Edwin's big night not enough for Indians By Rhett Bollinger and William Kosileski / MLB.com | 1:48 AM ET + 154 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- In a potential Division Series preview, the Indians and Twins did not disappoint in their series opener on Tuesday night at Progressive Field. It was the Twins, however, that came on top, as Brian Dozier's go-ahead three- homer in the eighth led Minnesota to an 8-6 victory over Cleveland.

The win for the Twins drops their magic number to clinch an AL Wild Card berth to one with five games remaining. They hold a five-game lead over the Angels, who defeated the White Sox on Tuesday. If the Twins clinch the second Wild Card spot, they are likely to face the Yankees, who clinched home-field advantage in the AL Wild Card Game with their win over the Rays.Full Game Coverage Minnesota can clinch its AL Wild Card berth on Wednesday with either a win over Cleveland or an Angels loss. Dozier's shot -- No. 33 on the season for the -- came against Indians reliever Bryan Shaw. Per Statcast™, the homer had an exit velocity of 99 mph and traveled an estimated 376 feet to right. As Dozier rounded first, he raised his right arm skyward before pumping his fist repeatedly in celebration. It also allowed him to reach 100 runs scored in four consecutive seasons. "The job there was to try to get the ball in the air and hopefully it splits the gap, but the last result is what happened when the ball snuck over the fence," Dozier said. "There was a lot of emotion running through there. The game was ours, in my opinion. I was pretty pumped up." "When a guy hits a 97-mph cutter down for a to right, you kind of tip your hat," Indians Terry Francona said of Dozier's home run. The Twins scored all of their other runs against Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who was credited with a no-decision after allowing eight hits and striking out three in 3 2/3 . "Uncharacteristically, [Tomlin] wasn't commanding like he can," Francona said. "He threw some pitches just in the wrong area, where he wasn't trying to. And then after that, I thought he was having a harder time putting guys away. He was getting ahead, he just couldn't put them away." Eddie Rosario went 4-for-5 and finished with three RBIs, including his 27th home run of the season. Jorge Polanco added an RBI groundout, and Byron Buxton connected for an RBI single in the 9th. The Indians' loss is only their third in their last 32 games. Their lead over the Astros for the top spot in the AL is now one game following Houston's win over Texas. Twins starter Bartolo Colon left the game after the first due to an illness, forcing the Twins to use 10 pitchers, a club record for a nine- inning contest. Colon allowed two runs on three hits with one in the first inning. He has a 9.64 ERA in five September starts, making his addition to a potential postseason roster unlikely. Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion finished with three hits and four RBIs, including his 38th home run. Francisco Lindor added a sacrifice fly and Jay Bruce drove in a run with an RBI single. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Kepler's cannon: The Indians tied the score at 4 in the bottom of the third with two runs, but it could have been more. With runners on second and third and the Twins clinging to a one-run lead, Bruce lined a single to right off Twins reliever Tyler Duffey to easily score Jose Ramirez to tie it up. But Encarnacion ran through the stop sign by third-base Mike Sarbaugh and was nabbed at the plate by a strong throw from Max Kepler, who made his return after missing a game with a bruised left hip, sustained on a throw home on Saturday. "I think Edwin saw the throw," Francona said. "He looked over his shoulder and saw the throw, and I think he thought it was a bad throw and kept going. And there was enough to get him." Picking up Bartolo: After Colon's early exit, Twins manager Paul Molitor was forced to turn to his bullpen early -- and often. Molitor used nine relievers after Colon was removed, and they picked up the slack, working the final eight innings. In those eight frames, Minnesota's bullpen allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out five and only walking two. Matt Belisle closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his eighth save of the season. "The bullpen, for the most part, got us through," Molitor said. "The Indians did what they do. They came back twice in the first three innings. They got up late, but we found a way to get it done. I give the guys a lot of credit." QUOTABLE "They can do a lot of things. They have some guys in that lineup that can pop the ball out of the ballpark at any time, and they've got some guys that can take first to third, and steal some bases and do the little things that make them good. I feel like that's why they're in the position they are now, to be in the position to go to the postseason." -- Tomlin, on the Twins "I think that was as explosive as our dugout has been all year, when that ball went over the right-field wall. That was quite a moment." -- Molitor, on Dozier's homer SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his two-run single in the first inning, Encarnacion became only the third right-handed hitter in Indians' history with more than 100 walks and 100 RBIs in a single season, following Andre Thornton (1982) and Al Rosen (1950). "As long as he's healthy, he's going to do that," Francona said. "Fun to watch. He's not done." With his in the sixth, Buxton set the Twins record for consecutive steals without getting caught, with 23. He broke the previous mark of 22, set by Matt Lawton (1999-2000) and Chuck Knoblauch (1994). The MLB record is 50, set by Vince Coleman (1988-89). BUXTON WITH FIVE-STAR CATCH Buxton showed off his defensive prowess with an incredible diving catch in shallow left-center field to rob Jason Kipnis of a to open the bottom of the eighth. It had a catch probability of 24 percent, as he had to cover 56 feet in 3.6 seconds. It was Buxton's third five-star catch of the season, per Statcast™. "Off the bat, I took a route where I thought it was going to travel farther than it did," Buxton said. "Once I saw it die down, I kind of got a good judgment on it. I just took a chance and tried to play it aggressively." More > WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48 ERA) is set to start the second game of the series on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Mejia has posted a 4.70 ERA in two starts since missing more than a month with a strained left biceps, but he isn't expected to be on a pitch count this time out. Indians: Right-hander Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48 ERA) will take the mound for Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. ET tilt against the Twins at Progressive Field. His last outing -- on Thursday against the Angels -- was his first start since Sept. 5; he was on a pitch count in that start, as he was removed after 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out four.

Francona's pitching moves backfire in loss By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 12:48 AM ET + 7 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The plan did not work in the end, but the blueprint was certainly recognizable. In a potential preview of American League Division Series opponents, Indians manager Terry Francona used his pitching staff in a postseason-like manner against the Twins on Tuesday night.

Minnesota prevailed with an 8-6 win -- one highlighted by a three-run homer by Brian Dozier in the eighth inning -- but the game served as a trial run of sorts for the AL Central-champion Tribe. After Josh Tomlin exited an abbreviated start, Francona leaned on converted reliever Mike Clevinger to help bridge the gap to the late-inning arms. "Ideally, if we could set it up," pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, "we would have been able to do something like this this week. So the opportunity presented itself, and I think [Francona] managed the bullpen like he would have in a playoff game." The formula should have looked familiar for Indians fans. During the Indians' run to the World Series last fall, the team's starters logged fewer than five innings in eight of the team's 15 postseason games. One instance was due to injury and a few others were short-rest situations for the starters, but the rest of the usage was mostly by design. Francona showed an extreme willingness to leverage his best bullpen arms, to the point where the relievers logged nearly as many frames (64 2/3) as the rotation (69 1/3). Armed with a lead in the middle innings, the Indians did not hesitate to ring the bullpen's phone. Tuesday's scenario? Tomlin struggled out of the gate, forcing Francona's hand, and from the fourth inning on, it felt as though Francona was reacting the way he would in a playoff setting. "It could be, yeah," Francona said. Specifically, Francona had left-hander Tyler Olson (1 1/3 innings) and Clevinger (one inning) hold things in check until relief ace Andrew Miller was summoned. When the Indians struck for a run in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, the plan looked to be working to perfection. Miller entered for the seventh, struck out the side around a pair of singles and looked very much like the overpowering pitcher who stalked batters last October. Miller fans Kepler, escapes jam Miller fans Kepler, escapes jam Andrew Miller gets Max Kepler to strike out swinging and strands runners on the corners in the top of the 7th inning "The stuff was good," Callaway said. "The break on the slider. Obviously, the velo was there. He felt really good. You could just see it -- the conviction behind the pitches, the way he was using his body. It was really good, very encouraging." And then the plan backfired. Setup man Bryan Shaw took over in the eighth and struck out Byron Buxton, then the game unraveled in a span of three batters. Jason Castro and Robbie Grossman hit consecutive singles to center, then Dozier drilled a cutter low in the strike zone out to right-center for his three-run shot. Dozier pumped his fist repeatedly as he tore around the bases. Francona still saw positives within the defeat, one of which was the outing from Clevinger, who excelled as a starter this season but was moved to the bullpen to give the Indians "another weapon" for the postseason. Clevinger had two in his one shutout inning of work. "The ultimate goal is to win the World Series," Callaway said. "Last year we had three starters, and they were worn out by the end. If we go to four starters, [and] if we have Mike Clevinger in the bullpen, it gives us a better chance to complete our ultimate goal."

Indians look to keep Twins from playoff clinch By William Kosileski / MLB.com | 1:38 AM ET + 10 COMMENTS The Twins will have a chance to clinch their first postseason berth since 2010 on Wednesday, as they take on the Indians in the second game of three at Progressive Field. The matchup will see Cleveland's Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48 ERA) face off against Minnesota's Adalberto Mejia (4- 6, 4.48 ERA).

Following their 8-6 win over the Indians on Tuesday, the Twins' magic number to clinch the second American League Wild Card spot is down to one. With a win over the Tribe or an Angels loss on Wednesday, the Twins will secure their place in the AL Wild Card Game. Minnesota enters play on Wednesday with a five-game lead over the Angels for the second Wild Card spot. "They got a really good lineup," Indians manager Terry Francona said of the Twins. "Their numbers speak for themselves, but they're hard to pitch to because they don't have a lot of holes. And I mean like one through nine. They cover a lot of pitches." While the Twins are close to punching their ticket into October, manager Paul Molitor knows that it won't be easy to clinch against the AL Central champions, who will enter play with a one-game lead over the Astros for the top spot in the AL, and trail the Dodgers by only 2 1/2 games for the best record in all of baseball. "I think we're a confident team," Molitor said. "Beating Cleveland will be tough, but we've played well in this park and we feel like we match up pretty well. I don't think we're intimidated by anything." Mejia is coming off a no-decision against the Tigers on Thursday. In that outing, he went 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out five. In two starts against the Indians this season, Mejia has gone 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. Salazar will look to make his case for an AL Division Series roster spot, whether it would be in the rotation or in the bullpen. Against the Angels on Thursday -- which was his first start since Sept. 5 -- Salazar was removed from the game after 54 pitches, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out four in 2 2/3 innings. Three things to know about this game • Twins second baseman Brian Dozier and first baseman Joe Mauer have both found success against Salazar. Dozier has gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two homers, six doubles and seven RBIs, while Mauer has gone 9-for-24 (.375) with one homer, four doubles and two RBIs. However, Salazar has gone 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 17 strikeouts in two starts (13 innings) against the Twins this season. • Mejia has posted his four highest single-game chase rates of the season over his past four starts. Opponents have gone after 43.2 percent of his out-of-zone pitches during that time, compared with 26.1 percent previously. • Francona said on Tuesday that Lonnie Chisenhall will likely return to action on Wednesday. In 78 games with Cleveland this season, Chisenhall is hitting .291/.364/.526 with 12 home runs, 16 doubles and 53 RBIs. He's been sidelined since Sept. 14 with a right calf issue.

