Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Ervin Santana throws well, but Twins' bats silent in loss to Yankees. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Scoggins: Dozier's dependability in lineup can't be taken for granted. Star Tribune (Scoggins) p. 2 Eduardo Escobar's home-run production rate jumps out. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3 Postgame: Garcia looked good, if different, to former Twins teammates. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4 Twins tickets for tiebreaker game, wild card game and ALDS on sale Sept. 28. Star Tribune (C. Miller) p. 5 Twins playoff chase: Comparing schedules, big dates to know and more. Star Tribune (Sinker) p. 5 Eduardo Escobar is finalist for MLBPA's 'Man of the Year' award. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 6 Twins can’t solve Jaime Garcia or Yankees bullpen in 2-1 loss. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins’ Max Kepler after sitting again: ‘I’m not scared to face lefties’. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Twins drop Bronx opener as WC edge narrows. MLB.com (Hoch & Bollinger) p. 8 Twins putting trust in Adrianza's improved bat. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 In WC spotlight, Berrios out to even Yanks set. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Notes from New York: Wild card push, Adrianza’s new leg kick. ESPN 1500 (Depue) p. 11 Yankees, Twins continue wild-card positioning battle (Sep 19, 2017). Associated Press p. 12 Twins’ offense heating up in September. FSN p. 13 A seven-way tie at 81 wins? It's still possible in the wild American League. Yahoo! Sports (Passan) p. 14 Buxton, Granite On Mientkiewicz's Departure. MLB Trade Rumors (Adams) p. 15

Ervin Santana throws well, but Twins' bats silent in loss to Yankees

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | September 19, 2017

NEW YORK – If this were a dress rehearsal for a more important game in a couple of weeks, the Twins have to feel encouraged about Ervin Santana’s prospects in a ballpark that hasn’t been kind to him. Of course, if Santana’s teammates don’t hit better this week, that game never will take place. Santana fell to 0-5 in his career at new Yankee Stadium, but don’t panic: The Twins’ best pitcher lived up to his billing Monday, limiting the Yankees to two runs and, with one notable exception, nothing but a handful of singles all night. He left the loser in a 2-1 Yankees victory, but it was a performance the Twins gladly would sign up for in a potential wild-card playoff game. Well, everyone but Santana. “No, I want to pitch better than this one,” he said after falling short of his 16th victory for a second straight start. “If we get a chance, I want to get a win.” Those chances remain reasonably good, though the Angels drew a half-game closer, narrowing the Twins’ lead to 1½ games for the right to take on the AL East runner-up on Oct. 3. Santana allowed a hit an inning, but made only one real mistake, and by limiting New York to 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, none of the Yankees’ seven singles was particularly harmful. That’s a skill that will come in handy in a couple of weeks. “There was a little congestion at times, but he made pitches with two outs,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “They make you work, and you’re going to have to pitch around some jams at times. He did a nice job of handling that.”

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Except for one time: Aaron Judge smashed Santana’s eighth pitch 395 feet into the right field seats, Judge’s AL-leading 44th homer and a reversal of the home run drought the rookie endured at Target Field in July. And Eddie Rosario might have discovered a reason for that: “Judge’s homer here today,” he pointed out, “is a fly ball in Minnesota,” where a deeper and taller wall would have kept the ball in p lay. But if this ballpark is such a bandbox, why did the Twins, who had homered in a franchise-record-tying 16 consecutive games, who hit a half-dozen in their most recent game here 15 months ago, who have clubbed 36 in 28 games here, go homerless for the first time all month? “To hit homers,” Rosario said, “I think you need to have contact first.” Ah, good point. The Twins had little of that off Jaime Garcia, whose reunion with his six-day teammates wasn’t a particularly happy one. The lefthander, acquired in a trade and dealt away in a week’s span in July, struck out seven of the first 10 Twins he faced, mostly with their complicity. “We got a little overaggressive against Garcia. We were chasing a lot of pitches, didn’t keep him in the [strike] zone,” Molitor said. “He was smart enough to see we were having trouble laying off pitches, so he didn’t challenge us on fastball counts very often. He relied on us being aggressive.” The Twins’ lone run was thanks to an error by Judge, allowing Rosario to reach third on a single, and he scored on a force play. The Yankees’ tiebreaking run was equally unmemorable, on a sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier, set up by a damaging wild pitch. The real drama came in the eighth inning, when Yankees righthander Dellin Betances hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch then walked the bases full. Up came Joe Mauer, and down went the Twins’ chances in flames. Or rather, Aroldis Chapman’s flaming fastball. He threw three pitches to Mauer: a 100-mph heater that Mauer took for a strike, a 101-mph fastball that Mauer tipped, and a 102-mph finisher that Mauer swung through. “That [last one] was a tough one to handle,” Mauer said. “I’d love to have that opportunity again.” He'll get a couple more chances the next two days, and he might even get another one in a couple of weeks. Scoggins: Dozier's dependability in lineup can't be taken for granted

Chip Scoggins| Star Tribune | September 19, 2017

Paul Molitor has used 125 different batting orders in 150 games this season, which seems like an accounting error, except lineup fluidity is sort of standard operating procedure in Major League Baseball these days. Molitor wastes little time contemplating the first name to write down in his lineup each morning. That takes about two seconds. Brian Dozier played in his 142nd game Monday night in the series opener at Yankee Stadium. He batted leadoff for the 141st time. “For a manager to have guys that you know you can pencil in there almost every day,” Molitor said, “that has a lot of value.” Dozier’s combination of power and slick defense made him an All-Star second baseman, but his durability should not go overlooked in dissecting his importance to team success. Dozier is on pace to play 154 games this season, on par with his previous three seasons. From 2014 to '16, his games played totals were 156, 157 and 155. He ranks seventh among position players in Major League Baseball in games played (609) since 2014. Dozier shrugged when asked about his reluctance to take days off. “They pay me to play,” he said. “I’ve always felt I should play.” Even on days when he physically doesn’t feel like playing. That becomes especially challenging late in the season when a player’s body feels like a pop-up in the Whac-A-Mole game at the end of a kid’s birthday party.

