Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Dozier moves down a spot as Molitor shakes up lineup. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1

Postgame: Dozier shows frustration of slump. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2

Wednesday's Twins-Toronto game recap. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2

Twins notes: Hicks tops temporarily revamped batting order. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 3

Reusse: Wasted millions hurt Twins more than lack of trades. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 4

Former Twin Hawkins becomes well-respected player in both leagues. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 5

Toronto continues to bash the ball in win over Twins. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 6

Twins' O'Rourke, Jays' Colabello share a bond. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7

Minnesota Twins: Offense perks up, but Blue Jays bash on. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8

Twinsights: Byron Buxton slated to join Rochester as soon as Friday. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9

Postgame Twinsights: Why didn’t Torii Hunter pinch hit in the ninth? Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9

Buehrle, Blue Jays eye 5th straight win, sweep. MLB.com (Ross) p. 10

Buxton nears Triple-A rehab assignment. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10

Twins fall short after Duffey dinged in debut. MLB.com (Bollinger & Chisholm) p. 11

Mike Pelfrey begins process of assuming Brian Dozier's identity. MLB.com (Cosman) p. 12

Duffey's debut derails vs. tough Jays lineup. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey’s debut, new leadoff hitter, homer Jays. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13

Blue Jays chase starter Duffey early, win slugfest with Jays. Associated Press p. 14

Dozier moves down a spot as Molitor shakes up lineup

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 5, 2015

TORONTO — Paul Molitor was looking to make a change, but not too big a change, in order to shake up his lineup. He decided to start right at the top.

Aaron Hicks will lead off for the Twins tonight, with Brian Dozier moved down to second in the lineup. It doesn’t really have much to do with how either player is hitting, the Twins manager said, although Dozier is 5-for-33 (.152) in his last eight games. Proof of that: Hicks is 1-for-19 in his last five.

It’s more about not sitting still during a teamwide slump — the Twins have scored seven runs in their last five games, after all.

“You try to balance [not] getting too crazy and still trying to make it look a little different,” Molitor said. “If you look at what Brian’s done, his body of work, he’s a very impactful guy at the top of the lineup. To take him out of there wasn’t an easy choice, but I thought we’ve scuffled enough to say, hey, if we’re going to do something a little different, let’s try it.”

He emphasized that the change may be only a one-day event, especially since lefthander Mark Buehrle is on the mound tomorrow. It’s Hicks’

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second opportunity to lead off this season, but the other one came on a day that Dozier was sitting out.

Torii Hunter gets the night off, in part to protect his legs during four days on the artificial turf, and in part to simply keep him fresh with two months to play. Understandable, but Hunter is the only Twin with an RBI in the first two games here.

Tyler Duffey makes his major league debut tonight, and Molitor said he hopes being here for the first two games is a help to him.

Postgame: Dozier shows frustration of slump

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 5, 2015

Three extras from the Twins’ fourth straight loss, pulling them within one game of a .500 record, a level they haven’t been at since 12-12 in early May:

— Brian Dozier let the 3-2 pitch go by, pulled off his elbow pad, and took a step or two toward first base. Then he realized that plate umpire Tom Woodring had, well, Woodrung him up. Strike three? Dozier stood there in disbelief.

That’s about as angry as you’ll see Dozier on a baseball field, but it’s hard to blame him. He clobbered the ball twice on Wednesday, a line drive caught by Josh Donaldson and a screamer to left in the ninth, a shot that would have tied the game had Ben Revere not gotten to it before it could hit the ground. That capped an 0-for-5 night, and means the Twins’ All-Star is now 5-38 in his last nine games, a .132 average.

He’s batting .203 since his All-Star Game homer, and with a strikeout in 15 straight games now, he is just two games away from the Twins’ franchise record of 17 straight, held by George Mitterwald and Chris Colabello.

“I think he thought the pitch was low and outside,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Dozier’s called third strike. “And he had a chance to tie the game there, and hits the ball to left field like that. He’s frustrated. We’re all frustrated. We see what’s happening, the fact we’re having trouble winning games.”

XXX

Kevin Jepsen threw 13 pitches against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, and pronounced them much better than the 23 he threw in his Twins debut. Not that he had any concern about that two-run, two-walk outing on Sunday — but it was nice to put it in the past, too, he said.

“With the days off before it, and the hecticness of the trade and the move, I was just a little off in Minnesota,” Jepsen said of his outing against the Mariners. “It’s not like my stuff wasn’t good. I just wasn’t throwing strikes.”

He did in Rogers Centre, getting a ground out and two strikeouts in his second game as a Twin. But pitching on consecutive nights proved a problem; Jepsen pitched a scoreless seventh inning Wednesday, but walked two batters again, and made it worse by throwing two wild pitches as well.

XXX

I enjoyed interviewing LaTroy Hawkins on Tuesday, because he’s about as gracious an athlete — a human being — as you’ll ever meet. Friendly, polite and engaging. So I was happy for him when he achieved a career milestone on Wednesday, pitching out of a ninth-inning jam to record a save. That gives Hawkins a save against all 30 major-league teams, something only a dozen other relief pitchers have ever done. The other 12 are mostly career-long closers, too, while Hawkins has been a setup man for most of the past decade, so his feat might be even more remarkable.

Wednesday’s Twins-Toronto game recap

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 5, 2015

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Jose Bautista, Toronto

When he got the pitch he was waiting for, he clobbered a go-ahead grand slam into the second deck.

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BY THE NUMBERS

3 Consecutive games with a home run by Toronto’s Josh Donaldson.

7 Runs scored by the Twins, equaling their output of the past five games combined.

10 Strikeouts by catcher Eric Fryer in his past 11 plate appearances, including three Wednesday.

ON DECK

Toronto’s Mark Buehrle makes his 52nd start against the Twins; no pitcher has faced Minnesota more, or recorded more wins (29).

Twins notes: Hicks tops temporarily revamped batting order

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 6, 2015

TORONTO – Kurt Suzuki took the lineup card to the meeting with the umpires before Wednesday’s game. Mike Pelfrey warmed up with the position players, wearing Brian Dozier’s jersey and running sprints in the outfield. And Paul Molitor shuffled the top of the Twins’ lineup, moving Dozier down to No. 2, behind Aaron Hicks.