Chisenhall just about ready to return By William Kosileski / MLB.com | September 26th, 2017 + 5 COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Although the Indians may not be in need of much help these days -- having won 29 of their last 31 games -- they will be getting a reinforcement by Wednesday, and possibly as early as Tuesday night during their series opener against the Twins at Progressive Field. Manager Terry Francona said that outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall (tight right calf) ran the bases on Tuesday and noted that Chisenhall did so well that he wants to be available off the bench for the game. Even so, the training staff is leaning toward Wednesday for Chisenhall's return to action. "Chiz went out and ran and did really well," Francona said. "He actually wanted to be available tonight. I think our trainers were thinking maybe more tomorrow. But I have a feeling Lonnie is back there right now [arguing]. If you see him pinch-hitting [tonight], you know he won." "But more than likely, it'll be tomorrow. The fact that he ran and did well is really encouraging." Chisenhall hasn't played since Sept. 14, when the Indians won their American League-record 22nd straight game. He left that game, a 3-2 walk-off win over the Royals, in the fifth inning due to soreness in the calf. As a result of the nagging injury, he did not travel with the team to Seattle this past weekend. With the uncertainty surrounding the injuries of Michael Brantley (sprained right ankle) and corner outfielder Brandon Guyer (sore left wrist), and with Bradley Zimmer likely out for the entire postseason with a broken hand, Chisenhall's return will provide further depth to an already deep outfield for the remainder of the regular season and possibly in the postseason. Chisenhall will join right fielder Jay Bruce; center fielders Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen and Jason Kipnis; and Austin Jackson and Abraham Almonte, both of whom can play all three outfield positions. Chisenhall, too, can play all three positions, and Francona applauded his defensive ability and versatility. "Lonnie is a good outfielder," Francona said. "On the corners, he's an above-average outfielder. And he can play center. I'm not sure that's his best spot out there, but he can certainly go out there and be just fine." Francona added that Brantley and Guyer will both be re-evaluated later this week. Brantley will attempt to run the bases, and Guyer will take batting practice. "Brantley is going to try to run later this week," Francona said. "Kind of one step at a time. We'll see how he does and see where that leads. Same thing with Guyer. He'll try to hit later this week and see how he does, and then we'll go from there." Worth noting • Third baseman Yandy Diaz, who has been dealing with a jammed right middle finger, has not been in the lineup since Sept. 19. Although Diaz has come off the bench as a pinch-hitter and a defensive substitution, Francona said that the club will continue to start Giovanny Urshela at the hot corner until Diaz is back to 100 percent. "Yandy is doing OK," Francona said. "He's getting better and better, and it's still nagging at him a bit. He's pinch-hit a couple of times and went in to play third, but like I said, we probably could have played him. I just think Gio has done such a good job over there that until Yandy feels better, we'll play Gio."

Will ' glut of talent be a problem in picking playoff roster? Hey, Hoynsie! CLEVELAND, Ohio – Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie. Hey, Hoynsie: How in the world does Terry Francona get this roster down to 25 players with so much talent everywhere? Choosing among Greg Allen, Abraham Almonte, Brandon Guyer, Yandy Diaz and Giovanny Urshela is tough enough. But then there is Dan Otero, Nick Goody, Tyler Olson, Zach McAllister and Joe Smith in the bullpen. Do you think he’ll go with a four-man rotation so he can go with an eight-man bullpen with four bench players? – Shawn Marshall, Garfield Heights Hey, Shawn: Francona, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff will never complain about making tough choices because they have too much talent. It’s much preferred to the alternative. Francona will go with a four-man rotation in the ALDS with Mike Clevinger going to the bullpen. That will make the choices in the bullpen even tougher. Will postseason spawn Tomlazar? Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Mike Clevinger has been ruled out as the fourth pitcher in the postseason rotation, do you think we could see an October creation of Tomlazar in that spot? Three to four innings each of Josh Tomlin and Danny Salazar and hand it off to the pen. – Ryan, Lisbon. Hey, Ryan: I think Tomlin is going to be the fourth starter. With that in mind, I don’t see the Indians putting two starters in the bullpen. They already have one in Clevinger. Tribe falls but the players are upbeat from B1 Could rookie Bradley Zimmer, broken left hand and all, make the Tribe's ALDS roster as a pinch-runner? Could Bradley Zimmer make ALDS roster as a pinch-runner? Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any chance the Indians include Bradley Zimmer on the roster for the first round of the postseason to use solely as a pinch-runner? He’d have to be willing to slide feet first, of course. – Jerry Kiel, Dublin. Hey, Jerry: If the Indians advance to the ALCS or World Series, maybe they’d consider Zimmer. I can’t see them doing it before that. It just seems like Zimmer would be risking another injury to his hand. Remember, he did have surgery that included implanting a metal plate and screws into his hand to help the healing process. Plus can you afford the luxury of carrying a player in the postseason who can’t hit or play defense? Where did all the home runs come from this year? Hey Hoynsie: I was wondering why so many more home runs have been hit this year? If the balls are doctored, what would prevent the people responsible from using different balls on different occasions? – Otis Whittington, Weaver, Ala. Hey, Otis: At the All-Star Game, Commissioner Rob Manfred vouched for the quality and consistency of the used by MLB. He said tests had been run on the balls and their integrity has remained consistent. In other words, he doesn’t think the ball is juiced. Some suggest that batters are willing to sell out with their swings more because they aren’t criticized for striking out the same way players were decades ago. New statistics prompting hitters to change their swings to improve “launch angles” have also been cited. Hitters are more than willing to sacrifice points in their batting average for more power and RBI. As Andrew Miller said at the All-Star Game, "you don't see a lot of hitters with two strike approaches." The homer surge rivals that seen in the steroid era. If there has been another steroid outbreak, MLB’s testing program has been hoodwinked because no prominent hitter has tested positive this year. Will Michael Brantley be available for the postseason? Hey, Hoynsie: What is your feeling on Michael Brantley returning this season? Are the Indians just being cautious or is there a bigger injury that we have not been told about? – Keaton, Middlebury, Ind. Hey, Keaton: The Indians never said what Brantley did to his right ankle on Aug. 8 until last week when he visited a doctor in Vail, Colo. to get a second opinion. He does have a sprained (stretched or torn) deltoid ligament and right ankle synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane) in the ankle. I think the chances of him returning for the postseason are slim. If he does make it back, it would be in a limited role. It's too bad. Brantley, who missed the postseason last year because of right shoulder surgery, came back this year to make the AL All-Star team. But the ankle injury has proven to be hard to overcome. How about Cy Buynak for Indians' Distinquised Hall of Fame? Hey, Hoynsie: The Indians have a “Distinguished Hall of Fame,“ honoring non-uniformed people who made significant contributions to the team. A name I thought should be included was Cy Buynak, the longtime clubhouse manager. What do you think? – Bud Hilf, Euclid. Hey, Bud: I think that’s a great idea. The Indians usually ask media members for nominations for their Hall of Fame in the offseason. I think Buynak would be an excellent nomination. The media, however, does not vote. The final decision rests with the Indians. Why didn't Indians block Verlander from going to Houston? Hey, Hoynsie: Can you tell me why the Tribe didn’t block Houston from acquiring Justin Verlander on waivers? – Rob Thewes. Hey, Rob: For all we know, the Indians may have wanted to block the Astros from putting in a claim on Verlander. But that’s playing with fire. What if they put in a claim on Verlander and the Tigers didn’t pull him back off waivers? They would have been stuck with Verlander and his contract -- $28 million in 2018, $28 million in 2019 and a $22 million vesting option in 2020. I think we can agree that starting pitching, right now, is the least of the Indians’ concerns. Hey, Hoynsie: We knew the Tribe would eventually lose a game, but there was no sadness at the end of the 22-game winning streak because of what the team gave its fans. I thought the most amazing thing was the genuine bond that the players have for each other. With the bloated self-image that some athletes have, the Indians were outstanding. – Bob Earnest, Mansfield. Hey, Bob: Well said. Inside scoop on Tribe's inside-out pockets Hey, Hoynsie: I’ve noticed some of the Indians players playing with one of their back pockets turned inside out. What’s up with that? – Tom, Lyndhurst. Hey, Tom: I’ve noticed the same thing. I asked Roberto Perez about it. He says it’s usually an accident. Players are pulling batting gloves or sunflower seeds out of their back pocket and forget to tuck it back in. Perez says when it happens to him, and he sees a picture of himself with his back pocket turned inside out, he hates it. Speaking of back pockets, I loved when Mel Hall used to stick a batting glove in each of his back pockets with the fingers dangling out. He said he did that so when he hit a home run, the fingers could wave bye-bye to the ball. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.27.2017

