Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Wednesday, September 13, 2017

 Twins launch seven homers to wallop San Diego 16-0. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1  Miguel Sano might be available soon to Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2  Dozier gets robbed of attempt at cycle; Sano getting better; Twins coaches deal with Irma. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3  Twins set a record in home streak. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4  Twins smack seven home runs in 16-0 clobbering of Padres. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 4  John Shipley: So, isn’t Falvine’s dream date. So what? Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 5  Twins’ Miguel Sano ‘inching closer’ to a return, likely as . Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 6  Twins club 7 homers as Gibson blanks Padres. MLB.com (Bollinger & Jackson) p. 7  HR history: Twins go deep in 7 straight . MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 8  Dozier notches 2nd straight 30-HR season. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  Twins slated to open '18 season against O's. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  Twins select Moya's contract, DFA Vielma. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10  Mining the Minors: Which Twins minor leaguers saw their stock rise in 2017? ESPN 1500 (Depue) p. 10  Zulgad: ’s frustration has proven to be a second-half for Twins. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 12  The Twins set a new MLB record during another lopsided laugher. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 13  Twins set Target Field record, mash 7 homers to rout Padres. Associated Press p. 14  Twins to ‘host’ Indians in Puerto Rico next season. FSN p. 15  Padres make awful history while getting blown 16-0. Yahoo! Sports (Cwik) p. 15  Twins Designate Engelb Vielma For Assignment. MLB Trade Rumors (Adams) p. 16  Added To The 40-Man Roster: Arano, Moya. MLB Trade Rumors (Adams) p. 16  The Twins hit 7 home runs in the first 7 innings against the Padres. SB Nation (McIntosh) p. 16  Elizabethton, one step closer to finalizing five-year agreement. WJHL News (Moore) p. 17

Twins launch seven homers to wallop San Diego 16-0 La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | September 13, 2017

The home runs came from throughout the lineup Tuesday night, starting with a leadoff homer by Brian Dozier all the way down to No. 8 hitter Jason Castro. There were a couple of opposite-field shots and a few pitches catapulted where few travel.

“It’s fun. It’s loud,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “There weren’t too many cheapies.”

The momentum built with each mighty swing, with fans roaring with anticipation when any fly ball headed for the . The Twins kept slugging until they demolished San Diego 16-0, becoming the first major league team to hit a home run in each of the first seven innings.

It was a good night in the Wild Card race for the Twins, too. Houston beat the Angels 1-0 to give the Twins a two game lead over Los Angeles with 18 games to play. Texas lost to fall three games behind, where the Rangers are tied with the Royals.

Let’s go over the homers. Dozier’s leadoff blast was his 30th of the season. hit a two-run shot in the second. Castro hit a two-run homer in the third. hit a two-run blast in the fourth. Castro added a second homer, a solo shot in the fifth, and tried to hit one to First Avenue in the sixth, settling for a 427-foot bomb.

Kennys Vargas, in as a substitute for , added a three-run missile in the seventh that was estimated at 430 feet.

“Kennys’ was kind of an exclamation point there,” Molitor said.

The Elias Sports Bureau confirmed the home-run streak. And it pointed out that the Twins had never scored in all eight innings of a home game before — before the Twins went down 1-2-3 in the eighth.

Still, it was quite a way to begin a homestand, as the Twins moved two games ahead of the Angels for the second wild-card spot in the , after Houston edged Los Angeles 1-0 in Anaheim, Calif., late Tuesday.

It was the second time this month the Twins have scored at least 16 runs in a game. Their 18 hits was the fourth time they have achieved that mark this season. The bottom four hitters in the lineup — Rosario, Robbie Grossman, Castro and Ehire Adrianza — combined to go 9-for-18 with seven RBI and nine runs scored. Castro hit multiple home runs in a game for the fourth time in his career, his first time as a Twin.

Dozier now has consecutive seasons with at least 30 home runs, joining , , and in Twins history.

“It feels really good when you see those balls going out every ,” Polanco said. “You get happy. You get excited. It was a lot of excitement in the . It was a cool thing to be a part of.”

The seven home runs were the most given up by the Padres this season. Starting pitching Travis Wood (3-6) was knocked out of the game in the third inning after giving up nine earned runs on nine hits, including three home runs.

It allowed Twins righthander Kyle Gibson (10-10) to have the easiest of starts. He happened to be on the mound against the Royals on Sept. 2 when the Twins won 17-0.

He cruised through six shutout innings, giving up four hits while striking out six. He dropped his ERA to a season-low 4.97. Keep in mind that his ERA was 6.31 on July 9.

He was removed after six innings and 74 pitches as Molitor saw an opportunity to rest him for the stretch run.

“The offense got on the board early again,” Gibson said. “Had a similar feel to Kansas City a couple weeks ago.”

Lucky guy, that Gibson.

Miguel Sano might be available soon to Twins La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | September 12, 2017

Miguel Sano took early practice Tuesday, and manager Paul Molitor heard the familiar sound of baseballs exploding off the slugger’s bat.

“He looked good,” Molitor admitted.

The day could be coming when Molitor can use Sano in a game. He could be available off the bench by the end of the six-game homestand.

Sano has not fully recovered from a stress reaction in his left shin, but he’s progressed enough to where the Twins are now contemplating how to use him once he’s cleared to play. Sano has been out since Aug. 20 after fouling a off the shin.

“I’m trying to be optimistic about it,” Molitor said. “I know he’s excited about the potential of coming back and helping us.”

Sano, who continues to wear a protective boot, was scheduled to meet with Twins physician Dr. John Steubs on Tuesday to check his progress. The Twins don’t want to push Sano and would probably use him off the bench once he’s available.

“I don’t want to hurt the guy,” Molitor said. “I want to make sure our risk is minimal about how and when we start to think about putting him in a game.”

Moya joins

The Twins selected the contract of lefthander from Class AA Chattanooga, giving them another option in the bullpen.

Moya, 22, was 4-1 with a 0.82 ERA in 24 games for Class AA Jackson of the Diamondbacks chain before he was dealt to the Twins for 2

John Ryan Murphy on July 27. After the trade, Moya was 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA for Chattanooga. In 14â…” innings, Moya walked three and struck out 19.

Moya pitched the ninth inning of Tuesday's 16-0 victory over the Padres.

His touches the low 90s, but he’s gotten because of a deceptive delivery. In addition to a fastball, Moya uses a and . Molitor said he can get righthanded hitters out as well as lefties.

The Twins now have 14 relievers on the active roster, including five lefthanders.

To make room for Moya on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated infielder Engelb Vielma for release or assignment. Vielma can pick it, but batted only .206 in 87 games with Class AAA Rochester after being promoted from Chattanooga.

