Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Monday, September 21, 2015

Twins-Angels game recap. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1

Hughes back in, Milone out of Twins rotation. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2

Three Twins postgame thoughts from LEN3: Duffey, Sano, Mauer. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

Souhan: Until Twins are out of it, they're in it. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 3

Tyler Duffey's pitching sparks Twins to 8-1 victory over Angels. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4

Twins' Brian Dozier gets rare day off amid slump. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5

Tyler Duffey helps Twins end five-game slide with 8-1 win over Angels. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6

Twinsights: Phil Hughes returns to rotation, replacing Tommy Milone. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7

Twinsights: Twins trying to be judicious with rookie Tyler Duffey. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7

Twinsights: Jake Mauer’s Cedar Rapids Kernels aim for history. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8

Postgame Twinsights: Breaking down Torii Hunter’s 21 homers this season. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9

Salazar, Santana to open crucial set in Minnesota. MLB.com (Bastian) p. 10

Hughes to return to rotation on Wednesday. MLB.com (Sandell) p. 10

Impressive Duffey leaves Twins with tough call. MLB.com (Sandell) p. 11

Twins top Angels, sit 2 1/2 back in Wild Card. MLB.com (Helfand & Sandell) p. 11

Rotation shakeup: Hughes takes place of Milone, who has tired shoulder. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 12

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey’s nice outing, salvaged game, Mauer. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13

Duffey pitches 7 shutout innings, 3 Twins homer in win against Angels. Associated Press p. 14

Sunday’s Top 5. ESPN.com (Kahrl) p. 15

Twins-Angels game recap

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 20, 2015

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Tyler Duffey, Twins

The rookie threw seven shutout innings and is 4-1 in eight starts.

BY THE NUMBERS

22 Strikeouts for Duffey over his past three starts.

2-5 The Twins’ season record vs. the Angels.

149 Plate appearances between home runs for Joe Mauer.

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ON DECK

After Monday’s final scheduled off day of the season, the Twins open a three-game series with Cleveland on Tuesday.

Hughes back in, Milone out of Twins rotation

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 20, 2015

Every day, there seems to be new developments concerning the Twins rotation. Here’s what went down Sunday:

Phil Hughes will return to the rotation Wednesday when he faces Cleveland. Tuesday, he looked rusty and his pitches lacked sharpness in his first start in five weeks following back trouble. The Twins announced after that game that their Opening Day starter would be available as a reliever over the weekend, and Hughes threw two innings in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Angels. Manager Paul Molitor noted some improvement, and the decision was made to give Hughes another start.

“I think he looked more comfortable on the mound in that it wasn’t his first time back out after five weeks,” Molitor said.

Hughes still isn’t satisfied with the sharpness of his pitches, but the righthander is ready to take the ball and help with the hunt for a wild-card berth.

“I will do whatever I can do,” he said. “If they need me to start, if they need relief outings. Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

Hughes threw 65 pitches in his start against Detroit on Tuesday but should be able to last a little longer if he is getting hitters out.

The Twins rotation for the series against Cleveland is now set: Ervin Santana vs. Danny Salazar on Tuesday, Hughes vs. Corey Kluber on Wednesday andKyle Gibson vs. Cody Anderson on Thursday.

Milone shoulder fatigue

One reason Hughes is needed to start again is that lefthander Tommy Milone has come down with shoulder fatigue.

“It was a combination of just not quite feeling right and a lack of feel for pitches,” Molitor said. “I think it’s a little soreness, but more just a fatigue thing than soreness.”

Milone said he began to have problems following his Sept. 12 start against the White Sox, a game in which he was knocked out in the fourth inning in chilly U.S. Cellular Field.

“It wasn’t a hurt feeling,” he said. “I just couldn’t really get loose. Obviously pitching in Chicago didn’t help.”

Milone said he felt good warming up for his start Thursday against the Angels, but things deteriorated the more pitches he threw. Handed a 5-0 lead after one inning, he couldn’t survive the second, giving it all back in what turned out to be the first of three consecutive losses to Los Angeles.

He plans to play catch Tuesday to see how his shoulder has responded to rest and treatment.

The Twins have no idea when Milone, 8-5 with a 4.08 ERA, will be ready to contribute again.

“Trying to figure out how quickly he will come along,” Molitor said.

Break for Dozier

Brian Dozier’s second-half swoon continues, and he added to his run of poor form Saturday when he committed a 12th-inning error that led to the winning run in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

That prompted Molitor to keep his struggling All-Star out second baseman of Sunday’s lineup. “We can see he is one of the guys who is trying too hard,” Molitor said.

Dozier struggled late last season, too, but not to the extent of the funk he is in right now. Last year, he batted .235 with a .715 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in September. This September, he is batting .176 with a .539 OPS; his numbers since the All-Star break are not much better (.206 average, .646 OPS).

Monday’s final scheduled off day of the season gives Dozier two mental-break days.

Etc.

• The Twins made another baserunning mistake Sunday. Eduardo Escobar singled with Torii Hunter on first and Miguel Sano on second in the fifth inning. Sano got a late read on the ball and didn’t take off right away. Third base coach Gene Glynn started to wave him home but threw up

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the stop sign when he saw Sano arriving at the bag late. Hunter read the ball all the way and rounded second, thinking Sano was going to score. Sano saw Hunter heading to third, took off for home and ended up in a rundown. “Not one of our finest moments,” Molitor said.

• With two hits, Joe Mauer has reached base in 40 consecutive games, two shy of Bob Allison’s club record set in 1961.

Three Twins postgame thoughts from LEN3: Duffey, Sano, Mauer

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 20, 2015

DUFFEY IS DEALING: It's official. Tyler Duffey is the Twins' best starter right now, and they can't take him out of the rotation. On Sunday. he shut out an Angels offense other Twins pitchers have struggled with and made it look relatively easy. He's 4-1 with a 3.15 ERA in eight starts. Over his last three starts, he's 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA. Since his disastrous two-inning debut in Toronto on Aug. 4. Duffey is 4-0, 2.06 in seven starts, making him their most effective starter during this postseason push. And he has not given up a home run in four starts, a span of 114 batters going back to Aug. 26, when Tampa Bay's Daniel Nava took him deep. He will remain in the rotation for now, as the Twins will ignore the 183.2 innings he's thrown this season.