Blade Runner 2017: Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer seeks return of stolen drone By Joe Noga, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians pitcher, and noted drone aficionado, Trevor Bauer took to Twitter seeking the return of his high-flying remote-controlled device that was stolen from a Westlake park Monday night. Bauer posted a message Tuesday asking the individual who took his drone, nicknamed "Iron Man," to return the device in a timely manner or Bauer would be forced to "build a new companion." "If I don't get it back, I'll have to make a third one," Bauer said. "And no Cleveland fan wants me to be building a drone right now." Bauer was infamously scratched from his Game 2 start in the 2016 American League Championship Series after an accident with a drone that led to a cut on the pinky finger of his throwing hand. He healed enough to start Game 3 of the 2016 ALCS, but was removed after recording two outs when the cut on his finger reopened, dripping blood everywhere. He returned to start Game 2 of the World Series, suffering the loss in a 5-1 Indians defeat. Bauer noted that the drone was last spotted around 6 p.m. in Clague Park. He Tweeted the hashtag #SaveThePinky as a nod to his playoff injury. "I don't think anyone had any malicious intent," Bauer said. "I was mostly joking when I was saying they were a thief. I guess it is still my personal property even though it was unattended." The missing drone can not be flown without the controls that Bauer has, rendering it useless to anybody who might have picked it up. Bauer said designing the frame, fabricating parts and assembling the drone takes more than 20 hours, not to mention countless crash test runs and fixes. "It's just a matter of the time commitment," he said. "Yeah, I'd just like to have it back." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.27.2017 Cleveland Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall nearing return, Michael Brantley taking next (first) steps By Joe Noga, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians' outfield is about to get a little more crowded with one week remaining before the postseason. Lonnie Chisenhall, who has not played since aggravating his sore right calf on Sept. 14, ran prior to Tuesday's game at Progressive Field and manager Terry Francona is leaning toward having him available Wednesday night against Minnesota. "The fact that he ran and did well is really encouraging," Francona said before Tuesday's series opener. When Chisenhall returns, Francona will likely work him in at a corner outfield spot while Jason Kipnis continues to get work in center. "I think naturally you're going to be comfortable where you've played the most," Francona said of Chisenhall. "On the corners, he's an above average outfielder." Brandon Guyer, also out since Sept. 14 with a sore wrist, will attempt to hit during pregame later this week, Francona said. Meanwhile, Francona said Michael Brantley, who hasn't played since Aug. 9 after spraining his right ankle, is going to try to run later this week. Brantley has been limited to "baseball activities" including throwing and hitting, but was prohibited from running by trainers. He received a second opinion on his injured right ankle from Dr. Thomas Clanton in Vail, Colo., on Sept. 18. The doctor confirmed that Brantley is dealing with a deltoid ligament sprain along with right ankle synovitis. "It's kind of one step at a time," Francona said. "We'll see how he does and see where that leads." Depth of field: With all the injuries and movement in the outfield, Francona said Tuesday that he's pleased with the way players have responded. "Guys have stepped in and done a really good job whether it's Greg Allen or (Tyler) Naquin's played, Abe (Almonte) has played, Kip is out there now, Austin Jackson has been consistent the entire way. So you don't want to lose guys ever, but sometimes when you do, guys step in and take advantage of it and help you win and that's the idea." Sample size: Francona said he is pleased with the way Kipnis has performed in center field despite getting relatively few balls hit his way. In 30 innings across five starts in center, Kipnis has two in two chances. "He hasn't been challenged a ton," Francona said. "He's moved in a couple of steps each game, which means he's getting more confident." Francona said he is equally curious about how Kipnis responds at the plate, noting that the more at-bats he gets in his return from multiple hamstring issues, "it's almost like putting gas in the tank." Kipnis entered Tuesday's game hitting .333 with two doubles and three RBI in 15 at-bats since returning Sept. 17. Veteran presence: Francona was asked how much Austin Jackson's veteran presence has helped the club this season. "A lot," Francona responded. "Both times he has come back from the DL, we've needed and he's stepped in and played against both left-handers and right-handers and really done well." In 33 games since Brantley went on the disabled list, Jackson is hitting .320 with 13 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 125 at-bats, making it hard for Francona to find days to get him some rest. "We've tried to," Francona said. "He's done a really good job of communicating with us and also keeping himself available because he's really been productive." Francona said Jackson's ability to contribute can't be measured in statistics alone. "He's a real good pro," Francona said. "He's endeared himself to a lot of people around here, myself included." Multiple innings for Clev: Mike Clevinger's role in the bullpen for the postseason will be as a multiple-inning reliever. Francona said there's a chance he could be used in a matchup situation, but it depends on the inning and score. "But it's nice to know you have a guy that's fully capable of doing that." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.27.2017 Edwin Encarnacion shines, but bullpen falters late as Cleveland Indians fall to , 8-6 By Joe Noga, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Edwin Encarnacion did what he's done better than any Indians hitter all season, but a late hiccup by baseball's best bullpen cost the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday as the Tribe fell to Minnesota, 8-6, at Progressive Field. Encarnacion collected three hits and drove in four of Cleveland's six runs, giving him a team-high 103 RBI. Cleveland's bullpen worked 4 2/3 shutout innings before Bryan Shaw surrendered a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to Twins Brian Dozier. Minnesota (83-74) used 10 pitchers, setting a club record for a nine-inning game, as reliever Taylor Rodgers picked up the win after starter Bartolo Colon was removed following one inning due to illness. The Twins grabbed an early 4-2 lead off Indians starter Josh Tomlin thanks to Eddie Rosario's solo home run in the first and Rosario's RBI in the third. Tomlin lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. "He threw some pitches just in the wrong area, where he wasn't trying to," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Tomlin's outing. "And then after that, I thought he was having a harder time putting guys away." Tomlin (no decision, 9-9) is in line to start Sunday's regular season finale against . Cleveland (98-59) evened the score at 4-4 in the third when Encarnacion drove in Austin Jackson with a single to left, and Jay Bruce followed with a base hit that scored Jose Ramirez. Encarnacion, who had moved to second on a wild pitch, was thrown out at the plate on Bruce's single. It was Encarnacion's two-run single in the first inning off Colon that pushed the slugger's RBI total past the century mark and made him just the fifth Indians hitter to drive in 100 runs and collect 100 walks in the same season. "As long as he's healthy, he's going to do that," Francona said. "He's fun to watch, and he's not done." Encarnacion joins an exclusive list of Tribe sluggers that includes Travis Hafner, , Andre Thornton and Al Rosen to accomplish the 100/100 feat. He added a solo home run to right field in the seventh inning, giving him a team-high 38 on the season. Meanwhile, Indians pitchers could not solve Rosario, who entered the game hitting .392 against the Indians with two home runs and five RBI. He added to those totals, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI. Terry Francona on tge Tribe's 8-6 loss to Minnesota For Cleveland, Francisco Lindor's nifty defense in the fifth kept the score tied after Rosario led off the inning with a double. When Eduardo Escobar sent a grounder to Lindor's backhand side, the shortstop fielded the ball on the run and threw ahead of the runner to cut down Rosario at third. One pitch later, Max Kepler splintered his bat on a grounder back to pitcher Tyler Olson, who started an inning-ending double play by throwing to Lindor at second. ADVERTISING Jason Kipnis led off the sixth inning with a single and scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Lindor that gave Cleveland a 5-4 lead before Encarnacion's home run increased the advantage to 6-4. Shaw entered in the eighth inning and struck out Byron Buxton before allowing three straight hits, including Dozier's go-ahead homer. "When a guy hits a 97-mph cutter down for a home run to right, you kind of tip your hat," Francona said. What it means Minnesota cut its magic number to clinch the No. 2 wildcard spot in the American League to 1. The Indians lost for just the third time in their last 32 games. Cleveland's lead over Houston for the top seed in the AL playoffs fell to at 1.5 games, and the Indians dropped two games behind the Dodgers for the best record in baseball. The pitches Tomlin threw 76 pitches, 52 (68 percent) for strikes. Colon lasted just one inning, throwing 18 pitches, 12 for strikes (66 percent) before leaving due to an illness, the Twins said. He was replaced in the second inning by Tyler Duffy, one of three pitchers Minnesota used in the frame. Stop, thief! Minnesota's Byron Buxton registered his 28th steal of the season in the sixth inning. It was his 23rd consecutive successful steal, breaking the Twins franchise record. The previous club mark of 22 was held by Chuck Knoblauch and former Indians outfielder Matt Lawton. Ouch Bruce collided with Minnesota's Brian Dozier in the bottom of the first inning after hitting a smash off the glove of first baseman Joe Mauer. As Mauer retrieved the ball in foul territory, Dozier took the throw at the bag, crossing into Bruce's path. The two appeared to land hard on the ground, but Bruce bounced up and trotted back to the dugout. Thanks for coming The Indians and Twins drew 21,268 to Progressive Field on Tuesday. First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. with a temperature of 82 degrees. Next The homestand continues Wednesday against Minnesota. Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48) will face Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48) at 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.27.2017 Twins 8, Indians 6: 13 Walk-Off Thoughts on Mike Clevinger’s usage, Andrew Miller returning to form By Ryan Lewis Here are 13 Walk-Off Thoughts after the Indians’ 8-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night. 1. The immediate takeaways of the Indians’ loss is that their lead for the best record in the American League was lowered to one game (the Astros now sit 97-60), and the Twins inched closer to clinching the second wild card spot, which at this point is only a formality. Barring a borderline miracle, the Indians will either begin the postseason against the winner of the Wild Card Game between the Yankees and Twins or against the as the No. 2 seed. 2. The takeaways from Tuesday’s game with a longer view in mind, however, involve Mike Clevinger, how the bullpen might be used and Andrew Miller returning to his 2016 form. As the Indians wind down the season, obtaining home-field advantage will be a goal, but it’s not the end-all, be-all objective. There are still decisions to make regarding the pitching staff and postseason roster. This week might serve as an indicator about how things might look in October. 3. Clevinger entered the game out of the bullpen and tossed a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. He had been terrific over the last several weeks and was looking to be a solid option as the No. 4 starting pitcher in any playoff series behind Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer. Indians manager Terry Francona announced over the weekend that Clevinger instead would be moving to the bullpen, opening the door for Josh Tomlin or Danny Salazar, if he can become stretched out, to act as the fourth starter. 4. Clevinger has certainly pitched well enough to warrant a spot on the postseason roster regardless of role. His inclusion out of the bullpen has a couple of secondary benefits. The first is that the Indians can afford to have a shorter leash on, say, Bauer or Tomlin knowing that Clevinger can go multiple innings. 5. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway: “I think we feel he can be a really good weapon out of the ‘pen. We can count on him to get righties and lefties out. He can go two innings if we need to. If we have a short start like tonight, he can come in and finish the fourth and pitch the fifth to bridge that gap to our main relievers. We’ll be able to have that fifth weapon that can do some really good work in the middle of the game for us.” 6. Clevinger in the bullpen will also help the Indians to avoid a situation like last October, when injuries led essentially entire pitching staff being worked to the max. The Indians had three healthy starting pitchers, and one of them sliced open his pinkie on a drone. Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and the bullpen were extremely effective but also overused. They were gassed. 7. This October, barring a string of injuries this last week, the Indians can enter the postseason with (at least) four starting pitchers and some additional length in the bullpen, allowing them to use a more streamlined approach to playing matchups and managing games. 8. Callaway: “This is going to take a burden off a bunch of our guys. One thing that we want to be cognizant of is that, at the end of the World Series, everybody was very, very taxed. I think that having Mike Clevinger in the bullpen might ease some of that moving forward. The ultimate goal is to win the World Series. Last year, we had three starters and they were worn out by the end. If we go to four starters, I think that if we have Mike Clevinger in the bullpen, it gives us a better chance to complete our ultimate goal.” 9. The Indians do still have to figure out how and if to use Salazar in the postseason. He’ll be starting Wednesday’s game, but he still isn’t fully stretched out. Clevinger is one reason why Salazar might be able to start a postseason game, though then the question becomes what to do with Tomlin—or, does the club carry all three? Regardless, Clevinger is primed for the bullpen, and he’ll afford the Indians a level of flexibility they didn’t have a year ago. 10. Josh Tomlin: “I think, one, he’s done it before and he’s used to it. Now, I feel like any of us would do what we’re asked to do in those types of situations, but I feel like he can be used in a multiple-inning role to be a really good weapon for Tito, especially in a situation like tonight. If the starter doesn’t go very deep into a game and it’s still within reach, or it’s still a close ballgame or a tie ballgame, then he has the ability to come in and keep it where it’s at. He’s just turned himself into a really good pitcher and I don’t think that limits him to the bullpen or a starter. He goes out there and he competes. He’s got unbelievable stuff and he knows how to use it. He can be a multi-inning weapon. A one-inning guy. A batter. He can do whatever Tito asks him to do and he can do it really well.” 11. Miller, meanwhile, appears to be rounding into his dominant 2016 postseason form. He gave up two hits that found their way through the infield but also struck out the side. And, in a better sign, his velocity was up and his slider looked like the weapons-grade breaking ball that has buckled some of the better hitters in the league. You could hear how excited Callaway was in his tone of voice after the game. 12. Callaway: “Tonight was really good. Yeah. The stuff was good. The break on the slider. Obviously the velo was there. He felt really good. You could just see it, the conviction behind the pitches, the way he was using his body. It was really good, very encouraging.” 13. Tuesday night was also a potential snapshot into how the Indians might be able to handle a start in the postseason that doesn’t go well. Tyler Olson (who still hasn’t allowed an earned run) threw 1 1/3 innings to get through the fifth. Clevinger threw the sixth and could have thrown the seventh if needed. Miller threw an inning, which led to Shaw, which would have led to Cody Allen (in a postseason setting) had Shaw kept the lead. He didn’t, but it showed how the Indians can piece games together. That potential to be flexible—again, barring an injury or two—is something Terry Francona didn’t exactly have last October. Is Andrew Miller back to being exactly the Andrew Miller that the Cleveland Indians need in October? By Joe Noga, cleveland.com [email protected] CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pyrotechnic projectors shot flames into the air along the outfield wall as Andrew Miller entered from Progressive Field's bullpen in the seventh inning on Tuesday.

