The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – INSIDE PITCH
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is a strong proponent of good defense on his teams. And even though his current squad has several new players in the field, it has shown that it is playing the game at a very high level.
Certainly the Twins have produced some highlight reel plays on defense this season. In the infield, shortstop Pedro Florimon has demonstrated great range getting to ball, and second baseman Brian Dozier has made diving plays to his left or right seem routine.
Not to be outdone, the outfielders have chipped in. Right-fielder Chris Parmelee made a running, diving grab on the warning track that topped many highlight reels, and in the most recent series with Chicago, center fielder Aaron Hicks pulled back a home run from White Sox slugger Adam Dunn in such dramatic fashion that the fans at Target Field required a curtain call (although he did hit two home runs in the game, as well).
Highlight plays are one thing, but the Twins’ defense has the numbers to back them up. On May 14 against the Chicago White Sox, the Twins’ infielders turned four double plays. It was the second time they accomplished that this season — the other time coming May 6 at Boston. The Twins have turned 41 double plays in 2013 and are second in the league with an average of 1.11 per game (trailing only Houston at 1.34).
“The infield has been tremendous,” assistant general manager Rob Antony said. “We have a lot of pitchers who put the ball in play and they rely on their defense. Whenever you can pick up outs on the bases and turn over the double plays, you can get out of a lot of jams.”
In the outfield, the Twins have recorded 14 outfield assists (11 of the 14 coming since April 23). The Twins are leading the league in outfield assists, with Hicks at the top at six, Parmelee tied for second with four and rookie call up Oswaldo Arcia tied for seventh with three.
“(Teams) have been testing Hicks, Arcia and Parmelee — who is a first baseman playing the outfield,” Antony said. “Parmelee might catch some people by surprise that he throws as accurately as he does. He’s played a great right field.”
The biggest factor in determining team defense is the number of errors a team commits, and while the Twins started this season making their share, they have since tightened things up. The Twins have committed just six errors in their last 22 games. That number is fourth best in the American League and sixth in all of baseball over that time.
Solid, fundamental defensive baseball has been a hallmark of Twins teams for many years, and despite a changeover of new faces at shortstop, second base, center and right field, it continues to be.
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MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 18-19
STREAK: Lost two
PAST 10 GAMES: 5-5
NEXT: Red Sox (Clay Buchholz, 6-0, 1.69) vs. Twins (Vance Worley, 1-4, 7.15)
PLAYER NOTES:
–1B Justin Morneau (2-for-5) extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games and is hitting .422 (19-for-45) in that span. He has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games, batting .368 (28-for-76) in that span. Morneau’s team didn’t get the win on his birthday, but the 32-year-old continued performing after a slow start to the season.
–DH Joe Mauer (3-for-5) extended his hitting streak to a season-high 14 games, marking his longest since May 5-21, 2009 (also 14 games). He has two career streaks longer than his active streak: Aug. 8-24, 2008 (16 games) and Aug. 2-18, 2009 (15 games). With a single in the second inning, Mauer now has 15 multi-hit games this season, seven of which have come during his streak. Mauer has been streaky all year, but is currently on one of the best of his career.
–RHP Vance Worley picked up his first win in eight starts as a Twin on May 10. Worley worked 5 1/3 innings against the Orioles, surrendering five runs on 11 hits and a walk with just one strikeout. He got some offensive support and the bullpen maintained the lead to get him the win. Things don’t get much easier for him going against Clay Buchholz, but Worley appears to be on the upswing from a rough start to pitching in the AL this season.
–2B Jamey Carroll (3-for-5) drove in a run on a season-high three hits. The three hits were the most since Oct. 1, 2012 at Toronto (also three). As a part-time player and a veteran, Carroll has been invaluable this season. His glove has been every bit as good as his bat. His three hits bolstered the leadoff spot, which had been spotty at best lately. “The guys at the top are doing their thing,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Jamey Carroll had a really nice day, getting on base.”
–RHP Mike Pelfrey allowed five runs on eight hits, two walks and two home runs while striking out three in four innings. It was his shortest start since going two innings on April 9 at Kansas City. The five runs tied his season high (April 23 vs. Miami). His coach is not giving up on him, though. “Pelfrey is an ongoing process,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “At times he’s getting on top and the ball is sinking good and other times, the ball’s kind of flying across the zone, and when that happens, they make him pay for it. We’ll just keep running him out there and see if we can get better as we go along.”
–3B Eduardo Escobar (1-for-4) hit his second home run of the season with a solo shot in the second inning. He now has five extra-base hits in 26 games this season, which is as many as he had in 50 games in 2012 (four doubles, one triple). Escobar is hitting .316 (6-for-19) with a home run and five RBIs in seven games against his former team (White Sox). Generously listed at 5-10, 173 pounds, Escobar doesn’t look like a home run threat — even to his former team.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We had some offense going but we just couldn’t stop those guys. A tough loss at home, losing two out of three and those guys out played us.” — Manager Ron Gardenhire, after losing to the White Sox 9-4 Wednesday.
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MLB Team Report – Minnesota Twins – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Cole De Vries (forearm strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He pitched in extended spring training April 25 and April 30. He began a rehabilitation assignment May 5 with Class A Fort Myers. He made his third rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on May 15.
–RHP Tim Wood (shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 24. He had his rehab assignment rescinded May 9. He underwent an MRI on his shoulder May 15 in Rochester, N.Y.
–OF Darin Mastroianni (stress reaction in left ankle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 16. Mastroianni likely will need a rehab assignment before he returns to the Twins’ big league roster, possibly in the second half of May. His walking boot was removed over the May 11-12 weekend. He felt discomfort when testing foot in drills May 14. According to assistant general manager Rob Antony, Mastroianni could be placed on the 60-day DL if he doesn’t improve.
–C Drew Butera (broken left pinkie) was hurt in his first at-bat of the season for Triple-A Rochester on April 5. He has reported to Fort Myers to begin rehab.
–RHP Nick Blackburn (right elbow surgery in October 2012; right wrist surgery in January 2013) had begun playing catch as of mid-April. He is not on the disabled list because he was re-signed to a minor league contract.
–LHP Raphael Perez (left shoulder surgery in September 2012) threw live batting practice April 11 for the first time since becoming a member of the Twins organization. He isn’t on the disabled list, as he signed a minor league contract with Minnesota in February.
ROTATION:
RHP Vance Worley
RHP Kevin Correia
RHP Mike Pelfrey
LHP Scott Diamond
LHP Pedro Hernandez
BULLPEN:
LHP Glen Perkins (closer)
RHP Jared Burton
LHP Brian Duensing
RHP Casey Fien
RHP Anthony Swarzak
RHP Ryan Pressly
RHP Josh Roenicke
CATCHERS:
Joe Mauer
DH Ryan Doumit
INFIELDERS:
1B Justin Morneau
2B Brian Dozier
SS Pedro Florimon
3B Trevor Plouffe
INF/OF Jamey Carroll
INF Eduardo Escobar
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Josh Willingham
CF Aaron Hicks
RF Chris Parmelee
OF Wilkin Ramirez
OF Oswaldo Arcia
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