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“There are a lot of days like that,” Dozier said. Dozier turned 30 in May, so he’s not old in baseball terms. Based on his power production the past few seasons, he’s still in the sweet spot of his prime. But his body requires more maintenance than when he first became a professional. He noticed himself lacking energy late in seasons a few years ago. So he hired a personal nutritionist, who recommended he eliminate fried foods from his diet, which is like asking a teenager to stay off Snapchat. Dozier said he hasn’t consumed anything fried in two years. “French fries,” he said, offering a favorite temptation. This past offseason Dozier hired a massage therapist, whom he visited once a week. “That helped my hips stay flexible,” he said. “Your body changes [as you get older] and you find ways to make sure you’re still at the highest level.” Dozier ranks 20th among all MLB position players in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) since the 2014 season, which underscores his value relative to the rest of the league. Dozier’s name appeared in trade rumors last offseason and again before the trade deadline, which is a foolish notion. If anything, the organization’s new brain trust should consider signing Dozier to an extension with his current deal set to expire after next season. Dozier and Molitor establish a goal each season for Dozier to play between 150 and 155 games. They could write that down in ink. “He finds a way to get it done even when he’s not 100 percent,” Molitor said. Dozier learned the importance of durability as a young player by watching and studying veterans that he respected. The trick, he said, is to find ways to remain productive when aches and pains interfere with physical function. “It might be that I can’t create power that day,” he said. “But maybe you can get a guy over or play good defense. I’ve always taken a lot of pride in that.” His presence at the top of the lineup and at second base have become staples in a season in which Molitor has shuffled his batting order like a Vegas card dealer. Winning becomes a soothing agent, too. Being in contention for a playoff spot makes body aches more tolerable, compared to playing out the string of a 103-loss season. “This would be a whole different conversation if we were where we were last year,” Dozier said. “I like to say, cowboy up. Once you step between those white lines, you find a way to be productive. You can always have an ice bath after the game.” Eduardo Escobar's home-run production rate jumps out

Phil Miller | Star Tribune| September 18, 2017

NEW YORK — When Miguel Sano injured his left shin and went on the disabled list Aug. 20, he had 28 home runs, or roughly one for every 14.9 at-bats. Since Eduardo Escobar took over at Sano’s position full-time while he recuperates, the backup has homered eight times, or one every 13.6 at-bats. Maybe the Twins were playing the wrong guy, Eduardo? “No, no,” the ever-cheerful Escobar said with a laugh. “I’m just comfortable right now.” Of course, Escobar believes that’s because Sano’s still not being able to play. “It’s mostly from playing every day. It’s easier to help the team when you play every day, because your mentality is relaxed,” Escobar said. “You don’t go to the plate thinking, ‘I must hit today.’ If you’re playing one or two [games] a week, it’s harder.”

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Escobar has hit seven home runs in September, or three more than he’s ever had in a calendar month during his career. With 19 home runs this season, he’s on the cusp of giving the Twins four 20-homer hitters in a season for the first time since 2009. “I’m not trying for home runs, I’m just trying to help the team,” Escobar said. “I’m happy it’s coming when we need it.” Charity close to home And speaking of helping people in need: Escobar’s foundation, represented by his mother, Adela, and employee Isla, delivered food, milk, water and diapers to a malnourished toddler and her family in the mountain town of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela, on Monday morning. At roughly the same time, the MLB Players Association was naming Escobar a finalist for its highest honor for making possible exactly that kind of humanitarian aid. “It all starts with me wanting to give back to my people in Venezuela, and help Venezuelans in need,” said Escobar, one of six finalists for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, which will be voted on by MLB players this month. “It’s about how I grew up, the things I went through as my mom raised me. … We had to struggle a lot, had a lot of needs. So being able to give back to Venezuela, it’s important.” Escobar began the Eduardo Escobar de la Pica Foundation last year, named for his hometown, and is planning a visit in December to deliver a planeload of supplies and medicine to a country in turmoil. If he wins the Miller Award — the other nominees, as chosen in an online vote, are the Angels’ Mike Trout, the Yankees’ David Robertson, the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, the Mets’ Steven Matz and the Giants’ Buster Posey — he would receive a check from the MLBPA for $50,000 to add to the donation. Monday’s news came with another big moment for Escobar, too: After quietly lobbying for an invitation for more than a year, he appeared on MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” program with Brian Dozier. “That was big. I was pretty nervous,” said Escobar, who entertained by briefly singing “Little Red Corvette” and “Wild Thing.” Test drive This series in New York could be especially beneficial, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, because if the Twins hold on to a wild-card spot, they will likely play on this same field in the one-game playoff Oct. 3. So it’s good that his young players get used to the atmosphere here now. “I want to see how some of these guys respond. It’s always a little different here. You try to keep it as normal as you can, you try to be the same, but I’ve played here in October. It’s just got a different feel,” Molitor said. “ … So [these] games could be some help if we’re able to advance.” Brief stopover Sano accompanied the Twins to New York, but only to take care of some personal business, though the Twins were hopeful he would be able to do some rehab work on his left shin, too. He will return to the Twin Cities on Tuesday to resume that work full time, in hopes of being able to return before season’s end. Postgame: Garcia looked good, if different, to former Twins teammates

Phil Miller | Star Tribune| September 18, 2017

NEW YORK — Three extras from the first of three games in the Bronx: The Twins were impressed with Jaime Garcia, the temp they hired for their starting rotation for a week in July. The lefthander, acquired from Atlanta and moved on to New York in the space of six days, struck out nine of the first 13 hitters he faced on Monday, and at least one Twin believes his one start for the Twins was part of the reason. “When he threw [for the Twins], he threw a lot of fastballs,” said Eddie Rosario, who swung at a slider for strike three in his first at-bat, then singled the next time up. “Now he looks different. A lot of down pitches, a lot of balls. This was a good day for him.” Garcia looked different in another way, too: The tightly shaved beard he wore as a Twin fell victim to Yankee rules against facial hair. XXX One valuable lesson for the Twins to remember if they come back here in two weeks: Don’t let the Yankees take a lead to the late innings.