Yes, the Twins tried everything they could think of, superstitious and strategic alike, to break out of their slump Wednesday.

Most notable was the lineup change, which Molitor hinted at the previous night. Dozier entered Wednesday’s game in a 5-for-33 slump (.152) over his past eight games, and had struck out to lead off the game in five consecutive road games. Hicks had cooled off from last week’s hot streak in Target Field — he was 1-for-19 in his past five games, matter of fact — but Molitor said he decided after watching the Twins score seven runs in their past five games that something different was necessary, even if it’s only temporary.

“You try to balance [not] getting too crazy and still trying to make it look a little different,” the Twins manager said. “If you look at what Brian’s done, his body of work, he’s a very impactful guy at the top of the lineup. To take him out of there wasn’t an easy choice.”

Hicks said he wasn’t aware of the pending change, but he welcomed it. “It feels good. I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well, so to actually start producing, being at the top, of course I enjoy it,” he said. “I want to be there someday, but it’s a process.”

Hicks had only led off in one game this season, when Dozier was out of the lineup. But that was his normal job in the minor leagues, and he said he missed that duty. “It’s a different feeling, man, when you go to the field every day knowing you’re the leadoff hitter. You’re going to be the guy who sets it up for the rest of the team,” Hicks said. “Of course I miss it.”

The change might only be a one-day event, Molitor emphasized, especially since lefthander Mark Buehrle is on the mound Thursday. But it seemed to work Wednesday. Hicks singled to open the game. Dozier lined out, but the Twins scored three first-inning runs on an RBI single by Miguel Sano and a two-run double by Trevor Plouffe.

Buxton’s progress

Byron Buxton’s sprained left thumb is healing so well, the Twins have sped up his timetable. Buxton, who has spent three days in Fort Myers batting in simulated games against full-speed pitching, will skip the couple of games the Twins had planned with their Class A team and go directly to Class AAA Rochester, perhaps as early as Friday, Molitor said.

“He’s doing well. I don’t know if I’d say he’s 100 percent, but he’s doing everything,” Molitor said.

Buxton could meet the Red Wings in Charlotte, N.C., for the weekend, then travel to Buffalo with them for five games, then play his first game in Rochester on Aug. 14. He can play 21 days on a rehab assignment before being activated.

Coming around

Molitor and his coaches met after the game to discuss their pitching plans, specifically what to do about Tyler Duffey. Does he get another start, after allowing six runs in two innings on Wednesday? Do the Twins call up a different pitcher from Class AAA, say, someone like top prospect Jose Berrios?

More likely: The Twins have an off day Monday and could skip Duffey’s start. That would mean they wouldn’t need another starter until Saturday, Aug. 15. Even if they stick with Duffey until Tommy Milone is activated from the disabled list, they could choose to delay his start in order to match him up with the Indians rather than the Rangers, a far more potent offensive team.

Another decision: Should Duffey be returned to Class AAA Rochester, would the Twins use the interim to call up an offensive player? Or a bullpen arm, considering how much use their relievers have gotten in Toronto?

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“We’ll probably sleep on it,” Molitor said, “and have some clarity tomorrow.”

Reusse: Wasted millions hurt Twins more than lack of trades

Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | August 6, 2015

Major league baseball did not have divisional play until 1969. Detroit and the Twins were not in the same division until the Tigers joined the American League Central in 1998.

Both teams were in woeful shape then. The Tigers were in the midst of eight consecutive losing seasons (1994-2001) when they finished a combined 182 games under .500. The Twins were in the midst of eight consecutive losing seasons (1993-2000) when they finished a combined 171 games under .500.

The Twins finally found daylight with an 85-77 record and second-place finish in the Central to Cleveland in 2001. The Tigers remained woeful at 66-96, and owner Mike Ilitch brought in esteemed baseball executive Dave Dombrowski to fix the mess.

It took four more losing seasons, but the Tigers sprung to life in 2006 and went to the World Series as a wild-card team. The Tigers played in another World Series in 2012, and also lost in the ALCS in 2011 and 2013.

The Tigers took an aggressive shot in 2014, bringing in wonderful lefty David Price in a deadline trade with Tampa Bay. This was supposed to get the octogenarian Ilitch a World Series trophy to go with his Stanley Cup championships.

Detroit was swept in a division series by Baltimore. Now, the 2015 Tigers have been a bust and Dombrowski was let go by Ilitch on Tuesday. Obviously, the owner did not feel he was getting his $170 million payroll worth from his baseball boss.

Jim Pohlad and his brothers, Bob and Bill, the owners of the Twins, would be entitled to have the same reaction, even with a more modest output of $110 million (including dead money, such as the released Tim Stauffer).

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan built his reputation for acumen with the turnaround that led to four division titles from 2002 to 2006. He stepped aside after the 2007 season, Bill Smith was the general manager for two more division titles in 2009 and 2010, and then came the disaster of 2011 — a 19-50 finish and a 63-99 record.

Smith was removed as GM in November 2011 and Ryan returned. Ryan will turn 62 in October and his energy looks to be there, as is his resolve to fix a team that was 118 games under .500 in the previous four seasons.

There was hope at the All-Star break when the Twins were 49-40 and in excellent position in the AL’s wild-card race. They entered Wednesday night’s game at 5-12 since the break.

You look at this team and see Brian Dozier at second, and Trevor Plouffe at third, and Torii Hunter pushing himself to a worthy season at 40, but what else?

Miguel Sano brings hope, but he shouldn’t be hitting fourth in a big-league lineup … not yet. Eddie Rosario has good games and bad ones. Aaron Hicks remains a suspect.

Joe Mauer is 32 and looking increasingly like a guy destined to bloop and to bounce his way through three remaining contract years as a part-time player. The Twins don’t have a shortstop, and Kurt Suzuki is an automatic out as the catcher.

Ryan wasted $49 million of the Pohlads’ baseball budget on Ricky Nolasco before the 2014 season. Ervin Santana missed the first half of this season because of a steroid suspension, and now he has 3½ seasons to earn the $47 million left on his deal.

A faction of Twins fans was upset that Ryan didn’t do something significant at the trade deadline. More likely, there was nothing significant to be had for Oswaldo Arcia, hitting at Class AAA Rochester like he belongs there, or Alex Meyer, looking increasingly like a bust, or any other alleged prospects not named Jose Berrios or Byron Buxton.