SANO ON THE BASES: The Twins made another baserunning mistake on Sunday. Eduardo Escobar singled with Torii Hunter on first and Miguel Sano on second in the fifth. Sano got a late read on the ball and didn't take off right away. Third base coach Gene Glynn started to wave him home but quickly threw up the stop sign when he saw Sano arriving at the bag late. Hunter read the ball all the way and rounded second, thinking Sano was going to score. Sano saw Hunter heading to third, took off for home, and ended up in a rundown. ``Not one of our finest moments,'' Molitor said. Molitor also said that a runner, in this case Hunter, can not assume that another runner gets the same read on a ball that he does.

MAUER'S STREAK: Joe Mauer has now reached base in 40 straight games, two shy of Bob Allison's club record set in 1961. It's currently the longest active streak in the majors and fourth longest in the league this season. But...he entered today batting just .268 over his previous 39 games with a .364 on base percentage. And now he has 42 hits in those 40 games. One was a home run today, though, estimated at 419 feet.

Souhan: Until Twins are out of it, they’re in it

Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | September 20, 2015

It’s not over ’til it’s over. It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings. By the transitive property of cliches, it’s not over until the fat lady says it’s over.

In baseball, there is a simpler way to discern when the competitive portion of your team’s season has concluded than consulting ancient aphorisms. It’s not over until math says it is.

Math and only math is the grim reaper. Math and only math can hammer a nail in the proverbial coffin, or wield the oft-referenced dagger.

Today, after a peaceful 8-1 victory over the Angels at Target Field on Sunday, the Twins are mathematically alive in the American League playoff race. Mathematical proof of life is more important than all of the negative circumstances that have conspired against the Twins this week — an ill-timed losing streak, injuries, lack of clutch plays, a burned-out bullpen.

Across town, the Vikings were winning a game that felt urgent, in a stadium filled with fans reflecting that urgency. At Target Field in downtown, the Twins ended a five-game losing streak in front of an announced crowd of 25,302 that was alternately quiet, cheerful and distracted.

The fans did the wave. The Twins ensured that they didn’t yet need to wave goodbye.

In early August, Tyler Duffey, one of the Twins’ less-celebrated prospects, made his major league debut, and the Toronto Blue Jays scored six runs in two innings off him.

In early August, Torii Hunter was in the midst of a midseason slump that hinted the 40-year-old outfielder might be nearing the end of his career, or at least his effectiveness.

Sunday, Duffey dominated a surging Angels team, and Hunter started the scoring with an eight-pitch at-bat in the second inning that ended with him smacking a home run off the second deck facade in left field.

Duffey would pitch seven shutout innings. Hunter would go 2-for-4. The Twins would win easily.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Twins are tied with the Angels, 2 ½ games behind Houston in the race for the final wild-card playoff spot.

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Their position is not ideal. Their history suggests that might not matter.

In 2009 the Twins were three games out with five to play. They forced a Game 163 and won it.

In 2008 the Twins were 2 ½ out with six games remaining. They forced a Game 163 and lost it.

In 2006, the Twins were 1 ½ games out of first with seven games left. They won the division on the final day.

The Twins’ September roster looks like a jigsaw puzzle jammed together by a drunk. Duffey is just beginning, Hunter is trying to delay the end, and on Sunday they postponed any sense of finality.

Winning this time of the year doesn’t have to be pretty or logical. On the morning of Oct. 1, 2009, the Twins had lost two in a row to fall three games off the division lead with five games remaining.

That day, Twins outfielder Delmon Young got hit by a pitch and started screaming into the dugout.

His own.

Young tried to charge his own dugout to confront Twins reliever Jose Mijares, whom Young blamed for starting the exchange of purpose pitches that left Young with a bruised leg.

Lack of chemistry? Wrong time for dissension? Hardly. The Twins won that and the final five games of the season to win the division.

This is a flawed team that may be a year away from making the playoffs or scaring anybody in them. But Glen Perkins is pitching again, giving the Twins the making of a power bullpen. Phil Hughes will start on Thursday. Miguel Sano has become one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters. Eddie Rosario is playing like a veteran, and Aaron Hicks is playing like the guy he was supposed to be as a rookie.

The Twins lost five straight at home in what felt like a must-win situation. But the standings don’t care about emotions. Two good weeks and a little luck, and the Twins could be seen as overachievers again.

Tyler Duffey’s pitching sparks Twins to 8-1 victory over Angels

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 20, 2015

Rookies are supposed to be seen and not heard, but there are times when Tyler Duffey is not like that at all.

“That guy is not afraid,” Twins outfielder Torii Hunter said. “You can hear him screaming when you’re coming in from the field. He is screaming in the dugout. Maybe [he’s] a little hard on himself, but I like it. He has a lot of fight.”

And the Twins are looking for fighters right now, players who are ready to make a stand, who aren’t afraid to show emotion and who can help in the team’s chase for an American League wild-card spot. Duffey was that man Sunday, pitching the Twins to an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels to avoid getting swept in the four-game series.

The Twins’ five-game losing streak ended because of Duffey, the 24-year-old who opened the year at Class AA Chattanooga. He tossed seven shutout innings on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. None of the hits was blistered, either.

“The last five games have been tough to swallow,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We needed a way to turn the page and find a way to win a game. You put a lot on that young man in terms of asking him to stop a losing streak.”

With two weeks left in the season, the Twins and Angels both trail Houston by 2½ games for the second AL wild-card spot. Cleveland, in town Tuesday for a three-game series, lurks 1½ games behind the Twins.

The Twins, ever so careful about overworking young pitchers, have contemplated pulling Duffey from the rotation, because his 183⅔ innings pitched this year are 34⅓ innings more than he’s thrown in any season since he was drafted out of Rice in 2012. Molitor said several people, including Duffey, will be consulted before any decision to shut him down or put him in the bullpen is made.

“That’s why you have to have his input,” Molitor said. “If he wasn’t pitching well, I think everyone would say it would be a lot easier [to shut him down]. You don’t want to get too greedy. At the same time, if the kid is able, he’s given us a lot of high-end starts here down the stretch.

“We’d like to take advantage of him, if we can.”

Here is where Duffey doesn’t have to say a word. He is 4-1 with a 3.15 ERA in eight starts with the Twins. Throw out his disastrous two-inning debut at Toronto on Aug. 5 and he is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in seven starts. Over his past three starts he is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, making him their most effective starter during this postseason push.

Hunter gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the second inning vs. Matt Shoemaker (7-10) with a solo home run to left, Hunter’s 21st homer of the

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season. After blowing a 5-0 first-inning lead right away Thursday, the Twins went 30 innings before leading the Angels again. This time, they didn’t give it back.

