Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Monday, June 25, 2018

 Berrios K's career-high 12 to win pitching duel. MLB.com (Denney) p. 1  Busenitz recalled, adds depth to bullpen. MLB.com (Denney) p.2  Twins have blast giving back during Hope Week. MLB.com (Denney) p.3  Jose Berrios shuts down Rangers, offense does enough to win. Star Tribune (Miller) p.3  Affordable contract would keep in good standing with Twins, community. Star Tribune (Souhan) p.4  Twins await chance to sign Trevor Larnach, who is playing for College title. Star Tribune (Miller) p.5  Hildenberger goes from 'working on things' to working 8th for Twins. Star Tribune (Reusse) p.6  Sunday's Twins-Texas game recap. Star Tribune (Miller) p.8  Jose Berrios strikes out career-high 12 in 2-0 win over Bartolo Colon. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p.8  Is on his way back to the Twins? Pioneer Press (Berardino) p.9  Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: J.O. Berrios was great again, getting the better of Bartolo Colon. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p.10  Twins option Ryan LaMarre, with another roster move on the way. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p.12  Twins option Fernando Romero; reliever Alan Busenitz is back. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p.12  Berrios strikes out 12 as Twins beat Rangers 2-0. Fox Sports North (AP) p.13  Adjustments made by Twins’ José Berríos could take him to next level. The Athletic (Hayes) p.13 Berrios K's career-high 12 to win pitching duel Jarrid Denney | MLB.com | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jose Berrios' and Bartolo Colon's tenures in Minnesota didn't overlap for very long, but it was enough time for the pair to forge a lasting friendship and for the youngster to pick up a few tips from the veteran.

On Sunday afternoon, the pair went toe-to-toe, and Berrios racked up a career-high 12 as he and the Twins topped the Rangers, 2-0, at Target Field.

"Every time when I warm [Berrios] up before the game, I have in my head that it's going to be a special day," Minnesota Bobby Wilson said. "He's just that electric of a and has that good of stuff. You just have a good feeling every time you see him on the mound."

Berrios generated 18 swinging strikes and allowed just five Texas hitters to reach base in seven innings. It marked the fourth time this season that Berrios has tallied 10 or more strikeouts in a game.

The 24-year-old right-hander has quickly established himself as the Twins' ace this season. Berrios trimmed his ERA to 3.15 on the year and his 12 punchouts were the most by a Minnesota pitcher since struck out 15 batters on July 13, 2012.

"[Berrios] was pretty good," Texas outfielder Delino DeShields said. "He's got good stuff and commanded it well for the most part. He was getting ahead of hitters, and when you do that, the off-speed stuff gets better. He did a good job of attacking us all afternoon."

Berrios threw 70 strikes on 107 pitches and forced nine swinging strikes on his curveball alone. Rougned Odor singled to lead off the seventh with Berrios' pitch count rising. But Berrios bounced back to strike out with a curveball in the dirt, and then rolled Isiah Kiner-Falefa into a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Matching Berrios pitch-for-pitch all afternoon was Colon. Berrios was just 2 years old when Colon made his Major League debut in 1997, and Berrios acknowledged how the former Cy Young Award winner helped him when the two played together.

"Just his confidence," Berrios sad. "He's very calm and he goes out there and executes his pitches. He doesn't throw hard, but he throws strikes. So, just learning that from him."

Colon struck out five and walked just one, but the Twins stung him for runs in the fifth and sixth innings to back Berrios. Robbie Grossman doubled to lead off the fifth and later scored on a from Wilson.

"Bartolo got me the first time and then the last one, you know, he started throwing me some sliders," Wilson, who caught Colon when the pair played together in the Angels' organization. "I was like, 'I didn't even realize you had a slider.' So it's always fun competing against him."

An inning later, Grossman plated with an RBI single to tack on an insurance run.

Trevor Hildenberger tossed a scoreless eighth inning, and Fernando Rodney struck out Jurickson Profar, Nomar Mazara and Beltre in order in the ninth to lock down his 17th of the year.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Berrios gets rolling: Berrios allowed a leadoff double to Shin-Soo Choo on the first pitch, but he came through with a critical of Odor to escape danger and turn his day around. Berrios got Odor swinging with a curveball in the dirt to leave Shin-Soo Choo and Adrian Beltre stranded in the corners after a one-out single from the third baseman. Berrios was nearly untouchable after and racked up five consecutive strikeouts in the second and third innings.

HE SAID IT "I mean it's a little different, but [similar to] when [] was young. Kind of that electric stuff. He can use his breaking ball at any time and you know he's gonna be able to throw his by people. With Jose, he's also got the change, too, which Ervin didn't really develop until a little later on. But Ervin still had the wipeout slider and the heater that he'd get up in the mid-to-upper 90's. That's kind of what I see in Jose. It's a special kind of talent, that's for sure." -- Wilson, on who Berrios reminds him of

LaMarre optioned After Sunday's game, the Twins announced that they optioned outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A Rochester.

LaMarre, 29, hit .263 with five doubles, eight RBIs and eight walks this season with the big league club. Minnesota will announce a corresponding move before Tuesday's game vs. the White Sox in Chicago.

UP NEXT The Twins will get a rest day on Monday before taking off on a nine-game road trip that begins Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. CT against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Lance Lynn will get the nod for Minnesota and try to continue his recent hot streak. Lynn owns a 1.90 ERA and 23 strikeouts in the month of June. The White Sox will counter with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 3.59 ERA).

Busenitz recalled, adds depth to bullpen Jarrid Denney | MLB.com | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota recalled right-handed reliever Alan Busenitz from Triple-A Rochester before Sunday's 2-0 win against Texas at Target Field in order to add depth to a depleted bullpen. The move was in correspondence to Saturday's announcement that rookie starter Fernando Romero had been optioned to Rochester.

Busenitz, who pitched in four games for the Twins in April, appeared in 17 games for the Red Wings recently, going 2-1 with a 1.27 ERA (28 1/3 IP, 4 ER), five walks, 32 strikeouts and two saves. The 27-year-old Busenitz appeared in 28 games and posted a 1.99 ERA for the Twins in 2017.

A newly-discovered feel for his curveball has helped Busenitz become one of Minnesota's more consistent Minor League .

"I don't want to say we made a mechanical adjustment, but we just changed a mental thought, which is helping stuff stay in the zone longer, more strikes," Busenitz said of adjustments he made during his tme in the Minors. "That was the issue when I was here: I couldn't throw a curveball for a strike. … [now] it seems [I can]. Hopefully I keep doing it."

