014 amateur draft, has a hairline fracture in his right foot. Zimmer started wearing the boot on Monday. "I'm getting used to it," he said Tuesday at Progressive Field, where the organization's top prospects have gathered this week for the fall development program. "It's a little heavy, but I'm making it work." Zimmer's status for the Arizona Fall League, which begins in mid-October, is in doubt. He is the team's No. 1 prospect, according to MLB.com. "We'll see how I progress the next couple weeks," Zimmer said. Zimmer, 22, split his season between High-A Lynchburg and Double-A Akron. In all, he batted .273 with a .368 on-base percentage and an .814 OPS, with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs and 44 stolen bases in 127 games. He posted a .308/.403/.493 slash line at Lynchburg and a .219/.313/.374 clip at Akron. "He had been playing with it for a couple months, so he's a pretty tough kid to be working through that," said Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player development. "We'll see how it plays out over the next couple of weeks." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2015 Minnesota Twins enjoy themselves at expense of Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians: DMan's Report, Game 150 Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and right-hander Phil Hughes pitched five shutout innings as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Cleveland Indians, 4-2, Wednesday night at misty Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Tribe righty Corey Kluber gave up four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Here is a blink-of-an-eye look at the game. No DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast was necessary: Nothing doing: While it is true that the Indians (74-76) are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it is evident that they fail the eye test. And the smell test. This team's season almost certainly will end at the conclusion of Game 161 against the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 4 at Progressive Field. No need to make up the Detroit game. In mid-afternoon Sept. 13, the Indians were in decent shape. They had won three straight to improve to 70-70. Later in the day, however, they lost the second game of a doubleheader to Detroit, whose starting pitcher was Randy Wolf. It began a stretch that is now 4-6, when they desperately needed to be, at a minimum, 6-4. Here they come: The legit-wild-card-contender Twins (78-73) have won three straight, including the first two of a three-game series that wraps Thursday night. The winning streak followed a five-game slide. Operation shutdown: Hughes and three relievers allowed a total of six hits in 114 pitches. They walked none and struck out six. The Tribe's best hitter, Michael Brantley, did not play because of a right-shoulder injury sustained Tuesday night. The Tribe lineup sans Brantley is paper-thin and, as a result, can be handled by pitchers who simply hit their spots and don't over-think. The Tribe's runs Wednesday came from a two-out, two-run homer by Carlos Santana off lefty Glen Perkins. Entering that at-bat, Tribe batters were a #zombiebaseball-esque 11-for-61 with four doubles and one walk in the series. Yan Gomes popped the next pitch to second. Not Klubotic: Kluber breezed through the first three innings in a combined 39 pitches. He threw 32 pitches in the fourth. The 92-mph fastball did in Kluber. Right-handed batter Brian Dozier led off by sending a 2-1 fastball (92) over the plate at the thighs deep to right for a homer. Dozier hunts fastballs -- high, low, inside, outside -- especially from the Indians. Second baseman Dozier has hit 28 homers, 11 more than Indians leader Santana. Lefty Joe Mauer served a 1-2 fastball (92) up and away to left for a double. Kluber made it too easy for Mauer and his natural opposite-field approach; Tribe catcher Gomes's target was down and in. Mauer tied a Twins record by reaching safely in 42 consecutive games. Miguel Sano walked in six pitches. Righty Plouffe, in a 2-0 count, showed bunt and took a fastball for a strike. Kluber came back with a fastball (92) on the inner half above the knees, and Plouffe wasn't bunting. He ripped it down the left-field line for an RBI double, Sano stopping at third. Tribe pitching coach Mickey Callaway visited the mound. Kluber plunked Torii Hunter with the first pitch. As expected, Hunter glared at Kluber and said some nasty things. Hunter no doubt wondered why, if he was going to be put on base, it didn't come via the painless walk. Kurt Suzuki struck out in three pitches. No. 9 batter and lefty Eduardo Escobar, in a 1-2 count, pounced on a breaking pitch that stayed up and sent it into right for a two-run single. The Indians can't expect to win when a pitcher the caliber of Kluber allows a two-run single to Escobar in a 1-2 count. Kluber walked Aaron Hicks in four pitches. Ryan Webb relieved. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2015