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They knew that already, but wow, did Aroldis Chapman remind them again Monday. Chapman, summoned when Dellin Betances walked the bases full in the eighth, struck out Joe Mauer on three pitches — 100, 101 and 102 mph — then got Byron Buxton to fly out. “We know their bullpen’s tough. It’s a tough team to come from behind on,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We had an opportunity, got some guys on base, and they kind of took over with velocity from that point forward. … Joe’s as good at anybody at battling, but velocity won out there.” Chapman threw only one fastball in the strike zone to Eddie Rosario, turning mostly to his slider instead, a fact that Rosario took as a compliment. But he sounded a little disappointed that he didn’t get a chance to turn on one of those 102-mph heaters. “He’s a tough lefty. Throws 100,” Rosario said, “I want to fight him.” XXX It was a tough night for Twins catchers, who didn’t foil any of the Yankees’ four stolen base attempts, allowed two wild pitches to get by, and even committed the first instance of catcher’s interference by a Twin in three seasons. Most of the problems belonged to Jason Castro, though Chris Gimenez gave up a stolen base after Molitor pinch-hit for Castro in the eighth inning in order to have Zack Granite execute a sacrifice bunt. Castro tipped Jacoby Ellsbury’s bat in the second inning, so Ellsbury was awarded first base. Not since Josmil Pinto did the same to Lonnie Chisenhall on May 8, 2014, had a Twin committed that infraction, but it seems to happen to Ellsbury a lot. Monday’s instance was the 30th catcher’s interference of Ellsbury’s career, extending the major-league record that he already holds. Twins tickets for tiebreaker game, wild card game and ALDS on sale Sept. 28

Chris Miller | Star Tribune| September 18, 2017

Tickets for Twins postseason games at Target Field -- if there are postseason games at Target Field -- will go on sale Thursday, Sept. 28, the team announced. Tickets for a potential tiebreaker game, a potential American League Wild Card game and potential games in the American League Division Series go on sale at 10 a.m. that day on the the team's website, www.twinsbaseball.com. The Twins are in the second American League wild card position, two games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels, with 13 games remaining. They open a three-game series in New York tonight against the Yankees, who hold the first wild card spot and are four games ahead of the Twins. Should three teams tie for a wild card spot, and tiebreaker games are necessary, the postseason schedule could be affected. For now, the AL wild card game is set for Oct. 3, with the ALDS starting Oct. 5. The Twins announced that fans who buy 2018 season tickets get priority for playoff tickets. Season-ticket holders can begin placing their postseason orders on Tuesday. Twins playoff chase: Comparing schedules, big dates to know and more

Howard Sinker| Star Tribune| September 19, 2017

With only a dozen games left until the regular season, here are four things for Twins fans to think about, in addition to the fact that the Wild Card game is scheduled for two weeks from today. Comparing schedules: The race for the second Wild Card spot has pretty much become a two-team race between the Twins and Los Angeles. The Angels open a three-game series tonight against Cleveland then play three games over the weekend at Houston. Both of those teams have clinched their division title, but are playing for extra home games by trying to finish with the best record in the American League. Cleveland currently leads the Astros by 1 1/2 games for the best record. Neither team is likely to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best overall record in the majors, though. Twins fans should be rooting for Houston to keep its hopes for the best record alive until the weekend so

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the Astros will have reason to go 100 percent against the Rangers. The Angels have an easier final week against the White Sox and Mariners, while the Twins will be playing at Cleveland and at Target Field against Detroit. Postseason projections: Fangraphs currently gives the Twins a 69.2 percent chance of reaching the Wild Card game compared with 25.5 percent for the Angels. In other words, that's almost 7 in 10 for Minnesota and 1 in 4 for the Angels. If you play poker or blackjack, you know that 7 in 10 looks good but is hardly a guarantee, right? Baseball Prospectus puts the Twins' chances at 67.4 percent and the Angels at 25.2. What were the Twins' playoff chances on August 1, after their week of despair at Dodger Stadium and Oakland? They were 4.4 percent. If you want to trace the odds throughout the season, here's a chart from Baseball Prospectus. Big days in October: The American League Wild Card game is schedules for Tuesday, October 3, which could be followed the next night by Game 5 of the WNBA Finals and the next by the opening game of the American League Divisional Series, which is set for the same night the Wild opens the NHL regular season at Detroit. (The Wolves would start off that sporting Thursday with a 1 a.m. game against the Golden State Warriors in China.) We'll spare you the weekend schedule, but let you know (for planning purposes) that Game 4 of the AL Divisional Series, if needed, is set for Monday, October 9. The Vikings play at Chicago that night, too. Want to go down a rabbit hole? Here are baseball's postseason tie-breaker rules. Eduardo Escobar is finalist for MLBPA's 'Man of the Year' award

Phil Miller | Star Tribune| September 18, 2017

Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar is one of six major league baseball players who are finalists for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. The award honors players who inspire others to higher level of achievement by their on-field performances and contributions to their communities. The Major League Baseball Players Association announced the six finalists, chosen by fans on mlbplayers.com. They are Escobar (Twins and American League Central); David Robertson (New York Yankees, AL East); Mike Trout (L.A. Angels, AL West); Steven Matz (New York Mets, National League East); Anthony Rizzo (Chicago Cubs, NL Central); and Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants, NL West). MLB players will vote for a winner, beginning Sept. 19. The winner will have $50,000 donated in his name to a charity. Escobar has 19 home runs and 63 RBI this season, playing mostly as a reserve infielder or designated hitter. Here is his nomination on the players’ web site: Eduardo grew up in the Barrio de la Pica, of the Maracay region in Venezuela and has never forgotten where he came from and his family’s struggles to provide basic necessities. Now Eduardo gives back through his foundation whose efforts include providing water and food to his hometown and surrounding areas and giving sports equipment to the local youth baseball teams. His giving extends to visiting the local children’s hospitals and schools in Minneapolis. Twins can’t solve Jaime Garcia or Yankees bullpen in 2-1 loss

