Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, September 21, 2017

 Yankees sweep Twins, take command of wild-card race. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1  Emotional Dozier calls for additional safety netting after 4-year-old girl by ball. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2  Postgame: We're still in driver's seat for wild-card spot, Dozier points out. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3  Twins fire international scouting coordinator Howard Norsetter. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3  Injured misses out on facing former Twins teammates. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4  Here’s how becomes a football stadium. Pioneer Press (Frederick) p. 5  Twins players call for protective netting after scary incident at . Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Yankees’ homer barrage completes three-game sweep of Twins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  Twins fall in finale, unable to add WC cushion. MLB.com (Hoch & Bollinger) p. 8  Despite getting swept in NY, Twins look ahead. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  Berrios, Rosario, Vargas monitoring hurricane. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10  WC-seeking Twins turn to Mejia in Detroit. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 11  Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: This is why the Yankees wouldn’t be a fun matchup in October. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 11  Ready to bet against these Twins? That might be a big mistake. 1500 ESPN (Zulgad) p. 13  5 keys for the Twins heading into a pivotal series in Detroit. 1500 ESPN (Depue) p. 15  Twins lose 11-3 in New York as Yankees complete sweep. Associated Press p. 16  Rumor Central: Time running out on Twins' Miguel Sano? ESPN.com (Mittler) p. 18  The Twins Continue To Be Absolutely Terrible Against the Yankees. Sports Illustrated (Tayler) p. 18  Twins' Brian Dozier calls for mandatory protective netting after young fan hit by foul ball. Sporting News (Rodgers) p. 19  Are The Twins Cursed Against The Yankees? CBS Minnesota (Wald) p. 19  Oh, the humanity: Could Bartolo Colon finally be losing his battle against Father Time? Yahoo! Sports (Brown) p. 20  Severino’s takeaway from excruciating battle with Mauer. New York Post (Joyce) p. 21  Luis Severino says rough third inning stemmed from 13- marathon against Joe Mauer. New York Daily News (Botte) p. 22  The Are Not Supposed To Be Here. FiveThirtyEight (Paine) p. 23  How Tracking Technology Helped Baseball’s Best Fielding Outfielder. The Wall Street Journal (Diamond) p. 24

Yankees sweep Twins, take command of wild-card race Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 21, 2017

NEW YORK – Just as they hoped, the Twins learned a few valuable facts about the Yankees this week, ahead of their potential playoff showdown in two weeks.

Wait, is “we can’t beat them here” a useful tip?

No, the Twins insist that’s not how they feel after the Yankees finished off a sweep of their three-game playoff rehearsal with an 11-3 trashing Wednesday, but there’s no doubt some damage was done.

“I’ve had better trips to New York,” Twins said after Minnesota lost for the fifth time in six games and fell to 1-8 in the Bronx during his three seasons in charge. “We’ve got 10 games [left]. My goal right now is to figure out how to get these guys back in a positive frame of mind and try to win a game in Detroit [Thursday].”

There’s a lot to forget about this trio of games, in case they meet again next month, from the Twins’ lack of clutch hits to the minor mistakes that made major impacts, to the firepower that New York finally displayed Wednesday. And the thing they’d like to forget most about this glum afternoon was the foul line drive that struck a small girl sitting behind the Twins dugout, bloodying her face, sending her to the hospital and visibly affecting several players shook up by the sight.

“I still have a knot in my stomach,” the Twins’ Brian Dozier said.

New York seemed almost dismissive of its fellow wild-card contender, using ace righthander Luis Severino — whom Minnesota figures to see again if their projected playoff matchup comes off — for only three innings. Severino wasn’t sharp, and the Twins managed three runs off him with four singles in the third inning. Joe Mauer battled Severino for 13 pitches — four of them 100 miles per hour or faster — and finally delivered an RBI single to give the Twins an early lead.

“A classic,” Molitor said. “Lucky 13, and he delivered.” So did Jorge Polanco, who followed with a single that sneaked between two defenders for a 3-0 lead, and the Twins had reason to contemplate this as a “statement game.”

Perhaps it was, but it wasn’t what they hoped. Minnesota managed only one hit in the final six innings off three Yankees relievers, while New York exploded with 11 runs during an ugly three-inning midgame stretch. Greg Bird led off the third with a , and poked a long fly ball the opposite way, curling his 45th homer around the foul pole in right field. When Gary Sanchez then launched a long homer to center field, the Twins’ early lead was gone, and soon enough, amid New York’s wrecking-ball six- fourth — highlighted by Didi Gregorius’ upper-deck shot, his 25th homer that broke Derek Jeter’s team record for a shortstop — so was Bartolo Colon, who has now given up 16 runs in 11 innings over his past three starts.

“I feel as strong as I felt last time. You can tell by how hard I was throwing the ball,” Colon said, shrugging. “It’s part of the game — sometimes you get hit and sometimes you don’t get hit.”

And that’s the message Molitor wants his players to absorb, that if they’re back on this field Oct. 3, nothing that happened this week, or during their nine-game postseason losing streak to the Yankees, or during their dismal 33-89 showing against New York over 15 years, will matter.

“We’re still in a really good spot, and we should be having a lot of fun,” he said. “It feels heavy at times, but you want guys to feel as loose as they can and let their abilities just fly out on the field. I believe in that group a lot. It hasn’t changed because of the last three days. Not only the talent, but the character and really good leadership in that clubhouse.”

Emotional Dozier calls for additional safety netting after 4-year-old girl hit by ball Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 21, 2017

NEW YORK – The Twins felt sick about what happened Wednesday, and it had nothing to do with the final score.

A screaming line drive off Todd Frazier’s bat in the fifth inning struck a small preschool-age girl in the face, visibly affecting Frazier and several other players who witnessed it.

“Me and Matt [Holliday, the Yankees’ ] were out at second base saying a prayer. We were in tears together,” Dozier said. “I usually don’t look, but that time I did. I’ve still got a knot in my stomach.”

The game was delayed for about six minutes while emergency personnel attended to the girl, until a relative carried the toddler out of the box- seat section. The Yankees released a statement later saying the girl was taken to a nearby hospital, but the team did not release any other details, citing privacy laws.

Twins players, though, were still emotional about the incident a couple of hours later. Dozier’s eyes were full of tears as he called for additional netting to be installed in ballparks.

“Either you don’t bring kids down there, or every stadium needs to have nets. I don’t care about the view of a fan, it’s all about safety,” Dozier said. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself and say the wrong thing, but [the players association is] definitely trying to do it.”

Eduardo Escobar, father of three children aged 12, 8 and 2, had a close-up view of the girl’s injury, and sounded angry afterward at her parents. “I saw blood coming out of this poor girl’s face. I have kids, I feel for her,” he said. “Make sure you guys put this out there: It’s insane how you bring a kid of that age and are not paying attention to the game. To all those parents out there, when you bring a kid of that age, pay attention to the game. A ball like that can kill a kid.”

A 30-foot high netting only covers the area immediately behind home plate at Yankee Stadium, with a smaller 10-foot net extending to the dugouts. The Yankees have publicly considered extending the netting, a debate sparked by a broken bat and another foul-ball incident earlier 2 this season.

At Target Field, netting extends the length of the dugout, a move the Twins praised. “I think the clubs that have gone beyond what was required have been glad that they did,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Target Field “is probably one of the high-end, in terms of surface area that’s protected. And I’ve seen it pay off.”

Mauer’s epic at-bat

Joe Mauer’s 13-pitch at-bat in the third inning against Luis Severino was the longest of the three-time champ’s 14-season career. Mauer fouled off seven pitches, four of them 99 miles per hour or faster, before lacing a 99-mph to right field, scoring Kennys Vargas.

Mauer had two previous 12-pitch at-bats: He struck out against Detroit’s Justin Verlander on April 29, 2006; one day short of four years later, on April 28, 2010, he singled off Detroit’s .

Postgame: We're still in driver's seat for wild-card spot, Dozier points out Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK — Brian Dozier didn’t sound discouraged about the Twins being swept in New York. It’s a veteran’s perspective, he said: Look at the process, not the result.

“I thought we played all right the first two games. We just didn’t get the big hit,” in 2-1 and 5-2 losses to the Yankees. “You get the big hit, it’s a totally different series.”

That’s the message he hopes to spread as the team flies to Detroit: We still own a wild-card spot. If we play like we’re capable, we’ll be fine.

“The big thing is, and you don’t want to get ahead of yourself, but there’s still a good possibility we can come back here” for the wild-card game, he pointed out. “That’s our goal.”

The Twins have 10 games remaining, seven of them against the Tigers, who are fighting to stay out of last place in the AL Central.

“Our objective right now is to win one game tomorrow, against the Tigers,” Dozier said. “That’s easy to say, but that’s a hungry team over there, a lot of young guys fighting for roster spots next year. So they can be dangerous. But if we still take care of business, we’l be just fine.”

XXX

Paul Molitor kept glancing at the TV in the manager’s office, a news report showing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, as he talked about his players from the Caribbean island. He can’t blame them, he said, if it’s hard to focus while friends and relatives are in the storm’s path.

“We’re trying to support them any way we can,” he said. “But when your homeland is devastated the way Puerto Rco has been hit the past 20 hours, I’m sure it’s a challenge to keep your focus.”

Molitor said he’s been checking in with Kennys Vargas, and Jose Berrios, and so far, all have said their families are safe.

Twins fire international scouting coordinator Howard Norsetter La Velle E. Neal III |Star Tribune | September 20, 2017

The Twins have fired international scouting coordinator Howard Norsetter, according to two sources with knowledge of the decision. It’s the latest in a series of moves as Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine continue to makeover the organization.

Norsetter, who lives in Australia, was informed of the team’s plans earlier this week while on a scouting trip to .

Norsetter had been with the Twins since 1991, when he was their Canadian/Australian scout. He’s credited with the signing of , among others. And it was under Norsetter’s tenure that the team became one of the big players in Australia, with Grant Balfour, Liam Hendricks, Luke Hughes and James Beresford among the players from that country who reached the majors after signing with the Twins.

Norsetter later became international scouting coordinator, focusing on everywhere other than Latin America. , who signed in 2009, 3 is his most noteworthy find. Kepler was part of the same international signing class as Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco.

But there were misses too. Norsetter scouted Tsuyoshi Nishioka before the Twins signed him in 2010. After two underwhelming seasons with the Twins, Nishioka asked to be released from his contract.

And the Twins signed ByungHo Park before the 2016 season. Park played 62 games for the Twins last year before being sent to the minors, where his season was cut short by wrist surgery. And Park spent all of this season at Class AAA Rochester.

It’s been a busy several weeks for the Twins, has they have fired personnel in baseball operations, the scouting department and player development. Former first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz was let go last week as manager of Fort Myers.