With Romero in Triple-A, the Twins currently only have four starting pitchers on their roster. Manager Paul Molitor hinted before Sunday's game that the club may not need to add another starter until Saturday's road matchup with the Cubs, due to the way their schedule lines up.

Molitor also indicated that Saturday's likely starter is not currently on Minnesota's 25-man roster.

"[Busenitz] has been as good as anybody down there, hence he got an opportunity," Molitor said. "We all like having him around. I like having another power arm down there with a breaking ball, which plays up here. That's probably been the biggest improvement in his recent run down there, the quality of his secondary pitch, as far as being able to land it for a strike early, or being able to get back in the count, which makes his fastball all the more effective." 2

Twins have blast giving back during Hope Week Jarrid Denney | MLB.com | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS -- Instead of spending their pregame time on a golf course or catching up on sleep on Wednesday, Twins reliever Trevor Hildenberger and a group of Minnesota pitchers took some time to lend a helping hand.

Hildenberger and a group of teammates made the half-hour drive from Minneapolis to Eagan, Minn., to help out with the Haiti Food Pack at Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit group that distributes food to people in developing nations.

This was just one way that the Twins were active in giving back to the Minnesota community during the club's eighth annual Hope Week, Hildenberger, , Jose Berrios and helped volunteers at Feed My Starving Children package food.

"It was awesome," Hildenberger said. "The kids didn't know that Twins players were coming, so we kind of surprised them. We walked in and they had no idea, so they were very happy. And they were very efficient -- they were very assembly-line like."

The initiative focuses on providing proper nutrition.

"Just like, rice and soy, protein, veggies," Hildenberger said. "They sealed it and they weighed it, and if it didn't weigh a certain amount, you had to put more rice in. But they taught me how to do it. It was a lot of fun."

Front office staff and wives of the players also took part in Hope Week, which ran June 18-24.

From teaching local homeless youth to play Wiffle ball, to donating blankets to local youth in hospitals, the Twins' organization aimed to reach out to the community however possible.

"Not only does Feed My Starving Children provide hope to the kids in Haiti and all around the world, who they actually feed," Hildenberger said. "But the kids who are able to help those kids around their same age, I think they start to realize how big of a deal that is. When we came in, and they were having more fun and laughing and smiling, you can tell it makes a really big impact."

Twins slugger Eduardo Escobar has been extremely vocal all season about his love for the Brazilian restaurant Fogo de Chao. On Thursday, he partnered with the chain's Minneapolis location to host Dinner With Esky. Along with other Twins players, Escobar had dinner and met with local Spanish-speaking youth.

"It was a really good time. That's my favorite restaurant and just to be able to meet with the kids is a blessing, you know?" Escobar said. "We have an opportunity to help the kids and make an impact. A smile from a kid, for me, is the most important thing."

Jose Berrios shuts down Rangers, offense does enough to win Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 25, 2018

For the third time in four days, the Twins offense fell flat, with only four runners reaching second base all day, and only two crossing home plate.

But they have found a way to make their slump irrelevant. The secret: Put Jose Berrios on the mound.

Berrios made the Twins’ two runs feel like 12, so dominant was he Sunday, shutting out Texas on three hits while striking out a career-high 12. The result was a 2-0 victory over his former teammate and quasi-mentor, Bartolo Colon, and an end to a dreary three-game losing streak.

“What a day,” said catcher Bobby Wilson, who caught Berrios’ seven-inning gem and drove in the only run the righthander would need to record his fifth consecutive victory in Target Field. “Every time when I warm him up before the game, I have it in my head that it’s going to be a special day. He’s just that electric of a pitcher. … His stuff is pure elite.”

Berrios’ timing couldn’t be better, because the Twins now embark on a nine-game road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee, with their pennant-race hopes gradually becoming more remote. Cleveland finished off a sweep of Detroit on Sunday — the Indians’ seventh consecutive victory after losing twice to the Twins last weekend — and maintained an eight-game stranglehold in what’s left of the AL Central race.

“You’d like to think, in the back of your mind, that this is the day we really need this guy to step up,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said gratefully. “And then the first guy hits the ball off the wall.”

Oh, yeah. Berrios’ first pitch Sunday, a belt-high fastball on the outside corner to Shin-Soo Choo, was swatted to center and missed landing in the Rangers bullpen by about 6 inches — not the best omen for a team growing desperate for a win. 3

“He surprised me. I threw a fastball right down the pipe, and he obviously connected,” Berrios said. “That kind of gave me a heads-up, like, ‘Oh, OK, game on here.’ ”

Thus jolted, Berrios quickly neutralized the double, with a little help. He struck out Jurickson Profar and got Nomar Mazara to hit a routine fly ball, but then gave up a hard-hit single to Adrian Beltre. But Choo, seeing Eddie Rosario reach the ball quickly, slowed as he approached third base, then stayed there.

“That’s respect. He knows Eddie has a great arm,” Berrios said. “He knew he would have been thrown out.”

Choo agreed. “He has a great arm, one of the best arms in baseball,” said Choo, who has reached base in 37 games in a row. “As soon as it was hit, I was running, but I saw [third-base Tony] Beasley make the call and stop me. When he got the ball I hadn’t even touched third base. He made the right decision.”

Well, maybe. Rougned Odor struck out to end the threat, and the Rangers had only one more hit the rest of the day, a seventh-inning bunt single.

The Twins did just enough vs. Colon, their 45-year-old former teammate, to support their ace.

“Getting runners over, we didn’t do very well with that,” Molitor said. “Guys didn’t get it done as far as moving people. But we got a couple of two-out hits.”

Robbie Grossman doubled to lead off the fourth inning, then came home two outs later on Wilson’s broken-bat single to left, giving Berrios all the cushion he would need. Grossman added to it an inning later, though, singling home Eddie Rosario.

“We had a rough couple of days there,” Wilson said of the Twins offense, which was held to two runs or less three times in four days. “But everybody is trying to help. We’re trying to get through this.”

Affordable contract would keep Joe Mauer in good standing with Twins, community Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | June 25, 2018

Joe Mauer could retire this fall, could walk away at a logical juncture of his career, but that doesn’t seem to be where the story is currently heading.

Here’s what we know about his pending decision:

Mauer said this spring that he wants to play as long as he can.