Molitor brought Moya in to pitch the ninth Tuesday, but wasn’t sure how he was going to use him in the future.

“We’ve got 14 choices down there,” Molitor said of the bullpen.

2018 schedule released

The Twins open the 2018 season on March 29 in Baltimore as part of a full slate of games. It will be the earliest start date in the sport’s history, not including international games, and the first since 1968 on which every team will play.

The earlier start date allows for four more off days during the regular season.

Here are a couple of interesting details about the Twins schedule:

The Twins will play Cleveland in a two-game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 17-18 — the first time the Twins have played outside the U.S. and Canada. Twins President Dave St. Peter said the club expressed concerns to the league about the travel schedule around the series, and the league obliged. There are off days preceding and following the series, and the Twins will make a relatively short trip to Tampa Bay afterward.

Another quirk about the schedule: The Twins are on the road for all the major holidays — Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. St. Peter would have preferred something more balanced.

“That is an oddity,” St. Peter said. “That’s just the way it played out.”

Etc.

• Twins hitting James Rowson was scheduled to return to the Twin Cities late Tuesday after staying in Tampa with his family during Hurricane Irma.

Dozier gets robbed of attempt at cycle; Sano getting better; Twins coaches deal with Irma La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune| September 12, 2017

Here are three thoughts from LEN3 following the Twins' 16-0 rout of the Padres:

DOZIER STOPPED FROM CHANCE AT CYCLE I didn't get a chance to talk to Brian Dozier after the game. If I did, he probably would have downplayed just missing a cycle by a . Dozier homered, struck out, tripled and singled in his first four plate appearances. All he needed was a pitch to hit in the eight inning to become the first Twin to cycle since 2009, when and did it. Instead, a pitch hit him, as Cory Mazzoni plunked him with a , sending him to first. It was a rough way to end a cycle bid, and you never know when the chance at the next once will come. I bet Dozier is not happy about it, but will take the high road.

SANO UPDATE I heard rumblings while pulling into Target Field that Miguel Sano could be available by the end of the homestand. I later had a second Twins official back up the first. Then manager Paul Molitor sounded upbeat before the game as he spoke about Sano's recovery from a stress reaction 3 in his left shin. So now I expect to see Sano in a game before the weekend is over - barring a setback. Sano met with Twins team physician Dr. John Steubs during the game. Molitor said that the meeting was, "pretty positive," and that Sano will try to mix in some light running tomorrow. "It's about managing his pain threshold," Molitor said. It might be a matter of days before Sano gets into a game.

IRMA UPDATE: First base coach Jeff Smith said his home in Naples, Fla. suffered some damage from Hurricane Irma, which passed through his town during the weekend. "The eye was right over my house," he said. Smith said he has some water damage, has lost some siding and the cage over his pool was wrecked because of the storm, which made landfall as a category 4 hurricane. "I'm just glad no one in my family was injured," he said. His wife, Ronna, stayed in Naples during the storm. She was in charge of the shelter at Corkscrew Middle School. Also, hitting coach James Rowson was scheduled to return to the Twin Cities late Tuesday after staying in Tampa with his family during the hurricane.

Twins set a record in home run streak La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune| September 13, 2017

Record-setting HR streak

The Twins hammered a team-record eight home runs on Aug. 29, 1963, against the Senators — two by Vic Power and Harmon Killebrew and one each by Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, Bernie Allen and Rich Rollins. The Twins came up one short of that record Tuesday night against San Diego, but accomplished a major-league first by hitting one in each of the first seven innings:

Inning Player Homer Score

1 Brian Dozier solo 1-0

2 Jorge Polanco two-run 7-0

3 Jason Castro two-run 9-0

4 Eddie Rosario two-run 11-0

5 Jason Castro solo 12-0

6 Eduardo Escobar solo 13-0

7 three-run16-0

Twins smack seven home runs in 16-0 clobbering of Padres Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | September 12, 2017

Eleven times the Twins had already crossed the plate Tuesday before Jason Castro deposited his second home run of the night over the outfield fence, which prompted a one-handed flip of his bat toward the dugout as Castro watched the ball soar 406 feet.

These Twins weren’t expected to be here, returning for their final multi-series homestand in mid-September occupying a wild card spot, and yet this surprising team continues rolling undeterred with a bat-flipping swagger that yielded seven home runs Tuesday.

Back at Target Field with only eight more games remaining here, the Twins promptly delivered a 16-0 shellacking of the to continue bolstering their bid for a one-game playoff that would likely take place against the .

Even while their leading slugger remains on the disabled list indefinitely, the Twins continue to pile up runs, clobbering the lowly Padres for seven homers on Tuesday, the most the team has ever hit at this ballpark.

They homered on the first , the latest of 27 career leadoff shots for Brian Dozier, and followed that with another home run each inning over the first seven frames, the first time in Major League history that has happened, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

“Tonight was everything you could ask for to open up the handstand,” manager Paul Molitor said.

4

Castro sent two balls out of the park, first in the third inning, then before the one-handed toss of his bat in the fifth inning.

But the most damage was done in the second frame when the Twins hit around the lineup courtesy of five singles and Jorge Polanco’s 11th homer of the season.

Before Tuesday’s game began, the Twins had a minus-10 run differential on the season. Three hours later, they walked off the field at Target Field with a plus-6 differential.

Eduardo Escobar’s shot in the sixth inning, pulled down the right field line, went 419 feet, landing beyond the bleachers. That put the Twins up 13-0 in a game that felt over after their 7-0 lead two innings in.

In the seventh, pinch hitter Kennys Vargas topped Escobar’s drive with a moonball that traveled 430 feet into the upper deck in right-center field.

“Kennys put an exclamation point there,” Molitor said.

This lineup, which had only one player (Dozier) enter with more than 21 home runs, mashed the Padres pitching, totaling 18 hits to San Diego’s four. Eleven different players recorded a hit for the Twins.

“We’ve had a nice season as far as power,” Molitor said. “And the balance is spread out. … We’ll have a handful of guys with 20 or more (home runs). That’s comparable with a lot of teams as far as having a team that can hit the ball to the fence.”

Ten days after Kyle Gibson received 14 runs of support from his teammates in their 17-0 win over Kansas City on Sept. 2, the starting watched as the Twins plated 12 runs Tuesday before he exited after six strong innings.

Gibson wasn’t needed much in the opener of this two-game interleague series, and yet the righty pitched well as his up-and-down season appears to be closing on a high note.

He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since July 16 and Tuesday he struck out six batters and scattered only four base runners.

“I’ll take it every time,” Gibson said of the ample run support. “That’s something that makes it a whole lot easier.”