Cleveland Indians' wild-card hopes take another body blow in 4-2 loss to Minnesota Twins Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group MINNEAPOLIS – It was supposed to rain all day and night in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Too bad for the Indians it didn't. Corey Kluber allowed four runs in the fourth inning as the Indians' fading wild-card hopes took another body blow in a 4-2 loss to the Twins at Target Field. The victory pushed the Twins to within one game of Houston and the second wild card spot, while the Indians remain 4½ games back with 12 to play. The Indians, however, now trail three teams in their pursuit of Houston. Baltimore slipped in front of them and is four games out. The Angels are 1 1/2 games out right behind the Twins. Wednesday's loss did eliminate the Indians from the Central Division race. The field was covered all day in anticipation of a downpour that never came. The game did start in a light rain, but by the middle innings it was gone. Kluber, in his last two starts against the Twins, threw consecutive complete-game victories. He struck out 17 and allowed two runs in 18 innings. In the first three innings Wednesday, Kluber looked like that Kluber. He allowed one hit and struck out four. In the fourth, however, he looked like the Kluber who was making his second start after missing 18 days with a strained hamstring. Brian Dozier opened the fourth with a homer that just snuck into the flowerbed hanging over the right-field wall. Kluber might not have known it at the time, but the curtain was about to come down. Joe Mauer followed with a double and Miguel Sano walked. Trevor Plouffe, who entered the game with seven career RBI against Kluber, made it eight with a double past Jose Ramirez at third. Kluber struck out Eddie Rosario and then drilled Torii Hunter in the elbow, drawing a hard stare from Hunter as the umpires got between the two players. Kluber, with the bases loaded, struck out Kurt Suzuki, but No.9 hitter Eduardo Escobar sent a soft single into right to score Sano and Plouffe. It was Escobar's two-out walk – courtesy of plate umpire Tom Hallion – that undid Danny Salazar in the third inning of Tuesday night's 3-1 loss. After Kluber (8-15, 3.55) walked Aaron Hicks, to reload the bases, Ryan Webb relieved. In his last two starts, Kluber is 0-2, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings. The win went to Phil Hughes (11-9, 4.43). He threw five scoreless innings and turned it over to the bullpen. Hughes is 6-3 in his career against the Indians. Hughes, Neal Cotts, Casey Fien and Glen Perkins came within one out of a shutout, but Francisco Lindor doubled and Carlos Santana lined his 17th homer into the left field seats to make it 4-2 in the ninth. Yan Gomes, the next batter, ended the game on a pop-up. The Indians have scored three runs in the first two games of this series. What it means The Indians (74-76) lost for the second straight night to the Twins. It was their second straight missed opportunity to gain in the wild-card race with Houston losing two in a row. The Twins (78-73) won their third straight game and improved to 9-5 against the Indians. The Twins are 11-10 in September, but have won just five of their last 11 games. What a turnaround Kluber, a year after winning the AL Cy Young award with an 18-9 record, is tied for the AL lead in losses. Kluber is 8-15, while Oakland's Jesse Chavez is 7-15. Atlanta's Shelby Miller leads the big leagues with 16 losses. After going 4-10 in the first half of the season, Kluber is 4-5 since the All-Star break. Thanks for coming The Indians and Twins drew 17,831 to Target Field. What's next? Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson (5-3, 3.48) will face Twins righty Kyle Gibson (10-10, 3.73) on Thursday night at 8:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game. Anderson has won three straight starts and will be facing the Twins for the second time in his career. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings against the Twins on Aug. 7. Gibson is 1-1 with a 3.21 in four September starts. He has not faced the Tribe this season, but is 1-1 with a 5.61 ERA in five career starts against them. Gomes is hitting .556 (5-for-9) with two homers and four RBI against Gibson. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.24.2015