Did you want to give up Berrios or Buxton in the hope of plugging the leaks in this dinghy?

It’s not the failure to make a deadline trade that should have the owners questioning Ryan. It’s the big pile of millions tossed in the bonfire for Nolasco, the small pile for Stauffer, the fielding of a team that doesn’t have a shortstop or catcher of the present or the future.

I look at the 2015 Twins and I see the 2014 Brewers: 53-43 at the break, 29-37 the rest of the way, and running uphill the next season.

There’s still much to fix here.

Presumably, the Pohlads will choose to hold their baseball boss to a far different standard than was Dombrowski, and allow Ryan to continue this uncertain attempt to be the fixer once again.

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Former Twin Hawkins becomes well-respected player in both leagues

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 6, 2015

TORONTO – LaTroy Hawkins was thrilled to learn he had been traded from Colorado to Toronto last week, and the reason had nothing to do with the standings or the pennant race.

No, he likes the Blue Jays’ schedule.

“We’re in Texas on Aug. 26. That means I’ll be home to take my daughter [Troi] to her first day of high school” in nearby Prosper, Hawkins said. “When I saw that, I was like, ‘Thank you. That’s perfect. This is where I’m meant to be.’ ”

Maybe so, but he won’t be here for long, and that story tells you exactly why. Hawkins, who was drafted by the Twins about three months before they won the 1991 World Series, will retire once the 2015 season ends, heading home to his family after 21 major league seasons, 11 major league teams and, according to his former teammates, the respect of everyone he ever played with.

“He’s been a great pitcher for a long time,” said Twins bullpen coach Eddie Guardado, who formed a strong relief tandem with Hawkins in Minnesota’s bullpen in the early 2000s. “But he’s been an even better person for an even longer time.”

But he’s tired of spending every summer away from his wife, Anita, Troi and son Dakari, and his extended family. He realized he had made the right decision in April when, by a quirk of the calendar, the Rockies opened the season in Milwaukee and he could drive to his hometown of Gary, Ind., to visit his grandparents on Easter.

“I realized as I’m sitting in church with them that it was the first Easter Sunday I’d seen them since 1990,” Hawkins said. “My daughter, it’s the last four years she’s going to be in the house, and I haven’t been there consistently for 13 years because I was playing baseball. … It’s time to go home. I still feel great, I can still pitch. But it’s time to do something else.”

That the decision is his and not, as with most players, a realization that his skills are gone is remarkable. Hawkins, 42, has been the oldest player in baseball for two seasons now, and he’s one of 16 pitchers in major league history to appear in 1,000 games. He still can throw 94 miles per hour, as the Twins discovered Monday, and he still gets batters out. His ERA is 3.20 this season, and the Blue Jays valued him enough to ask for him in their trade for Troy Tulowitzki.

On Wednesday, he became the 13th pitcher to record saves against all 30 teams when he closed out Toronto's 9-7 victory over the Twins.

“At his peak, he was probably throwing 95, and he hasn’t lost much,” said Paul Molitor, the Twins’ 58-year-old manager — who was a teammate of Hawkins in 1996-98. “He’s learned to cut the ball a little bit, do some things to make up for the velocity. As a starter, he was a young kid, and the game would speed up and he couldn’t hold runners. But he’s been able to overcome a lot along the way.”

He’s never been an All-Star, he’s never ranked in the top 10 of anything, he’s never earned $5 million in a season, and the only playing honor he’s been given, he jokes, is on the walk of fame in his Class AAA ballpark. But he’s also found willing takers every offseason, always found a team that wants him. He earned the save in Wednesday’s 9-7 Toronto victory over the Twins, giving him a save against every major league team.

“Consistency. That’s the secret to this game,” said Torii Hunter, twice a teammate [in Minnesota and Anaheim] and for two decades Hawkins’ best friend in baseball. “He’s not an All-Star, but he’s got a fire in him. And it’s brighter than most.”

Like Hunter, he’s also known as a great clubhouse presence, a leader of younger players. “He cares about teammates, about the guy next to you. It’s how you treat people when you’re in the game,” Guardado said. “Teams want guys like him and Torii. That’s how you get a job every year. Well, that and throwing 94 miles per hour.”

He came up as a starting pitcher, and manager Tom Kelly stuck with him for 98 starts, despite an ugly 6.16 ERA. Even so, Hawkins remembers his years as a Twin as “a great time. I loved my time in Minnesota. I’m a little foggy on some of the teams I’ve pitched for, but I’ll never forget the Twins.”

Finally, Kelly moved him to the bullpen in 2000, and his career was transformed. After a year as the Twins’ closer, he ceded that job to Guardado and became an eighth-inning specialist. And a good one.

“He’s Satchel Paige, man. The wiry body, the incredible arm, still pitching into his 40s,” Hunter said. “He doesn’t have to retire. But you have to respect his decision.”

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Toronto continues to bash the ball in win over Twins

Phil Miller | Star Tribune | August 6, 2015

TORONTO – When it was all over, when the wreckage of his first major league start had been cleared and the hole he put the Twins in proved too much to overcome, when Tyler Duffey had a chance to contemplate all that had gone wrong during the Twins’ 9-7 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, he had one reasonable and heartfelt reaction:

Wow, that was cool.

OK, not the two tape-measure home runs he allowed, or the fact that his major league ERA stands at 27.00. And certainly not the fact that he couldn’t prevent the Twins from losing their fourth consecutive game, dropping them two games out of a playoff spot. But the rookie sounded a little bit in awe over what he had experienced.

“Obviously, you want to get here and stay here, but even [for] this bit of time, it’s unlike anything else,” Duffey said after allowing six runs on five hits and two walks in only two innings. “It’s awesome.”

That wide-eyed reaction might have contributed to the results, manager Paul Molitor said, but that’s the risk you take when you hand the ball to newcomers for the first time.

“We knew it was a tough environment for him,” Molitor said of Rogers Centre, where baseballs lately have been flying out at a breathtaking pace. “Watching his preparation, I think he was OK. But giving up a walk and a home run [to the first two batters], it probably changes. It seemed to change.”

It did, and the shame of it for the Twins was, they finally showed some life at the plate. After scoring only three runs in their past three games, the Twins equaled that output before Duffey even took the mound, with a Trevor Plouffe two-run double helping to stake the rookie to a 3-0 lead.

