Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Sunday, July 16, 2017 Twins pick up first victory of the season vs. Astros, 4-2 in Houston. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Hartman: Mauer having renaissance season at the plate, in the field. Star Tribune (Hartman) p. 2 Colon to start, Buxton to DL, Vargas avoids DL, Mauer activated. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Twins place Byron Buxton on disabled list, plan to start Bartolo Colon vs. Yankees. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 4 Charley Walters: Molitor will miss bonding at Hall of Fame inductions. Pioneer Press (Walters) p. 5 Another Brian Dozier leadoff homer sends Twins to 4-2 win over Astros. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Bartolo tabbed to face Yanks on Tuesday. MLB (Dean) p. 8 Mauer activated; Buxton placed on DL. MLB (Dean) p. 8 Ervin the escape artist denies Astros. MLB (Dean) p. 9 Twins snap 7-game losing streak to Astros. MLB (Boutwell and Dean) p. 9 Zulgad: Colon signing sparks memories of (11) Twins retread pitchers from years past. 1500 ESPN (Zulgad) p. 11 Could Bartolo Colon actually bounce back with the Twins?. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 12 Bartolo Colon, despite struggles, to start for Twins on Tuesday. ESPN p. 13 Twins pick up first victory of the season vs. Astros, 4-2 in Houston La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | July 15, 2017 HOUSTON — Eddie Rosario's clutch hit in the sixth inning Saturday night was recorded as a two-run double to right. But its path to freedom included twists and turns and a fortuitous deflection. Somehow, Rosario's bouncer up the middle eluded a lunging pitcher and a sprawling Gold Glove-winning second baseman before making its way to the outfield. It became the biggest hit of the series for the Twins, who pulled off a 4-2 victory over Houston at Minute Maid Park — one that ended a seven-game losing streak to the Astros going back to last season. Rosario's hit broke a 2-2 tie and breathed life into a Twins offense that had spent the first two games after the All-Star break repeatedly leaving runners on base against the American League's best team. "It's how it goes, I guess," said Rosario, was who was 2-for-4 to lift his average to .289. "You want to hit the ball hard and get a nice hit. But sometimes you do things like that." It also made Ervin Santana's effort stand up. The All-Star walked five and twice pitched his way out of bases-loaded jams, improving to 11-6. Tyler Duffey loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Taylor Rogers escaped that inning, then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before Brandon Kintzler threw a scoreless ninth for his 25th save. "We got a chance, after a really nice win tonight," Twins manager Paul Molitor said, "to come back and try to get two out of three." The series could be different if the Twins weren't wasting so many opportunities. The Astros looked unstoppable Friday when they raced to a 10-1 lead. But the Twins got within 10-5 before leaving two on in the fifth, three in the sixth and two more in the eighth. That trend continued Saturday. Brian Dozier hit his second leadoff homer in as many nights, but Houston scored in the second and third for a 2-1 lead. Then the stranded baserunners piled up. Robbie Grossman and Rosario both struck out with two on in the fourth. The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but they managed only to score the tying run as Zack Granite hit into a double play. Then came the sixth, when Miguel Sano walked before Max Kepler and Grossman singled — the fifth time in the series the Twins had loaded the bases. At that point, they were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the game, and neither hit had scored a run. They were 3-for-22 in the series. Here's where baseball became pinball. Houston starter Joe Musgrove was replaced by lefthander Tony Sipp. Rosario tapped an 0-2 slider to the first-base side of the pitcher's mound. Sipp reached for the ball, but it deflected off his glove. All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve took off to his right at the crack of the bat but had to reverse course as the ball deflected to where he vacated. Altuve sprawled on the dirt as he reached for the ball, only to have it squirt by him and into right field. Rosario pulled into second with an unconventional two-run double for a 4-2 lead. It was the break on offense the Twins needed while their pitchers kept them in the game — the Astros, the majors' top-scoring team, stranded 11 runners. "The ball has got to bounce your way once in a while," Molitor said. "It's a part of the game that's overlooked. The breaks that you get." Hartman: Mauer having renaissance season at the plate, in the field Sid Hartman | Star Tribune | July 15, 2017 Halfway through his 14th major league season, Twins first baseman Joe Mauer’s .286 batting average is his best since 2013, when he hit .324 and posted a .404 on-base percentage. Mauer missed six games because of his first trip to the disabled list since 2014, but he was activated for Saturday night’s game at Houston, and the Twins hope he will help spark a playoff push. Mauer had a slow start to the season, hitting just .225 in 21 games in March and April before really turning it on over the next 53 games before last week’s All-Star break. Mauer hit .346 with a .442 OPB in 22 games in May with three homers, 11 RBI and 15 runs scored. He hit .287 in 26 games in June and .286 in five games in July before going on the DL. Mauer said his play between those first 21 games and the next 53 wasn’t that different in terms of how he felt in his approach to the game. “I don’t know [the difference], to be honest with you,” Mauer said. “It’s just baseball, really. I’m having some good at-bats and been getting the results. For me this year, I came out and felt really good and felt like I was making good contact and not really having much to show for it. “All of a sudden May hit, and the results started to show. Hopefully those results can continue.” Heading into the season, Mauer said that he felt that his body was in a really good place healthwise for him to have a great season. “I’ve always kind of said over the years if you stay healthy and give yourself a chance, I think things will take care of themselves,” he said. “I feel I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far. Our schedule has been pretty challenging early on here, especially with all the doubleheaders and the weather and stuff like that, but I feel like I’m doing pretty good.” From catcher to first There has been a lot of talk that Mauer could earn his fourth Gold Glove this season — and his first at first base — after earning three of the awards at catcher from 2008 to 2010. Mauer said he realizes now that he can no longer play catcher. “I do [miss catching],” he said. “I definitely do. I miss calling every pitch, working with that pitcher to get the best out of them every day. But it has also been a fun challenge for me over at first base, as well. But I definitely do miss catching. “I would love to [go back], but I’ve taken too many foul tips off the head over the years. That was kind of the decision that I had back in 2013, heading into ’14, was either go play first or go home. I’m glad I’m able to play.” When asked what he misses most about catching, he went back to the relationships he built with starting pitchers over the years. 2 “I just miss that relationship with that pitcher, being able to figure out how to get the best out of them each and every day,” he said. Still, first base hasn’t been bad for Mauer. He leads the league in fielding percentage, and is the only qualifying first baseman who hasn’t committed a fielding error. “Yeah, I feel pretty good,” Mauer said about his work at first. “I still try to go out there and get better each and every day — that hasn’t changed.” And, as with Justin Morneau before him, Mauer gave a lot of credit to former Twins manager Tom Kelly and his advice in fielding at first. “He has been huge in my development over there and as a ballplayer in general,” Mauer said. “I have been around him for a long time, and every time I see him I’m always trying to get more information out of him. He’s probably one of the smartest baseball guys I’ve been around, and I’m always trying to pick up new things and new ideas from him every chance I get.” Legacy and memories This season, Mauer tied the record for most Opening Days in a Twins jersey, joining the ranks of Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett, and Mauer talked about what that accomplishment feels like.