Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, August 11, 2017 Twins Hit a Season High with Fifth Win in a Row. Star Tribune
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Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, August 11, 2017 Twins hit a season high with fifth win in a row. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 1 Phil Hughes has second surgery. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 2 Thoughts on Dietrich Enns and his chances of getting another start. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 3 Twins fire Wayne Krivsky, a former front office executive. Star Tribune (Neal III) p. 3 Twins thrash Brewers 7-2 for season-high fifth straight win. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Twins catching prospect Ben Rortvedt impressing big-league coach. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5 Twins go over .500 with 5th straight victory. MLB (McCalvy & Gruman) p.6 Polanco finds stroke at plate in August. MLB (Gruman) p. 8 Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: 5 things to note from rookie Dietrich Enns’ MLB debut with the Twins. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 8 Twins take fifth straight, sweeping Brewers in home-and-home. Associated Press p. 10 MN Ballpark Authority Receives Praise for Target Field Suite Policy. ABC Eyewitness News p. 11 Twins hit a season high with fifth win in a row La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 1, 2017 MILWAUKEE – It’s coming from everyone, now. From rookie relievers to shortstops who had lost their starting jobs to the bottom of the batting order. The Twins are on roll, with their tread marks all over the Brewers after their 7-2 victory on Thursday gave them wins in both games at Miller Park and all four games this week against their interleague rivals. And they have finally ended the win-four-lose-four deviation that has marked their season, as they now have won five straight games for the first time. “We’re playing good,” said Jorge Polanco, whose slump landed him on the bench recently but who was 2-for-4 on Thursday and is a sizzling 14- for-28 during his eight-game hitting streak. “We have a chemistry. We’re playing well. We want to win. All of that put together is why we are playing so well.” The Twins are a half-game out for the second AL wild-card spot — but half the league feels it has a shot there. What Thursday’s game also did was move them into second place in the AL Central, 3½ games behind Cleveland. They have a weekend series in Detroit that they can use to gain even more momentum before the Indians come to town next Tuesday. “We’re energized,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “You could feel it. I think these guys are enjoying kind of an underdog role here, and we have been able to put together a little run here. “Now we go to Detroit, to a team that has been tough on us this year and last year. So we’ve got a chance to turn that tide around.” Only one of the Twins’ 12 hits Thursday went for extra bases, but they bunched them to score three runs in both the second and third innings to take control early. In addition to Polanco, Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer each had three hits. The Twins have been spoiled over the past week by complete games from Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon. But when lefthander Dietrich Enns was lifted in the third inning of his major league debut, righthanders Alan Busenitz and Ryan Pressly combined for 4⅔ scoreless innings to reach the eighth. Righthander Tyler Duffey and lefthander Buddy Boshers finished up. Busenitz got the win, his first in the majors. “There’s a lot of ways to get it done,” Molitor said. “I think that adds to the confidence, collectively.” Four straight hits and an error in the second allowed the Twins to take a 3-0 lead. Buxton and Polanco each had RBI singles, and a run scored when Travis Shaw misplayed Jason Castro’s grounder. Keon Broxton homered off Enns in the second, but the Twins scored three more times in the third on sacrifice flies by Eddie Rosario and Castro sandwiched around another Buxton RBI single. The Twins led 6-1, a nice cushion for the newcomer. Enns, however, loaded the bases in the third, which started with him pulling Mauer off the bag with a high throw that allowed Orlando Arcia to reach. Three batters later, Enns walked in a run and was lifted. “That was terrible,” Enns said. “The ball just sailed on me. I make the play all the time.” No problem on Thursday, because the Twins are picking each other up these days. Polanco knows they are clicking, although he’s not sure about playing up the underdog angle. “People talk. It is what it is,” he said. “We don’t see it that way. We are just going to go out there and try to win every day.” Phil Hughes has second surgery La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 11, 2017 MILWAUKEE – Righthander Phil Hughes on Thursday underwent thoracic outlet revision surgery. That’s right, Hughes had to have a second surgery after the initial one last year did not solve the problem. Hughes ended up on the disabled list twice this season and had a series of tests in the Twin Cities and at the May Clinic in Rochester to see if there was another problem. But the same condition was diagnosed. Hughes will try to be ready for 2018. He was 4-3 with a 5.87 ERA in 14 games this season, including nine starts. The surgery was performed by Dr. Greg Pearl in Dallas. Belisle watch Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked about Matt Belisle’s availability before Thursday’s game, since he had appeared in three of the previous four games. “It’s probably somewhat unlikely,” Molitor said. “I wouldn’t say it is an absolute.” Molitor knows he’s got to be careful with the 37-year-old, who has gotten most of the ninth-inning work since Brandon Kintzler was traded to Washington on July 31. Before the trade, the Twins tried to give Belisle an extra day off whenever he threw more than 20 pitches. So Molitor’s latest challenge is to get the most out of Belisle while not ruining his effectiveness. Perkins pitches Glen Perkins, in his first appearance for Class AA Chattanooga, gave up one hit in one scoreless inning of work. He faced four batters and threw 11 pitches, eight for strikes. Perkins will make at least one more appearance, possibly on Friday to prove he can pitch in back-to-back games, before the Twins will consider bringing him up. It has been 17 months since Perkins has pitched in a major league game because of a torn labrum. Thoughts on Dietrich Enns and his chances of getting another start La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 11, 2017 Dietrich Enns should get another start for the Twins. When is the question. Since the Twins have an off day on Monday, they won't a fifth starter for awhile. Next Saturday, to be exact. 2 "We're going to figure out how we are going to proceed as far as his situation is concerned," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We have some options. Will probably sleep on it and see what we come up with tomorrow." Enns was charged with one earned run over 2 1/3 innings on Thursday. He was lifted after walking in a run in the third - which shows you that Molitor is managing to win. (They're kinda close and his contract is up). But Enns showed a low 90's fastball and a good change up that came in around 80-82. That variance could play in the majors. But he's going to have to sharpen his control. "Just go after guys," he said. "Hitters will take advantage of mistakes over the plate, so just make sure when I get ahead I can put guys away." Enns showed one good trait, his proclivity to throw strike one. He started off 13 of the 14 batters he faced with a first pitch strike, which can make things easier for a debutant. It should work for him until hitters become aggressive against him early in in the count. But for a lefty unfamiliar to the Brewers, it worked on Thursday. But he has to work on putting hitters away. He stranded one runner on base in the first inning, then two in the second. And it continued into the third, which ended up being his last inning. And it was his undoing. He fielded Orlando Arcia's swinging bunt but his high throw pulled Joe Mauer off the bag for an error. "It was unfortunate he didn't get a good grip on that throw to first base," Molitor said. "It changed how that inning unfolded." Ryan Braun hit the next pitch for a single, then Travis Shaw dropped a single in front of Eddie Rosario in left to load the bases. And then Enns fell behind Jesus Aguilar 2-0, the only batter he didn't throw strike one to. Enns came back to even the count at 2-2. But, one the eighth pitch of the at bat, Enns missed inside with a fastball, forcing in a run that made it 6-2. Molitor didn't waste time, he removed Enns for Alan Busenitz, who got Manny Pina to hit into a double play to end the inning. Enns threw 53 pitches, 37 for strikes, which should get him another start. Even when Adalberto Mejia is ready to come off the DL, the Twins will have him make a couple rehab starts.