Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 30, 2017

 Mistakes catch up to in Twins' loss to Boston. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1  chosen for All-Star Futures Game. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Twins' Miguel Sano, set for Home Derby, in close All-Star voting race. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Twins-Kansas City series preview: Four games in 45 hours. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Postgame: Hughes' return a success; Price made a familiar mistake. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4  Defensive breakdowns prove costly for Twins in 6-3 loss to Red Sox. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  Twins’ Miguel Sano invited to participate in All-Star Game Derby. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Twins jump out early, but can't preserve lead. MLB (Chronis & Forde) p. 7  Gibson undone by bad luck, big inning. MLB (Bollinger) p. 8  Sano to participate in . MLB (Bollinger) p. 9  Gordon represents Twins in Futures Game. MLB (Bollinger) p. 10  Twins turn to Santana vs. division-rival Royals. MLB (Flanagan) p. 10  Notes from Fenway: Duffey on Relieving; Molitor on Granite, Gonsalves. ESPN 1500 (Depue) p. 11  Twins slugger Miguel Sano to take part in Home Run Derby. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 12  Defense falters in series finale as Twins fall to Red Sox. Associated Press p. 12  Twins’ Sano to participate in 2017 Home Run Derby. FOX Sports (FSN) p. 13  Your guide to the best—and weirdest—ballpark food from all 30 MLB stadiums. (Taylor) p. 14  Levine: Twins Could Pursue Long-Term Assets At Deadline. MLB Trade Rumors (Todd) p. 14  shifts have helped Twins’ defense. Providence Journal (Britton) p. 15

Mistakes catch up to Kyle Gibson in Twins' loss to Boston Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 30, 2017

BOSTON – That ladder, painted the same pale green as everything else here so it's hard to see against the Green Monster, has probably been attached to that wall since Fenway Park opened 105 years ago. played more than 100 games here and can't recall that ladder ever coming into play.

So of course it did Thursday night, right in the middle of a Red Sox comeback, right when it could affect the outcome of the game. The Twins blew an early three-run lead and fell behind for good during one of their unluckiest innings of the season, with that ladder a memorable participant. The final score was 6-3 Boston, and the Twins left Fenway Park shaking their heads.

"A ball gets hung up in the ladder, and it happens in as bad an inning as you could draw up," grumbled Kyle Gibson, who was hardly blameless for the Twins' third loss in four games here, but who also encountered plenty of misfortune behind him, too. "It's just really unfortunate. I thought I was throwing the ball really well."

That's at least partly true, though Gibson made some bad pitches, too. Like the one he threw inside to in the fourth inning, just after the Twins staked him to a 3-0 lead, a that Betts clanged off another ancient feature of that big green wall: the light tower atop it. "He's that pitch out on me before," Gibson said. "I tried to go in. It was off [the plate], but he's really good at hitting that pitch."

The fifth inning, though, is when the Twins messed up and got messed with, in ways Fenway-related and otherwise. Gibson got ahead of Hanley Ramirez 1-2, but then threw three consecutive balls. Ramirez flinched at a slider for ball four, and the Twins thought he might have swung, but they didn't get the call.

And if you're familiar with Gibson's work, you know a leadoff walk seems to be a trigger: Things get bad, fast. Jackie Bradley Jr. fouled off a pitch that just carried out of reach, keeping him alive. He cashed in by smacking a ball off that ladder in left — and it ricocheted straight down, landing at the base of the wall.

"It really deadened it. Obviously changed the carom. Came straight down and died on the track, allowing Hanley to score" from first, Molitor said. "It's been in play as long as I can remember, [but I] can't think of one that had that type of effect on a baseball."

Christian Vazquez then hit a grounder at shortstop that glanced off his glove for an error. Then, with the Twins anticipating a Tzu- Wei Lin bunt and using the "wheel" defense, which sends the shortstop to cover third and the second baseman to cover first, Gibson fielded a comebacker, a seemingly sure play. But when he turned to second base — nobody there. He settled for one out, but it was at first, not third, with both runners moving into scoring position.

"I never even thought about being in the wheel there and not having anybody at second," Gibson said. "It's not a play you practice — you always go to second to start the double play. It wasn't in my mind that I needed to go to third."

The tying run then scored on a chopper to third, and Betts put the Red Sox in front for good with a perfectly placed grounder up the middle, just out of Polanco and Brian Dozier's reach. A walk, one well-hit ball, and four straight grounders — that was the Boston rally. Gibson gave up another long home run an inning later to Ramirez, but the Twins, who had grabbed a 3-0 lead against , couldn't generate anything after that.

"It was one of Gibby's better nights," Molitor said. "He was attacking, used his fastball well, got some jam shots on righthanders. Just some bad luck changed it."

Nick Gordon chosen for All-Star Futures Game Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 30, 2017

BOSTON – Miguel Sano will find out Sunday whether he will be elected to start the actual All-Star Game on July 11, and whether any other Twins will be headed to Miami with him. But the Twins learned that one member of their organization will definitely be there.

Nick Gordon, rated the top prospect in the Twins farm system before the season, has been selected to the Futures Game, which takes place on July 9 in Marlins Park. The 21-year-old shortstop, chosen fifth overall in the 2014 draft, is enjoying a stellar season for Class AA Chattanooga, racking up 21 doubles, a league-leading six triples and six home runs as well. With a .310 average, he ranks among the top five hitters in the Southern League, and his 33 extra-base hits have led all AA leagues much of the season.

The Futures Game annually pits the top American prospects against a team comprised of the best prospects born outside the United States. Dee Gordon, Nick’s older brother, represented the Dodgers organization at the 2010 game, a season in which he was also the shortstop for Chattanooga. The brothers are the sons of longtime major league .

Etc.

• Righthander Felix Jorge didn’t make his scheduled start for Chattanooga on Thursday because, Molitor said, “he’s up for consideration” to start one of the Twins’ two games Saturday at Kansas City. The 23-year-old Dominican is on the Twins’ 40-man roster.