Asked Sunday if he intends to play another season, Mauer said: “Well, to be honest, nothing’s really changed since . I’m just trying to enjoy this year. I think I’ve expressed that I like being here.”

Twins manager Paul Molitor wants Mauer back. In a franchise reliant on unpredictable young talent, Molitor values Mauer’s glove, patient hitting approach and professionalism.

Unless , Eduardo Escobar, Miguel Sano and Logan Morrison all look like everyday Twins by the end of the season, there will be a position open for Mauer.

Perhaps just as important, the only organization Mauer has known doesn’t view his eight-year, $184 million contract the way much of the public does, as an albatross.

Team President Dave St. Peter on Sunday said he has never regretted the Twins signing Mauer to a franchise-record deal, even though Mauer’s ailments have kept him from hitting the way he did in the 2000s.

St Peter was looking at statues of Harmon Killebrew and Tom Kelly outside Target Field when someone related a story that former Twins General Manager Andy MacPhail used to tell.

MacPhail was debating whether to make Kirby Puckett, briefly, the highest-paid player in baseball when he went to an event and saw a toddler approach the Twins’ logo and say, “Kirby Puckett!” He signed Puckett to the deal.

“I think the same would have been said when Joe Mauer was a free agent after the ’09 season,” St. Peter said. “People can analyze day and night about that contract but I’d say this: The Twins have gotten their money’s worth and then some on that deal, because of what Joe has meant to our 4 franchise over the course of his tenure with our club.

“I was at an event he and [wife] Maddie did the other day for Gillette Children’s Hospital, and they’ve really taken some of their efforts in the community to a whole new level.

“Joe Mauer, to me, is top five all-time in terms of community engagement and just being an absolute tremendous ambassador as a Twins player. Never for a second have I seen him waver in terms of the way he treats people and the way he goes about his business away from the field.”

Mauer’s desire to play probably will be based on his health. He has recovered from concussion-like symptoms to return to the everyday lineup, but is batting just .222 with a .556 OPS since his return. Before his injury, his on-base percentage was .404, ranking among the league leaders. His on-base percentage since is an uncharacteristically low .300.

“I’m doing all right,” he said. “Getting back into it. Trying to get my baseball legs back underneath me a little. It’s going pretty well.”

As the Twins stumble along, the right side of their infield continues to be a nexus of awkwardness.

Second baseman , the team’s best player and leader over the past five years, is headed toward free agency (although the Twins signing him to a qualifying offer to keep him around at least one more season would be logical). And Mauer, the only Minnesota native to win an MVP award with the Twins, could retire in three months and one week.

Dozier spoke to me at length in spring training about his belief that the Twins didn’t want to sign him. Sunday, he politely declined to talk about his future.

The most interesting dynamic in these decisions is that Twins ownership and St. Peter tend to value clubhouse leaders and community ambassadors, and the new front office relies on analytics when determining player salaries.

The key to keeping Mauer around might be his willingness to take a massive pay cut.

As someone who has built a life in Minnesota, who wants to raise his kids here, the best thing Mauer could do for his image is to sign an affordable contract, to give the hometown team a break, and finish his career as a bargain instead of a financial burden.

Twins await chance to sign Trevor Larnach, who is playing for College World Series title Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 25, 2018

The Twins have Monday off, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be watching baseball. The front office has become big fans of Oregon State, which opens the best-of-three championship series against Arkansas at the College World Series in Omaha on Monday night.

The reason? Beavers outfielder Trevor Larnach was the Twins’ first-round pick in the draft June 4. And while they are eager to negotiate a contract and get his pro career started, Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey said the team hopes Larnach does so with a championship ring on his finger.

“It’s so great for him,” Falvey said of Larnach, who has 10 hits, including three doubles, over five CWS games. “These are experiences that stay with you for a lifetime.”

As far as Falvey is concerned, Larnach’s experience might help the Twins, too.

“He’s playing in one of the most pressure-packed environments of his life, and it’s going to be a great memory, and maybe will be something he can build off of — learning what it’s like to compete for a title under that pressure,” Falvey said. “Hopefully he’s doing that multiple times over the next decade.”

Falvey said Larnach’s CWS is holding up another couple of signings as the Twins determine how much they have to spend elsewhere; Larnach’s slot value is $3.12 million. But Falvey expects negotiations to go quickly.

Rotation options

With Fernando Romero back in the minors for at least 10 days, the Twins will alter their five-man rotation for the first time (doubleheaders aside) since the rookie’s debut May 2. But they are not completely certain, or at least not ready to announce, how they will do it.

Monday’s off day gives the Twins a chance to give everyone an extra day of rest, but manager Paul Molitor said it’s more likely Jake Odorizzi will go Thursday vs. the White Sox, on a normal, four-day rest. Assuming Jose Berrios does the same Friday against the Cubs, that means the 5

Twins will need a new starter — someone not on the current roster, Molitor confirmed — Saturday at Wrigley Field.

That could mean Aaron Slegers returns for a second start, or Adalberto Mejia, who has a 1.38 ERA over his past four starts at Class AAA Rochester, could make his 2018 debut. Zack Littell and Stephen Gonsalves might be candidates, too.

LaMarre demoted

The Twins also are making a change in the outfield, announcing that Ryan LaMarre had been sent down to Class AAA Rochester. LaMarre has played a capable center field during Byron Buxton’s injury absence, batting .263 albeit with little power.

But the Twins want “someone to just give us a little different look out there,” Molitor said. He wouldn’t reveal who that might be. It’s possible that Buxton’s rehab assignment could be cut short, though he is only 3-for-14 (.214) in four games at Rochester and Molitor had said the Twins would be patient with his return.

Another option: , who has homered twice in two brief stints with the Twins, and hits lefthanded. The Twins are likely to face six righthanded starters in Chicago this week.

Etc.

• No batters were hit by pitches Sunday, a day after Texas’ Jurickson Profar was hit three times, the last time apparently in retaliation for stealing second base with the Rangers up 9-2. “The first one, our pitcher got his cleat caught in the dirt, the second one was a borderline strike. With the armor these guys wear, they don’t worry about getting out of the way,” Molitor said. “And the last time, we wanted to give him an opportunity to steal another base.”

• Reliever Alan Busenitz was back Sunday, and said he made some changes that have helped him throw more strikes. “We just changed a mental thought, which is helping stuff stay in the zone longer,” said Busenitz, who recorded 12 straight scoreless outings, 21⅓ innings in all, after being sent back to Rochester in April. “That was the issue when I was here. I couldn’t throw a curveball for a strike.”