Meanwhile, the Twins are in the process of expanding their research department, player development and medical services.

Injured Aaron Hicks misses out on facing former Twins teammates Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK — Unless Aaron Hicks makes it back in time for a potential wild-card matchup the day after his 28th birthday, the outfielder will miss facing his old team entirely this season.

Likely headed to his first all-star game before missing 40 games with a strained right oblique muscle, the former Twins building block landed on the shelf again at the start of September after straining the same muscle on his left side.

“Just kind of a freakish thing,” Hicks said. “(Yankees trainers) said it’s the first time they’ve ever seen it. I guess it’s because I’m a switch-hitter and have to work on both sides. It’s a little frustrating.”

Before his first injury, Hicks was hitting .290 with a .398 on-base percentage and a .515 . He dropped off to a .207 batting average in 100 plate appearances after his return, but is still hitting .265 with 13 home runs overall.

What’s been the difference from his Twins days?

“It’s definitely not mechanically,” he said. “I think just playing time and being able to be comfortable with where I was at in the batter’s box. I’ve been able to swing at solid pitches, and I’ve been coming up with solid game plans and been able to execute. I’m just a more confident player.”

Hicks, drafted 14th overall out of high school in 2008, was traded two winters ago for John Ryan Murphy. After Murphy hit just .146 in 90 plate appearances for the Twins, stashed mainly at -A Rochester, the Twins flipped him on to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Double-A reliever Gabriel Moya (since promoted) in July.

“It feels good for me to be here,” Hicks said. “I have an opportunity with this team. The young core they’re starting here is something I enjoy. It feels good just to be a part of this team.”

He has stayed in touch with a few of his former teammates, most notably Kyle Gibson.

“I check them out every now and then,” Hicks said. “(Byron) Buxton’s been doing great. Especially in the second half, he’s been really hot. It’s just fun to see them where they are and having a good time.”

Does he ever wonder what it would be like to play next to Buxton in the same Twins outfield?

“It definitely would be a fast outfield,” Hicks said with a smile. “But no, I don’t really think about that too much. I’m happy over here and with what we’ve got going on here.”

PRAYING FOR PUERTO RICO

Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario wore a message on his batting helmet Wednesday — “Fuerte Puerto Rico” — urging his homeland to stay strong in the face of Hurricane Maria.

Rosario’s hometown of Guayama, near the southern coast of the island, was among the hardest-hit areas as Puerto Rico experienced its first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall since 1932. 4

With power already out due to Hurricane Irma earlier in September, Rosario said it was impossible to reach any of his family members back home.

“No communication at all,” he said.

Teammates Kennys Vargas and Jose Berrios also were helpless in the face of tragedy as they went about their jobs.

“It’s tough,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I know it’s heavy on their mind and their hearts. I checked in with them last night and today to see if they’re getting communication, making sure their families are OK and just trying to support them any way that we can. Obviously when your homeland is devastated the way Puerto Rico has been hit here the last 20 hours, I’m sure it’s challenging to keep your focus.”

While Vargas walked and beat out a pair of infield singles Wednesday, Rosario went 0 for 4 and dropped a long fly ball that went for a Jacoby Ellsbury triple in a six-run fourth inning.

“Sometimes you can use baseball as an outlet, possibly,” Molitor said. “I don’t think you can block those things out of your mind completely.”

PERKINS’ ROLE

Before working a scoreless seventh Wednesday, Glen Perkins has pitched once since a rough outing on Sept. 4 at Tampa Bay, even though there had been several opportunities to get him some work in blowouts.

“Hasn’t had many outings,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “They haven’t been in overly intense situations. I don’t really see if that’s going to change too significantly here over the next 10 days.”

Perkins, a three-time all-star who made it back from major shoulder surgery in June 2016, has been available to pitch all but one game during his quiet period. That was after he threw a full pregame bullpen in an effort to keep his mechanics sharp.

The towel drill has been a key part of that as well for the 34-year-old, who has a 10.13 earned-run average in seven outings and a $700,000 team buyout on a $6.5 million team option next season.

Here’s how Target Field becomes a football stadium Jace Frederick | Pioneer Press | September 21, 2017

The Twins were given a potential layout for a football field from the architect of Target Field when the stadium was constructed in 2010.

“But we just kind of sat on that for seven years and waited,” said Larry DiVito, the Twins’ head groundskeeper.

The wait is over. DiVito and his crew have spent this week morphing a into a gridiron as Target Field gets set to host the 87th edition of the Tommies-Johnnies game, which will be the first football game in the stadium’s history.

DiVito said the stadium essentially will be ready to go by Friday, with only the sidelines and a few security perimeter details added on Saturday morning. Kickoff between host St. Thomas and visiting St. John’s, two of the best Division III programs in the country, is at 1:10 p.m.

Here’s how it all came together:

THE FIELD

RELATED ARTICLES What to know about this weekend’s Tommies-Johnnies game at Target Field The crew used a laser and a GPS to chart the coordinates of the field when laying it out. The field runs from home plate to left field, parallel with the left-field foul line, roughly nine feet further into the field than the foul line. The north end zone ends about five feet short of the left-field wall, while the West end zone ends a few yards away from the first-base dugout. Using stencils, the field lines and St. Thomas shield were painted in by the crew on Wednesday. DiVito said the painting process took 7-8 hours. DIRT STAYS

While initial renderings of the Target Field football field featured all grass, the dirt infield will still be present, visible and part of the football field 5

Saturday, as is the case when the NFL Raiders play their home games at the Oakland Coliseum during the Athletics’ MLB season (the two teams share the field).

MOUND GOES

You can play a football game on dirt, but you can’t play it with a 10-inch hump planted in the middle of the field. So the grounds crew spent two days removing the ’s mound from the field this week, using a mini excavator to remove the dirt, then manually leveling the clay and manicuring the edges before putting new sod on top of where the mound normally stands. DiVito said this was the most laborious part of the transition.

GOALPOSTS

Traditionally, goalposts are dug into the ground. But the Twins have a heating system roughly nine inches below the surface level of the field, so they had to buy posts that could be supported by a heavy metal plate.

WALLS

The proximity of the back of the end zones to the walls seems like a concern, but DiVito thinks the players will be safe. Padding will be added along the first-base dugout that is the same thickness and consistency as the padding that covers the outfield wall. “These are as good of wall pads as you’ll find anywhere,” DiVito said. “(The football players) are safe. Our (Twins) players run into them full speed with no helmet or pads on, so I think the guys will be OK.”

THEN, BACK TO BASEBALL

When Saturday’s game is complete, DiVito and Co. will get back to work, making sure the field is back to baseball form in time for the Twins’ next home game against Detroit on Friday, Sept. 29. DiVito said it will take three days to re-install the mound — two days to create it and one day to “fine-tune the slope.” He also ordered a little extra sod to fix any potential imperfections on the field caused by the football game. “We’ve got time to do what we need to do,” DiVito said.

Twins players call for protective netting after scary incident at Yankee Stadium Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 21, 2017

NEW YORK — Brian Dozier doesn’t see any gray area in the debate.

The Twins’ unequivocally called for protective netting to be extended down the baselines at all major league ballparks after a harrowing incident Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium sent a little girl to the hospital.

“We’ve been trying to get these teams to put nets up,” Dozier said after a Todd Frazier foul line drive in the bottom of the fifth inning caused the game to be delayed by several minutes as first-aid workers attended to the child. “Either you don’t bring kids down there or No. 2, every stadium needs to have nets. That’s it. I don’t care about the damn view of a fan. It’s all about safety.”

As Yankees designated hitter Matt Holliday waited at second base during the delay, and most players went down to one knee out of respect for the situation, Dozier was overcome by emotion.

“I still have a knot in my stomach,” Dozier said. “I never look. For some reason I did. Right in the face — little kid. We were out at second base just saying a prayer and we were in tears together. Matt’s a good friend of mine. Matt saw it.”

The girl, who was sitting with family in the sixth row behind the third-base line and beyond the camera well, was carried out of the seating area by an older gentleman. Yankees manager told reporters after the game that the child was “doing OK, and the Yankees released a statement saying the girl was “given first aid at the ballpark and is receiving medical attention at an area hospital.”

After play resumed, Frazier flied out to center off Twins rookie reliever Nik Turley, who was affected by the incident as well.

“It’s scary,” Turley said. “Sitting so close to the action, foul balls like that happen all the time. You just pray no one gets hurt. It was tough. You just knew something happened from Frazier’s reaction. He went down to a knee right away. He knew he’d hit somebody.”

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As Turley watched from near the pitcher’s mound, he couldn’t help but think of his own family. His two children, Dane and Brooke, are 3 and 1, respectively.

They would have been at the stadium Wednesday but travel plans fell through as Turley returned to face his original organization.

“I think they need to extend it,” Turley said of the netting. “If I were sitting in those seats, I’d be a little nervous, especially having two kids myself. I probably wouldn’t choose those seats. There’s nothing they can do about it. I don’t think they weren’t paying attention. It’s just the ball was hit hard, and you have no time to react.”

Twins manager Paul Molitor didn’t see the initial impact but immediately understood the gravity of the moment.

“It stops you in your tracks, gives you a little perspective,” he said. “I saw some people turn away and they couldn’t look.”

Target Field installed protective netting over both dugouts before the 2016 season, but continues to allow teams to make their own determinations depending on seating proximity to the playing field.

“(Target Field) is probably one of the high end in terms of surface area that’s protected, and I’ve seen it pay off,” Molitor said. “When it happened there was some controversy about how far they would go in their mandate I think the clubs that have gone beyond what was required have been glad that they did, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets readdressed and they continue to try to expand what they’re trying to do to protect the fans.”

What will it take for all teams to get on board with additional netting?

“The last result that we don’t ever want to have happen,” Dozier said. “I’m not even going to say it but you know what I’m talking about. We’ve got to do something about it — no exceptions.”

Yankees’ homer barrage completes three-game sweep of Twins Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK — If this was a preview of a potential wild-card matchup on Oct. 3, the Twins basically were sent packing, their performance panned roundly as they slinked back to the relative safety of their off-Broadway venues.

Not even an epic, 13-pitch at-bat from Joe Mauer was enough to save the Twins from their usual mind-blowing experience at Yankee Stadium. Back-to-back homers from Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez wiped out an early Twins lead and sent the New York Yankees to an 11-3 win and a sweep of the three-game series.

“I’ve had better trips to New York,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I’ve heard Frank (Sinatra) sing that song (“New York, New York”) probably too many times.”

Despite falling to 14-45 (.237) in the Bronx since the start of 2002, including four postseason series defeats, the Twins still maintained a slim lead in the race for the second wild-card spot. All that would guarantee them at this point is a one-game trip back to Yankee Stadium.

