Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

 Hicks homers twice, takes one away as Twins top White Sox. StarTribune.com (Neal) pg. 1  Dozier is the lastest Twins leadoff man to struggle. StarTribune.com (Neal) pg. 2  Monday’s Twins-White Sox game recap. StarTribune.com (Neal) pg. 3  Twins open a three-game series against the White Sox. StarTribune.com (Neal) pg. 4  Shooter Now: ’ Tom Kelly turns horse trader. PioneerPress.com (Walters) pg. 5  Minnesota Twins: MRI scheduled for Tim Wood. PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 5  Minnesota Twins to turn back the clock in May 30 game. PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 5  Twins 10, White Sox 3: Aaron Hicks stars with his bat and glove.PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 6  Minnesota Twins’ Aaron Hicks does everything right … almost. PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 6  Minnesota Twins climb to 19th in latest power rankings. PioneerPress.com (Rogers) pg. 8  Twinsights: Minnesota Twins get ready to, uh, hit. PioneerPress.com (Berardino) pg. 9  Hicks’ huge night propels Twins past rival White Sox. MLB.com (Bollinger) pg. 11  Aaron Hicks’ bat, glove carry Twins past White Sox. ESPN.com (AP) pg. 12  Pitchers take early BP, with focus on bunting. Twinsbaseball.com (Bollinger) pg. 13  Twins unveil throwback jerseys for May 30 game. Twinsbaseball.com (Bollinger) pg. 13  Florimon, Hicks feeling better, return to lineup. Twinsbaseball.com (Bollinger) pg. 14  On a roll, Twins aim to keep White Sox reeling. MLB.com (Casella) pg. 14  Warne: Would Twins lock up a young standout? It has happened before. 1500ESPN.com (Warne) pg. 15  Twins Monday: Pitchers prepare for trip to Atlanta. FoxSportsNorth.com (Mason) pg. 17  Twins turn the tables on White Sox. FoxSportsNorth.com (AP) pg. 17  Hicks wows in first multi-hit game of career. FoxSportsNorth.com (Mason) pg. 18  Arcia’s aggressive approach, confidence belies youth. FoxSportsNorth.com (Mason) pg. 19  Correia looks to get it going against White Sox. FoxSportsNorth.com (AP) pg. 21  Minnesota Twins rookie Aaron Hicks steals Adam Dunn homer, goes deep twice himself. Yahoo! Sports (Brown) pg. 22

Hicks homers twice, takes one away as Twins top White Sox

La Velle E. Neal III / StarTribune.com – 5/14/13

In the midst of a night that possibly could turn his rookie season around, Aaron Hicks still made mistakes on Monday.

He reached over the center field fence in the sixth and snatched a potential game-tying home by Adam Dunn to end the inning. Hicks ran to the dugout, high-fiving teammates along the way — and flipped the into the stands. The Twins had to retrieve his first home- run robbery.

Then Hicks capped the night with a solo into the in the bottom of the inning — his second homer of the game. Twins players tried to get him to oblige fans with a curtain call. The next batter, Pedro Florimon, had popped out before Hicks popped out of the dugout to salute the Target Field crowd.

~ 1 ~

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire joked he is going to fine Hicks for poor execution of a curtain call.

What are they going to do with this guy?

“I’m new to this,” Hicks reasoned.

The Twins socked it to the Chicago White Sox 10-3 on Monday night, but it will be known more for the game in which Hicks, their first-round draft pick in 2008, came alive.

His first multi-homer game was also his first multi-hit game as a major leaguer. He is the youngest Twin (23 years, 223 days) to have a multihomer game since Justin Morneau (23 years, 89 days) in 2004. And his catch was a momentum-stopper for Chicago.

He was doused with by and Eduardo Escobar while being interviewed by FSN after the game, before Wilkin Ramirez smashed him in the face with a shaving cream pie.

“I’ve just been battling every day,” Hicks said. “That’s the thing you have to do in this league, and I just made some plays today and had some fun.”

The Twins fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but scored four runs in the third, thanks in part to a big error by White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Plouffe’s two-run was the key hit.

Hicks’ first home run of the night came the next inning, on a 1-2 fastball from White Sox lefthander Hector Santiago (1-2) and traveled an estimated 416 feet to center field.

Chicago cut the lead to 5-3 in the sixth. Josh Roenicke replaced starter Pablo Hernandez (2-0) and struck out Dayan Viciedo with a runner on third. But Adam Dunn rocked a 1-1 pitch to center that appeared to be a sure home run.

Hicks raced back and to his right, turned and rose at the fence. Most of his forearm cleared the 8-foot wall as he made the catch, then tumbled to the ground.

“I saw Hicks go back, saw him catch it, and I threw my hand up in the air,” Roenicke said. “Once of the best catches I’ve been around, especially the time of the game, game-tying, saved the game.”

Hicks added his second homer of the game in the sixth, giving the Twins a 6-3 lead. The Twins added four runs in the eighth — three on a double by Morneau.

The Twins only talked about Hicks’ smile after the game. He smiled after making the catch, during the curtain call and even during the Gatorade shower. He is batting only .152 in his rookie season but they saw the weight come off his shoulders.

“That was fun for everyone involved,” Gardenhire said, “because we have all watched him battle this thing and fight through an awful lot and the struggles he’s been going through.’’

Dozier is the latest Twins leadoff man to struggle

La Velle E. Neal III / StarTribune.com – 5/14/13

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are on hitting streaks. Ryan Doumit has hit three home runs in the past week.

With key hitters coming around — has yet to heat up this season — the Twins could use more production from the leadoff spot. But they continue to miss what and gave them last year before they were traded during the offseason.

Twins leadoff hitters entered Monday with the worst batting average (.193) and on-base percentage (.238) in the majors. Aaron Hicks, who hit his second homer of the season Monday night, struggled there for several weeks before being moved in the order, and now Brian Dozier and his .226 average is there.

~ 2 ~

“We just need our leadoff guy to get on base and keep the ball out of the air and give yourself a chance,” manager Ron Gardenhire said.

And Dozier opened the first inning with a fly out to medium deep right field, which is what Gardenhire doesn’t want to see.

“He is trying to keep the ball out of the air,” Gardenhire said. “He’s definitely trying to do that but it has to happen on the field more than anything else. He just has to go out there and figure out a way to cover the ball a little bit more.”

The Twins are short on leadoff options. It’s up to Dozier to figure things out, or Hicks to heat up.

Or Mauer to be cloned and bat first and second.

Hendriks on DL

Righthander Liam Hendriks, trying to pitch his way back to the major leagues, has landed on the disabled list at Class AAA Rochester because of a sore elbow. A magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no structural damage.

“They looked at it and it seems to be OK,” Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. “It’s just a sore elbow. So he’s not going to throw for a few days and then we will ramp him back up.”

On Thursday, Hendriks gave up six runs and 11 hits over five . It dropped him to 1-4 with a 5.21 ERA. On Sunday, he landed on the DL.

Hendriks opened the season with the Twins but was sent down after two starts, going 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA. That put his major league numbers in 22 career starts at 1-11 with a 5.63 ERA.

Etc.

• Mauer, Dozier, , Trevor Plouffe and Pedro Florimon on Monday modeled the throwback uniforms and gear the Twins will wear May 30 when they play host to the Brewers in a turn-back-the-clock game. The Twins will wear jerseys from the 1948 St. Paul Saints of the American Association. The Brewers were in the same league at the time; didn’t have a team in either state until the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953. The Braves left after the 1965 season. The Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee in 1970, becoming the Brewers.

• Former Gophers center and new Lynx player Janel McCarville threw out the first pitch before Monday’s game.

• Hicks returned to the starting lineup after sitting out two games because of a sore elbow.

• White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, batting only .214 with four homers and 16 RBI, was given Monday off. He is a career .280 hitter with 48 home runs against the Twins.

Monday’s Twins-White Sox game recap

La Velle E. Neal III / StarTribune.com – 5/14/13

GAME RECAP

Impact player

Aaron Hicks, Twins

He hit two home runs and stole a potential game-tying home run from Adam Dunn in the sixth inning.