Eddie Rosario hit a two-run homer in the third inning. Aaron Hicks’ RBI single in the fourth made it 4-0. Eduardo Nunez and Hicks drew bases-loaded walks in the fifth, and Joe Mauer added a two-run homer in eighth, his first home run in 32 games and 149 plate appearances.

The Twins lost their shutout in the ninth when Glen Perkins, pitching in his second game after returning from injury, gave up a home run to Jett Bandy, who was making only his second major league plate appearance.

Duffey will remain in the rotation for now. And if he repeats Sunday’s outing, he might get another one. He said he hasn’t been around long enough for his opinion to matter, but his pitching speaks for itself.

“I can only do what they allow me to do,” Duffey said. “I’m going to keep going out there if they need me out there. If they want me to throw in the bullpen, I don’t care.’’

Twins’ Brian Dozier gets rare day off amid slump

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

Slumping second baseman Brian Dozier walked into the Twins' clubhouse Sunday morning, checked the lineup card and was surprised to find he was on the bench for the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels.

After starting all but three of the season's first 148 games, playing 96.8 percent of the team's 1,319 defensive innings, Dozier was given a break in hopes he could "recharge" for the final two weeks, Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

"We can see he's one of the guys that's trying too hard," Molitor said. "I just think to back him off today, even with only 14 games to go, is the right thing for him."

Hitting just .198 over his past 54 games, dating to July 21, Dozier has seen his combined on-base/slugging percentage plummet in September to just .539. His OPS peaked at .985 in May and has since declined each of the past four months.

There may indeed by a physical component to that downturn, but Dozier won't lean on that as a crutch.

"I wouldn't say I'm banged up more than anybody else, but that's this time of year," Dozier said. "You grind through things. You grind though injuries to find other ways. If one arm's hurting, you use the other one. That's how it goes this time of year."

Molitor has said Dozier, a pronounced pull hitter who loves the high fastball, is trying to adjust his sights in order to stay in the strike zone better. In recent days, Dozier has fouled off several high-velocity fastballs that were up in the zone or out of it entirely.

"I won't go into much detail, but I'm having trouble getting (extension)," Dozier said. "I can take getting out. I get out a lot. Everybody does. But pitches that I'm supposed to hit off the wall, I've been struggling with due to a couple of things. I've been trying to find ways around it. It's starting to feel better, but the past couple of weeks I'm having trouble getting extended, getting my top hand through the ball."

That would suggest a right shoulder problem, something that could easily be a byproduct of the way Dozier throws his body around on defense.

Increasingly, this has led Dozier to chase two-strike sliders in the dirt, which is one reason his strikeout rate has climbed to 23.5 percent over his past 247 plate appearances. He has struck out multiple times in eight of his past 17 games, pushing his season total to a career-high 140 strikeouts, 33 more than the next-closest Twins hitter.

"That's what old Josh Willingham told me my rookie year," Dozier said. "He made a lot of money hitting the heater. He said, 'Best way to hit the slider: Don't miss the heater.' That's the thing. You miss the heater. ..."

Last month Dozier reached out to his mentor with a question about the new way he was being pitched in the wake of his first all-star selection.

"I texted him the beginning of August," Dozier said. "I said, 'Man, I feel like every pitch I'm getting is a slider, slider, slider. How do I hit it?' He texts me back, 'Don't swing at it!' "

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Tyler Duffey helps Twins end five-game slide with 8-1 win over Angels

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

Even back in his days as a closer for Rice University, Tyler Duffey always was stingy with the long ball.

"He's a breaking-ball guy and he doesn't hang 'em," Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel, said after Sunday's 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. "He's always been that way. Let's hope it stays that way."

Containing a lineup featuring two of the game's most prolific power hitters in Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, the Twins' rookie right-hander spun seven more shutout innings that included just three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts, one shy of his career high.

Snapping a five-game losing streak, which tied a season high, the Twins climbed back into a tie with the Angels for the sixth spot in the American League playoffs. They remain 2-1/2 games behind the Houston Astros, who lead the race for the second and final AL wild-card spot.

Since lasting just two innings in his nightmare debut Aug. 5 at Toronto, Duffey (4-1) has posted a 2.06 earned-run average over his past seven starts. In that span of 43 2/3 innings, he has piled up 43 strikeouts while walking 16.

The only home run off Duffey in his past seven starts came on a first-pitch fastball to Daniel Nava leading off the fourth inning at Tampa Bay on Aug. 26.

In fact, if you could somehow magically erase those two blasts by Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista at the Rogers Centre, Duffey has allowed just two homers in 181 2/3 combined innings this season, which he started at Double-A Chattanooga.

That computes to .099 homers per nine innings.

"You see a lot of guys with some weird, awkward swings," Twins right fielder Torii Hunter said. "You're talking about a Pujols, a Trout, guys that can really crush the ball, and they have awkward swings off him. I'm, like, 'What is he doing?' "

Duffey credits his ability to keep the ball down in the zone with all his pitches, including his changeup. He used his fastball more against the Angels, figuring they would be looking for a curveball that has proven to be a swing-and-miss pitch.

Off the bat he feared Kole Calhoun's first-inning fly would carry out to right, but Hunter was merely decoying ex-teammate Erick Aybar at first.

"His fastball has downward movement, which makes it a little tougher to elevate," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "You pretty much have to take it the other way if you want to get it in the air. His curveball has so much bite that most of the time they hit the top of the ball -- if they hit it."

What about the occasional hanger?

"I think he gets away (with those) from time to time," Molitor said, "but I think the fact it has so much spin on it, when it backs up it's still a tough pitch to hit. You can tell by his arm angle. He can change the shape of it, he can change the speed on it. He can sweep it, he can get more downward tilt. Even if he throws one that maybe stays up, your tendency as a hitter is to go where you think it's supposed to go, and it doesn't."

Hunter got the day off to an encouraging start with a leadoff home run in the second. It came on a 3-2 changeup from Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker (7-10), who also gave up a two-run shot in the third to rookie Eddie Rosario (his 11th).

Now tied with Ellis Burks for 90th all time with 352 career home runs, Hunter is two homers behind Lee May and Luis Gonzalez.

"When you have an early lead, it makes it really easy to attack the zone," Duffey said. "If you've got a three-run cushion, you're not so worried about giving up a solo shot."

The Kid That Doesn't Give Up Homers chuckled.

"I'm still not trying to give up home runs," he said, "but you go out and it's a settling feeling. You can get out there and just attack, attack, attack, and let the defense work."

Joe Mauer added his ninth homer in the eighth. With one more Mauer home run, the Twins would have eight players with 10 or more homers this season.

