Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, September 28, 2017

Worth the wait: Twins lose 4-2 in Cleveland but clinch playoff berth. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Reusse: Nothing more enjoyable in sports than unexpected success. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 2 Miguel Sano progresses to taking swings. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Here's the pitching plan to get the Twins to the World Series. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4 Twins postgame: Looking at a potential wild card round roster. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 6 Reasons for the Twins' turnaround. Star Tribune (Staff) p. 6 Wilderness years over, Joe Mauer returns to postseason with 2017 Twins. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Postseason drought ends: Twins claim AL wild-card with help from White Sox. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8 Paul Molitor explains pitching change that wasn’t in Tuesday’s win. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9 Twins are in! Turnaround nets 2nd AL Wild Card. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10 Twins let loose after loss, celebrate WC bid. MLB.com (Bollinger & Kosileski) p. 11 Yankees most likely Twins' WC opponent. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12 Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: What the Twins Wild Card roster could look like. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 13 Time to celebrate: Twins clinch playoff berth with a little help from their rivals. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 15 Feeling Minnesota: Twins clinch unexpected playoff spot (Sep 27, 2017). Associated Press p. 16 Written off at the deadline, Twins make history by clinching wild card. ESPN (Marchand) p. 18 Twins make history by going from 103 losses to playoff team. Yahoo! Sports (Townsend) p. 19 Latest On ByungHo Park. MLB Trade Rumors (Polishuk) p. 19 Minnesota Twins clinch historic MLB playoff berth. FanSided (Fair) p. 20 Minnesota Twins Clinch Playoff Berth for 2017 MLB Postseason. Bleacher Report (Wells) p. 20 Minnesota Twins clinch AL Wild Card berth a year after losing 103 games. SB Nation (Stephen) p. 21

Worth the wait: Twins lose 4-2 in Cleveland but clinch playoff berth

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND – It took seven years for the Twins to get to this point. Another hour didn’t matter. The Twins lost to Cleveland 4-2 on Wednesday, ruining a chance to clinch the second American League wild-card spot on their own. So the Twins huddled in the visitor’s clubhouse at Progressive Field to see if the Angels would lose to the White Sox, which would get them in their first postseason since 2010. And then the game went into extra innings. “Kinda typical for the journey,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We had to watch extra innings to get it done.” But Chicago’s Nicky Delmonico hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning, giving the White Sox a 6-4 victory over the Angels, knocking Los Angeles out of the race and sending the Twins into a wild-card round game at New York at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (barring a last-week collapse by the AL East-leading Red Sox). The Twins are the first MLB team ever to lose 100-plus game one season and reach the postseason the next. Twins players, coaches and staffers were in the clubhouse watching the final hour of the White Sox-Angels game — sort of a pre-clinching party. The flow of beer turned into a flow of sparkling water once Delmonico connected. A spirited celebration began and carried on into the early morning.

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“There is no back-door feeling to me,” Molitor said. “This is what these guys deserve.” It will be the 12th time the Twins have reached the postseason. Only Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins remain from the 2010 team that last made the playoffs. “This never gets old,” said Mauer, who smartly wore ski goggles to keep fluids out of his eyes. “We’re pretty excited. It’s been a heck of a year. A long time coming.” The Twins wanted to win Wednesday’s game and not rely on the White Sox helping them out. But they lost to Cleveland as righthander Danny Salazar held the Twins to one hit and one walk over 4⅔ innings while striking out nine. The Twins were limited to three baserunners over the first eight innings before Jorge Polanco’s two-run homer in the ninth made it 4-2. “Salazar was, obviously, really good,” Molitor said. “High-end velocity with breaking ball, changeup. We only had two hits going into the ninth. We got the tying run up there, which was good.” Twins lefthander Adalberto Mejia was sloppy during his 3⅔ innings, falling behind 2-0 six times and throwing first-pitch strikes to only eight of the 18 batters he faced. He gave up a run in the first inning, then fell apart in the fourth. Three 2-0 counts. A walk to Jason Kipnis to load the bases. Then he hit Yan Gomes in the left ankle with a 1-2 breaking ball to force in a run and end his night. Cleveland scored a run in the fifth on Eduardo Escobar’s throwing error. Then Yan Gomes’ homer in the sixth made it 4-0. But the Twins can now look across the diamond at Cleveland as a team they could face in a week — provided they win the wild-card game. They are 6-2 against the Indians in Cleveland and like how they match up with the defending AL champs. They can dream of such things now, now that they have completed an unexpected turnaround from last year’s 103-loss team to reach the postseason. They just had to wait through extra innings into Thursday morning to celebrate. But by the end of the night, there were two mosh pits going at once — one at home plate in Chicago, the other in the visitor’s clubhouse in Cleveland. “We were going to extra innings,” Brian Dozier said. “That would have been the biggest letdown ever [if the Angels won]. Everybody was drinking and having a good time. “Nicky Delmonico is my favorite player.” Reusse: Nothing more enjoyable in sports than unexpected success

Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | September 28, 2017

The Twins reached baseball’s postseason late Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Angels lost in Chicago to the White Sox. The Twins’ reward is to be substantial underdogs in a wild-card playoff next Tuesday in Yankee Stadium. Tom Kelly, the team’s former manager, was asked this week for his opinion on the one-game playoff and he said: “It is better than a no-game playoff.” You can declare this to be a gimmick and complain of the watered-down quality of the postseason. There is also an opportunity to diminish such a Twins accomplishment by pointing out that the teams pursuing them all wound up bringing water pistols to a gunfight. So, we have that stuff taken care of and now can make the point: I’ve always contended there is nothing more enjoyable for sports followers than unexpected success, and seeing this team in the American League’s final five ranks as incomprehensible. The Twins were on a 2-6 road trip at the end of July when Derek Falvey traded starter Jaime Garcia to the Yankees and closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington. Second baseman Brian Dozier said the Twins should be adding, not subtracting, and many of us defended Falvey’s front office. The Twins lost three of five to start August and were 52-56 — the 11th-best record among the 15 AL clubs.

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Dozier didn’t accept this. Neither did Joe Mauer, nor Eduardo Escobar, nor Eddie Rosario, nor Byron Buxton, nor Jorge Polanco, nor Taylor Rogers, nor a new reliever named Trevor Hildenberger … not even Kyle Gibson or the new closer, Matt Belisle. The needed upgrade came from a solid number of players being the best they have ever been, or at least the best they have been in years. The Twins went on an 18-7 run from Aug. 6 to the end of the month, and when it was over, they were fifth overall and 1½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels for the second wild card. The Twins have backed up that terrific August with a 13-12 record in September, following Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss in Cleveland. There are ups and downs in baseball, always have been, always will be, but this hasn’t been the stumble-along pursuit that allowed the 2015 Twins to have a chance at the second wild card entering the final weekend. The August surge and the September survival included numerous beatdowns of opposition pitching. Mollie’s Muggers reached an even 800 runs Wednesday, and are fourth in the major leagues behind the Astros, Yankees and Cubs in runs scored. Did you ever think Rosario would be the amazing clutch threat — the lineup leader — he has become? I did, but you probably didn’t. Did you ever think Buxton was going to quicken his swing and stop chasing endless pitches anytime soon, in order to start fulfilling that huge promise? You probably did, but I didn’t. Did you ever think Jorge Polanco could become a capable No. 3 hitter in a playoff pursuit, after he had four hits in a hapless month of July? We’re lying if we say yes. Did you suggest Dozier was being stubborn and Paul Molitor misguided in letting Brian continue to hit first? If so, he now has 33 home runs, 103 runs scored, 90 RBI and no pitcher wants to face him right off the bat, and he’s there every night. Did you ever expect to see St. Paul Joe return to hitting more balls hard than soft, and adding Gold Glove-worthy fielding at his new position? No, we didn’t … not one of us. Did you want the Twins to get rid of Belisle when he took those poundings early this season, and then scoff at Molitor’s idea to have him replace Kintzler as the closer? I was “no” on the first part and “yes” on the scoff. Did you never want to see Gibson start again for the Twins? Were you skeptical of two nonpower pitchers, a stoical lefty (Rogers) and a funky, rookie righty (Hildenberger), as the setup crew? Admit it: Yes, in both cases. Finally, did you think it preposterous that a 5-10 (not really), 185-pound utility infielder could take over for an injured Miguel Sano in the middle of August, and make the Twins miss the 285-pound slugger hardly at all in the lineup, and less than zero at third base? Eduardo Escobar, from here, you are the face of the 2017 Twins: A team too plucky to give in, even when media members continually dismissed your club (I’m raising my hand) and the wiseguys upstairs lined you up against the clubhouse wall for a St. Ignatius Day* massacre. *Note: The feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola is the July 31 trading deadline. Miguel Sano progresses to taking swings