BY THE NUMBERS

12 Consecutive games with a hit for .

~ 3 ~

19 RBI for Justin Morneau in his past 15 games.

.857 Batting average for Morneau with the bases loaded this season.

On Deck

In five career starts at Target Field, White Sox righthander is 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA.

Twins open a three-game series against the White Sox

La Velle E. Neal III / StarTribune.com – 5/13/13

The rain has ended, the tarp is off and players are on the field for early work before the Twins play host to the White Sox.

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau enter the series on fire. Mauer has a 11-game hitting streak and is on pace to hit 71 doubles (which would be a MLB record). Morneau is batting .345 over his last 14 games with 15 RBI. His 13 RBI this month leads MLB. If both those guys are hitting, the Twins offense usually purrs (except when Wei-Yin Chen is pitching.

Good thing the Twins are missing lefthander Chris Sale this week. The kid pitched a one-hit shutout against the Angels last night, taking a perfect game into the seventh.

In the, you-can't-make-this-up department, the Twins have a giveaway tomorrow night - blankets. It just so happens that the high is supposed to hit 90 degrees, by far the warmest day of the year!

Aaron Hicks, who missed a couple games with a sore elbow, is back in the lineup.

Pedro Florimon, who missed the Orioles series with a sore hamstring, also is back.

White Sox infielder Jeff Keppinger has not drawn a walk in 125 plate appearances this season.

Will be back later with updates!

White Sox (15-20)

1. Alejandro De Aza, CF 2. Alexei Ramirez, SS 3. Alex Rios, RF 4. Dayan Viciedo, DH 5. Adam Dunn, 1B 6. Jeff Keppinger, 3B 7. Casper Wells, LF 8. Tyler Flowers, C 9. Tyler Greene, 2B

Pitching: RHP Hector Santiago

Twins (17-17)

1. Brian Dozier, 2B 2. Joe Mauer, C 3. Josh Willingham, LF 4. Justin Morneau, 1B 5. Ryan Doumit, DH 6. Trevor Plouffe, 3B 7. Oswaldo Arcia, RF 8. Aaron Hicks, CF 9. Pedro Florimon, SS ~ 4 ~

Pitching: LHP Pedro Hernandez Shooter Now: Minnesota Twins’ Tom Kelly turns horse trader

Charley Walters / PioneerPress.com – 5/13/13

When the Twins retired Tom Kelly's No. 10 jersey in a ceremony last year at Target Field, the club presented the horse racing aficionado an all-expenses-paid trip to the Kentucky Derby.

Kelly, who managed the Twins to championships in 1987 and 1991, didn't make the excursion to Churchill Downs early this month, though. He traded it for a trip to the Breeders Crown standardbred harness race that will be held in October at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

"I did the switcheroo," Kelly said.

Kelly, a special assistant to general manager Terry Ryan, will do five pregame and postgame TV appearances each for the Twins this season, as well as five appearances as TV analyst.

Minnesota Twins: MRI scheduled for Tim Wood

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 5/13/13

Twins right-hander Tim Wood will undergo an MRI on his throwing shoulder Wednesday in Rochester, N.Y., where he had been pitching for the -A Red Wings.

Signed to a big-league deal this winter, Wood saw a team doctor Friday after reporting soreness near the front of his right shoulder. Wood, 30, opened the year on the disabled list after suffering a minor strain in his rotator cuff near the end of .

Wood, who is out of minor league options, is approaching the end of his 30-day rehab assignment, which also happens to be Wednesday. Once Wood is ready to pitch again, the Twins could petition the commissioner's office to reset the 30-day rehab clock.

Coming off a stretch of 44 combined saves for Triple-A Indianapolis the last two years, Wood has posted an 8.68 ERA in nine combined rehab outings between Class A Fort Myers and Rochester. Wood has allowed 14 hits and six walks while striking out nine.

He was touching 95 mph with his fastball before the latest setback.

Minnesota Twins to turn back the clock in May 30 game

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 5/13/13

St. Paul's baseball heritage will be honored May 30 when the Twins wear throwback uniforms for a "Turn Back the Clock" game against the .

Before Monday's game, Twins Glen Perkins and closer Joe Mauer modeled the throwback uniforms of the 1948 St. Paul Saints, for whom hall of fame catcher Roy Campanella became the first African-American to play in the American Association.

Campanella played 35 games for the Saints, hitting .325 to earn a promotion to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Hall of famer , a St. Paul native and product, will take photographs with fans on Target Plaza from 5:15 to 6 p.m. Molitor also will catch the ceremonial first pitch from his former coach, Billy Pederson.

~ 5 ~

In addition, Bob Klepperich, current manager of Midway Stadium, will raise the Twins Territory team flag. Klepperich worked at Lexington Park, home of the original Saints, in the 1950s.

The first 20,000 fans will receive a St. Paul Saints pennant.

Briefly

Right-hander Liam Hendriks (sore elbow) was placed on the seven-day disabled list at Triple-A Rochester. He has been examined by team doctors and the issue is considered minor. "He seems to be OK," Twins GM Terry Ryan said.

Twins 10, White Sox 3: Aaron Hicks stars with his bat and glove

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 5/13/13

RECAP: Rookie Aaron Hicks delighted the Target Field crowd with the first two-homer game of his young career. Hicks, who missed the previous two games with a hyperextended right elbow, added a leaping catch at the wall to rob Adam Dunn of a potential game- tying home run in the sixth. Trevor Plouffe put the Twins ahead to stay with a two-run double in a four-run third. Lefty starter Pedro Hernandez picked up his second big-league victory, recovering from a terrible start to retire 10 straight during one stretch. Justin Morneau drove in four runs, including a bases-clearing double in the eighth.

MEANING: After going 6-22 against the White Sox in the teams' 28 previous meetings, the Twins have opened this year's series with three straight wins, including a two-game mini-sweep in Chicago on April 20-21.

ETC.: Joe Mauer extended his season-best hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning . The Twins were facing a lefty starter for just the sixth time this season. They are 3-3 in those games.

UP NEXT: vs. White Sox, 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, FSN, KTWN-FM 96.3.

Minnesota Twins’ Aaron Hicks does everything right … almost

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 5/14/13

It would not be accurate to say Aaron Hicks did everything right on the first two-homer night of his big-league career.

True, Hicks' Monday night included a highlight-reel catch to rob Adam Dunn of a potential game-tying clout in what became a 10-3 Twins rout of the Chicago White Sox.

However, the rookie center fielder also botched his first curtain call.

Badly.

A crowd of 25,605 at Target Field stood and saluted Hicks' second homer off left-hander Hector Santiago with sustained applause. Yet, as Pedro Florimon batted with one out in the sixth, there was no sign of Hicks.

"I heard them, but it's my first one, so I don't really know," Hicks said. "(Justin Morneau) and those guys were telling me, 'Hey, man, these don't come that often.' "

Hicks grabbed his batting helmet and headed for the steps at the far end of the dugout.

No, he was told, wrong ones.

~ 6 ~

So while Florimon shrugged, got back in the box and ended up fouling out to first, the Education of Aaron Hicks added another chapter.

"Normally you do a curtain call before they get an out," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't think he really knew which way to go. Everybody was screaming at him in the dugout, and he was kind of going up and down. He was stuck in the middle. "

Finally, at long last, Hicks ran up the steps closest to home plate and waved his helmet with his left hand in baseball's time-honored tradition.

The crowd roared once more after witnessing homers that traveled a combined 828 feet.

"I kind of had to wait," Hicks said. "Then I went out and got it."

A few minutes earlier, Hicks had unwittingly tossed Dunn's ball into the stands behind the Twins' dugout before teammates informed him of his mistake.

"I didn't know," Hicks said. "I figured it was just another out. I'm new to this."

A team employee was dispatched to retrieve the ball from the leaping catch, one Gardenhire put up there with any previous wall grabs crafted by this franchise's pantheon of defensive magicians.