• Twins lefthander Buddy Boshers was a teammate of Red Sox closer at Lee High School in Huntsville, Ala.; their families even held a barbecue on draft day in 2008 with each other, waiting to see if they would be chosen. Their high school , Butch Weaver, was in Fenway Park on Thursday to watch them pitch.

• With the Twins expected to arrive at their hotels sometime after 2 a.m. Friday following a cross-country flight, Friday starter Ervin Santana was sent to Kansas City a day early.

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Twins' Miguel Sano, set for Home Run Derby, in close All-Star voting race Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 29, 2017

BOSTON - Twins General Manager Thad Levine walked past Miguel Sano as he was talking about next month’s Home Run Derby in Miami and quickly handicapped the competition. “He’s a winner,” Levine said of the 24-year-old slugger. “That’s why he’ll win. He’s a winner.”

That’s certainly Sano’s intention, but his manager believes that, for all of Sano’s power, his real secret is that he doesn’t try to hit homers. He tries to hit the ball hard, Paul Molitor said, and there’s a difference.

“To be honest, Miggy doesn’t try to hit the ball over the fence in batting practice very often. Maybe in the last round he gets a little competitive with Kennys [Vargas] every now and then,” Molitor said. “But he tries to stay inside the ball, really tries to work on making sure his swing is prepared for the game rather than seeing how far he can hit it. So this will be a little different for him.”

It’s an opportunity he’s been waiting for, said Sano, who needs two more home runs to become the first Twins player since in 2009 to reach 20 by the All-Star break. Now he would also like to join Morneau (in 2008) as the only Twins to win the Derby.

“It’s really exciting. I’ve always wanted to do this,” Sano said. “I waited a long time and now I’ve got my opportunity.”

Sano agreed with Molitor’s analysis — “I just try to hit the ball the hardest I can,” he said — but said he doesn’t plan to change his approach and probably won’t practice the most-homers-in-five-minutes format ahead of time. “I don’t need to practice,” he said. “I just do it like in a game. I don’t need to get pressure on me. I can hit the ball hard.”

He hits it harder this year — his average exit velocity of 95 miles per hour is second only to Yankees rookie Aaron Judge (95.8) in the majors — in part because of his offseason work with former major leaguer Fernando Tatis, Sano said. “He worked really hard with me all winter and made me work really hard,” Sano said.

He intends to invite Tatis to pitch to him at the Derby. “I want to give him the chance,” Sano said. “He made me a better hitter.”

Twins-Kansas City series preview: Four games in 45 hours Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 30, 2017

Friday, 7:15 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: RHP Ervin Santana (10-4, 2.80 ERA) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (11-3, 2.29) Saturday (2), 1:15 and 7:35 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: Game 1: RHP Jose Berrios (7-2, 2.98) vs. RHP Jason Hammel (4-6, 4.75); Game 2: TBA vs. TBA Sunday, 1:15 p.m. • FSN, 96.3-FM: LHP Hector Santiago (4-7, 5.37) vs. LHP Matt Strahm (2-5, 5.61)

TWINS UPDATE Despite losing three of four at Boston, the Twins are 24-12 on the road, the second-fewest losses in the majors. They are 7-4 in their past 11 road games, and 4-3 on this road trip. … Saturday’s doubleheader includes a night game to make up the April 29 rainout. The entire four-game series will be played in roughly 45 hours. … They are 7-1 against the Royals this year and 2-0 in Kansas City. They have not won the season series with Kansas City since 2012. … Neither team has announced its second starting pitcher Saturday, nor confirmed which game their scheduled starter will pitch. … Santana, who spent 2013 with Kansas City, is 6-9 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 career starts against the Royals. … Brandon Kintzler is 6-for-6 in save opportunities vs. Kansas City.

ROYALS UPDATE An 11-2 stretch this month carried the Royals to within two games of first place in the AL Central, but they have lost three of four to fall to 3½ back. … They are 21-18 at home and have won six of their past nine there. … They are 14-0 in June when scoring four or more runs. … Vargas, trying to become the ’s first 12-game winner, has won six consecutive starts and has given up more than three earned runs only once in his 15 starts this season. … They are missing LHP Danny Duffy (oblique), 3B Cheslor Cuthbert (wrist), and OF Paulo Orlando (shin). Kansas City has recalled OF Jorge Soler, who batted .159 in 20 games before being demoted to Class AAA Omaha. … The Royals are last in the AL in scoring with only 306 runs, but they have given up the fifth-fewest runs (344). … Three-time All-Star LF is batting only .195, with a .576 OPS.

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Postgame: Hughes' return a success; Price made a familiar mistake Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 29, 2017

BOSTON — Paul Molitor told Phil Hughes that he would try to ease him in to his new bullpen role, probably by bringing him in at the beginning of an inning. But when Hughes finally walked in from the bullpen on Thursday, making his first major-league relief appearance in a year, he couldn’t help noticing baserunners standing on first and second base.

“A clean inning was the hope, but the nature of the game is that you can’t always pick your situations,” Hughes said. “The circumstances turned out to be a little different.”

It wasn’t a problem, though. Hughes, making his first Twins appearance since going on the disabled list May 22, got ahead of Xander Bogaets with two quick strikes and eventually struck him out, then ended the inning by inducing Mitch Moreland to fly out to left. He faced four more batters in the eighth, and though Jackie Bradley Jr. lined a single, he struck out Tzu-Wei Lin to end another easy inning.

“I felt good. Coming in the middle of an inning with guys on base, it was something I hadn’t done in my rehab, so it was nice to come in in a little bit of a sticky situation,” Hughes said. “But everything went well.”

That’s what his manager thought, too. “It was good to see him out there,” Molitor said. “I thought he was very aggressive, he was efficient. He’s kind of mixing back in the true slider into his repertoire, which is good to see.”

Hughes was sidelined for a month while doctors tried to figure out the return of some of his symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, which he had surgery last year to alleviate. For now, he’ll be in the bullpen, a role he hasn’t held full-time since 2009. So how long it would take him to warm up might have been a concern.