Any reason to doubt the Twins’ season-long resilience now?

“No, not at all,” second baseman Brian Dozier said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but there’s a possibility we could come back here. That’s our goal. So you turn the page but don’t forget what you read. If we take care of business, we’ll be just fine.”

Thanks to Mauer, who finally pulled a 99-mph fastball through the hole to score the game’s first run, the Twins were able to chase young right- hander Luis Severino after a three-run third. Jorge Polanco added a two-run single as Severino, who needed just 25 pitches to secure the first six outs, was extended to 46 pitches in a marathon third.

Severino is the leading candidate to start the wild-card game, so at least the Twins can take some consolation for their success against him in their first look.

“I don’t know about ‘lining up’ — when that day comes, we’ll see,” Dozier said. “A lot of us saw him pretty well. The kid’s got really good stuff but I think we were very disciplined early on as far as making him throw strikes. We got him out of there.” 7

Everything that happened from there was pretty much painful for the visitors.

Ex-Yankee Bartolo Colon started 10 of his first 11 batters with strikes. The last one of those, however, was a 93-mph fastball on a no-ball, two- strike count that Judge lofted just inside the right-field foul pole for a two-run homer, his 45th of the year and second of the series.

Sanchez followed with a game-tying, 439-foot laser off the batter’s eye in center.

“Whether it’s short or far, it’s still a ,” Colon said through a translator. “I give credit to (Judge) because I threw the ball where I wanted to throw it, and he was able to catch up to it.”

Jacoby Ellsbury tripled off Eddie Rosario’s glove with one out in the fourth. Colon (6-14) then walked Todd Frazier and gave up a go-ahead double to No. 9 hitter Greg Bird, ending the 44-year-old’s day after 63 pitches and 3 1/3 innings.

Reliever , who has now allowed a team-worst 48.6 percent of his inherited runners to score, let the game get out of hand, capped by Didi Gregorius’ three-run shot, his 25th.

“Just trying to contain the game the best way I thought I could,” Molitor said. “Bartolo had a little trouble hitting his spots and putting hitters away. It kind of got away from him. Duff had a little bit of a tough time too.”

Also yanked at 32 pitches on Sept. 10 in Kansas City, Colon was asked how badly he wanted to stay in to clean up his own mess.

“If it was up to me I would have been there all nine innings, but that’s not my decision,” Colon said. “It’s the manager’s decision, and I respect that because he is the manager.”

That left Colon with a 13.09 average over his past three starts and stuck on 239 career victories, four shy of Juan Marichal’s record for a Dominican-born pitcher. Colon’s season ERA, shaved from 8.19 after his Twins debut against the Yankees on July 18 to 6.06 on Sept. 5, has climbed back to 6.63.

After opening the series with just 3 hits in their first 31 at-bats with runners in scoring position, the Judge homer sent the Yankees on a string where they went 5 for 6 in the clutch. It took the Twins until their 24th and final defensive inning here this week, but John Curtiss finally gave them a clean inning of work in Wednesday’s eighth.

They also uncorked six wild pitches in suffering their first three-game sweep since July 24-26 at Dodger Stadium.

Twins fall in finale, unable to add WC cushion Bryan Hoch and Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 21, 2017

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez launched back-to-back homers, and Didi Gregorius also went deep as the Yankees continued to fire on all cylinders in pursuit of a postseason berth, completing a series sweep of the Twins with an 11-3 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Judge connected for his American League-leading 45th homer and Sanchez hit his 32nd homer, tops among all big league , as the Yankees thumped Bartolo Colon for six runs in 3 1/3 innings. Yankees batters collected 15 hits, eight for extra bases, as the Bombers (85-67) secured their 10th win in 12 games to move a season-high 18 games over .500.

"It was just an example of guys having quality at-bats all day," Judge said. "We started off a little slow, and then we just turned it on. Hitting is contagious. Once one guy starts getting a couple of knocks, it just feeds into the next at-bat."

Gregorius hit his 25th blast off Tyler Duffey as part of a six-run fourth inning, surpassing Derek Jeter's 24 homers in 1999 to set a single-season mark for a Yankees shortstop. New York's win keeps it three games behind Boston in the American League East after the Red Sox shut out the Orioles Wednesday night in Baltimore.

The sweep swelled the Yankees' lead over the Twins for the first AL Wild Card to seven games. New York's magic number to secure a postseason spot was reduced to three after the Angels lost to the Indians on Wednesday night in Anaheim. Minnesota leads the Angels by a game and a half for the second AL Wild Card spot.

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"Obviously, we're in a better spot than maybe we were Sept. 1, but there are no guarantees," manager Joe Girardi said. "You have to continue to play well. If you're fortunate enough to get into the , you want to be playing well at that time. We will continue to do everything we can to win every game and see where we fall."

The Yankees' bullpen filled in nicely behind Luis Severino, who exited early after throwing 46 pitches in the Twins' two-run third inning. Severino tossed 71 pitches in all before yielding to Chasen Shreve, who earned the victory with three innings of scoreless, hitless relief.

"I've had better trips to New York," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Guys asked before the series about getting swept, and in reality, that's what happened. We've got 10 games, and my goal right now is to get these guys back in a positive frame of mind." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED And belly to belly: Judge's two-run shot hooked inside the right-field foul pole and made him just the eighth player in Yankees history to reach 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 100 walks in the same season. It was Judge's first career home run on an 0-2 count; he has now homered on every possible count but 3-0. Sanchez then erased the Twins' early lead with a long drive to center field that landed on the netting covering Monument Park.

"They've been producing all year," said Greg Bird, who went 3-for-4 in the win. "When they go, we go, I guess. Really, this lineup is great. It's fun to be a part of, and it's fun to watch those two play and hit and do their thing."

Yes in-Didi: The Yanks pulled away in the fourth as Colon retired just one of the four batters he faced in the inning. All of them would come around to score, as and Sanchez knocked RBI singles to set up Gregorius' three-run homer to right field. Despite missing most of the season's first month due to injury, Gregorius' 25 homers and 84 RBIs shattered his season highs from 2016, when he collected 20 homers and 70 RBIs.

"I'm showing a little bit of power, more than last year,' Gregorius said. "For me, the most important thing is winning. There's records, but we still have a couple of games left to play, and our main goal is to try to win a ring and a championship. That's what is most important."

FAN HIT BY FOUL A foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier struck a young fan in the stands down the left-field line in the fifth inning. Play was halted briefly as the fan received medical attention and was taken to a nearby hospital. Frazier and several Twins players in the field looked on, clearly shaken. "They told us it hit a little girl ... we got a report that she's OK," Girardi said. "Obviously, you could see the concern on everyone in the ballpark -- the players, the umpires, the fans. It's disturbing when it happens, and it's hard for a player when it happens." More >

QUOTABLE "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but there's a possibility we come back here, and that's our goal. We're turning the page but not forgetting what we read. Our objective tomorrow is to win one game against the Tigers." -- Twins second baseman Brian Dozier

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS In 29 games since Aug. 22, the Yankees have scored a Major League-best 181 runs, averaging 6.24 runs per game over that span.

WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Minnesota will look to increase its lead on the second AL Wild Card spot with a four-game series against the Tigers that begins on Thursday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.62 ERA) will start the opener. He scuffled in his last start in his return from the disabled list after missing a month with a left biceps strain, allowing three runs in three-plus innings against the Blue Jays. Yankees: Following their final off-day of the regular season on Thursday, the Yanks will open a three-game series against the Blue Jays on Friday at 7:07 p.m. ET. Right-hander (12-11, 4.73 ERA) will start the opener. He is coming off a win over the Orioles in which he allowed two solo homers over seven innings, striking out eight.

Despite getting swept in NY, Twins look ahead Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK -- Even with a new regime and a lineup full of youngsters, Yankee Stadium remains the Twins' house of horrors.

The Twins headed to the Bronx with a chance to pad their lead over the Angels for the second American League Wild Card spot, but instead, they were swept in the three-game series, punctuated by an 11-3 blowout loss on Wednesday afternoon. It dropped the Twins to 9-20 at Yankee Stadium since 2009 and 1-8 since '15. They're also 31-78 against New York dating back to 2002, winning their last season series against the Yankees in '01.

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"I've heard Frank sing that song too many times," Twins manager Paul Molitor quipped about Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York." "I've had better trips to New York. Guys asked before the series about getting swept, and in reality, that's what happened. We've got 10 games, and my goal right now is to get these guys back in a positive frame of mind."

The Twins, though, still have a slight edge over the Angels for the second AL Wild Card spot. And they have a forgiving schedule over their final 10 games, playing the Tigers seven times, including a four-game series in Detroit that begins on Thursday.

"Hopefully we learned something," Molitor said. "We've talked about the experience of coming in here on the bigger stage and do the whole 'Hoosiers' thing -- the game is the same, but it feels different. Hopefully it helps these guys in the long run."

Minnesota had the momentum early on Wednesday, taking a 3-0 lead against potential Wild Card Game starter Luis Severino with a three-run third, keyed by an RBI single from Joe Mauer with the bases loaded on the 13th pitch of his at-bat. Jorge Polanco jumped on the very next pitch for a two-run single, and Severino was pulled after three innings.

But things imploded from there, with right-hander Bartolo Colon continuing his recent struggles, as the Yankees struck with a three-run third featuring back-to-back homers from Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez before breaking out for a six-run fourth. Colon was charged with six runs over 3 1/3 innings, giving him a 13.09 ERA over his past three outings.

Colon, though, said the Twins will continue to push forward, and Molitor said he's counting on veterans such as Colon to help the younger players down the stretch.

"I believe in that group a lot, and that hasn't changed because of the last three days," Molitor said, "and not just because of the talent, but because of the character and leadership in that clubhouse."

Wednesday's loss completed another forgettable trip to the Bronx, and yet the Twins could be back on Oct. 3 for the AL Wild Card Game with right-hander lined up to start. Minnesota was eliminated by the Yankees in the postseason in 2003, '04, '09 and '10, but a win in the Wild Card Game would ease some of that pain and make this week's sweep a footnote in an otherwise successful season.

"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but there's a possibility we come back here, and that's our goal," Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. "We're turning the page but not forgetting what we read. Our objective tomorrow is to win one game against the Tigers."

Berrios, Rosario, Vargas monitoring hurricane Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK -- With Hurricane Maria making landfall in Puerto Rico, Twins players Jose Berrios, Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas have been monitoring the situation from Yankee Stadium.

The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage to the island, and all three players are native Puerto Ricans who represented their country in the . Berrios hails from Bayamon near San Juan, Rosario is from Guayama on the southern coast and Vargas is from Canovanas on the northeast side of the island.