• Since the Twins will spend six nights in Chicago, they designated this their the annual “family trip,” with wives and children invited to come along. Nearly 200 passengers are expected to make the flight Monday.

Hildenberger goes from 'working on things' to working 8th for Twins Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | June 25, 2018

Trevor Hildenberger made two appearances for Cal-Berkeley as a freshman in 2010, was redshirted in 2011, and then had nine appearances as a sophomore in 2012. That added up to 11 games pitched in three college seasons.

He discovered the sidearm pitching action as a junior in 2013, and then set a Cal saves record with 10 as a senior in 2014. He was a 23-year-old pitcher relying on a trick delivery, not the profile for a major prospect in the 2014 June draft.

Hildenberger was taken in the 22nd round by the Twins, signed quickly, and was assigned to the GCL Twins – the rookie team in Fort Myers. He was 4 or 5 years older than a number of his teammates.

There have might been extra motion in Hildenberger’s delivery, but there wasn’t much wiggle room for him as far as a pro career was concerned. At his age, if he didn’t get hitters out immediately, and keep getting them out, he would be back home in the Bay Area, using that Cal education in the job market.

Hildenberger had 24 appearances in rookie leagues (23 in the GCL, one in Elizabethton) in 2014 and 41 in (28 in Cedar Rapids, 13 in Fort Myers) in 2015.

The results were positive and the Twins added him to their list of players for the in 2015.

I was watching the AFL championship game on the MLB Network that November and Hildenberger pitched a scoreless inning. The action and velocity on his pitches was more impressive than had been imagined.

He was outstanding for eight appearances back at Fort Myers in 2016, then was promoted to Class AA Chattanooga. He pitched in 32 games for manager Doug Mientkiewicz, with an ERA of 0.70 and a batting average against of .157.

Then, in early August, he had elbow discomfort and was shut down for the rest of th season. Hildenberger said at the time it was an issue with the flexor tendon, and that the ligament was “great.’’ 6

You have heard that so many times – Tommy John surgery wasn’t needed, rest and rehab could fix the problem and it didn’t work -- that you always expect the worst with a pitcher’s elbow.

It worked for Hildenberger. He was back on the mound at Class AAA Rochester to start the 2017 season, and was very good for 21 appearances (including six saves).

On June 23, precisely three years after making his pro debut as an old-timer in the Gulf Coast League, Hildenberger made his major league debut for the Twins in Cleveland.

He was 26 and arrived as part of the bullpen chaos of the 2017 Twins, with a big chance to get involved in the Rochester/Minnesota shuffle if he struggled at all. He didn’t let that happen.

Hildenberger joined Taylor Rogers – a teammate in the Fall League and elsewhere in the minors – to give the Twins a reliable right-left combination in front of the of the moment (first Brandon Kintzler, then Matt Belisle).

The Twins signed three veteran relievers in the offseason: closer Fernando Rodney, righthander Addison Reed and lefthander Zach Duke. Adding them to Hildenberger and Rogers gave the Twins the appearance of an impressive handful of relievers to finish off games.

And then Hildenberger and Rogers started pitching in exhibition games. Rogers getting pounded in Florida wasn’t that much of an issue. He had a track record of two seasons, with 126 appearances of major league-worthy work as a bullpen lefty.

Hildenberger had those three months and 37 appearances. Everyone was in favor of him impressing again in spring training.

Not so much. Hildenberger pitched 11 times in exhibitions, a total of 12 innings, and allowed 19 hits, including five home runs. He would get hammered, and manager Paul Molitor would bring him back quickly for another look, and he would get hammered again.

Last week, Hildenberger had a clutch appearance in a victory over the Red Sox. Forty minutes after the game, he had finished his postgame routine and was asked by a reporter:

“Were you as nervous as people here about the way it went in spring training?’’

Without smiling, Hildenberger said: “I don’t know. How nervous were people here? I was working on some different pitches. And it hasn’t been unusual for me to get off to a slow start.

“I seem to get better. I was confident that would happen again.’’

The Twins hung with Hildenberger, based on his work from late June forward in 2017 – hung with him not only through a bad spring, but also a shaky April. From on March 29 through April 30, Hildenberger pitched in 12 games, allowed three home runs and had a 4.15 ERA.

Hildenberger was better in May, although he allowed a couple more home runs – the second by Milwaukee’s Jesus Aguilar on May 18. Throw in spring training and at that point, he had pitched in 31 games in 2018 and allowed 10 home runs.

In reference to those struggles, Molitor said last week: “We understand you’re working on things in spring training, but you also have to make sure that you’re ready for Opening Day with the pitches that you used to get to the big leagues.’’

Which was a reference to Hildenberger de-emphasizing his outstanding changeup in spring training to work on a breaking pitch and paying the price with all those long balls.

Fortunately for the Twins, for the manager and for Hildenberger, the Aguilar became a jump off point for the righthander. The changeup has been terrific, his fastball has regained its velocity and on Sunday, he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for his 15th consecutive scoreless appearance.

Fifteen games, 0.00 ERA, and a .155 batting average against.

Reed became the provider of long balls, Duke should be a lefthanded specialist, Rogers has started to find it, but as the Twins head off to six games in Chicago (White Sox, then Cubs) and three in Milwaukee, the eighth-inning guy in front of Rodney appears to be Hildenberger.

And now when Hildenberger asks, “How nervous were people here?,’’ the response can be changed from "sheer panic'' and "just a bit.''

7

Sunday's Twins-Texas game recap Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 24, 2018

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Jose Berrios, Twins

He worked out of a first-inning jam, and never had another over seven innings.

BY THE NUMBERS

6 Consecutive Twins home victories when Berrios is on the mound.

33 Doubles by Eduardo Escobar; his fourth-inning double broke an 0-for-12 skid.

15 Consecutive appearances by Trevor Hildenberger without giving up a run.

UP NEXT

After another Monday off, they embark on a 20-games-in-20-days stretch, starting with six games in a row in Chicago.

Jose Berrios strikes out career-high 12 in 2-0 win over Bartolo Colon Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 24, 2018

Big Sexy was alluring, but The Machine was nearly unhittable.

That’s the best summation of Sunday afternoon’s action at Target Field, where Twins right-hander Jose Berrios set a career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings while outdueling Bartolo Colon in a 2-0 win over the .