But Troy Tulowitzki drew a walk to open Duffey’s career, and in trying to prevent Josh Donaldson from doing the same, the righthander left a fastball over the plate. It landed deep into the left field stands, the third consecutive day Donaldson had homered, and suddenly, the rookie understood why far more experienced pitchers have trouble with these Jays, too.

“The difference here that I’ve seen is, pitches that are chased down there [in the minor leagues] are taken here,” Molitor said. “They were pretty patient on his breaking ball. He had to throw it over, and these guys will make you do that.”

Guys such as Jose Bautista. After surviving his first inning, Duffey opened the second by forcing two ground balls but, just his luck, both turned into singles. This time he walked Donaldson, but when he got behind 3-1 to Bautista with the bases loaded, he was in for trouble.

“I threw it where I wanted to. He was just sitting on it,” Duffey said of Bautista’s cannonading 400-plus-foot blast. “They’ve played a lot more games than I could even imagine. They know what’s coming, even if you think you’re tricking them.”

Edwin Encarnacion hit one even farther two innings later against J.R. Graham, a three-run shot that seemed to end all doubt. But the Twins rallied for four runs off Toronto starter Drew Hutchison, two on Joe Mauer’s double and two more on the first road home run of Miguel Sano’s career, another next-time-zone blast.

“He’s hit some homers, but I think that might have been the hardest [hit],” Molitor said. “It was almost as loud as their guys’.”

Another rally gave the Twins more hope, with runners on second and third in the ninth with one out. But Aaron Hicks popped out and Brian Dozier lined a screamer to left fielder Ben Revere to end the game and give LaTroy Hawkins a save against all 30 MLB teams.

It also extended the Twins’ misery.

“We see what’s happening, the fact we’re having trouble winning games. We know what our record is since the break,” Molitor said of his 5-13 squad. “We’ve had a couple four-game losing streaks in the past 9-10 days, so there’s some frustration. You’ve got to keep playing through it.”

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Twins’ O’Rourke, Jays’ Colabello share a bond

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 6, 2015

TORONTO -- Ryan O'Rourke hasn't had a chance to pitch to Chris Colabello yet in the Twins' series against Toronto, but if he does, it will definitely register in Worcester, Mass.

O'Rourke, the Twins' rookie left-hander, grew up in that central Massachusetts city and attended St. John's High School in nearby Shrewsbury. As a high school prospect, O'Rourke toured Assumption College in Worcester, where Colabello was one of his tour guides.

A senior at the time, Colabello doesn't recall that visit, in part because he was already focused on the next stage of his slow-developing baseball career. O'Rourke signed at rival Merrimack College instead.

Their paths intersected again after Colabello joined the independent Worcester Tornadoes of the Canadian-American League. Colabello, now enjoying success in his first season with the Toronto Blue Jays, was the star slugger for the Tornadoes.

Their top pitcher was Greg Montalbano, a former Boston Red Sox pitching prospect who had battled testicular cancer. In remission and hoping to put his promising pitching career back on track, the left-handed Montalbano pitched in 28 games combined for the Tornadoes in 2005-06.

An alum of St. John's High, which also produced pitching great Ron Darling, Montalbano would help coach at his old high school and regularly left tickets for O'Rourke and his buddies to attend Tornadoes games.

"Coaching our team he tried to get his health back and get his body back," O'Rourke said. "Just hanging out with us high school kids spoke to the character he had.

He was great. For Tornadoes games, we'd go in the bullpen and just stand right behind him."

O'Rourke and his fellow Pioneers weren't shy about peppering Montalbano with questions.

"Me being in the bullpen now, I know how annoying it is when people talk to you all game," O'Rourke said with a smile. "He didn't bat an eye. I'm forever grateful for that opportunity."

The cancer came back, and Montalbano died six years ago on Aug. 21, three days before his 32nd birthday. The following spring, O'Rourke pitched well enough for Merrimack to be drafted by the Twins in the 13th round.

Colabello, who finally landed with the Twins in 2012 after seven seasons in the Can-Am League, still gets a text message before every game from Sharon Montalbano, Greg's mother. She was a high school contemporary of Lou Colabello, Chris' dad, and the families grew close during those seasons with the Tornadoes.

"Greg was one of my best friends," Colabello said. "To watch what he endured and the way he handled it and the way he went through everything, he was nothing short of a class act. He was the kind of guy you'd sit there and ask, 'Why him?' "

Montalbano's memory didn't just help push Colabello and O'Rourke to achieve their dreams. It has kept them from ever feeling sorry for themselves along the way.

"He was such an inspiration to so many people," Colabello said. "I'm sure the way Ryan talks about him makes you understand there aren't enough words to describe the kind of person he was and the kind of impact he had on people. I have no doubts in my mind that, barring what he had to go through, he would have been a major league pitcher for a long time."

O'Rourke agrees.

"Greg was minor league pitcher of the year (for the Red Sox) at 23 in Double-A -- ahead of (Jon) Lester, ahead of (Clay) Buchholz," O'Rourke said. "Then he got derailed by the cancer. He's one of those 'what could have been' type guys. He was on his way."

When O'Rourke pitched at Triple-A Pawtucket the past two seasons, Sharon and Andrew Montalbano would attend the games to cheer for the young man who followed in their son's footsteps. This week, O'Rourke got the family's phone number from Colabello with plans to call them soon.

"It will just be a nice call to tell them how much their son meant to where I'm at," O'Rourke said. "He was pretty instrumental in my success."

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Minnesota Twins: Offense perks up, but Blue Jays bash on

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 5, 2015

TORONTO -- A lineup shakeup finally got the Twins' bats going, but they still couldn't keep pace with the monster mashers of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Three more home runs by the Blue Jays, two of them off Tyler Duffey in his big-league debut, sent the Twins to a 9-7 loss Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

It was the Twins' fourth straight loss and ninth in their past 11 games as they fell two games behind the surging Blue Jays for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

"I think we're all frustrated," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We see what's happening."

The Twins, who have been outhomered 7-2 in the series, will try to avoid a four-game sweep Thursday when Kyle Gibson opposes longtime franchise nemesis Mark Buehrle.