One bad inning costs Corey Kluber, Indians against Twins/AP

MINNEAPOLIS — Corey Kluber’s dominance over the Minnesota Twins ended abruptly during a rainy fourth inning Wednesday night. Brian Dozier homered and Eduardo Escobar cracked a two-run single as the Twins scored four times in the fourth to beat the reigning Cy Young winner and the Cleveland Indians 4-2. “I was fighting my delivery the whole night, missing up,” Kluber said. “When I missed, I missed up the whole night. In that fourth inning they took advantage of it.” Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Indians, who now trail the Astros by 5½ games with 12 left to play in the race for the second AL wild card. Cleveland played without star outfielder Michael Brantley, who injured his shoulder while diving for a ball Tuesday night. Twins hitters had managed just four hits in 53 at-bats versus Kluber (8-15) in two games at Target Field before Wednesday’s big fourth inning. Kluber was pulled after 3Ҁ innings, his shortest start of the season. In 100 career starts, the righty has failed to last four innings only six times. It hasn’t been pretty for Kluber since he returned Sept. 17 after missing 19 days with a hamstring injury. In two post-injury starts, he’s allowed seven runs in 7Ҁ innings. “I’m healthy enough to go out there and take the ball,” Kluber said. “I don’t think that’s an excuse to make.” As a light drizzle turned to a steady rain, Dozier led off the fourth with a homer over the limestone overhang in right field. After Kluber hit Torii Hunter to load the bases, he struck out Kurt Suzuki for the second out. But Escobar, the No. 9 hitter, lined a single to right to score Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe and give Minnesota 4-0 lead. The rain subsided after the fourth, and the downpour predicted for later in the game never arrived. Minnesota used a three-run third inning to beat Cleveland on Tuesday night. “They’ve done that to us two nights in a row and they’ve actually been really good at that all year,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “They just extend innings by not striking out, putting the ball in play, hitting the ball the other way.” Making just his second start since being sidelined with a back injury on Aug. 9, Phil Hughes (11-9) didn’t allow a run and struck out four in five innings. Hunter angry After Kluber hit Hunter in the upper arm to load the bases in the fourth, the Twins outfielder yelled at Kluber on his way to first. “I’m sure it probably didn’t feel good, but when he steps back he probably knows I wasn’t trying to hit him right there,” Kluber said. Trainer’s room Indians: Francona said Brantley’s shoulder wasn’t any worse when he got to the ballpark Wednesday, which the team took as a good sign. He did not need an MRI and planned to try to take some swings in the cage before the game to test it out. Twins: Twins manager Paul Molitor said RHP Ricky Nolasco, who has missed most of the season with ankle trouble, could be activated at some point on the upcoming seven-game road trip. Up next The Indians will send RHP Cody Anderson (5-3, 3.48) to the mound tonight for Game 3 against Twins RHP Kyle Gibson (10-10, 3.73). Anderson has won three straight starts, including a 12-1 win against the White Sox last week in which he gave up one run in 6Ҁ innings. Gibson is 1-1 with a 5.61 ERA in five career starts against the Indians.

Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer part of what could be in Cleveland Indians Fall Development program

By Justin Lada, The News-Herald Clint Frazier said he hadn’t been on the field at Progressive Field since the day he signed after being drafted in 2013. He had been back as part of TribeFest, the Indians’ winter fan festival.

The Indians hosted Frazier and 29 other of the organization’s top prospects this past week as part of the Indians’ Fall Development program, which used to be held in the winter. Moving it to the fall allowed the team to better use the facilities to help the program, Indians director of player development Carter Hawkins said.

Along with Frazier was Indians 2014 first-round pick and fellow outfielder Bradley Zimmer. It was the second time this year the two shared a locker room. If everything goes right, it won’t be the last time they do it at Progressive Field.

Zimmer finished the season in Akron after an impressive first half at Lynchburg while Frazier made an adjustment in his timing and took off in the second half.

“Playing with Zimmer was an awesome experience,” Frazier said. “Not only is he a good ballplayer, but he’s a good guy. He’s someone I look up to. I want to emulate the way he plays the game. It’s going to be great playing side by side in the (Arizona Fall League). That’s going to push me. He’s where I want to be in three years. I want to be as polished as he is, steal bases like he does and cover the outfield like he does.”