“Every time when I warm him up before the game, I have in my head that it’s going to be a special day,” Twins catcher Bobby Wilson said of Berrios. “He’s just that electric of a pitcher and has that good of stuff. You just have a good feeling every time you see him on the mound. His pure stuff is elite in the game.”

Robbie Grossman doubled and scored the game’s first run on Wilson’s run-scoring single in the fifth and drove in the other an inning later with a two-out single. The 45-year-old Colon, who was trying to tie Dennis Martinez for most wins (245) by a Latin American-born pitcher, scattered seven hits and a walk in seven innings against his former team.

Berrios, 24, was just that much better over the course of his 107-pitch outing. He worked out of a first-inning jam with a strikeout of Rougned Odor after Shin-Soo Choo opted to hold at third on a single to left, then didn’t allow another hit until Odor’s leadoff bunt in the seventh.

Even that could have been ruled the season’s first error on Joe Mauer after the first baseman dropped Berrios’ acrobatic throw from one knee along the third-base line.

Ending a three-game losing streak in which they had allowed 26 combined runs, the Twins remained eight games behind the first-place in the American League Central. Fernando Rodney handled the ninth for his 15th straight save conversion, dating to April 26, as the Rangers saw their majors-best seven-game winning streak end.

Berrios retired 16 of 18 during the middle innings, allowing only full-count walks to veterans and Adrian Beltre (nine pitches). Mixing in a half- dozen changeups, he worked 17 batters to two strikes and put all but two of them away.

Seven of his strikeouts came on his signature sweeping curveball, five more came on a fastball that touched 95 mph, and he got Beltre to swing over the change in the sixth. Asked if he knew he was closing in on his strikeout mark after reaching double-digit strikeouts in three prior starts this year, Berrios smiled and said yes.

“They are the right team to do it (against) because they swing a lot,” he said after recording 18 swinging strikes.

It was an athletic fielding play, however, that punctuated Berrios’ performance moments after he handed Joey Gallo his league-leading 111th 8 strikeout.

Berrios reached across his body to snare Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s comebacker and whirled to throw to second, starting the inning-ending double play in the seventh. With that, Berrios pounded his red glove three times in celebration.

“I’m an athlete, and I’m here to do that,” Berrios said through a translator. “I like to compete. Every time I have a chance to make plays like that, I’m going to do it.”

Earlier, Colon clapped into his blue glove three times in acknowledgement of Wilson’s 69-mph flare into short left field. That two-out hit reversed a 1-for-11 history against his former Angels teammate for Wilson, who came in hitting .138.

Like Wilson, Berrios has great respect for Colon, who passed hall of famer Juan Marichal in his last start for most wins by a native. In late May Colon fulfilled a promise to his late mother of pitching in the majors after his 45th birthday.

“It’s great to see that guy,” Berrios said. “He’s a good friend. He’s very calm and he goes out there and executes his pitches. He doesn’t throw hard, but he throws strikes. That’s what I learned from him: his confidence.”

The Twins might have broken the logjam in the fourth, but Eddie Rosario got picked off first ahead of Eduardo Escobar’s majors-leading 33rd double.

Grossman improved to 4 for 9 against Colon with his ground single to left in the sixth. That scored Rosario after he led off with his second hit of the day.

Is Byron Buxton on his way back to the Twins? Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 24, 2018

Outfielder Ryan LaMarre was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday’s game, two days after another base-running mistake.

Does that mean Byron Buxton, whose fractured left big toe has seemingly healed, is on his way to rejoin the club in Chicago after a week-long rehab assignment? If so, Twins manager Paul Molitor wasn’t saying.

“We’re going to have someone join us on Tuesday to just give us a little different look out there,” he said. “We’ll find out on Tuesday who that player is going to be.”

Buxton went 0 for 2 as the designated hitter in a suspended game on Sunday for the Red Wings, who have a doubleheader scheduled for Monday in Syracuse, N.Y. Buxton is 3 for 16 (.188) with a three-run homer and two stolen bases in five games at Triple-A.

Jake Cave would also be eligible to return after being optioned on June 14.

“Buxton looks good, man,” reliever Alan Busenitz said upon his arrival from Rochester. “He’s hitting the ball hard. I don’t know. I’m not a hitting coach. I like Buck anyway. Obviously he looks like he’s as fast as ever.”

NO RESENTMENT

When the Twins brought back veteran reliever Matt Belisle on June 11, some fans assumed it was disheartening for younger relievers at Triple-A Rochester. Not so, Busenitz said.

“I loved that,” Busenitz said. “Matt Belisle is the man. When I saw that, I was pumped. I even texted (reliever Trevor Hildenberger). I was like, ‘Dude, give Matty B a big old hug for me.’ I was happy to see that. I love Matty B.”

Busenitz, who posted a 1.27 in 17 outings for Triple-A Rochester, credited Belisle with helping him learn to control his emotions during his rookie season in 2017. In 28 outings in the majors last year, Busenitz had a 1.99 ERA and a .206 opponents’ batting average.

“The main thing I’d always talk to him (about) is I’d get too excited coming into a game, especially if it was close,” the hard-throwing right- hander said. “I needed to kind of modulate that. He said, ‘You have to learn how to stay even keel. I know you’re an (excitable) guy.’ I talked to him about that stuff all the time. I loved it.”

Michelle Busenitz, the pitcher’s wife, would monitor the social-media outrage each time Busenitz was passed over since a brief big-league cameo in April. 9

“She’ll just start laughing,” Busenitz said. “I’m like, ‘What are you laughing at?’ She’s like, ‘Twitter.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t even want to know. Don’t show me.’ “

Last Sunday the couple announced via Instagram they were expecting their first child — aka “our tiny human” — in December. The couple doesn’t plan a gender reveal.

“We’re going to wait until it comes out,” said Busenitz, 27. “I think it’s more exciting. I got to see the ultrasound for the first time the other day.”

They learned about the pregnancy on the same day in April that Busenitz was called up to the majors the first time this year. That doctor visit came during a Red Wings road trip to Gwinnett County, not far from the couple’s Georgia home.