"It's tough," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I know it's heavy in their hearts and minds. I talked to Kennys, Eddie and Jose today to see if they're getting communication and making sure their families are OK. We're trying to do what we can. But when your homeland is hit like Puerto Rico has been over the last 20 hours, I'm sure it's challenging to keep your focus."

Rosario wrote, "Fuerza Puerto Rico," on the left side of his helmet, a rallying call for his native country to stay strong, while Berrios wrote "Pray 4 PR" on his hat.

Berrios started Tuesday, allowing three runs over 3 1/3 innings. He admitted the situation back home was on his mind, but he didn't want to use it as an excuse for his outing.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't thinking of all those things," Berrios said. "Most of my family is in Minnesota, but there are a lot of people on the island going through it, so my heart goes out to them."

Rosario and Vargas were both in the lineup for the series finale on Wednesday, with Vargas getting a planned start at first base with Joe Mauer serving as designated hitter.

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"Before the series even started, we tried to get an idea," Molitor said. "We wanted to get Joe a DH day to keep him fresh down the stretch. Kennys has had some good days and not-so-good days, but we know he's a threat."

Worth noting • Former closer Glen Perkins isn't expected to see action in high-leverage roles down the stretch, as he'll continue to be used sparingly in his return from left shoulder labrum surgery. Perkins has posted a 12.46 ERA in six outings since returning in mid-August.

"I don't really see if that's going to change too significantly here over the next 10 days," Molitor said.

• Rookie reliever Gabriel Moya has impressed in his first three career outings, allowing one run on a solo homer while striking out two. His unusual delivery helps him hide the ball from hitters and makes his fastball play up, as the left-hander's average fastball velocity is 90.8 mph. He threw a scoreless inning on Tuesday against the Yankees.

"The reality is when I go out to the mound, my goal is to eat the batter alive," Moya said through a translator. "That's what I want him to think, that I'm going to eat him alive, and this is my territory."

WC-seeking Twins turn to Mejia in Detroit Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 20, 2017

As the Tigers won four straight American League Central titles from 2011-14, the Twins were left trying to play the role of spoiler down the stretch against Detroit. But the tables have turned, as it's now Minnesota competing for its first postseason berth since 2010, and the Tigers are the ones looking to hurt the Twins' chances.

The Twins head to Detroit with a slim lead over the Angels for the second AL Wild Card spot with 10 games to play, including seven games against the Tigers, starting with a four-game set at Comerica Park that begins on Thursday. Minnesota will turn to rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.62 ERA), while the Tigers will counter with veteran Jordan Zimmermann (8-12, 6.18 ERA).

Twins manager Paul Molitor said he's careful about getting ahead of himself, but he acknowledged that making the postseason would be a big boost for his young club, especially coming off a 103-loss season last year.

"I'd be happy to elaborate more if it happens," Molitor said. "But I think at the moment, I'd say to be able to experience a postseason game or more in this season, the combination it would do for young players and their confidence and the fact that we're coming off last season, it would provide a big boost to us moving forward."

Things to know about this game

• Mejia struggled in his return from the disabled list after missing more than a month with a left biceps strain, allowing three runs over three- plus innings against the Blue Jays. He started out strong, but he gave up four straight hits in the fourth inning. He'll get more leeway this start, and he is expected to be available to throw 100 pitches.

• Zimmermann is coming off a loss against the Indians, allowing five runs on 12 hits over five innings. He's struggled recently, posting an 11.03 ERA over his past five starts while averaging only 4 2/3 innings per outing. One of those starts came against the Twins on Aug. 12, when he gave up seven runs over 3 1/3 innings.

• Seven of the 12 hits Zimmermann allowed in his last start had exit velocities below Statcast's hard-hit baseline of 95 mph. For the season, Zimmermann's .275 average allowed on this soft contact is the sixth highest in the Majors (minimum 250 soft batted balls), compared with the MLB average of .224.

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: This is why the Yankees wouldn’t be a fun matchup in October Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | September 20, 2017

If the Twins make it to the postseason, I’m guessing there won’t be too much hand-wringing from the team’s fanbase, because… Hey! You’re playing in October one year after losing 103 baseball games. That feat would be every bit as impressive as it was improbable.

We saw this week, though, as the Twins were swept in New York, why you might not want any part of playing the Yankees in October.

This column presents 5 thoughts the Yankees would make a difficult postseason matchup for Minnesota. (But really, it provides us an excuse to 11 get out some thoughts about where the Twins are at in a year that seemed unlikely to include so much postseason chatter this late in the season.)

1. Luis Severino is really good.

The Twins got to Severino on Wednesday, and that’s an encouraging sign in an otherwise disappointing loss. Severino’s been so good for the Yankees this year that manager Joe Girardi has shuffled the deck to try to make a run at the Red Sox. He’s hoping his ace can make two more starts this season, instead of the one more he had on his ticket when the Yankees originally submitted his work order.

In a one-game series, starting rotation depth means next to nothing. All it takes is one top-shelf starter to tilt the odds in your favor.

First, a little bad news on that front. Then we’ll get to the relative good news.

Severino is just 23 years old, but he’s been one of the best in baseball this year. Entering Wednesday’s start, he had a 2.93 ERA in 184 1/3 innings this season. He’s a menace when it comes to –he’s racked up 218 of them in his 184 innings, with an exceptional rate of 29.2%. He ranks 8th in baseball in terms of starter ERA this season, and in the second half of the season, only and Justin Verlander have been better. That’s not exactly the kind of pitcher you want to face in a winner-take -all Wild Card playoff game.

Oh, and then there’s this.

I’m not sure how much I trust the radar gun they were showing on TV this series, but the point remains that Severino’s fastball is turbo-charged.

Now, how about some good news?

For one thing, while Kennys Vargas looked impressed by that velocity — even while just taking a first-pitch fastball for a strike — later in the he singled and then scored a run.

Severino only got to 3 innings against the Twins, actually, and they scored 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk. It’s possible he was pulled just to avoid over-exposing him against a team that he may face in about 2 weeks with New York’s postseason life on the line. It’s also possible that it was just time to go to the bullpen after the young ace labored through a strenuous 3rd inning, which included a beauty of an at-bat by Joe Mauer, a 13-pitch RBI single in which Severino and catcher Gary Sanchez had no answers for the Twins’ DH.

Still, Severino has been awesome in the second half, and you’d probably rather avoid him in the playoffs if given the choise. Here’s some more good news: the Twins could get that opportunity.

Girardi switched up his starting rotation to have Severino face the Twins, on the chance that he could pitch twice more for the Yankees instead of just one more time. That would be a boost to the slim hopes the Yankees currently have of catching the Red Sox in the American League East. But it could also mean Severino pitching Sept. 30, and therefor being unavailable to start the Wild Card game on regular rest.

In that way, maybe the Yankees’ pursuit of the Red Sox in their division cold be a good thing for the Twins.

2. Aaron Judge has the power to change a series.

In the first half of the season, Judge was the talk of baseball. He was the best young player, and his Ruthian power had some folks wondering if he’d be the next face of baseball. The second half hasn’t been nearly as kind to the Yankees rookie slugger, as far as gaudy numbers go. He’s still on track to have the best season of any rookie in Yankees history.

1st half 2nd half HR 30 14 K % 29.8% 33.3% AVG .329 .201 OBP .448 .363 SLG .691 .435 wOBA .466 .340 wRC+ 196 110 Source: FanGraphs.com

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Those numbers were pulled before he hit another home run against the Twins on Wednesday. Take a look at the last column. Weighted Runs Created Plus is designed to scale so that 100 is exactly average. So a 196 wRC+ means that stat measured Judge as 96% better than the league average in the first half. During his second-half slump, meanwhile, he’s only been 10% better than the league-average hitter. First-world problems.

My point here is just that in a one-game series, 4 or 5 plate appearances from Judge will put stress on a pitching staff. Whether or not he’s scuffling, Judge has the power to change a game, and in this case, a series.

3. Are you kidding me with that bullpen?

I won’t linger on this point, although it’s the primary reason I wouldn’t want to face the Yankees in a postseason series of any length.

I know that and have resemebled humans at times this year. And yet, that’s a scary looking bullpen. If you’ve got to beat New York in one 9-inning game with the season on the line, you’d better score some runs on the .

You’ve got Chapman and Betances, but don’t forget about midseason acquisitions David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, oh, and and Adam Warren. Girardi can play matchups or he can just give everybody an inning and ask for 3 innings out of his starter. Not that I think he’ll do that. If the Yankees find a way to march through another October and get to the , I’m guessing that Super Bullpen will be a big reason why.

4. The Twins probably have the better lineup right now, but the Yankees have a good one.

The Bronx Bombers outscored the Twins 18-6 in their 3-game series. I wouldn’t take that as an indication that the Yankees have the better lineup. In a vacuum I’d take the Twins, actually.

Those Yankees hitters are no slouches, though. This season, they rank 5th in home runs as a team (219), second in runs scored (800), and third in team Weighted On-Base Average (.333). For the sake of comparison, Miguel Sano finished last season with a .334 wOBA.

So that’s a tough draw for Ervin Santana — or whichever Twins starter would be asked to pitch that potential Wild Card game on Oct. 3. My guess would be Santana, and he’s currently lined up to make that start.

5. Will the Twins have Miguel Sano back?

It doesn’t look good at this point, but Kevin Garnett told us in 2008 that anything is possible, so who knows.

You don’t necessarily need him if you’re the Twins. The lineup, in general, has been pretty good without him thanks to some great contributions from , Jorge Polanco, Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario.

If we’re being realistic, I’d take it as a discouraging sign that a stress reaction hasn’t allowed Sano to get out of a soft walking boot more than a month later, and with less than two weeks to go before a possible postseason appearance, he still hasn’t reported marked progress. He’s actually gotten into some baseball activity, but to my knowledge, Sano is yet to take a round of batting practice and run without feeling sore or experiencing swelling the next day.

Let’s say the shin that’s held him out of the lineup since Aug. 19 is wondrously healed tomorrow. How prepared would Sano be to take back over his regular spot in the ? Is a month away from MLB pitching enough to accumulate significant rust? Without the benefit of a minor league rehab stint or instructional league, would Sano be able to work his way back into game shape and timing just by swinging a bat against some extra Twins relief pitchers in a simulated game?

Having been around him a little bit, I’d expect that Sano is doing everything that he can to get back in time. I’m just not sure that there’s anything the Twins can do to ensure that happens.

Ready to bet against these Twins? That might be a big mistake Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | September 20, 2017

This seems fitting.