Kirby Puckett. . Denard Span. Ben Revere.

To that sentence, after Monday night, you can add Hicks' name.

"Spectacular," Gardenhire said.

Remarkably, Hicks said it was the first time he had ever robbed someone of a homer -- at any level.

It's not even a play that gets practiced much, although he and some other Twins spent some time in Kansas City goofing around with it during batting practice a week into the season.

"Torii's my favorite player and he does it all the time, it seems like," Hicks said. "Just to be put in that category feels amazing."

Gaps in protocol aside, Hicks' entire night felt that way, right up to and including the Gatorade bath he received from teammates Trevor Plouffe and Eduardo Escobar while conducting an on-field TV interview with Fox Sports North after the game.

Next, here came Wilkin Ramirez with the shaving-cream pie in the face, and the memorable night was complete.

Not bad for a player who had missed the previous two games because of a hyperextended right elbow and was lugging around a .137 batting average.

Entering Monday's play, Hicks' anemic of .216 was second-worst in the majors among 174 qualifiers. Only White Sox infielder Jeff Keppinger (.203) was worse.

"That's a special night," Gardenhire said. "That was fun for everybody involved because we've all watched him battle this thing and fight through an awful lot and the struggles he's been going through. To see him get up, especially on the curtain call, that's kind of why we do this as coaches."

Even if, as Hicks' hesitation showed, there is more teaching to do.

~ 7 ~

"If you're fortunate enough to get a curtain call in the big leagues, no matter when it happens, it's worth it," Gardenhire said. "But he did hold it for a long time. He might get fined for that."

Minnesota Twins climb to 19th in latest power rankings

Phil Rogers / PioneerPress.com – 5/14/13

Last week's ranking in parentheses

1. Rangers (1): It's safe to say that Ron Washington's hitters enjoyed their weekend in Houston -- 24 runs overall and three homers in every game. Their assault on Philip Humber Saturday was vicious.

2. Cardinals (3): Shelby Miller and Adam Wainwright completely overmatched the Rockies' lineup, and that's no easy feat. The rotation entered the weekend with a 2.25 ERA, the best in the majors.

3. Giants (4): Impressive in winning 3 of 4 from the Braves. Matt Cain is pointed in the right direction.

4. Tigers (2): How will Jose Valverde bounce back from a blown on Sunday?

5. Reds (6): Shin-Soo Choo leads the NL in OBP (.451) and runs (29).

6. Orioles (8): Quietly won seven of their last eight series.

7. Braves (5): Kris Medlen isn't living up to the hype generated by his ultra-strong finish to 2012. He had five walks and one at San Francisco on Sunday.

8. Nationals (7): Lineup has been disappointing so far. The Nats enter the week with a .671 OPS, better than only the Marlins among the 15 NL teams.

9. Yankees (12): Vernon Wells keeps hitting timely home runs.

10. Rays (14): Sweep over the Padres got Joe Maddon's team over .500, ending a climb that started after a 4-9 stumble out of the gate.

11. Indians (17): Great week for Terry Francona's team included four-game sweep of the A's and series win at Detroit, with a Saturday victory over Justin Verlander.

12. Pirates (15): Rookie second baseman Jordy Mercer has been more productive than Neil Walker, who is returning from the DL.

13. Red Sox (9): Suddenly the starting rotation doesn't look nearly as deep. The 3.64 rotation ERA ranks fourth in the AL, behind the Tigers, Rangers and White Sox.

14. Diamondbacks (16): Brandon McCarthy remains winless after eight starts, with Heath Bell costing him a victory after eight scoreless innings against the Phillies.

15. Rockies (13): Should be happy to see the Cubs after playing the Cardinals, Yankees and Rays in their last three series.

16. Royals (10): Lost six of seven last week, including a sweep by the Yankees in Kansas City. The lineup hasn't been making much happen, with only and Lorenzo Cain consistently doing much to produce runs. and Chris Getz have on-base percentages in automatic-out territory.

~ 8 ~

17. A's (11): These guys aren't supposed to lose with Yoenis Cespedes in the lineup. But they won only six of the first 14 games after he was activated April 28.

18. Phillies (18): Jimmy Rollins and Ben Revere have been non-factors for a lineup that was counting on them.

19. Twins (21): One of the steadiest teams in the majors, if not the steadiest. They've had winning and losing streaks of five games but have been within three games of .500 all season.

20. Mariners (22): Is Jesus Montero a wasted asset? The Mariners are likely to try to deal him at the deadline with catcher Mike Zunino slugging .457 and driving in runs in Triple-A.

21. Dodgers (20): Tony La Russa isn't looking to get back into managing and the Angels don't want to fire Mike Scioscia just so he can move to Chavez Ravine the next day. That could be all that saves Don Mattingly. Matt Kemp could do a lot for the cause if he started hitting for power, however.

22. Brewers (19): Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura entered the week ranked 1-2 in the NL batting race. Miller Park is one great place to hit.

23. White Sox (23): The hottest hitter with Triple-A Charlotte is catcher Josh Phegley, and he doesn't seem a likely way to pick up the sputtering lineup.

24. Angels (25): It is just a matter of time until they start winning more. Isn't it?

25. Blue Jays (28): Mark Buehrle out-pitched Clay Buchholz on Saturday but lost his win because of John Gibbons' quick hook and Darren Oliver's blown save.

26. Mets (24): Free agent addition Shaun Marcum remains winless.

27. Padres (26): Back-to-back blown saves at Tropicana Field ruined what could have been a very good week for Bud Black's team.

28. Cubs (29): With five starters doing solid work, Dale Sveum could face a tough decision once is ready to rejoin the rotation. Theo Epstein wants Garza back as soon as possible, giving time to evaluate whether to deal him at the July 31 deadline or consider signing him to an extension. The price of that extension would seem to have dropped considerably due to Garza's series of injuries.

29. Marlins (27): is looking like a guy who could be in demand at the trade deadline.

30. Astros (30): Sad to see Philip Humber taken off their roster but hard to argue given his 0-8 record and 9.59 ERA. Since throwing his perfect game in Seattle last April, Humber is 4-13 with an 8.10 ERA over 123 1-3 innings, including 21 starts. The movie rights on his life might be valuable one day, as he's going to be an intriguing figure in baseball history.

Twinsights: Minnesota Twins pitchers get ready to, uh, hit

Mike Berardino / PioneerPress.com – 5/13/13

A few pregame Twinsights before Monday night’s home game between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox:

We have reached the point in the season when a little comic relief is in order.

Cue early pitchers’ batting practice.

With the Twins’ next road trip including stops in a pair of National League cities, Atlanta (May 20-22) and Milwaukee (May 27-28), it’s time to get those slumbering bats warmed up and ready for action. ~ 9 ~

As I write this, Vance Worley is being swarmed by a pair of local television crews. The people asking the questions have big smiles on their faces, as does Worley.

You might assume the Twins will be just fine having raided the NL this offseason for three new members of their revamped starting rotation. The numbers — and the eye test — tell a different story.

Worley, who is slated to start in both NL cities, is the proud owner of a .153 career big-league batting average. He is 13 for 85, all accomplished with the Phillies the past three seasons.

Worley has driven in seven runs, walked once and struck out 30 times. More importantly, he has dropped nine sacrifice bunts.

In the minors, he hit .115, but that included a pair of home runs for Double-A Reading.

Fellow RHP Kevin Correia leads the current Twins rotation with 276 career big-league at-bats. He has 32 hits in that span for a .116 batting average and 12 RBIs.

Unfortunately, he also has 116 against 11 walks (more than a 10-1 ratio). He wasn’t much better in the minors, hitting .128 in 39 at-bats.

At least Correia has 41 sacrifice bunts on his resume, easily the most among current Twins starters.

Mike Pelfrey, the other starter bought over from the NL, probably looked the best in the batting cage today, sending a handful of soft liners into the outfield grass. Pelfrey is a career .098 hitter (26 for 264) in the majors with 13 RBIs and five doubles.