Zimmer and Frazier are scheduled to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Zimmer’s status could be in question, as he appeared in the clubhouse with a walking boot on his right foot after fouling a pitch off of it. Hawkins said he played the end of the season with the hairline fracture.

“That’s the goal,” Zimmer said of hoping to be well enough to play in the fall league. “We’ll see how it progresses in the next few weeks. I trust the training staff. They have my best interests in mind.”

“It’s awesome,” Zimmer added of the development program experience. “You get to be in a major-league locker room and stadium. We saw a game here earlier on. It’s awesome to share this experience with guys I’ll be playing with in the future hopefully.”

The injury might have affected Zimmer later in the season. But after injuring his leg earlier in the year, he hit six homers at Double-A after his promotion before struggling over the season’s final few weeks.

Frazier’s adjustment elevated his play in the second half, where he hit .325 with an on-base percentage of .422 and slugged .539. He had nine of his 16 homers in 66 second-half at-bats and struck out 19 less times in one less at-bat in the first half.

The two were drafted in the first round in back-to-back years, Frazier, rated the Indians’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, in 2013, and Zimmer, rated No. 1, in 2014. In 2012, the Indians had Michael Brantley manning center field and Shin-Soo Choo in right field, but split left field between Shelly Duncan, Aaron Cunningham and Johnny Damon.

Frazier enjoyed playing with Zimmer this season and said it’s not difficult to envision the two patrolling the outfield at Progressive Field every day in the future.

“It’s a fun vision to have,” he said. “He’s a great teammate to be around. He tore up the league when he was at Lynchburg. He deserved that promotion to Akron. It’s going to be nice to be in the same lineup and roam the outfield together again.”

Despite the fact they finished at different levels in 2015, the Indians seem to like the idea of having the two players’ futures cross paths more.

“It’s great when you can pair two guys like that,” Hawkins said. “With Clint being a high school kid and Zimmer in his first full season but with his experiences in college and team USA, Brad in a way can give some perspective to Clint and Clint to Brad as well. It’s great to have those two guys pushing each other and having your two best players on the same team makes it that much better.” Rob Kaminsky, Justus Sheffield, two of Indians’ top pitching prospects, take part in Fall Development Program

CLEVELAND: In late July, Rob Kaminsky was on a bus ride with the Palm Beach Cardinals, the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

His cellphone rang with a call from an unsaved number, and he almost didn’t answer it. It was the Cardinals informing him that he’d been traded to the Indians’ organization for outfielder Brandon Moss. In other words, it was a pretty important phone call.

“It was a whirlwind, to say the least,” said Kaminsky, who is taking part in the Indians’ Fall Development Program, which invited roughly 30 of the organization’s top prospects to Progressive Field for a week of additional training. “I wasn’t going to answer it at first because I didn’t have the number saved, but then I’m like, ‘Wait, St. Louis, Missouri [area code],’ and it started to click that it was the day before the deadline.”

Kaminsky, 21, instantly became the No. 3 prospect in the Indians’ system and the top pitching prospect, according to MLB.com.

A left-hander who works with downward movement as a ground-ball pitcher, Kaminsky went 6-5 with a 2.09 ERA in 17 starts with Palm Beach before being traded. He still has yet to have a real introduction with the Indians, as he made only two starts before being shut down. Kaminsky strained his lower back and, while it doesn’t appear to be anything serious going forward, the Indians were cautious with their newly acquired prized prospect.

“It was frustrating,” Kaminsky said. “But I’m sure they did their due diligence before the trade and everything. I had two starts in Lynchburg and Lynchburg was awesome — cool fan base and everything. But I can’t reiterate it enough, the guys in the front office, the coaching staff, everybody is unbelievable and more than I could ever ask for. I’ll be forever grateful.”

Kaminsky is still working on improving his slider and is developing a changeup to offer a more complete repertoire. His calling card is keeping the ball on the ground — since entering the minor leagues in 2013, he’s allowed only three home runs and didn’t allow any in 2015. But to Kaminsky, that’s not enough on its own.