Mike Berardino| Pioneer Press | September 18, 2017

NEW YORK — Jaime Garcia hadn’t done much to endear himself to New York Yankees fans over these past seven weeks, nor had he done much to make the Twins regret trading him away after six days on their payroll and one victorious start in Oakland. Then came Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Brandishing a surprisingly sharp slider that repeatedly tempted Twins hitters, the veteran left-hander tied a season high with nine strikeouts through the first four innings. Joe Mauer’s two-out single chased him in the sixth, but the Yankees rode Aaron Judge’s 44th homer, Todd Frazier’s sacrifice fly and a shutdown bullpen to a 2-1 win in the opener of a three-game series that could serve as a preview of the Oct. 3 American League wild-card game. “From the start, everybody was swinging at bad pitches,” Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario said. “Everybody was free-swinging. I did it too. I wanted to see the ball up in the zone and wait for him to throw a strike, but (Garcia) looked different. He threw a lot of low pitches, a lot of balls. This was maybe a good day for him.” With 12 games left in the regular season, the Twins still lead the Los Angeles Angels (idle Monday) by a game and a half for the second wild-card

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spot. The Yankees moved five games ahead of the Twins for the right to host the play-in game for the second time in three years. The Twins loaded the bases with one out in the eighth off Dellin Betances, but flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman came on to record the final five outs and nail down his 19th save. Chapman blew away Mauer on three consecutive pitches at 100 mph, 101 mph and 103 mph when a sacrifice fly could have tied the game. “I’ve love to have that opportunity again, but he made his pitches,” Mauer said. “He’s one of the better pitchers in the game. You have to tip your cap.” Judge, held without an extra-base hit in three games at Target Field back in July, launched the 30th homer off Ervin Santana (15-8) in the first. The opposite-field rainbow came on a 2-1 fastball that caught too much of the plate. The Twins tied it with an unearned run in the fifth, thanks to a pair of singles and a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Robbie Grossman. Garcia got Jason Castro to hit into a double-play the limit the damage. One-out singles by Chase Headley and Starlin Castro set up the go-ahead run in the sixth. Santana bounced a slider for his second wild pitch of the night and then issued an intentional walk to Jacoby Ellsbury. Lined up to start here again in 15 days, Santana cut his career earned-run average to 6.43 in six starts at the Yankees’ current home, including seven homers in 35 innings. That’s his worst ERA for any park in which he’s made at least three starts, but he vowed to remain confident here in a postseason start. “Of course — it’s just another game,” said Santana, who got seven outs here in relief while giving up a pair of unearned runs in the 2009 AL Championship Series. “I don’t keep track of what I do here, what I do over there. I just try to keep it one pitch at a time, just trying to do my best.” Garcia, meanwhile, had recorded just three total outs after the fifth inning since the Yankees acquired him from the Twins for minor league pitchers Zack Littell and Dietrich Enns. With the Twins covering all but the pro-rated minimum of Garcia’s salary for the final two months (roughly $4 million), Garcia carved up his former teammates. “We got a little regressive off Garcia,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He had a good slider, and we kept swinging at it. He was smart enough to see we were having trouble laying off pitches, so he didn’t challenge us in fastball counts very often. He relied on us being aggressive.” Garcia isn’t on track for a rematch with Santana in the wild-card game because the Yankees must play a makeup game with the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 25. Instead, it’s rookie right-hander Luis Severino (13-6, 2.93 ERA). The teams finished hitless in a combined 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 12 for the Yankees. The Twins also saw their 16-game homer streak, tied for the club record, come to an end. Twins’ Max Kepler after sitting again: ‘I’m not scared to face lefties’

Mike Beradino| Pioneer Press | September 18, 2017

NEW YORK — Max Kepler doesn’t feel helpless against left-handed pitching, but the Twins’ right fielder is running out of chances to prove that to the man who makes out the lineup card each day. “It just hasn’t gone well, and I need to consider my best options on a given day right now,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said after sitting Kepler for Monday night’s series opener against the New York Yankees. “That’s not a knock. Anybody you pick to play, you’re going to have to make tough choices.” With the New York Yankees sending out veteran lefties Jaime Garcia and CC Sabathia to start the first two games this week at Yankee Stadium, Kepler gave way to switch-hitting Ehire Adrianza. Eddie Rosario shifted over to right field with Adrianza (.786 combined on-base/slugging percentage against lefties) getting the start in left. “I’m not scared to face lefties,” Kepler said. “I’m ready to face a lefty whenever. I’ll be patient, but obviously there’s a point in time when you run out of patience. Right now, I just have to deal with it and wait it out.” Through 118 plate appearances against lefties, Kepler has a .375 OPS that ranks last in the majors among left-handed hitters with at least 50