Turns out, it’s not. “I was ready real fast,” Hughes said. ‘I think the phone rang, I got up, one guy got out, and I was good to go.”

He hopes that’s the case for the rest of the season. “It’s exciting to be back, in any capacity,” Hughes said. “I’m excited to contribute in any way.”

XXX

One night after Twins’ starter Adalberto Mejia twice failed to cover first base, the Twins benefitted from the same play. Their two-run fourth inning was largely a rally created by Boston starter David Price.

After allowing a leadoff double to Robbie Grossman in the fourth inning, Price induced to hit a ground ball that Moreland fielded well behind the first base bag. Price stood and watched the play, realizing too late that he needed to cover first base. With nobody to throw to, Moreland couldn’t beat Mauer to the bag, a big break for the Twins.

Price struck out Miguel Sano and retired Eduardo Escobar on a fly ball, but, just one strike away from escaping the jam, he made another mistake: A two-strike that Polanco drove about 400 feet off the top of the wall in left-center, a double that allowed both runs to score.

“It happens more commonly to left-handers. It seems like they get turned around,” Molitor said, and both Price and Mejia are lefties. “It’s not usually hustle play, but every once in awhile you get turned around and get caught kind of spectating for a hair too long, and it can bite you.”

Defensive breakdowns prove costly for Twins in 6-3 loss to Red Sox Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 29, 2017

BOSTON — Thursday night started so promisingly for the Twins as they attempted to escape Fenway Park with a split of a four-game series.

Brian Dozier doubled and manufactured a run off David Price in the first. Jorge Polanco knocked a two-run double off the Green Monster. Kyle Gibson induced a pair of double-play grounders on his first tidy trip through the order.

Then came a pair of costly defensive breakdowns in a three-run fifth for the Boston Red Sox, who wiped out an early three-run deficit and raced to a 6-3 win.

“It was the fifth inning where things kind of fell apart for us,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. 4

Falling 1 1/2 games behind the , the Twins (40-37) remained in second place in the for the 12th time in 13 days after holding at least a share of first for 37 straight days. They also ended the season series with the Red Sox with five losses in seven tries and a cumulative run differential of minus-30.

Flying high off a three-game weekend sweep of the Indians in Cleveland, the Twins must head to Kansas City to play four division games in three days off just their third road series loss all year (9-3).

Solo homers by Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez bookended the scoring off Gibson (4-6), who entered with a 0.60 earned-run average in two career starts at this hitter’s playpen. A leadoff walk on a full count to Ramirez opened the door in the fifth, and Jackie Bradley Jr. followed with a double off the Green Monster’s ladder, which allowed Ramirez to score.

“It’s been in play for as long as I can remember, but I can’t think of one that had that type of effect on the baseball,” Molitor said. “It really deadened it. It changed the carom, came straight down and died at the track.”

Christian Vazquez’s one-hop smash clanked off Polanco’s backhand attempt for his team-leading seventh error. Gibson then grabbed Tzu-Wei Lin’s comebacker but looked at second instead of third and had to settle for one out.

Lin had squared to bunt earlier in the at-bat and the Twins put on the wheel play, leaving second uncovered as the middle infielders sprinted to the corners.

“I never even thought about being in the wheel there and not having anybody at second,” Gibson said. “Not really a play you practice in . You always go to second to try to get the double play. I just didn’t think in my mind I needed to shift and throw to third or I would have.”

Devin Marrero tied it with a slow chopper to third, and Betts put the Red Sox ahead to stay with a seeing-eye single up the middle. Two of the runs were unearned.

Having entered the week with three unearned runs allowed on the road all season, the Twins gave up seven combined over the final three games against the Red Sox.

“I’m more disappointed in myself when I give up unearned runs than earned runs,” Gibson said. “The defense saves you so many runs and they do such a good job out there, limiting damage when you need them to. I feel like that’s my job to pick them up in that instance.”

Gibson fell one out shy of reaching six innings for the fourth time in five starts. His ERA dipped slightly to 6.11 despite recording just two and seeing his four-start homer total climb to six.

Price, the $217 million lefty still working into form after spending nearly the first two months on the disabled list, won his sixth straight decision against the Twins. In 17 career outings against them he is now 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA.

Robbie Grossman ended a string of nine straight outs for Price with a leadoff double in the fourth. Price then failed to cover first on Mauer’s smash, and Polanco later ripped a changeup for a two-out double despite entering with a .217 average against lefties.

Price (3-2) would stabilize once more and allow a pair of singles over his final three innings. He finished with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Twins third baseman Miguel Sano went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is hitting .171 with 25 strikeouts over his past 70 at-bats and 19 games. That stretch includes just three homers; the Twins are 14- 4 when Sano homers.

Phil Hughes made his first appearance since May 21 and retired five of the six batters he faced in relief, two by .

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Twins’ Miguel Sano invited to participate in All-Star Game Home Run Derby Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 29, 2017

BOSTON — Twins third baseman Miguel Sano was asked if he had any predictions for his first home run derby at any level when he gets to Miami next month.

“Yeah,” he said with a smile Thursday afternoon. “I need to win every time.”

Sano joined slugger and reigning champion as the only confirmed participants for the July 10 event. Sano leads the Twins with 18 home runs, many of them tape-measure shots, and is on pace to obliterate the career-best 25 he hit last season.

“I’m really excited to be in the home run derby,” Sano said. “I’ve been working really hard my whole life. It’s really fun to compete with those guys because they have a lot of power too.”

He remembers watching the broadcast in 2011 as mentor Robinson Cano won the event.

Meanwhile, with online all-star voting set to end at 10:59 p.m. Central on Thursday, Sano’s lead over Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez was down to 33,865 votes as of a midday update from .

Sano had 1.765 million votes as of the latest report, while Ramirez was at 1.739 million and Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Jose Donaldson was at 1.671 million. All-star rosters will be announced Sunday evening.

Sano, 24, said he planned to ask former big-league third baseman Fernando Tatis, his trainer in the Dominican Republic this offseason, to serve as his pitcher in the derby. If Tatis declines, Twins bullpen Nate Dammann could be Sano’s choice.