His on-base percentage is a robust .146, four points lower than Correia’s and 17 points lower than Worley’s staff-leading figure.

Pelfrey has struck out 70 times and drawn 13 walks. He has dropped 24 sacrifice bunts.

Other data on pitchers who could hit as early as next Monday:

Scott Diamond, who could pitch the back end of a two-game series in Milwaukee, has yet to hit in the majors, but did hit .125 (5 for 40) with three RBIs and three sac bunts as a Braves and Twins farmhand. He had a double at Double-A Mississippi … in 2010.

Josh Roenicke, the ex-Red and ex-Rockie, is 1 for 12 (.083) in the bigs with no walks and six strikeouts. He was hit by a pitch — once.

Anthony Swarzak (0 for 4), Jared Burton (0 for 2) and Glen Perkins (0 for 4) have yet to scratch out a big-league knock.

LHP Pedro Hernandez, who isn’t currently scheduled to hit in an NL city on this trip, hit .133 (2 for 15) in the minors with a double for Double- A San Antonio in 2011.

OK, I think that’s enough on pitchers “hitting,” don’t you agree?

Until one of them either wins or loses a game with his bat, which is entirely possible.

~ 10 ~

Hicks’ huge night propels Twins past rival White Sox

Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com – 5/14/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- Through 30 career games, Aaron Hicks never had a multihit game, let alone a multihomer game.

The 23-year-old rookie entered Monday's game against the White Sox hitting just .137 with one homer and had missed the previous two games after hyperextending his right elbow.

But Hicks came through in a big way and had his best game as a big leaguer, homering twice and robbing what would've been a game-tying home run with a leaping catch in center field, helping lead the Twins to a 10-3 win over the White Sox on Monday night at Target Field.

"That was a special night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The home runs were wonderful and that catch was spectacular in a big situation like that to keep the lead. He definitely had an ear-to-ear smile and that was fun for everybody involved, because we've all watched him battle through this thing with the struggles he's gone through. Especially with that curtain call, that's kind of why we do this as coaches."

Hicks, batting from the right side of the plate, connected on his two solo shots off White Sox left-hander Hector Santiago.

His first blast came in the fourth inning on a deep drive to straightaway center for his second career homer and his first since May 4.

But it was overshadowed by his spectacular leaping catch to rob Adam Dunn of a two-run shot in center to end the top of the sixth. Hicks came off the field to a standing ovation from the Target Field crowd, as the catch robbed Dunn of what would've been a game-tying blast off reliever Josh Roenicke.

"He hit it good and sometimes you watch the guy and his reaction to see if he got it, and the way he came out of the box, it looked like he thought he got it," Twins first baseman Justin Morneau said. "And then I saw Hicksie going back and I thought, 'Maybe' and then he jumped, I was just like, 'Hmm,' and there was that pause where everybody in the stadium wasn't sure if he caught or not. And then he jumped up with a big smile on his face, so that was cool."

And in his next at-bat in the bottom of the sixth, Hicks crushed a solo homer to left-center to knock Santiago from the game. Hicks, who registered his first career multihit and multihomer game, came out for a curtain call after his second homer.

"Right after the catch, I just felt loose and amazing, so for the second one to come right after just topped it off," Hicks said. "I've just been battling every day. It's what you have to do in this league. I was able to make some plays today and have fun."

His impressive night backed left-hander Pedro Hernandez, who made his first start against his former team since being traded from the White Sox last July in the deal that sent to Chicago.

Hernandez struggled early, giving up three consecutive hits to open the game, including an RBI double from Alex Rios, as the White Sox built an early 2-0 lead. But Hernandez settled down from there and didn't allow another run until the sixth, on an RBI groundout from Rios after Alejandro De Aza singled and Alexei Ramirez doubled.

"In the first inning, I wasn't hitting my spots and after that, I tried to get the ball down low," said Hernandez, who gave up three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings to get the win. "I got into the flow of the game and went from there."

The Twins used a four-run third against Santiago to take the lead after Hernandez settled in. Justin Morneau brought in the first run on a bases-loaded error from Ramirez at shortstop before Ryan Doumit added a sac fly and Plouffe roped a two-run double.

"I did what I felt like I could," Santiago said. "I had a few pitches that I felt could have been better, left a few in the zone. It was one of those games. You make some pitches and try to get out of stuff and it just went the opposite way."

Minnesota tacked on insurance runs with Hicks' homers and a four-run eighth, highlighted by Morneau's three-run double. Roenicke, Jared Burton and Casey Fein combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the win.

~ 11 ~

Morneau extended his hit streak to nine games by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, but acknowledged it was Hicks' night to remember.

"We don't need him to be Superman," Morneau said. "We just need him to be Aaron Hicks and that's good enough for us. He's capable of being a Major League Baseball player. He doesn't need to be a superstar as soon as he gets here. He just needs to keep working hard and keep trying to get better and he's doing that. I think he's got a lot of good days ahead of him."

Aaron Hicks’ bat, glove carry Twins past White Sox

AP / ESPN.com – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- Ron Gardenhire has seen center fielders like , Torii Hunter and Ben Revere make some spectacular catches during his time coaching and managing the Minnesota Twins.

After Monday night, he's adding Aaron Hicks to the list.

Hicks hit two home runs and made a leaping catch in center field to take a home run away from Adam Dunn in the Twins' 10-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.

"We've definitely had our share of great ones here and that ranks right up there," Gardenhire said. "That catch is going to rank right up there, especially the moment he caught the ball. A big moment, a big play."

Justin Morneau extended his hitting streak to nine games with three hits and four RBIs, including a bases-clearing double that capped the scoring in the eighth.

Hicks, who missed the previous two games due to a sore right elbow, led off the fourth inning with a 416-foot solo homer that bounced in front of the black batter's eye in center field and gave the Twins a 5-2 lead.

With a runner on third and the Twins holding a 5-3 lead in the sixth, Dunn drove a pitch from reliever Josh Roenicke deep to center that appeared to be headed for the same spot Hicks' blast landed. However, the Twins' rookie sprinted back, leaped high, and caught the ball above the wall, falling to the ground and grinning as he opened his glove to show the ball to the umpire.

After getting congratulated by teammates jogging off the field, Hicks hit his second home run in the bottom of the sixth, this one landing in the bullpen in left-center.

"Right after the catch I felt amazing, I felt loose. To hit that one, it just capped it off," Hicks said.

Fans at Target Field stood and cheered for a curtain call, and Hicks finally obliged after Pedro Florimon popped out.

"I heard `em, but it's my first one so I don't really know," said Hicks, whose teammates doused him with Gatorade and shaving cream after the game. "Morneau's saying, `Hey these don't happen that often.' Florimon ended up popping out, so I had to kind of wait. Then I went out and got it."

Dunn and Hicks entered the game tied for the lowest batting average in baseball (.137) among qualifiers. When the night was over, Hicks' average was .152 and Dunn's .133.

"Yeah, the kid made a great play," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, whose team allowed three unearned runs. "I think that one was one he hit well, but you don't get anything out of it. But again we are not helping ourselves on the other side."

Twins starter Pedro Hernandez (2-0) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander, who came to the Twins in a trade with the White Sox for Francisco Liriano, retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced after giving up two runs in the first inning.

Alex Rios had two RBIs for the White Sox, who are last in the in batting average and runs scored. Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez each had three hits.

Hector Santiago (1-2) allowed six runs -- three earned -- on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He had only allowed one earned run in his previous two starts. ~ 12 ~

The Twins loaded the bases with nobody out and took advantage of Ramirez's error at shortstop to score four runs in the third. The inning was capped by Trevor Plouffe's two-run double.

"Yeah, it seems like every day we have one play that could change the game and it does wind up changing the game," Santiago said. "I mean that play there, if he makes that play we are out of it and we're up 2-0. You can keep the pitch count down. It was a big play in the game, and of late it's been something like that, just one play each and every game."

The White Sox loaded the bases against Jared Burton in the eighth, but pinch-hitter grounded out to first.

