Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 10, 2016mlb.mlb.com/documents/8/3/8/183244838/Clips_6_10_2016_17... · 2020. 4. 20. · Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Friday, June 10, 2016

Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Friday, June 10, 2016

Marlins' seven-run seventh ruins Twins' shot at sweep. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 1 Twins select outfielder Alex Kirilloff with 15th pick in MLB draft. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins' Hughes leaves relief outing after scary line drive. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3 Twins give up seven in seventh, lose to Miami. Pioneer Press (Greder) p. 5 Twins take outfielder Alex Kirilloff with No. 15 overall draft pick. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Twins’ demoted closer Kevin Jepsen won’t sit and accept struggles. Pioneer Press (Greder) p. 7 Twins still waiting for first big leaguer from 2011 draft. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 8 Twins draft outfielder Kirilloff at 15th overall. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9 Twins fall after Santana, 'pen falter in 7-run 7th. MLB.com (Mason and Myers) p. 10 Hughes helped off after liner strikes knee. MLB.com (Mason) p. 11 HS catcher Rortvedt taken with 56th pick. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12 Twins draft infielder Miranda at No. 73. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 13 Twins cap Draft Day 1 with Baddoo at 74. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 13 Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Hughes and Arcia injured, 7th-inning implosion, Ichiro. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 14 Phil Hughes hit in knee with line drive, will have MRI on Friday; Arcia has bruised foot. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 15 Twins expect recent cortisone injection to solve Trevor May’s back problem. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 16 Zulgad: Twins’ blunder was best thing that could have happened to David Ortiz. 1500 ESPN (Zulgad) p. 16 Ozuna, Marlins blast Twins 10-3 to avoid sweep. Associated Press p. 17 The one who got away: David Ortiz returns to Minnesota for final time. ESPN (Lauber) p. 19

Marlins' seven-run seventh ruins Twins' shot at sweep Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 10, 2016 They had faced each other so often, Ervin Santana knew what to expect when Ichiro Suzuki stepped into the batter’s box in the seventh inning of a tie game Thursday night. “He makes it look so easy. He’s got so much confidence,” Santana said two days before their game-at-stake matchup in Target Field. “He doesn’t try to do too much, he just tries to put the bat on the ball. And he’s very good at it.” Against Santana, there’s hardly anyone any better at it, actually. So it was no surprise at all Thursday when Suzuki did it again: He waited for a fastball, then served a looping line drive into right-center field, bringing home the go-ahead run from second and triggering an avalanche of Miami offense. The Marlins ended up with a seven-run inning and eventually, a 10-3 rout of the Twins, avoiding an embarrassing sweep. Things got a little embarrassing for the Twins, actually, after that big hit, and they got a little frightening, too. The tie score — frustrating enough since the Twins had materially aided the Marlins’ first- and second-inning runs — quickly turned into one of the more lopsided losses of the home team’s 41 this year when Miami collected six consecutive hits. And the Twins also lost Oswaldo Arcia to a bruised foot, and Phil Hughes to a line drive off his left knee, a ball that left him hobbling off the field with the help of a trainer. “Ervin battled and hung in there. But we didn’t do much early off their guy,” manager Paul Molitor said of Miami starter Tom Koehler. Still, after

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managing only one hit through the first 5⅔ innings, the Twins suddenly rallied for two runs, thanks to three two-out hits in the sixth inning, the last a ringing two-out double by Robbie Grossman. And then? “We couldn’t contain, they put up a big number, and that was pretty much the ballgame,” Molitor shrugged. Should have seen it coming, probably, given Suzuki’s decade-long mastery of Santana. No opponent has collected more hits off Santana than Suzuki’s 32, and only three pitchers have surrendered more to the future Hall of Famer. So when J.T. Realmuto and Adeiny Hechavarria knocked one-out singles in the seventh, Molitor sent pitching coach Eric Rassmussen to the mound to caution him about how to proceed. “I thought Ervin was pitching well enough to get us off the field. [The mound conference] was more about how to get Ichiro out,” Molitor said. “Unfortunately, [Santana] got behind and had to throw a fastball to him, which we didn’t want to do.” Sure enough, Santana left that 2-1 fastball near the middle of the plate, and the 42-year-old hitting master was practically running to first base before swinging at the pitch. He punched it for career hit No. 2,973, and his seventh of the three-game series. “He was just waiting for one pitch,” Santana said, “and he don’t miss.” And as if that single wasn’t disastrous enough, what followed left the Twins gasping for air. Trevor May first threw a wild pitch, his seventh of the season, that allowed Hechavarria to score. Then he faced three batters, gave up two doubles and a single, and was removed. Taylor Rogers relieved him and, after striking out Giancarlo Stanton (the slugger’s fourth whiff of the night), he surrendered a line drive into the right field seats to pinch hitter Chris Johnson for a 9-2 Miami lead. “Trevor threw some good pitches, but they obviously were kind of locked in,” Molitor said. “It happened fast.” Twins select outfielder Alex Kirilloff with 15th pick in MLB draft La Velle E. Neal | Star Tribune | June 10, 2016 Alex Kirilloff was with friends, family and teammates Thursday and couldn't have been happier. Major League Baseball invited him to attend the draft proceedings in Secaucus, N.J., but he declined. His high school team had a playoff game that day anyway. A scout even contacted the high school league to see if it would reschedule the game. It declined. So after Pittsburgh Plum High School advanced to the Pennsylvania state semi-finals Thursday, Kirilloff had a draft party. And everyone there found out at once that the Twins made the outfielder the 15th overall pick. "It's kind of a surreal moment," said Kirilloff, 18. "We had a party with the team, coaches, family and friends. When they called my name, everyone went nuts." With their second pick of the draft, the Twins picked catcher Ben Rortvedt with the 56th overall selection. Catcher is a position of need in the organization, and Rortvedt, who played at Verona (Wis.) High School outside of Madison, is a good hitting prospect with some power. His throws well, but his catching skills need work. Rortvedt is a Arkansas recruit. With the 73rd overall pick, the Twins selected Jose Miranda, from Leadership Christian Academy from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Miranda will enter the organization as a shortstop but is expected to eventually move to third base. With the 74th pick, the Twins selected outfielder Akil Baddoo, from Salem High in Conyers, Ga. The one knock on him is his arm strength, but he can run and has good offensive potential. And the end of the first day of the draft, the Twins had selected four high school position players — and no pitchers. "Need some bats," Johnson said. Kirilloff certainly qualifies. The outfielder was batting .544 for Plum through 19 games with three home runs and 23 RBI. He had a .645 on-base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage.