“It’s really awesome I can be in the home run derby,” Sano said. “I worked really hard in the offseason. I remember when Tatis told me, ‘You can be in the home run derby. You can be in whatever you want, but you need to work really hard.’ This is what I’ve been doing.”

Even though derby participants have been known to struggle out of the gates at times in the second half, the Twins weren’t about to stand in Sano’s way.

“He didn’t need my permission,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I don’t know what anybody else would think. If you get invited to do that and you want to do that, it’s one of those opportunity things. You’re not sure you’re going to get another one, so you might as well take advantage.”

Sano will become the seventh Twins player to participate in the home run derby, with Brian Dozier (2014 at ) being the most recent. Joe Mauer did so in 2009 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

In 2008 at Yankee Stadium, Twins Justin Morneau outlasted to win the crown. Morneau also competed in 2007 in San Francisco, while swung for the fences in 2002 at Milwaukee.

Gary Gaetti (1989) and Tom Brunansky (1985) were the only other Twins to participate in the derby since its inception in 1985 at the Metrodome.

GORDON HEADS SOUTH

Double-A Chattanooga shortstop Nick Gordon, having another strong season at the plate, was named as the Twins’ sole representative at the July 9 All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park in Miami.

Dee Gordon, Nick’s older brother, is a star second baseman for the Marlins. The Gordon family is from the Orlando area, so it will be a short trip for former big-league closer Tom “Flash” Gordon and his family.

Gordon, 21, was the fifth overall pick in 2014. He ranks fourth in the Southern League with both a .312 batting average and a combined on- base/ of .866 after starring in the after last season.

Barring a late injury- or promotion-related addition, this would be the second straight year the Twins had sent just one prospect to the prestigious event. Reliever J.T. Chargois was their lone representative last July in San Diego. 6

Triple-A Rochester Zack Granite, a former 14th-round pick out of Seton Hall in 2013, was passed over despite tearing up the .

JORGE TO DEBUT

The Twins will call up Double-A Chattanooga right-hander Felix Jorge to start along with Jose Berrios in Saturday’s day-night doubleheader at Kansas City, according to a person with direct knowledge.

Jorge, a 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic who is already on the 40-man roster, was originally scheduled to start for the Lookouts on Thursday. In 14 starts this year for the Lookouts, Jorge has gone 8-1 with a 3.26 .

In his last start on June 24, he went 7 2/3 innings on 97 pitches, walking none, fanning seven and give up two runs on 11 hits (one for extra bases).

“He’s been solid,” Molitor said. “Jorge’s had a good run.”

Molitor also had encouraging words for Double-A lefty Stephen Gonsalves and right-hander Fernando Romero.

“You hear a lot about how they’re developing, not only in terms of stuff and how they’re using it,” he said, “but improvements in terms of controlling the game, running game, poise.”

Dillon Gee, who threw 47 pitches in a three-inning start on Wednesday for Rochester, could be summoned as the 26th man to augment Saturday’s bullpen.

Twins jump out early, but can't preserve lead Evan Chronis and Craig Forde | MLB | June 30, 2017

BOSTON -- Mookie Betts must have known that All-Star voting ended Thursday night.

The Red Sox right fielder, who was sixth among American League outfielders in the final update of the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot, put on a performance encompassing every facet of his game, leading Boston to a 6-3 victory over the Twins at Fenway Park.

With an RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning, Betts gave the Red Sox their first and definitive lead of the night, further cementing his standout showcase.

In the fourth inning, Betts ignited what had been a dormant Boston offense, hitting a moonshot home run that would have gone well over the Green Monster had it not hit one of the outfield light fixtures. The homer was Betts' team-leading 13th of the season and gave the Red Sox their first run of the game.

"Betts is as good as anybody at getting to an inside pitch and keeping it fair," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

If offensive excellence wasn't enough, the right fielder robbed Eduardo Escobar of a sure single with a diving catch in the second inning. Betts had a 35-percent catch probability on the grab, making it his 13th four-star catch of the year, per Statcast™, which puts him one behind 's for the most in the Majors.

"He's a great athlete, and his willingness to be the best he can be, the drive that he's got, the aptitude he has, it's not surprising," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He's a quick learner, and to see him put not just a complete game, but a complete player together, that's why he was in the running for the best player in the [AL] last year. We saw it on display tonight on both sides of the baseball."

David Price pitched seven innings for the Red Sox, and seemed to gain more command once his offense put some runs behind him. The lefty stifled the Twins in his final three innings after giving up three runs in the first four. Price finished the game with no walks, a first for him this season.

Twins starter Kyle Gibson could not maintain his team's early lead, giving up five runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings.

"That was one of his better nights," Molitor said. "I thought he used his fastball well. He pitched in and got a couple jam shots on the right- 7 handers. Overall, it was a good outing. A couple things changed it in the wrong direction for him."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Ladder ball starts rally: In the fifth inning, the Red Sox found themselves down 3-1 with Jackie Bradley Jr. at the plate. The lefty hitter ripped a ball to the opposite field that looked destined to carom off the Green Monster. However, the ball hit the infamous ladder that is attached to Fenway Park's famous wall, and instead of bouncing off of it, the ball remained in place for a moment, then descended down the facade, far from the reach of Twins left fielder Robbie Grossman. The odd "bounce" gave Bradley a double and helped Hanley Ramirez to score from first and set up the go-ahead rally.

"It really deadened it," Molitor said. "It changed the carom, and it came straight down and died at the track and allowed Hanley to score. It's been in play for as long as I remember, but I can't remember it having that type of effect on a baseball."

Hanley's back: With Ramirez missing the first three games of the series, questions were swirling about the 's offensive struggles. With one swing of the bat in the sixth inning, he answered his critics. Ramirez torched a home run to straightaway center field to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead and end Gibson's night. The homer traveled 427 feet.

"He's a very, very vital part of our team," Bradley said. "He's going to be just fine. He proved it last year; in the second half, he caught fire. I don't think we're going to expect anything less [this year]. Hanley's going to be just fine."