La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | September 27, 2017

CLEVELAND – Third baseman Miguel Sano is swinging a bat again. Sano, recovering from a stress reaction in his left shin, took 60 swings at Target Field on Wednesday. It's the first time he's done anything baseball-related in a couple of weeks. "He's been doing rehab, but we limited the swings to get him to a point where the swelling is managed," Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek

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Falvey said. "Now we feel he is at a point where this is the best next step. "In terms of offseason plan, we will revisit that when we get to that point. We're still trying to get him to a place where he can return at some point to full baseball activities so we can make a decision as to whether or not he can be a member of something moving forward." While it is highly unlikely that Sano will be available for the wild-card round next week, the Twins are trying to figure out if Sano can be available later in October if they make a deeper playoff run. Sano, out since Aug. 19, has seen two specialists, Dr. Martin O'Malley in New York (who works with the NBA's Brooklyn Nets) and Dr. Robert Anderson in Carolina (who works with the NFL's Panthers) to make sure they were on the right path. Their diagnosis matched up, so the Twins will continue with their recovery plan. "We said all along that putting the actual date or time-table is challenging," Falvey said. "We'll take it day to day. The fact he took 60 swings [Wednesday] felt good. We'll see how he comes in [Thursday]. We're hopeful he can take another set of swings." Roster decisions The Twins have been meeting in recent days to figure out what their roster for the wild-card game will look like. Here are a few of their biggest issues: Will they take 10 or 11 pitchers to New York? Last year, both the Orioles and Blue Jays went with 10 pitchers and 15 position players for the wild-card game. The Twins could take one more, depending on what options they want to have against the Yankees. Which starter will be moved to the bullpen, Jose Berrios or Kyle Gibson? With righthanders Tyler Duffey and Dillon Gee able to pitch more than one inning, the Twins might only take one starter between Berrios and Gibson. If it is Berrios, they might not have him start Friday against Detroit and bring him out of the bullpen just to get familiar with the role. How many lefties? Pitching coach Neil Allen would like three lefthanders in the bullpen. That means Taylor Rogers and Buddy Boshers are locks. The third could be Adalberto Mejia or Gabriel Moya. Yes, Moya — called up from Class AA on Sept. 12 — could be put on the postseason roster. The sooner the Twins can clinch the wild-card spot, the better so they can settle some of these issues. Manager Paul Molitor is reluctant to discuss those topics until then. "I really want to get that win," Molitor said. "We'll have to look at things we want to do differently when we get to that point." Game on for now The Twins-Indians series scheduled for April 17-18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is expected to go on as planned. Puerto Rico was devastated over a week ago when Hurricane Maria hit the island as a Category 4 storm. Damage is widespread and will take months to repair. But the league intends to hold the games at historic Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which suffered damage from the storm. "At this point we fully intend to play the games in San Juan next year," league spokesman John Blundell said, "and don't believe they'll need to be canceled." A statue of Hiram Bithorn, the first Puerto Rican to play in the majors, was blown over during the storm. But that's down the list of concerns right now, as the country needs basic supplies and must restore electricity to much of the island. Here's the pitching plan to get the Twins to the World Series

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | September 27, 2017

The Twins might not allow themselves to think about this 100 percent until a playoff berth is fully secured and the magic number is zero instead of one, but chances are they’ve already invested at least some thought into how they should line up their pitching for a one-game playoff in New York and potentially beyond. If I had it my way — and unless someone has given me a promotion to the top of the Twins’ organizational chart that I don’t know about, I do not have things my way — this is how I would stack things up with the pitching:

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*Ervin Santana starts against the Yankees. This is pretty much a no-brainer and it’s how the Twins have had their rotation set up for weeks. If he’s cruising and the Twins have a significant lead, he stays in. But the Yankees have a way of grinding teams down and getting pitch counts up. The Twins should plan for Santana to only pitch four or five innings, at which point they hand the ball to Jose Berrios. Berrios hasn’t been pitching very deep into games lately as his innings have mounted, but he is the Twins’ best hope of navigating the middle-to-late innings. Unlike the Yankees, the Twins don’t have a bunch of 100 mph relievers to blaze through the final three innings. Berrios has fantastic stuff, and as a 2-3 inning guy for this game, he could be devastating. The Twins need to go all-in on this game, and that means they can’t pitch anyone they don’t trust. If that means burning through the guys who have been their top two starters most of the year, so be it. If it works and the Twins manage to win in that Yankee Stadium house of horrors, using Santana and Berrios doesn’t leave the Twins in as bad of shape for the ALDS and beyond as you might think. The Wild Card game is Tuesday. The ALDS starts Thursday on the road at either Cleveland or Houston, with Game 2 Friday. Game 3 is at Target Field on Sunday. That means Santana could pitch the Wild Card game and still be on regular rest for Game 3. So then you go with this: *Kyle Gibson in Game 1 of the ALDS. This would have been inconceivable at various points this season, but Gibson has been the Twins’ hottest pitcher over the last month, with a 7-0 record and 2.56 ERA in his last seven starts and at least six innings pitched in each of those games. *Bartolo Colon in Game 2 of the ALDS, with Adalberto Mejia ready at the first sign of trouble – almost the same strategy as the Wild Card game, albeit with pitchers who have more question marks. Colon helped save the Twins’ season when they needed stability in the rotation, but he has a 13.50 ERA in his last four outings spanning a total of just 12 innings. Even when he’s been “on” this season, Colon has had a handful of games where he cruised through the early innings before running into trouble. Mejia, too, tends to be good for 4-5 innings. Between the two of them, the Twins have a chance. Using this strategy, the Twins would be rolling the dice that they could split two games in Cleveland or Houston with what have been their No. 3, No. 4 and possibly No. 5 starters against Cleveland and Houston’s top two starters. But: The Indians already have the edge against any Twins pitcher when Corey Kluber starts, and they probably have an edge when No. 2 starter Carlos Carrasco (17-6, 3.43 ERA, 212 strikeouts) pitches. Houston would have the same with Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel, assuming those are their first two pitchers. So why not hope you can pull off the unexpected — knock around one of those aces or get into a tight game that your bullpen wins or get a huge pitching performance from a lesser starter — and to back to Minnesota tied 1-1 with some real leverage? *Regardless of where the series stood, the Twins would have Santana in Game 3 — either with a chance to take a commanding lead or at least cut the deficit to 2-1 with a more favorable pitching matchup. *If you get to a Game 4, you have Berrios at Target Field as your starter. He has an 8-1 record and 2.45 ERA at home this season; on the road, his ERA is more than double that (5.17), which I’ll admit is a more helpful stat for the Twins in this game than it is when considering Berrios for relief at Yankee Stadium. Regardless, he’s been lights-out at home and has the stuff to shut down even great lineups. He could be in position to either close out a series or send it to a Game 5. *In Game 5, the Twins would be back to Gibson against an opposing team’s ace. Again, that’s a lot to ask. But I think this pitching plan gives the Twins the best chance to win both a one-game playoff and a five-game series, while also setting up Santana and Berrios to potentially pitch Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS on full rest and skipping the Colon/Mejia spot (Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS are on Oct. 8 and 9, while Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS are Oct. 13 and 14, giving each pitcher four days off in between). And then maybe the World Series isn’t that crazy? But let’s not get that far ahead of ourselves.

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Twins postgame: Looking at a potential wild card round roster

La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | September 27, 2017

Behind the scenes - because manger Paul Molitor doesn't like talking about these things until they clinch something - there are some interesting discussions going on about the roster for the wild card game. Here are three thoughts from LEN3 on some of the decisions they are mulling: Will they take 10 or 11 pitchers to New York? Last year, both the Orioles and Blue Jays went with 10 pitchers and 15 position players for the wild card game. I was told this afternoon that they are thinking about taking 11 pitchers. I think this is determined on the make up of the bullpen. To me, why would you need 11 pitchers for one game? Especially if you take Dillon Gee and Tyler Duffey, each of whom could pitch multiple innings. And do you add Gibson or Berrios? Berrios has the liver arm, but he's used to taking his time to warm up as a starter. And will Gibson come out of the bullpen and throw that sinker for strikes? I would gamble some and take Berrios. If he enters the game, let him start an inning with no one on base. He'll be nasty. How many lefties? It sounds like Neil Allen wants three lefty relievers to face the Yanks. That means Taylor Rogers and Buddy Boshers are locks. And I was told today that the third could come down to Adalberto Mejia vs. Gabriel Moya. That's right, Moya is getting some consideration at this point in the discussions. I would not trust Mejia to come in from the bullpen and throw strikes. Look at tonight. Six 2-0 counts. Only eight of 18 first pitch strikes. "I couldn't get it done to get the team to the postseason," he said. "But if the time comes and I get the opportunity to pitch in a postseason I'll be ready. Mentally, physically, I'll be ready." If that's my choice, I'd take Moya. He's supremely confident. And opponents are going to look at his delivery in bewilderment. So, my stab at a 10-man staff for the wild card game (only) Righties: Santana, Belisle, Hildenberger, Busenitz. Berrios, Gee, Duffey Lefties: Rogers, Boshers, Moya. Lastly: How about a five-man bench? Here goes: Gimenez, Vargas, Adrianza, Granite, Garver. This way, you can pinch hit for the catcher late and have some cover. And the only other option is Niko Goodrum. If they take 11 pitches, they can't carry three catchers without being exposed elsewhere. Reasons for the Twins' turnaround