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The Twins have been impressed with how Kirilloff has developed over the past year. Scouting director Deron Johnson attended three of his games and noticed how he rose to the occasion when he went up against better pitching. Although he hit only three home runs during the season, he won the 2015 Perfect Game Home Run Challenge with 34 homers — 12 in the final at Petco Park in San Diego. "This kid can hit," Johnson said. "He has good strike zone judgment and barrels it up consistently." Being with friends, family and teammates to watch the draft is notable. While he attends Plum, he studies through Pennsylvania Cyber School, a public charter school with online courses. So some teams, during their due diligence, wondered why. "Some of the questions were about how I interact with people," Kirilloff said. There was a big reason why he went the home-school route: He could immerse himself in the game. He gets up in the morning and takes care of his schoolwork. Then there's practice with his team and then workouts with his father, David, a former amateur player who did some scouting but who now operates an indoor facility for baseball and softball players. The facility allows for year-round training. And that enabled Alex Kirilloff to work on his game. All the time. "My passion for the game of baseball is on and off the field," he said. "You have to enjoy the process." He considers his teammates to be close friends. Taking classes online actually helped him juggle his busy schedule. He has graduated from cyber school and has no regrets about the decision. "There are no problems with interaction or anything like that," he said. Johnson said that Kirilloff has a chance to begin his pro career at Elizabethton of the Appalachian League. The Twins usually start high school draftees in the Gulf Coast League for rookies, but the Twins think Kirilloff's bat can handle the next level of the Appalachian League. There doesn't appear to be any initial hurdles to sign Kirilloff. The league office has recommended a bonus of $2.8 million for the 15th pick. Former Twins prospect Jeff Randazzo is Kirilloff's adviser, and the Twins expect to sign him after his high school season is over. Kirilloff is playing center field for Plum but projects as a corner outfielder. He also plays first base, but the Twins want to try him in the outfield first. He was asked what his preferred position is. "I feel like I want to play wherever the Minnesota Twins want me to play," he said. "Wherever that is." Good answer. Twins' Hughes leaves relief outing after scary line drive Phil Miller | Star Tribune | June 10, 2016 Phil Hughes will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam on Friday, Twins manager Paul Molitor said after his team’s 10-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on Thursday “just to make sure” no serious damage was done to the righthander’s his left knee by the bullet of a baseball that crashed into his leg. It’s almost as if the Twins don’t believe he’s OK. That’s because the collision appeared so harmful at the moment. When J.T. Realmuto’s screamer back up the middle bounced off Hughes’ knee, the pitcher crumpled to the ground in pain, grabbing his leg. He laid on the ground for several minutes before Twins athletic trainer Tony Leo helped Hughes to his feet, then gingerly supported him as he slowly limped off the field.

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Yet X-rays found no damage other than a bruise, giving the Twins hope that the 29-year-old Hughes won’t be sidelined for too long. “We’re optimistic, as far as no breakage,” Molitor said, though he cautioned that the Twins will make no decisions about his status until after Friday’s MRI. It was Hughes’ first relief appearance of the season, and just his third in three seasons with the Twins, after he was demoted from the rotation following a series of subpar outings that ballooned the veteran’s ERA to 5.95. Thursday’s appearance wasn’t particularly sharp, either; Hughes allowed three consecutive singles in the eighth inning, the last a single from Marcell Ozuna that provided Miami’s 10th run. “It was a time where he hadn’t pitched for a while, [so I wanted] to try to get him into a game,” Molitor said. “It made sense to get him some work. But he took a really hot shot.” Hughes’ injury wasn’t the Twins’ only one, either. Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia fouled a pitch off his right foot in the sixth inning, and was removed for Max Kepler when the inning ended. “He came off after the at-bat, [and] he couldn’t put any pressure on his foot,” Molitor said. “He hobbled out of here, but he took a good shot, too. He’s more day to day.” Jepsen’s issue: control Kevin Jepsen was informed “a couple of days ago” that he would be given a hiatus as closer, Molitor said, “so he knows where we’re at with that.” Where they’re at is: Brandon Kintzler and perhaps Fernando Abad likely will handle the ninth inning for the foreseeable future, while Jepsen tries to correct the problems that have caused him to give up at least one hit in 16 consecutive appearances, dating to April 25, and runs in 12 of his 25 games overall. Jepsen “is doing fine. He’s a very prideful guy who’s had consistency over his career, whether its been as a setup [role] or in his short term as closer here,” Molitor said. “The one thing in his past that has been a hiccup at times has been control. And [his recent slump] hasn’t been that as much as not having the ability to throw all three pitches, like he needs to do to be successful.” Jepsen has fallen behind 49 of the 108 hitters he has faced this season. Morneau to White Sox Joe Mauer “had a good talk a week ago” with Justin Morneau, and they discussed the former Twins first baseman’s timetable for a return from offseason elbow surgery. “There were a couple of teams interested in him,” Mauer said, “but I know he wanted to be pretty close to healthy” before putting his name on a contract. That’s why Thursday’s news, that Morneau had agreed to an incentive-laden $1 million deal with the White Sox, was welcomed by Mauer. “I know he’s still getting healthy, so with him signing, it’s a real positive sign that he’s starting to feel pretty good,” Mauer said. Not a bad venue for Morneau, either; the 2006 AL MVP has hit 15 home runs at U.S. Cellular Field, his career-high for non-Minnesota ballparks. “A lot of guys love hitting in that park,” Mauer said. Morneau was immediately placed on the disabled list as he continues to recover. To make room for him, Chicago designated Mat Latos for assignment. The veteran righthander started the season 5-0, including two victories over the Twins, but had a 7.26 ERA over his past six starts.

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Twins give up seven in seventh, lose to Miami Andy Greder | Pioneer Press | June 9, 2016 Sitting at 100 pitches and with Ichiro, the centenarian in baseball years, coming to the plate, Twins interim pitching coach Eric Rasmussen visited starter Ervin Santana on the mound Thursday night. But the subsequent age-defying actions from Ichiro, who is actually 42, spoke louder than the short conversation held on the mound in the seventh inning. The future Hall of Fame player singled to right field to score two runs and break Minnesota’s hard fought 2-2 tie. That’s also when the Miami Marlins’ hit barrage broke loose, firing in all directions at Target Field. Ichiro’s seventh hit of the series sparked a seven-run inning in Miami’s 10-3 win over Minnesota. “He makes it look easy,” Santana said. “So he’s just waiting for one pitch (a fastball), and he don’t miss.” With the brutal inning, the Twins (18-41) failed to secure their third sweep in an increasingly lost season. Minnesota has two series sweeps, against the Los Angeles Angels on April 15-17 and May 27-29 against the Seattle Mariners. Instead, it was the fifth time the Twins have given up 10 or more runs in a game. In the ninth, starter-turned-reliever Phil Hughes was hit in the left knee with an estimated 106 mph ball off of J.T. Realmuto’s bat. After Hughes left the game, an X-ray was negative, and he will have a magnetic resonance imaging test done Friday, manager Paul Molitor said. “We’re optimistic, as far as no breakage at least to this point,” Molitor said. “I think we will do an MRI tomorrow to make sure.” After Ichiro’s big hit, Santana was pulled after 6 1/3 innings. Reliever Trevor May gave up three successive runs on three hits without a merciful out. Taylor Rogers gave up another run on two hits and the two necessary outs to get out of the seventh. “I wanted (Santana) in the game still,” Molitor said about the mound visit from Rasmussen. “I still thought Ervin was throwing well enough to give us a chance to get off the field and the game was tied at that point, so it was more about how to get Ichiro out. Unfortunately we got behind, and we had to throw a fastball to him, which we didn’t want to do.” Santana had settled down after giving up a run apiece in the first two innings. Both were due to his blunders. In the first, Ichiro led off the game with a single and advanced to second on Santana’s throwing error, which got past first baseman Joe Mauer. In his 16th year, Ichiro, who has six stolen bases on the season, induced a bad throw from Santana. Ichiro later scored on Marcell Ozuna’s double to center. In the next inning, Realmuto singled, advanced on Santana’s balk and scored on Adeiny Hechavarria’s single. Santana disputed the balk call because the batter wasn’t in the box. “Ervin battled through that and held in there,” Molitor said. “We didn’t do much of their guy (Tom Koehler).” The Twins were retired in order in the first three innings. Through five innings, Minnesota had only one hit, a leadoff single from Eduardo Nunez in the fourth inning. Nunez tried to steal second but was called out after an umpires review. The Twins got their first runner into scoring position in the sixth when Byron Buxton and Eduardo Nunez reached on soft singles. Newcomer Robbie Grossman, who signed a free-agent contract with the Twins on May 16, tied the game with a double to the right-center gap. He has reached in 18 of 19 games in Minnesota. That brief positivity for the Twins was sunk during the seven-run seventh.