QUOTABLE "I haven't seen that since I've been here. Maybe once during BP, but never in a game. I've never seen that."

-- Bradley, on hitting the Green Monster ladder

"It's not a park you get overly comfortable with at any point." -- Molitor, on maintaining a lead at Fenway

WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana will look to extend his winning streak to three games as the Twins open up a four-game series with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Friday at 7:15 p.m. CT. In his last outing, Santana pitched six shutout innings against the Indians and has not allowed a run in seven of his 16 starts this season.

Red Sox: will make his second start for the Red Sox since being claimed off waivers by Boston last week, facing the Blue Jays in Toronto on Friday at 7:07 p.m. ET. The right-hander was solid in his first outing but picked up a loss against the Angels after allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. The game marks the beginning of the Red Sox's 10-game road trip.

Gibson undone by bad luck, big inning Rhett Bollinger | MLB | June 30, 2017

Through four innings Thursday, Kyle Gibson was cruising and the Twins appeared on their way to salvaging a series split at Fenway Park with a two-run lead over the Red Sox and lefty David Price.

But Gibson was the victim of a big inning yet again, struggling through a three-run fifth that ultimately gave the Red Sox the lead for good in the Twins' 6-3 loss Thursday. Gibson, who fell to 4-6 and now has a 6.11 ERA, had thrown just 54 pitches through the first four frames, but he threw 27 in the fifth and was hurt by his defense, as well as some tough luck.

Gibson, charged with five runs (three earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings, has had trouble containing things when he gets into trouble this season, and that was the case again Thursday, as things snowballed after a leadoff walk to Hanley Ramirez and an RBI double from Jackie Bradley Jr. that hit the ladder on the Green Monster, allowing Ramirez to score from first. Based on its exit velocity of 92.4 mph and launch angle of 30 degrees, the double had a hit percentage of just 13 percent, per Statcast™, and was the first of several things that didn't go Gibson's way that inning.

"It's not a park you get overly comfortable with at any point, but he did have a nice start to the game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Gibby had a good night for the most part. There was a little misfortune in how the game turned."

After the double, Gibson got Christian Vazquez to ground to short, but Jorge Polanco booted it for an error. He had further misfortune when Tzu-Wei Lin hit a comebacker to Gibson, but the defense was preparing for a bunt and no one was covering second to turn a potential double 8 play.

Deven Marrero tied it on a soft grounder to third baseman Eduardo Escobar, allowing Bradley to score from third. And Mookie Betts came through with what proved to be the game-winner with a chopper up the middle that had a hit percentage of only 12 percent, leaving the bat at 92.7 mph with a launch angle of minus-28 degrees.

"It's just really unfortunate," Gibson said. "I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty well tonight, and you run into a couple of ground balls that just weren't hit hard enough. The one to Escobar was a little harder to cut down at home, and then the ball right back to me."

With the way bad luck was a factor in the inning, Molitor came away mostly pleased with Gibson's performance, but he still has reached the six- inning mark in just three of his 14 starts.

"That was one of his better nights," Molitor said. "I thought he used his fastball well. He pitched in and got a couple jam shots on the right- handers. Overall, it was a good outing. A couple things changed it in the wrong direction for him."

Sano to participate in Home Run Derby Rhett Bollinger | MLB | June 29, 2017

After already clubbing a career-best 18 home runs -- and counting -- before the All-Star break, Twins third baseman Miguel Sano is ready to put his power on display on a national stage.

The Twins confirmed via social media on Thursday that Sano will participate in the 2017 T-Mobile Home Run Derby alongside the game's most powerful sluggers on July 10 at Marlins Park in Miami. It will be Sano's first time in the event, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.

"I'm really excited," Sano said. "I watch them a lot. I've been working really hard my whole life to get there. It is really fun to compete with those guys because they have a lot of power, too. I try to do my job every day, and I got this opportunity."

Sano, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound slugger, blasted 25 home runs in 116 games last season after hitting 18 homers in 80 games as a rookie in 2015. In 2017, however, Sano is hitting the baseball with more authority than ever, posting a career-best .548 slugging percentage buoyed by the second-highest average exit velocity in the Majors, per Statcast™. Sano's average exit velocity of 95 mph trails only Aaron Judge's 95.8 mph.

"It means a lot to him to be recognized as someone who can potentially compete in a contest between the best power hitters in the game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I think Mig is one of those guys who is wired for big stages. I don't know how it's going to unfold, but I'm really happy he's going to get that opportunity, and hopefully it's coupled with the fact that he gets to play in the game."

The 24-year-old averaged a projected distance of 406 feet on his home runs throughout the first two years of his career. This season, his average distance on homers has increased to 412 feet, a mark that is the sixth-highest among all big leaguers who have hit at least 15 home runs, according to Statcast™ measurements.

Sano has been going yard with even more vigor in his third season in the Majors as well. His 107.2-mph average exit velocity on home runs is nearly 1 mph higher than his previous high for a season, and it's tied with the Tigers' J.D. Martinez for the eighth-highest among batters with at least 10 homers.

In an event that now rewards participants with a bonus for hitting home runs more than 440 feet, Sano, who has blasted five homers in his career 440 feet or longer, should have no trouble putting on a show for a national audience.

Sano is the second player to commit to the event, joining Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Official announcements are expected in the next week.

"I remember [Robinson] Cano winning," Sano said. "I saw last year when Stanton won. It's a great moment and chance to be in the Home Run Derby and represent my family and the Twins."

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Gordon represents Twins in Futures Game Rhett Bollinger | MLB | June 29, 2017

Shortstop Nick Gordon is set to represent the Twins in the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, playing for the U.S. Team against the World Team on Sunday, July 9, at Marlins Park in Miami. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and can be viewed live on MLB Network and MLB.com.

Gordon, ranked as the No. 41 overall prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is enjoying a breakout season at Double-A Chattanooga, hitting .310/.378/.488 with six homers, six triples, 21 doubles, 43 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 69 games.