Staff | Star Tribune | September 28, 2017

TURNAROUND TWINS The Twins are the first team to make the playoffs a season after losing 100 games (103, to be exact). Barring a Red Sox collapse as AL East leaders, the Twins will play the Yankees in New York on Tuesday in the wild-card game. Some keys to their winning season: Road tested: The Twins’ 44-36 record away from home is sixth best in the major leagues. Except for Sano: Miguel Sano hit 28 home runs and drove in 77 runs before being injured Aug. 19. He is the only position player to have missed more than a month because of injury. The Twins will have 10 players with 400 or more plate appearances, most in franchise history. Hot August nights: A 20-10 record in August put the team solidly in the playoff hunt. Ace in the hole: Ervin Santana is tied for the major-league lead in complete games (5), third in innings pitched (206⅓) and tied for eighth in victories (16).

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Buck starts here: Byron Buxton is hitting .305 since the All-Star break and has the best defensive WAR among major league outfielders. Stats don’t lie: The Twins improved their runs per game from 4.45 last year to 5.06 this season (fourth best in MLB), and their ERA dropped from 5.08 to 4.64. Field work: The Twins this season ranked fifth in the AL in defensive runs saved, after finishing 13th (and 28th in the majors) last year. Free passes: The Twins rank third in baseball in unintentional walks taken. Wilderness years over, Joe Mauer returns to postseason with 2017 Twins

Mike Berardino |Pioneer Press | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND — The last time the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field saw a champagne celebration, it was the 2016 Chicago Cubs toasting the end of a 108-year World Series championship drought. The celebration the wild-card Twins held as Wednesday turned into Thursday was no less meaningful to those in the middle of its frenzied swirl. As Joe Mauer watched his younger teammates hoot and holler and spray each other with bubbly, the Twins’ 34-year-old first baseman wore a proud smile. “Every year I go down to spring training, this is the goal,” he said. “This is what we play for, so I’m excited we were able to do that.” After winning American League Central titles three times in a five-year span from 2006-10, Mauer was part of teams that averaged 94.2 losses over the next six seasons. There would be just one winning season in that span, an 83-win year in 2015, as the Twins lost 565 times, trailing only the Houston Astros in most losses by any big-league franchise. Heading into 2017 expectations were low once again, for Mauer and a team entering its first season with a new front-office combo. When was the first time Mauer thought the postseason was possible? “If you ask a lot of us in here, pretty early on,” he said. “Especially the veteran guys that have been on teams that have been to postseason. I can remember when we went to Baltimore pretty early in the season (a three-game sweep of the Orioles, May 22-24), we felt pretty good at that point.” Resilience has become a team hallmark, whether it’s bouncing back from a blowout loss or clawing back from an early deficit. “The boys have been fighting hard all year long,” Mauer said. “We’ve been able to have short memories after tough losses and come back the next day.” The Twins’ longest losing streak all year has been four games. “I think it’s character,” Mauer said. “The character of the veterans they brought in. You talk about Matty Belisle and even Craig Breslow early on and mix them with Ervin (Santana) and other guys who have been here. It’s been huge. Chris Gimenez has been huge.” With the exception of Santana, those three veterans in particular were brought in last offseason on low-cost, one-year contracts. “It’s a good vibe in the clubhouse, and it’s been like that all year long,” Mauer said. “It’s fun to finally give ourselves a chance. This is a goal of ours to make the postseason, and we checked that first one off the list.” As Twins general manager Thad Levine pointed out, a select number of players in Wednesday’s celebration had ever experienced anything like that at the big-league level. Besides Mauer and the aforementioned Belisle, Santana and Gimenez, there was Glen Perkins, Jason Castro, Dillon Gee, Ehire Adrianza and, of course, 44-year-old Bartolo Colon, whose teams have reached the postseason three years running and 14 times in his 20 seasons. What has it been like watching so many young Twins players blossom at the same time? “It’s been a lot of fun,” Mauer said. “A lot of guys made some huge strides. Not just this year but this is the culmination of a couple years. To see them playing at the level they are is pretty special. There are guys in this clubhouse that are having great years.”

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Mauer, hitting .308 and vying to become the first former catcher to win a Rawlings Gold Glove at another position, is certainly among them. Postseason drought ends: Twins claim AL wild-card with help from White Sox

Mike Berardino |Pioneer Press | September 27, 2017

CLEVELAND –One year after losing a franchise-record 103 games, the Twins are headed back to the postseason for the first time since 2010. What has seemed inevitable for days became official late Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Angels fell 6-4 in 10 innings to the Chicago White Sox. With rookie Nicky Delmonico’s walk-off homer, the last Twins competitor for the second and final American League wild-card spot limped to the sidelines. The Twins appear set to face a familiar foe in the Oct. 3 wild-card game: the New York Yankees. Barring a final-weekend collapse by the Boston Red Sox that would hand the Yankees the AL East title, the Twins will head to Yankee Stadium for a winner-take-all showdown. All-star right-hander Ervin Santana, 16-8 with a 3.36 earned run average, is lined up to start the wild-card game at 7 p.m. Central next Tuesday. Swept in three games at Yankee Stadium just last week, the Twins are 14-45 (.237) in the Bronx since the start of 2002, including four postseason series defeats. None of that matters at the moment for a youthful Twins group that has turned around a club that lost 90 or more games in five of the past six seasons. “If you don’t have a vision of how it can happen, it probably won’t,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said before a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. “I know I tried to create that in my own mind. I’m sure some of the players did the same thing.” While predecessors Tom Kelly (1987) and Ron Gardenhire (2002) reached the postseason in their first full seasons at the help, Molitor only had to wait until his third year to take a team into the October crapshoot. His first team in 2015 won 83 games and chased a wild-card spot to the final weekend. This year the Twins played from the lead through the final month after a 20-win August that followed management’s decision to sell at the July 31 trade deadline. “It’s been a special year,” Twins first baseman Joe Mauer said in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. “From spring training on it’s been a good feel in the clubhouse. We knew what we had in here. A lot of people doubted us, but we have a good mix of veteran guys and young guys coming up. It’s been a special year all the way around.” Becoming the first team in history to go from 98 or more losses to the postseason the following year, the Twins have already improved by 24 wins, biggest year-over-year jump in Minnesota big-league history. “We gained a little momentum early, had some speed bumps along the way and have played some of our best baseball the last six weeks,” Molitor said. “You just hate to put limitations on anybody. Dramatic turnarounds are rare but given the young offensive core it was somewhat unpredictable about how they would mature and at what rate and how fast. I imagined a lot of scenarios where our pitching would be better.” Earlier Wednesday, Twins rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia failed to last four innings for the sixth time this season. The burly 24-year-old had a chance to pitch his team into the postseason with a victory — and to put himself in better position for a possible postseason start in the divisional round — but struggled with his command. “Today was one of those days it didn’t happen,” Mejia said through a translator. “There were good moments, I thought, and there were bad moments, but I tried.” The Indians still haven’t lost consecutive games since Aug. 22-23, just before they embarked upon a 22-game winning streak. Jorge Polanco kept the Twins from just their third shutout loss all year with a two-run homer off Cody Allen in the ninth. Through the first eight innings, Danny Salazar (nine strikeouts) and the vaunted Indians bullpen held the Twins to two hits. Mejia started his night by walking Francisco Lindor after falling behind 3-0, and things only got marginally better from there. Edwin Encarnacion ripped a changeup for a two-out single to put the Indians ahead and give him 18 of his 104 runs batted in against the Twins.