Mauer also singled his first time up, extending his on-base streak to 40 games. That ties him with Harmon Killebrew (1967) for second- longest in Twins history, trailing only Bob Allison, who reached in 42 straight games in 1961.

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Twinsights: Phil Hughes returns to rotation, replacing Tommy Milone

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

Phil Hughes is returning to the Twins rotation after his one-game exile to the bullpen.

Left-hander Tommy Milone reported some mild fatigue in his throwing shoulder/biceps area after recording just four outs on Thursday, so Hughes will replace him in the rotation on Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians. It is unclear when Milone will be able to start again but the issue isn’t considered serious.

“We’ll see where we have an opportunity to put him back in there,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I didn’t have any inkling. It was a combination of just not quite feeling right and lack of feel for his pitches. We’ve been trying to figure out how quickly he’ll come along.”

Molitor said Milone, who missed two weeks in early August with a mild elbow strain, was dealing with some soreness in his shoulder, but “it’s more a fatigue thing than soreness.”

Milone likened it to a dead-arm period and said he has consistently dealt with something similar during the final six weeks each season.

“It’s not something that’s new to me,” he said. “Obviously, it’s frustrating. It’s something I have to battle through. Hopefully I’ll take some time off and then come back strong and finish strong.”

Milone, with 155 2/3 combined innings this year, said he will play catch on Tuesday and remains hopeful he could return to the rotation as soon as next weekend in Detroit.

As for Hughes, he lasted just three innings and threw 65 pitches in Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers, his first start in 37 days after suffering a herniated disk in his lower back. He gave up a monster home run to Mike Trout, the first batter he faced in Saturday’s 21-pitch relief outing, but rallied to retire the next six straight.

Molitor suggested Hughes would have somewhere between 75 and 90 pitches to work with on Wednesday.

“The innings he had the other day, they weren’t very clean,” Molitor said. “They were a little more stressful, and the grind wore him down a little faster than maybe the pitch count indicated.”

Saturday went better.

“I think he looked more comfortable on the mound,” Molitor said. “He looked free and easy. (Tuesday) it looked a little uncomfortable for him to be out there, trying to feel his way and not sure what he should trust and what he shouldn’t. I thought he had a little better feel for that (Saturday).”

Ervin Santana remains scheduled to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Indians. Kyle Gibson is slated to start Thursday’s finale of a 10-game homestand that had been disastrous until Sunday.

Twinsights: Twins trying to be judicious with rookie Tyler Duffey

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

When Tyler Duffey takes the mound Sunday afternoon for the finale of this four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, he will be making his 30th start.

Eight of those will have come in the majors, and the Twins are hoping there will be at least a couple more as they nurse the 24-year-old rookie toward his first professional October.

“We’re trying to give the kid rest,” Twins pitching coach Neil Allen said. “We’re trying to give him as much rest as we can and stretch him out and give him an extra day here and there, maybe two days here and there. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Already at a career-high 176 2/3 innings after being shut down 27 innings earlier last season in Triple-A, Duffey trails only Kyle Gibson (179 2/3) and Rochester lefty Pat Dean (179) in organizational innings. Dean, a 26-year-old out of Boston College, led the minors in total innings while fellow Red Wings lefty Taylor Rogers was second at 174.

Duffey’s first two big-league starts were made on short rest due to need, although he was coming off limited pitch counts (36 and 69) both times. Since then, Duffey has taken his turn on the usual four days’ rest just twice: Aug. 20 at Baltimore and Sept. 6 at Houston.

He fared well both times.

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Sunday’s start against the Angels won’t just be made on an extra day of rest. It will mark the eighth different opponent he has faced in as many big-league starts.

“He hasn’t seen a club twice this year yet either,” Allen said. “That’s another factor. He hasn’t seen Detroit twice. He would land with maybe Detroit (on the road next weekend). Or do we want to pitch him against Cleveland? It’s that time of year.”

Duffey handled both lineups well in his only exposure to those American League Central opponents. The Tigers saw him more recently, managing just one earned run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings on Monday.

Back on Aug. 15, Duffey blanked the Indians on one hit and five walks over six innings for his first big-league victory.

The lone remaining Twins opponent that hasn’t seen Duffey yet is the Kansas City Royals, who close the regular season at Target Field Oct. 2-4. Ervin Santana is on track to start the opener of that series with Kyle Gibson currently in line to handle the regular-season finale.

Perhaps Twins manager Paul Molitor will entrust Duffey with the middle game of that series in what could be his 32nd overall start this year.

“Anything is a possibility this time of year,” Allen said. “There’s just all kinds of things that are happening right now. I’m not ruling anything out. I’m sure Mollie isn’t either.”

Twinsights: Jake Mauer’s Cedar Rapids Kernels aim for history

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

Manager Jake Mauer’s Cedar Rapids Kernels fell short Sunday in their bid to make history.

One game away from clinching a best-of-five championship series over the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Kernels lost 2-1 and must play Game 5 on Monday night. If they win that, the Kernels would become the first Twins affiliate in nearly three decades to win a Midwest League title.

Also headed to a fifth and deciding game on Monday are Doug Mientkiewicz’s Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts after they beat the Biloxi Shuckers 4-2 in Sunday’s Game 4.

The 1987 Kenosha Twins, managed by Don Leppert and featuring first-year pro Chip Hale, went 82-58 in the regular season and won it all. Also on that team: first-round catcher Derek Parks, Scott Leius, Paul Abbott (who went 13-6), Jarvis Brown and Lenny Webster.

Just two other Twins affiliates have claimed Midwest League crowns during the organization’s 52 uninterrupted years in the league (dating to 1964).

The ’85 Kenosha Twins also won it all under manager Duffy Dyer and behind 15-game winner Alan Sontag, whose career stalled in Triple-A. No players from that club reached the majors.

In 1973, the Wisconsin Rapids won the league title under future Twins manager Johnny Goryl. Randy Bass hit 21 homers, and a first-year lefty closer named Terry Ryan made 42 appearances and went 10-0 with 13 saves and a 1.78 earned run average.

Ryan was on hand for both weekend games at Perfect Game Field and had high praise for Mauer, older brother of the Twins’ first baseman, and his staff of pitching coach Henry Bonilla and hitting coach Tommy Watkins. Mauer will join the Twins’ big-league staff as a September coaching call-up once the Kernels’ season ends.

“I think we’ve done a wonderful job of getting to this point because we’ve got a nice club here, but we might not see a ton of major league talent,” Ryan told MetroSportsReport.com. “I’m not so sure you’ve got many Mike Trouts on this ball club. … It’s just a nice story right now.”