Gordon, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, will be participating in his first Futures Game, and he'll get the chance to play in the home park of his brother, Dee, the Marlins' starting second baseman.

"He's hitting for power, extra-base hits, on-base percentage," said Dee Gordon, a two-time All-Star. "I definitely will be watching on TV. The good thing is they're ahead of us in time [the Marlins play in San Francisco], so I should be able to at least see a few innings."

Major League Baseball, in conjunction with MLB.com, and the 30 Major League clubs, selected the 25 players currently on each team. Charles Johnson will manage the U.S. Team, while Edgar Renteria will manage the World Team.

Reliever J.T. Chargois represented the Twins in last year's Futures Game in San Diego. The World Team snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-3 win.

Twins turn to Santana vs. division-rival Royals Jeffrey Flanagan | MLB | June 29, 2017

It will be Royals left-hander Jason Vargas (11-3, 2.29 ERA) against Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (10-4, 2.80 ERA) at 7:15 p.m. CT at Kauffman Stadium on Friday as both clubs are vying for the American League Central title.

It could be a battle between the with the best chance of starting the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on July 11. Royals manager Ned Yost believes it has to be Vargas.

"Well, he's got the most wins and the lowest ERA," Yost said. "I would think that's good enough. Vargy has just been tremendous for us this year. His command has been terrific. His fastball might be down a tick, but he has such command, it doesn't matter."

Vargas has been especially tough at home this season with a 6-1 record and an AL-leading 1.92 ERA.

Santana is 6-9 with a 4.45 ERA career mark against the Royals. He has been solid at Kauffman Stadium with a 3.51 ERA in 29 starts.

Three things to know about this game • Vargas has struggled facing Joe Mauer (14-for-36, .389) and Eduardo Escobar (3-for-7, .429).

• is hitting .308 (8-for-26) against Santana with three home runs.

• Right-handers are batting .132, slugging .198 and missing on 41.4 percent of their swings against Vargas' changeup. Vargas has struck out 37 righties with the pitch, 18 more than any other southpaw has with this year.

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Notes from Fenway: Duffey on Relieving; Molitor on Granite, Gonsalves Jake Depue | ESPN 1500 | June 29, 2017

BOSTON– After Brandon Kintzler, has probably been the most reliable reliever in the Twins’ bullpen this season. Paul Molitor has used him in a similar way that the Indians use Andrew Miller—as someone that enters in the mid to late innings to get big outs. More often than not, he’s come through. Duffey has a 3.69 ERA, 1.103 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 in 39 innings out of the ‘pen.

Although he was used as a reliever in college at Rice, Duffey has been almost exclusively a starter in the minor and major leagues, prior to this season.

“Early on it was definitely new,” he said. “The hard part is throwing in between outings. Staying sharp without tiring yourself out. I’ve gotten a good routine. Today I went out and threw 8 pitches at about 50%. The conditioning is so much different. All the little things you don’t think about when you get to hang out for four days between starts that you have to take care of as a reliever.”

Duffey has adapted quickly, though, and his fastball- mix has played up well out of the ‘pen. He also said he’s throwing his changeup more this season, after struggling with it last year. I asked Duffey about how relieving has changed his stuff and approach to pitching.

“A little bit of [a velocity increase],” he said. “The ability to not have to worry about saving pitches. Sometimes starting you don’t want to show a guy your best breaking ball the first time through the order, and you may give up a hit to that guy that you wouldn’t have if you had thrown it. It’s definitely allowed me to just go out there and do what I want to do. If I want to go out there and throw all , I can come out and throw all curveballs. My changeup, I’ve developed that. I’ve used it more than I did as a starter, and it’s actually been a good pitch for me.”

Duffey seems to genuinely enjoy being a reliever, and having the ability to impact several games in a series, in big situations, as opposed to pitching once every five days.

“I enjoy it, the adrenaline,” he said of relieving. “You get the phone call. You can kind of feel the moment building. I enjoy getting to go out there more often and contributing to games. The ability to go in and give each guy your best stuff for that inning, inning plus. It’s been fun for me. I’m enjoying what I’m doing right now.”

Molitor on Granite and Gonsalves

It’s no secret Zack Granite’s been on an incredible roll at -A Rochester. The center fielder is hitting .369/.420/.511 this season with 17 stolen bases. On a lot of teams, he might already be in the big leagues, but there’s not an obvious spot for him on the Twins. Byron Buxton’s been struggling offensively, but his defense is so valuable that sending him down is unlikely. Robbie Grossman and are playing well, and ’s trending upward offensively and generally plays solid defense. So, Granite waits. Molitor, though, has taken notice.

“Scuffling,” he joked about Granite. “The reports are as good as the numbers. Competing every night. Hitting lefties and righties. Using his weapons, including bunting and running the bases well. He played well enough [last year] to get himself on the [40-man] roster and he’s backed it up this year. He had a nice camp for us this spring. So yeah, I don’t know what’s going to happen as far as of when he’ll get an opportunity but he’s certainly making everybody take notice.”

Since coming off the DL and starting his season on May 20, Stephen Gonsalves has put up his typically outstanding numbers, pitching for Double-A Chattanooga. On Wednesday night, he went seven innings, giving up one earned run and striking out five. On the season, he has a 2.63 ERA, 0.854 WHIP and 10.5 K/9, which are all around his career numbers. Because he started on Wednesday, he’s not a candidate to start a game in Saturday’s doubleheader against the Royals. (His teammate, Felix Jorge, is a candidate to start that game.) Molitor, though, has clearly taken notice, and didn’t dismiss the idea that Gonsalves could help at some point this season.

“We’re open minded about how things could go and who might contribute,” he said of Gonsalves. “I really enjoyed being around him in the spring. He pitched well. He’s got a knack for getting people out without wowing you, but he seems to be back on track and reports are he’s throwing really well again, so that’s encouraging.”

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Twins slugger Miguel Sano to take part in Home Run Derby Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | June 29, 2017

Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will take part in the Home Run Derby on July 10 as part of the All-Star Game festivities in Miami.