John Shipley: So, Paul Molitor isn’t Falvine’s dream date. So what? John Shipley | Pioneer Press | September 12, 2017

Paul Molitor should be given every opportunity to manage the Minnesota Twins next season and beyond. After nearly three seasons on the job, he has proven himself a good major league manager.

For the second time since succeeding Ron Gardehire in 2015, Molitor has a rebuilding club contending for a playoff spot with less than 20 games remaining, no mean feat even in the wild card era. Under his tutelage, young players such as Jorge Polanco, Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario have become productive major leaguers, and and Miguel Sano burgeoning stars.

As important, Molitor’s charges have rallied to play their best baseball of the season since the front office bailed on them by trading away their closer and a left-handed starter at the non-waiver deadline. Whatever one might think of the way Molitor makes out a lineup card or uses his bullpen, that’s leadership that can’t be questioned.

So, why are first-year Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine making Molitor play out the string on the last season of a three-year deal? Because he’s not their guy and never will be; unless, one guesses, the Twins win the World Series this fall.

That’s a difficult incongruity to rectify while watching the Twins put the hurt on the San Diego Padres the way they did on Tuesday night at Target Field, but nearly a season into the Reign of Falvine, it does make a sort of sense.

Falvey and Levine are young and gregarious, small college players whose major league career tracks started in baseball operations. Molitor is quiet and measured, a hall of fame player who waited until his late-50s to pursue a managing career with alacrity. Falvey and Levine are advanced stat acolytes learning to trust the old eye test; Molitor is an old eye-test man learning to trust advance stats. 5

Molitor has proven himself to be a good manager, but is he their manager? No, he’s not. That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work.

The fact is, owner Jim Pohlad put both sides in a bad situation when he committed to honoring the rest of Molitor’s contract before hiring ’s replacement last fall. Every new regime wants to bring in its own people, and Falvine already has started shifting personnel behind the scenes.

That won’t work in this case.

Pohlad no doubt believed he was doing the right thing by standing with Molitor, and maybe he was. But it would have been awfully easy to cut bait after a 103-loss season and let the new guys do their thing. It also would have been easier had the Twins rolled over this season as many expected. Instead, Molitor orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, and the boy geniuses now have their biggest decision to make.

It became clear after the opening series of the season, a three-game sweep of the , that the Twins were a much-improved unit. From the get-go, they made the plays they were supposed to make, hit the cutoff man and didn’t overrun the bases the way they did in 2016. They also started to put together some professional at-bats. The guys who didn’t were marginalized (see: Kennys Vargas) while the guys who did were given full-time jobs (see: Robbie Grossman).

It seems pretty clear that hitting coach James Rowson and pitching coach Neil Allen have done some good work this season, too, and it’s always hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for a team’s improvement. But I know this: If the Twins were lousy this season, it would be Molitor’s fault.

Well, the Twins are not lousy, and it seems unfair to penalize Molitor because he isn’t Falvine’s dream date.

Twins’ Miguel Sano ‘inching closer’ to a return, likely as designated hitter Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | September 12, 2017

Injured Twins slugger Miguel Sano participated in running drills Monday and took batting practice on Tuesday as he inches toward a return from a shin injury that has sidelined the third baseman for nearly a month.

With only 18 games remaining after Tuesday, manager Paul Molitor indicated he’d be OK with making Sano his designated hitter before he’s able to play third base, opening the potential for Sano to return next week.

“I’m more concerned about his bat,” Molitor said. “I’m not too worried about him playing third base right now.”

Sano has been out since Aug. 20 with what has been termed a stress reaction on his left leg. He took batting practice Tuesday with a protective contraption around his shin.

“It was good to see him get some BP today early on,” Molitor said. “He looked good swinging the bat. … Hopefully we’re inching closer to having him back in some role for our club.”

With the Twins in the midst of a wild card race, Sano’s bat would be a welcome addition. He hit the disabled list with a .267 batting average to go with 28 home runs and 77 RBIs.

“I know he’s excited about the potential of coming back and helping us,” Molitor said. “Again, I don’t want to hurt the guy; I want to make sure our risk is minimal when we start to think about how and when we get him in a game.”

In Sano’s absence, the Twins have gone 11-10 entering Tuesday’s game yet remained in the wild card race in part because they’ve maintained an average of more than six runs a game without Sano.

“You’ve got to give credit to the guys who have been playing really good offensive baseball,” Molitor said. “The timing was fortunate for us in that when we lost arguably our most dangerous player, we found guys that have been able to fill some of that middle of the lineup role. We’ve had upticks from a lot of guys here the last five or six weeks.

“It’s what you look for when you’re playing – that guys’ games get elevated down the stretch. I think a lot of guys have stepped up in that regard.”

MOYA CALLED UP 6

The Twins selected the contract of Venezuelan reliever Gabriel Moya from Double-A Chattanooga, where he had an 0.77 earned-run average in 58.1 innings.

Moya, 22, struck out 87 batters and walked 15 in his time there, recording a 6-1 record. The Twins acquired him in July from the in exchange for .

Chattanooga was co-champion Southern League champion with Cincinnati affiliate Pensacola.

“He pitched outstanding baseball for Double-A and got all the big outs at the end of the game,” Molitor said. “He’s not a left-on-left specialist per se – he’s just a guy that knows how to pitch. He pitches with a lot of passion and energy. Those numbers jump off the page for you.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated infielder Engelb Vielma for release or assignment.

“It’s just another option for us,” Molitor said of Moya. “I’m not sure how exactly we’re going to find an option for him yet exactly – I’ve got 14 choices down there. But we’ll see how it plays out.”

BRIEFLY

The Twins released their 2018 schedule Tuesday. They open on the road with a three-game series in Baltimore starting March 29, but will play 10 of their first 15 games at home. A nine-game trip that begins at the end of June with games against the White Sox, , and highlights the road schedule. The Twins have three homestands of at least 10 games.

Twins club 7 homers as Gibson blanks Padres Rhett Bollinger and Shane Jackson | MLB.com | September 13, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins clubbed a season-high seven homers to back another strong outing by Kyle Gibson in a 16-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday night at Target Field. Minnesota increased its lead for the second American League Wild Card spot to two games over the Angels.

Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco, Jason Castro (twice), Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar, and Kennys Vargas all went deep in the lopsided affair. The Twins, whose seven homers set a Target Field record, became the first team in Major League history to hit a homer in each of the first seven innings. They are the first team to homer in seven consecutive frames in a game since the on Sept. 4, 1999, according to Elias Sports.

"Tonight was everything you could ask for to start a homestand," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We got a solid start, Gibby keeps his roll going and then up and down the lineup, Brian kind of set the tone. He doesn't go oppo too often, but he got us going when he smoked that ball. We just kept getting big hits."