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The Indians improved to 7-1 against the Twins when scoring first. It was just the second Twins road loss against the Indians in eight tries this season. “Obviously I couldn’t get it done to help the team get into the postseason,” Mejia said, “but if the time comes and I get the opportunity to throw in a postseason game, I’ll be ready. Mentally, physically, I’ll be ready.” Whoever starts Game 1 of a potential ALDS, whether it’s Kyle Gibson or young Jose Berrios, could seem a better bet than Mejia to start a potential Game 4 (if necessary) in a best-of-five series. That would require either one to start on short rest. Paul Molitor explains pitching change that wasn’t in Tuesday’s win

Mike Berardino |Pioneer Press | September 27, 2017

CLEVELAND — Twins manager Paul Molitor was on his way to the mound to lift Tyler Duffey when he made a U-turn in Tuesday’s third inning. Pitching coach Neil Allen had made a mound visit at the start of the at-bat with Jay Bruce, and by rule Molitor needed to wait until the at-bat was over to lift Duffey. A wild pitch that left the count 2-0 and created an open base at first brought Molitor out of the dugout before plate umpire Todd Tichenor waved him back. “I messed up,” Molitor said. “It wasn’t one of my shining moments. It won’t be the last time. A little easier to laugh it off when you win. I should have known we had just made the visit at the start of the at-bat.” The Twins eventually used a Minnesota franchise-record 10 pitchers en route to an 8-6 win. “I try to be calm,” Molitor said. “but sometimes you get excited and I reacted obviously too quickly there.” Confusion over a double switch at Dodger Stadium back in late July led to a lengthy delay as umpires consulted replay to see where Molitor erred. FALL LEAGUE SELECTIONS The Twins have completed their seven-man Arizona Fall League roster with three more additions to the Surprise Saguaros: relievers Andrew Vasquez and Ryan Eades, and middle infielder Sean Miller. They join the initial wave of selections announced at the end of August: relievers Tyler Jay and Tom Hackimer, outfielder LaMonte Wade and third baseman Chris Paul. Vasquez, a 24-year-old left-hander, struck out better than 13 batters per nine innings combined at Class A Cedar Rapids and Class a Fort Myers. The 6-foot-6 Vasquez was a 32nd-round pick in 2015 out of WestmontCollege in Santa Barbara, Calif. Eades, 25, was drafted in the second round in 2013 out of Louisiana State and signed to a $1.3 million bonus. He posted a 3.40 ERA in 30 combined outings (nine starts) at the top two minor-league levels this season. The slick-fielding Miller, 22, hit .262 with just a .299 on-base percentage in 451 at-bats for the Class A Miracle. He was a 10th-round pick out of South Carolina-Aiken in 2015. COLON UPDATE A day after being pulled due to illness after just one inning and 18 pitches, Bartolo Colon was asked if he was feeling any better. “A little,” he said. In 14 starts since signing with the Twins, Colon has gone 4-6 with a 5.50 ERA and 97 hits allowed in 73 2/3 innings. His turn comes up again Sunday, but the Twins could choose to give that start to rookie right-hander Aaron Slegers instead. Sinus problems have “come and gone” for a few Twins in recent days, Molitor said, but no individuals were on his watch list at this point. “I don’t have any concern about other people,” he said.

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BRIEFLY Twins pro scouting coordinator Vern Followell was at Progressive Field as part of the Twins’ postseason advance scouting crew. Twins are in! Turnaround nets 2nd AL Wild Card

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND -- It took a loss from the Angels to make it official, but the Twins made history on Wednesday night, becoming the first team in Major League history to make the postseason one season after losing 100 or more games. The Twins, who lost a Major League-high 103 games in 2016, are baseball's Cinderella story in '17, having clinched a spot as the second American League Wild Card team hours after their 4-2 loss to the Indians at Progressive Field on Wednesday night. The clinch came when White Sox first baseman/outfielder Nicky Delmonico crushed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Chicago a 6-4 win over the Angels. Twins players, who had hung around the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field after their game ended, watched with excitement as the ball cleared the fence and the celebration was on. "I've never been so proud of a group of guys in my entire life," said Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. "The way we battled, the fun we have every day, that's what it's all about. We set a goal to prove everybody wrong and we did that today, but we still have work to do." This marks Minnesota's first foray into the postseason since 2010, and it's likely that the Twins will play the same team that eliminated them that season --the Yankees -- in Tuesday's AL Wild Card Game on ESPN. "We had some young guys on the rise and we added some veterans with character to our clubhouse," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Everybody stepped up. Whatever it took to get it done, I'm very excited it's happening. We're headed to October, and who knows what can happen from here?" The Twins were sellers at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, dealing All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler and veteran starter Jaime Garcia after a rough West Coast road trip. But the Twins bounced back after a pivotal team meeting at Petco Park in San Diego in early August after Molitor posted a message that read "No retreat, No surrender," on the clubhouse white board after hearing one of his favorite Bruce Springsteen songs while on a walk near San Diego's harbor. The players took that to heart and went 20-10 in August to surge past the Angels, Orioles, Mariners, Rays and Royals. And they kept it going in September despite losing slugger Miguel Sano to a left shin stress reaction in August, rolling right along as Eduardo Escobar stepped up in Sano's absence. "It's special for these players," said chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, who's in his first season with the Twins. "This is what it's all about. I couldn't be prouder. We talked about never putting limits on a team, and these guys never put limits on themselves." The Twins wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for the emergence of their young core of center fielder Byron Buxton, left fielder Eddie Rosario, shortstop Jorge Polanco and right fielder Max Kepler. Buxton overcame a slow start to become the club's best all-around player. He's the game's fastest player, according to Statcast™, and is arguably the best defender in the Majors, helping a pitching staff that still relies more on contact than strikeouts. "It's a moment I've been trying to get to my whole life," Buxton said. "Just to be able to come out here with these guys every day is incredible. So this moment is very special." The Twins also relied on their veterans, with first baseman Joe Mauer, second-half closer Matt Belisle, Dozier and catcher Chris Gimenez all helping create a better clubhouse culture after last year's disappointing season. Mauer is also enjoying his best season since 2013, while Dozier provides power and speed atop the lineup and Belisle has locked down the closer position in Kintzler's absence. "It's a special group," Mauer said. "We realized that early on, even in Spring Training. We brought in some really high-quality people. We had a good feeling in the clubhouse from the get-go." The quartet of leaders also created a new tradition after each win, with Mauer awarding the game ball to the player of the game, taking the reins as the club's elder statesman. It was reminiscent of the dance parties created by Torii Hunter in 2015, when the Twins nearly made the postseason but were eliminated on the penultimate day of the season. The pitching was also much improved from last season, with veteran Ervin Santana anchoring the staff and Jose Berrios displaying electric stuff

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in his second big league season. Kyle Gibson had a breakout second half, and the bullpen held its own, with the emergence of rookie relievers such as Trevor Hildenberger and Alan Busenitz setting up Belisle, the leader of the bullpen. "We believe we're a special club," Belisle said. "We've had fun, and we've expected good things. We had this mindset a long time ago. It's just such a good group. The energy was always there, and the fight was there since Day 1." Twins let loose after loss, celebrate WC bid

Rhett Bollinger & William Kosileski| MLB.com | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND -- The Indians came away with a 4-2 victory, but it was the Twins who celebrated at Progressive Field on Wednesday night. With the Angels losing to the White Sox, the Twins punched their ticket to the postseason, clinching the AL's second Wild Card spot. Minnesota became the first team to ever go from 100 losses to the postseason the next year, and is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The Twins stuck around in the visiting clubhouse after the game, watching as a team to see the Angels get eliminated with their walk-off loss in Chicago when Nicky Delmonico hit a two-run homer in the 10th. inning. "We had everything set up and with it going into extra innings, we thought this might be the biggest letdown ever," Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. "But Nicky Delmonico is my favorite player." Said Joe Mauer: "It's kind of weird how we got to this point here today, but the guys have been fighting hard all year long. It's a culmination. A lot of hugs in here. A lot of hard work and you know, we gave ourselves a chance. This is pretty exciting." The Indians have a one-game lead over the Astros for the top seed in the AL and trail the Dodgers by 2 1/2 games for the best record in baseball. Yan Gomes led the way for the Tribe, driving in two runs, including his 14th homer of the season in the sixth off Twins reliever Michael Tonkin. The solo homer to left had an exit velocity of 106 mph and traveled a projected 406 feet, according to Statcast™. "I love it," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Gomes' production. "We're going to need both [Gomes and Roberto Perez], and they know that. I kind of told both of them, we'll play whoever we think that night makes sense. We'll have to figure some things out, but it's nice when both of them are contributing offensively." The Indians scored a run on an error from Twins third baseman Eduardo Escobar in the fifth inning, and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion added an RBI single to plate his team-leading 104th RBI. The only runs the Twins scored came on a ninth-inning, two-run homer from Jorge Polanco off Tribe closer Cody Allen. "We only had two hits going into the ninth inning," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We got the tying run up there, which was good. For the most part, we held down the fort, but we had a misplay and gave up a homer. But just not enough offense." With a spot on the Indians' American League Division Series roster in question, Indians starter Danny Salazar made his case to be included on the team's playoff roster with a strong showing. In 4 2/3 innings, Salazar held the Twins to one hit and one walk, while striking out nine on 64 pitches. "I thought Danny looked great," Francona said. "That was really, really encouraging. He worked ahead. He had a good offspeed, whether it was a changeup or breaking ball. And had dominate stuff. That was exciting to see." Twins starter Adalberto Mejia took his seventh loss of the season after only lasting 3 2/3 innings. In his brief outing, he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with three punchouts. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Ramirez sparks the Tribe: With two outs in the first, Indians second baseman Jose Ramirez lined his MLB-leading 53rd double down the left-field line. The two-bagger for Ramirez puts him in a tie with Grady Sizemore (2006) for third-most doubles in a season in Indians' history. With Ramirez in scoring position, the next batter, Encarnacion, flared a 2-2 slider from Mejia into center for an RBI single to score Ramirez and give the Tribe the early lead. "I feel really good about [hitting behind Ramirez]," Encarnacion said. "He gets on base a lot and gets into scoring position a lot. I feel really good with what I'm able to do hitting behind him." Mejia's mishap: After back-to-back singles from Encarnacion and Carlos Santana to start the fourth, Mejia recorded two straight outs before