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Twins take outfielder Alex Kirilloff with No. 15 overall draft pick Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | June 9, 2016 The scouting comparisons are pretty impressive for Pittsburgh high school outfielder Alex Kirilloff and his smooth left-handed swing. Twins scouting director Deron Johnson, who pulled Kirilloff’s card with the No. 15 overall pick, was reminded of his days scouting Miami Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich. Tim O’Neil, the longtime area scout for the Twins, mentioned a young Todd Helton. Others see Max Kepler “with a little more thump,” Johnson said after grabbing a player that projects as a right fielder and first baseman in pro ball. “There’s a lot of Kepler in there,” Johnson said Thursday. “This kid can hit, man. He’s very aware of the strike zone and he barrels it up consistently.” Kirilloff, 18, won the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer in San Diego at cavernous Petco Park. At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Kiriloff should add even more power as he fills out physically. After going 1 for 3 with an intentional walk on Thursday morning to help Plum High School win a state playoff quarterfinal, Kirilloff watched the draft at home with his family, friends, teammates and coaches. His father David, who owns an indoor baseball facility in the area and had his son hitting off a tee at 11 months old, was particularly moved by the experience. “He was super excited,” Kirilloff said. “He was the first person I hugged. This is a dream come true for him, too.” It was from his father, whose amateur career ended due to a blood-clot disorder, that Kirilloff learned to enjoy honing his craft. “Baseball is something that was instilled by my dad from a very, very young age,” he said. “Definitely the passion for the game of baseball is on and off the field. You’ve got to enjoy the process before the game, enjoy the process during the game. It’s a big part of our routine.” Due to his extensive baseball obligations, Kirilloff has attended an online school since the 10th grade. A baseball prodigy from an early age, he was playing travel ball with 12 year olds when he was 8 and made the varsity as a ninth-grader. Johnson couldn’t recall the Twins ever drafting and signing a home-schooled ballplayer, but there were no concerns about Kiriloff’s makeup or his ability to relate to his peers. “We did our work with this kid,” Johnson said. “He’s a mature guy. He gets along well with his teammates. You can see that just with his interaction around his team. He’s a very mature kid. Signability isn’t a concern with Kirilloff, who signed a baseball scholarship with Liberty University and is being advised by former Twins minor-league lefty Jeff Randazzo. The bonus allotment for the No. 15 pick is $2,817,100, and Kirilloff should be in the fold soon. In the second round, the Twins took Verona Area (Wis.) High School catcher Ben Rortvedt at No. 56 overall. Committed to play at Arkansas, Rortvedt has above-average power potential from the left side and was rated the best high school catcher in the draft. “This kid was born to catch,” Johnson said of the former high school running back and linebacker. “He has tremendous leadership qualities. He’ll get in a pitcher’s face … and he can hit.” Florida right-hander Logan Shore, a potential Twins target after they drafted him three years ago out of Coon Rapids High School, was taken 10 picks earlier by the Oakland A’s. Nebraska outfielder Ryan Boldt (Red Wing) went to the Tampa Bay Rays at No. 53. With their two competitive-balance picks the Twins took Puerto Rico high school shortstop Jose Miranda (No. 73) and Conyers, Ga., high school outfielder Akil Baddoo (No. 74).

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Miranda has drawn comparisons to a young Mike Lowell and figures to play third base eventually. Baddoo, a Kentucky signee, is “out of the Jacque Jones mold,” Johnson said, with good speed and the ability to play center despite unusual throwing mechanics. Slot value at No. 56 is $1,141,600. Slot for Miranda and Baddoo will be $878,500 and $865,200, respectively. With five picks in the top 93, the Twins have $8.15 million in their total draft pool for the first 10 rounds. After picking in the top six the past four years, the Twins had to reach a little deeper into their draft board this time. They chose outfielder Byron Buxton (2012), right-hander Kohl Stewart (2013), shortstop Nick Gordon (2014) and left-hander Tyler Jay (2015) in recent first rounds. All but Jay were high school picks. Before Buxton, the Twins hadn’t taken a high school position player in the first round since outfielder Aaron Hicks in 2008, Johnson’s first draft as scouting director. Before that it was outfielder Chris Parmelee in 2006. Both Hicks and Parmelee were from southern California. California prep outfielder Mickey Moniak went first overall this year to the Philadelphia Phillies. Kirilloff was the fourth high school player drafted this year. “You can see just the way he goes about it,” Johnson said of Kirilloff’s passion for the game. “He just plays the game the right way. For a Northeast kid, he’s pretty advanced.” The history is daunting for Wisconsin high school players that signed out of the draft. According to Baseball America, just four of the 26 players taken in the first 10 rounds all-time have reached the majors. Of those, just one was drafted in the past 45 years: Former Kansas City Royals second-rounder Erik Cordier, a right-hander from Brussels, Wis., who made his big-league debut at age 28 as a reliever for the 2014 San Francisco Giants. Over the past 30 years, Cordier is the only one of seven Wisconsin high school draft-and-signs that went beyond Class A after being selected in the first 10 rounds. “Each guy is an individual,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to trust your scouts to know their makeup and ability.” Twins’ demoted closer Kevin Jepsen won’t sit and accept struggles Andy Greder | Pioneer Press | June 9, 2016 Kevin Jepsen wasn’t dejected Thursday, a day after his demotion from the Twins’ closer role became public. As most of his teammates were on the field for batting practice, Jepsen strolled into the clubhouse enthused by a tip he had just tried out. “Being able to do a couple of things with my hands mechanically that is not allowing me to ride down the mound long enough, so I’m pulling off early,” Jepsen told the Pioneer Press. “It’s taking some life away from the baseball.” Jepsen has been listless this season. His earned-run average has hit 6.17 in 25 appearances, a bloated figure compared with his 1.61 ERA with the Twins last season. Jepsen, who has a career 3.78 ERA, was traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Twins on July 31. “Obviously this isn’t me — what I’ve done to start the 2016 season,” Jepsen said. “It’s been frustrating. It’s a daily grind. I’m not just a person that is going to sit here and accept it. I’m going to grind with it. I know how good I am. It’s about finding a way to get back to me.” With Jepsen struggling and all-star closer Glen Perkins injured, Brandon Kintzler and Fernando Abad will share save chances depending on matchups and other factors, Twins manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday night. The development surfaced when Kintzler got the his first career save in a 7-5 win Wednesday over Miami. Jepsen eagerly displayed and discussed the adjustment with Trevor May and Abad in the clubhouse. Jepsen’s theory about the higher placement of his hands during his windup will, of course, need to be game-tested. He went into Wednesday’s game having allowed at least one