Since the start of 2006, the Twins are 9-24 in this ballpark, winning just one of their past 11 series.

Trailing 9-3 after four innings, the Twins rallied to bring the potential winning run to the plate in the ninth. Facing 42-year-old closer LaTroy Hawkins, the oldest player in baseball, Aaron Hicks fouled out to third and Brian Dozier lined out to Ben Revere in left.

Earlier, a third ex-Twin, Liam Hendriks, struck out the side in a scoreless sixth. Oh, and Chris Colabello singled once in three trips.

"Guys are competing and they're fighting," Twins first baseman Joe Mauer said. "You really can't ask much more than that. We're just ready for it to turn, and I know it will turn.”

The Twins had scored seven total runs in their previous five games, including four games of exactly one run. Molitor dropped Dozier out of the leadoff spot Wednesday and hit Hicks ahead of him at the top of the lineup.

Hicks had two hits, including a double, but Dozier went 0 for 5 with two line-drive outs.

The Twins climbed back on Mauer's two-run single and Miguel Sano's long two-run homer, both in the fifth off Drew Hutchison (10-2).

After that, however, the Twins managed just one hit until stranding two in the ninth. Molitor opted to play for the tie on the road, bunting two runners into scoring position with Shane Robinson rather than using Torii Hunter as a pinch hitter.

"We gave up nine runs," Molitor said. "As much as we fought, we came up short."

In 540 plate appearances this season at the top two minor league levels, Duffey gave up only one home run. It took two batters -- and one look at Josh Donaldson -- to match that total in the majors.

And that was after a three-run Twins first, led by Sano's run-scoring single and Trevor Plouffe's two-run double, staked Duffey to a 3-0 lead before he took the mound.

Donaldson (29 homers) followed a leadoff walk to Troy Tulowitzki with a majestic shot into the bleachers in left-center. Donaldson, who has homered in his past four games against the Twins and five of the past six, tied Magglio Ordonez (23 games) for the third-longest hitting streak against the Twins.

Duffey, a 2012 fifth-round pick out of Rice University, escaped further damage in the 31-pitch first, but more trouble lurked.

"It's still the same game," Duffey said. "You hear it a bunch, and then you go out there and you still catch yourself trying to do something different. You try to make yourself better, but you don't need to. I did that today, and it got me behind."

Duffey was one pitch from wriggling off the hook in a taxing second when he struck out Tulowitzki and walked Donaldson after jumping ahead 1-2. The 24-year-old from Houston then fell behind 3-1 to Jose Bautista before watching him bash a changeup for a grand slam.

"I threw what I wanted to," said Duffey, lifted after just two innings and 60 pitches. "He was just sitting on it. He got to it and got it pretty good."

Edwin Encarnacion added a three-run homer off J.R. Graham in the fourth that proved to be the difference.

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Twinsights: Byron Buxton slated to join Rochester as soon as Friday

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 5, 2015

TORONTO — Good news for the people of Rochester, N.Y.: Byron Buxton is headed your way.

The Twins rookie outfielder, currently participating in simulated games in Fort Myers, Fla., is scheduled to join the Triple-A Red Wings on their current three-city road trip. The tentative plan is to have Buxton (sprained left thumb) begin a rehab assignment Friday at Charlotte, N.C., and then stay with the club as its continues on to Buffalo next week.

“He’s doing well,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday. “I don’t want to say he’s 100 percent, but he’s doing everything.”

The original plan had been to have Buxton join the Class A Fort Myers Miracle for a couple of games before heading up the ladder. Promoted to the majors directly from Double-A Chattanooga in mid-June, Buxton has never suited up for the Red Wings, who also missed out on Miguel Sano this season.

Rochester’s next home game is Friday Aug. 17 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees).

“I think they’re going to try to get him out of (Fort Myers) in a couple days,” Molitor said. “We’ll see how he does.”

Buxton injured his thumb on a head-first slide against the Chicago White Sox in June. He was placed on the 15-day disabled and has missed exactly six weeks as of Wednesday.

Still rated baseball’s No. 1 prospect by MLB.com, Buxton hit .189 (7 for 37) in 11 games with the Twins.

Postgame Twinsights: Why didn’t Torii Hunter pinch hit in the ninth?

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 5, 2015

TORONTO — Convention holds that you play for the tie at home and the win on the road.

Twins manager Paul Molitor wasn’t interested in convention in Wednesday’s ninth inning.

Trailing 9-7 against the Toronto Blue Jays and 42-year-old closer LaTroy Hawkins, Molitor never played the Torii Hunter card. Instead, he followed consecutive singles by the Eduardos — Escobar and (pinch hitting) Nunez — with a sacrifice bunt by Shane Robinson.

That set the stage for Aaron Hicks, who had gone 2 for 4 from the left side but entered the night hitting .220 in 123 at-bats against righties. Hicks, moved into the leadoff spot for just the second time all year, is now 10 for 47 (.213) with runners in scoring position after fouling out to third.

Afterward, Molitor confirmed that Hunter and his 17 homers were available off the bench.

“I wanted Nunez to hit first in terms of staying out of the double play,” Molitor said. “Plus, he had a better chance, I thought, to get a hit. Then I have the choice of going for the kill, if you will, and try to find a way to get ahead or try to extend the game.”

Despite his bullpen’s recent woes, Molitor opted for the latter. Part of the reason may have been the decision of Blue Jays’ right-hander Aaron Sanchez to begin serving his three-game suspension on Wednesday.

That left Toronto manager John Gibbons, who served his suspension on Tuesday, with just three remaining relievers: lefty Aaron Loup, long man Bo Schultz (was was warming in the second inning) and rookie closer Roberto Osuna, who had worked four times in the past six days.

“I felt pretty good about having (Trevor) May and (Glen) Perkins out there and where they were at as far as their pen was concerned,” Molitor said, “so I decided to take a shot and try to tie the game.”

The game ended on Brian Dozier’s screaming liner to Ben Revere in left.

–Molitor said no decision had been made about whether to give rookie Tyler Duffey another start or keep him in the bullpen following his two-inning debut on Wednesday.

After talking it over with pitching coach Neil Allen, Molitor said he wanted to sleep on the decision.

The Twins, currently carrying eight relievers, have an off day on Monday, which would allow them to skip the fifth starter’s turn and keep everybody else on normal rest until Saturday Aug. 15 against the Cleveland Indians.