In addition to 19-year-old shortstop Nick Gordon, the fifth overall pick in 2014, the Kernels have 21-year-old right-hander Felix Jorge (2.79 ERA) leading their pitching staff. Both are considered solid prospects.

The Lookouts, in their first year as a Twins affiliate, are seeking to give the Twins their fifth Southern League title and first since 1991, when they supplied players to the Orlando SunRays.

Orlando (as the Twins) also won in 1981, and the Twins’ Charlotte Hornets club claimed a pair of league titles in 1969 and 1971.

Double-A New Britain won the Eastern League once during its two decades as a Twins affiliate, but that was a shared crown with Reading. The championship series was canceled in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

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Postgame Twinsights: Breaking down Torii Hunter’s 21 homers this season

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | September 20, 2015

You know about Miguel Sano’s flair for the dramatic, but what about Torii Hunter at age 40?

Of Hunter’s 21 homers, the latest of which came in Sunday’s second inning off right-hander Matt Shoemaker, nine have either tied the game or put the Twins in front. Just three have come with the Twins leading by more than two runs.

Eleven of his homers have come in the first three innings, including nine on his first plate appearance.

After hitting a three-run homer on the 10th pitch he saw last Sunday in Chicago against left-hander Chris Sale, Hunter worked Shoemaker to an eighth pitch, fouling three off, before connecting.

All but seven of Hunter’s homers have come off starting pitchers — including David Price, C.C. Sabathia, Sale, Trevor Bauer, Wei-Yin Chen and Matt Garza — which suggests he is particularly dangerous when given advance prep time.

“That’s what I do,” Hunter said. “I try to come here early and I study the guys, see what they’re doing to other right-handed hitters that typically are my height and have the same power. I feel they pitch those guys the same way.”

With 352 career homers now in the bank, tied for 90th on the all-time list with Ellis Burks, it seems Hunter has figured some things out.

“I just do a lot of studying and preparing,” he said. “I try to prepare myself. That’s what I want to bring here in trying to help these younger guys, to let them know you have to prepare and study. If you fail to plan, your plan will fail. So go out there and do that.”

–Twins manager Paul Molitor said Sunday it will be a “collaborative” decision when it comes time to shut down rookie right-hander Tyler Duffey.

In addition to Molitor and pitching coach Neil Allen, general manager Terry Ryan and other key front-office members will have a vote as well. At 183 2/3 innings, Duffey is now 22.7 percent above his previous career-high innings total from last year (149 2/3).

He does not, however, appear to be wearing down. If anything, his fastball had more life Sunday than it has in the past couple of starts.

“I feel good,” the 24-year-old said. “I probably wouldn’t be throwing if I felt anything bad enough to say, ‘Hey, maybe I don’t need to be out there.’ I felt great today. No soreness. Nothing. My legs are good. My arm is good. I know I’m up there in innings, but my body still feels great and I think I’m taking care of myself pretty well.”

–Leading 4-o in the fifth, the Twins ran into an ugly out between third and home when Miguel Sano failed to properly read Eduardo Escobar’s flare to center.

“That was not one of our finer moments on the basepaths,” Molitor said.

Sano, running from second, got such a bad jump that third-base coach Gene Glynn had to hold him. By that time, Hunter was more than halfway to third.

A rundown ensued, and Sano was tagged out while Escobar moved up to second on the throw home.

“From our vantage point, it was a hit all the way,” Molitor said. “Miguel held up longer than he should in trying to read the ball. He put Gene in a tough place.”

Hunter also could have read the play better.

“The trail runner, you can’t ever assume the lead runner has the same read that you do,” Molitor said. “The only chance you have as a third-base coach is to peripherally see Torii is coming full speed, and then you go ahead and try to get your lead runner to continue. (Sano) didn’t ever really get going. I think the fact he took so long to read the ball, I think he assumed in his own mind he wasn’t going to score.”

Thanks to a pair of bases-loaded walks, the Twins went on to score twice that inning.

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Salazar, Santana to open crucial set in Minnesota

Jordan Bastian | MLB.com | September 20, 2015

The Indians and Twins are running out of season in which to gain ground in the race for one of the American League's two Wild Card spots. When they meet at Target Field on Tuesday, it will initiate a showdown that features seven more games between the clubs down the stretch.

"We have to make up ground," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "They're a good team, so they're difficult to play. But, it also guarantees that if you win, you make up ground. It will be fun to play. We've played well enough that these games are so meaningful."

Heading into Monday's off-day for both teams, the Twins were situated 2 1/2 games back of the Astros for the AL's second Wild Card spot. The Indians were four games back of Houston. To date, the Twins lead the season series, 7-5, with a 4-2 edge at Target Field. Minnesota will host the Tribe for three games this week before heading to Cleveland for a four-game series, beginning Sept. 28.

Taking the ball for the Indians on Tuesday will be hard-throwing right-hander Danny Salazar (13-8, 3.48 ERA), who has a 2.76 ERA with a .204 opponents' average and 74 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings in his past dozen starts. Salazar will be opposed by veteran righty Ervin Santana (5-4, 4.55 ERA), who has a 1.55 ERA and a .218 opponents' average in his last five outings for the Twins.

Three things to know

• This series will feature a pair of AL Rookie of the Year Award candidates in Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor and Twins designated hitter Miguel Sano. Heading into Sunday's action, Lindor led AL rookies with a 3.8 WAR and Sano was tied for third with a 2.3 WAR, according to Fangraphs.com. Lindor reached 100 career hits in one season faster than any Indians player since 1936 (Roy Weatherly).

• Twins All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier was out of the lineup Sunday for only the fourth time this season. Manager Paul Molitor said Dozier needed a break after a rough September and is one of the guys "who is trying too hard" in the stretch run of the season. The hope is that the day off, plus the off-day Monday, will be enough to recharge him.

• Phil Hughes will get the start for the Twins on Wednesday, taking Tommy Milone's spot in the rotation. Molitor said Milone has a "tired shoulder." It was questionable earlier in the week if Hughes would start another game this season. He has struggled in his two games back after missing time with a herniated disk in his lower back.

Hughes to return to rotation on Wednesday

Nate Sandell | MLB.com | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- After questioning earlier in the week whether pitcher Phil Hughes would make another start this season, Twins manager Paul Molitor said on Sunday that the plan now is for Hughes to take Tommy Milone's place in the rotation on Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians.

Molitor said Milone, who is coming off back-to-back poor starts, is nursing a "tired shoulder" and is in need of some time off.