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hit in 16 consecutive outings. “He’s a very prideful guy,” Molitor said. “He has had consistency most of his career, whether it’s in a setup or short-term as a closer here. The one thing in his past that has been a hiccup has been control at times. It hasn’t been that as much as not having ability to throw all three pitches like he needs to do to be successful.” Jepson is confident he will soon be able to return to efficiency. “It feels great, so hopefully I will be able to get back to my old self,” Jepsen said. CELEBRATION ‘A PART OF THE GAME’ On his way to Target Field the past two days, Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki has not dialed into sports talk radio shows. He hasn’t heard their criticisms for the Twins’ boisterous celebration after Brian Dozier hit a walk-off home run in a 6-4 win in the 11th inning Tuesday. The line of thinking from radio personalities has been the Twins should just mute their reactions given their last-place, 18-40 record heading into Thursday’s series finale against Miami. “Everybody has their own opinion, but we are out there busting our butt every single day,” Suzuki responded. “We are in a good game, we are in the major leagues. They can say look at the record, look at this. … “It’s hard to understand when you haven’t played the game before,” Suzuki continued. “You are in the dugout, you are in the trenches battling. I don’t care if you are 1-99, you are going to be excited because it’s part of the game.” ARCIA HURT Rightfielder Oswaldo Arcia was removed from Thursday’s game with a right foot bruise. An X-Ray was negative, meaning it didn’t reveal a break. He is listed as day-to-day. Twins still waiting for first big leaguer from 2011 draft John Shipley | Pioneer Press | June 9, 2016 Major League Baseball’s amateur draft starts tonight with little fanfare outside of the diehard circles. The Twins have the 15th overall pick after becoming briefly respectable last season, and will make roughly three-dozen more picks before the league’s 30 teams feel they have turned over every rock. But not even turning over every rock produces many major league players. Baseball is the most difficult sport in the world, whether you’re a pitcher or a position player; it’s hard to find guys who can make it. The Twins were coming off an American League Central Division championship in their first season at Target Field when they settled down for the 2011 June draft; five years later, not one of their 50 picks has played an inning for them, although those who have been watching this week got to see left-hander Kyle Barraclough, who was selected in the 40th round but never signed with the Twins. Left-hander Jason Wheeler, 4-1 with a 2.05 earned-run average in eight starts with Class AAA Rochester this season after being selected in eighth round out of Loyola-Marymount. Wheeler, 25, and teammate Nick Burdi, a 23-year-old right-handed reliever, appear to be the only Twins picks on target for a big-league career in Minnesota. The Twins had started their plummet into the abyss by June 2011, and had the 30th overall pick. But they also had two compensation picks. I was there when they picked North Carolina shortstop Levi Michael with the 30th overall pick and remember feeling like even the Twins weren’t all that excited. He was the first college position player the team had selected in the first round since first baseman Travis Lee in 1996 and is at Class AA Chattanooga hitting .194 in 48 games through Wednesday. They seemed more interested in high school pitcher Hudson Boyd, who went to school across the street from the Twins’ minor league complex in Fort Myers, Fla. He got as far as Cedar Rapids in 2014 and appears to be out of baseball. Right fielder Travis Harrison is at Chattanooga, hitting .267 with 11 doubles and 25 RBIs but is only 23.

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This clearly wasn’t a great draft for the Twins, but it’s also not uncommon in baseball. Keep that in mind the next few days as the names trickle in. Twins draft outfielder Kirilloff at 15th overall Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins went with a high school outfielder in the first round of Thursday's MLB Draft, as they selected Alex Kirilloff from Pittsburgh's Plum High School with the No. 15 overall pick. Kirilloff, 18, has an unusual backstory, as he's home-schooled, taking classes with Pennsylvania Cyber School, a public charter school with online courses, while playing baseball at Plum High. Kirilloff, ranked as the No. 18 overall Draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is known for his advanced bat, as he's hitting .544/.645/1.000 with three homers and 23 RBIs in 19 games. He has 17 extra-base hits, 17 walks and has struck out once. He's committed to Liberty University, but his signability is not a concern. Minnesota has $2.82 million available for its first pick. "We like the pick," said Twins scouting director Deron Johnson, who compared Kirilloff to Miami's Christian Yelich. "Picking No. 15, he's a guy we targeted. We're happy as a group. The first thing is his swing. He's got a really good technical swing. He squares up every ball." • 56th overall: Ben Rortvedt • 73rd overall: Jose Miranda • 74th overall: Akil Baddoo The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 11:30 a.m. CT, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at noon CT. Kirilloff was invited to the MLB Draft headquarters in Secaucus, N.J., but declined because he wanted to host a draft party with his family, friends, coaches and teammates. "It was kind of a surreal moment," he said. "When they called my name, everyone went nuts. It was a great moment. It's been a great day so far. I'm excited for what the future holds." The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder also plays first base, but is expected to play outfield, as Johnson said Kirilloff possesses plus-speed and a good arm, as he was clocked around 90 mph off the mound as a pitcher. He also has good bloodlines, considering his father, Dave Kirilloff, was a scout with the Pirates and a coach at various levels. "Baseball is something that was instilled in me by my dad at a very young age," Kirilloff said. "My whole life he's owned an indoor training facility. So to have that accessible to me for any time I wanted to train has been great. It's been a key part of my development." The Twins began scouting Kirilloff last year, and were impressed by what they saw from him in showcases last summer, as there were questions about the quality of the competition he was facing in high school. He won the 2015 Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Challenge, hitting 34 homers, including 12 in the finals at Petco Park. "He takes competitive at-bats, even against advanced pitching," Johnson said. "It's a little difficult to evaluate players in the league he plays in but following him in the summer against better pitching, it made our evaluation that much easier." He's the first high school outfielder taken by the Twins since drafting Byron Buxton with the No. 2 overall pick in 2012. He's also the first player to be drafted from the Pittsburgh area in the first round since Neil Walker in 2004. He was recommended by Twins scout Jay Wietzel, and Kirilloff's adviser is former Twins player Jeff Randazzo.