The 24-year-old Sano is ninth in the American League with 18 home runs. Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who won last year’s Home Run Derby with a record 61 homers, already has accepted the invitation to defend his title.

Sano leads American League third basemen in All-Star voting and was almost 210,000 votes ahead of Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez this week. Voting concludes at 10:59 p.m. on Thursday.

Defense falters in series finale as Twins fall to Red Sox Associated Press | June 30, 2017

BOSTON — David Price’s strength and command appear to be back.

After falling behind 3-0, the Boston Red Sox rallied behind Price to a 6-3 victory over the on Thursday night, with Price picking up his second win in his last three starts.

“Really good pitchers are going to seize the opportunity, seize the moment,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

Price (3-2) threw a season-high 112 pitches over seven innings, allowing three runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Farrell said Price got better as the game progressed, which kind of resembled the season Price has had thus far.

After missing almost the first two months of the season with an elbow strain, Farrell said Price’s last two starts have been the best out of the seven he’s made since coming off the disabled list.

After allowing a double on the second pitch he threw, Price got nine straight outs. After Minnesota added to its 1-0 lead with two runs in the fourth, the Red Sox gave him the lead the following inning. Price gave up just one hit over his last two innings and struck out four of the last six batters he faced.

“I think it’s pretty natural that you get six, seven starts under your belt, arm strength continues to improve. It’s not just measured in velocity but it’s measured in consistency,” Farrell said. “He had a full assortment working tonight.”

Boston’s offense rallied from a slow start. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez hit solo home runs, Tzu-Wei Lin singled and tripled for his first big league multi-hit game and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits and an RBI.

Betts started the comeback with a leadoff homer in the fourth, his 13th of the season, and added an RBI single during Boston’s three-run fifth.

“Just went up there and tried to put a good swing on a good pitch,” Betts said of his homer off Kyle Gibson. “I was able to put a couple in play for a couple of RBIs, but we had a great offensive night all around.”

Craig Kimbrel pitched a one-hit ninth for his AL-leading 22nd save in 23 chances, finishing Boston’s last home game before the All-Star break.

Gibson (4-6) allowed five runs — three earned — and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

“I thought it was one of his better nights,” manager Paul Molitor said. “He’s had a couple where he attacked a little bit better. I thought he used his fastball well. He was pitching in, got some jam shots on the right-handers. Overall it was a good outing.”

Minnesota built its lead on Joe Mauer’s RBI grounder in the first and Jorge Polanco’s two-run double in the fourth. But once Price got going, the Twins’ offense seemed to fizzle.

“It’s not a park you get overly comfortable with at any particular point,” Molitor said. “But we did have a good start to the game. Gibby was efficient early.”

Gibson started to fade in the fifth, when some timely hitting and odd bounces helped Boston gain the lead.

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After Betts pulled Boston within 3-1 in the fourth, Bradley’s RBI double in the fifth made it 3-2 with a little help from the Green Monster in left field. Robbie Grossman got in position to field a carom off the Green Monster, but the ball hit the ladder above the scoreboard and dropped straight down, allowing Ramirez to score from first.

Christian Vazquez followed with a grounder to short that hit the wrist of Polanco’s glove hand and bounced away for an error.

Deven Marrero hit a tying RBI grounder with one out on a dribbler to third, and Betts’ single put Boston ahead 4-3.

HIT KING

Lin continued to enjoy his first week in the big leagues. After singling in his first at-bat Monday, he had his first multi-game hit Thursday, punctuated with a triple off Buddy Boshers starting the seventh and he scored on Marrero’s double.

He entered Thursday with a batting average of .167 and was hitting .300 by the end of the night.

“The bottom of the order, you look at what they were able to do — contribute, manufacture a run,” Farrell said. “A couple really good swings by Tzu-Wei.”

PHIL’S BACK

RHP Phil Hughes, activated Wednesday by the Twins following a rehab stint with Triple-A Rochester following a shoulder strain, came out of the bullpen in the seventh for his first relief appearance since June 9, 2016. Hughes allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings, struck out two and walked none. He had not pitched for the Twins since May 21.

“It was good to see him out there put in a situation where he had an opportunity to keep us close and give us a chance,” Molitor said. “I thought he had a real good return.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B got the night off because of soreness in his left knee. … Ramirez returned to the lineup after missing three straight games with a bruised left knee. Ramirez fouled a ball off his right foot during his first at-bat.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Ervin Santana (10-4, 2.80 ERA) is slated to start Friday when the Twins open a four-game series at Kansas City.

Red Sox: RHP Doug Fister (0-1, 4.50 ERA), claimed off waivers last week, gets his second start for Boston when the Red Sox play at Toronto to open a 10-game trip.

Twins’ Sano to participate in 2017 Home Run Derby FSN | FOX Sports | June 29, 2017

Miguel Sano is taking his team-leading 18 homers to Major League Baseball’s biggest stage for sluggers: The Home Run Derby.

The 24-year-old is a “Sano doubter” to participate in the slugfest, as he ranks ninth in the American League in homers. He’s only seven home runs from tying a career high, set last season. And it’s not even the all-star break.

The Twins announced the news Thursday.

The Home Run Derby will be held July 10 at Marlins Park in Miami. It might be a busy weekend for Sano, as he currently leads AL third basemen in votes to start the All-Star Game on July 11.

Sano is the first Twins player to take part in the derby since Brian Dozier in 2014. Tom Brunansky, Gary Gaetti, Torii Hunter, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer are the other five Twins to have a crack at it, with Morneau the only Minnesota player to bring home the trophy in 2008.

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Your guide to the best—and weirdest—ballpark food from all 30 MLB stadiums Jon Taylor | Sports Illustrated | June 30, 2017

The following in an excerpt from the article:

The quest to find food at a ballpark can be a daunting one. Sure, every team offers plenty of options to sate virtually every fan, but finding the best, most delicious or most intriguing meal can require hours, if not days, of detective work (not to mention that it results in a significantly lighter wallet). It’s become even more difficult in an era in which every team is hell-bent on creating the craziest, biggest, most gastronomically challenging food it possibly can—layering on meat, cheese and fries with reckless abandon.