Gibson (10-10) scattered four hits over six scoreless innings to earn his fourth win over his last five starts. The right-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in each of those last five outings, which has lowered his ERA to 4.97.

San Diego left-hander Travis Wood (3-6) took the loss, allowing a trio of homers. He gave up a career-high nine runs on nine hits over 2 1/3 innings. Over his last two outings, Wood has allowed 16 runs over 4 1/3 innings. The Padres' seven home runs allowed matched a franchise record.

"It's just one of those days it's very, very ugly for us," Padres manager said.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Dozier's dinger: Dozier started the offensive eruption with a leadoff homer off Wood. According to Statcast™, the ball left the bat at 99 mph and went an estimated 368 feet. It was his 30th homer of the season, as he became the fifth Twins player to hit 30 home runs in consecutive seasons. It was also Dozier's eighth leadoff homer of the year, and 27th of his career.

"After last year, people asked if that's it, 42, so for him to bounce back and hit 30, his steadiness is there," Molitor said. "He's going to have a chance to post 100 runs from the leadoff spot. You just can't ask for much more." More >

Six-pack: The Twins quickly broke the game open, as they struck for six runs in the bottom of the second. They strung together four consecutive one-out singles off Wood, including RBI hits by Castro and Ehire Adrianza. Joe Mauer delivered a two-run single and Polanco capped the 7 outburst with a two-run homer. Polanco's 11th home run of the season had an exit velocity of 104.6 mph and went 403 feet, per Statcast™. It was Polanco's second-hardest homer since Statcast™ started tracking at the start of 2015.

"If I made a mistake, they capitalized on it," Wood said. "Even when I executed pitches, they had a great game plan and found the holes. They were able to put a lot on me and get me out of there real quick."

QUOTABLE

"They were all making fun of me in the dugout. I know the fans wanted to see me do it. But I couldn't care less if it happened. It was a fun night." -- Dozier, on falling a double short of the cycle, getting hit by a pitch in his final at-bat in the seventh

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Padres allowed seven homers in a game for the fifth time in franchise history, and first time since Aug. 13, 2011, at Cincinnati.

GRANITE ROBS MYERS

Twins center fielder Zack Granite, who replaced Byron Buxton as a pinch-hitter in the sixth, made a home run-saving to rob to lead off the seventh. The ball traveled a projected 406 feet to center, per Statcast™, but Granite made a remarkable leaping grab.

WHAT'S NEXT

Padres: Right-hander Dinelson Lamet (7-7, 4.32 ERA) will look to continue his strong second half in Wednesday's series finale at 5:10 p.m. PT. Lamet has a 2.55 ERA over his last nine starts dating back to July 23. Last time out, Lamet held St. Louis to two runs over six innings.

Twins: Right-hander (15-7, 3.45) is set to start the series finale on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Santana struggled in his last start, allowing four runs over five innings against the Royals, but still got the win.

HR history: Twins go deep in 7 straight innings Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins made Major League history Tuesday, becoming the first team to homer in each of the first seven innings of a game in their 16-0 rout of the Padres at Target Field.

The seven homers were a season high, set a Target Field record for the Twins and was one short of the club record of eight homers set on Aug. 29, 1963. They became the first team to homer in seven consecutive innings in a game since the Reds on Sept. 4, 1999. All told, it added up to 2,765 feet worth of homers from Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco, Jason Castro (two), Eduardo Escobar, Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas, per Statcast™.

"It's fun," manager Paul Molitor said. "It's loud. There weren't too many cheapies. Castro kind of sliced his into the flower bed. Seeing the ball Escobar hit, Rosie going into the opposite bullpen, Kennys was kind of an exclamation point there. We've had a nice season with power, and the balance is pretty spread out."

After the game, the Twins had the six players pose for a picture outside the clubhouse to celebrate the accomplishment.

"I'm sure it'll be all over social media," Dozier said with a laugh. "We were flexing in it. It's all about having fun, and that's what we're doing right now."

Dozier set the tone with a leadoff homer off left-hander Travis Wood, becoming the fifth Twins player and fifth Major League second baseman to hit 30 homers in consecutive seasons. The opposite-field shot had an exit velocity of 99 mph and went a projected 368 feet, per Statcast™. "Hitting is contagious, I know it's a boring answer, but it is," Dozier said. "Tonight, with such a big lead, everyone got more comfortable in the box and you feed off each other."

Polanco hit a two-run homer as part of a six-run second inning. The ball left the bat at 104.6 mph and traveled a projected 403 feet.

"It feels really good," Polanco said through an interpreter. "When you see those balls going out every inning, you get happy and excited. There was a lot of excitement in the dugout today and a cool thing to be a part of." 8

Castro hit the first of his two homers in the third, a two-run blast off Wood. It left the bat at 98.1 mph and went a projected 355 feet to left. His second homer came in the fifth off reliever Jose Valdez and was hit harder, with an exit velocity of 101.4 mph and projected distance of 406 feet to right-center. It was Castro's fourth multi-homer game of his career.

Rosario's two-run homer came in the fourth off Valdez, leaving the bat at 98.5 mph and traveling a projected 390 feet. It was his 22nd of the year. Escobar got in on the action with a solo shot in the sixth off Cory Mazzoni. It was the third-hardest hit homer of the night with an exit velocity of 104.3 mph, traveling a projected 419 feet. It was Escobar's sixth homer in September and his 18th of the season. The biggest blast of the night was the last one, with Vargas delivering with a three-run homer off Mazzoni that left the bat at 111.3 mph and went a projected 424 feet. It was Vargas' career-high 11th homer.

Dozier notches 2nd straight 30-HR season Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- With his leadoff homer in Wednesday's 16-0 win over the Padres, Brian Dozier became the fifth Twins player to hit 30 homers in consecutive seasons and the first Major League second baseman to do it since Dan Uggla from 2007-11.

Dozier joined Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, Gary Gaetti and Justin Morneau as the only Minnesota players to hit 30 homers in consecutive seasons. The only other second basemen to accomplish the feat are Hall of Famer (1989-90), Alfonso Soriano (2002- 03), Chase Utley (2008-09) and Uggla.

"After last year, people asked if that's it, 42, so for him to bounce back and hit 30, his steadiness is there," manager Paul Molitor said. "He's going to have a chance to post 100 runs from the leadoff spot. You just can't ask for much more."

Dozier also had a chance to hit for the cycle after tripling in the third and singling in the fifth, but was hit by a pitch in his final in the seventh before being removed for a pinch-runner.

"They were all making fun of me in the dugout," Dozier said. "I know the fans wanted to see me do it. But I couldn't care less if it happened. It was a fun night."