Game notes

White Sox LHP Chris Sale, who threw a one-hit shutout in Sunday's win against Los Angeles, woke up in pain with an abscessed tooth that needed to be pulled. Manager Robin Ventura said that won't affect Sale's next start, a rematch on the road against the Angels. ... White Sox LHP John Danks gave up three runs in six innings on Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte. Recovering from shoulder surgery last August, Danks will make at least one more start in the minors, Ventura said ... Florimon, who missed all three games of the series over the weekend against Baltimore because of a tight right hamstring, returned to the lineup. ... Kevin Correia (4-2) face Jake Peavy (4-1) on Tuesday in the second game of this three-game series. Pitchers take early BP, with focus on bunting

Rhett Bollinger / Twinsbaseball.com – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins pitchers took early batting practice for the first time this year before Monday's game against the White Sox in preparation for their upcoming Interleague games in Atlanta and Milwaukee. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the most important part was working on bunting, as he's not expecting much offense from his pitchers. The Twins play in Atlanta from May 20-22 and in Milwaukee from May 27-28. "In those bunt situations, get the bat on the ball and deaden it a little bit and get it in fair territory," Gardenhire said. "And as far as hitting goes, just do the best they can. They don't do it very often. Some of the National League guys have a little more savvy about hitting than our other guys and we have a few guys from National League ballparks." As Gardenhire pointed out, the Twins added three pitchers this year who previously only pitched in the NL in Kevin Correia, Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey. But all three have struggled at the plate, as Correia is a career .116 hitter (32-for-276), Pelfrey is a career .098 hitter (26-for-264) and Worley is a career .153 hitter (13-for-85). But based on the first day of drills, Gardenhire was impressed most by Correia, who has 41 career sacrifice bunts. "Looks to me right out of the chute that it's Correia," Gardenhire said. "He's a good bunter and has the stats to prove it. He definitely handled the bat really nice out there. But that's just the initial thing. But Pelfrey knows what he's doing and Worley looks like he can swing it." Twins unveil throwback jerseys for May 30 game

Rhett Bollinger / Twinsbaseball.com – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins unveiled their 1948 St. Paul Saints throwback jerseys on Monday for their "Turn Back The Clock" game against the Brewers on May 30 at Target Field. The Twins will celebrate Minnesota baseball history by wearing throwback uniforms of the 1948 St. Paul Saints, while the Brewers will play as the 1948 Milwaukee Brewers. The first 20,000 fans through the gates are set to receive a St. Paul Saints pennant. "The Twins are proud to remember this important part of Minnesota's great baseball heritage as the teams don the uniforms of the St. Paul Saints and the Milwaukee Brewers," said Twins curator Clyde Doepner. "This is truly a case of past meets present at Target Field; a ballpark that will one day be a revered place in baseball history." The 1948 Saints -- a farm team of the Dodgers -- featured future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella, who became the first African-American to play in the American Association. The club was also managed by future Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston and had other future Major ~ 13 ~

Leaguers such as Eric "The Red" Tipton and Dan Bankhead, the first African-American in Major League Baseball history. Hall of Famers Miller Huggins, Lefty Gomez and Duke Snider also played for the Saints in that era, but not for the '48 club. Throughout the game, the Twins will celebrate the rich heritage of baseball in St. Paul and honor a number of great players who emerged from Minnesota's capital city. Hall of Famer and St. Paul native Paul Molitor will also be available to take photographs with fans pregame from 5:15-6 p.m. CT on Target Plaza by the Majestic Twins Clubhouse Store. A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Billy Pederson, who is widely recognized as the face of amateur baseball in St. Paul. He coached Hall of Famers and Molitor, who will catch the ceremonial first pitch. Bob Klepperich, longtime Saints employee and current manager of Midway Stadium, will raise the Twins Territory Team flag. He also worked in the 1950s at Lexington Park, where the original Saints played. Florimon, Hicks feeling better, return to lineup

Rhett Bollinger / Twinsbaseball.com – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- After dealing with minor injuries, shortstop Pedro Florimon and center fielder Aaron Hicks both returned to the Twins' lineup on Monday against the White Sox. Florimon missed three games with a tight right hamstring after leaving Thursday's game in Boston in the seventh inning. But he told Twins manager Ron Gardenhire that his hamstring isn't bothering him and was ready to make his return. "Flori says he's good to go, but he's said that for three days in a row," Gardenhire said. "So I'm hoping he is good to go and is telling us the truth here. I know he wants to play. But it always worries me when they go back out there with a hamstring thing. But he's done everything they've asked of him. He's run and taken ground balls and ran as fast as he could today in drills." Hicks, who hyperextended his right elbow in Friday's game, missed two games but was able to take batting practice without any issues before Monday's game. He started in center and batted eighth. "Hicksie is good to go," Gardenhire said. "I walked up to him in center field and told him if he feels anything in BP, let me know. But he seemed fine." On a roll, Twins aim to keep White Sox reeling

Paul Casella / MLB.com – 5/13/13

It's no secret that wins came few and far between for the Twins last year -- especially when it came to playing the rival White Sox.

Yet the Twins are off to a much better start in 2013, both overall and against Chicago. A victory on Tuesday night would be Minnesota's fourth against the White Sox in as many tries this season and would match last season's total.

The White Sox dominated the 2012 season series, winning 14 of 18 meetings, and never allowing the Twins to notch more than one victory in any of the six three-game sets played between the clubs. It's been a much different story this time around, as Minnesota swept a two-game set in Chicago earlier this season and won Monday's series opener at Target Field.

"You play these teams 18 times and they're in your division and division games mean a lot," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've had some good rivalries over the years with these guys. We played them early at their place this year, but they've added some pitchers. So it'll be interesting to see how we do here at home. We're playing better baseball recently."

The Twins have won five of their last seven games overall to move back above .500 at 18-17, just 2 1/2 games behind the American League Central-leading Tigers.

They will look to continue that success on Tuesday when they send right-hander Kevin Correia to the mound to face the only Major League team he has never pitched against in his 11-year career.

~ 14 ~

Correia will be countered by White Sox starter Jake Peavy, who has seen the Twins plenty in just the last year alone. Peavy went 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts against the Twins in 2012 and, earlier this season, earned a no-decision on April 20 while pitching seven innings of one- run ball in a 2-1 loss.

More recently, Peavy returned with a solid outing against the Mets on Wednesday after missing his previously scheduled start due to back spasms. He came through the outing pain-free, while allowing just one run and three hits over 6 2/3 innings for his fourth victory of the season.

The White Sox could use another quality start from Peavy as they find themselves alone in last place in the AL Central, marking the latest in the season they've held that distinction since Sept. 20, 2007.

"Seems whenever we play those guys they're hard-fought games, whether they're good or we're good," Twins catcher Joe Mauer said. "It's a battle, so we're not expecting anything different."

White Sox: Konerko expected to return after rest day • Slumping first baseman Paul Konerko is expected to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday after receiving a scheduled day off in Monday's series opener.

Manager Robin Ventura insisted the day off was a planned rest day for the 37-year-old slugger and had nothing to do with Konerko's slow start. The Sox captain went 1-for-10 in the club's weekend series against the Angels, dropping his season average to .214.

"It was more scheduled than anything else," Ventura said on Monday. "He knew he was going to get one at some point. I guess getting in here late, it just made sense that today was the time."

Twins: Mauer looking to stay hot at the plate • With his 1-for-2, three-walk performance Monday, Mauer extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest by any Twins player this season. The backstop is hitting .447 (21-for-47) with 10 doubles and five RBIs during that stretch.

"[I'm] just putting together good at bats and seeing pitches and putting good swings on it," Mauer said of the streak.

His career-long hitting streak is 16 games, which he achieved Aug. 4-24, 2008.

Worth noting • Minnesota Josh Willingham is a lifetime .056 (1-for-18) hitter with five strikeouts against Peavy.

• Mauer is a .319 lifetime hitter against the White Sox and has hit more home runs (14) against them than any other team.