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walking Jason Kipnis to load the bases. This brought Gomes to the plate. Gomes fell behind in the count, 1-2, but Mejia let a slider get away from him. The pitch dipped low and inside, hitting Gomes on the left leg, allowing Encarnacion to score. That would be Mejia's final pitch, as Molitor turned to his bullpen to escape the jam. "I tried but today was one of those days where it didn't happen," Mejia said through a translator. "There were good moments, I thought, but obviously, some bad moments." Costly error: With Indians runners on first and third and two down in the bottom of the fifth, the Twins appeared to get out of the jam unscathed when reliever Buddy Boshers got Jay Bruce to hit a grounder to third. But after Escobar fielded the ball, he bounced a throw to first and Mauer was unable to make the pick, allowing an insurance run to cross the plate for Cleveland. QUOTABLE "Obviously, I couldn't get it done to help us get into the postseason. But if the time comes for the opportunity to throw in a postseason game, I'll be ready. Both mentally and physically." – Mejia "Like I said before, I just want to be in a spot for the playoffs. If it's in the starting rotation, that's fine. If it's in the bullpen, that's fine. I just want to play and help my team win." – Salazar WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana (16-8, 3.36 ERA) is set to make his final start of the regular season in the series finale on Thursday at 11:10 a.m. CT. Santana, who is lined up to start a possible AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday, has posted a 3.86 ERA in five September starts. Indians: Carlos Carrasco (17-6, 3.43 ERA) is slated to take the mound in Thursday's 12:10 p.m. ET series finale against the Twins at Progressive Field. The right-hander has gone 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in his last six starts, striking out 45 and walking only five in 41 1/3 innings. Yankees most likely Twins' WC opponent

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND -- With the Twins clinching their first postseason berth since 2010, their eyes are focused on a familiar postseason foe. The Yankees are highly likely to host the AL Wild Card Game against the Twins on Tuesday, as the Red Sox hold a magic number of two over the Yankees with four games remaining. Minnesota will be looking to exorcise its demons at Yankee Stadium, as it has historically struggled there, including getting swept in New York this season and losing two of three in NYC in 2016. But the Twins want to keep their magical season going, and have plenty of confidence heading into their potential showdown in the Bronx that will air at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. "We're going to go there expecting a win," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "That's the mindset you have to have. We're going to a place where we recently were and weren't successful in three games, but the way things are going and the way these guys are playing right now, I like our chances. In a game-scenario, anything can go down." Of course, the Twins have also come up short against the Yankees in their most recent postseason appearances, losing the AL Division Series against the Yankees in 2003, '04, '09 and '10. Minnesota went a combined 2-12 against New York in those four series, getting swept in 2009 and '10. But this is a young Twins team headed to the Bronx, as only veterans Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins were around the last time Minnesota was in the postseason. "It's a whole new team," Mauer said. "We haven't been there in so long. Myself and Brett Gardner, and maybe CC Sabathia remember it. It's a new group and a new year, and we're excited to get a chance. We'll see what happens Tuesday." Twins second baseman Brian Dozier added that the young players don't even know the postseason history between the two clubs, which plays into their advantage, as they're not intimidated by past results. "We know who's in front of us and what we gotta do," Dozier said. "It's one-game so there's no such thing as momentum. We'll go all out and be just fine. You can ask 99.9 percent of the guys in here and they don't even know the Yankees were our kryptonite. So that's a good thing." The Twins will turn to their ace Ervin Santana in the Wild Card Game, as he's been their anchor this season, going 16-8 with a 3.36 ERA in 32 starts this season. He also pitched at Yankee Stadium on Minnesota's current road trip, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 2-1 loss on

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Sept. 18. If the the Twins play the Yankees, they will most likely face right-hander Luis Severino, who is in the midst of a breakout year in his third season in the Majors. The 23-year-old is 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 230 strikeouts in 193 1/3 innings. But the Twins fared well against him on Sept. 20, as he lasted only three innings, allowing three runs on five hits in his first career start against the Twins. Mauer, in particular, had an impressive 13 pitch at-bat that ended with a bases-loaded single that effectively chased Severino. "I think there was nothing to learn," Severino said after his start Wednesday. "That at-bat against Mauer was everything. I threw like 13 pitches, and it got me out of the game. That kind of stuff is not going to happen. That's weird, something happens like that. I just need to throw all my pitches." Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: What the Twins Wild Card roster could look like

Derek Wetmore | 1500 ESPN | September 28, 2017

With the Twins on the verge of clinching a postseason berth, they’ve got some housekeeping to take care of. They’re already on track to have Ervin Santana pitch the Wild Card game next Tuesday, so that’s the first order of business already handled. They should also give a breather to guys like Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. Clinch first, then figure out rest schedules after that. They’ll also have to finalize their postseason roster, which makes for a fun time of year. Not for everyone, of course. Inevitably, somebody who believes he should be on the postseason roster will be left off as a preferential decision over strategy. Here are a few of my thoughts on the postseason roster for the Minnesota Twins. 1. What did other teams do? I wanted to let recent history inform me a little bit here. After studying the current makeup of the club, I had my hunch as to how I’d assemble a roster for the Wild Card game. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t way off, though, so I looked toward the 2015 and 2016 American League Wild Card teams and how they built their one-game roster. (Note: Teams that win the Wild Card game can reset their roster for the Division Series.) The 2016 Blue Jays had 10 pitchers (including 3 starters and a long guy) and 15 position players , including 2 catchers. The Orioles that year had 10 pitchers (2 reserve starters: Ubaldo Jimenez and Dylan Bundy) and 15 position players (2 catchers). Don’t remind O’s manager Buck Showalter that one of those pitchers was one of the best relievers in baseball, Zach Britton, who went unused as the Orioles lost a game in extra innings. The 2015 Astros had 9 pitchers (2 starters) and 16 position players (2 catchers, including Jason Castro). The Yankees that year had 9 pitchers (3 starters, including Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino) and 16 position players (3 catchers, including John Ryan Murphy). The basic lesson from these four teams is about what I’d expected. You don’t need to bring all of your starters along for the ride. With the luxury of 25 roster spots, though, you want to make sure you have enough pitching in reserve so that you don’t get in trouble in the case of a short start or an extra-inning game. 2. Let’s start with the starters. For position players, this should be fairly simple. Catcher- Jason Castro First Base- Joe Mauer Second Base- Brian Dozier Shortstop- Jorge Polanco Third Base- Eduardo Escobar Designated Hitter- Robbie Grossman Left Field- Eddie Rosario Center Field- Byron Buxton Right Field- Max Kepler Locked-in backups:

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C- Chris Gimenez 1B/DH- Kennys Vargas IF- Ehire Adrianza OF- Zach Granite I’ve heard people debating the merit of guys like Vargas and Granite, but to me it’s really simple. The size of the roster allows you to have a guy like Vargas, who can pinch hit and hit a home run, as well as a guy like Granite, who can pinch-run late in games, and whom you should trust to back up all three outfield positions. Total so far: 13. 3. Which pitchers are you definitely bringing? Well, let’s start with Tuesday’s likely starter, Ervin Santana. You’re obviously counting on some innings from him. You also have to build the rest of your one-game pitching staff to protect against the risk that he might not go deep into the game. So I think the right call is to have at least 3 starters on the roster, which is similar to each of the past 4 A.L. Wild Card teams mentioned earlier. The locks, for me, would be Santana, J.O. Berrios and Kyle Gibson. Berrios and Gibson might not be on regular rest to pitch a full starter’s load of innings. But in an absolute pinch, I think you’d rather ask them to throw a couple of innings on a bullpen day, rather than turn to the 8th-most trusted reliever in an extra-inning game. On the bullpen, it’s been clear for a little while that manager Paul Molitor has a pecking order of bullpen arms. Just look at the way he uses his relievers when the Twins are up by a run or two late in games—and look at the guys he asks to pitch when the Twins are down 5 in the middle innings. The way I read the situation, the Twins are high on Matt Belisle, Trevor Hildenberger, lefty Taylor Rogers and Alan Busenitz as the trusted late-game quartet. So let’s for sure start with those guys. And then I think the Twins likely would include the electric but sometimes erratic Ryan Pressly, as well as the next lefty in the bullpen, Buddy Boshers. Total so far: 22. 4. No Sano. One guy you probably won’t have to factor in for the Wild Card roster is Miguel Sano. His late-August stress reaction injury in his shin might turn out to be season-ending. There was some fear in the clubhouse of that reality at the time it happened, but from the front office and the manager’s chair, there was a sense of optimism that it was possible Sano – and the Twins — would catch a break and the big guy would be able to work his way back into the lineup. At this point, that doesn’t appear likely to happen soon. The last I’ve heard, Sano has been unable to get through hitting and on-field running without experiencing some soreness and swelling the following day. And then there’s the uncomfortable reality that for a guy who already featured a great deal of swing-and-miss as part of his powerful offensive arsenal, how realistic is it to expect that he’ll be ready to face postseason pitching even with a leg at or near 100% healthy? It’s a tough blow for the Twins, and for Sano. But it hasn’t slowed down Minnesota’s offense anywhere near as much as you might think. The Twins lost their best hitter, and yet they’ve still been one of the best offenses in baseball in the second half of the season. Eduardo Escobar won’t make you forget about Sano by any means, but his power surge has helped keep the offense humming, as stars like Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier, and young players like Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Polanco have powered the team almost all the way to the postseason. 5. Borderline cases. There were several players on the current roster that I eliminated almost immediately, at least for the one-game Wild Card scenario. I don’t think relievers Gabriel Moya or Michael Tonkin will pitch for the Twins in the postseason, and I don’t know what role you’d find this year for depth pitchers like Aaron Slegers and Nik Turley. And Niko Goodrum had a good season in the minor leagues and adds as much positional flexibility as anybody. I considered him for this roster, but chose instead to get another pitcher on the staff instead of a bench player that might not factor into the action. So after picking the starters, relievers, and position players that I knew I’d want to include, I had 3 roster spots left to hand out. I gave one spot to Mitch Garver, because he provides added catcher insurance, and he could be a pinch-hitting option late in the game. He

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hasn’t been used much in the Majors, but his minor league numbers were strong and I think he has a future with this team. With two spots left there are 5 players I haven’t mentioned yet: Adalberto Mejia, Bartolo Colon, Dillon Gee, Glen Perkins, John Curtiss and Tyler Duffey. I’m taking out Curtiss for this exercise, since the Twins haven’t really used him in big spots in the Majors this year. Gee has been a long reliever for the most part, except for when he briefly was a starter. He’s only pitched once after the 6th inning for the Twins this season, and since I’ve included extra starters as optional length, I left Gee off the roster. He hasn’t given up a run since Sept. 1, so I could see including him on a Division Series roster if you think you need the protection. September wasn’t a great month for Duffey, but I think he’s a guy you could see on the Wild Card roster. 20 of his 53 appearances this year have come with the Twins holding a 1- or 2-run lead, or in tie games. The final spot gave me some trouble. I tried to decide between Colon, Perkins, Mejia and Goodrum. If we followed the mold from the past 4 A.L. Wild Card teams, it would have been Goodrum. If the Twins wanted to reward a veteran who worked his way back from a significant surgery, Perkins would be the guy. If they wanted to reward Colon for his contributions to the postseason appearance, he could be a consideration. But I don’t think this should be about feel-good stories. Every decision should be made with winning one as the primary factor. I think Mejia fits the bill here. Sure, it’s unconventional to have 4 starting pitchers on the roster for a one-game playoff. Some teams in the past have employed a lefty starter as bullpen insurance – like the Blue Jays with Francisco Liriano last year, who won the game against the Orioles in extra innings. I don’t know what to expect from Mejia in a short relief stint at this point in the season. But if you want three lefties on the Wild Card roster, I think he’s the next logical choice after Rogers and Boshers. This roster has 11 pitchers and 14 position players. That’s heavy on the pitching side, but given the starting lineup of position players for the Twins, and the capable backups at each position, I think it’s the right play for the current construction of their roster. Time to celebrate: Twins clinch playoff berth with a little help from their rivals

Judd Zulgad | 1500 ESPN | September 27, 2017

The Twins are scheduled to play an early afternoon game on Thursday in Cleveland. They can be forgiven if that game seemed to matter little to them as they conducted a champagne-infused celebration that began early Thursday and might have gone until the sun came up inside the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field. One year after losing a franchise-worst 103 games, the Twins became the first big-league team to go from 100 losses to a playoff berth when Nicky Delmonico belted a two-run home run to give the Chicago White Sox a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings. The White Sox’s victory, which came at 12:11 a.m. Eastern time, took the Twins’ magic number from one to none and gave Minnesota the second wild card spot in the American League. It was the Twins’ first playoff berth since 2010. “I’m speechless,” right fielder Max Kepler said shortly after the raucous celebration began. “My voice is almost gone, but my eyes are burning so good.” The Twins entered Wednesday with a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a victory over the Indians but that did not happen as the AL Central champions cruised to a 4-2 victory. The Twins cared little about that defeat as they watched Delmonico’s home run clear the fence in Chicago and began to celebrate what almost no one believed to be possible when spring training began. “I think that’s what makes this so special,” second baseman Brian Dozier said of the Twins’ rebounding from such a terrible season. “If we would have made the playoffs last year, this would still be special but not as unique. I think that’s what makes this group so special. How we bounce back from last year, being the worst team in baseball, to being one of the best this year. I think that’s kind of our motto the whole year, being very resilient. We don’t let anything get to us, we bounce back from things and we play in a total team effort. This is awesome.” The Twins were written off and left for dead on multiple occasions this season. And that wasn’t just from the fans. Derek Falvey, the team’s chief baseball officer, and general manager Thad Levine also acknowledged a postseason berth wasn’t likely at the trade deadline when they dealt starter Jaime Garcia to the Yankees, days after getting him from Atlanta, and then sent All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals. Falvey and Levine are in their first year on the job, having been hired after last season to replace general manager Terry Ryan. Ryan accumulated much of the talent on this Twins’ team, but he was the guy who paid the price for the Twins’ futility of 2016 and found himself

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fired in July. Despite Falvey and Levine’s moves, manager Paul Molitor, working in the final season of his contract, refused to give up hope. Dozier expressed his disappointment with the moves and, more importantly, began to take out his frustrations on opposing pitching. The two, along with the rest of the Twins, were rewarded for their resilience on Wednesday. “It’s something that we could try to speculate on why and how it happened, the good thing is it did happen,” Molitor said of the Twins’ turnaround. “I think these guys were resolute from day one to try to do things better than we did last year. We all know that we had young players that were on the rise and kind of added some veterans and experience and character to our clubhouse. Everybody stepped up. Whatever it took to get it done, I’m glad it’s happened. We’re going to have an opportunity now to advance and play into October and who knows what can happen from here? But I know these guys are really excited about the opportunity.” That opportunity likely will come in Yankee Stadium next Tuesday with a one-game playoff. The Yankees are three games back of the Boston Red Sox in the American League East but hold the top wild card spot. The Yankees and Red Sox each have four games remaining. Veteran Ervin Santana, who said he still expected to start Thursday’s game at Cleveland (“I’m not drinking, I’m celebrating,” he said), also will get the ball for the one-game playoff. The Twins were swept by the Yankees in New York last week, continuing a long tradition of a lack of success against that franchise, but Molitor sounded confident when asked about facing the Yankees again. “I think we’re going to go there expecting to win,” he said. “That’s the mindset that you have to have. We’re going to a place where we recently were and weren’t successful over a three-day period. But the way things are going and the way these guys are letting it fly right now, I like our chances. “We know it’s a one-game scenario, anything can come down, but we’ll go in there, we’ll be ready to play and I know we’ll put up a good show. We’ll have Ervin out there and hopefully we’ll have a good day. It’s going to be a fun next few days thinking about it and trying to get all our planning straight and put together the best plan we can to give ourselves a chance to win.” Feeling Minnesota: Twins clinch unexpected playoff spot (Sep 27, 2017)