Hughes struggled in his return to the rotaion on Tuesday against the Tigers after missing several weeks with a herniated disk in his lower back. He surrendered three runs in only three innings to plunge the Twins into an early hole en route to a 5-4 loss. Hughes came out of the bullpen in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Angels, giving up one run in two innings.

Molitor said Thursday he had spoken with Hughes about the possibility of him not starting again in the final stretch of the season, but insisted that the plan could change.

Meanwhile, Milone's status for the rest of the season is questionable. Milone lasted fewer than two innings on Thursday against the Angels, pulled one out into the second inning after allowing five runs in an 11-8 loss.

Ervin Santana is slated to start the first game of the Twins' three-game series on Tuesday against the Indians, with Kyle Gibson scheduled for the start on Thursday.

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Impressive Duffey leaves Twins tough call

Nate Sandell | MLB.com | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- An impressive run of solid starts by pitcher Tyler Duffey has ratcheted up the difficulty of the decision facing the Twins of how to use the rookie right-hander in the closing stretch of the season.

Concerns remain about Duffey's longevity, given that after a long Minor League season, he has never pitched this late into the year. The Twins continue to debate the possibility of limiting Duffey's innings or shutting him down for the year. But after Duffey's seven shutout innings in an 8-1 win over the Angels on Sunday, manager Paul Molitor said he's "optimistic" the rookie starter will be available for the final two weeks of the season.

"You don't want to put the kid's arm in jeopardy," Molitor said. "It's proving to be pretty valuable for him right now. We'll talk. I'll get input from the people above me and we'll talk with him and we'll see when we can possibly get him back in."

After a forgettable Major League debut in a six-run outing against the Blue Jays, Duffey has gone on to record a 2.06 ERA and a 4-0 record in his last seven starts. Against the Angels, he came through with his second career scoreless start to fuel a critical win for the Twins that snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Twins have pushed back Duffey's starts here and there for the last several weeks to give him extra recovery time. Duffey expressed no signs of fatigue after Sunday's game, sounding confident that he can pitch for the rest of the season if cleared to do so.

"Whatever they need from me I'm going to try and do it. I feel great," Duffey said. I'm trying to stay as ready as I can be."

Duffey has provided the Twins' starting rotation with a refreshing and needed boost in the last two months of the season. The Twins have won six of the last seven games that Duffey started.

"Every time he goes out there he gives us a chance to win," veteran Twins outfielder Torii Hunter said. "And that guy is not afraid. You can hear him yelling and screaming when he comes into the dugout. Maybe a little hard on himself, but I like it. He has a lot of fight."

Twins top Angels, sit 2 1/2 back in Wild Card

Betsy Helfand and Nate Sandell | MLB.com | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins rookie Tyler Duffey threw seven scoreless innings and Torii Hunter, Eddie Rosario and Joe Mauer homered to lead the Twins to an 8-1 victory over the Angels. With the win, Minnesota pulled even with Los Angeles in the American League Wild Card race. Both teams trail the Astros -- who won Sunday -- by 2 1/2 games. The Angels remained four back in the AL West after the Rangers lost Sunday.

Duffey tossed his third straight quality start, striking out seven in the process. The Angels managed just three hits off him -- two from first baseman C.J. Cron. The victory snapped the Twins' five-game losing streak and helped them remain afloat in the postseason chase.

"You put a lot on that young man in terms of asking him to stop a losing streak," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "And he's extending himself deeper into the season than he ever has previously, but he was good from the start."

Angels starter Matt Shoemaker, who missed two starts with a strained right forearm, threw 3 2/3 innings in his return. He gave up four runs -- three via the longball -- on six hits. The Twins also tacked on four runs against the Angels' bullpen, two on bases-loaded walks and two on Mauer's home run.

"Between the first inning of Game 1 and maybe this game, we did a good job. It seems like we've been here for a month," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of the four-game series. "I think some of the things that showed up on the field here against the Twins, we've got to bring with us tomorrow and keep going all the way through the season."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Duffey impressive again: The Twins were desperate for a solid pitching performance on Sunday, and Duffey delivered in a major way. Duffey, who has been an impressive addition to the Twins' rotation since being called up in August, held the Angels solidly in-check across seven innings for the second scoreless start of his career. Since a six-run outing in his Major League debut, Duffey has not surrendered more than three runs in a start. The shutout dropped his ERA to 3.15.

"It felt good," Duffey said. "They've pushed me back here and there, so I've had a little more rest. My fastball felt better than it has in the past few starts. I think it had a little more on it. That worked well for me."

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Shoemaker returns: Scioscia indicated before the game that Shoemaker wouldn't be "full go," the way he would have been if he hadn't missed two games. He threw 71 pitches in his first start since Sept. 1 and left after getting into a jam with two outs in the fourth inning.

"Three-plus innings, there's eight baserunners. It just comes down to getting ahead of counts and putting guys away," Scioscia said. "He had a couple counts and he got ahead, 0-2, 1-2 and then ended up, a couple of them walked. I don't know if Shoe was as crisp. I think he got better as the game went on."

Going deep: A pair of home runs early served as a much-needed jumpstart for the Twins, who entered Sunday grasping for answers on how to snap their mid-September slide. Hunter struck first in the second inning by belting his 21st homer of the season, and second in the four-game series, on a 3-2 count from Shoemaker. Rosario followed suit one inning later, launching a two-run shot to right-center that gave the Twins a 3-0 lead. Mauer got in on the home run parade in the eighth inning with a two-run homer to pad the lead at 8-0.

Molitor pointed to Hunter's second-inning blast as an example of the key boost the veteran outfielder has provided down the stretch to a youthful and widely inexperienced team.

"He's responded over and above the last few weeks," Molitor said. "There were a lot of people concerned about how we would finish the season. It's fun to see. Guys are rallying behind him and he's backing it up with his performance, getting some big hits and really having some strong at-bats."

Jett-setter: Rookie Jett Bandy, in just his second career at-bat, launched a solo shot in the ninth inning to mark the first hit and home run of his career. The 25-year-old former 31st-round pick made his big league debut last Monday.

"I'll never forget anything about the moment. [I'll] try to cherish it as much as possible. It's just real fun. It's a great time," Bandy said. "I'm still kind of high off it right now."

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: The Angels will head to Houston for a critical three-game series with the Astros starting Monday at 5:10 PT. Jered Weaver, who is 7-11 with a 4.74 ERA, will get the start against Astros ace Dallas Keuchel.