Miller took care of throwing the heat himself once he got to the mound.

It was Miller striking out the side against Minnesota and delivering the most recent signal that he has returned to the All-Star form that saw him open the season with 15 consecutive scoreless appearances and a minuscule 1.40 earned run average prior to the break.

It was Miller's pinpoint control that allowed him to run up 13 of 17 pitches for strikes, including fastballs of 96 and 94 mph to Max Kepler with two out and the tying run 90 feet away at third base.

"I know Andrew gave up a couple hits, but that's by far the best he's looked," manager Terry Francona said of Miller's outing, despite the Tribe's 8-6 loss.

On a night that pitching coach Mickey Callaway said Francona managed his bullpen "like he would have in a playoff game," Miller showed why his return to health is widely regarded as the most important factor in how far Cleveland will go in October.

Calloway praised Miller's outing Tuesday, noting that the break on his slider and the velocity on his fastball were both at their peak.

"You could just see it, the conviction behind the pitches, the way he was using his body," Callaway said. "It was really good, very encouraging."

Tuesday marked Miller's sixth appearance since returning from his second stint on the disabled list for patella tendonitis in his right knee.

It was the first time since his initial appearance on Sept. 14 that he allowed more than one hit, surrendering back-to-back singles to Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Escobar.

With Rosario at third base and the Indians clinging to a 5-4 lead, Miller battled back to strike out Kepler on five pitches. The last one, a devastating slider in the dirt.

"He's had to step that up in each outing," Callaway said. "Tonight, a couple guys got on and he had to step it up again. That can't do any harm. It can only do good."

Wednesday should mark the final step in Miller's return -- the first time he pitches on back-to-back nights since July 24-26. Francona said the plan is to use him at some point against Minnesota and then see how his knee responds the following day.

"It's another really good step for him," Francona said.

Trevor Bauer and the drone thief of 2017; Indians’ outfield picture remains muddy By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: Perhaps this saga involving Trevor Bauer and his drone will have a better outcome. Bauer last season put the Indians in an unwanted position last October when, on the eve of the Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, he sliced open his pinkie finger while working with a drone. That forced the Indians to juggle their rotation in the ALCS, and eventually forced his exit in the first inning of Game 3 in Toronto. The Indians survived the series, of course, but the image of Bauer’s pinkie dripping blood onto the mound in Toronto became one of the lasting Images of the 2016 postseason run. Now, Bauer’s missing a drone (but he’s not missing any fingers, at least). He was flying it around Clague Park in Westlake when he noticed the GoPro had fallen off. He set the drone down to go looking for the GoPro in another part of the park and when he finally returned, someone had taken the drone. Bauer tweeted, showing he at least has a sense of humor about the ordeal from last year, jokingly calling for the drone “thief” to return it and adding #SaveMyPinky. “Probably, someone happened to be strolling through the park and came upon it, and then look around, didn’t see anyone immediately there and just picked it up,” Bauer said.” I don’t think anyone had any malicious intent. I was mostly joking when I was saying they were a thief.” Bauer builds the frames of his drones and routinely tests them by flying and crashing them and reworking the construction. This was the second of its kind, which Bauer says only he can fly. The drone cost roughly $300, but it’s more about the time investment. “If I don’t get it back, I’ll have to make a third one,” Bauer said. “And no Cleveland fan wants me to be building a drone right now.” Outfield unrest The Indians’ outfield construction heading into the postseason remains unclear. Michael Brantley (ankle), Lonnie Chisenhall (calf) and Brandon Guyer (wrist) are all working their way back from their respective injuries. Brantley, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 9, has been able to go through some baseball activities but hasn’t been able to progress to running on the field. He was recently shut down from running. “Brantley is going to try to run later this week,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “Kind of one step at a time. We’ll see how he does and see where that leads.” Brantley’s status for the American League Division Series is still in the air. He might be able to resume running, but it’s unclear how ready he might be to return to the lineup by next week. The outlook is brighter with Chisenhall, who ran on Tuesday and “did really well,” according to Francona. “He actually wanted to be available [Tuesday night],” Francona said. “I think our trainers were thinking maybe more [Wednesday]. But I have a feeling Lonnie is back there right now. If you see him pinch hitting, you know he won. But more than likely it’ll be [Wednesday]. The fact that he ran and did well is really encouraging.” Guyer might be in the toughest spot, as he might not be able to start hitting until later this week and hasn’t been able to do some of the baseball activities that Brantley has to retain his timing. As of now, the Indians have Jay Bruce, Austin Jackson, Abraham Almonte, Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin and, as a recent addition, Jason Kipnis available in the outfield. It appears likely Chisenhall should be ready to go, but the Indians will have to wait and see to what extent Brantley and/or Guyer can be implemented. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 09.27.2017 Twins 8, Indians 6: Josh Tomlin, Bryan Shaw roughed up in loss to Twins By Ryan Lewis CLEVELAND: The Indians spent much of Tuesday night successfully fighting back from a rough start by Josh Tomlin, but Bryan Shaw wasn’t able to hold the lead in an 8-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. The Indians entered the eighth holding a 6-4 lead when Shaw took the mound. After two singles and a groundout, Brian Dozier launched a three-run home run that just cleared the wall in right field, giving the Twins (83-74) a 7-6 lead. An inning later, Byron Buxton singled home a run off Zach McAllister to give the Twins an insurance run. The Indians (98-59) came from behind twice but didn’t have a third rally. Twice the Twins built a two-run advantage in the first four innings, and twice the Indians equalized it in their next at-bat. Francisco Lindor led off the bottom of the first with a single and, with one out, Jose Ramirez doubled down the left-field line off Twins starting pitcher Bartolo Colon. Edwin Encarnacon brought both home with a single to left-center to tie it. During the inning, Colon faced his 14,000th batter but also had to leave the game because of an illness. In the third, Eddie Rosario, who homered in the first, got to Tomlin again, rifling a two-run double to left field to make it 4-2. The Indians answered again on RBI singles by Encarnacion and then Jay Bruce to tie it. On Bruce’s single to right, Encarnacion, who was on second base thanks to a wild pitch, ran through the stop sign held up by third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh and was thrown out at home trying to score the go- ahead run. Tomlin allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out three in 3 ⅔ innings. The Indians finally broke the pattern and a 4-4 deadlock in the sixth. Jason Kipnis singled to open the inning and, on third with one out, scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lindor to center field. In the seventh, Encarnacion drove a solo home run to the opposite field to make it 6-4. That home run gave him 38 for the season and pushed his RBI total to 103. Along with his 101 walks this season, it made Encarnacon only the fifth hitter in Indians history to reach 100 RBI and walks in the same season, joining Al Rosen, Andre Thornton, Jim Thome and Travis Hafner. Mike Clevinger, recently moved to the bullpen for the duration of the season and postseason, struck out two and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Andrew Miller held off a Twins rally in the seventh. After Miller struck out both Joe Mauer and Jorge Polanco, Rosario and Eduardo Escobar each singled through the infield to put runners on the corners. Miller recovered, striking out Max Kepler to end the inning. The Twins broke through in the eighth against Shaw, the decisive blow in a back-and-forth slugfest in which the Twins survived using a club- record 10 pitchers after Colon had to exit after the first. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 09.27.2017 SPORTS Twins steal game, thunder: Indians lose on late home run The Associated PressPublished on Sept. 27, 2017 | Updated 6:16 a. m. CLEVELAND — While it’s been a magical season for the Cleveland Indians, the Minnesota Twins had the magic touch Tuesday night.

When Brian Dozier’s home run cleared the right-field wall, Minnesota’s dugout burst into joyous celebration with players excitedly bouncing off each other.

The turnaround Twins are just one win from the playoffs.

Dozier’s three-run homer in the eighth inning pushed Minnesota to the brink of the postseason as the Twins, with manager Paul Molitor using a club record 10 pitchers, rallied for an 8-6 victory over Cleveland on Tuesday night, handing the Indians just their third loss in 32 games. Dozier connected for his 33rd homer against Bryan Shaw (4-6) as the Twins, a 103-loss team in 2016, lowered their magic number for clinching a playoff berth to one.

As he rounded first, Dozier pumped his fist following a hit that resounded back to the Twin Cities.

“I couldn’t wait until I could get back to the dugout and celebrate with my brothers,” Dozier said.

Minnesota’s 38th come-from-behind win was symbolic of the club’s stunning role reversal.