Dozier, who hit a career-high 42 homers last year, smacked a 2-0 fastball from Padres left-hander Travis Wood to right field for his 30th homer of the season and his fourth opposite-field shot to right field. It left the bat at 99 mph and went a projected 368 feet, per Statcast™.

Additionally, it was Dozier's eighth leadoff homer of the year, and the 27th of his career, which extends his Twins single-season record.

It was also a good sign from Dozier, who has continued to improve hitting the ball the other way. Dozier hit .246 with one homer, five doubles and two triples to the opposite field last year. This season, Dozier is hitting .359 with four homers, eight doubles and four triples to right field.

The Twins became the first team in MLB history to homer in seven straight innings to start a game, which began with Dozier in the first.

"Brian kind of set the tone," Molitor said. "He doesn't go oppo too often, but he got us going when he smoked that ball."

Twins slated to open '18 season against O's Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 12, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins announced their 2018 schedule on Tuesday, which includes Opening Day against the Orioles at Camden Yards on March 29, a series in Puerto Rico against the Indians from April 17-18 and Minnesota's first trip to Wrigley Field since 2009.

After playing the O's on March 29, 31 and April 1, and the Pirates at PNC Park on April 2 and 4, the Twins will play their home opener on Thursday, April 5, against the Mariners. It includes an off-day the next day in case of inclement weather. The Twins, playing their 58th season in Minnesota, are also opening at Camden Yards for the third time in the last six seasons.

After their first homestand, which includes series against the Mariners, Astros and White Sox before heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for two games against the Indians on April 17-18, the schedule is bookended by two off-days.

The Twins play 20 Interleague contests with home games against the Reds (April 27-29), Cardinals (May 15-16), Brewers (May 18-20) and Pirates 9

(Aug. 14-15). In addition to PNC Park, the Twins will make road trips to Busch Stadium in St. Louis (May 7-8), Wrigley Field in Chicago (June 29- July 1) and Miller Park in Milwaukee (July 2-4).

The Twins remain in Chicago from June 26-July 1, playing three games against the White Sox at and three games against the Cubs at Wrigley before heading to Milwaukee for three games.

The schedule includes 43 home games between Memorial Day (May 28) and Labor Day (Sept. 3). The Twins play 16 home games in April, 11 in May, 15 in June, 13 in July, 14 in August and 12 in September.

They play each of their AL Central rivals 19 times with three series at home and three on the road. But they only play the Indians seven times at Target Field because of the Puerto Rico series.

Twins select Moya's contract, DFA Vielma Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 13, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins selected the contract of left-handed reliever Gabriel Moya from Double-A Chattanooga on Tuesday, and designated shortstop Engelb Vielma for assignment to make room for Moya on the 40-man roster.

Moya, who was acquired in a trade that sent John Ryan Murphy to the D-backs on July 27, combined to post a 0.77 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 15 walks in 58 1/3 innings between Double-A Jackson and Chattanooga. He also recorded 24 saves.

"He pitched outstanding baseball at Double-A, getting big outs at the ends of games," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He's not a left-on-left specialist, per se. He's a guy who knows how to pitch with passion and energy. His numbers jump off the page."

Moya made his MLB debut in Tuesday's 16-0 win over the Padres, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Moya, 22, doesn't have top velocity, with a fastball ranging from 90-92 mph, but his strength is locating his pitches and mixing speeds. His best pitch is his changeup, and he also has a slider. He actually had better numbers against right-handers, holding them to a .121/.178/.156 line, while lefties hit .220/.292/.356 against him.

"He's just another option for us," Molitor said. "I'm not sure how we're going to find a spot for him yet exactly. We've got 14 choices down there. So, we'll see how it plays out, but congratulations to him being part of the big leagues here."

The decision to designate Vielma was a bit surprising, as the Twins view him as a plus defender at shortstop, but concerns about his offense intensified with a rough year at -A Rochester this season. Vielma hit .206/.233/.260 with no homers, 12 doubles and two triples in 87 games at Triple-A. There remains a chance he could remain in the organization if no other club claims him off waivers.

Worth noting • Third baseman Miguel Sano (left shin stress reaction) took early batting practice on the field before Tuesday's game against the Padres, but didn't participate in running drills after running on Monday. Molitor said Sano is inching closer to a return, but when asked if Sano was a week or so away, Molitor said there remains no timetable. Sano will meet with team doctors Tuesday night to get reexamined.

• The Twins have yet to name a starter for Thursday's series opener against the Blue Jays. Right-hander Jose Berrios could start on regular rest, or left-hander Adalberto Mejia could be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start.

Mining the Minors: Which Twins minor leaguers saw their stock rise in 2017? Jake Depue | ESPN 1500 | September 13, 2017

Way back in February, I wrote about five minor leaguers in the Twins’ system I found intriguing. The idea was to follow the progress of those five players as they worked their way to the big leagues.

In choosing the five prospects–, Stephen Gonsalves, Nick Burdi, Daniel Palka and Engelb Vielma—I tried to give weight not just to their prospect rating, but also their proximity to the majors and whether they possessed at least one elite tool. For example, Burdi (velocity), Palka (power) and Vielma (defense) each have a unique skillset that makes them worth tracking, even though none of them are among the top 20 prospects in the organization according to MLB.com.

Despite a number of prospects debuting with the Twins this season, none of the five in the above list made the big leagues this year. (Assessing 10 proximity to the majors is apparently not my strong suit). After a really strong start to the season, Nick Burdi tore his UCL and underwent surgery in late May. The other four, however, experienced varying degrees of success as they grinded their way through the minor league season. With their minor league seasons now over, let’s recap how each did, and whether their stock rose or fell over the course of the season.

Nick Gordon

Gordon had a phenomenal first three months of the season offensively. On July 1, he was slashing .308/.379/.481, and hit more home runs (6) during that time than he had in his first three professional seasons combined. Gordon was hitting for average and power, drawing walks, and doing it all as one of the youngest position players in the Southern League. His performance earned him a spot in the prospect-rich Futures Game, where he started at shortstop and hit leadoff. Gordon’s first three months of his age 20 season exceeded even the lofty expectations bestowed upon him, and it was easy to envision him slotting into the Twins’ lineup in 2018.

The last two months of the season were more of a struggle, as he slashed .219/.290/.313. His overall line, though, remains impressive. In 122 games, he hit .270/.341/.408 while setting career highs in doubles, triples, and home runs and leading Chattanooga to a 91-49 record. The uptick in power for Gordon was perhaps most encouraging, and as he continues to mature the power should keep going up. Offensively, he projects as a future top-of-the-lineup threat capable of putting up strong numbers in the big leagues.