Lefty Tommy Milone (left elbow flexor) wouldn’t be eligible to come off the disabled list until the following day, Aug. 16, so the Twins would

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have to figure something else out there.

May spent the first three months in the rotation, but he hasn’t thrown more than two innings or 30 pitches in any of his 10 outings since moving to the bullpen a month ago.

In fact, May’s entire workload since moving to the bullpen, where he has a 3.18 ERA in 11 1/3 innings, is 168 pitches.

May also has given up a slash line of .283/.327/.435 in relief with a .343 BABIP and a 31-percent line-drive rate.

–-Miguel Sano’s fourth-inning blast traveled an estimated 447 feet, making it the longest by a Twins player this season.

“We were kind of all waiting for that,” Molitor said. “He’s hit some homers, I think that one might have been the hardest. It was almost as loud as their guys’.”

Even Sano’s BP show has been impressive here at Rogers Center.

“I’ve seen him for three days here make this park look pretty small in batting practice,” Molitor said. “It was nice to see.”

–Hawkins’ third save since joining the Rockies last week gave him 127 for his career and one against all 30 major league teams.

The former Twins right-hander becomes the 13th closer to hold that distinction since baseball added its final two expansion teams for the 1998 season.

Two of the other 12 have also pitched for the Twins: Rick Aguilera and Brian Fuentes. Also in the club: Armando Benitez, Kevin Gregg, Jason Isringhausen, Jose Mesa, Jonathan Papelbon, Rafael Soriano, Huston Street, Ugueth Urbina, Jose Valverde and Bob Wickman.

–Joe Mauer’s fifth-inning single gave him two runs batted in and moved him past Rod Carew for eighth on the Twins’ career list. Mauer has 735 career RBIs.

With his next double, Mauer will tie Carew for eighth on the Twins’ list as well.

Buehrle, Blue Jays eye 5th straight win, sweep

Jamie Ross | MLB.com | August 5, 2015

The Blue Jays will turn to one of their most dependable starters as they aim for a fifth straight win and a four-game sweep of the Twins at Rogers Centre on Thursday night.

Mark Buehrle has walked only one batter over his last 44 2/3 innings, and has held the opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 11 straight starts. He tossed a complete game in a victory over the Twins on May 29.

The Twins will counter with Kyle Gibson, who is 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA in two career starts against Toronto. He allowed one earned run over 5 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays earlier this season.

Things to know about this game

• Gibson is 3-4 with a 3.67 ERA in nine road starts this season. It will be his first career appearance at Rogers Centre.

• Buerhle has been among the best pitchers in the game of late, going 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in his past 11 starts.

• After wrapping their series against the Twins, the Blue Jays head to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees. The Twins, meanwhile, will head to Cleveland for three against the Tribe.

Buxton nears Triple-A rehab assignment

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | August 5, 2015

TORONTO -- Rookie center fielder Byron Buxton, who has been out since June 24 with a sprained left thumb, could start a rehab assignment as early as Friday with Triple-A Rochester, Twins manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday.

Buxton, ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect by MLB.com, has been playing in simulated games this week at the club's Spring Training complex in Fort Myers, Fla. But instead of starting his rehab assignment with Class A Advanced Fort Myers, Buxton will head to Rochester.

"He's doing well with the sim games in Florida," Molitor said. "I don't want to say he's 100 percent, but he's doing everything. We're going to try

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to get him out of there in a couple days."

Buxton, 21, hit .189/.231/.270 with a triple, a double and a stolen base in 11 games with the Twins before being placed on the 15-day disabled list. He initially injured his thumb on a slide on June 23, but played on June 24 before hitting the DL on June 26.

It'll mark the first time Buxton will see action at Triple-A, as he was promoted straight from Double-A Chattanooga. He hit .283/.351/.489 with six homers, seven doubles, 12 triples and 20 stolen bases in 59 games with Chattanooga before getting called up.

Rochester is on the road until Aug. 14, as the Red Wings start a three-game series in Charlotte that begins on Friday before heading to Buffalo. Considering Buxton has been out for more than a month, he'll likely need at least a week to 10 days before he's activated from the DL.

Worth noting

• With their offense scuffling, the Twins shuffled their lineup against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, moving Aaron Hicks into the leadoff spot for the second time this season and Brian Dozier to the No. 2 spot. Molitor said he's not sure if he'd stick with Hicks atop the lineup going forward.

"I looked at a couple or more scenarios," Molitor said. "You try to balance making it different but not too crazy. If you look at what Brian's done, he's a very impactful guy atop the lineup so taking him out of there wasn't any chance. But I thought we scuffled enough that I thought if we were going to do something we might as well try it."

Twins fall short after Duffey dinged in debut

Rhett Bollinger and Gregor Chisholm | MLB.com | August 6, 2015

TORONTO -- Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion each homered while the Blue Jays' bullpen tossed four scoreless innings to overcome another rough outing by Drew Hutchison in a 9-7 win over the Twins on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

With the victory, Toronto moved two games ahead of Minnesota in the standings for the second American League Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays have won four games in a row and seven of their last eight as the Twins continued to struggle with four straight losses and a 2-9 record dating back to July 25.

Right-hander Tyler Duffey took the loss for Minnesota after allowing six runs over two innings in his Major League debut. Twins right-hander J.R. Graham also was roughed up for three runs over 2 1/3 innings of relief, which included a three-run shot by Encarnacion.

Hutchison earned the victory for Toronto despite allowing seven runs over five innings. Four of the runs were unearned but he once again had some trouble keeping the ball down in the zone. Another strong night by the offense helped bail him out as did four scoreless innings from Liam Hendriks, Brett Cecil, Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins, who became the 13th pitcher in MLB history to record a save against all 30 teams.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bautista Bomb: Toronto was trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning until Bautista unloaded on a pitch from Duffey and sent it over the wall in left field for a grand slam. It was Bautista's 24th homer of the season and the fifth grand slam of his career. That gave Toronto a 6-3 lead and it was the 49th time this year the Blue Jays scored at least six runs in a game, which leads the Major Leagues.

"The situation for me doesn't change in that moment," Bautista said. "If anything, I feel more confident because I know the pitcher can't walk me, he can't pitch around me and he has nowhere to go but throw something in the zone."