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same-side chances. His .187 batting average on balls in play against lefties suggests he has hit into horrible luck while striking out 27 percent of the time against them. Over the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays, Kepler reached on a hit by pitch against Blue Jays lefty reliever Aaron Loup, then came back the next night with a line-drive single on a two-strike slider from lefty J.A. Happ. Those moments weren’t enough to get him back into Monday’s lineup. “I don’t know if it’s what I need to see as much as, with 13 games to go, I have to decide who I want to play,” Molitor said. “We’ve talked a lot throughout the year about what we think he’s eventually going to be.” Molitor has tried to explain his thinking to Kepler, but the 24-year-old is still eager to prove his everyday merits. Kepler admittedly looks ahead at upcoming matchups to see what lefties are looming, and this stretch could soon reach nine lefty opposing starters in 18 games should the Detroit Tigers start Matt Boyd and Chad Bell as expected this weekend. “We’re in the Statcast era,” Kepler said. “A lot of it is looked at: the bat path and where a pitcher throws and what’s going to have the higher percentage of being successful. We’re in a very numerical era with baseball, which I’m fine with. I wish had more opportunities to face lefties and improve, but I can’t really do much about it. It’s (Molitor’s) decision.” Defensively, the Twins give up plenty with Kepler on the bench. He ranks 13th among all big-league outfielders in outs above average, a new Statcast metric that factors in catch probability. “Everyone has blown this whole thing out of proportion to make it seem like I can’t hit a lefty anymore,” Kepler said. “Not in my mind. I’ve never really struggled (in the past). Let’s say I don’t get to face a righty for weeks, it’s going to be hard to hit a righty. Same way with a lefty.” CHARITABLE ESCOBAR Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar, who started his charitable foundation to benefit his native Venezuela a little over a year ago, is one of six finalists for baseball’s Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. Online voting was due to wrap at midnight Monday. Player voting begins Tuesday. Adela Coronado, Escobar’s mother, runs the foundation with an assistant during the season, but Escobar plans to visit in December to deliver medicine, diapers and other supplies to children in Venezuelan hospitals. Ultimately, Escobar, who makes his offseason home in Miami, hopes to see his foundation spread to other Latin American countries. “It’s a shame to see the country the way it is, but at the same time I have a job to do,” Escobar said through a translator. “If I don’t work, if I don’t have a good year, I won’t be able to help those people because I won’t have the resources for it. Hopefully I’m helping a lot of people down there. It (hurts) I can’t do a whole lot more.” BRIEFLY Miguel Sano (shin) was given some rehab exercises to do on his own while in New York to handle a personal matter, but the plan was still for Sano to fly home to the Twin Cities on Tuesday. … Chris Gimenez, who boasts a .533 OBP in 15 career plate appearances against Sabathia, is slated to catch Jose Berrios on Tuesday with Jason Castro likely to return on Wednesday against righty Masahiro Tanaka. Twins drop Bronx opener as WC edge narrows

Bryan Hoch and Rhett Bollinger| MLB.com | September 19, 2017

NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge hit his American League-leading 44th home run and Jaime Garcia turned in his best start for his new club before Aroldis Chapman extinguished a threat in the eighth inning, converting his first five-out save in more than two years as the Yankees secured a 2-1 victory over the Twins on Monday at Yankee Stadium. In what could have been a preview of the American League Wild Card Game, the Yankees remained three games behind the Red Sox in the AL East but padded their advantage to five games over the Twins for the first AL Wild Card. Minnesota leads the second AL Wild Card by 1 1/2 games over the Angels. "There's a good chance we could play them in that one-game playoff, so it's always good to pick up a win against a team like that," said David

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Robertson, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his ninth victory of the season, the most among all big league relievers this season. Garcia was a member of the Twins for six days in July but never set foot inside Target Field, having been traded both times during Minnesota road trips. The veteran lefty struck out nine of the first 13 men he faced and, backed by Judge's first-inning blast, limited his former mates to an unearned run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. "I think I was able to keep the ball down for the most part and elevate when I needed to," Garcia said. "I think the biggest thing was controlling the counts, getting ahead in the counts. I made them chase my stuff." Twins starter Ervin Santana permitted two runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, with the Yankees pushing across the go-ahead run in the sixth inning on Todd Frazier's one-out sacrifice fly. The Twins threatened with a soft eighth-inning rally against Dellin Betances, but Chapman pitched out of a key bases-loaded jam to preserve the lead. "It was a good game and what you'd expect from two teams with something on the line," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It was well-pitched on both sides. Ervin battled and Judge got a hold of one, but he held down the fort for the most part. He gave us an opportunity. But their bullpen is tough and it's hard to come from behind." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Home cooking: No one except Giancarlo Stanton has hit more long balls at home this season than Judge, who has launched 28 of his 44 blasts in The Bronx. Statcast™ calculated Judge's first-inning homer off Santana as having an exit velocity of 108.9 mph, traveling 395 feet to right-center field with a launch angle of 38 degrees. Judge is one of three Yankees to hit 44 or more homers since 1962, joining Alex Rodriguez (54 in 2007) and Tino Martinez (44 in 1997). More > 'Wild' card: Santana's sixth-inning wild pitch played a pivotal role in this taut battle, coming after Chase Headley smoked a one-out single off second baseman Brian Dozier's glove and Starlin Castro cleanly singled to left field. The wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, and the Twins intentionally walked Jacoby Ellsbury before Frazier pushed the go-ahead run across with a shallow fly ball to left field. More > "It was a slider," Santana said. "It was just a back-up slider and that's why it did that. And [Frazier] is just a really good bad-ball hitter, so he made good contact to get a fly ball." Seeking heat: Betances was ineffective in the eighth inning, hitting a batter and issuing two walks around a sacrifice bunt, but Chapman entered and put out the fire. The left-hander gassed Joe Mauer with a 102.7-mph fastball for the second out of the inning, then got Byron Buxton to fly out to right field, leaving the bases loaded. He hadn't recorded a five-out save since Aug. 31, 2015. "Those are two big outs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You're facing Joe Mauer, who puts the ball in play and doesn't strike out a lot. He's able to strike him out and Buxton has been swinging really well, especially against left-handers. Those are two big outs and then to get the final three, that's just a huge performance by him." Chapman's final pitch was a 103.6 mph fastball past Eduardo Escobar, the fastest strikeout pitch in the Majors this season. More > QUOTABLE "I want to pitch better than this one. If I get the chance to come here again, we just have to win, no matter how." -- Santana, on the potential of starting the AL Wild Card Game in New York on Oct. 3. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84 ERA) is set to start for the Twins in the second game of the series on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CT. Berrios limited the Blue Jays to one run over 5 2/3 innings last time out. Yankees: Left-hander CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.85 ERA) will take on the Twins when the clubs meet for Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. ET contest at Yankee Stadium. Sabathia is 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA in five starts since returning from the disabled list in August.