The big question with Gordon is which position he’ll play once he gets to Minnesota. Gordon played shortstop almost all season (he started 14 games at 2B early in the year), and the reviews on his defense were mixed. He isn’t thought to have elite range, which makes it even more critical that he’s able to make the routine play. In 104 games at shortstop, he committed 19 errors, which is about in line with what he’s done throughout his career. To put that in context, Jorge Polanco has committed 17 errors in 110 games this year. Errors is a very flawed stat, of course, but the numbers do suggest that he hasn’t yet seen a large improvement in that area, which is concerning for someone who doesn’t possess huge range.

He is, of course, only 20. There’s plenty of time for Gordon to prove he’s an MLB-caliber defensive SS. If he can do that, his value to the Twins would be much higher than if he ultimately landed at 2B. Either way, though, Gordon’s had an outstanding year and projects as a future star. He’ll likely start 2018 as Rochester’s starting SS, perhaps knocking on the door of the big leagues by mid-season.

Stephen Gonsalves

Like Gordon, Gonsalves’ stock remained strong in 2017. After starting the season late due to a shoulder injury, he put up his typically great numbers at Double-A Chattanooga, with a 2.68 ERA, 1.031 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. Those numbers are similar to his career numbers, and help make him arguably the top pitching prospect in the organization.

Gonsalves was promoted to Rochester in mid-August, and I thought that may have been a sign the Twins were planning on adding him to the big league roster for the playoff push. When the Twins had an opening in their rotation in late August, there was talk of a promotion, but ultimately the Twins passed on him then, and in September call-ups. Had Gonsalves performed better with Rochester perhaps he would have gotten the nod, but he posted a 5.56 ERA in a small sample size there.

Last week, Derek Falvey talked about some of the factors that went into their evaluation of Gonsalves and fellow top pitching prospect Fernando Romero. Falvey said Gonsalves may have been suffering from a bit of late-season fatigue, and as one of the organization’s prized prospects, it’s easy to understand why they wanted to protect him.

Gonsalves, though, will certainly be in the mix for a rotation spot next spring. It’s probably more likely than not he starts in Rochester, but if he continues to do what he’s done throughout his career, he’ll be in Minnesota before long. As long as he stays healthy, he projects as a solid mid- rotation starter for a team that continues to search for starting pitching. Twins fans should be excited about his future.

Daniel Palka

Palka came into the year as a prospect on the rise, and I thought he’d almost certainly make his MLB debut this season, particularly after a blistering start at Rochester in which he mashed five home runs over his first 12 games. Palka has massive power, and with a career slugging percentage over .500 coming into the season, he seemed like a pretty good bet to contribute in the big leagues.

Unfortunately for Palka, a couple of factors slowed his progression. First, a fractured index finger caused him to miss nearly 2 months of the season. Second, left-handed hitting Eddie Rosario and stayed healthy and hit well all season, and fellow lefty Zack Granite tore up Triple-A. Ultimately, Palka didn’t even get a September call-up, which I was a little surprised by given he’s on the 40-man roster. 11

On the season, he finished with a .274/.330/.431 batting line.

There’s a lot more in the bat than he showed this year, and I think Palka will be a big-leaguer eventually. Whether that’s for the Twins, though, is an open question, as he plays a position in which the Twins are stacked. Don’t be shocked if he gets traded this offseason.

Engelb Vielma

Vielma was worth tracking this year because of his outstanding defense at shortstop. That’s an incredibly valuable skill, and if he could hit just enough to hold his own, I thought he could be a contributor off the bench in the big leagues. Unfortunately, he didn’t really hit, and his stock probably dropped this year. After a promising start to the season in Chattanooga, Vielma ended up hitting just .229/.273/.280 combined across Double-A and Triple-A. He’s still just 23, but given his lack of progress at the plate, it wouldn’t be shocking if he was taken off the 40-man in the offseason.

Other risers

Briefly, here are a few players that weren’t featured prominently in Mining the Minors whose stock rose this year:

Fernando Romero: Romero finished with good, not great, numbers for Chattanooga (3.53 ERA, 1.352 WHIP, 8.6 K/9), but he was outstanding most of the year, before fading late and being shutdown to protect his arm. Romero set a career high in innings as he came back from Tommy John surgery, and that number should go up next year. He’s a legit high-end pitching prospect with a very high ceiling.

Zack Littell: We all know win-loss record is basically meaningless, but including the playoffs, the 21-year-old Littell finished 20-1. That’s ridiculous, and his other numbers (2.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 8.1 K/9) suggest the Twins got a good return in the Jaime Garcia trade.

Gabriel Moya: Moya, acquired in the John Ryan Murphy trade, put up video game numbers at Double-A. Over 58.1 IP, he had a 0.77 ERA, 0.771 WHIP, 13.4 K/9 and notched 24 saves. The Twins called up Moya Tuesday.

LaMonte Wade: Wade is interesting because of his Robbie Grossman-like approach at the plate. The corner OF walked more often than he struck out while slashing .292/.397/.408. That performance earned him an invite to the Arizona Fall League in November.

Other notables: , , Tom Hackimer, Max Murphy, Jermaine Palacios, , , .

Zulgad: Brian Dozier’s frustration has proven to be a second-half hit for Twins Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | September 12, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – Brian Dozier’s frustration was understandable, but his decision to voice it seemed questionable.

The Twins had fallen five games behind Kansas City for the second American League wild card spot by July 31, when the brain trust of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to trade Jaime Garcia to the Yankees only six days after acquiring the veteran pitcher from Atlanta. At that point, the Twins had dropped six of seven.

“That’s frustrating within itself, to not go on a little run,” Dozier told the Star Tribune at the time. “A couple of games could have gone differently. We should be adding [players]. It’s frustrating. … I know all these guys feel the same way.”

Dozier, the Twins second baseman, made his comments before the Twins also shipped closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington in an apparent sign they were willing to wave the white flag on the 2017 season.

Dozier’s words carried less weight because he hadn’t done more. On July 31, he was hitting .247 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .438 slugging percentage. Coming off a season in which he had 42 home runs, Dozier had 17 homers and 52 RBIs in 96 games.

Less talk and more action was required if Dozier really wanted to have the impact of a leader.

To his credit, Dozier almost immediately began to back up his words. He hasn’t stopped.

Always solid at second base, Dozier entered Tuesday’s game against San Diego at Target Field having hit .284/.381/.561 with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs in 39 games since Aug. 1.

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Dozier improved on those numbers Tuesday by belting a 2-0 pitch from Padres starter Travis Wood to the opposite field for a lead off home run in what turned into a 16-0 rout of San Diego. Dozier’s eighth leadoff homer of the season was the first of seven home runs Tuesday by the Twins, establishing a Target Field record.