Sano-doubter: Sano helped the Twins get back into the game with a mammoth two-run blast off Hutchison in the fifth inning. It was the fifth career homer for the young slugger. The two-run blast capped a four-run inning for the Twins, as Joe Mauer also had a two-run single with two outs.

"He had a really good at-bat on the home run after the big hit from Joe," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He didn't overswing when he fell behind and then worked it to 3-2 like he seems to do every other at-bat. And we were all kinda waiting for that. He's hit some homers but that might've been the hardest. It was almost as loud as their guys' [home runs]."

The Edwing: Encarnacion continued his recent hot streak with a three-run shot to left field in the fourth inning which at the time gave Toronto a comfortable 9-3 lead. According to Statcast™, Encarnacion's 20th homer of the season was projected to land 462 feet from home plate and it left his bat at 111 mph. That also allowed Encarnacion to become the sixth player in franchise history to hit at least 20 home runs in six seasons while wearing a Toronto uniform.

"Our offense was on fire with the big home runs," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "A nice win, not an easy win, but a nice win."

Twins strike early, but not late: After scoring just five combined runs over their previous seven games, the Twins broke out early against Hutchison in the first. Sano dropped in an RBI single before Trevor Plouffe delivered a two-run double. The Twins had a chance with two

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runners in scoring position in the ninth against Hawkins, but Aaron Hicks popped out and Brian Dozier lined out to left to end the game.

"We had a couple chances to get a base hit and extend the game, but we gave up nine runs and as much as we fought we came up short," Molitor said. "You applaud the guys for staying in the game for nine innings but you have to deal with the fact you came up short again."

QUOTABLE "We're just going to keep working and try to grind it out. We've been fighting, and that hasn't changed, but we're just ready for it to turn. And I know it will turn. Hopefully it's tomorrow." -- Mauer on the Twins dropping four straight

"I had never thought about it until yesterday. [Mark] Lowe said something to me about it, making a joke in the bullpen. I'm like, 'Really? Well, I probably won't have a chance to get that.' And then when [pitching coach Pete] Walker told me I had a chance, that I was closing tonight, I'm like, 'Oh, OK, cool.' And the game started to unfold, opportunity presented itself."-- Hawkins on becoming the 13th player in MLB history to record a save against all 30 teams

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Donaldson's 23-game hit streak against the Twins is tied for the third longest since the Twins moved from Washington in 1961.

WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Kyle Gibson starts the series finale for the Twins on Thursday at 6:07 p.m. CT. Gibson is coming off a strong start against the Mariners, when he gave up two runs over seven innings in a no-decision.

Blue Jays: Left-hander Mark Buehrle will take the mound when the Blue Jays close out a four-game series against the Twins at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. Buehrle has surrendered three earned runs or less in 11 consecutive starts and has a 1.97 ERA over that same span of games.

Mike Pelfrey begins process of assuming Brian Dozier’s identity

Ben Cosman | MLB.com | August 6, 2015

Before Wednesday's Twins-Blue Jays game, Mike Pelfrey revealed that he will spend the rest of the season slowly becoming Brian Dozier.

In what was clearly preparation for assuming Dozier's identity, Pelfrey went through pregame warm-ups wearing a Dozier jersey and tailing closely to his teammate while mimicking the second baseman's every move. He even stood in for Dozier while practicing swings with Trevor Plouffe and Eddie Rosario, who as far as we know, couldn't tell the difference.

It will take a few days of shadowing for Pelfrey to ingrain Dozier's movements and kinesthetic peculiarities, but by this time next month, the world will likely have two Brian Doziers. All Pelfrey has to do is figure out how to turn his 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame into Dozier's 5-foot-11, 200-pounds, and the transformation will be complete -- the Twins will have one less pitcher and one additional infielder.

Eventually, Pelfrey will cease responding to teammates' calls of "Mike" and will only acknowledge those who address him as "Brian."

Duffey’s debut derails vs. tough Jays lineup

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | August 6, 2015

TORONTO -- The Twins tried to do just about everything to reverse their fortunes against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, including shuffling their lineup, Mike Pelfrey dressing up in Brian Dozier's jersey during warmups to keep the team loose and catcher Kurt Suzuki delivering the lineup card to home plate.

And while it seemed to wake up a struggling offense, as the Twins notched seven runs -- matching their total over their previous five games -- it wasn't enough, as right-hander Tyler Duffey struggled in his Major League debut in a 9-7 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Duffey, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to replace injured left-hander Tommy Milone, lasted two innings, surrendering six runs on five hits and two walks. Duffey allowed just one homer in 132 innings in the Minors this season, but served up a two-run blast to Josh Donaldson in the first and a grand slam to Jose Bautista in the second.

"You put a young kid out there and we knew it was a tough environment for him, but they got the best of him," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "The difference here is that sometimes pitches that are chased down there [in the Minors] are taken up here. They were patient on his breaking ball. And he had to throw it out over and they're pretty good at doing that."

Duffey, though, had good stuff, as he mixed in a fastball that ranged from 91-94 mph, a curveball from 79-82 mph and a changeup from 83-85

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mph. It was more about location and command, as Donaldson's blast came on a 2-2 fastball left on the inner half of the plate, while Bautista's grand slam came on a 3-1 changeup.

Duffey said he had issues locating his breaking ball, as he tried to be too fine with it.

"I got a little ahead of myself and tried to make stuff too good instead of what I've been doing," Duffey said. "It came back to bite me a few times with a couple walks. And then I left a pitch over the middle twice."

With Duffey's struggles, Molitor said they're debating whether he'll make another start. The Twins could also decide to stick with a four-man rotation in the short-term with an off-day on Monday.

"We're talking about how we're going to go forward," Molitor said. "We'll sleep on it and have some clarity tomorrow."

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey’s debut, new leadoff hitter, homer Jays

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | August 5, 2015

The Twins on Wednesday lost a third consecutive game to the Blue Jays and assured they'll end the four-game series behind Toronto in the American League wild card standings. If the Twins (54-53) can't salvage a game on Thursday they'll fall to the .500 mark.

This column presents 5 thoughts from Wednesday's game.

1. Tyler Duffey made his Major League debut against the best offense in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite essentially eliminating opposing home runs in the minor leagues, Duffey couldn't prevent that outcome in Toronto. He allowed two big home runs in his short outing Wednesday.