“People always bring that up, but a run is a run, whether it comes from a home run or a ground ball through the middle,” Kaminsky said. “I like to think I can run it up there in velocity, but I just try to keep the ball on the ground and get a strikeout when I need one.”

Still, keeping the ball in the ballpark is a lesson well learned for a young pitcher. And, of course, that he should always answer his phone.

New routine

One of the key aspects to many great pitchers is a consistent, effective routine in-between starts. It’s been one of the calling cards of Indians ace Corey Kluber and many of the game’s top pitchers.

Justus Sheffield, 19, basically started his routine from scratch this season. Sheffield went 9-4 with a 3.31 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 127Ҁ innings for Class-A Lake County in 2015, and he got stronger as the season progressed.

Sheffield credits working with the Lake County coaches — namely, pitching coach Steve Karsay — on developing a routine, the first one he’s ever followed.

“It started from literally nothing,” said Sheffield, the No. 6 prospect in the Indians’ system according to MLB.com, of his transition from high school. “I’d throw my cleats on, I’d go out and I’d pitch. I had to implement a lot of things in my five-day routines. I’m still building off of it. I’m still open to new ideas and learning more about myself and my body.”

It was needed. Sheffield went over 100 innings pitched in a single season for the first time in his life and had success while doing it. The next step in his development is the improvement on his changeup, as Sheffield hopes to keep hitters honest.

“Just trying to develop on growing mentally, just trying to keep developing my change-up, hopefully implicate that into a secondary pitch, instead of my slider, where I can use both of those in any count,” Sheffield said. “Instead of my slider as a strikeout pitch, throw my change-up in there as a strikeout pitch.”

Additions

At the major league level, the Indians added three players to the roster Wednesday, recalling relief pitcher C.C. Lee and first baseman Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Columbus and purchasing the contract of catcher Adam Moore.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Indians designated outfielder Tyler Holt for assignment.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at [email protected]

Hughes sharp as Twins beat Cleveland 4-2, close on wild-card spot By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune There was a chance that Phil Hughes wasn’t going to start the rest of the season. He wasn’t sharp in his first two appearances after recovering from a sore back. And with the Twins in win-now mode, he could have been idling in the back of the bullpen. But Tommy Milone’s shoulder started showing signs of fatigue, so Hughes got the ball one more time. He came through for the Twins on Wednesday night at Target Field. Hughes pitched five shutout innings while his teammates finally figured out righthander Corey Kluber in a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. The Twins have won three consecutive games to creep within one game of Houston for the second AL wild-card playoff spot. The Astros blew a late lead Wednesday and lost 6-5 to the Angels. But the Twins need that door to crack open a little more, and will go for a sweep of the Indians on Thursday before leaving on a seven-game road trip. Hughes was making his third appearance and second start since missing more than five weeks. He held the Indians to four hits while striking out four. His breaking ball was noticeably sharper, and he was ahead in the count more than his past two appearances. “I told him it was the five biggest zeros he’s had all year,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He gave us a chance to win.” Hughes got out of the second and fourth innings by inducing ground-ball double plays, and the hardest hit ball off him was Yan Gomes’ double to the left-center fence in the fifth. Hughes threw 66 pitches, one more than in his Sept. 15 start. And he pretty much cemented his spot in the rotation, at least for the time being. “This is the time of year where every good performance is magnified,” said Hughes, who improved to 11-9 with a 4.43 ERA. “It was nice to get this one, and hopefully puts me in a spot where I can help this team down the stretch.” The Twins didn’t have to worry about Hughes after all. Their main worries Wednesday were Kluber, the defending AL Cy Young Award winner, and rain. They crossed their fingers that Wednesday’s game could be played so they could avoid a doubleheader Thursday, when more rain was in the forecast. And Kluber entered the game 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in three starts against the Twins this season. He had Cy Young-level stuff during the first time through the order, holding the Twins to one hit. But he began to miss spots the second time through the lineup. Brian Dozier got hold of an up-and-away pitch and hit it over the right-field wall for his first home run since Sept. 6. It also was the only one of his 75 career home runs to be hit to right field. The Twins added three more runs in the inning, one on Trevor Plouffe’s RBI double and two on a two-out single by Eduardo Escobar. Escobar’s single proved to be big, because Carlos Santana blasted a two-run homer off Glen Perkins in the ninth. Perkins got Gomes to fly out to end the game, but turned and yelled at home plate umpire Dan Bellino for his strike zone judgment earlier in the inning. Perkins was ejected. That was one of the few things to go wrong on a night in which the Twins gained ground in the wild-card race. “We picked up a couple games in a couple days, and we are back to even in the loss column,” Molitor said. “We’re back into having a chance.’’ Star Tribune LOADED: 09.24.2015