Twins: After an off-day on Monday, the Twins will open a three-game series at Target Field against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday evening at 7:10 p.m. CT. Right-hander Ervin Santana is slated to get the start for the Twins. Santana has posted a 1.55 ERA in his last four starts, pitching at least seven innings in all four games.

Rotation shakeup: Hughes take place of Milone, who has tired shoulder

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The only constant these days in the Twins rotation is change.

The latest change to hit the starting staff is Phil Hughes taking Tommy Milone's place.

Hughes pitched out of the bullpen Saturday, and manager Paul Molitor had said several days earlier that it was not clear whether or not Hughes would make another start this season. Then Milone had his second bad outing in a row and evidently reported that his shoulder was tired.

The Twins are backing off Milone with what Molitor described as "shoulder fatigue," and Hughes will take over despite mixed results in his only start back from a five-week stay on the disabled.

Hughes made one 3-inning start when he was on a pitch count in his return from back problems that kept him on the disabled list. Then he came in out of the bullpen and promptly gave up a solo home run to Mike Trout, but he settled down after that and got through 2 innings of work without further damage.

"He looked free and easy," Molitor said of Hughes' outing in relief. "The other day [in his start] he looked a little uncomfortable to be out there trying to feel his way -- what he should trust and what he shouldn't. I thought he had a little bit better feel for that [Saturday in relief].

For Milone, there were a few signs the Twins might need to back off the lefty.

"It was a combination of just not quite feeling right and a little lack of feel for pitches," Molitor said. "I think it was maybe a little soreness, but more just the fatigue thing. So he's been getting treatment the last few days."

Additionally, Tyler Duffey, who started Sunday's game for the Twins, will continue pitching. He's already at a career-high in innings pitched between the minors and Majors, and the Twins are monitoring him for a potential shutdown to protect his arm.

He had surpassed 176 innings before his start Sunday. His previous career high in a season was just shy of 150 innings. So far, Molitor said, they haven't seen signs that the 24-year-old is wearing out.

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"I think we're all semi-encouraged that he's going to be able to pitch more than just today. We value his input. I don't think there's anything but transparency about the fact that he thinks it doesn't feel like he's 177 innings into his season. So I think he's going to be OK.

"Now, is he going to start on four days rest? Probably not. Bu I think there's a chance we're going to get him out there beyond today. "

Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey’s nice outing, salvaged game, Mauer

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- After watching their postseason chances take a serious hit losing the first three games of a series against the Angels, the Twins salvaged the fourth game Sunday with an 8-1 win.

This column presents 5 thoughts from Sunday's game.

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1. Tyler Duffey pitched 7 shutout innings Sunday, and he'll likely pitch again this season.

Duffey allowed just three hits in his 7 innings Sunday, and struck out seven Angels hitters compared with just one walk. He walked leadoff hitter Erick Aybar to open the 6th inning but then struck out Cole Kalhoun on a curve ball and got Mike Trout to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

"I think we're all semi-encouraged that he's going to be able to pitch more than just today," manager Paul Molitor said before Sunday's game. "We value his input. I don't think there's anything but transparency about the fact that he thinks it doesn't feel like he's 177 innings into his season. So I think he's going to be OK."

Duffey said after the game that whatever the Twins ask him to do, he'll try to do. Now it'll be up to a group decision between Duffey, the coaching staff and the front office to decide the appropriate course of action.

"He's got a big heart, is very competitive and he's got stuff to back it up," Molitor said.

The rookie has now pitched 183 2/3 innings, which is by far a career high for one season. His previous career high came in the minor leagues last season when he pitched roughly 150 innings. His current workload is about a 22 percent increase from last season.

It's a fine line, because the Twins want to protect Duffey's arm, although he's shown no signs of wearing down late in the season. He's been their best starter recently. Molitor added that it's unlikely he'll be pitching on four days rest.

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2. Brian Dozier was given the day off but the team's offense and the top of the order did just fine without him.

Dozier is mired in an extended slump that has seen his on-base percentage suffer badly, and Molitor said before the game that Dozier is trying too hard at this critical juncture of the season.

The first four hitters in the order -- Aaron Hicks, Eddie Rosario, Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano -- combined to reach base in 11 of 20 plate appearances and drive in six of the team's eight runs Sunday.

It might have been an overdue day off for Dozier, who has hurt the Twins atop the lineup lately. Since July 1, Dozier is hitting just .202/.279/.369 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs. Some of the power is still there, but his on-base percentage has sunk since the all-star break.

"I've been trying to play those guys that deserve to play almost every game here down the stretch," Molitor said. "Brian takes a lot of pride in trying to play as many games as he can. His attitude is that even if he's not hitting at the time, he can try to find a way to help us win on defense or in another fashion."

But with that being said, Molitor added, "we can see that he's one of the guys that's trying too hard. Whether or not a day [off] will help him or not, we'll see going forward."

Dozier will have Sunday plus Monday's scheduled off day to take a bit of a mental breather and rest anything that could be troubling him physically.

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3. Joe Mauer spanked a single right back up the box in the 1st inning to extend his streak to 40 consecutive games reaching base safely. Mauer also hit a deep home run to right-center field (his pull side) in the 8th inning to put the Twins up 8-0.

By getting on base successfully in both games of the split day-night doubleheader Saturday, Mauer tied and surpassed Paul Molitor for the third

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longest streak in Twins history. The current manager had reached in 38 games in a row from August 13-September 22, 1996.

Mauer's single pulled him into a tie with the legendary Harmon Killebrew (40 consecutive games). The longest streak since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961 is Bob Allison's 42-game streak in the first year of the Twins' existence.

Mauer entered Sunday's game hitting .268/.364/.369 during the streak. If he keeps the streak going, Mauer will have a chance to break Allison's record Thursday.

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4. The Twins were leading 4-0 when Miguel Sano was thrown out after getting caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. There appeared to be some confusion between Sano and third base coach Gene Glynn on the play.

With runners on first and second base, Eduardo Escobar hit a ball to left field that fell in for a single. Sano appeared to be slow to read the ball in the outfield, as he got a bit of a late start taking off from second base.

Even with his sore hamstring - which appears much improved in recent games - Sano was waved around third base by Glynn. But Sano didn't appear to make a big effort to round the base and try to score, so Glynn reverted to throwing up a stop sign for Sano very late on the play.

That probably avoided an out at home plate, but as the throw came in from the outfield, Torii Hunter had rounded second base and was most of the way to third, meaning when Sano turned around he had nowhere to go. The Angels trapped him and tagged him out. Sano said he put on the brakes because he saw the stop sign.