In a season in which resilience long ago became the norm, the Minnesota Twins are going to once again have to pick themselves up, dust 13 themselves off and prove that getting dirt kicked in their face by a big, bad opponent (this time the New York Yankees) isn’t going to keep them down.

The Twins were outscored 18-6 in being swept in three games at Yankee Stadium. This included an 11-3 loss on Wednesday afternoon in which the Twins took a 3-0 lead against Yankees ace Luis Severino in the top of the third inning before the Bronx Bombers disposed of the Twins by scoring a combined nine runs in the third and fourth innings in chasing starter Bartolo Colon.

The loss left the Twins with only a one-game lead over the for the second wild card spot in the American League. The Angels were scheduled to play host to the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night, giving them an opportunity to tie the Twins.

“I believe in that group a lot and it hasn’t changed because of the last three days,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of his team. “Not only the talent, but the character and really good leadership in that clubhouse. So, big challenge going to Detroit, they’ll be loosey-goosy. I’m sure they’d love to derail us a little bit and we’ll see how we respond.”

In this case, Molitor wasn’t providing lip-service.

What has made this Twins team so interesting isn’t that it’s really that good, at least not yet. Rather it’s every time you figure their season is about to collapse, they have made you feel foolish.

There have been numerous instances of this, including when chief baseball officer Derek Falvey decided to starting pitcher Jaime Garcia, whom had just been acquired, and closer Brandon Kintzler before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31 after the Twins struggled out of the All-Star break.

The Twins had won only five of 15 at that point, but got their act together and went 20-10 in August.

While being swept by the Yankees might be disappointing, it certainly shouldn’t be considered all that surprising.

These Twins haven’t exactly had success against some of the AL’s best. The key is there aren’t that many clubs that can be considered superior in the American League. The list would include Cleveland, Boston, the Yankees and Houston.

Minnesota is 6-10 against Cleveland, 2-5 against Boston, 2-4 against the Yankees and 1-5 against Houston. That included the Astros’ 16-8, 7-2, 17-6 victories in late May at Target Field, a sweep that gave you the feeling the Twins would soon disappear toward the bottom of the AL Central standings. That never happened.

That’s because the Twins’ beat up on teams like the White Sox (12-7) and took the season series from the Royals (11-8).

The Twins have 10 games left on their schedule, including seven total against the 62-90 Tigers. Minnesota will face the Tigers in a four-game series beginning Thursday in Detroit.

It could be considered disturbing that the Twins are only 5-7 against Detroit this season, but the Tigers also have gone into a rebuild in recent weeks and sent away some key pieces. This includes former ace Justin Verlander.

The issue, as Molitor pointed out, is Detroit could attempt to make the Twins’ life miserable just for the fun of it. The Twins’ other remaining series will be next week in Cleveland. The Indians, who rode a 22-game winning streak to the AL Central title, show no signs of slowing down.

The Angels, meanwhile, will wrap up their series with Cleveland on Thursday afternoon before playing three in Houston, four against the White Sox in Chicago and closing against Seattle at home.

That means the pressure will be on the Twins to take care of business against the Tigers.

That type of pressure would get to most teams – especially one with so many young players, like the Twins have – only every time this club looks as if it’s going to fold, it surges.

“My goal right now is to try to figure out how to get these guys back into a positive frame of mind and to try to go out and win a game in Detroit tomorrow,” Molitor said.

Betting against him at this point would be a dangerous thing. 14

5 keys for the Twins heading into a pivotal series in Detroit Jake Depue | ESPN 1500 | September 21, 2017

The Yankees finished off a dominating sweep of the Twins at Yankee Stadium Wednesday, all but punching their ticket to the playoffs. With 10 games left, the Twins are trying to hold off the Angels to claim the second wild card spot and get back to New York (or possibly Boston) for the wild card game. As of Wednesday afternoon, Minnesota holds a tenuous 1 game lead over Anaheim for the second spot.

The sweep in New York was disappointing, with the Twins not playing particularly good baseball in a huge series against an opponent that’s tormented them for a decade and a half. If we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, though, Twins fans should be excited about what lies ahead over the next week and a half.

The Twins are playing high stakes, critical games in late September as they try to claw their way into the postseason. I’d venture to guess that most fans would have taken that in , and certainly at the trade deadline. So, as you’ve been forced to do so many times before, put a demoralizing Yankees series behind you and look ahead to what comes next.

With that in mind, here are five keys to taking at least 3 out of 4 from a depleted Tigers team that’s mostly just playing out the string.

1. Keep Adalberto Mejia on a short leash Thursday against the lefty-mashing Tigers

Detroit’s offense is middle-of-the-pack in the American League this year, but they absolutely mash left-handed pitching. Detroit has an .852 OPS against lefties this year, which is far-and-away the best in the American League. Those numbers suggest Thursday’s starter, Adalberto Mejia, could be in for a long day, and it’s incumbent on the Twins to make sure that day isn’t too long if he runs into trouble.

Given the plethora of right-handed relief options out of the pen, it makes sense to manage Thursday’s game similarly to a playoff game. If the Tigers jump on Mejia early, pulling him fairly quickly and patching together the game with a combination of right-handed long-relievers (Slegers, Gee) and one-inning guys (Hildenberger, Busenitz, Pressly, Belisle et al.) might be the best approach to keeping Detroit’s offense at bay. Bartolo Colon’s short start Wednesday does make that a bit more difficult, though.

2. Prioritize outfield

Detroit’s park is huge, which is an advantage for a Twins team that boasts the top outfield defense in the majors. That defense takes a step back, though, when Ehire Adrianza starts in place of Max Kepler against lefties. I think Adrianza’s handled himself well in the outfield, but Kepler’s certainly the superior defensive outfielder. Having his glove out there in a large park may be worth any potential downgrade offensively against left-handed pitching.

(One note here: It’s a bit of a tough break for the Twins that Bartolo Colon started Wednesday in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium and not Comerica Park in Detroit. Colon gives up a ton of hard contact and fly ball outs, and I wonder if he would have fared a bit better with the spacious outfield in Detroit.)

3. Cut back on the late-inning bunting

Before I become the millionth person to weigh in on all the sac bunting, I’ll say this: I think Paul Molitor is a good manager who does a lot behind the scenes to improve the ballclub, and those things sometimes don’t get taken into account in evaluations of his performance. This can be expanded on in another article, but to keep it short, I think he deserves quite a bit of credit for taking a team with a poor pitching staff that sold at the deadline to the brink of the playoffs.

That said, I’m pretty much anti- (especially sac bunt), and I think he bunts too much. Further, if you *are* going to sac bunt, some spots are better to do it than others, and I don’t think he always picks good spots.

Monday’s game is a good example. Down 2-1 in the eigth, the Twins were facing Dellin Betances. Betances has had major control problems all year (6.8 BB/9), and hit Robbie Grossman with the first pitch of the inning, before falling behind Zack Granite. In my opinion, you have to make Betances prove he can throw strikes before giving away an out in a game you’re losing. After Granite sac bunted, Betances walked Brian Dozier and Max Kepler before exiting. I have no idea how that inning would have played out had Molitor not bunted there, but I do think it’s poor process. I also think it’s poor process to bunt over a slow runner (Joe Mauer) who may not score on a hit to the outfield with your number three hitter, as he’s done a number of times.

4. Get the offense rolling again against bad starting pitching 15

It’s hard to knock the Twins too much offensively, because they’ve had one of the best offenses in baseball in the second half. They erupted for 13 runs on Sunday against Toronto, but have otherwise had poor offensive showings while losing five of their last six. Here are their run totals in those five losses: 3, 2, 1, 2, 3. That comes out to just 2.2 runs/game. Now, I’m admittedly cherry-picking here, in a) discounting their 13 run outburst Sunday, and b) looking at a tiny sample size in what’s been a fantastic second half overall. But I think it’s fair to say the offense has been scuffling a bit over the last week, and that can’t happen against a Detroit team that’s traded away their best starter (Justin Verlander) and reliever ().

While the Twins faced strong starting pitching in New York, that won’t be the case in Detroit. Here’s who’s lined up to pitch for the Tigers, according to ESPN.com:

Jordan Zimmerman: 6.18 ERA, 1.58 WHIP Mathew Boyd: 5.33 ERA, 1.57 WHIP Buck Farmer: 7.11 ERA, 1.47 WHIP Chad Bell: 6.52 ERA, 1.81 WHIP

The Twins couldn’t ask for better pitching matchups in this series, and quite simply, they need to take advantage and put up runs against a bad Tigers pitching staff. Now, there’s one caveat to that: Mathew Boyd and Chad Bell are left-handed, which leads into my last key:

5. Figure out the Tigers’ (mediocre) left-handed pitching

The Twins haven’t fared particularly well against left-handed pitching all season, and that was on full display in New York. Jaime Garcia and C.C. Sabathia shut down the Twins, racking up strikeouts and getting the Twins to chase out of the zone. Over the weekend, the Twins will face Boyd and Bell, two mediocre left-handed starters.

The Twins have a lineup that isn’t conducive to hitting left-handed pitching, particularly with Miguel Sano out. Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Robbie Grossman and Eduardo Escobar all have better numbers against RHP than LHP. Kepler, in particular, has struggled mightily against lefties, with Paul Molitor choosing to mostly bench him against southpaws. Kepler, though, homered off C.C. Sabathia in Tuesday night’s game, his first against a lefty this season. I’d venture to guess that home run bought Kepler at least one start against either Boyd or Bell, and perhaps helped his confidence a bit in the process. Regardless, if the Twins are intent on winning the series, they’re going to have to put together good at bats against Detroit’s southpaws.

Twins lose 11-3 in New York as Yankees complete sweep Associated Press | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK — Didi Gregorius took away one of Derek Jeter’s titles.

Jeter always will be remembered for leading the Yankees to five World Series championships. In his third season as Jeter’s replacement, Sir Didi surpassed his predecessor for the most home runs by a Yankees shortstop in a season.

Gregorius sent a three-run drive into the second deck in right field, Aaron Judge hit his AL-leading 45th home run and topped 100 RBIs, and New York beat the Minnesota Twins 11-3 Wednesday for a three-game sweep.

“He’s just getting better and better, maturing as a player, defensively, everything,” Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said. “You’ve got to consider him one of the best shortstops in the league.”

The Yankees, who have won 10 of 12, remained three games behind AL East-leading Boston, which blanked Baltimore 9-0. They opened a seven-game advantage over the Twins for the top AL wild card with 10 games remaining.

Gregorius has 25 homers, one more than Jeter’s total in 1999, and 84 RBIs. A knight in the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau, the 27-year-old had never reached double digits in home runs before hitting 20 last year.

“For me, most important is winning,” Gregorius said. “That’s what we play for. As long as we’re winning, I’m happy.”