“We kind of thought, so we went to the doctor and they were like, ‘Congratulations,’ “ Busenitz said. “And I come to the field that day, and (Rochester manager Joel Skinner) was like, ‘Congrats, man.’ I was like, ‘How do you know?’ Because that’s all I was thinking about. He said, ‘No, you’re going to the big leagues.’ “

TAKING IT TOO PROFAR

The Twins were not pleased when Jurickson Profar stole second with a 9-2 lead in the fourth inning on Saturday. That happened after the second time the third baseman was hit by pitch, and three innings later Addison Reed plunked Profar on the leg after missing inside with his first two pitches.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister registered his displeasure with the third hit-by-pitch, yelling from the dugout at the time and then answering directly after the game.

“I thought the intent there was excessive,” he said. “The guy’s playing baseball hard. There’s a difference in what they’re focusing in on and what we’re focusing in on.”

It was the second time in a fortnight that Profar had been hit three times in a game.

“The first one our pitcher (Jake Odorizzi) got his cleat caught in the dirt,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said before Sunday’s game. “The second one I think was a borderline strike. With the armor these guys wear, they don’t worry about getting out of the way. And then the last time, we wanted to give him an opportunity to steal another base.”

Molitor said he hadn’t spoken to Banister about the matter.

PLANNING AHEAD

Molitor said he was “leaning toward Saturday” at Wrigley Field to call up a starting pitcher to take Fernando Romero’s place in the rotation.

That points to a start on normal rest for lefty Adalberto Mejia, who is 3-1 with a 1.38 in four June starts, or another cameo for right-hander Aaron Slegers, who helped Indiana University reach the 2013 College World Series along with Cubs star Kyle Schwarber.

BRIEFLY

Twins first-round pick Trevor Larnach helped Oregon State advance to the College World Series best-of-three final with a 5-2 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. Larnach, the 20th-overall pick as a right fielder, is 10 for 24 (.417) with seven runs, seven runs batted in, three doubles and a triple in five Omaha games so far. He is slugging .625 while going 6 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: J.O. Berrios was great again, getting the better of Bartolo Colon Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins scored enough runs off Bartolo Colon on Sunday to win a game and avoid getting swept at the hands of the Texas Rangers. Thanks in no small part to a dominant pitching performance from J.O. Berrios.

This column presents 5 thoughts from Sunday’s 2-0 Twins win.

1. Will J.O. Berrios start to get some all-star pub? Berrios set a new career-high with 12 strikeouts Sunday. He said Texas was the perfect team to run a high strikeout total, since they are aggressive at the plate – and the starter had his stuff working Sunday. I counted 18 swinging strikes for Berrios in the series finale, and it all started with a 10 good fastball for swings and misses. He had the curveball going, too, but I think his success really plays off throwing his fastball for good strikes.

Berrios said in spring training that one of his goals for this season – just behind helping the team win its way back to the postseason – was to be named an MLB All-Star for the first time. Whether or not that happens, we’ll have to wait and see. But he’s got the numbers and he’s building on the reputation to be considered one of the dozen or so best starting pitchers in the American League so far this season. Berrios pitched another dandy of a ballgame Sunday, and by the end of his outing he’d dropped his ERA to 3.15 for the season.

I get why Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Escobar are getting the marketing hype for the Mid-Summer Classic. I only wonder if Berrios will get a chance to make what figures to be a stacked A.L. pitching staff.

Catcher Bobby Wilson, who did a nice job behind the plate Sunday, said that each time he warms up Berrios before a game, he has the feeling that it could be a special day.

“His pure stuff is elite in the game,” Wilson said. “And like I told him, he has the chance to do that every single time he steps on the mound. It’s special, and it’s a lot of fun to be able to work with him.”

2. Bartolo Colon and Berrios were locked in a pitcher’s duel through 7 innings. Berrios was great again, and he got the best of the Rangers and Bartolo Colon.

A pitcher’s duel is the best kind of baseball game, in my opinion, and the two starters traded punches for 7 innings – despite a pretty significant age discrepancy.

Berrios featured both , a good breaking ball and maybe a half-dozen changeups. (In the minors, some people thought his changeup was the best offering in his arsenal. Now, I think you could make the case for any of his other three pitches, and that’s an impressive assortment for the rising star.)

Colon, meanwhile, still mostly features that fastball in the upper-80’s. His tour came through Minnesota last year. It’s still incredible to me that Colon continues to hang in there at age 45.

“You know it’s been a long time if I faced the guy,” Twins manager Paul Molitor joked.

That was a much different version of Colon. But it’s true. The Twins’ 61-year-old manager faced Colon when he was with the Indians early on in Colon’s 21-year career.

Check out this nugget from Phil Miller of the Star Tribune:

@MillerStrib Bartolo Colon is 21 years, 3 days older than Jose Berrios -- but he's faced even younger. On June 2, Colon was matched against Dodgers 21-year- old rookie Caleb Ferguson, who is 22 years, 327 days younger. Colon was making 540th career start, Ferguson his second. (LA won, 12-5.)

On a personal note, I’m surprised how quickly I went through the three stages of “Player X makes me feel old.” The first stage was not understanding what all of these older people were talking about; the second stage knowing exactly what they were talking about and feeling the hurt; the third phase for me now is being so numb to the effect that I didn’t blink when I learned that the Minnesota Wild’s first-round draft choice this year was born in March of 2000.

3. The Rangers missed a chance at a 1st-inning run when a base runner disagreed with the third-base coach. Shin-Soo Choo doubled on the first pitch of the game, extending his MLB-best on-base streak to 37 games. Two batters later, Adrian Beltre singled to left field in front of Eddie Rosario.

Choo was starting from second base and as he approached the turn, the third base coach swung his right arm wildly to send Choo toward the plate. Rosario missed a game recently with a sore shoulder and it looked like a good time to challenge him with 2 outs in the inning. But Choo slammed on the brakes. Rosario’s throw to home plate was off-line but by that point Choo already was parked on third base.

Berrios punched out the next hitter, Rougned Odor, to end the inning and keep Texas off the board.

Perhaps Choo was wary of challenging Rosario in that moment and risk getting thrown out at home. That’s respect Rosario has earned over time.

I think about it as a matter of probability. Let’s just take a stab in the dark and say Rosario had a 50-50 shot to nab Choo at the home. What’s the percentage chance that Odor drives home Choo from third base with two outs? Or that the inning extends for more runs to score?

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If you thought it was less than a 50% chance at that point, it might have been work the gamble to head for home.

4. Fernando Rodney put the finishing touches on a fine pitching performance for the Twins. The ageless closer struck out the side to finalize the win for Minnesota. Notably, he also avoided drama against the 2-3-4 hitters of the Rangers.