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Twins fall after Santana, 'pen falter in 7-run 7th Tyler Mason and Dan Myers | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- Fueled by a seven-run seventh inning, the Marlins routed the Twins, 10-3, on Thursday night in the series finale at Target Field. The Marlins broke a 2-2 tie with the big inning, which was was capped by a two-run homer by pinch-hitter Chris Johnson, and avoided a sweep by Minnesota. Marcell Ozuna paced Miami's offense with four hits and three RBIs. The Marlins chased Twins starter Ervin Santana in the seventh and sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, tallying eight hits. J.T. Realmuto scored on a single by Ichiro Suzuki for the go-ahead run, and the next five batters after him followed suit by crossing home plate. Johnson entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Justin Bour and took reliever Taylor Rogers deep to right to complete the seven-run frame, which came one inning after Minnesota tied the game. "That game was kind of setting up like the first two, really, from the standpoint that we get a little lead early, not a lot going on," said Marlins manager Don Mattingly. "You never know when it starts, so it was good to be able to add on tonight. We talked about pretty much the whole series not being able to add on. Obviously tonight we were able to add on a lot, so that made it easier for us." The Twins' bullpen hadn't allowed a run in 10 straight innings before Thursday's game. That changed in the seventh when reliever Trevor May faced three batters, all three of which eventually came around to score. The loss dropped the Twins to 18-41 after Minnesota had won the first two games of the series. "The last couple games, we did a little better job of when we scored to go back out there and put up a zero, and it eventually led to a couple wins," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "Tonight, when we finally did get back to even, you're hoping Ervin can somehow get through one more inning and give you a chance heading into the bottom of the seventh." Marlins starter Tom Koehler earned the victory, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. He retired the first nine men he faced and allowed just one baserunner through his first 5 2/3 innings. He left the game with it tied at 2, but secured the win with Miami's offensive explosion in the seventh. "We had the lead and unfortunately, I gave two runs back there in the sixth, so to have the guys respond and put up a nice crooked number there, they picked me up," Koehler said. "I would have loved to have gotten out of that sixth unscathed and see what could have happened with the rest of the day, but we needed to get the game today. Anyway we got the win, that's all that mattered." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Seven in the seventh: The game was moving along briskly until the Marlins collected six straight one-out hits in the seventh. Miami had eight hits and a hit batter among its 12 batters in the inning, with Realmuto reaching base twice, as the Marlins tied their season high for runs scored in an inning. Grossman stays hot: Twins outfielder Robbie Grossman, who joined the club in late May, picked up two more RBIs with a two-out double in the sixth. Grossman's eighth double of the year drove in Byron Buxton and Nunez to tie the game at 2. Grossman now has 13 RBIs in 19 games with Minnesota, and has reached base in 18 of those games. Koehler cruises early: Koehler was brilliant early on, retiring the first nine men he faced and not allowing a hit until Nunez's leadoff single in the fourth. Even Nunez was erased shortly after trying to steal second base. Koehler had a clean fifth and retired the first two men he faced in the sixth before the Twins staged a two-out rally to get on the board. "I thought his breaking ball was good today. He used the slider and the breaking ball, he mixes his fastball around the zone," Mattingly said. "He's not a guy that's going to be real clean as far as spot, spot, spot. It's more of a mix of pitches. I thought he did a good job with his breaking ball and using his changeup some. He just had a really good mix, and that worked better with these guys than just straight power." Nunez back on track: One night after going 0-for-5, Nunez rebounded with a pair of hits, putting his season average at .332. Nunez singled in the fourth and sixth, while scoring the tying run in the sixth on Grossman's double. Nunez finished the night 2-for-4. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. He grounded into a double play in his final at-bat in the eighth inning, but he certainly

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didn't make it easy for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who started the 4-6-3 double play after the ball came off Stanton's bat at 123.9 mph -- the hardest-hit ball ever recorded by Statcast™. REPLAY REVIEW Nunez appeared to steal second base with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Marlins challenged the call. After an estimated two-minute, 12-second review, the call was overturned and Nunez was called out after the replay official determined Nunez didn't maintain contact with second base while the tag was applied. INJURIES Twins right fielder Oswaldo Arcia left with a right foot contusion in the seventh. X-rays were negative, and Arcia is considered day to day. He was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before the injury. Arcia was replaced in the lineup by Max Kepler. Twins reliever Phil Hughes left in the ninth after taking a line drive to the left knee. Hughes was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Realmuto with one out and was helped off the field by a trainer after being attended to near the pitcher's mound. The Twins announced he has a left knee contusion and is listed as day to day. WHAT'S NEXT Marlins: Miami continues a nine-game road trip on Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET in Arizona, when it opens a three-game series against the D-backs at Chase Field. Left-hander Justin Nicolino will seek his first victory since May 3 against Arizona at Marlins Park. Nicolino allowed just two runs against the Mets his last time out, but lasted only 5 1/3 innings, and he hasn't pitched past the sixth inning since his first start of the season on April 27. Lefty Patrick Corbin (3-5, 4.73 ERA) will start for Arizona. Twins: Minnesota's homestand continues Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT as the Twins play host to the Red Sox for three games at Target Field. Right-hander Tyler Duffey is slated to start the series opener against Boston. It's the first time this season the Twins and Red Sox will face off. The two teams are also scheduled for a four-game series in Boston in late July. Friday marks Duffey's 19th career big league start, and his first time facing the Red Sox. Right-hander Steven Wright (6-4, 2.29 ERA) will take the mound for Boston. Hughes helped off after liner strikes knee Tyler Mason | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins have leaned on their bullpen quite a bit recently, and the relief corps had been up to the task. That changed Thursday night, when things went from bad to worse in a hurry for the bullpen in a 10-3 loss to the Marlins, punctuated by an injury to right-hander Phil Hughes. With the Twins trailing by eight in the ninth inning, Hughes took a line drive off the inside of his left knee. The ball left J.T. Realmuto's bat at 106 mph, per Statcast™, and caused Hughes to fall to the ground. He was attended to by a trainer before being helped off the field, putting little weight on his left leg. The Twins announced that Hughes suffered a left knee contusion and is listed as day-to-day. X-rays were negative, and manager Paul Molitor said Hughes will have an MRI on Friday to see if there is further damage. "He took a really hard shot off the inside of his knee there," Molitor said. "We won't be able to know anything as far as length and how long he might be out because of that until we get a little better idea [Friday]." It's been a tough year for Hughes, who was demoted to the bullpen in late May. Thursday was the first time he pitched in relief this year, and he allowed a run on four hits in 1 2/3 innings before leaving with the injury. In 11 starts this season, Hughes was 1-7 with a 5.97 ERA before the move to the bullpen. He did make a four-inning spot start on June 2, which was the last time he pitched before Thursday. The injury to Hughes was the end of a bad night for Minnesota's 'pen, which allowed five runs in relief of starter Ervin Santana. Three of those runs were charged to Trevor May, who faced just three batters and surrendered three hits.

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May also pitched Wednesday in relief but didn't pitch for a week prior to that outing. In Thursday's appearance, May allowed back-to-back doubles to Martin Prado and Christian Yelich, followed by an RBI single to Marcell Ozuna. "Trevor threw some good pitches, but obviously they were kind of locked in," Molitor said. "He made the mistake to Prado, and Yelich got the curveball. They just kept swinging. It happened fast." Left-hander Taylor Rogers also surrendered a run when he served up a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Chris Johnson in the seventh. Johnson's third home run of the season also brought in Ozuna. Prior to Thursday, the Twins' relievers had not allowed a run in their past 10 innings. Dating back to May 24, the bullpen's ERA was 2.49 -- the third-best mark in the Majors during that stretch. But the wheels came off in the Marlins' seven-run seventh inning, with four of those runs charged to the bullpen. "Ervin was still feeling good, but between him and Trevor coming in, I think they bunched together about six hits in a row," Molitor said. "They put up a big number, and that was pretty much the ballgame." HS catcher Rortvedt taken with 56th pick Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins went with another high school position player with their second pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, selecting catcher Ben Rortvedt from Wisconsin's Verona Area High School with the No. 56 overall pick. After taking prep outfielder Alex Kirilloff with the No. 15 overall pick, the Twins went with Rortvedt, who hails from New Glarus, Wisc., which is about 280 miles from Minneapolis. Rortvedt, ranked as the No. 51 Draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is considered the best offensive catcher among high schoolers. "We targeted him last year as well," Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said. "We thought he was one of the better high school catchers available. He can throw, he can hit. He has really good makeup. We thought he was one of the only catchers who could hit. The kid was born to catch." The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 11:30 a.m. CT, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at noon CT. As a senior, the left-handed hitter batted .406 with five doubles, three triples and 10 RBIs. As a junior in 2015, he batted .437 with 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 29 RBIs with a .770 slugging percentage. Rortvedt also played football as a running back, linebacker, kicker and punter. Rortvedt, 18, fills a need for the Twins, who are light on organizational catching depth, especially at the lower levels. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is committed to the University of Arkansas, but is expected to sign. The pick carries a slot value of $1,141,600. "He's not the biggest guy, but he's really strong," Johnson said. "He's got tremendous leadership qualities." Johnson also praised Rortvedt's defensive skills behind the plate, as he's more than just an offense-first backstop. "He's a really good receiver," Johnson said. "He has an average-to-plus arm. This guy can throw. Good hands. He calls a good game. He's a good leader. He's very vocal. He'll get into a pitcher's face. Tough kid. He's a grinder." Rortvedt is just the seventh Wisconsin high schooler to be drafted in the first two rounds of the last 51 Drafts, joining shortstop Gavin Lux, who was taken by the Dodgers with the No. 20 overall pick. "The Upper Midwest was pretty good this year," Johnson said. "It's getting better, talent-wise."