He’s thrived in a situation where comparisons with Jeter were constant.

“That’s obviously something that’s always going to be … in the back of your head,” Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner said. “I think last year just 16 really turned the corner offensively, and it didn’t seem to matter if he was facing righties or lefties.”

The game was halted for 4 minutes in the fifth inning when a young girl was injured by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier . The Yankees said the girl was taken to a hospital for treatment, and New York manager Joe Girardi said he had been told by team security that she was OK.

Minnesota started the day 1 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for the league’s last playoff berth. The Twins have lost five of six and were outscored 18-6 in the three-game series.

“I’ve had better trips to New York,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We’ve talked a lot this last three days about handling the bigger stage and try to do the whole `Hoosier’ thing. The game’s the same, it just feels a little different and hopefully it helps these guys in the long run.”

Judge hit his eighth home run of September, a two-run drive that began the comeback from a 3-0 deficit. He added a for his 101st RBI, joining Joe DiMaggio, Tony Lazzeri and Hideki Matsui as the only Yankees rookies to reach the century mark.

Judge’s opposite-field drive down the right-field line off Bartolo Colon was the first homer run in his big league career on 0-2 pitch. Gary Sanchez followed with a shot into Monument Park, his 32nd, to go back-to-back with Judge for the second time in the homestand.

“These guys always put me in a good position,” Judge said. “There’s always runners on base for me.”

Greg Bird’s RBI double in a six-run fourth chased Colon (4-6 in the AL and 6-14 overall), and Gardner and Sanchez followed with run-scoring singles against Tyler Duffey for a 6-3 lead.

Minnesota built its lead in a 46-pitch third inning against Luis Severino. Joe Mauer had an RBI single that capped a 13-pitch at-bat , the longest of his big league career, and Jorge Polanco hit a two-run single.

Colon, 44, signed his first big league contract in 1993, about eight months before Severino was born. Colon gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, raising his overall ERA to 6.63.

Chasen Shreve (4-1) pitched three hitless innings in relief of Severino, who allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, just his second poor start since the All-Star break.

“He was a little off today,” Girardi said.

BIG NUMBERS

Judge also struck out for the 199th time this season and walked for the 116th. DiMaggio had 125 RBIs as a rookie in 1936, Lazzeri 114 in 1926 and Matsui 106 in 2003 after leaving the to sign with the Yankees.

NEARLY CYCLE

Jacoby Ellsbury singled, doubled and tripled. He hit a fly to right-center in his last at-bat.

THUMBS DOWN

The Yankees posed in their new thumbs-down T-shirts , nine days after a Mets fan responded with the gesture following Frazier’s home run against Tampa Bay at Citi Field.

SMALL BALL

Minnesota has 26 sacrifices, tied for second in the AL behind the (32). The Twins had a pair of singles in loading the bases during CC Sabathia’s first four pitches Tuesday night.

“If you’ve got a better chance to get a hit by bunting that you do of swinging the bat, I think that they’re times to still to that,” manager Paul Molitor said. The bunt had been part of the game forever. It’s a proven commodity.”

TRAINER’S ROOM 17

Yankees: OF Aaron Hicks (oblique strain) will start batting practice Thursday in Tampa, Florida, and is to play in a game Monday at New York’s minor league complex. … RHP Adam Warren (back spasm) was to throw a bullpen session Wednesday and advance to a simulated game by Sunday or early next week.

UP NEXT

Twins: LHP Adalberto Mejia (4-6) is to open a four-game series at Detroit on Thursday.

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (12-11) is to start Friday’s series opener of a three-game series at Toronto, New York’s final road games.

Rumor Central: Time running out on Twins' Miguel Sano? Doug Mittler | ESPN.com | September 20, 2017

The Minnesota Twins seem resigned to the fact that they will finish the season without slugger Miguel Sano at third base.

Sano has not played since Aug. 19 due to a stress reaction in his shin and his recovery has gone slower than hoped. “My biggest concern now is even if he gets to the point where we get him on the field in any capacity, how much of a challenge is it going to be for him to have any type of timing at all? With some of the pitching we have to face, that’s going to be hard to give away at-bats just to hope he’s got it,” manager Paul Molitor told reporters, including Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.

The 24-year-old Sano is hitting .267/.356/.514 with 28 home runs and was named to his first All-Star team.

Berardino says the chances of Sano returning to the field “appear to be nearly nil unless the Twins go on a sustained postseason run.” If Sano does return, it would be as a designated hitter, adds MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger.

Minnesota entered play Wednesday with a 1½ game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second American League wild card berth.

Eduardo Escobar has been Sano’s primary replacement at third base and will likely continue in that role. Escobar has a .269/.310/.672 slash line over his last 19 games.

The Twins Continue To Be Absolutely Terrible Against the Yankees Jon Tayler | Sports Illustrated | September 20, 2017

The Twins lost to the Yankees today, 11–3, as New York finished a three-game sweep of Minnesota in the Bronx. That drops the Twins to 2–4 this season against the Yankees, which isn't necessarily that bad; after all, the Yankees are a very good team, are likely going to win the wild card and still have a shot at the AL East title. But this has also been the story of the Yankees and Twins for every season seemingly since the dawn of time.

With that 2–4 mark, Minnesota has now posted a losing record against New York every single year since 2002. That's 15 straight seasons of complete ineptitude against the men in pinstripes. And those years haven't even been close: The Twins' collective record against the Yankees in that span is 31–78, or a .284 winning percentage that would translate to a 46–116 record over a full season. That winning percentage would be the 15th-worst regular-season mark in modern major league history. Put another way: The Twins against the Yankees over the last 15 years are, collectively, one of the 20 worst teams in the last century-plus of the game.

But wait, there's more! There are three different years in that time—2002, '03 and '09—in which the Twins didn't win a single game against the Yankees, and in that '09 season, they also lost all three of their ALDS games against New York. At one point, the Twins lost 13 straight games to the Yankees across the 2002 and '03 seasons. Things are even worse when it comes to Yankee Stadium, which seems to be Minnesota's own personal House of Horrors That Ruth Built. Since 2002, the Twins are 12–40 in the Bronx—a .231 winning percentage, or the equivalent of a 37– 125 season, and in seven different years, Minnesota didn't win a single game it played in Yankee Stadium.

The stats aren't any prettier. Including today's shellacking, Twins pitchers have a collective 5.09 ERA against Yankees hitters since 2002 and have surrendered 150 home runs in 121 games. Not counting today's stats, New York's lineup has hit .287/.347/.465, or just a tad under what Jeff Kent slashed over his entire career. The Twins, by contrast, have managed a mere .252/.309/.388 line against Yankees pitching, or the rough equivalent of Pokey Reese's career at the plate, and have been shut out seven times.

So yeah: The Twins are bad against the Yankees. So bad. So, so, so bad. Bad beyond belief. Bad to the point where you wonder what the 18

Yankees are putting in the water in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. Bad to the point that it shoots past coincidence and even suspicion and lands solely at the only plausible explanation being that the Twins are the plaything of a merciless god who lives in Staten Island and thinks Don Mattingly is a Hall of Famer.

Well, at least luckily for the Twins, yet another season of getting beat on by the Yankees has finally come to a clo—

Maybe Minnesota should consider ceding that second wild card to the Angels to save themselves some pain.

Twins' Brian Dozier calls for mandatory protective netting after young fan hit by foul ball Joe Rodgers | Sporting News | September 20, 2017

Wednesday's Yankees-Twins game was delayed several minutes in the bottom of the fifth inning after a young fan, sitting down the third-base line at Yankee Stadium, was hit by a hard liner off the bat of Todd Frazier.

Players from both teams as well as umpires appeared distraught as the youngster was tended to and eventually carried from the stands.

Yankees veteran Matt Holliday was seen brushing tears from his cheeks while appearing to gesture about a protective netting. Frazier knelt and bowed his head. He, too, appeared particularly upset by the incident.

After the game, Frazier and Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius both said the netting at Yankee Stadium should be extended. Twins All-Star Brian Dozier took it one step further, calling for mandatory protective netting at every MLB park.

"Either one: You don’t bring kids down there. Or Number Two: Every stadium needs to have nets," an emotional Dozier told reporters. "That’s it. I don’t care about the damn view of a fan or what. It’s all about safety. I still have a knot in my stomach. I don’t know if you guys saw it, but I hope the kid’s OK. We need nets. Or don’t put kids down there.”

The Yankees have thus far resisted extending their netting to the foul poles, but, according to the New York Times, they were “seriously exploring” a plan to extend the netting after a foul ball hit by slugger Aaron Judge struck a fan in the head in July.

"It’s all up to the owners. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and say the wrong thing," Dozier said. "But we’re definitely trying to get everybody to do it. I know — Target Field being the closest to home plate, so we put up a little rule that a certain amount of distance you gotta have one. But I say put them all down, all the way down.”

There was no report immediately available on the health of the fan, identified by some on social media as a young girl. The Yankees later released a statement, saying the girl was taken to a local hospital.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters that stadium security told him the little girl “is doing okay” after getting hit in the face.

MLB mandated before the 2016 season that teams extend protective netting at least to the far ends of dugouts.

Are The Twins Cursed Against The Yankees? Jeff Wald | CBS Minnesota | September 20, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Do we really want the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium for the American League Wild Card?

While baseball is weird and anything can happen, history says absolutely not. Stay as far away from Yankee Stadium as possible. The New York Yankees completed a sweep of the Twins on Wednesday with an 11-3 victory. The Bronx Bombers scored 11 unanswered runs after the Twins took an early 3-0 lead. The Twins got out-scored 18-6 in the series.

Most importantly, the Twins are clinging to a one-game lead for the second AL Wild Card, pending what happens between the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Wednesday night. If the Angels win, the Twins wild card lead trims to a half game. An Indians win, and it’s back to 1.5 games. So for the time being, Twins fans are Indians fans.

The Twins are now 1-8 at Yankee Stadium over the last three seasons. So is there a hex over the Twins, or are the Yankees just better. Yes, and yes.

So what happened in the latest series? It starts with pitching, and it wasn’t very good for the Twins in this series. Jose Berrios couldn’t find his 19 command Tuesday and only went 3 1/3 innings as the Twins lost 5-2. Monday, Ervin Santana was good enough to win but didn’t get through six innings as the Twins lost 2-1. Minnesota managed just four hits in that game and stuck out 13 times, nine off former Twin Jaime Garcia. Wednesday, Bartolo Colon only went three innings and allowed seven runs, six earned.

In true Twins fashion Tuesday night, Joe Mauer botched a routine ground ball at first that allowed a run to score. It would’ve ended the inning, but instead it was just his second error of the season. Only in Yankee Stadium.