Dozier, who becomes the fifth Twin to hit 30 or more home runs in consecutive seasons, ended the evening 3-for-4, finishing a double short of . Dozier’s final a-bat came in the seventh inning when he was hit by a pitch from Padres reliever Cory Mazzoni right before Kennys Vargas blasted a majestic three-run homer to right field.

Dozier’s play is one reason the Twins are two games ahead of the for the second wild card spot.

Dozier, 30, spent last offseason having to hear his name floated in trade rumors on a near weekly basis as it was assumed that 2017 would be far more of a rebuild for the Twins than it has proven to be.

Coming off an incredible, power-filled second half, the assumption was that Dozier’s value never would be higher entering the third season of a reasonable four-year, $20 million that is paying $6 million in 2017 and will increase to $9 million in 2018.

Falvey and Levine, however, proved they weren’t going to trade Dozier simply for the sake of it and when they couldn’t get the to offer up more than righthanded pitching prospect Jose De Leon they pulled the veteran off the market. (The dealt second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers for De Leon, who has been on the disabled list three times his season.)

Given his contributions for a second consecutive second half, one has to wonder if this offseason Falvey and Levine will go from shopping Dozier to locking him up to a long-term extension.

The Twins set a new MLB record during another lopsided laugher Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | September 12, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins are the first team to hit a home run in each of the first 7 innings of a game in MLB history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

The Twins pulled that trick on Tuesday as part of a 16-0 route of the San Diego Padres, and almost everybody got in on the fun. The Twins on a recent homestand won a game 17-0, so with Tuesday’s victory they had to settle for the second-biggest blowout shutout of the season.

Here are the record-setting home runs from Tuesday:

1st inning – Brian Dozier 2nd inning – Jorge Polanco 3rd inning – Jason Castro 4th inning – Eddie Rosario 5th inning – Jason Castro 6th inning – Eduardo Escobar 7th inning – Kennys Vargas

Byron Buxton and Zach Granite each made a great catch at the wall in center field. Kyle Gibson pitched 6 shutout innings to continue his own personal renaissance. And Brian Dozier was a double shy of the cycle, when he was hit in his final plate appearance of the night before being lifted for a pinch runner.

The only real downside of the evening for the Twins was that the , the hottest team in baseball, won again to notch the 20th consecutive victory. So the Twins, in good position to make the postseason as an American League wild card team, are a staggering 13.5 games behind the Indians in the standings.

Still, Cleveland’s continued domination notwithstanding, it was a pretty good night at the ballpark for the Twins.

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Twins set Target Field record, mash 7 homers to rout Padres Associated Press | September 13, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS — Brian Dozier served notice last season when he hit 42 home runs. Miguel Sano showed his power this year at the All-Star Home Run Derby.

The rest of the Minnesota Twins are showing they can hit the ball over the fence as well.

Jason Castro homered twice, Dozier was a double from the cycle and Minnesota pounded the San Diego Padres 16-0 on Tuesday night.

The Twins hit a season-high seven home runs, setting a Target Field record for most homers in a game, to back another strong start from Kyle Gibson (10-10). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Twins set a major league record by homering in each of the first seven innings with Jorge Polanco, Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar and Kennys Vargas adding to the total.

“It’s fun. It’s loud. There wasn’t too many cheapies,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said of the record-setting streak. “We’ve had a nice season as far as power and the balance is spread out.”

Eight players have hit double-digit homers this season for the Twins, who maintained their hold on the second wild card spot in the American League. Castro’s two homers gave him nine this season.

Dozier led off the bottom of the first with his 30th of the season to the opposite field. He became the first second baseman since Dan Uggla from 2007-11 to reach 30 homers in consecutive seasons and just the fifth Minnesota player to do so.

“Hitting’s contagious,” Dozier said. “I know that’s kind of a boring answer for you, but it is. Especially nights like tonight when you kind of get a comfortable lead, everyone gets more comfortable in the box. You feed off one another. It was a good night.”

Minnesota’s surge back into contention after slipping in July has been driven by one of the league’s best offenses. The Twins are second in the majors in runs scored since the All-Star break and have averaged 6.15 runs per game since the start of August, despite Sano and his 28 home runs out of the lineup since Aug. 20.

Travis Wood (3-6) surrendered nine runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 innings for San Diego, which had won three of its past four games. Wood has given up 15 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings over his last four starts.

Padres Manager Andy Green withheld any decision on Wood’s future in the rotation.

“We’ll figure that out as we go,” Green said. “I don’t ever really talk about that postgame. Just evaluating the game today, it was the same thing it’s been; Down the middle mistakes. His margin for is clearly small, and they’re swinging the bats really well.”

GIBSON DOES HIS PART

The Twins scored 14 runs for Gibson in his start on Sept. 2 and he’s settled in with big leads. He gave up four runs and struck out six on Tuesday, and has allowed two runs or fewer in five straight starts.

BLOOD CLOT ENDS CAPPS’ SEASON

San Diego announced Tuesday that right-handed reliever Carter Capps suffered a blood clot, which will end his season. Capps had been feeling pain in his right side and went to a hospital in Minnesota on Monday night.

Green said he hopes Capps, who had a 6.57 ERA in 12 1/3 innings this season for the Padres, will be able to return for the 2018 season. Capps is unable to fly and will stay in Minnesota until he’s cleared to head back to San Diego.

The team selected the contract of right-hander Cory Mazzoni from Triple-A El Paso.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Jose Pirela was out of the lineup on Tuesday as he deals with a finger injury. Pirela was going to visit with a doctor locally for further testing with Green hoping he’ll be able to play Wednesday. 14

Twins: Sano (left shin stress reaction) participated in batting practice on the field on Tuesday. Molitor said Sano is “inching” closer to a return but there is still no timetable. Sano didn’t run on Tuesday after doing some running drills on Monday. Molitor said Sano could return before he’s able to play third base if he’s able to swing the bat.

UP NEXT

Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.45 ERA) starts Wednesday for Minnesota as the teams wrap up the two-game series. Santana pitched a shutout in San Diego on Aug. 2. The Padres start rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet (7-7, 4.32), who has a 2.55 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 53 innings through his last nine starts.

Twins to ‘host’ Indians in Puerto Rico next season FSN | September 12, 2017

The Minnesota Twins are headed to Puerto Rico.

MLB revealed next year’s schedule Tuesday, announcing that the Twins’ first home stand will conclude in Puerto Rico, where Minnesota will “host” the Cleveland Indians on April 17 and 18 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

The Twins will open the season on the road March 29 with a three-game series against the , followed by a two-game series against the .