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Twins draft infielder Miranda at No. 73 Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- After taking three players from Puerto Rico within their first 16 selections last year, the Twins continued that trend in Thursday's MLB Draft, taking shortstop/third baseman Jose Miranda from Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo with the No. 73 overall pick in Lottery Round B. It was also the third straight high school position player taken by the Twins on the first day of the Draft, as they took high school outfielder Alex Kirilloff with the No. 15 overall pick and high school catcher Ben Rortvedt with the No. 56 overall selection. The slot value of the No. 73 pick is $878,500. Miranda, who wasn't ranked among the top Draft prospects by MLBPipeline.com, is currently a shortstop, but Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder is likely to move to third base. "He has a really good swing," Johnson said. "He's aggressive. We're going to send him out as a shortstop, but realistically, he's probably a third baseman. But he's a really good player and really skilled." The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 11:30 a.m. CT, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at noon CT. Johnson also praised Miranda for his defense skills, but noted he's not known for his speed, as he projects to be more of a power-hitting third baseman. "He's not the greatest athlete and not a huge runner, but he can pick it," Johnson said. "We have him compared to a Mike Lowell-type. He's a really good defender with a good swing. He's a good-sized kid. He has a chance to have power for sure." Miranda joins fellow Puerto Ricans in Minnesota's system such as Jose Berrios, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario. Miranda is the second player drafted from Christian Leadership Academy in the last two years, joining outfielder Lean Marrero, who was taken in the 16th round in '15. Johnson said he trusts the work of his scouts in Puerto Rico and that it's been a good area for the organization in recent years. Miranda, who is committed to Broward Community College in Florida, was recommended by Twins scout Freddie Thon. "We like going there," Johnson said. "We always have. It's pretty good. Those guys do a good job down there." Twins cap Draft Day 1 with Baddoo at 74 Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 10, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins continued their trend of selecting high school position players on the first day of the MLB Draft, as they took outfielder Akil Baddoo from Georgia's Salem High School with the No. 74 overall pick in Lottery Round B on Thursday night. Baddoo, 17, joins high school outfielder Alex Kirilloff, who was taken with the No. 15 overall pick, high school catcher Ben Rortvedt (No. 56) and high school shortstop/third baseman Jose Miranda (No. 73). The slot value of the 74th pick, which the Twins received after they were unable to sign Kyle Cody with the No. 73 pick in the 2015 Draft, is $878,500. Baddoo, ranked as the No. 72 overall Draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is known for his combination of power and speed, as he has the potential to be a 20/20 player, earning comparisons to a young Carl Crawford, as he also hits and throws from the left side. "We really like Akil," Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said. "He's kind of in the Jacque Jones mold. He can really hit. He's got a good swing. He's really aggressive." The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 11:30 a.m. CT, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at noon CT. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder profiles as a center fielder going forward, and Johnson called him a plus runner.

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"He's a center fielder," Johnson said. "The knock on him is his arm strength. He has a different arm action. The kid can really hit. We think he has the potential to add power. He's strong. He's a good hitter who squares the ball up." Baddoo, a Conyers, Ga., native, was named a Rawlings-Perfect Game Second-Team All-American and named to the Southeast All Region First Team. He's committed to the University of Kentucky. It was a bit of a surprise the Twins didn't take any pitchers with their top four picks, but Johnson said all four selections were the guys they were targeting. "We needed some bats," Johnson said. "We were happy with today. We got who we wanted." Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Hughes and Arcia injured, 7th-inning implosion, Ichiro Derek Wetmore | 1500 ESPN | June 9, 2016 1. The Twins looked like they’d make a bid for a series sweep against the Marlins. Then the 7th inning happened. Twelve Marlins walked to the plate in that inning, and seven of them scored. Ervin Santana got one out and then gave up three consecutive singles. Ichiro Suzuki’s RBI base hit put the Marlins up 3-2 and was the last pitch Santana would throw. Trevor May entered in relief and things went south in a hurry. First, a wild pitch allowed Adeiny Hechavarria to score from third base. Then May gave up an RBI double to Martin Prado, another RBI double to Christian Yelich, and an RBI single to Marcell Ozuna. May, who had a cortisone shot in his back Monday, was pulled without recording an out. His ERA ballooned to 6.08 with the 3 earned runs allowed Thursday. Then reliever Taylor Rogers struck out Giancarlo Stanton, and surrendered a 2-run homer to pinch hitter Chris Johnson. 2. The Twins had just four hits entering the 9th inning. Two from Eduardo Nunez, an RBI double from Robbie Grossman and a bloop hit off Byron Buxton’s bat. Buxton and Nunez singled back-to-back in the 6th inning, and Grossman drove them both home with his double to the right-center field gap. Otherwise it was quiet until the Twins mounted their 9th-inning rally with three more hits and a run. The Twins have the fewest runs in the American League (222). They’re tied for 11th in hits (486). And they’re tied with Kansas City for the fewest RBIs (211). When people ask for a succinct explanation of what’s gone wrong with the 2016 Twins, I start by addressing the starting rotation. But the bullpen has also been bad and the Twins don’t score nearly enough runs or play well enough in the field to make up for those pitching shortcomings. People ask if poor hitting contributes to pitchers trying too hard and failing, or if it goes the other way around. In short, I think the only fair statement is to acknowledge that it’s a circular argument. 3. Phil Hughes and Oswaldo Arcia left Thursday’s game with injuries. Arcia was lifted after his 6th inning strikeout and replaced by Max Kepler in right field. Arcia has a right foot bruise and had X-rays taken, which came back negative. The Twins say he’s considered day-to-day with the injury. Hughes, on the other, will likely miss more time. Hughes was pitching in the 9th inning when J.T. Realmuto smoked a line drive up the middle that hit Hughes square in the left knee. According to MLB’s Statcast, the ball left his bat at 106 mph, and it caught Hughes straight on.