Twins notes: For now, Molitor keeps Perkins in set-up role By La Velle E. Neal III September 23, 2015 — 11:50pm Twins manager Paul Molitor on Wednesday met with reliever Glen Perkins to make sure the lefthanded reliever understood how he’s going to be used in the near future. Perkins entered Tuesday’s game against Cleveland in the eighth inning with runners on first and second and retired three consecutive batters to help the Twins win 3-1. But the All-Star closer is not going to return to his old, ninth-inning role right away. He did pitch in the ninth in a non-save situation Wednesday, giving up a two-run homer. “Like all the guys, they want to have a feel of not being surprised when his name gets called,” Molitor said. “I just told him, it’s my job to do the best I can to get the right people to get the outs at the end of a game when we have a chance to be ahead.” Perkins has a 2.73 ERA and 32 saves but has not been the closer since coming down with back and neck injuries over the past month. Righthander Kevin Jepsen, acquired on July 31 from Tampa Bay, has a 1.88 ERA and eight saves since replacing Perkins. “It has been a pretty good formula for us for now,” Molitor said of Jepsen closing. “Who’s to say what could happen over the next 12 games?” Molitor said Perkins was fine with arrangement as the Twins try to chase down Houston for a wild-card playoff spot. “He wants to see us find ways to win.” Molitor said. Remembering Yogi People throughout baseball spent Wednesday mourning the loss of Yankee great Yogi Berra, a three-time MVP and 18-time All-Star who died Tuesday at age 90. Berra played in 14 World Series during his 18 seasons. He caught the only perfect game in World Series history. But he also served in the Navy and was part of the D-Day invasion. “He’s a lot bigger and touched a lot more lives than what he did in the game,” Molitor said. When asked for his favorite Yogi-ism, Molitior recalled a moment at the Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown, N.Y., a few years ago during Hall of Fame week. “When Yogi faced about a 60-foot putt and hit it about 30 feet,” Molitor said. “And he said, ‘If I had hit it harder, I would have missed it shorter.’ Hearing that live kind of affirmed a lot of things I had read about him. They are all good.” Minor league awards The Twins named Class AA outfielder Max Kepler its minor league player of the year and Class AAA Rochester righthander Jose Berrios its minor league pitcher of the year. Kepler, who was called up Monday after helping Chattanooga win the Southern League championship, batted .322 with nine home runs and 71 RBI. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player after leading the league with a .416 on-base percentage and .531 slugging percentage. Berrios began the season at Chattanooga, going 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA. He moved on to Rochester, where he was 6-2, 2.85. He is the first minor leaguer to be named pitcher of the year in consecutive seasons. The Torii Awards There was no red carpet show or no known after-party. It was only the Twins taking their season-long dance party ritual to a new level. Outfielder Torii Hunter, before Wednesday’s game, handed out awards based on behavior during their postgame victory celebrations. They were called the Torii Awards. Here are some of the awards: • Best new dancer: Miguel Sano. • Lifetime achievement in smoothness: Eddie Rosario. • Worst dancer in a not-so-supportive role: Mike Pelfrey. • Best all-around dancer: Shane Robinson. • Most creepy dance: Perkins. The Twins celebrate home victories by turning the lights down in the clubhouse, turning on laser lights and fog machines, and making players dance. Hunter believes winning should not be taken lightly, and it’s a way to foster a positive atmosphere. “I’m glad he’s taken initiative to find a way to celebrate them,” Molitor said. Star Tribune LOADED: 09.24.2015