Making sense of the massive world of ballpark foods takes (literal) guts. Luckily for you, we’re here to break down the menus across the country and pick out each stadium’s top option and each team’s most out there creation. So the next time you buy a ticket for a game, you’ll be able to walk into that park knowing which item you should make a beeline for (and which ones to think twice about).

Target Field (Twins) BEST: Kramarczuk’s Kurd-Marczuk

Basically a Midwestern spin on poutine, this new addition to Target Field’s concessions takes Polish sausage from legendary Minneapolis butchery Kramarczuk and puts it in a bowl with cheese curds and brown gravy.

WEIRDEST: Triple Sausage Sampler Bloody Mary

If the Kurd-Marczuk wasn’t enough sausage for you, though, grab yourself this boozy brunch drink featuring three different kinds of sausage— andouille, bratwurst and Polish—on a skewer. It even comes with some cheese cubes—you know, to lighten things.

Levine: Twins Could Pursue Long-Term Assets At Deadline Jeff Todd | MLB Trade Rumors | June 29, 2017

With the Twins sitting just a half-game out of the AL Central lead as June draws to a close, the team’s place in the standings has at least partially modified its approach to the trade deadline, GM Thad Levine tells MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. While the focus remains on the future, Minnesota is also taking account of the fact that there’s a real possibility of reaching the postseason in 2017.

Though the club’s general assessment of its roster and timeline hasn’t changed substantially, Levine suggests, the performance — and perhaps also the opportunity created by a tightly-bunched American League — has impacted the calculus. “I think it leaves us contemplating buying, and that’s how the season has impacted our decision-making.”

That said, fans shouldn’t expect significant win-now moves. As Levine explains, the Twins’ imperative of sustainable contention could potentially dovetail with an effort to improve the current roster. “We’re probably not going to be inclined to spend lavishly on short-term assets,” he says, “but we would be very open to spending aggressively on assets that we could use to propel our team forward this year and for years to come.”

Lower-cost rental pieces could be considered, of course, but it makes sense that the club isn’t interested in paying top dollar for such assets. “I don’t think we view it as we’re just one piece away and we’re not looking to finish off this club,” says Levin. “We’re looking to continue to build this club. We have a lot of core pieces that have a chance to be part of something special in the future, but we’re cognizant that we’re going to need to add to that core.”

Looking at the Twins’ depth chart, there likely isn’t a lot of room for major changes on the position-player side of the equation. Minnesota has received mostly solid production out of its regulars and reserves, and is rather committed to most of those players.

The pitching, though, is another story. Outside of veteran Ervin Santana and youngster Jose Berrios, the rotation has produced middling results and ugly peripherals. And though there are a few relievers throwing well — closer Brandon Kintzler, in particular — there’s surely room to upgrade there as well.

It’ll obviously be quite interesting to see what kinds of options Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey pursue. Speculation on particular players would be just that at this point, but most of the conceivable possibilities can be found in our latest ranking of the top 50 trade deadline candidates (and the many other players listed there). No doubt their level of aggressiveness will depend upon how the standings look at the end of the month. Payroll — both this year and in the future — will also be a consideration; the Twins entered the season with about $108MM on the books, close to the highest rate the organization has carried. 14

Outfield shifts have helped Twins’ defense Tim Britton | Providence Journal | June 29, 2017

BOSTON — Unlike most parks, a ball down the left-field line at Fenway isn’t necessarily a double — especially when it barely reaches the wall on a few hops. When Mookie Betts hit a line drive to left on Wednesday night, though, he was able to cruise into second.

That’s because the Twins have been aggressively shifting Betts and other Red Sox hitters like nobody else in baseball.

“First time I’ve seen that,” Betts said of an outfield alignment that had center fielder Byron Buxton shaded toward right-center and left fielder Eddie Rosario basically playing the left-center gap, even against the pull-happy Betts.

It’s all part of Minnesota’s intriguing defensive plan, which they’ve showcased at Fenway all week.

“We did feel like trying to cover the larger parts of the grass would be advantageous,” said Jeff Pickler, the Twins coach responsible for outfield positioning. “We’re not trying to get carried away in trying to prove a point. We’re trying to do the best thing for our ballclub. We looked at it pretty good before we came in here.”

Hired from the Dodgers over the winter to bring more of an analytics bend to the Twins, Pickler has been about as aggressive with his outfield positioning as anyone in baseball. It appears to be paying off. According to Baseball Info Solutions, Minnesota’s outfielders have saved about 20 runs on the season — second-most in baseball, just ahead of Boston’s 19.

At Fenway, the main strategy is ceding more of shallow left field in the hopes of stealing balls hit in the gap. Shading the speedster Buxton toward right helps cover the most expansive part of the outfield, and Rosario has the athleticism to cover most of left even when shifted into the gap.

Rosario has made a handful of noteworthy plays going back into left field proper this series, and he’s been able to cut off an extra ball or two in the gap. Betts’ ball Wednesday is probably a double anyway because of his speed, and Rosario was able to hold Deven Marrero to a single on a similarly hit ball earlier in the game.

The Twins haven’t shifted every Red Sox hitter the other way. Pickler doesn’t want to overdo it.

“Any time you get too philosophical about outfield positioning, you’re in danger of going too far,” he said. “If you just leave them alone, they’re going to cover most of that grass out there on their own.”

Pickler doesn’t expect shifting to become as prominent in the outfield as it’s become on the infield over the last half-decade — whereas a mistake on an can lead to a single, extreme positioning in the outfield might create doubles and triples.

But he does see the subtle ways teams are getting smarter with their alignments.

“We let the infielders be the trail blazers for shifting, and that has opened up the door a little bit for outfielders to realize it’s OK not to be straight up,” he said. “If you look at a bigger trend that’s showing up and I think is great, teams aren’t moving all three outfielders evenly anymore. We’ll leave a gap wide open now, and we wouldn’t have done that in the past. Where he hits the ball is where he hits the ball.”

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