He’s now converted 15 saves in a row since Miguel Sano kicked away a save opportunity for him in New York. And Rodney has only walked 2 hitters all month.

This run is helping to erase some bad memories formed during a bad April.

5. The Twins optioned Fernando Romero to Triple-A before Sunday’s game, to make room for reliever Alan Busenitz. In one sense, it’s not all Romero’s fault he got sent out in a numbers crunch. The Twins needed relievers to cover 7 1/3 innings Saturday after a short start from Jake Odorizzi. So the need for extra arms in the ‘pen was clear.

On the other hand, Romero hasn’t been as great after a terrific start to his rookie season. The fireballer made 10 starts in Minnesota, with a 4.38 ERA across 51 1/3 innings. He struck out 44 hitters and walked 19. He was a breath of fresh air for the Twins in his first 5 starts this season, but in his past 5 starts Romero has allowed 19 earned runs across 22 1/2 innings, and opponents have batted .326/.374/.558, according to Baseball- Reference.com.

Manager Paul Molitor said he’s hoping that Romero works to slow down the game when he goes back to the . Molitor added that learning to command and use his four-seam/two-seam fastball combination more effectively would help Romero succeed at the highest level, in addition to attention to detail like covering bases when assigned.

“We talk a lot about the burden lifted of competing up here and the exposure of whatever you do – and how big [the stage] is,” Molitor said. “As much as I think externally he tries to give the appearance of a younger [Jose] Berrios, they don’t look too bad, but I think he’s one of those guys that internally — I could feel it in conversations in talking between innings — that I thought he was moving really, really fast. Just [needs] the ability to slow it down.”

I’d only be speculating, but if I had to guess I would think Odorizzi could pitch again Thursday in Chicago, and Adalberto Mejia could be called up from Triple-A to make his first start of 2018 over the weekend.

Twins option Ryan LaMarre, with another roster move on the way Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins on Sunday optioned outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A Rochester to clear a spot on the 25-man roster.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said the team will make another move before Tuesday’s game to “to give us a little different look out there.”

LaMarre has hit .263/.321/.313 in a couple stints with the Twins.

Byron Buxton is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester right now. Molitor did not commit to Buxton’s return being the eventual move for the Twins.

But a Gold Glove centerfielder would seem to give a “different look” in the outfield.

The team should be covered on starting pitching through Friday.

Stay tuned.

Twins option Fernando Romero; reliever Alan Busenitz is back Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | June 24, 2018

The Twins on Sunday options starting pitcher Fernando Romero to Triple-A Rochester. To take his place on the active roster, they’ve recalled reliever Alan Busenitz.

In one way, it’s not all Romero’s fault he got sent out in a numbers crunch. The Twins needed relievers to cover 7 1/3 innings Saturday after a short start from Jake Odorizzi. So the need for extra arms in the ‘pen was obvious.

On the other hand, Romero hasn’t been as great after a terrific start to his rookie season. The fireballer made 10 starts in Minnesota, with a 4.38 ERA across 51 1/3 innings. He struck out 44 hitters and walked 19. He was a breath of fresh air for the Twins in his first 5 starts this season, but 12 in his past 5 Romero has allowed 19 earned runs across 22 1/2 innings, and opponents have batted .326/.374/.558, according to Baseball- Reference.com.

Berrios strikes out 12 as Twins beat Rangers 2-0 Associated Press | Fox Sports North | June 24, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Berrios struck out a career-best 12 in seven innings, and the beat Bartolo Colon and the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Sunday.

Eddie Rosario had two hits for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Bobby Wilson and Robbie Grossman each singled in a run.

Berrios (8-5) surrendered just three hits, two in the first inning, while improving to 3-0 in June. Trevor Hildenberger pitched a perfect eighth and Fernando Rodney finished the three-hitter for his 17th save, including 14 successful chances in a row.

The Rangers had won seven in a row and missed out on a chance for a perfect six-game road trip. Colon (4-5) yielded two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Berrios was the perfect remedy for Minnesota after three lackluster games against Boston and Texas. The Twins were outscored 26-9 during their mini-slide. They hit just .212 and averaged 3.5 runs during their six-game homestand.

Berrios allowed a leadoff double to Shin-Soo Choo to start the game. Choo reached third on Adrian Beltre’s single, but Berrios struck out Rougned Odor to end the inning. No other Texas runner reached second against Berrios. Only four batted balls left the infield, three coming in the first.

Berrios retired 14 of 16 batters at one point and struck out at least two batters in each of the first four innings. Berrios has allowed eight earned runs over his last 34 1/3 innings (2.10 ERA).

ADDING RELIEF

Minnesota optioned rookie starter Fernando Romero to Triple-A Rochester after the game and recalled right-handed reliever Alan Busenitz. The Twins bullpen had to account for 7 1/3 innings in Saturday’s loss after Jake Odorizzi‘s short start.

The Twins will need a fifth starter again on Saturday in Chicago. Romero (3-3, 4.38 ERA) won’t be eligible to return unless a player is put on the disabled list. Manager Paul Molitor said the likely starter on Saturday isn’t on the current 25-man roster.

Busenitz has made 32 major league appearances, including four in April. He owns a career 2.52 ERA and had a 1.27 ERA in Triple-A with 32 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Joey Gallo was back in the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game with left hamstring tightness. Gallo said the injury has lingered for much of the season but he has played through it. He was at designated hitter on Sunday after playing first base on Saturday.

Twins: Byron Buxton (10-day disabled list, left great toe fracture) went 0 for 2 while playing designated hitter in his fifth rehab game for Triple-A Rochester, which was later suspended due to rain. Buxton is 3 for 16 on his rehab stint and there is no timetable on his return to Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (4-6, 3.41 ERA) starts on Monday as Texas returns home against the . Hamels has a 2.89 ERA over his past seven starts and has pitched into the seventh inning in five of the appearances. San Diego counters with LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-3, 3.86 ERA).

Twins: After an off day, RHP Lance Lynn (5-5, 4.64 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at the on Tuesday. Lynn owns a 1.73 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 36 1/3 over his last six starts. Chicago will start RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 3.59 ERA).

Adjustments made by Twins’ José Berríos could take him to next level Dan Hayes | The Athletic | June 25, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS — He may be only 24, but hard-throwing José Berríos has begun to demonstrate an ability to grasp a concept many pitchers don’t discover until it’s too late. Others will never learn it at all. 13

Despite his tender age, the Twins starting pitcher has already started to work at less than full effort in an attempt to preserve arm strength and maintain stuff.