And in true Twins fashion, in a big series to give themselves cushion for the playoffs and potentially build confidence for a return trip to New York, they played tight. There wasn’t much hitting, and the pitching was lacking in the key situations. All they had to do was win one game to keep fans off the ledge. But it didn’t happen, not in Yankee Stadium.

The Twins now head to Detroit for four games, needing to at least win that series to create separation in the Wild Card race. After Detroit, they head to AL Central champion Cleveland for three games and then host Detroit to end the regular season. The Angels, meanwhile, continue their series with Cleveland before traveling to Houston this weekend. They travel to the Chicago White Sox next week and host the Mariners to end the regular season.

The good news: The Twins still control their own playoff destiny. The bad news? Miguel Sano is still hurt, likely not returning any time soon and the reward for winning the second Wild Card is likely heading back to the Bronx. The truth is we would all rather have this than last year’s 103- loss debacle, so let’s enjoy it while we still can. Good luck.

Check out some Twitter reaction during today’s Twins’ loss. It appears most aren’t optimistic about the Twins’ playoff chances, between getting there at all or beating the Yankees in one game if they do.

Oh, the humanity: Could Bartolo Colon finally be losing his battle against Father Time? Tim Brown | Yahoo! Sports | September 20, 2017

NEW YORK – Not all great insights come in the back of a New York City cab, but not all of them don’t either. So on a Wednesday morning when the U.N. business has fouled traffic and making a left turn is a test of your commitment to life ever after, the gentleman at the wheel lays off the horn and says, “Kids?”

Two, I say.

“Three,” he says. “I wish I had 10.”

Ten?

“Ten. At least.”

He likes kids, he says. Their innocence. The way they wander through their days so happy. So dedicated they are to where their feet are. Mostly, though, he said, it’s him he misses. The him from back then, when they were them.

“A year was so long then,” he says. “It’s the time. Time never came. Now, it’s gone.”

He waves his hand, this 66-year-old man from Bogota, Colombia, his kids grown and off to their own lives too soon, him pushing a cab up FDR Drive. He gestures to the passenger-side window, to a park named after a former mayor here, and a small ball field. A little girl dressed in pink sits where the pitcher’s mound would be. She’s making dirt tepees with her hands. A woman, her mother probably, runs slow laps along the fence.

“Ah,” he says. “Remember?”

The black airport car behind him blows its horn.

“All right, all right,” he says, not really mad.

Up ahead a few miles, the New York Yankees are going to try to catch the , and the Minnesota Twins are going to try to stay clear of the Los Angeles Angels, and Bartolo Colon is going to pitch against a man nearly 21 years his junior, and time is an 87-mph sinkerball with an airy wheeze, a fun little Afro and a fire-engine-red baseball glove. 20

Maybe that’s why Bart walks so slowly. Because, really, what’s the rush? In fact, when Paul Molitor comes for the ball in the fourth inning, ol’ Bart looks like he’d be content just to sit on the mound and make dirt tepees for a little while longer. He hands over the ball and shrugs and bears a posture that says, well, that didn’t go so well again. He’s 44 years old and supposedly helping the Twins do something nobody saw coming, and yet in his last 11 innings he’s given up 16 runs, and Wednesday’s loss was his fourth in four September starts. He’s capable and barely holding on at the same time, which is what the game looks like after a couple decades and a few thousand innings.

The final days of September arrive in the Bronx. For an afternoon, the measure of a young club – Luis Severino pitching, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez coming to bat – will be Colon, old enough to be their father’s cool brother and who, heck yeah, will play catch and maybe sneak you a PBR tallboy to share.

Colon has said he’d pitch until he’s 45, a promise he said he made to his mother. That would get him to next May. He’ll almost certainly be in somebody’s camp come spring, no matter how many bats he hits between now and then.

It’s not great right now, and this is a problem for the Twins, along with a problem for Bart. Giving away a generation is one thing, giving up six runs in 3 1/3 innings on Sept. 20 is another, just as it was giving up four runs in six innings five days before, and another six in 1 2/3 innings five days before that. There’s hardly any shame in allowing a home run to Judge (which he did, in the third inning, Judge’s 45th) or to Sanchez (which he did, a few pitches later, Sanchez’s 32nd) or, for that matter, a triple to Jacoby Ellsbury or a double to Greg Bird, except that right in the middle of the party that’s only just getting going in the Bronx it dawns on you it’s at the expense of the 44-year-old.

All’s fair, of course. Colon is a marvel in what is his time, which he’s drawn over so many pitching lives and reincarnations. The Twins were his option and he theirs, so here they are, together, packing for Detroit, 10 games to play, the bus idling and their wild-card lead a single game. He can still be the guy who threw a complete game in August against the Rangers, who the next time threw seven shutout innings in Milwaukee. But, given enough opportunity, enough fastball counts, enough corners, Wednesday afternoon can happen. Judge, Sanchez, Bird can happen.

Severino’s takeaway from excruciating battle with Mauer Greg Joyce | New York Post | September 21, 2017

In a battle of veteran hitter and young ace, Joe Mauer won out.

Luis Severino, on the wrong end of the duel, hopes he can tuck the lesson away for a potential playoff rematch in less than two weeks.

The 13-pitch at-bat with the bases loaded in the third inning of Wednesday’s 11-3 Yankees win ended with Mauer ripping an RBI single through the right side. It helped contribute to the Twins’ knockout punch of Severino, who was forced to throw 46 pitches in the three-run inning. He did not come out for the fourth.

“When you throw that many pitches, you are concerned,” manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s a long inning.”

Girardi pulled Severino after three innings and 71 pitches, the fewest he has thrown all year. His only shorter outing in innings came when he threw 2 ¹/₃ frames (and 77 pitches) against the Astros on May 14.

“Everything was good until that at-bat against Mauer,” said Severino, who had faced the minimum through two innings. “I have to tip my cap to Mauer. That was it. I couldn’t go more than that. Thirteen pitches to him, I threw 40-something pitches [that inning], I was tired.”

Severino said his takeaway from the Mauer at-bat was to try to locate his pitches better.

The Yankees had chosen to bump Severino up to start Wednesday’s series finale in order to allow him to make two more starts if needed by the end of the regular season. In doing so, he faced the team he could potentially take the mound against in a do-or-die wild-card game if the Yankees cannot catch the Red Sox for the AL East title.

Severino said Tuesday he thought facing the Twins for the first time in his career before a potential playoff matchup would help. He maintained that view after Wednesday’s abbreviated outing.

“Now I know how they hit,” he said. “They like to bunt a lot. They didn’t bunt today, but they’ve got a good team.”

In three September starts before Wednesday, Severino had been dominant, allowing just three earned runs over 21 innings. Then the Twins tagged him for three earned runs in just three innings. 21

“I just thought he was a little off today,” Girardi said. “The [third] inning got started with a nubber off the end of the bat, he gave up some ground-ball hits. A great hitter in Joe Mauer put up a tough at-bat on him.”

After Mauer broke the stalemate, Jorge Polanco came up next and roped a two-run single to almost the same spot on the first pitch he saw.

Severino came back to retire the next two batters, but his day was done. The Yankees’ offense picked up their starter, coming back to pound out 11 runs and make the three-run third seem like a minor blip, but Severino banked away the experience.

“They can hit the ball,” he said. “That was good I faced them today.”

Luis Severino says rough third inning stemmed from 13-pitch marathon against Joe Mauer Peter Botte | New York Daily News | September 20, 2017

Luis Severino didn’t avoid the Twins ahead of a potential wild-card start against them, but he did avoid a loss on Wednesday in his second- shortest outing this season.

The first-time All-Star put his team in an early three-run hole and lasted only three innings before the Yankee bats spared him a defeat with an 11-3 pummeling of Minnesota at the Stadium.

Severino had been pushed back to start Friday in Toronto, but he was shifted back to pitch Wednesday as originally planned. The Yanks determined it was more important to have their ace lined up to make an additional start, if needed, to win the AL East title next weekend than it would be for him to avoid facing a team they might see in the wild-card game.

Severino faced the minimum six batters over his first two innings, but he was tagged for four hits and walked one as the Twins plated three runs in the third. Joe Mauer outlasted Severino on a 13-pitch at-bat — of the 46 the righty threw in the inning — and stroked an RBI single through the right side before Jorge Polanco added a two-run single. “Everything was good until that at-bat against Mauer,” Severino said. “I was getting tired. I have to tip my cap to Mauer. That was it. I can’t go more than that. I threw 40-something pitches (that inning). I was tired.”

Severino finished the inning with a strikeout of Byron Buxton, but Girardi said his ace “was done after that,” adding “he was just a little off today.”

HEARTY GARDY

Brett Gardner was pinch-hit for by in the seventh, two innings after taking a Nik Turley fastball in the back of the right shoulder.

“I’m not so sure he would’ve been comfortable swinging, and that’s why we took him out,” Girardi said. “My hope is he’s OK Friday, but there’s some concern there.”

The Yanks’ leadoff man and left fielder expects to be ready to play Friday in Toronto. “Could’ve been worse. We have a day off tomorrow, so I’m sure it’ll be good by then,” Gardner said.

PITCHING PLANS

Girardi said Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and will start the three games against the Blue Jays. Tanaka (12-11, 4.73) indicated he’s OK with however Girardi wants to configure his rotation with the postseason in mind. “I can’t really talk about what-ifs, but if (Severino) were to pitch that last game of the regular season, someone’s going to have to step up and pitch that wild-card game,” Tanaka said through his translator. “Having that in mind, you always prepare yourself if they point to you, so you’re ready to go out there and pitch that game.

“Compared to where I was a couple of months back, I feel like I’ve left that in the past and feel much better on the mound.” ... Righty reliever Adam Warren (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and will throw another later this week. He then would pitch a simulated game early next week before the Yanks determine “where he’s at,” Girardi said. Aaron Hicks (oblique) will take batting practice in Tampa this weekend and hopes to play in a minor-league game on Monday.

22

The Minnesota Twins Are Not Supposed To Be Here Neil Paine | FiveThirtyEight | September 20, 2017

The 2017 American League playoff field may be the most hellacious in history. It will include the already historic Cleveland Indians, who were incapable of losing a single game for nearly a month; the , whose high-powered offense ranks among the greatest ever; and both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, those eternally big-spending AL East rivals.

Oh, and there will also be a fifth playoff team, one that will presumably serve as cannon fodder.

But although it won’t be a surprise if that second wild-card team is in over its head come October, it is surprising who that team will most likely be: the Minnesota Twins. According to FiveThirtyEight’s playoff odds, Minnesota, with its 78-73 record, is a pretty solid favorite to land that final spot. The Twins’ 1.5-game cushion over the Los Angeles Angels in the wild-card race gives them a 66 percent chance of earning the franchise its first playoff appearance since 2010.