Third base coaches are like umpires or left tackles - if you don't notice them, that's probably a good thing. My perception is that Gene Glynn has been a good third base coach this season. Whether culpability belongs to Sano or Glynn (or Hunter) or some combination, the Twins made an out on the bases that shouldn't have happened. It didn't hurt them because Hunter and Escobar would eventually score in the inning, and the Twins won handily.

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5. The Twins will once again make a tweak to their rotation.

A few days ago, it wasn't clear whether or not Phil Hughes would make another start this season. Now, he'll start Wednesday against the Indians. He takes the place of Tommy Milone, who is dealing with shoulder fatigue, Molitor said. Milone is schedule to play catch Tuesday and see how his arm responds.

Depending how long Tyler Duffey is allowed to keep pitching, the rotation may need another move over the final 13 games. Ricky Nolasco is in the background working his way back to a mound, and could join the team as early as the end of this week. Midway through September, the rotation picture is a jumbled mess right now.

Hopefully Twins officials weren't watching the ceremonial first pitch Sunday, lest they get any ideas for new rotation candidates.

Duffey pitches 7 shutout innings, 3 Twins homer in win against Angels

Associated Press | September 20, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Rookie Tyler Duffey allowed three hits in seven shutout innings, Eddie Rosario and Joe Mauer hit two-run homers, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Angels 8-1 Sunday to pull even with Los Angeles in the AL wild-card race.

A day after the Angels swept a day-night doubleheader to pass the Twins in the wild-card standings, Duffey (4-1) struck out seven and walked one to stop Minnesota's five-game losing streak. Torii Hunter put the Twins ahead with a solo homer in the second off Matt Shoemaker (7-10).

Both teams are 2 1/2 games behind Houston for the AL's second wild card. The Angels had scored 20 runs in winning the first three games of the series, but just five batters reached base against Duffey.

Jett Bandy homered with two outs in the ninth against Glen Perkins, his first major league hit.

Shoemaker allowed just one run over his previous two starts but hadn't pitched since Sept. 1 due to forearm tightness.

Hunter led off the second with his 21st homer and Rosario's homered boosted the lead to 3-0 in the third.

Aaron Hicks's RBI single in the fourth chased Shoemaker, who gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Cam Bedrosian and Cory Rasmus each forced in runs with bases-loaded walks in the fifth, and Mauer hit his ninth homer in the eighth, a 419-foot drive against Wesley Wright.

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Casey Fien pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth for Minnesota.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Manager Mike Scioscia said INF Johnny Giavotella, who is dealing with a medical condition affecting his vision, would head to Arizona on Sunday to begin working with the team's instructional league staff. Scioscia hoped Giavotella would hit against a pitcher by Wednesday. . Scioscia said it was still too early to tell the extent of RHP Joe Smith's sprained ankle. Smith tripped at the team hotel on Saturday.

Twins: Left-handed starter Tommy Milone has a "bit of a tired shoulder," and manager Paul Molitor said Phil Hughes -- who pitched out of the bullpen on Saturday -- would most likely take his spot in the rotation, starting Wednesday's game against Cleveland.

UP NEXT

Angels: Los Angeles opens a three-game series at Houston on Monday, sending RHP Jered Weaver (7-11) to the mound against Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel.

Twins: Minnesota has a day off before RHP Ervin Santana (5-4) opens a three-game series against Cleveland. Santana is 3-10 against the Indians.

Sunday’s Top 5

Christiana Kahrl | ESPN.com | September 20, 2015

1. Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals: Three homers and a triple to rout the Tigers is already pretty sweet to see from the Royals' designated hitter as their offense starts firing on all cylinders down the stretch, but to pry another piece of the Royals’ record book out of George Brett’s hands? Well, what can you say -- honor is due to the big guy with the potential for additional hardware to come.

There’s a legitimate argument to be made for Morales, considering he put up a .612 OPS for the Twins and Mariners last year in a partial season played without the benefit of spring training -- because he didn’t get the deal he was looking for. I guess the real argument is this: Will games like this help people forget Alex Rodriguez or Prince Fielder? If anyone was voting on this two months ago, Morales might not have received much consideration. But between the stretch fades from A-Rod and Fielder and Morales’ season-long consistency, it makes for an interesting argument.

2. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees: The big guy delivered another big game, this time against the Mets’ potent lineup with the Yankees knowing they stood a chance to pick up a game on the Blue Jays heading into the American League East showdown series that starts Monday -- and also knowing they weren’t going to get to use Masahiro Tanaka in Toronto. Given the Mets knew Matt Harvey would exit early and the Yankees seemingly resigned to not catching the Jays, maybe this game meant more to Sabathia than anyone else. But the hefty lefty was masterful in his six innings in the Yankees’ 11-2 victory, mostly sticking with changing speeds on his fastball, sitting at 91 mph, touching 93, mixing in cutters and changeups and the rare slider.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates overcome the Dodgers’ strategy of Andrew McCutchen avoidance: The Dodgers issued four walks Sunday -- all to McCutchen, but just one of them intentionally intentional, if you know what I mean. The one time he was pitched to, he legged out an infield single. While the Pirates won the game, eking out a one-run victory for Gerrit Cole, note the Pirates scored just once after McCutchen reached base. With Jung Ho Kang KO'd for 2015, I’m afraid we’ll see more of this unless, or until, Clint Hurdle’s combinations in the No. 4 through No. 6 slots in the batting order – using Aramis Ramirez, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker and/or Starling Marte -- puts a big-enough scare into people.

4. Rich Hill, Boston Red Sox: Speaking of incredible comebacks, Hill has two seven-inning starts and two 10-strikeout games as he notched his first victory as a starting pitcher since June 19, 2009. That wasn’t the only bright spot as the Red Sox continued to make things interesting in the AL East with their 4-3 win in Toronto; reliever Noe Ramirez stepped up against the always-fearsome Blue Jays' lineup.

5. Tyler Duffey, Minnesota Twins: The Twins are following in the footsteps of several recent teams in challenging some of their top prospects with opportunities to contribute with a shot at October at stake. Duffey hasn’t received the attention Miguel Sano or Byron Buxton have -- few do -- and maybe in part it’s because he’s penalized for being a Twins-y kind of pitching prospect: a command/control guy with low-90s heat, a big curve and sharp command that's reflected in his 4-to-1 walks-to-strikeouts ratio between Double-A and Triple-A this year while posting a 2.54 ERA. So while the former Rice standout didn’t come up with any fanfare, he has thrown five quality starts in eight turns, including three in a row, and none better than his seven shutout innings against the equally playoff-minded Angels on Sunday in the Twins’ 8-1 victory.