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Hughes stayed on the ground for a while in obvious pain, as manager Paul Molitor and a team trainer rushed out to check on the pitcher. After a few moments spent assessing his knee while sitting on the ground near the pitching mound, Molitor and trainer Tony Leo helped Hughes to his feet. It took both men to support Hughes as he limped off the field, and it looked as though he could barely put any weight on the injured left leg. “He took a really hard shot off the inside of his knee there,” Molitor said. “We’re optimistic that as far as no breakage. I think we’re doing an MRI [Friday] to make sure.” At that point the Twins will know more about the extent of the injury and how much time Hughes might miss. Hughes has had a tough season, which includes getting bumped from the starting rotation to his current role in the bullpen. He’s had issues with his pitching shoulder and doesn’t appear to consistently have the same caliber of stuff this year as we’ve seen in the past. The latest injury just adds another element to a trying year for Hughes. 4. Ichiro Suzuki had a pair of hits Thursday, including an RBI knock that started the scoring in the 7th inning. That gave him seven hits in the series against the Twins. He now has 163 hits in his career against the Twins, which makes Minnesota the seventh most victimized team by the legendary hitter from Japan. If you strip away his former division opponents from his days with the Mariners, only the Red Sox, Orioles and Blue Jays have allowed Suzuki to rack up more hits in his pursuit of 3,000 than the Twins. He’s 27 hits shy of an even 3,000 since he came to the United States in 2001. Given how it went for him in Minneapolis this week, Suzuki probably wishes he could hang around a little while longer. 5. The Twins used the 15th overall pick in Thursday night’s first-year player draft to select Alex Kirilloff, a left-handed-hitting outfielder out of a high school in New Kensington, Pa. In the second round, the Twins picked Ben Rortvedt, a high school catcher from Wisconsin, with the No. 56 overall pick. Baseball America rated Kirilloff as the 15th best prospect in the draft. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and won the 2015 Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Challenge. He was recommended by Twins scout, Jay Weitzel, according to the team. Five players on the team’s roster are former first-round picks. That list comprises Joe Mauer, Glen Perkins, Trevor Plouffe, Kyle Gibson and Byron Buxton. Phil Hughes hit in knee with line drive, will have MRI on Friday; Arcia has bruised foot Derek Wetmore | 1500 ESPN | June 9, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS — Phil Hughes and Oswaldo Arcia left Thursday’s game with injuries. Arcia was lifted after his 6th inning strikeout and replaced by Max Kepler in right field. Arcia has a right foot bruise and had an X-ray taken, which came back negative. He walked from the clubhouse after the game with a slight limp. The Twins say he’s considered day-to-day with the injury. Hughes, on the other hand, might have to miss more time. Hughes was pitching in the 9th inning when J.T. Realmuto smoked a line drive up the middle that hit Hughes square in the left knee. According to MLB’s Statcast, the ball left his bat at 106 mph, and it caught Hughes straight on. Hughes stayed on the ground for a while in obvious pain, as manager Paul Molitor and a team trainer rushed out to check on the pitcher. After a few moments assessing his knee while sitting on the ground near the pitching mound, Molitor and trainer Tony Leo helped Hughes to his feet. It

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took both men supporting Hughes as he limped off the field, and it looked as though he could barely put any weight on the injured left leg. He’ll have an MRI taken Friday, Molitor said. “He took a really hard shot off the inside of his knee there,” Molitor said. “We’re optimistic that as far as no breakage. I think we’re doing an MRI [Friday] to make sure.” At that point the Twins will know more about the extent of the injury and how much time Hughes might miss. Twins expect recent cortisone injection to solve Trevor May’s back problem Derek Wetmore | 1500 ESPN | June 9, 2016 Twins reliever Trevor May had a cortisone injection Monday to calm down inflammation in his back, according to two sources with knowledge of the procedure. May had been unavailable for about a week with a stiff back, so on the team’s off day, he was given a series of injections to see if it would relieve any pain stemming from a lack of mobility. The Twins used 7 relievers Tuesday after a team day off, but May did not pitch. Manager Paul Molitor then said he thought May would be ready to return in short order from the back stiffness. May returned to the mound Wednesday with the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th inning. He induced a ground ball out from Marlins cleanup hitter Marcell Ozuna to end the inning, which turned out to be the biggest out of the night for the Twins in a 7-5 win. The 26-year-old is in his second season in the Twins’ bullpen, after he had some success as a starting pitcher for Minnesota last year. After a dreadful outing as a starter in late June last year, the Twins moved May to the bullpen in early July, and he’s remained in that relief role since then. He was nominally in the competition for the starting rotation in spring training, but with the Twins’ rotation depth and Molitor’s belief that May is a weapon as a reliever, he stuck in the bullpen. It’s been an up-and-down year in relief for May. Through May 10, he was one of the Twins’ most-used relievers, with 17 appearances and a 1.89 ERA. He also had a very strong 27:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 innings. Then over his next five games he gave up 10 earned runs and recorded 10 outs. It’s not clear if the back issue impacted May during that stretch, but he avoided a stint on the disabled list. Even before the injection, May appeared to have straightened things out. He gave up just 1 earned run with an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 4 innings before the back troubles surfaced in the news. He’s shown great swing-and-miss stuff at times, and at other times he’s been very hittable. As a one-inning reliever, of course, his numbers are heavily influenced by that bad stretch of 10 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings over 5 games. Overall this season May is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA and a 40:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his 26 2/3 innings. Zulgad: Twins’ blunder was best thing that could have happened to David Ortiz Judd Zulgad | 1500 ESPN | June 9, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS – As has become the case almost any time he’s asked about his exit from Minnesota, David Ortiz didn’t shy away from sharing his feelings on the topic when the subject came up in a recent interview with USA Today. “I ain’t going to lie to you,’” Ortiz told Bob Nightengale of the newspaper. “I was crushed at the time. Minnesota was the only thing I had known. I was leaving my boys. But I kept doing what I’ve done my whole life, and that was proving people wrong. I was always the guy that had to go through the toughest time to get where I need to be.” By now, every Twins fan knows the story.

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Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in 1996 for veteran third baseman Dave Hollins, Ortiz first played for the Twins in 1997. He appeared in 455 games over six years with the franchise, including 125 games in 2002, when he hit .272 with 20 home runs and 75 runs batted in in 412 at-bats. Ortiz had appeared to be a good fit as a designated hitter on a team that went 94-67 and won the American League Central title. He also wouldn’t have been that expensive to keep around. It was projected Ortiz would have received about $1.5 million in arbitration that winter. Ryan, however, decided to let him walk and Ortiz ended up in Boston. The decision has turned out to be one of the worst made by a Major League executive. Ortiz, 40, will appear in his final series in Minneapolis this weekend when the Red Sox visit Target Field. Ortiz is having an MVP-type season and is among the American League leaders in several offensive categories, but he has made it clear this will be the final year of his Hall of Fame career. As a result, the Twins are planning to honor Ortiz before Friday’s game. This seems a bit odd. Yes, the Twins have honored future Hall of Famers before, but in this case it would seem more appropriate if Ortiz took the microphone at home plate and gave his thanks to the Twins. There is little question that Ortiz could have had a long and extremely productive career in Minnesota. But as much as he talks about the hurt of being forced to leave his friends and teammates, the reality is that Ryan’s decision was the biggest favor he could have done for Ortiz. Ask baseball fans what team(s) Ortiz has played with during his career, and the guess here is that many of them would begin and end with the Red Sox. It’s highly unlikely Ortiz’s plaque in Cooperstown will have much mention of that six-year stint with the Twins. That’s because Ortiz became “Big Papi” and a nine-time All-Star in Boston. He helped break the Curse of the Bambino when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, ending a drought that dated to 1918 and forever put that collection of players on the map in New England. There have been two more World Series titles (2007 and 2013) and he’s sitting on 17 postseason home runs and 60 runs batted in. Ortiz has has gotten to spend the past 13-plus seasons playing in Fenway Park in a baseball crazy city and he long ago was adopted as a favorite son. He enters the weekend with a battling line of .290/.386/.571 with 461 (of his 519) home runs and 1,458 RBIs in 1,855 games and 13-plus seasons in Boston. Ortiz does seem to realize how fortunate he has been, judging from some of his comments in USA Today. “What was funny is that when I played in Minnesota, they didn’t even know they had a major-league baseball team,” Ortiz said. “I used to walk around the street and people didn’t know who the hell we were. Nobody used to come to the Metrodome to watch games. Going to the Metrodome to watch a game was like sacrificing one of your kids.” Long before the Twins moved to Target Field, Ortiz exchanged the experience of playing in that baseball dungeon, which he acknowledged left him in pain because playing on the stadium’s old artificial surface was akin to playing on concrete, for the ability to call Fenway Park home. “Looking back, everything worked out pretty damn good,” Ortiz said. You think? The least Ortiz could do is thank those who made this all possible for him. Ozuna, Marlins blast Twins 10-3 to avoid sweep Associated Press | June 9, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- For whatever reason, the Miami Marlins were having a heck of a time with the American League's worst team 2 1/2 games into their three-game series. All of a sudden, the bats got going and the Marlins ran away with the finale.