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Twins putting trust in Adrianza's improved bat

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 18, 2017

NEW YORK -- When the Twins claimed Ehire Adrianza on waivers in February, they added him to the roster mostly because of his elite infield defense, as he'd never played in the outfield in the Majors or Minors and was a career .220/.292/.313 hitter in parts of four seasons with the Giants. But Adrianza has been a better hitter than expected, thanks to some mechanical changes such as the addition of a leg kick early in the season, and he's filled in capably in left field, getting playing time over Max Kepler against left-handed starters. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he's comfortable with Adrianza over Kepler against lefties down the stretch, and he started in left in the series opener against the Yankees and left-hander Jaime Garcia on Monday. Kepler is hitting .132/.205/.170 against lefties, while Adrianza is batting .298/.340/.447 against southpaws. "It's not so much what I need to see, it's more that with 13 games left, it's who I decide to play," Molitor said. "I just have to pick my best option. It's not a knock. I think generally [Adrianza] has put together a quality offensive season with the number of at-bats he's been given. He doesn't give them away. He doesn't chase much. I trust him situationally. He's got his share of big hits, too." Adrianza said his only experience playing outfield was one game in Spring Training several years ago, but Monday was his 14th appearance in left, including his ninth start. "At this point, it's much better than I expected it to have been," Molitor said. "He's taken to the instruction well and his athleticism plays. There's no timidity about how he plays and he's very confident." Adrianza, 28, praised the coaching staff for helping him develop, crediting hitting coaches James Rowson and Rudy Hernandez for helping him incorporate a leg kick instead of a toe-tap and outfield coach Jeff Pickler for assisting him with his defense. "I changed my approach and my mechanics my first month here in May," Adrianza said. "I think the new mechanics helped me a lot to be consistent and help with my timing. At the beginning, it was tough and uncomfortable. But we worked hard in the cage with the machine and the results have been pretty good so far." Worth noting • Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar was named the American League Central's representative for the 2017 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. Players vote for the winner on Tuesday, and the winner receives grants totaling $260,000 from the MLB Players Trust. Escobar, through his foundation, provides things such as medical supplies, food, fresh water and much more to those in need in his native Venezuela. "I have to thank my teammates for choosing me as a representative," Escobar said through a translator. "I just want to give back to the people in Venezuela with the help of my family for those in need. And same in Minnesota, helping kids come to the games." • Third baseman Miguel Sano flew with the team to New York on Sunday, but it was for personal reasons, and he'll fly back to Minnesota on Tuesday to continue his rehab from a shin injury. Molitor said nothing is new with Sano's status and he'll continue to run and hit on the field. In WC spotlight, Berrios out to even Yanks set

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 18, 2017

The potential impact of the Twins' series against the Yankees isn't lost on manager Paul Molitor. The Twins, who lead the race for the second AL Wild Card spot by 1 1/2 games with 12 games remaining but trail the Yankees by five for the top spot, are playing in a ballpark they've historically struggled in and one that could be the site of the AL Wild Card game on Oct. 3. Molitor said he prefers to focus on each game individually, but is curious to see how his team fares in the crucial set, with right-hander Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84 ERA) set to start the second game of the series on Tuesday night against veteran left-hander CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.85 ERA), whose team is three games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East. "I don't like to speculate too much that we might be back here," Molitor said. "It could happen. I would look at that as its own game, regardless of what happens. … But what I'm looking forward to is seeing how these guys respond. It's always a little different here. I've played here in October and it just has a different feel."

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Things to know about the game: • Sabathia has plenty of experience against the Twins, going 18-9 with a 3.16 ERA against them in 37 starts. But he hasn't faced this young lineup much, as it's his first start against them this year and his second dating to last season. He lasted only 4 1/3 innings last time out against the Rays on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks. • Berrios has already reached a career high in innings pitched (136), but he's been solid recently, posting a 2.68 ERA over his last six starts. He limited the Blue Jays to one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings on Thursday. The Twins will be cautious with the 23-year-old going forward, but his velocity has held steady. Opponents have missed on 28.3 percent of their swings against Berrios' four-seam fastball this season. Among the more than 80 pitchers who have generated at least 300 swings against four-seamers, that whiff rate trails only Jacob deGrom, Rich Hill and Chris Sale. • With Sabathia starting, the Twins are likely to bench starting right fielder Max Kepler, as he's struggled against lefties this year, hitting .132/.205/.170 against them. Ehire Adrianza has been getting playing time over Kepler against lefties, and is expected to start in left field on Tuesday with Eddie Rosario moving over to right. Notes from New York: Wild card push, Adrianza’s new leg kick