Warne: Would Twins lock up a young standout? It has happened before

Paul Casella / MLB.com – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS -- It's become a bit more popular over the past few seasons, and it's something the Minnesota Twins have dabbled in a bit in the past: extending pre-arbitration eligible players in the hopes of getting a good deal on that player's prime years while offering him some guaranteed financial security. The did it over the weekend with power-hitting first baseman . The have basically made it a routine with players such as , Matt Moore and even 2012 AL Cy Young award winner David Price. For some intra-divisional flavor, the Royals did one with catcher Salvador Perez. And this isn't necessarily a phenomena restricted to small- market clubs -- the did it with impending free agent second baseman Robinson Cano back in 2008. Doing it isn't without risks. Teams have made significant financial commitments to players who were injured or rendered ineffective and simply have to pay out the deal regardless of if the player hangs with the club long-term.

~ 15 ~

For instance, the not only own the rights to Jose Tabata for three more years, they owe him $11 million. In the interim, Tabata has bounced back and forth from Pittsburgh to Triple-A Indianapolis as his professional and personal life have both scuffled a bit. The Twins have had some less-than-ideal applications of this concept as well. Nick Blackburn signed a multi-year deal prior to 2010. Since then, he has given the Twins 408 innings in which he's accumulated a 5.56 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP and just 4.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. The Twins still owe Blackburn $5.5 million this year even though he was outrighted off the 40- man roster and is out with an injury to boot. A similar instance occurred with Joe Mays, who got an extension after he went 17-13 in 2001, only to earn $19.5 million the next four years to go 18-26 with a 5.81 ERA, 3.5 strikeouts per 9 innings and a 1.52 WHIP. He missed the entire 2004 season. But the overall record shouldn't reflect poorly on the Twins doing those types of contracts. The Twins haven't necessarily done the Longoria types of deals -- signed just six days after the third baseman debuted -- but the club has shown a willingness to ink players to long-term deals as a measure of good faith rather than taking the player to court every year via arbitration. Joe Mauer (four years, $33 million, signed in February 2007), (four years, $39.75 million, February 2005) and Torii Hunter (four years, $32 million, signed in January 2003) are all examples of the Twins taking care of their own before the system would mandate. Even Denard Span could count, as he got an incredibly team-friendly deal for five years and $16.5 million six days after he signed his one-year tender in March 2010. "Each club has their own policy, and each club has their own personnel," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Some guys will sign -- and you'll see some more of those -- and some don't have interest in having the discussion during the season. "Some clubs have a policy against it. Some agents have a policy against it. It's an individual club's preference, though certainly the player would have to be receptive if you wanted to do something of that nature." While the Twins haven't been as aggressive with them in year's past, it's not something they'd shy away from. They don't have a strict policy. "I don't think that's good to have a hard-and-fast policy on about anything," Ryan said. "I think you always have to create flexibility. If you want to do something, I think you should be able to and not have a policy that you have to worry about breaking. There's a few things that clubs do that we don't -- one of them is have too many policies." Even manager Ron Gardenhire was willing to chip in his opinion. Of course, managers have pretty much nothing to do with a player's contractual status, but there's something to be said about a manager fostering relationships with players over a period of time. "There's always a risk of long term contracts with younger players rather than veterans," Gardenhire said. "Each club is going to be different with how they handle themselves." The biggest thing Gardenhire noted was how the economics of the game have changed. "The game has changed so much in the way they deal with contracts," Gardenhire noted. "It used to be a three or four year contract was a big contract; now you get into eight, nine, ten year deals. I think baseball's always taking a look at the risks and benefits of those contracts." Gardenhire didn't downplay the magnitude of offering a young player a sizeable chunk of money. "It is a huge decision by each party, how much you want to invest in one player," Gardenhire said. "I know our club always does look at it, and I would imagine a lot of other clubs are the same way." The Twins don't necessarily have a lot of candidates for such a deal. Scott Diamond could be worth considering, but with a skill set similar to Blackburn's and a fair number of pitchers coming up in the pipeline, the club may be best suited to sit tight. Similarly, groundball pitchers don't frequently perform well enough to merit exorbitant raises via the arbitration process. As a result, there isn't much added financial incentive to make such a move. On the offensive side, Oswaldo Arcia could be worth considering. However, that would seem extremely premature. For as well as he's played, he's certainly not of the ilk that Longoria was when he inked his deal ('s No. 2 prospect in all of baseball). But this situation could prove worth watching as the Twins work guys such as , and Miguel Sano through the minors and into the big leagues. If the Twins see enough out of them in their first few big league days -- of course, granted that they get there -- it might make sense to explore that sort of deal. We'll just have to see.

~ 16 ~

Twins Monday: Pitchers prepare for trip to Atlanta

Tyler Mason / FSN – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS — It's not often Minnesota's pitchers make their way to the batting cage for early batting practice, but that's what the Twins did Monday as they prepare for next week's interleague series.

Minnesota travels to take on Atlanta beginning next Monday for a three-game series. Of course, that means the Twins' pitchers will have to take their hacks in the batter's box while they're in a National League park.

This year's Twins rotation has three new faces, all of whom have plenty of experience in the National League. Right-hander Kevin Correia spent 10 years in the NL with the Giants, Padres and Pirates before signing with Minnesota this past offseason. Mike Pelfrey pitched seven years for the and Vance Worley was in Philadelphia for three seasons.

"Some of the National League guys have a little more savvy about hitting than some of our other guys," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "You've got the bases to worry about, you've got all kinds of stuff — seeing they get on the bases. It's just added stuff we need to do here to protect those guys. Hopefully they can help themselves win a game."

Gardenhire said of the three NL pitchers the Twins acquired this offseason, Correia handles the bat the best. In 276 career at-bats, Correia has 32 hits (.116 average), including five doubles, and has driven in 12 runs. He also has 41 career sacrifice bunts, something Gardenhire would be happy with if his pitchers can do.

"Just put it in fair territory," Gardenhire said. "As far as the hitting part of it goes, do the best you can. They don't get through this very often."

Hicks, Florimon return to the lineup: Outfielder Aaron Hicks and shortstop Pedro Florimon were both out of the Twins' lineup the last few days with minor injuries. Hicks was slowed by an elbow injury that kept him out two games, while Florimon missed three games after he injured his hamstring on Thursday in Boston.

Hicks was in the lineup Monday batting eighth and playing center field, while Florimon was hitting one spot behind him.

"(Florimon) says he's good to go, but he's said that for three days here," Gardenhire said. "I'm hoping he is good to go. I would hope that he's letting us know the truth here. I know he wants to play, but to me that's always worrisome when you have a hamstring and you get back out there. But he's done everything they've asked."

Gardenhire added that reliever Anthony Swarzak might not be available for Monday's game after needing 38 pitches to get through two innings of relief on Sunday against Baltimore.

"He's going to tell you he can pitch every day, I promise you that," Gardenhire said. "No matter how many pitches he throws, he'll tell me he can give me something, but we'll back off him." Twins turn the tables on White Sox

AP / FSN – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rookie Aaron Hicks hit two home runs and made a leaping catch in center field to take a home run away from Adam Dunn in the Minnesota Twins' 10-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Justin Morneau extended his hitting streak to nine games with three hits and four RBI, including a bases-clearing double that capped the scoring in the eighth.

Hicks, who missed the previous two games due to a sore right elbow, led off the fourth inning with a 416-foot solo homer that bounced in front of the black batter's eye in center field and gave the Twins a 5-2 lead. ~ 17 ~

With a runner on third and the Twins holding onto a 5-3 lead in the sixth, Dunn drove a pitch from reliever Josh Roenicke deep to center that appeared to be headed for the same spot Hicks' blast landed. However, the Twins' rookie sprinted back, leaped high, and caught the ball above the wall, falling to the ground and grinning as he opened his glove to show the ball to the umpire.

After getting congratulated by teammates jogging off the field, Hicks hit his second home run in the bottom of the sixth, this one landing in the bullpen in left-center.