“The willingness to never give up, never stop fighting, always competing in at-bats, that’s been our identity all year,” said center fielder Byron Buxton, who made a diving catch in the eighth. “Just because we’re so close to the playoffs, we didn’t go out there and try to be something we’re not.”

The Twins’ first trip to the postseason since 2010 will have to wait at least one more day as the Los Angeles Angels beat the 9-3.

One-out singles in the eighth by Jason Castro and Robbie Grossman set the table for Dozier, who drove an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right, touching off a manic celebration.

“That was probably as explosive as our dugout’s been all year,” Molitor said. “That was quite a moment.”

Edwin Encarnacion hit his 38th homer and drove in four runs for the Indians, whose 29-3 mark over 32 games is the best in the majors since the 1947 did it.

After recently reeling off a record 22 straight wins, the Indians (98-59) are trying to hold onto the league’s best record as well as catch the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best overall mark.

Eddie Rosario homered and had three RBIs for the Twins, who won just 59 games last season and now are just a win away from extending a remarkable turnaround season.

“We’re proving people wrong,” catcher Chris Gimenez said. “We’re better than people think we are.”

Taylor Rogers (7-3), one of nine relievers Molitor had to use after starter Bartolo Colon got sick, got two outs in the seventh and Matt Belisle worked the ninth for his eighth save.

Minnesota is on the cusp of unexpected history.

In addition to making the postseason for the first time since 2010, the Twins are close to becoming the first team to lose 100 games and make the playoffs the following year. Granted, the second wild-card berth has made that more of a possibility, but it doesn’t diminish the accomplishment.

Minnesota is also seeking to become the 13th team, and first since the 2009 , to go from 100-plus losses to a winning record the following season.

To (not) catch a thief

Buxton set a club record with his 23rd straight stolen base.

Buxton swiped second with a headfirst dive in the sixth. He began his streak on May 24 and he’s been successful in 28 of 29 attempts, a .966 percentage that leads the majors. He broke the Twins’ mark of 22 straight successful steals shared by Chuck Knoblauch and Matt Lawton.

“It’s something to cherish,” Buxton said.

Homer happy The Twins have 201 homers, third most in franchise history. Minnesota hit 225 homers in 1963, and 221 in 1964.

Easy EE Encarnacion broke the 100-RBI plateau in the first with a two-run single. The slugger has driven in at least 100 runs in five of the past six seasons, and in his first season with the Indians, he became just the fifth player in Cleveland history with at least 100 RBIs and 100 walks in the same season.

Trainer’s room

Twins: Molitor said 3B/DH Miguel Sano remains unlikely to play in the wild-card game if the Twins get there. He’s missed 36 games with a left shin injury.

Indians: Cleveland’s banged-up outfield is on the mend. LF Michael Brantley is expected to try and run later this week, an important step in his recovery from an ankle injury. At this point, Brantley’s chances of playing in the postseason appear slim.

** RF Lonnie Chisenhall campaigned to play in the series opener after sitting out since Sept. 14 with a calf injury. Up next Danny Salazar, whose spot on Cleveland’s postseason roster isn’t guaranteed, starts against Minnesota’s Adalberto Mejia.

Indians’ injured outfielders racing calendar to be ready for playoffs | Jeff Schudel Jeff Schudel, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal The 2017 season is going so well for the Indians that, after their loss Sept. 26, and if they win three of their next five games. they will finish with their most victories since finishing 111-43 in 1954.

And guess what?

It might be getting even better.

With the start of the ALDS on Oct. 5 just over a week away, outfielders Lonnie Chisenhall (calf), Michael Brantley (ankle) and Brandon Guyer (wrist) are racing the calendar to have the chance to help the Tribe in the postseason.

Returning for the first round of the playoffs might be a long shot for the injured players, particularly Brantley, but now there is at least a sliver of hope Brantley could be ready at some point in October. A week ago, even grasping that sliver seemed unrealistic. Brantley has been on the disabled list since Aug. 9 and has not been able to run since spraining his ankle a night earlier.

“Brantley is going to try to run later this week,” Indians manager Francona announced before the Indians played the Twins on Sept. 26 at Progressive Field. “Kind of one step at a time. Let’s see how he does and see where that leads.

“Same thing with Guyer. He’ll try to hit later this week and see how he does and go from there.”

Guyer last played Sept. 14, but he missed six weeks earlier in the season with the same wrist injury.

Chisenhall is the closest to returning and could be in the lineup Sept. 27 against the Twins. In fact, Francona joked Chisenhall was in a room off the home team clubhouse at Progressive Field trying to persuade the trainers he could at least pinch-hit against the Twins on Sept. 26.

The calf injury has frustrated Chisenhall. He led the Indians with 51 RBI on the morning of July 9 — the last game before the All-Star break. He had one at-bat that day in a game against the Rangers, strained his right calf and was on the disabled list until rosters were expanded Sept. 1.

Two weeks later, he aggravated the injury hustling into second and hasn’t played since. He has two RBI since July 9.

“It’s never fun watching, but the team’s playing great right now,” Chisenhall said in the clubhouse before Francona’s update. “You tune in every night (when the Indians are on the road) whether you’re rehabbing or not. When the team’s in town, you do your best to be part of it.”

Complications from 2015 shoulder surgery cheated Brantley out of the postseason last year. He would love to play in the World Series this time; if the running experiment goes well, he could still have four weeks to get his game in shape in time to be activated for the start of the World Series on Oct. 24, even if he has to miss two rounds of the American League playoffs.

Chisenhall hit .261 with a home run and five RBI in the 2016 postseason. Guyer drove in three runs and collected six hits in 18 at-bats over 10 games.

Jay Bruce, Austin Jackson, Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Abraham Almonte and now Jason Kipnis have stepped up in the outfield to contribute to the surge that has the Indians winners of 29 of 32 games after the loss Sept. 26 to the Twins.

“Guys have stepped in and done a really good job,” Francona said. “You don’t want to lose guys ever, but sometimes when you do, guys step in and take advantage of it and help you win. That’s the idea.”

Getting Chisenall, Guyer and Brantley back for the playoffs, or even if he gets just one or two of them back, would give Francona options to make the team with the best record in the American League even better.

Rosenthal: Orioles at a crossroads; extend the netting—now; steals and deals; more news and notes by Ken Rosenthal As the 2015 season drew to a close, I reported on tension between general manager Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, quoting one source as saying the team was headed for “a disaster” if its organizational structure did not change. The source overstated the impact of Showalter’s frustration with Duquette and desire for greater input in personnel decisions—the 2016 Orioles reached the postseason for the third time in five years. But the problems between the GM and manager never went away.

Communication within the Orioles’ hierarchy remains strained, sources say, at a time when the franchise is near a crossroads. The O’s, 75-82, are headed for their first losing season since ’11. Third baseman , center fielder Adam Jones and relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach are eligible for free agency after next season—and Duquette and Showalter will be in the final year of their contracts as well.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos, 88, is no more likely to choose between Duquette and Showalter than he was two years ago; Angelos rarely makes decisions before they are necessary and rarely pays off contracts before they expire. Nor is the owner likely to authorize a full rebuild— the Orioles were willing to Britton at the non-waiver deadline, but ultimately proved to be buyers, adding right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from the and shortstop Tim Beckham from the .

Duquette, for his part, does not seem to believe a rebuild is necessary. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported last week that the Orioles do not intend to trade Machado this off-season, and Duquette painted a rosy portrait of the team’s short- and even long-term future in an interview with The Athletic on Monday. “We try to be competitive every year,” Duquette said. “Our core group on the field is pretty strong. And we have some good, young projectable talent coming up.”

Others in the Orioles’ organization are less enamored with that young talent, particularly on the pitching side, sources say. The team’s major- league bullpen will remain largely intact, but right-handers and likely will be the only returning members of the rotation, though oft-injured prospect might be ready midway through the 2018 season. Which raises the question: How the heck will the Orioles find starting pitching in a thin market? “That remains to be seen,” Duquette said. “It’s a big challenge. But it’s been done here before.”

Duquette rattled off the names of several young position players—catcher Chance Sisco, 22, and outfielder , 22, both of whom made their debuts this month and figure to be part of the 2018 Orioles—plus Ryan Mountcastle, 20, outfielder , 22, and outfielder D.J. Stewart, 23. The way Duquette envisions it, Stewart might contribute next season, while Mountcastle might replace Machado in 2019 and Mullins might replace Jones.

As always with young players, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some evaluators, both inside and outside the organization, hold lesser views of the Orioles’ top youngsters. The New York Yankees, even before trading relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller for a bounty of prospects last season, were developing homegrown talents such as right fielder Aaron Judge, catcher Gary Sanchez and pitcher Luis Severino, among others. The Orioles’ prospects, with the possible exception of Hays, seem less likely to make major impacts. And the trade value of Machado and Britton, if the O’s ever move them, will diminish the closer they get to free agency.

For the immediate future, the Orioles face questions beyond their starting pitching. Jones, who has ranked 30th and 32nd among center fielders in defensive runs saved the past two seasons, probably should move to a corner. Beckham’s defense at short is erratic, and Sisco is more of an offensive than defensive catcher. Three of the four up-the-middle positions, then, are shaky defensively—and All-Star second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who is above average defensively, is eligible for free agency after ’19.

If the team continues to decline, it is not certain Showalter, the team’s manager since July 29, 2010, will want to stay beyond ’18. Showalter, 61, is loyal to Angelos, sources say. But he likely will have options elsewhere—perhaps with the Atlanta Braves under John Hart, his former GM with the Texas Rangers, perhaps with the Philadelphia Phillies under Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentak, with whom he worked previously in Baltimore. Both of those franchises are rebuilding, but by the end of next season, they might be closer to winning than the Orioles. Other teams also might be interested in Showalter, who has a career record of 1,504-1,397 in the majors.

Some who know Showalter believe he would like to move into a front-office position; others are firm in saying that he sees himself only as a manager. (Showalter declined to comment for this article.) Angelos, obviously, has the final say, and he likely has had moments of frustration with both Duquette and Showalter. Duquette wanted to leave to become the ’ president during the 2014-15 off-season, and Angelos would not allow it. Showalter failed to use Britton in last year’s wild-card game, and the Orioles lost to the Jays in 11 innings, 5-2.

Yet, even with those blemishes and the continuing issues between Duquette and Showalter, the Yankees are the only AL club to win more games than the Orioles since the start of the 2012 season. This year provided the first evidence that the O’s are trending downward. The team’s future hinges on whether Angelos agrees with Duquette’s vision, or whether he believes the Orioles need a new direction entirely.

Extend netting to the foul poles—now!

In negotiations for the 2007 and 2012 collective-bargaining agreements, the players’ union proposed that protective netting for fans extend down the foul lines and even to the foul poles, according to sources.