Among other things, Duffey was very good at suppressing home runs in the minor leagues this season. He began the year at Double-A Chattanooga and pitched so well that he earned a promotion to Triple-A Rochester. In 132 innings between the two levels, the right-hander allowed just one home run.

That may be one of a few reasons why the Twins felt he was the prospect most ready to make a start Wednesday in place of the injured Tommy Milone. The right-handed heavy Blue Jays like to chase the long ball, and Duffey's numbers figured to be a reasonable counterpunch.

But Josh Donaldson got a fastball to his liking in the first inning and clubbed a 2-run home run to put Toronto on the board. Then Jose Bautista clobbered a 3-1 changeup out to left-center field for a grand slam.

It was a forgettable debut for Duffey, who lasted just 2 innings and gave up 6 earned runs on 5 hits.

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2. Aaron Hicks batted leadoff for the Twins against a right-handed pitcher, as manager Paul Molitor decided to shake up the lineup.

Since Hicks began tearing it up in the first week of July, I've been intrigued by the thought of Hicks in the leadoff spot. I think it makes a lot more sense against left-handed pitchers than it does against righties, but it's still an interesting shakeup for a lineup that was struggling in a bad way.

Here's why I'd treat each of Hicks' swings separately (and why I'm so intrigued by him batting leadoff against lefties):

Aaron Hicks this year vs. RHP: .220/.285/.301 with a .081 Isolated Power (ISO)

Aaron Hicks this year vs. LHP: .381/.435/.587 with a .206 Isolated Power (an ISO in the range of hitters like Jose Abreu, Brandon Belt, Adam Jones and Trevor Plouffe).

Stick that fantastic on-base percentage in front of Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe and watch their RBI totals climb.

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3. The Twins offense broke out of its collective slump with 7 runs Wednesday, but the timing wasn't quite right.

Aaron Hicks had a pair of hits, Joe Mauer drove in two runs, Miguel Sano drove in three runs, including his 2-run blast in the 5th inning. Even Eduardo Escobar got in on the fun, picking up two hits and drawing a walk.

Given that they'd scored just 7 runs in their previous four games, that's a welcomed outburst. Unfortunately for Minnesota, it came on a day when the Blue Jays offense teed off on Twins pitching.

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4. The Twins pitching staff was victimized by home runs at the hands of the long ball-loving Jays on Wednesday.

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First it was Duffey, who allowed the 2-run shot to Donaldson and grand slam to Bautista.

Then, rookie J.R. Graham relieved Duffey to begin the 3rd inning. Graham pitched through a scoreless 3rd inning but Toronto's other slugger got him in the 4th. With two outs and a runner on first base in the 4th inning, Graham walked Jose Bautista. The next batter, Edwin Encarnacion, ripped a 2-0 fastball out of the park to left-center field. The Blue Jays scored all 9 of their runs on homers.

There wasn't much doubt about any of the home runs hit Wednesday, including Miguel Sano's 2-run shot to make it a two-run game in the 5th inning.

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5. For fans of a team that's been mostly irrelevant for four seasons, it's only natural to scoreboard watch in early August as teams jockey for postseason position. Yes, there's still a lot of baseball left to be played, but the outside perception of the Twins is very down right now.

For one thing, they made the least significant addition of any of the American League teams contending for the two wild card spots. For another, they ripped through an incredible stretch in May and have been mostly mediocre otherwise.

There's a strong feeling in the stats corner that the Twins were benefitting from good luck earlier this season, and the team appears to be in a rut in which that luck may be evening out.

Here's a look at the run differential of each of the contending teams entering Wednesday:

Blue Jays +112 Astros +82 Yankees +69 Royals +62 Orioles +53 Angels +44 Twins -8

The Twins have been outscored by their opponents (albeit by a narrow margin) and have achieved a record better than .500 to this point.

Blue Jays chase starter Duffey early, win slugfest with Twins

Associated Press | August 5, 2015

TORONTO -- Jose Bautista hit a grand slam, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson homered and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 9-7 Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.

Encarnacion hit a three-run drive and Donaldson added a two-run shot. Toronto has homered in 17 of 18 games since the All-Star break, with 10 multihomer games in that span.

The Blue Jays will try Thursday to sweep the four-game series between wild card contenders. The slumping Twins have lost four in a row and nine of 11.

Miguel Sano homered and had three RBI for the Twins, who had been held to one run in four of their previous five games.

Sano hit an RBI single and Trevor Plouffe doubled home two runs as the Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first against Drew Hutchison (10-2).

Toronto answered in the bottom half against right-hander Tyler Duffey (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Troy Tulowitzki walked and Donaldson hit his 29th homer, tying a career high.

Donaldson has homered in three straight games and six of the past 10. He has a 23-game hitting streak against Minnesota, the longest active streak by any player against a single opponent.

Bautista made it 6-3 in the second with his fifth career grand slam and 24th home run of the season.

The slam gave Toronto its 38th four-run inning of the season, more than any other team.

Duffey allowed only two home runs in 132 minor league innings at Double-A and Triple-A this season, but matched that total in two innings against a powerful Blue Jays lineup.

Duffey allowed six runs and five hits in two innings.

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Encarnacion made it 9-3 with a three-run drive off reliever J.R. Graham in the fourth, his 20th. The second-deck drive traveled an estimated 462 feet.

Joe Mauer hit a two-run single in the fifth and Sano followed with a two-run homer, his fifth, cutting it to 9-7.

Hutchison gave up seven runs, three of them earned, in five innings. He has allowed an AL-high 81 runs and hasn't reached the seventh inning since June 6 against Houston.

Liam Hendriks, Brett Cecil and Mark Lowe all worked one inning of relief before LaTroy Hawkins finished for his third save.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: OF Byron Buxton (left thumb) could begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester this Friday, manager Paul Molitor said.

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (right knee) is scheduled to throw off a mound next Wednesday and, if all goes well, could begin a minor league rehab assignment Aug. 21.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (8-8, 3.37 ERA) is winless in his past three outings but 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA in two career starts against the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays: LHP Mark Buehrle (11-5, 3.32 ERA) looks for his first win in three starts when he faces the Twins. He pitched a complete game to win at Minnesota on May 29.