Dunn and Hicks entered the game tied for the lowest batting average in baseball (.137) among qualifiers. When the night was over, Hicks' average was .152 and Dunn's .133.

Twins starter Pedro Hernandez (2-0) allowed three runs on six hits in 5-1/3 innings. The left-hander, who came to the Twins in a trade with the White Sox for Francisco Liriano, retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced after giving up two runs in the first inning.

Alex Rios had two RBIs for the White Sox, who are last in the American League in batting average and runs scored. Alejandro De Aza and Alexei Ramirez each had three hits.

Hector Santiago (1-2) allowed six runs — three earned — on eight hits in 5-2/3 innings. He had only allowed one earned run in his previous two starts.

The Twins loaded the bases with nobody out and took advantage of Ramirez's error at shortstop to score four runs in the third. The inning was capped by Trevor Plouffe's two-run double.

The White Sox loaded the bases against Jared Burton in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie grounded out to first.

Notes: White Sox LHP Chris Sale, who threw a one-hit shutout in Sunday's win against Los Angeles, woke up in pain with an abscessed tooth that needed to be pulled. Manager Robin Ventura said that won't affect Sale's next start, a rematch on the road against the Angels. . . . White Sox LHP John Danks gave up three runs in six innings on Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte. Recovering from shoulder surgery last August, Danks will make at least one more start in the minors, Ventura said. . . . Twins SS Pedro Florimon, who missed all three games of the series over the weekend against Baltimore because of a tight right hamstring, returned to the lineup. . . . Kevin Correia (4-2) faces Jake Peavy (4-1) on Tuesday in the second game of this three-game series. Hicks wows in first multi-hit game of career

Tyler Mason / FSN – 5/13/13

MINNEAPOLIS — It's not often a Twins player is coaxed out of the dugout for a curtain call from the fans at Target Field. Then again, not many Twins players have done what rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks did Monday as he hit two home runs and robbed another in Minnesota's 10-3 win over Chicago.

But since this was the first time Hicks received a curtain call in his young career, he can be forgiven for not knowing exactly how to handle the situation.

"I heard them," Hicks said of the fans after Monday's game, "but it's my first one, so I don't really know."

After Hicks launched his second home run of the night — a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning — the Twins faithful at Target Field remained on their feet. It wasn't until after shortstop Pedro Florimon popped out to first base that the 23-year-old Hicks took a step out of the home dugout. He raised his helmet to the fans, who were cheering Hicks' heroics.

"Normally, you do a curtain call before they get an out," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't think he really knew which way to go. Everybody was screaming at him in the dugout. He was kind of going up and down and in our dugout you go out one end or the other and he was stuck in the middle. But as curtain calls go, if you're fortunate enough to get a curtain call in the big leagues, no matter when it happens, it's worth it.

~ 18 ~

"But he did hold it for a long time. He might get fined for that."

It's been an interesting month and a half for Hicks, who made the Twins' roster out of spring training after a blistering performance in Fort Myers. Entering Monday's game, though, he was batting just .137 with 13 RBI in 30 games. He had yet to put together a multi-hit game in his young career.

Hicks crossed that item off the list Monday. Not only did he pick up his first multi-hit game, but it was also a multi-homer game. Hicks' solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning put Minnesota up 5-2 as he sent his second home run of the year over the wall in straightaway center. Two innings later — and just a few minutes after he robbed Adam Dunn of a home run — Hicks smashed another, this time planting it in the bullpen in left-center field.

Hicks came up to bat in the eighth inning for a chance at a three-homer game, something he accomplished this spring to turn a few heads in Florida. Instead, Hicks worked a walk and later came around to score in a four-run inning.

The catch to rob Dunn of a two-run homer in the top of the sixth was certainly the best defensive play Hicks has made this season as it ended the inning and stopped Chicago's threat. It also gave Twins fans flashbacks to center fielders past. The leaping grab at the wall was reminiscent of what Kirby Puckett, Torii Hunter, Denard Span and Ben Revere did over the years for Minnesota.

Monday, Hicks showed he, too, is capable of making that type of highlight reel catch.

"That catch was spectacular in a big situation like that," Gardenhire said. "We've definitely had our share of great ones here, and that ranks right up there with the boys that have done that before him."

For a young player still trying to find his way in the majors, Monday's performance can go a long way as far as Hicks' confidence. At the same time, Gardenhire cautioned, it's still just one game.

"It put a big smile on his face, and I saw our fans and they were pretty fired up," Gardenhire said. "It was a big moment. The great part about it, you get to enjoy it all night. The worst part about it, tomorrow it doesn't mean anything. Now he's got to go out there and do it all over again and continue the process here. But that was huge.

"It was fun for everybody involved to watch because we've been watching him go through these things and trying to help this team out."

After the game, the celebration wasn't done for Hicks as he got both a Gatorade bath and shaving cream pie to the face during his postgame interview on the field. Hicks said he didn't see the culprit who got him with the Gatorade but suspected third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who was guilty of getting Hicks when the rookie got his first career hit. Outfielder Wilkin Ramirez followed up Monday's Gatorade bath with the shaving cream pie.

"I kind of let my guard down," Hicks said. "We felt Wilkin coming. I kind of saw it right before it came."

Even though he fell victim to those postgame pranks, Hicks couldn't help but smile from ear to ear after the night he had.

"I've just been battling every day," Hicks said. "That's the thing you've got to do in this league. I just made some plays today and had fun." Arcia’s aggressive approach, confidence belies youth

Tyler Mason / FSN – 5/14/13

MINNEAPOLIS — Sometimes it's hard to remember that Oswaldo Arcia is just 22 years old. At the plate, the Twins rookie rarely shows his age.

Just 21 games into his major league career, Arcia has already drawn comparisons to the late, great Kirby Puckett for a similar approach at the plate. Puckett rarely saw a pitch he didn't like, and that's been the case with Arcia. Through Monday, that aggressive approach has led to a

~ 19 ~

.299 average with three homers and 12 RBI.

Not bad for a kid who just turned 22 last week.

"Right now he kind of looks like he's in that Kirby Puckett type swing, 'Thou shall not pass at an offering,'" Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Arcia. "He does that very well. I'm not going to hold him back. He's going to take some swings. He's going to learn a little bit. He's going to get beaten up by a few pitchers here and there, but he's also going to hurt them a little bit, too."

Hurting opposing pitchers is what Arcia has done throughout his career. Between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain last year, Arcia hit a combined .320 with 17 homers and 98 RBI in 124 games en route to being named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year, the same honor won by the likes of , Jason Kubel and Joe Mauer. He also ascended to No. 41 on Baseball America's list of Top 100 prospects prior to the 2013 season.

After a brief stint with Triple-A Rochester, Arcia joined the Twins on April 15 for a game and later was called up for good on April 20. He hasn't stopped smiling since.

"He's a happy kid. He likes to play baseball," Gardenhire said. "He's excited to be here. I think he recognizes how lucky he is to have this opportunity. He also understands that baseball's all about fun."

**

Even as a 16-year-old kid in Venezuela, the Minnesota Twins saw something special in Arcia.

In fact, the Twins — along with several other teams — had their eyes on Arcia, a center fielder at the time, for several years prior to the July 2 signing period in 2007. While there are certainly risks in trying to project how a 16-year-old might translate to the big leagues, Minnesota knew at least one thing about Arcia: the kid could hit.

"Physically, you can project one thing but you're not quite sure how it's going to go," said Mike Radcliff, the Twins' vice president of player personnel. "I think in this case, we were if you want to call it lucky or good. We based it makeup-wise on his aggressive, confident personality. . . . We based it on he had a good, solid frame with a chance to get strong, and that certainly turned out to be true."

The money was too tough to pass up for Arcia, who said his family in Venezuela was poor. Radcliff wouldn't disclose the actual amount of the signing bonus Arcia received from Minnesota but would say it was six figures.

That's a lot of cash for a 16-year-old who had yet to step foot on a professional baseball field.