Associated Press | September 28, 2017

CLEVELAND (AP) From worst to wild card, the Minnesota Twins have completed a most remarkable reversal. Their unexpected turnaround season has a new destination – the playoffs. Unable to clinch on their own after losing 4-2 to the Indians, the Twins earned an AL wild-card berth and meeting with either New York or Boston when the Los Angeles Angels lost 6-4 in 10 innings to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night. A season after winning just 59 games, the Twins became the first team to lose at least 100 and then make the postseason the following year. October, here they come. Moments after the Angels lost – and almost two hours after they were beaten – Minnesota’s players, coaches and manager Paul Molitor celebrated in their clubhouse with champagne and beer, dousing each other during a party that didn’t seem possible just a few months ago. They threw on dark blue T-shirts, two-tone caps along with the obligatory goggles before spraying each other down. ”It’s been awesome watching this team come together all season,” veteran first baseman Joe Mauer said amid the clubhouse chaos. ”This is the best sound in the world. It’s been one of the most fun years that I’ve ever had. ”I like our guys. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work over the last few years.” The Twins defied the odds, and they’ll now enter a tournament where are all bets are off and where one bad bounce or big inning can propel an underdog to the top. On Tuesday night, they’ll play at either Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park in the wild-card game. Boston holds a three-game lead over New York in the AL East race.

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The Yankees have been the Twins’ long-time playoff nemesis, eliminating Minnesota four times in the postseason since 2003. Mauer and these Twins don’t seem to fear anything. ”This is gonna be a fun couple of days getting ready for what’s next,” said Molitor, a Hall of Fame player now in his third season with the Twins. ”I like our chances. It means a lot to all of us.” The Twins reached the postseason for the first time since 2010 despite a lack of support from their own front office, which essentially wrote off the year at the trading deadline. Minnesota dealt closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington and shipped pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Yankees just days after he arrived. Minnesota’s clubhouse was shocked by the moves, but instead of grumbling the Twins started grinding. They ripped off six straight wins in early August to trigger a 31-18 stretch that put them back in the wild-card conversation. Their bats came alive, their pitching held up and Molitor squeezed everything he could out of a young lineup that lacks star power but is deep and dangerous. The Twins also stuck together despite being without All-Star third baseman Miguel Sano, who hasn’t played since Aug. 19 after fouling a ball off his left shin, but could be back at some point in the postseason. ”Just to be able to come back and do this is incredible,” center fielder Byron Buxton said. ”We’re just going to take it one step at a time, just like we’ve been doing.” While the Indians, Astros, Dodgers and Nationals – to name a few – may have more talent and certainly get much more publicity, the Twins have quietly become one those feel-good baseball stories. ”In an era when it’s either home run or bust, they’re a lineup that makes a lot of adjustments,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. ”You don’t look at every hitter and go `If we throw here we’re good to go.’ They can cover both sides of the plate. They use the whole field. They’re impressive.” As his players partied, Molitor, a Minnesota native, got choked up several times has he described this stunning season. ”It’s part of your job as a manger to imagine what could happen,” Molitor said. ”This year, it came to fruition. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.” BUX STOPS HERE Molitor believes Buxton should be rewarded for his fabulous defense. The speedy Buxton added to his resume of great catches Tuesday night with a diving grab, and Molitor feels he should be in line for a Gold Glove. ”I don’t know what else you can do to earn your first postseason award than Bux has done,” Molitor said. TRAINER’S ROOM Twins: Sano (left shin stress reaction) took 60 swings at Target Field, raising the possibility he could be on the playoff roster. The first-time All-Star has been on the disabled list since Aug. 20. Indians: OF Michael Brantley’s postseason hopes took a positive turn. The All-Star did some running Wednesday in a simulated game and could be playing by the end of the week. Brantley’s chances to help the Indians in October were fading with every passing day, but the 30-year-old is going to make one last push. Brantley was having a strong comeback season after missing Cleveland’s World Series run in 2016 following two shoulder surgeries. UP NEXT Carlos Carrasco goes for his 18th win in his final start of the regular season against Twins right-hander Ervin Santana, who is 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in three starts against the Central champions this season.

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Written off at the deadline, Twins make history by clinching wild card

Andrew Marchand | ESPN | September 28, 2017

Just after July 31, when the Minnesota Twins' front office switched philosophies at the deadline, changing from buyers to sellers, the team’s manager, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, didn’t flinch. There was some dissension in his locker room. One moment, the Twins were adding a veteran starter, Jaime Garcia, in a go-for-it, wild-card move for a small-market franchise. The next, the front office signaled to the team’s veterans: never mind. After one start, Garcia was jettisoned to the New York Yankees, and in a deal that cut deeper inside the Twins’ clubhouse, the team’s closer, All-Star Brandon Kintzler, was sent to Washington. Molitor took the opportunity to lead, making sure the sudden subtractions did not sabotage the rest of the season. “I said that, ‘People who make those decisions have a job to do, and they are going to make those decisions in what they feel is in the best interest in our team, both short-term and long-term. It is not our place to question it,'" Molitor said of his address to his club. '"Anytime as a player, when we lose someone or something happens, the best course of action is to look at what you could’ve done differently to prevent it from happening. Don’t look outward. It is a good time to take a little inventory.'" The players took that to heart and participated in a meeting of their own with a clear message. “It was just a, ‘Everyone is counting us out,’” outfielder Robbie Grossman said. “'No one expects us to be here. Let’s see what we can do.'” What they did was make the playoffs. Although they won't win 90 games, it doesn’t matter. The Twins are going to the playoffs, led by Molitor, with an emergence of youth, some veteran leaders and a steely resolve born from their devastating starts the previous two seasons. They are the first team to lose 100 games one season and make the playoffs the next. Their story is one of resolve and a little luck. The American League is filled with mediocrity, and the Twins are in the postseason to a large degree because of that. But if they beat the Yankees in the Bronx on AL Wild Card Tuesday, they will stand on the same ground as the other seven teams remaining as the weather cools in October. When the Twins made the trade for Garcia on July 24, they were 49-49 and two games out of the second wild card. Garcia won his start with Minnesota, but the Twins lost all four of their other games before he was shipped out. With the team suddenly five games back in the wild card, Kintzler was gone, too. “At the time, I would say disappointed is a good word,” said the Twins’ slugging second baseman and one of the team's leaders, Brian Dozier. But Dozier and the Twins have felt worse. In 2015, the Twins started 1-5, which was just enough of hole to prevent them from being in the wild card. In 2016, it was even worse, as an 0-9 start made it feel like the season was over before it began. It essentially was, but there were a total of 103 losses to suffer through. “It depletes you,” Dozier said. Dozier is an “everything happens for a reason” type, so in retrospect, he sees the good, as the current group’s toughness is derived in part from those harsh beginnings. The roster turnover has not been that immense. Instead, the Byron Buxtons and Eddie Rosarios are developing into stars. A lot of the names are the same, but the team is not. “This is a totally different team,” Dozier said of the 103-loss season last year. “Even though it is a lot of the same guys, most of the same guys, it just feels like 23-, 24-, 25-year-olds, they are not 23 anymore. Even though it is a year difference, so many guys grew up 10 years. It is a totally different mindset. The maturity level is off the charts of what it used to be. For us older guys, it made us into better leaders.”

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In the winter, Molitor survived the residue of the 103 losses, and the Twins brought in 34-year-old Derek Falvey, who hired Thad Levine as his GM, to run baseball operations. In 2015, Molitor had Torii Hunter as a leader in his clubhouse. In 2016, he thought the team needed more to complement Dozier and Joe Mauer. “Joe has always been a really good, quiet leader,” Molitor said. “Dozier emerged. Part of my first conversation with Derek and Thad, under their leadership, was if we could get some veteran, high-character people who could still perform, it would be a big influence on young players." Guys such as like 37-year-old reliever Matt Belisle, 30-year-old catcher Jason Castro and 34-year-old catcher Chris Gimenez, were brought in. In early July, 44-year-old righty Bartolo Colon joined the group. “They’ve helped create a confident group of kids,” Molitor said. “I give them a lot of credit to do that. We have asked them to do it. They have done it.” Now they're in the postseason. Twins make history by going from 103 losses to playoff team