The players made no such proposal in the most recent CBA talks, sources said, because commissioner Rob Manfred already had taken a significant step, recommending to clubs that they extend protective nettings or screens in front of field-level seats between the dugouts to 70 feet within home plate.

Manfred would prefer clubs to act on their own without mandating league-wide change, sources said. To a degree, he is getting his wish: Four teams have announced plans for additional netting since last Wednesday when the Yankees’ Todd Frazier hit a foul ball that struck a young girl in the face. Ten clubs already had extended netting to the ends of the dugouts, and one baseball official anticipates every team will follow suit by the start of the 2018 season.

The ends of the dugouts, however, are not far enough.

The young girl injured by Frazier’s foul ball at Yankee Stadium was sitting well beyond the end of the third-base dugout. Netting frequently extends from home plate to the foul poles in Japanese baseball. Why not in MLB?

Baseball clearly is concerned about alienating fans who do not want netting to obstruct their views. But technology keeps improving the netting, making it less obtrusive. Fans seated directly behind home plate, in the most expensive seats, seem to enjoy games just fine.

To any fan who protests additional netting, I would ask, What if your daughter had been hit by Frazier’s foul ball? After a week or two, fans would grow accustomed to the minimal intrusion on their viewing. Ideally, the netting could be easily lowered at certain times before games and between innings, allowing fans an unobstructed view of the players.

Manfred works for the owners, and if enough owners oppose extended netting, it puts him in a bind. This issue, though, is important enough for Manfred to make it a priority. He needs to extend the netting to the foul poles. Baseball is lucky the girl struck by Frazier’s foul ball is still alive.

The Norris saga: not what you think

At first glance, the Los Angeles Angels’ decision to use right-hander Bud Norris as a starter on Sept. 15 and Sept. 23 looked fishy—Norris, who is earning $1.75 million in base salary, has made 57 appearances as a reliever, and needs only three more to receive a $500,000 bonus.

The Angels, though, had valid reasons for asking Norris, 32, to start two games in which they used only relievers. The team had an urgent need after left-hander Andrew Heaney suffered an impingement in his shoulder, and Norris’ agent, Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Sports Group, said he found no fault with the decision to start his client.

“The Angels are in a situation where it’s all hands on deck,” Wolfe said. “Their pitching staff has been fraught with injuries all year. Bud has the best starting pedigree of anyone in that ‘pen. They chose him and he is putting the team first.”

Two other Angels relievers—Yusmeiro Petit and Jesse Chavez—also have experience as starters. Petit, though, ranks fourth among AL relievers in the second half in Win Probability Added. Chavez has struck out 30 and walked only five as a reliever, compared to a 40-to-24 ratio as a starter. Norris, after converting 13 of 15 save chances with a 2.23 ERA before the All-Star Game, had been faltering recently. He lost the closer’s role in August, then had another turn on the DL (Aug. 29 to Sept. 6) with the same right knee inflammation that sidelined him from June 20 to July 1.

His two starts went well—Norris allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings. And his versatility might enhance his market value, no small consideration for a potential free agent who was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers last September and signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Jan. 30.

“Bud is going into free agency as both a starter and a high-quality, back-end reliever,” Wolfe said. “He will be very unique in this market where pitching is so incredibly thin.”

Was it a deal or a steal?

The last major trade by former GM Doug Melvin—outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitcher Mike Fiers to the for left-hander Josh Hader, outfielders Domingo Santana, and Brett Phillips, and minor-league pitcher Adrian Houser—is the gift that keeps on giving for Milwaukee.

Hader, 23, has emerged as a major left-handed weapon in the bullpen; Santana, 25, has hit 28 homers; and Phillips, 23, has displayed offensive potential and perhaps the game’s best outfield arm in center. The 24-year-old Houser, who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2016, made only nine appearances between rookie ball and this season. But he might not be the forgotten player in the deal much longer.

Pitching on a three-inning or 45-to-50-pitch limit, he hit 96 on the radar gun, according to Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan. He is pitching in the Fall Instructional League to build up his arm and then will report to the .

“He did a fantastic job during his rehab, not only on the medical front but also taking advantage of the time off, to get his body into excellent condition,” Flanagan said. “He’s an exciting guy, for sure.”

Progress in San Diego

The San Diego Padres qualify as one of the biggest surprises of the season, not that many outside of San Diego are paying attention. The Pads, who are 70-87, have won just one fewer game than the . Yet San Diego’s actual winning percentage should be much lower, considering that their negative-187 run differential is by far the worst in the majors.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jon Jay, a member of the Padres last season, said he is especially impressed by Manuel Margot’s progress in center field. The 22-year-old Margot, in his first full season, is tied for eighth among major-league center fielders with 10 defensive runs saved.

“Manny is as driven to improve as much as anyone I’ve ever been around,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “His defense has always been above-average but he wants to be elite. I don’t think he’s there yet, but he’s on his way and we all believe he will get there.”

Two other Padres worth noting:

*Jose Pirela, who was acquired from the Yankees for pitcher Ronald Herrera on Nov. 11, 2015, has emerged as the front-runner for the Padres’ left-field job next season. Pirela, who turns 28 on Nov. 21, batted .288 with 10 homers and an .837 OPS in 83 games in the majors this season. “He plays with passion and tremendous energy,” Green said. “There is lots of upside from a late bloomer who has come a long way on both sides of the ball since last year.”

*Rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet, who produced a 4.45 ERA in his first 20 major-league starts, has shown the ability to make good hitters swing and miss with his fastball and slider. “I’m very encouraged by his progress from a wide-eyed young kid in big-league camp to the guy he is now,” Green said of the 25-year-old. “He knows he belongs and we are pushing him to move closer to the front of the rotation.”

For White Sox, an unusual surprise

An American League coach recently praised the White Sox’s lineup, saying, “Moncada/Abreu/Delmonico/Garcia can give any pitching staff problems.” Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia are familiar names, but Nicky Delmonico?

Yes, Nicky Delmonico. Traded by the Orioles to the Brewers in July 2013. Suspended 50 games by baseball for using an amphetamine in July 2014. Released at his request by the Brewers, then signed by the White Sox before spending 45 days at a rehab center for addiction to Adderall in February 2015.

The White Sox liked Delmonico’s swing, and their belief that he could hit at the major-league level proved correct. Despite being on the DL from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6 with a sprained right wrist, the 25-year-old Delmonico has batted .262 with eight homers and an .856 OPS in his first 150 major-league plate appearances, and could play regularly in left field next season.

Around the horn *The chances of Braves manager Brian Snitker keeping his job appear to be increasing, but changes remain likely in his coaching staff, sources say. As I reported at the end of August, bench coach Terry Pendleton and first base coach Eddie Perez are in jeopardy. Pendleton is in his 16th season on the Braves’ staff, Perez his 11th.

*Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant knew it would be difficult for him to improve upon last season’s MVP performance, but his 2017 OPS actually is 15 points higher—his slugging percentage has dropped from .554 to .543, although he has compensated for it by increasing his on-base percentage from .385 to .411, seventh best in the majors.

Bryant said he always was known as a “power-strikeout guy,” and he is proud of his continuing evolution into a more complete hitter. His walk rate is the seventh-best in the majors, his strikeout rate has dropped in each of the past two seasons and his contact rate is the highest of his career.

*I asked Brewers first baseman Eric Thames the biggest lesson he has learned this season upon returning from Korea. Thames responded by saying he has changed his preparation in the last month due to his struggles against hard throwers. He felt that his body was slow, that he was getting beat on fastballs—and when he began his swing sooner, he started chasing.

For the first five months, Thames said he followed the same routine—tee work, soft tosses, taking batting practice. But in the last month he has hit off a machine with the velocity cranked up. It has helped slow down the game for him, and his OPS has improved from .691 in August to 1.001 in September.

*Brewers left-hander Brent Suter is notable for a number of reasons. He attended Harvard and signed with the Brewers for $1,500 as a 31st- round pick in 2012. He averages 18.5 seconds between pitches, which would be the fastest in the majors by about 1.5 seconds if he had enough innings to quality. Finally, he holds a degree in environmental science and public policy and is serious about conservation.

Suter does not eat off paper plates or use plastic silverware, instead, he brings his own Tupperware and reusable silverware and cups wherever he goes. He also takes very quick showers, 1:30 to 2 minutes, to conserve water. When his baseball career is over, he wants to work in renewable energy or resource management.

(Top photo: Getty Images) Will a beatdown by the Blue Jays cost Chris Sale the Cy Young Award? Scott Lauber ESPN Staff Writer BOSTON -- If Chris Sale is lucky, a second-place finish in the Cy Young Award voting will be the only consequence of what happened here Tuesday night.

A second-place finish in the American League East? The Red Sox aren't in grave danger of that. Not yet. Not with five games remaining and a three-game lead over the New York Yankees. The magic number is stuck on three and their fans might be bracing for DEFCON 4, but the Red Sox still have too much control over the situation to spark any genuine alarm.

Sale could have made things a bit easier, though. If only he had continued his mastery of the Blue Jays, which included 22 scoreless innings over three starts this season, the Red Sox's road to a second consecutive division title would be a little less bumpy. The champagne would be chilling in the clubhouse rather than packed firmly on ice.

Instead, Sale gave up five runs on eight hits and was pulled after five innings at Fenway Park. He allowed four home runs, tying his career-high, at least one coming against each of his pitches (fastball, changeup, slider). And the Red Sox lost 9-4, their second straight defeat after six consecutive wins.

"This one's on me," Sale said. It continued a month-long pattern in which the Red Sox ace has alternated good starts with bad ones. Sale got roughed up for six runs by the Cleveland Indians on Aug. 24, then shut out the Blue Jays for seven innings on Aug. 29. He gave up three homers in a loss to the Yankees on Sept. 3, then blanked the Tampa Bay Rays for six innings on Sept. 9. He gave up four runs to the Rays on Sept. 15, then struck out 13 Baltimore Orioles in eight scoreless innings last Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Indians ace Corey Kluber has a 1.39 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 84 innings over his past 11 starts. For two months, Kluber has been lights-out, while Sale has occasionally gotten lit up, and the difference might be enough to put Kluber over the top in what figures to be a close Cy Young race. Not that any of that seems to matter much to Sale.

"Just flat-out got to win games. I'm not doing that," he said. "I'm as frustrated as anybody on the planet right now about that."

Sale's frustration level rose throughout the game Tuesday night.