It’s still not a huge variance in velocity at this point. But the Twins want Berríos to understand that his stuff is good enough to be competitive without him working at maximum effort on each and every offering. In doing so, they think Berríos should be able to dial up the extra velocity for situations when it’s imperative.

Berríos employed the strategy at times Sunday afternoon as he continued a dominant June by striking out a career-high 12 batters in a 2-0 victory over the Texas Rangers at Target Field. Working with a dominant fastball he mostly kept under wraps and a wicked curveball, Berríos pitched seven scoreless innings to help the Twins snap a three-game losing streak.

“A lot of guys, by the time they figure it out they’ve already had their best stuff behind them,” said 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Jack Morris. “He’s learning the game and learning how to pitch.”

As one baseball analyst pointed out Sunday, Berríos’ 90th percentile velocity this season has been 95.0 mph. His overall fastball average for the season stands at 93.6 mph. The 1.4-mph gap between the two is smaller than average, meaning he hasn’t been preserving for long.

But the Twins have tried to emphasize the point with Berríos as the season goes on, and Sunday’s outing demonstrated he’s hearing them.

Berríos threw 54 fastballs in Sunday’s victory. His 90th percentile velocity was 95.1 mph and his overall average velocity was 93.5 mph. But Berríos threw 36 fastballs at 92.9 mph or less and mixed in 44 curveballs and nine changeups throughout a 107-pitch outing.

“We’ve talked about that some, in that, that’s been a big key, or one of the reasons why he’s pitched as well as he has,” manager Paul Molitor said before the game. “To realize to pitch at max effort all the time and sacrifice getting the ball where you want to was not producing the best results. So to ramp it down just a tad, and make sure you’re more concerned about the compactness of his delivery and staying on line, more consistently getting it to the spot rather than making sure it’s the hardest pitch you can throw to that spot, has been effective.”

You could say that.

Berríos walked two batters Sunday, which slightly bumped his walk-rate up to 4.9 percent for the season. It’s a nice improvement from last season’s 7.8 percent and a huge leap from the 12.5 percent mark he posted in 58 1/3 innings in 2016.

Berríos has also seen a marked increase in strikeout-rate to 26.8 percent this season, up from 22.5 in 2017 and 17.4 in his rookie campaign.

He also has a 109:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Sunday he lowered his earned-run average to 3.15. Berríos has been even better in five June starts, posting a 2.10 ERA, 42 strikeouts and only seven walks in 34 1/3 innings.

On Sunday, Berríos had 18 swinging strikes as he effectively mixed all four pitches. Nine of the swings and misses came via the curveball, which he also spotted for six strikes.

“He can use his breaking ball at any time and you know he’s going to be able to throw his fastball by people,” said catcher Bobby Wilson, who drove in the winning run with a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning. “He’s also got the change, too. … It’s a special kind of talent.”

Berríos could have a special career ahead of him if he continues down the path to self-preservation. Molitor has seen it repeatedly this season when Berríos will increase his velocity in tight spots similar to the first inning and then dial it back.

Berríos was in trouble immediately on Sunday as Shin-Soo Choo lined the first pitch of the game for an opposite-field double. From there, Berríos fought through the top part of the Texas order with a harder fastball. He threw 12 among his 19 pitches and averaged 94 mph in the inning, escaping after putting runners on the corners with two outs.

With little or no traffic, Berríos dialed down the effort, though he has more room to grow. The next inning, Berríos threw eight fastballs at a 93.3 mph average and he followed with a 93.2 average in the third on 11 heaters. In the fifth inning, Berríos threw five fastballs at an average of 92.9 mph.

“We see it at times,” Molitor said. “If José has a tough matchup with a guy and some guys on base, you’ll see a jump. The fact you don’t have to do it every pitch gives you a better chance to make those runs that you do choose to ramp it up and get in a better spot as well.”

With Berríos on pace to smash his career high for innings, the idea is to keep him strong down the stretch. Berríos has completed 103 innings this season and could easily eclipse 200. Last year, Berríos threw 185 1/3 innings between Rochester and the majors. Morris thinks Berríos will 14 consistently feel the impact of cutting back.

“What that’s going to do for him is make him strong every start,” Morris said. “He’s not going to have that rollercoaster ride of feeling great and then all of a sudden having nothing. That’s what pitching really is. He doesn’t know it, but that’s what the art of pitching is, using your maximum effort when you need it, but you don’t use it when you don’t need it.”

LaMarre optioned after Sunday’s win The Twins optioned outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday’s game but won’t make a corresponding move until before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Much of the speculation is that the Twins will recall outfielder Byron Buxton, who is five games into a rehab assignment. But Molitor, who has suggested the Twins will give Buxton time to work on his altered swing, wasn’t offering any clues as to whether or not baseball’s former top prospect would be removed from the disabled list before the start of a nine-game road trip.

Buxton went 0-for-2 in a suspended game that will be completed Monday. Before that, Buxton was 3-for-14 with a home run and seven strikeouts on his assignment.

“Buxton looks good, man,” said reliever Alan Busenitz, who was promoted from Rochester before Sunday’s game. “I love Buck. He’s unreal. Unbelievable athlete. Three-run bomb? I mean, a bomb. And obviously he can play the field. I don’t have to tell you that. He looks good. Hitting the ball hard. I don’t know. I’m not a hitting coach. I like Buck anyway. He’s looking good. Obviously, he looks like he’s as fast as ever.”

Busenitz adjusts to new schedule The right-handed reliever said he thought one reason he didn’t throw as well this spring was he wasn’t sure how to handle a shorter offseason. Promoted to the majors for the first time, Busenitz pitched into October after never having worked beyond early September in his career. He also had one fewer month to rest in the offseason as he was invited to big-league camp for the first time. Figuring out when to begin preparing for the season hurt Busenitz’s command of his curveball. He regained command of his second-best pitch at Rochester and has thrown well ever since, posting 21 straight scoreless innings at one point.

“I don’t think I was quite where I needed to be coming into spring training,” Busenitz said. “I don’t want to say we made a mechanical adjustment, but we just changed a mental thought, which is helping stuff stay in the zone longer, more strikes. That was the issue when I was here: I couldn’t throw a curveball for a strike. … (Now) it seems to be doing it. Hopefully I keep doing it.”

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