They’ll return to Minneapolis on April 5 for their home opener, the start of a three-game series against the , then take on the and before heading to Puerto Rico.

Next year’s schedule features 20 interleague games, a slate of matchups that includes the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.

Padres make awful home run history while getting blown out 16-0 Chris Cwik |Yahoo! Sports| September 12, 2017

Everyone knew the San Diego Padres would be bad this season, but we didn’t expect them to discover historic ways to lose games. The team accomplished just that during Tuesday’s 16-0 blowout loss against the Minnesota Twins.

Padres allowed the Twins to hit at least one home run in each of the first seven innings, something that’s never happened before in the history of the game.

So … uh … yeah. We don’t know whether to call this a record, or just a historical event? It’s a fun fact, maybe? There are a lot of qualifiers there, though.

It’s just oddly specific. “The Padres became the first team in history to allow a home run in each of the first seven innings of a game.” Sounds awful wordy, doesn’t it?

Still, it’s fun to see something that has never happened before. And it also gives you an idea of how bad the Padres are this season. The performance actually tied a franchise record for most home runs allowed in a game.

If you’re looking for a positive, you can say the team got its act together in the eighth and ninth, at least?

You may also note that we could have gone with the positive “Twins set MLB record with seven home run in the first seven innings” as our headline, but we enjoy feeding into those of you who crave negativity. That, and the Padres haven’t exactly found a lot of ways to get themselves in the headlines this season.

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Twins Designate Engelb Vielma For Assignment Steve Adams | MLB Trade Rumors | September 12, 2017

The Twins announced today that they’ve selected the contract of left-handed reliever Gabriel Moya from Double-A Chattanooga and designated minor league shortstop Engelb Vielma for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Vielma, 23, was added to the 40-man roster last offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft despite a lack of offensive track record in the Majors. The Venezuelan native has drawn praise for defensive abilities in the past, though Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote last offseason that he may not have enough bat to even profile as a utility option. rated him 25th among Minnesota prospects in the offseason, calling him the system’s best pure shortstop but expressing similar concerns about his offense.

Minnesota put him on the 40-man last offseason after he hit .265/.344/.310 between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, but he’s taken a step back from even that modest level of output in 2017. This year, Vielma split the season between Double-A and Triple-A, where he batted .229/.273/.280 through 455 plate appearances.

The 22-year-old Moya has posted video-game numbers in Double-A this year, working to a combined 0.77 ERA with 13.4 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 with a ground-ball rate of about 41 percent through 58 1/3 innings between two organizations. Acquired from Arizona in late July for catcher John Ryan Murphy, Moya would have been added to the 40-man this winter as well, so this move will just give Minnesota an earlier chance to evaluate him for a future role.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Arano, Moya Steve Adams | MLB Trade Rumors | September 12, 2017

A couple of 40-man additions to kick things off Tuesday morning…

The Phillies will add not only Henderson Alvarez to the 40-man roster — as was reported yesterday — but also right-hander Victor Arano, according to CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury ( link). The hard-throwing 22-year-old, who ranks 27th on MLB.com’s list of the Phillies’ top 30 prospects, spent the season pitching against older competition with Double-A Reading and posted a 4.19 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 38.9 percent ground-ball rate. MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo note in their free report on him that a move to the bullpen in 2017 and a focus on his slider as his primary breaking pitch have both allowed Arano’s stuff to play up in the bullpen. Arano needed to be added to the 40- man this winter anyhow in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so the Phils will add him a bit earlier and take a few looks at him against MLB pitching down the stretch. He opened the year with an arm injury — reportedly a sprained UCL — but made his way back to toss 38 2/3 innings this season.

The Twins look set to add lefty reliever Gabriel Moya to their 40-man roster. Venezuelan journalist Dessiree Castro tweeted that Moya was promoted to the Majors, and Moya’s former pitching coach in the D-backs’ minor league system did the same. Moya rated at the back-end of the Twins’ top 30 at MLB.com before the trades of Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler added a couple of new names to that list. The 22-year-old has posted video-game numbers in Double-A this year, working to a combined 0.77 ERA with 13.4 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 with a ground-ball rate of about 41 percent through 58 1/3 innings. Acquired from Arizona in late July for catcher John Ryan Murphy, Moya would have been added to the 40-man this winter as well, so this move will just give Minnesota an earlier chance to evaluate him for a future role.

The Twins hit 7 home runs in the first 7 innings against the Padres Whitney McIntosh | SB Nation | September 12, 2017

The Twins bludgeoned the Padres by a score of 16-0 on Tuesday, but it’s not the score that is amazing about this game. It’s how the Twins racked up those 16 runs.

Minnesota hit a home run in every inning for the first seven innings of the game, becoming the first team in baseball history to do so. Before this game, no team had ever even hit a home run in each of the first six innings of a game.

The feat also means that the Padres pitchers have tied their own franchise record for most home runs given up in a single game.

Through the seventh inning, the Twins were also aiming to set a franchise record of their own by scoring in every inning of a game. Unfortunately, they failed to score in the eighth inning, so the record was not to be.

Twins home runs were courtesy of, in order, Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco, Jason Castro, Eddie Rosario, Castro again, Eduardo Escobar, and 16

Kennys Vargas.

Kennys Vargas was really enjoying the offensive output in the dugout.

Good times were had by all! Except maybe ... OK definitely ... the Padres’ pitching staff.

Elizabethton, Minnesota Twins one step closer to finalizing five-year agreement Jordan Moore | WJHL News| September 12, 2017

ELIZABETHTON, TN (WJHL)- After ongoing negotiations with the Minnesota Twins, the city of Elizabethton is one step closer to finalizing a five year Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, in order to keep the minor league team in town.

Later this week, city council members will vote on the five year deal.

The MOU outlines upgrades to the facilities, and more specifically the clubhouse.

Recently, the Elizabethton City Council decided to fund a $1.5 million makeover for the clubhouse.

The upgrade requests are part of ongoing negotiation between the Minnesota Twins CEO and Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander. In an email the Mayor shared with us back in June, the Twins CEO outlined specific facility requirements that would keep the team in Elizabethton.

According to the memorandum, the construction for renovations at Joe O’Brien field must begin no later than January 3, 2018.

The document also states that the renovations must be complete and ready for use by the for the first home game of the 2018 baseball season.

Mayor of Elizabethton, Curt Alexander, said this is just to finalize an agreement that the two have been working toward for a couple of years.

Alexander also said that they hope money will be left over in the renovation budget in order to make other improvements.

“There’s things that need to be done to increase the fan attendance, and the only way to do that is to make it nicer, more enjoyable, and more things for fans to do,” Alexander said.

The Elizabethton City Council is scheduled to meet Thursday at 6pm in city hall.

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