Jake Depue | ESPN 1500 | September 18, 2017

NEW YORK—The Twins lost a close ballgame Monday, falling 2-1 to the Yankees in a well-played, late-season game between two playoff contenders. Despite the loss, the Twins still hold a 1.5 game lead over the Angels for the second wild card spot, with 12 games remaining. If the Twins are able to hold off the Angels, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be back in New York in two weeks for the wild card game. Monday’s game had a playoff feel to it, with relatively cool weather, a sizeable crowd at Yankee Stadium, and a few key late at-bats deciding the game. Former Twin Jaime Garcia, who made only one start for Minnesota before being traded to New York, shut down the Twins over 5.2 innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out nine. The Twins had a great chance to take the lead in the 8th inning, loading the bases with one out for the hot-hitting Joe Mauer. The Yankees countered with Aroldis Chapman, who struck out Mauer on three pitches before getting Byron Buxton to fly out. The game was an important one for the Twins, for a lot of reasons. Every game at this stage is important, of course, but these games hold extra meaning because of the possibility they’ll be back in New York in early October. More broadly, the series is a good test of their ability to play big games in hostile environments, something many of the Twins’ young core is experiencing for the first time. “I think it’s good for us,” Brian Dozier said of playing meaningful September games at Yankee Stadium. “We’re very young. We have a lot of people here who have never even played at this stadium, much less thinking about maybe it [the wild card game] could be here. This late in the season, especially for a lot of the young guys that never even been here, I think that’s big.” Paul Molitor, about as even-keeled as it gets, said he’s trying not to make things bigger than they are, though admitted before the game he was interested in seeing how his team would respond to the bright lights of New York. “What I’m looking forward to today, is I want to see how some of these guys respond. Because it’s always a little different here. You try to keep it as normal as you can, but I’ve played here in October and it’s just got a different feel,” he said before the game. “I think that’s part of the challenge of leadership, to try to help steer them through some of these things that are going to be emotionally charged. I do think there could be some help if we’re able to advance by playing in these games.” The Twins will have a chance to even the series tomorrow, with Jose Berrios getting his first taste of Yankees Stadium. Adrianza’s leg kick As is the case with most overachieving teams, there have been a number of unsung heroes on the Twins this season. Super-utility man Ehire Adrianza is among them. In 61 games this year, Adrianza’s hitting .270/.335/.383 while playing around the diamond. Adrianza’s a strong defender in the infield, and has been able to fill in adequately in left field, despite having never played the outfield in the big leagues prior to this season. Adrianza’s having by far his most productive year at the plate, and he credits hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez for improving his mechanics. Specifically, Adrianza said he’s worked with Rowson and Hernandez on adding a leg kick, which he’s never had prior to this season. Adrianza said he didn’t have the leg kick in spring training, and began incorporating it in May after spending April on the DL.

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“I changed my approach at the plate,” he said of his offensive breakout. “Rudy and James have helped a lot this year from the beginning of the season. I’m doing the leg kick now. I see more of the ball, [see it] more clearly. I can recognize the pitch more. It was tough at the beginning, it was new for me. The first couple games I wasn’t feeling pretty good, but they told me you have to keep learning because that’s going help you to be a better hitter. The results are pretty good so far.” I think Adrianza’s comments are interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it seems he’s another hitter who’s improved under the tutelage of Rowson. Buxton clearly credits a lot of his success to him, and Eddie Rosario’s also had a vastly improved approach at the plate this season. Second, Adrianza’s changes demonstrate that Rowson isn’t uniformly anti-leg kick, but rather makes changes based on what he sees in the mechanics of each individual player with whom he works. When Rowson suggested Buxton get rid of his leg kick earlier this year in an effort to make better contact and have a stronger lower half, some were critical of the decision. Rowson, in my view, deserves a lot of credit for the Twins blossoming into one of the better hitting teams in the American League. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the offense has been particularly strong in the second half of the season, as Rowson accumulates more time with his young offensive core. Busenitz holding up The Twins are relying on several rookie relievers to carry them through the playoff push. Alan Busenitz and Trevor Hildenberger, in particular, have played critical roles down the stretch, with both pitching in mostly high leverage spots. Neither has experience working deep into September, and that’s surely something the Twins are cognizant of, though at this point they probably don’t have much of a choice but to ride them through the rest of the season. Busenitz said Monday his arm is holding up fine, and that his velocity isn’t down, as far as he knows. As far as the high-leverage innings, Busenitz says he tries not to think about it too much. “There’s a little more pressure,” he said. “I try to keep the same approach. Plate’s the same distance. Same hitters.” It’s rare, though, for a rookie reliever like Busenitz, who wasn’t a heralded prospect or even on the 40-man roster to start the season, to be pitching critical innings in a playoff race. He seems to be enjoying the experience. “It’s freaking amazing,” he said. “I love it.” Yankees, Twins continue wild-card positioning battle (Sep 19, 2017)

Associated Press | September 19, 2017

NEW YORK — The first game between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees on Monday offered a glimpse how things might unfold in a potential playoff game. The Yankees improved their standing in the wild-card race while the Twins lost some ground in the standings to their nearest pursuer. The teams will get together again Tuesday night after opening the series with a tense game, won 2-1 by New York. “I think we’ve kind of been in that mode for a while,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “Knowing where we both are in the standings, yes, it does feel a little bit different.” New York improved to 13-5 in its past 18 games. Aaron Judge hit his 44th homer of the season, Todd Frazier lifted the tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and Aroldis Chapman nailed down the final five outs after entering with the bases loaded in the eighth. The Yankees opened a five-game lead on the Twins for the first wild card and remained three games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East. They improved their positioning for the first wild-card spot despite going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and watching Dellin Betances create a mess in the eighth. “I think we match up well against anybody, to be honest,” said Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, who had three hits and two stolen bases. “I like the way we’ve been playing recently, and whether it be the Twins or the Royals or the Red Sox or whoever we’ve been playing recently, I like the chances we have.”