Mark Townsend | Yahoo! Sports | September 27, 2017

The Minnesota Twins have completed one of the greatest turnarounds in MLB history. After losing a league-worst and franchise-worst — not counting their time as the Washington Senators — 103 games in 2016, the Twins became the first team to ever follow a 100-loss season with a postseason berth. The Twins officially clinched a spot in the AL wild-card game thanks to the Angels 4-2 loss to the White Sox. Truth be told, the Twins have authored quite a turn around just within the 2017 season. Minnesota was content looking to the future at the trade deadline, shipping away veteran Jaime Garcia six days after acquiring him from Atlanta, in addition to trading key reliever Brandon Kintzler. The Twins were 50-54 at the time, which put them 4.5 games behind the second wild card. Given how crowded the standings were at the time, Minnesota seemed like a distinct long shot even with a strong finish. In fact, they were given just a five-percent chance to make the postseason at that point. This is why they play all 162 games. As crunch time arrived, the other contenders slowly faded into the background while the Twins surged with a 20-10 record in August. The Twins five-game winning streak, which was snapped Wednesday in Cleveland, allowed them to pull away from their unique place in history decisively. This marks the Twins first trip to the postseason since 2010, and their first ever berth as a wild-card team. They’ve won 11 division titles and two World Series championships since moving to Minnesota in 1961. The Twins will likely go on to face the Yankees in the AL wild-card game on Oct. 3, though it’s still at least possible New York will catch Boston for the AL East. Regardless of how that shakes out, Minnesota will be on the road looking to win its first postseason game since 2004, and in a do-or-die game no less. It’s not ideal, but it’s an opportunity to continue their remarkable season and story. To do so, the Twins will likely have to keep fighting without Miguel Sano. The young slugger has been sidelined since Aug. 19 with a stress reaction in his shin. Sano will not play again in the regular season, but hasn’t been officially ruled out of any postseason games. Though his absence hasn’t really hurt them in the standings, they could really use his game-changing power as a compliment to a revitalized Joe Mauer and rising stars such as Eddie Rosario and Byron Buxton. Veteran right-hander Ervin Santana would presumably make the season-deciding start for Minnesota. He was an All-Star this season and leads MLB with five complete games and three shutouts. Latest On ByungHo Park

Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors | September 27, 2017

2017 has been a struggle for ByungHo Park, who spent the entire season in the minors. While Park has yet to deliver on his four-year, $12MM contract, Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey tells Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that “we have every expectation he’ll

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remain at this point” rather than explore a return to South Korean baseball. In fact, Park will be spending much of the offseason in North America, working out at the Twins’ facilities. The first baseman posted a .684 OPS over 244 plate appearances for the Twins in 2016, then hit .253/.308/.415 with 14 homers over 455 PA for Triple-A Rochester this season. Despite these struggles and some injuries, Park has dealt with his situation “incredibly professionally,” Falvey said. Minnesota Twins clinch historic MLB playoff berth

Asher Fair | FanSided | September 27, 2017

Although they lost to the AL Central champion Cleveland Indians, the Minnesota Twins locked up a historic berth in this year’s MLB playoffs. While the Minnesota Twins dropped their 75th game of the season Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to the scorching hot Cleveland Indians, who sit atop the American League with the Central division title clinched for the second straight season, they still ended up clinching a historic playoff berth later Wednesday night. A win over the Indians would have locked the Twins (83-75) into the 2017 MLB playoffs for the first time since 2010. However, as referenced above, they were unable to do that, as they lost 4-2. But the Los Angeles Angels (78-80), the team closest to the Twins in the American League Wild Card hunt, lost to the Chicago White Sox, which secured the Twins a playoff berth. Because the Angels’ loss was the team’s 80th of the season, they can now only reach a maximum of 82 victories this season, while the Twins have already won 83 games, thus securing them the final spot in the American League Wild Card game. In clinching a berth in this year’s playoffs, the Twins became the first team in MLB history to lock up a spot in the playoffs following a season during which they lost 100 or more games. The Twins finished the 2016 season with an awful 59-103 record, which was the worst in the MLB by a full nine games. The bad news for the Twins is that assuming the Boston Red Sox hang onto their lead in the American League East division, they will have to travel to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card game. Why is this bad news? Because the last five seasons during which the Twins made the playoffs, they have lost in the American League Divisional Series, which was the first round before the Wild Card game was introduced back in the 2012 season. In four of those five seasons, the Twins’ first-round losses came at the hands of the Yankees. Minnesota Twins Clinch Playoff Berth for 2017 MLB Postseason

Adam Wells | Bleacher Report | September 27, 2017

The Minnesota Twins clinched a postseason berth Wednesday by virtue of the Los Angeles Angels' 6-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, capping off one of the best single-season turnarounds in Major League Baseball history. This marks the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2010. The Twins know they will play in the American League Wild Card game on Oct. 3, a showdown that will likely come against the New York Yankees barring a stunning collapse by the Boston Red Sox. Boston's magic number to clinch the American League East is two following Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Twins went an MLB-worst 59-103 last season, finishing 35.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central. It was the first time Minnesota has lost at least 100 games in a season since 1982. No team in MLB history has gone from at least 100 losses to the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Twins manager Paul Molitor said coming into Tuesday's game against the Indians he didn't want his team to get ahead of themselves thinking about the postseason. "I think part of your job as manager is guarding against being comfortable," he said, via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. "You don't want to add pressure or anything like that. Comfortable is when you don a T-shirt and a cap and say you're going to play next week. That's the moment we're trying to get to, but we're not there yet." Defense has been the biggest year-to-year improvement for the Twins. They went from 28th in MLB with minus-49 defensive runs saved last season to 15th with 11 defensive runs saved in 2017, per FanGraphs.

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The lineup, featuring young stars like Byron Buxton and Max Kepler with veterans Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer, has also been much better. To date, they've piled up 798 runs after managing 722 all of last season. Third baseman Miguel Sano was having a breakout season. He was named to the American League All-Star team and has a .267/.256/.514 slash line in 111 games, though he hasn't played since Aug. 11 due to a stress reaction in his shin. Even though the Twins are uncertain if Sano will be back for the postseason, they have been able to keep up their stellar play for six weeks without him to keep their championship hopes alive. In a season that saw the Dodgers have the best 50-game stretch in MLB history and Indians set a new AL record with 22 straight wins, the Twins quietly went about their business to complete a historic turnaround. Now, the Twins have the opportunity to celebrate their postseason berth and get ready to make a run at their first World Series title since 1991. Minnesota Twins clinch AL Wild Card berth a year after losing 103 games

Eric Stephen |SB Nation | September 28, 2017

The Minnesota Twins are back in the playoffs in one of the greatest turnarounds in major league history, clinching an American League Wild Card berth on Wednesday with a loss by the Los Angeles Angels. The Twins, who lost 4-2 to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, are 83-75 on the season, assured of finishing ahead of the Halos, now 78-80. Overcoming long odds has been the story of the these Twins, who rebounded from a 103-loss season in 2016, the most losses by any team that made the postseason the following year. The Twins are in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, after averaging 94 losses in the six interim seasons. Just three months ago, Minnesota had the first pick in the MLB Draft. That gets awarded to the worst team in baseball the previous year, and the Twins were just that, with nine more losses than any other team in baseball. Even midway through this season, the Twins’ chances to compete seemed murky at best. They traded closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals on July 31. They traded for starting pitcher Jaime Garcia, only to trade him away to the New York Yankees one week later after six losses in seven games dropped Minnesota five games back of the second Wild Card spot. The Twins were four games below .500 as late as August 5, but since then are 31-18 (.633) and have outscored opponents by 97 runs during that time. Most of this run for Minnesota has come without their best hitter. Miguel Sano, the 24-year-old power-hitting third baseman who leads the club in OPS (.870), slugging percentage (.514), wOBA (.365) and wRC+ (126) and is second in on-base percentage (.356) and home runs (28), last played on Aug. 19, missing time with a stress reaction in his left shin. Sano is close to returning, though Twins general manager Derek Falvey said Wednesday that the third baseman won’t be available on Tuesday for the Wild Card Game. What has worked for the Twins is the emergence of Byron Buxton as a star in center field. Already one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, this season the bat has surfaced for the 23-year-old. Buxton is hitting .255/.317/.418 with 28 stolen bases, and since the All-Star break is hitting .305/.353/.560 with 11 of his 16 home runs. Joe Mauer is healthy and doing Joe Mauer things again, hitting .305/.381/.417, and Brian Dozier followed up his 42-homer 2016 campaign with 33 more home runs this year, the first second baseman with 30 or more homers in back-to-back seasons since Dan Uggla (2007-11). Minnesota is likely headed for a Wild Card matchup with the Yankees in New York — the AL Wild Card Game is on Tuesday, Oct. 3, on ESPN — which poses yet another obstacle for the team to overcome. The Twins have lost four of six games to New York this season and have lost 14 of their last 18 matchups to the Yankees dating back to 2015. In four playoff meetings (2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010), the Twins have lost all four series to the Yankees, losing 12 of 14 games. Then again, clearing hurdles has been a mark of this Twins team all year long.