Needing 13 strikeouts to tie Pedro Martinez's single-season Red Sox record of 313, Sale fanned eight batters, including five of the first 10. But he gave up solo homers to Josh Donaldson on a slider in the first inning and a fastball in the third. The Jays extended their lead in the fifth inning when rookie Teoscar Hernandez smacked a leadoff homer on a changeup and veteran Kendrys Morales hit a slider for a two-run shot.

The problem: location, according to Sale. Too many pitches found too much of the plate.

"Throw some bad pitches and get hit hard," Sale said, boiling down what happened. "I throw a lot of strikes, so I’ve just got to be more careful with where I throw them."

Sale is lined up to pitch the regular-season finale Sunday against the Houston Astros. It's a start the Red Sox don't want him to make.

They can still clinch the division as early as Thursday, and as long as they lock it up before Sunday, Sale can get additional rest and avoid facing the team the Sox most likely will play in the American League Division Series next week. Considering Sale has worked 214 ⅓ innings, more than any pitcher in the majors, a few extra days of rest before the postseason would be a good idea.

Asked whether Sale will make his final start, manager John Farrell said, "I think it’s probably too early to answer that definitively. We just have to see how these final five games play out."

"That’s not my call," Sale said. "I answer the phone when it rings. When they tell me to go out there, I go out there. Whenever that is, it is, and I’ll be ready for it.

"I'm still doing what I can out there. Just sometimes it doesn't work out. You can't have a good day at work every day. Unfortunately, what I do is amplified because we're here and we're in the thick of it."

Back-to-back losses to the Blue Jays haven't drastically altered the Red Sox's situation. But Sale could've helped them breathe a little bit easier. Now, like the rest of us, he must sit and wait to see how the race for the AL East crown shakes out.

Indians' playoff roster trying to come into focus, but health questions remain T.J. Zuppe Lonnie Chisenhall felt so good Tuesday afternoon, he was ready for a fight. Well, hold on. Not a fist fight. A fight for playing time. Chisenhall felt good enough that he was lobbying hard to play in the series opener against the Twins. Indians manager Terry Francona kept him out of the starting lineup one more day to be safe, but Francona could sense he wouldn't be able to him back much longer. “Chiz went out and ran (the bases) and did really well,” Francona said. “He actually wanted to be available (Tuesday). I think our trainers were thinking maybe more tomorrow … If you see him pinch hitting, you know he won.” Chisenhall didn't end up entering the game Tuesday night, but his return from the right calf tightness, which sidelined him earlier this month, isn't far off. Francona noted he could be back on the field as soon as Wednesday. “The fact that he ran and did well is really encouraging,” Francona said. Chisenhall is one of three outfielders whom the Indians will continue to monitor in the week before the start of the postseason, but with days rapidly dropping off the regular-season calendar, it would certainly be beneficial for some of the uncertainty that clouds the roster to fade. In addition to Chisenhall's status, the question of Michael Brantley's ankle and Brandon Guyer's wrist remain dominoes capable of impacting other 25-man roster decisions. Will Brantley be able to resume running? Could he be healthy enough to serve as a pinch hitter in the playoffs? Can they afford such a luxury in the ALDS? What about Guyer? When healthy, he is capable of slaying left-handed pitching. But he hasn't played since the middle of September and has missed significant time this season while dealing with his ailing left wrist. Before addressing those questions, the first step is getting both cleared to play. Brantley, who has been previously limited to his work on the AlterG machine, is scheduled to test his running ability later this week. “Kind of one step at a time,” Francona said. “We’ll see how he does and see where that leads.” Guyer is also expected to return to hitting later this homestand. “See how he does,” Francona said. “Then we’ll go from there.” There is also the third-base conundrum. About a week ago, Yandy Diaz appeared ticketed for a starting job in the postseason, but after he jammed his finger on a slide last week, his playing time has been scaled back in favor of the slick-fielding Giovanny Urshela. “(Diaz is) getting better and better, and it’s still nagging at him a bit,” Francona said. “He’s pinch-hit a couple of times and went in to play third, but we probably could have played him. I just think Gio has done such a good job over there that until Yandy feels better, we’ll play Gio.” Diaz did manage to make a pinch-hitting appearance in the loss Tuesday night. So, let's speculate a bit. Things can certainly change before next week, but if the Indians opt to go with five bench players in the first round, room likely exists for Brantley or Guyer on the roster, but probably not both. By carrying an extra bench player, a spot would be created for rookie Greg Allen to make the roster as a defensive replacement in center field. If Jason Kipnis is to remain in the outfield, Allen's presence would almost be required. Kipnis survived his first legitimate test in center field Tuesday night. In that case, the bench would look like this: C Roberto Perez/Yan Gomes 3B Yandy Diaz/Giovanny Urshela OF Austin Jackson/Lonnie Chisenhall OF Michael Brantley or Brandon Guyer OF Greg Allen If neither Brantley nor Guyer is ready for an ALDS return, they could pick between Erik Gonzalez, Abraham Almonte or Tyler Naquin to fill out their bench, or they could elect to carry a 12th reliever in the first round. Phew … Got all that? These are several of the scenarios which will be mulled over when the brain trust assembles to map out the Indians' roster plans, a meeting which could happen as soon as Wednesday. The only thing more abundant than options considered will be the number of contingency plans set in place.

‘The best he's looked': Andrew Miller takes big step on path back to being … Andrew Miller T.J. Zuppe Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway's face couldn't hide his excitement. And honestly, why would he want to? Yeah, the three-run homer surrendered by Bryan Shaw in the eighth caused some obvious disappointment — that much was unavoidable — but the way lefty Andrew Miller looked in his scoreless inning of relief was probably the most important thing to come out of their 8-6 loss to the Twins. “Tonight was really good,” Callaway said with a hint of a smile, followed by an audible sigh made up of delight and pure glee. “The stuff was good. The break on the slider. Obviously the velo was there. He felt really good. You could just see it, the conviction behind the pitches, the way he was using his body. It was really good, very encouraging.” Miller struck out the side in the seventh inning, working around two seeing-eye singles that featured hit probabilities of 37 and 13 percent, according to MLB Statcast. But perhaps the most encouraging sign — outside of the four total swinging-strikes he recorded with his typically lethal slider — was the velocity jump from his previous appearances. For some context, here are the average four-seam fastball velocities of his past five outings after his recent bout with tendinitis in his right knee (per BrooksBaseball.net). As you can see, those five appearances (4 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts, 0 runs) add up to an average of 93.9 mph with the heater. On Tuesday, Miller's four-seamer averaged 95.3 mph. He maxed out at 96.4 mph. Those totals are on par with his normal velocity in the past two seasons, and maybe most important, he looked more than comfortable doing it, throwing 13 of the 17 offerings for strikes. “That’s by far the best he’s looked,” manager Terry Francona said. “It’s another really good step for him.” It probably didn't hurt that the pair of two-out singles forced Miller to bring a bit of his competitive streak into the equation, managing a little frustration over the well-placed hits and utilizing some adrenaline to strike out Max Kepler swinging to preserve the one-run lead. In that sequence, with Eddie Rosario doing his best to agitate Miller by dancing down the third-base line on multiple pitches, Miller recorded his fastest throw of the night and then put the left-handed hitting Kepler away with an 86-mph slider out of the zone. Joe Mauer and Jorge Polanco were also victimized by Miller strikeouts. “He’s had to step that up in each outing,” Callaway said. “Tonight, a couple guys got on and he had to step it up again. That can’t do any harm. It can only do good.” Miller's velocity was drastically down during his first return attempt in August, and Callaway attributed some of that to some mechanical issues. The obvious connection is the landing leg of Miller, his right one, which certainly didn't make throwing without any sort of soreness an easy task. While there are still hurdles to clear this time around — and managing the patellar tendinitis will likely be an ongoing process for the rest of the postseason — his inning Tuesday night was his biggest building block to date. With regular-season games dwindling, that revelation couldn't have come at a better time. The Indians know they can't rely on Miller to shoulder the same workload as the playoff run last season (he logged 30 percent of their postseason relief innings in 2016), but his presence as a high- leverage weapon is absolutely vital to the goal of winning a title. Having any version of the dominant Miller helps, but the one used to strike fear in small children and opposing hitters last October is the one that gives them their best shot. Miller's next test will come Wednesday night. Francona said Miller is expected to make his first back-to-back appearance since his return. Those results, the radar gun and his overall demeanor should help answer some major questions about him heading into next week.