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The Twins are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for the second wild-card spot. While Minnesota will be attempting to win for the eighth time in 13 games on Tuesday, the Angels will be hosting the AL Central champion Cleveland Indians. “I don’t like to speculate too much that we might be back here,” Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. “It could happen. I wou ld look at that as its own game, regardless of what happens. … But what I’m looking forward to is seeing how these guys respond. It’s always a little different here. I’ve played here in October, and it just has a different feel.” Minnesota struck out 13 times and managed only four hits Monday after homering four times and scoring 13 runs Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. “From the start, everybody was swinging at bad pitches,” Minnesota right fielder Eddie Rosario said of the Monday performance. “Everybody was free-swinging.” The Twins will try to correct their approach at the plate against CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.85 ERA), who will attempt to remain unbeaten since coming off the disabled list. Since returning from a knee injury Aug. 19, Sabathia is 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA. He was originally slated to pitch Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, but the Yankees pushed him back two days to keep his right knee off the artificial turf in Toronto this weekend. Including starts after immediately being activated off the disabled list, Sabathia is making his 69th start with six days or more rest. In those outings, he is 28-19 with a 4.17 ERA, and this season he is 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA in seven such starts. The left-hander last pitched on Sept. 11 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field when he allowed one run on six hits in 4 1/3 innings, coming within two outs of qualifying for his 235th win. Sabathia is 18-9 with a 3.16 ERA in 37 career starts against Minnesota. Since joining the Yankees in 2009, he is 6-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 37 starts against the Twins, though he has not faced them this season. Most of Minnesota’s hitters have limited experience against Sabathia, but Joe Mauer is 8-for-49 (.163) with 20 strikeouts in their matchups, including a 3-for-29 mark since 2009. After scratching out two runs Monday against Ervin Santana, the Yankees will attempt to generate offense against Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84 ERA). The right-hander won on July 19 in his only career appearance against the Yankees, allowing one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-1 home victory. Berrios is winless in his past three starts, going 0-1 with a 4.07 ERA this month. He last pitched Thursday, when he allowed one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Blue Jays. It was the 16th time he allowed three earned runs or fewer and the eighth time Berrios allowed one earned run or fewer. Twins’ offense heating up in September

FSN| September 18, 2017

The Minnesota Twins are prone to single-inning outbursts. They had two more big innings in a 13-7 win Sunday, shelling the Toronto Blue Jays for seven runs in the second inning, then scoring six more in the fifth. Minnesota leads the majors by a wide margin with 17 innings of at least six runs. They picked a good time to start heating up again at the plate. Minnesota leads the league this month with 31 home runs, a list that also features their next opponent. The Twins visit the New York Yankees on Sunday in a potential preview of the American League wild-card game.

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Beating the Blue Jays restored the Twins’ two-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second wild-card spot and pushed their odds of making the postseason to 69.2 percent per MLB.com. The Yankees are 11-4 since falling to the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 1, the second-best mark in the majors over that span. The Twins took two of three games in a home series with the Yankees in July. A series win in New York would give Minnesota its first season series win over the Yankees since 2001. A seven-way tie at 81 wins? It's still possible in the wild American League

Jeff Passan |Yahoo! Sports| September 18, 2017

For those fans of pure playoff chaos, the masochists who derive extreme pleasure out of the idea of a seven-way tie for one playoff spot, you, like the rest of the contenders this time of year, have a magic number: 81. Once the contenders for the second wild-card spot in the American League start exceeding 81 wins, the dreams of anarchy go with it. And yet with two weeks to go in the season, while it is exceedingly unrealistic, the possibility of a seven-way tie at 81 wins – the perfect embodiment of the AL feebleness – remains real. So, too, do six-way ties at 82, 83 and 84 wins, a five-way tie at 85, a four-way tie at 86 and two-team ties at 87, 88 and 89. The idea of the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles ending up in one giant morass of mediocrity is delicious, if altogether unrealistic. The latter five teams are actually under .500 – in the case of Tampa Bay and Baltimore, four games under. And they’re chasing a Twins team that is 78-71 and two games ahead of the Angels for the last spot. Enticing though that seven-team tie may be, particularly because Major League Baseball has absolutely no plans on how to break ties of more than four teams, the Twins’ worst record over a 13-game stretch this year has been 4-9, which would make 82 the low number. That eliminates either the Orioles or Rays, who play one another seven times in the next two weeks and can’t both win more than 81. Six teams at 82? This may be the most likeliest of the pure bedlam scenarios. Since the Rays’ best record over 12 games in any stretch this season is 8-4 – oof – let’s assume the Orioles are the better bet. Even then, they’ve only gone 9-3 over their best 12 games, which would leave them at 82. Add together the Royals’ current wins with the total from their best 13-game stretch, and it’s 84. Same for the Rangers. The Mariners cap out at 84, too. So those ideas of 85 or 86? Not happening, unless the Angels and … 1. Minnesota Twins turn the final two weeks of September into an anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better show. Which would be much appreciated, so as to scrub from the history books the idea that even within the last two weeks of a season someone had so little confidence in the AL to give more than a sentence of thought to the notion that two five-games-under-.500 teams might have more than a fraction of a decimal of a percent of a chance to represent the league in October. The spot is the Twins’ to lose, not just because they’re two games up on Los Angeles and have been the more consistent team but because the scheduling gods offered them the delight of seven games against the teardown Detroit Tigers. Granted, the Twins have played them a dozen times already this season and sport a 5-7 record, but most of those came against the Tigers of Justins Verlander, Upton and Wilson. Look, the Twins don’t strike anyone as a classic playoff team. Their rotation consists of Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson, Jose Berrios, Adalberto Mejia and the preserved remains of Bartolo Colon. Last season, they lost 103 games with a team that isn’t significantly different from this one. The day after the trade deadline, they bottomed out at 50-54, and their decision to trade Jaime Garcia to the …

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Buxton, Granite On Mientkiewicz's Departure

Steve Adams |MLB Trade Rumors| September 18, 2017

Byron Buxton and Zach Granite were among the Twins players that were disappointed to hear of the team’s firing of minor league skipper Doug Mientkiewicz, writes Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The longtime Twins first baseman has been managing in Minnesota’s minor league ranks for the past five years and enjoyed his fair share of winning (four playoff appearances), but the team won’t bring him back for a sixth season. “He knows how to bring out the best in players,” Buxton tells Berardino. “He was very fiery. When you did things right, he would let you know, and when you did things wrong, he’d let you know as well — and he’d tell you ways to correct. … He was more of a brother to us.” Granite, the Twins’ minor league player of the year in 2016, credits Mientkiewicz for teaching him ho to drive the ball and taking his game “to the next level.”