"That money was good. Plus I wanted to play baseball," Arcia said through a translator. "It was exciting to become a professional baseball player, especially when I was 16. I'm more excited now that I'm in the big leagues."

Arcia has never lacked confidence. It's been evident during his brief tenure with the Twins as he's shown he's not afraid of major league pitching. At 16, Arcia was confident enough in his own abilities to leave home to pursue a career in professional baseball, something that would leave many teenagers homesick.

Helping ease Arcia's transition to professional baseball was the fact that he'd spend his first season in the Dominican Republic, where he could speak his native language. As a 17-year-old, Arcia played 61 games in the Dominican Summer League, where he batted .293 with 36 RBI.

From there he progressed through the Twins' minor league system — and hit at every level. In 2009 he spent 44 games in the Gulf Coast League. By the next season he was moved up to the Appalachian League. Then in 2011, Arcia propelled all the way to High-A Fort Myers, where he hit .263 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 59 games with the Miracle as a 20-year-old.

"As far as when he got over here, he's always been one of the better hitters in our organization," said Twins general manager Terry Ryan. "He's always been a middle-of-the-lineup guy and he's always been one of the better hitting prospects of any league he's played in. He's ~ 20 ~

always been about two years younger in any league he's played in, so that's all a pretty good recipe for success."

Little did Arcia know then that he was just two years away from playing in the majors while at Single-A in 2011. But he always had the confidence that he would one day reach the big leagues.

"Since I was in the Dominican, I heard people say you've got to be five years in the minor leagues before you become a free agent or they put you on the roster," Arcia said. "I've always wanted to be in the major leagues before I was 22."

Sure enough, Arcia did just that. He was just 21 years old on April 15 when he made his major league debut, becoming the youngest Twins player to play since 2006 when Alexi Casilla played as a 21-year-old.

Arcia's debut came less than six years from the day he signed with the Twins back in 2007, a trajectory quicker than most people expected.

"It's hard when they're 16 and 17 and coming from another country to kind of think and believe and try to allow for the fact that it'll probably take a little longer than you hoped," Radcliff said. "He's going to hit, he's going to have some power. He can play a defensive position. But you're not quite sure how he's going to handle it all. Oswaldo's an example of a guy that's carried himself all the way through."

**

Now that Arcia has arrived in Minnesota, it appears as if he's here to stay. Gardenhire has said that if Arcia is going to be up with the big club, he's going to play more often than not. That leaves Minnesota's manager in a tough spot, though, when he goes to fill out his lineup every day as Minnesota has five outfielders on the roster and not enough spots for them all to play.

But Arcia has earned his shot in the majors. He's come a long way from a 16-year-old teenager in Venezuela to a 22-year-old hard-hitting rookie. Arcia has always been younger than the other players he's played with and against, but none of that has seemed to matter.

For Arcia, his confidence has never wavered.

"Starting at about Fort Myers, it was kind of apparent that this guy not only has the aggressiveness and the confidence to succeed, he might be kind of a leader," Radcliff said. "He might be the guy that can be a main guy on a team. That's still got a chance to prove out. Heck, he's settling in to be a major league player quicker than we thought. I think we're excited about all the things he might be able to do with the bat and do as a player, but just as much so it looks like he's a guy you think you can count on to be a clubhouse leader guy, which is a bonus." Correia looks to get it going against White Sox

AP / FSN – 5/14/13

Rookie Aaron Hicks may own one of the lowest batting averages in the majors, but he's finding success against the Chicago White Sox.

That's fairly common for Joe Mauer.

Hicks will try to build on his best performance in the majors, while Mauer looks to extend his hitting streak to 13 games as the Twins host the White Sox on Tuesday night.

Hicks, a first-round pick by Minnesota in 2008, has a .152 average to rank only ahead of Chicago's Adam Dunn (.133) for the AL's worst. However, the 23-year-old center fielder is 5 for 15 with five RBIs over his past four games, and he's coming off his best effort yet in Monday's opener of this three-game set.

Hicks went 2 for 3 with a pair of solo homers and robbed a potential two-run shot by Dunn in the sixth inning as the Twins (18-17) won 10-3.

"We've definitely had our share of great ones here and that ranks right up there," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That catch is going to rank right up there, especially the moment he caught the ball. A big moment, a big play."

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Hicks is 3 for 9 with three RBIs, four runs and four walks in three games against the White Sox (15-21).

Mauer regularly pounds Chicago, hitting .357 with a .456 on-base percentage over his last 49 meetings with the AL Central rival. He's batting .447 with 13 runs and 11 walks during his hitting streak.

"(I'm) just putting together good at-bats and seeing pitches and putting good swings on it," Mauer told the team's official website after being walked three times Monday, bringing his total to 15 over his past nine games against the White Sox.

Mauer has been productive recently against Jake Peavy, Chicago's scheduled starter. He's 5 for 14 with five walks in their matchups since last year, and he's the only current Twin to homer off him.

Hicks is 0 for 2 with a walk against Peavy (4-1, 3.03 ERA).

Peavy is 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA over his last five starts against Minnesota. The right-hander was outstanding April 20, yielding one run with nine strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-1 loss in 10.

Back spasms have limited Peavy to two starts since, but he seemed fine in Wednesday's 6-3 road win over the New York Mets. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer in the second inning before leaving with two outs in the seventh.

Peavy has won three straight decisions, compiling a 1.98 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 27 1-3 innings over his last four starts. He last won four decisions in a row during a single season when he won his final four starts in 2009.

Minnesota is scheduled to give Kevin Correia (4-2, 3.09) his first start against the White Sox.

The right-hander has won four of his last five outings, but he's split his last two behind a 6.10 ERA while being pulled before completing the sixth inning. Correia was credited with Thursday's 5-3 win at Boston after allowing three runs and a season-high nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

A return to Target Field could help Correia to another victory. He's 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA over four starts there this year, tossing at least seven innings in each.

Dunn is 3 for 9 with a homer against Correia, but they haven't met since 2009.

Minnesota Twins rookie Aaron Hicks steals Adam Dunn homer, goes deep twice himself

David Brown / Yahoo! Sports – 5/14/13

The Minnesota Twins promoted 23-year-old Aaron Hicks to the majors this season because they thought he was ready to perform just like he did Monday night.

Hicks not only leaped high to rob slugger Adam Dunn of what would have been a tying two-run home run, but he also went deep twice at Target Field for the first multi-hit game of his career in a 10-3 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

Have a game, kid! The only way he could have done any better is if the White Sox had mustered another near-homer for him to steal. Too much to ask!

Hicks' catch came in the top of the sixth with the Twins leading 5-3. After reliever Josh Roenicke delivered, Dunn blasted a pitch to straight- away center, about 410 feet from home plate. It appeared to be going over for for Dunn's seventh homer of the season and 413th of his career until Hicks changed the outcome.

Hicks' second homer of the night — another solo shot against left-hander Hector Santiago — came in his next at-bat in the bottom of the sixth. MLB.com quoted Hicks as saying:

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It's definitely not what the Dunn and the White Sox needed. Dunn came in batting .137 with 45 strikeouts, and Chicago's record fell to 15-21, good for last place in the AL Central. Perhaps the home run Dunn almost hit would have been a pick-me-up moment for the White Sox. Hicks' play prevents us from finding out.

A former first-round pick who is among the Twins' best prospects, Hicks has needed a big game to ignite his season after jumping from Class AA. He came in with a .137/.239/.216 batting line, including only five extra-base hits, in 117 plate appearances. While it remains to be seen what kind of career he'll have, Hicks at least can say he's had a career night. Via MLB.com:

"That was a special night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The home runs were wonderful and that catch was spectacular in a big situation like that to keep the lead. He definitely had an ear-to-ear smile and that was fun for everybody involved, because we've all watched him battle through this thing with the struggles he's gone through. Especially with that curtain call, that's kind of why we do this as coaches."

And that's why the Twins traded two center fielders in an offseason housecleaning — Denard Span and Ben Revere — and gave Hicks the starting job out of spring training.

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