Most teams would be frustrated if their first playoff bid in seven years put them on the most difficult path ever. But then again, the Twins weren’t even supposed to be here. In spring training, the consensus was that a successful Minnesota season would see the club make some incremental improvements based off of its young talent base. Our preseason projections called for the Twins to win about 74 games — which is not many, but it would have been a big upgrade over 2016, when the team had just 59 wins.

The Twins’ best returning veterans were a 29-year-old second baseman coming off an out-of-nowhere 42-home-run season (Brian Dozier), a 34- year-old starter on his fourth team in six years (Ervin Santana) and a 33-year-old catcher-turned-first-baseman struggling to maintain some semblance of his early-career form (Joe Mauer). So it was pretty clear that Minnesota’s kids would need to make some strides simply to offset regression by their elders, much less sustain a real playoff bid. And those young players had a lot of work left to do: Of Minnesota’s 10 regulars aged 25 or under in 2016,1 none cracked 2.0 wins above replacement,2 which is the general benchmark for an acceptable major-league starter. Six of the 10 had a measly 0.6 WAR or fewer, and three were below the replacement level outright.

But more than simply assisting the vets in keeping the team afloat, Minnesota’s young core has come into its own in 2017. Of those 10 young regulars from a year ago, all but one (Danny Santana, who was traded to Atlanta in May) have been mainstays for this year’s squad, and seven of the nine have improved their WAR — in some cases, dramatically so.

The Twins’ young core blew up in 2017 Wins above replacement for players age 25 or younger and had either 200 plate appearances or 50 innings pitched for the 2016 Minnesota Twins WAR PLAYER POS AGE 2016 2017 DIFF Jose Berrios P 23 -1.0 2.3 +3.3 Byron Buxton CF 23 1.8 4.6 +2.8 Miguel Sano 3B 24 1.1 2.7 +1.6 Jorge Polanco SS 23 0.2 1.6 +1.3 Eddie Rosario LF 25 1.0 2.1 +1.1 Tyler Duffey P 26 -0.2 0.3 +0.6 P 26 0.6 0.8 +0.2 Kennys Vargas 1B 26 0.6 0.6 -0.0 Max Kepler RF 24 1.7 1.6 -0.1 WAR for 2017 is pro-rated to 162 team games. LF Danny Santana isn’t included because he is no longer with the club.

SOURCES: BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM, FANGRAPHS

Twenty-three-year-old righty Jose Berrios, who was the eighth-worst pitcher in baseball last season by WAR, has made incredible strides this year. He has sliced his rate of home runs allowed per nine innings nearly in half, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is more than double what it was a season ago. Few starters in the game have a better fastball-curve combo than Berrios, whose nasty breaking pitches have helped him become the eighth-most improved pitcher in baseball this season according to WAR.

He’s not the Twins’ only big breakout of the year. Outfielder Eddie Rosario’s on-base plus slugging is up 129 points this season thanks to improved plate discipline and a steeper power stroke. Miguel Sano — who, sadly, appears to be out of commission for the playoffs because of a leg injury suffered in August — has been a fixture atop the exit-velocity leaderboards, the result of mammoth moon shots like this one from July. Shortstop Jorge Polanco has been steady, improving Minnesota’s production at the position from among the worst in 23 baseball to roughly average.

And last but not least, there’s 23-year-old center fielder Byron Buxton, who has officially made The Leap to stardom this season. Buxton, who was the No. 1 prospect in baseball a few years ago, was always ridiculously fast and a slick fielder, but this season, he has taken his outfield exploits to new heights.

According to an average of Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating,3 Buxton has been baseball’s best outfielder this year (edging out Boston’s Mookie Betts and Toronto’s Kevin Pillar) and its second-best fielder, period, behind Angels shortstop . He also leads MLB in a fancy new Statcast metric called Outs Above Average, which is derived by comparing an outfielder’s actual plays made to the number we’d expect an average fielder to make using the catch probability of every ball hit in his direction. Buxton, for instance, has gotten the out 133 times in 135 chances (99 percent) on balls where the average fielder had at least a 26 percent of recording an out. (He has also snagged 2 outs in 31 chances where the odds of a catch were 25 percent or less.) For Buxton, all but the most improbable of catches are basically a sure thing.

And Buxton’s hitting, a dreadful weakness in his first two MLB seasons, has improved to nearly reach the league-average mark. Buxton still strikes out too much. But his approach at the plate is getting more refined, and he’s a big threat on the basepaths. If he keeps progressing as a hitter, Buxton’s career path might be less Corey Patterson — another fast, “toolsy” prospect who never quite put it all together — and more Andre Dawson (or at least, say, Reggie Smith or Tommie Agee).

All of these long-awaited developments have helped put Minnesota on a path back to the postseason. Of course, it also helped that the Twins were never as bad in 2016 as their 59-win record suggested. Statistically, they looked more like a 71-win team that suffered some of the worst luck in baseball. (That luck has repaid itself a bit this season, with Minnesota currently running three games better than the record we’d expect from its underlying stats.) The Twins have also been fortunate that the AL’s pecking order by talent drops off significantly after the league’s fourth-best team — that fifth playoff spot has to be filled by somebody, and Minnesota has played the best out of a group of probably equivalent teams that also includes the Angels, Rangers, Mariners and Rays.

Making the playoffs by default, then facing possibly the toughest bracket ever, doesn’t exactly sound like an enviable accomplishment. But given where the Twins were a season ago — and where they appear to be headed — this season has been nothing less than a rousing success in Minnesota. And despite the daunting path, the bookmakers are giving the Twins a 33-to-1 shot at winning the World Series. As always in a sport like baseball, stranger things have happened.

How Tracking Technology Helped Baseball’s Best Fielding Outfielder Jared Diamond | The Wall Street Journal | September 20, 2017

Byron Buxton, the human vacuum cleaner who patrols center field for the Minnesota Twins, reached a frightening conclusion last winter: Even with his sprinter’s speed, superhuman instincts and unparalleled fearlessness around the wall, his defense could still be better.

He arrived at that belief thanks in part to Statcast, Major League Baseball’s sophisticated player-tracking technology that counts Buxton as perhaps its prototype player. With data provided by Statcast and the Twins’ coaching staff, Buxton learned that his first step—how quickly he reacts after the ball connects with the bat—wasn’t as quick as he would have liked.

So over the offseason, he spent a couple weeks at his old high school in Baxley, Ga., focusing intensely on trying to improve an area that not long ago couldn’t have been quantified.

“I picked up on the numbers and I was like, ‘Well, I can be better than this, I can do this better,’” Buxton said in an interview this week at Yankee Stadium. “So I started picking out the small things that I felt like I could get a little better at.”

Launched across all 30 ballparks in 2015, Statcast uses high-resolution cameras and radar equipment to record the location and movements of the ball and every player on the field.

For hitters, Statcast captures things like exit velocity and launch angle, already giving rise to a revolution of players attempting to adjust their swings to maximize ideal contact. It offers precise velocity and spin rate on pitches, as well as a host of baserunning and defensive metrics that never before existed.

MLB created the system partly for fans craving additional data. But it is also a powerful player-evaluation tool for front offices in the age of analytics.

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“It makes the great players look great and the not-so-great look worse,” Twins right fielder Max Kepler said. “It exposes everything.”

It doesn’t take supercharged computers to recognize Buxton’s brilliance in the outfield. He could cut an impressive highlight reel filled with gravity-defying catches from 2017 alone—a key reason why the upstart Twins own the American League’s second wild-card spot with 10 games remaining.

But as organizations continue to emphasize defense—an element long under-appreciated because of the difficulty in accurately measuring it— tools like Statcast reveal that, in many ways, Buxton stands alone.

Because of Statcast we know that on one leaping catch last month, Buxton ran 68 feet and reached an elite top speed of 29.7 feet per second. On another play last week, we know Buxton tracked down a ball that the average outfielder would fail to catch 82% of the time. That figure is based on how much ground Buxton covered (112 feet), how much time he had to cover it (5.4 seconds) and the direction he ran (back and toward right-center), all information Statcast monitors.

All told, according to Statcast, Buxton has saved 24 outs over the average outfielder this season. Nobody else has even topped 17.

“Before, it was more word-of-mouth: ‘Hey, this is my favorite outfielder, I think he’s better than your favorite outfielder,’” Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario said. “Now we have proof.”

Buxton’s wizardry routinely leaves his teammates in awe. Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson, the self-described “recipient of a lot of really good plays” from Buxton, said he often dashes into the video room during games to check the stats on Buxton’s latest masterpiece.

Kepler recalled a recent play where Buxton drifted so far into right-center to make a catch that afterward, outfield Jeff Pickler joked, “Kep, Buck’s killing your range factor, man.”

“It’s starting to get to the point where they’re not as surprising as they used to be,” Pickler said.

Inside clubhouses around baseball, players simultaneously marvel and scratch their heads at the volume of numbers that Statcast spits out.

Rosario likes seeing the velocity on his throws from the outfield and the distance of home runs. “Sometimes I question them,” he said, “but, hey, it’s a computer, so it must be true.” Kepler quipped that “they’re going to have us wearing trackers soon.”

But to the talent evaluators and decision-makers in charge, the numbers undoubtedly matter. In the case of Buxton, the increased value of defense helped keep him in the lineup in the face of a dreadful slump to open the season. Heading into the Twins’ contest on July 4, Buxton found himself hitting just .195 with a .552 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, the lowest in the majors among players with at least 250 plate appearances to that point. He had struck out once every 2.9 at-bats.

“My parents taught me when I was small: Don’t let one thing affect the other,” Buxton said. “You have a bad day at the plate, don’t let that affect you in the field, because I could still help the team out.”

He certainly could. Because of Buxton’s otherworldly defense, the Twins never considered benching him. Gibson said they “couldn’t make up” Buxton’s fielding prowess without him manning center field on a daily basis.

Indeed, according to the website Baseball-Reference, Buxton has been the second-most valuable defender in all of baseball this season at any position, trailing only Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

“Whether it would be players or coaches, it was extremely obvious to everyone that he was definitely part of a winning formula, even performing the way he was for the first half of the year offensively,” Pickler said.

Since then, Buxton has rewarded his team’s faith, living up to the promise that convinced the Twins to select him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft. To take Buxton, Minnesota passed up on talent like Corey Seager, the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year for the , and Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, an All-Star last season.

Since the All-Star break, Buxton has hit .305 with a .939 OPS, leading the Twins into the thick of the playoff race—a remarkable feat, considering Minnesota finished 59-103 in 2016. No team in history has qualified for the postseason one year after losing 100 games.

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