Late Brian Dozier homer lifts Twins to 8-6 win over Cleveland Indians By MIKE BERARDINO |PUBLISHED: September 26, 2017 at 9:49 pm | UPDATED: September 26, 2017 at 11:09 PM CLEVELAND — The champagne celebration will have to wait for at least another day, but with one dramatic swing of his bat Brian Dozier brought the Twins close enough to taste it. “That was probably as explosive as our dugout’s been all year, when that ball cleared the right-field wall,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said after Tuesday night’s 8-6 win over the Cleveland Indians. “That was quite a moment.” Eddie Rosario’s four-hit night, including his 27th homer, helped the Twins build a pair of two-run leads that Edwin Encarnacion and the first- place Cleveland Indians wiped out by the seventh. That’s when Dozier came through with his 33rd homer an inning later: a three-run, go- ahead, opposite-field shot off right-hander Bryan Shaw. Dozier entered 3 for 23 (.130) with seven strikeouts against Shaw, but one of those hits was a homer to left off a four-seam fastball. This time Dozier got enough of a one-strike cutter at 96 mph to send it over the wall. As he rounded first, Dozier thrust his right fist into the air, a la in the 1991 World Series. “There was a lot of emotion running through there,” Dozier said. “With our bullpen, I knew the game was ours, in my opinion. I was pretty pumped up, especially when I got back in the dugout with all my brothers. Pretty fun.” In position to clinch their first postseason berth since 2010, the Twins cut their magic number for the second American League wild-card spot to one. They would have clinched with a Los Angeles Angels’ loss in Chicago, but the sputtering Angels ended a six-game losing streak. Coming off a four-game road sweep of the in which they outscored their diminished opponent 39-12, the Twins won for the sixth time in seven road tries this season against the Indians. It was just the third loss in 32 games for the Indians and just their second home loss since Aug. 23. “The magic number is one,” Dozier kept repeating. “We’ve still got work to do. We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We control our own destiny. Win (Wednesday), and there will be a party.” Dozier also lifted the Twins to a 4-2 victory here on June 24 with a go-ahead homer in the eighth off Indians closer Cody Allen. No doubt Dozier recalled the game-winning homer Twins special assistant Torii Hunter hit here off Shaw’s first-pitch cutter in a 10-9 win on Aug. 7, 2015 as Hunter was nearing retirement. That solo shot came with one down in the ninth inning. Dozier scored three times, giving him 102 runs on the year and making him the only major leaguer to reach 100 runs in each of the past four seasons. Before he connected off Shaw, the Twins were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position against starter Josh Tomlin and the majors’ best bullpen (2.84 earned run average). With their 83rd win, the Twins have improved by a Minnesota-franchise record 24 wins over last year’s 59-103 season. The previous mark was 23 and had lasted since 1965. Francisco Lindor delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and Encarnacion added his 38th homer an inning later off Ryan Pressly to complete a four-RBI night. Center fielder Byron Buxton set a Twins record in the sixth with his 23rd consecutive stolen base. The record had been shared by Chuck Knoblauch (1994) and Matt Lawton (1999-2000). Bartolo Colon, back where he started his career two decades ago, was lifted after just one inning and 18 pitches due to illness. The 44-year-old right-hander, slowed by problems with his sinuses and stomach, gave up hits to three of the first four batters he faced and saw his season ERA climb to 6.72. Dillon Gee got six outs in relief of Tyler Duffey, pushing his streak of relief innings without an earned run to 13 over seven outings. That streak began after a rocky outing at Detroit on Aug. 12 and was interrupted by three spot starts. Matt Belisle worked the ninth for his eighth save in 10 tries since the Twins traded all-star closer Brandon Kintzler. The Twins used 10 relievers, a Minnesota franchise record for a nine-inning game. Rosario is now hitting .343 in 172 career at-bats against the Indians. In 47 games against the division rival, he has nine homers, eight doubles, three triples and 23 RBIs. Sixteen of his homers overall have come since Aug. 1. Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.27.2017 Max Kepler returns to lineup, plays through bruised lower back By MIKE BERARDINO | PUBLISHED: September 26, 2017 at 5:24 pm | UPDATED: September 26, 2017 at 5:27 PM CLEVELAND — Twins right fielder Max Kepler, who bruised his lower back/hip area while making a throw home over the weekend in Detroit, was back in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Cleveland Indians. Kepler took three rounds of early batting practice at Progressive Field, where he has six of his 18 career road homers. He also did some running to prove to assistant athletic trainer Tony Leo and Twins manager Paul Molitor that he was ready to play again after sitting out Sunday’s game at Comerica Park, where Kepler has homered four times. “I think he has a little bit of pain,” Molitor said. “We think it’s more a bruise than any type of pull or anything like that. We feel our risk is relatively nonexistent. He’s excited to be back in there and he should be, and I’m glad to put his name down.” Kepler, 24, has played in all but 14 games this season, hitting .244 with 19 homers, 30 doubles and 68 runs batted in. His numbers have ticked up across the board despite season-long troubles against left-handed pitching. No additional treatment was needed on Monday’s off day, Kepler said. “I just rested,” he said. “They told me just to rest and take it easy.” Like fellow outfielders Byron Buxton and Robbie Grossman, Kepler was able to shake off a late-season injury and keep playing. “Dings are a part of baseball,” he said. “It’s a long season. Luckily we just came down with something we can manage and work through and hopefully keep it at that.” Is the Twins’ relative youth an advantage when it comes to staying on the field? “I’d like to say so,” Kepler said. “Obviously it depends on what kind of injury it is, but if it’s just a ding, yeah, the younger the body the better.” AUTOMATIC ROGERS After struggling to a 22.50 earned run average with three homers allowed in a two-week, six-outing span on either side of the July 31 trade deadline, lefty Taylor Rogers has slowly been working back into form. Rogers has made 19 total outings covering 13 1/2 innings over the past two months after leading the team with 47 appearances (40 1/3 innings) over the first four months. “He was just having a little trouble finding that curveball,” Molitor said. “He used to be able to throw that pitch over with his eyes closed, and it just wasn’t there for awhile.” Rogers’ ERA since Aug. 6 is 0.71, and he has handled back-to-back outings four times in September. “He’s a big part of our bullpen,” Molitor said. “He’s my best left-handed option when the game’s on the line. He’s pretty icy. I don’t think too much fazes that guy. That’s why I call him ‘Rog-a-matic.’ “ BRIEFLY Molitor said he hadn’t heard any news Tuesday on injured third baseman Miguel Sano, out for the past 38 days with a stress reaction in his left tibia. “When I don’t hear things, I assume things haven’t changed much,” Molitor said. With his next homer, Kepler will give the Twins five 20-homer seasons for just the third time in Minnesota history. Kepler would join Brian Dozier (32), Miguel Sano (28), Eddie Rosario (26) and Eduardo Escobar (20). The 1986 Twins (Gary Gaetti, Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Tom Brunansky and Roy Smalley) and 1964 Twins (Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, Tony Oliva, Jimmie Hall, Don Mincher and Zoilo Versalles) also spread the power around. Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.27.2017 Twins, Indians both have postseason goals within reach By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 — 12:25AM CLEVELAND – Who knew, when Cleveland was sweeping the Twins at Target Field and the Twins were winning five out of six at Progressive Field, that it would come to this? Both teams have something to play for during the final week of the regular season. The Twins are trying to clinch the AL’s second wild card, while the Indians are after baseball’s best record. And it all goes down this week at Progressive Field. Cleveland entered Tuesday 10-6 against the Twins, but the Twins have gained confidence from their success in the Indians’ park. This should still be a test, as the Twins arrive in the middle of the Indians’ run of dominance. Manager Paul Molitor doesn’t expect his team to back down, especially since they have played well here. “I’m not going to be overly concerned how these games go other than I want to win,” he said. “You just keep looking for your team to keep doing what it has been doing. We have played well in this park, and we have matched up fairly well.” Cleveland entered the series having won a ridiculous 29 of their past 31 games, putting them in the running with the Astros and Dodgers for the best record in the majors. Indians manager Terry Francona feels much like Molitor, given his response when asked about the Twins’ ability to score in different ways. “Well, I don’t really sit around and think of that because what I care about is trying to beat them [Tuesday],” Francona said. “The philosophy of how they got good is — I just care about how we’re going to beat [Bartolo] Colon [Tuesday] and how we’re going to move on to [Wednesday]. “I mean they’ve been a fun team to watch because they’ve scratched and clawed so much, so when you think they’re down and out, now all of a sudden their [magic] number is two. Anyone who knows [Twins Chief Baseball Office and former Indians exec] Derek Falvey is thrilled for them. Guess my hope is while they’re here, they clinch that spot but they clinch it by the other team losing.” Still won’t go there Before the game, Molitor continued to avoid directly answering questions about clinching the wild-card spot. He has not forgotten about his 1982 Brewers team that led by four games with five to play and ended up needing to win on the final day of the regular season to reach the playoffs. “I happen to have personal experience in watching a comfortable lead squandered in the last four days of a regular season,” Molitor said. “It was real. It happened.” He grimaces when the postseason logistical questions come up in the clubhouse, as well as the media inquiries. He knows it’s part of being in the race the last week of the season. “They had to have a [playoff] shares meeting, and MLB demands they do that,” Molitor said. “We had one two years ago, and no one got a penny.” Kepler back in lineup Outfielder Max Kepler was back in the starting lineup after missing Sunday because of a sore left hip suffered while he fielded a ball a night before. “Talked to the trainers, watched him work out,” Molitor said. “… We think it is more like a bruise than any type of pain, so our risk is relatively nonexistent.” Kepler, batting .243 with 19 home run and 68 RBI, is one player Molitor would like to see heat up during the final week. “He is excited to be back, and he should be,” Molitor said. “And I’m glad to put his name down.” Etc. • Molitor did not receive an update on third baseman Miguel Sano which, to him, means that nothing has changed. Sano is still undergoing treatment for a stress reaction in his left shin and has not recently attempted any baseball-related activities. Star Tribune LOADED: 09.27.2017 1097777 Minnesota Twins Brian Dozier's home run gives Twins a win, reduces magic number to 1 over Angels By La Velle E. Neal III Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 — 1:29AM CLEVELAND - The Indians are the hottest team in baseball with one of the best bullpens in the game, and they had a lead in the eighth inning. That did not matter to the Twins. “The momentum can shift, just like that,” Byron Buxton said. “With just one hit.” Brian Dozier turned out to be right man at the right time with the right swing. Dozier launched Bryan Shaw’s cut fastball over the right field wall for a three-run homer in the eighth inning to bring the Twins back from a two- run deficit. Buxton added an RBI single in the ninth, and the Twins toppled the Indians 8-6 at Progressive Field for their fifth consecutive victory. They were ready to party if they had clinched a wild-card berth, so they retreated to the clubhouse to watch the end of the White Sox-Angels game in Chicago. Alas, the Angels won 9-3. So the Twins’ magic number to clinch the second wild-card spot is down to one. A victory over Cleveland on Wednesday — or an Angels loss to Chicago — and the Twins are back to the postseason for the first time since 2010. “We still have work to do,” Dozier said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Dozier’s homer slowed down Cleveland’s 29-2 rampage through the league heading into Tuesday. And the Indians bullpen was 40-2 when leading after seven innings. The Twins won a game in which starting righthander Bartolo Colon left after one inning because of illness, leading manager Paul Molitor to use a club-record 10 pitchers in a nine-inning game. It also was a relief after the Twins were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position before Dozier faced Shaw in the eighth. With five games left to play, the Twins already have improved by 24 victories from last season, the biggest turnaround in club history. Part of the reason is the young core of hitters continuing to produce. In addition to Buxton’s insurance run, Eddie Rosario was 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. “Just because we are close to the playoffs, we didn’t go out there and change anything or try to be something we’re not,” Buxton said. “We stayed within ourselves.” Jason Castro singled with one out in the eighth and was replaced by pinch runner Niko Goodrum. Robbie Grossman singled, with Goodrum advancing to third, and Zack Granite pinch ran for Grossman. Dozier was 3-for-23 against Shaw, but knew one thing: He was getting a cut fastball. The 0-1 pitch was 96 miles per hour, but broke down and over the middle of the plate. Dozier swatted it out to right, then threw his right fist into the air as he rounded first base. “That was probably as explosive as our dugout has been all year, when that ball cleared the right field wall,” Molitor said. “That was quite a moment.” The Twins scored two runs in both the first and third innings, only for the Indians to tie the score in the bottom of each inning. Then the Twins began leaving runners in scoring position. Francisco Lindor gave Cleveland a 5-4 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Edwin Encarnacion added a solo homer in the seventh off Ryan Pressly to make it 6-4. But those runs only set up the Twins’ 38th come-from-behind victory, putting them one game away from a celebration. “The magic number is one,” Dozier said. “We control our own destiny. We can win [Wednesday]. And then there will be a party. “I probably won’t see you guys for a day and a half.” Star Tribune LOADED: 09.27.2017