Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, September 2, 2016
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Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, September 2, 2016 Twins hold off White Sox to end losing streak at 13 games. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Byron Buxton homers in return to Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins snap 13-game losing streak with first win since Aug. 17. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 3 Twins call up Byron Buxton. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 4 Buxton sparks 5-run frame, as Twins snap skid. MLB.com (Merkin and Park) p. 5 Flat tire inflates drama of Buxton's callup. MLB.com (Park) p. 7 Santana wiggles out of jams, keeps Twins in game. MLB.com (Park) p. 8 Buxton, Plouffe homer to lead Twins over White Sox 8-5. Associated Press p. 8 Twins hold off White Sox to end losing streak at 13 games La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 2, 2016 The Twins have been embarrassed, frustrated and baffled by the bad baseball bug that has bit them late in the season and has them hurtling toward 100 losses. But, Thursday night, they felt relief. A couple of big blows enabled them to hold off the White Sox 8-5 at Target Field. It ended their losing streak at 13 games, one shy of the 1982 Twins for the longest losing streak in club history. So, for the first time since Aug. 17 at Atlanta, the Twins shook hands on the field and smiled after a game. One great thing about baseball, there’s always another game to get things right. But the mounting losses were too much to use the short-memory technique. “There’s no doubt about it,” said third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Twins a 7-2 lead. “You never want to put yourself in that position. We have been trying to take it one day at a time, but when the losses add up like that, it’s hard to forget about them. “We’re happy it happened today.” And, no, there was no dance party in the Twins clubhouse after the streak-buster. Just the standard loud music. The game was played before an announced crowd of 20,329 — but there appeared to be fewer than that at first pitch. The woebegone Twins have played themselves to the end of the list of options on a busy night in the Twin Cities. The Gophers football team and Vikings and the State Fair were in play Thursday night, better attractions than watching a baseball team that had been outscored by 129 runs in August. After going 0-6 on their road trip to Toronto and Cleveland, the Twins were ready to try home cooking. “It’s a good feeling,” manager Paul Molitor said. “You win the first time in a couple weeks. It wasn’t easy. It was a long game, a tough game.” Down 1-0 in the second inning, the Twins struck for five runs on five hits, including a big blow from Byron Buxton. Two runs were already in, Kurt Suzuki was on second and Eddie Rosario was on first. White Sox lefthander Jose Quintana, who entered the night leading the American League with a 2.77 ERA, left a 1-2 breaking ball over the middle of the plate to Buxton, making his first start since being called up from Class AAA Rochester. Buxton, who began the day with a .199 batting average in 109 career big-league games, didn’t miss it. The ball sailed into the second deck for a three-run homer and a 5-1 Twins lead. “His first three at-bats, I haven’t seen bat speed like that and aggressiveness like that out of him in a long time,” Plouffe said. “It was really cool to see.” It should have been plenty of support for Ervin Santana (7-10), but the veteran righthander threw 102 pitches over five laborious innings, holding Chicago to only two runs despite 11 hits. Quintana also lasted five innings, but he gave up seven earned runs, the most for him since April 19, 2015. The teams traded runs over the final innings, with Jose Abreu hitting a two-run homer for the White Sox, but the Twins bullpen managed to get 12 outs to finish off the game, with Brandon Kintzler earning his 13th save in 14 chances. Kurt Suzuki was 2-for-4 with two RBI. The White Sox lost their fourth in a row. The Twins? They are 1-0 in September and don’t want to relive the horrors of August. “You don’t want to just mail it in,” Plouffe said. “We want to play good baseball and there’s a lot riding for a lot guys, including myself.” Byron Buxton homers in return to Twins La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 2, 2016 Byron Buxton earned a good night of sleep Thursday. Buxton awoke at 3:15 a.m. in Rochester, N.Y., to head to the airport and fly to the Twin Cities. But, about halfway to the airport, he experienced rental car trouble. He started walking toward the airport but then called Mike Herman, Twins director of team travel, who called for a tow truck. Buxton made his flight on time and landed safely at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He had left his own car at one of the MSP parking ramps when he was demoted to Class AAA Rochester last month, but he couldn't find it upon his return. "I looked on every level to find my car,'' Buxton said. "After about an hour and half, I called security, and they had my car.'' He paid to get his car back and drove to the ballpark, arriving at the clubhouse at 3:30 p.m. He then belted a three-run homer to help the Twins beat the White Sox 8-5. This is his third stint with the Twins this season. In 20 games with Rochester in August, Buxton batted .257 with five homers and 10 RBI. He did enjoy a stretch in which he homered in four consecutive games — including hitting the first pitch of the game out in back-to-back games. He also went 15 games without drawing a walk. He walked three times and struck out 32 times in those 20 games. Since making his major league debut on June 14, 2015, Buxton has a .201 batting average in 110 career games. He's still trying to prove he's the elite prospect many thought he was when the Twins drafted him second overall in 2012. "Just as far as hitting standpoint, just being more consistent," Buxton said. "Going out there and putting the ball in play. Putting a good swing on the ball and hitting it hard somewhere and getting on base." It worked out Thursday after a long and tiring day. "I'm about to go straight to the pillow,'' Buxton said. Roster expansion 2 With September's arrival, major league teams now can call up anyone on their 40-man roster. Since Rochester is in playoff contention, it's unlikely that the Twins will promote more players until after the season ends Labor Day. Three pitchers on the disabled list — lefthanders Buddy Boshers (elbow) and Tommy Milone (biceps) and righthander Trevor May (shoulder) — will be restored to the Twins roster once they are healthy. Boshers is on a rehabilitation assignment at Rochester. May and Milone likely will pitch in simulated games at Target Field before they are activated. Designated hitter Kennys Vargas and catcher John Ryan Murphy are expected to be among the players summoned from Rochester once the regular season ends. Murphy, who was demoted May 6, extended his hitting streak to seven games Thursday. With Santana likely headed to the 60-day disabled list, the Twins might call up infielder James Beresford, who is 27 and has never played in the majors. Etc. • Former Twins star Justin Morneau opened up his Twin Cities-area home Wednesday night for his White Sox teammates so they could hold their annual fantasy football draft. • Class AA Chattanooga lefthander Stephen Gonsalves, 22, was named Southern League player of the month after going 5-0 with a 0.28 ERA. He gave up three runs (one earned) over 32⅔ innings in August. Twins snap 13-game losing streak with first win since Aug. 17 Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | September 1, 2016 The Twins met around the mound for a postgame baseball ceremony that tends to feel old by this late point of the season, the victorious high- five celebration made common by all teams of this sport. But on this clear-sky Thursday night, they lingered and smiled and laughed a bit more than usual, relishing a ritual that’s been far from frequent for Major League Baseball’s worst team. Thirteen games had passed leading to Thursday without high-fives or fireworks or postgame music in the clubhouse. Thursday, in the start of a four-game series with the White Sox, they were nine innings from matching a franchise worst 14-game skid. Instead, the Twins finally combined timely hits – including a pair of homers – with sufficient pitching to end a losing streak that threatened to match one set by a futile 102-loss 1982 Twins squad. Even if these Twins still have 34 more losses than wins, Thursday’s 8-5 victory over the White Sox offered a welcome change of pace for a team that hadn’t won since beating the Atlanta Braves, MLB’s second worst team, on Aug.