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Marcell Ozuna had four hits and three RBI, and the Marlins broke open the game with a seven-run seventh inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on Thursday night. "Stuff like that doesn't happen often so when it does, it's fun, you've got to enjoy it," said Christian Yelich, who had two hits and an RBI. "That's what happens when guys string a lot good at-bats together. Guys put some good swings, hit the ball hard and it was finding holes." Chris Johnson hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh and the Marlins bounced back in a big way after dropping the first two games of the series to the lowly Twins. Tom Koehler (4-6) gave up two runs, four hits and struck out six in six innings. Robbie Grossman hit a two-run double for the Twins (18-41). Ervin Santana (1-6) gave up five runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings and Minnesota's bullpen was bludgeoned in the seventh. "They don't miss a fastball, for sure today," Santana said. Twins right-hander Phil Hughes had to be helped off the field in the ninth inning after taking a line drive off the bat of J.T. Realmuto off his left knee. Koehler entered the game averaging 5.4 walks per nine innings, the second-most among qualifying starters. His only walk was an intentional one Thursday. He faced the minimum number of batters through the first five innings before the Twins finally got to him in the sixth. Grossman's double in the sixth tied the game at 2, but in the story of the Twins' season, they quickly squandered the momentum. "I gave two runs back there in the sixth, so to have the guys respond and put up a nice crooked number there, they picked me up and it was huge," Koehler said. The Marlins took a 9-2 lead in the seventh, pounding out eight hits and scoring one run on a wild pitch by reliever Trevor May, who couldn't get an out before getting yanked by Paul Molitor. "They just kept swinging," Molitor said. "It happened fast." Martin Prado, Yelich and Adeiny Hechavarria all had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins. SUZUKI SHINES Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins and is 27 hits from 3,000 for his career. He had seven hits in the series to raise his average to .333. "He makes it look easy," Santana said. "He's just waiting for one pitch and he don't miss it." STANTON FLAILS Marlins manager Don Mattingly said before the game he was hopeful that struggling slugger Giancarlo Stanton's fortunes were about to turn after he posted his first multi-hit game in nearly a month on Wednesday night. Stanton was 0 for 5 with four strikeouts and grounded into a double play, dropping his batting average to .197. DRAFT DAY Marlins: Selected LHP Braxton Garrett from Florence High School in Alabama with the seventh pick. He had an 0.53 ERA, with 131 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings as a senior. Twins: Selected OF Alex Kirilloff from Pittsburgh with the 15th pick. Kirilloff was home schooled but is hitting .544 with three homers and 23 RBI in 19 games for Plum High School. TRAINING ROOM Twins: Hughes was taken for X-rays, which were negative. He is listed as day to day. ... OF Oswaldo Arcia left the game with a right foot

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contusion. The Twins said X-rays were negative and his is listed as day to day. UP NEXT Marlins: LHP Justin Nicolino (2-3, 4.37) starts the series opener at Arizona against LHP Patrick Corbin (3-5, 4.73). Twins: Tyler Duffey (2-4, 4.79) starts the opener against Boston's Steven Wright (6-4, 2.29) in slugger David Ortiz's final series in Minnesota, where his career began. The one who got away: David Ortiz returns to Minnesota for final time Scott Lauber | ESPN | June 9, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- Tucked away in Bob Tewksbury's home, among the more random mementos from his 13-year major league career, is a black Louisville Slugger C243 with a curious autograph on the barrel. "It says, 'To Bob, Big Cat. David Ortiz,'" said Tewksbury, a former right-handed pitcher whose final two seasons (1997-98) with the Minnesota Twins coincided with Ortiz's first two. "That's what he signed on my bat. I guess he was 'Big Cat' then." Ortiz laughs at the mention of his little-known nickname. He doesn't remember being identified as "Big Cat," but then there's a lot the retiring Boston Red Sox icon chooses to forget from his six seasons with the Twins. Before he was Big Papi or the most prolific designated hitter of all time, long before he won three World Series with the Red Sox and became only the third player ever to notch at least 600 doubles and 500 home runs, Ortiz struggled to bust through as an everyday player in Minnesota. He hit nine homers in 278 at-bats in 1998, but spent most of 1999 in Triple-A. He went deep 18 times in 2001 despite missing two months with a wrist injury, then hit 20 homers and slugged .500 in 2002. And the Twins still released him, a decision that remains a sensitive subject with general manager Terry Ryan, who declined to be interviewed for this story. So, it will be rather awkward Friday night when Ortiz returns to the Twin Cities for the final time in his storied career. Like a bachelor still looking for love after dumping a girl who turned into a beauty queen, the Twins will be in the uncomfortable position of honoring The One Who Got Away and essentially celebrating the worst mistake they ever made. "I'm hopeful that he'll enjoy the little ceremony that we have for him," said Twins traveling secretary Mike Herman, one of Ortiz's closest friends in the organization. "I don't really know the details of it. But it's probably a touchy thing for our executives to praise him for the work that he's done when we wish it could've been done here." Said Tewksbury: "I don't think TK [former Twins manager Tom Kelly] will be the one bringing out the plaque." But although the union between Ortiz and the Twins didn't end the way either side intended, it would be short-sighted to look back on his tenure there as a failure. Indeed, Ortiz's years in Minnesota formed the foundation of a career that will merit consideration for the Hall of Fame, his disappointment over being cast aside providing the fuel for him to become one of the most feared sluggers of his generation. "He's proof that perseverance, stick-to-itiveness pays off," said Washington Nationals assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones, a former outfielder who came up through the minors with Ortiz and played with him in the big leagues from 1999 to 2002. "You just never know when your shot's going to come, and when your shot comes, you've got to take advantage of it, which is all the things that he did. Because he was kind of left for dead [in Minnesota]. Even in Boston, he didn't get off to a great start. He just got hot at the right time in the second half [in 2003] and that was the history of his career." 'A genuinely happy person' The Twins weren't the only team that gave up on Ortiz. If releasing Ortiz is the biggest regret of Ryan's career, acquiring him as the player to be named in a 1996 trade that sent third baseman Dave Hollins to the Seattle Mariners must be considered one of his best moves. And Ortiz blazed through the Twins' farm system in 1997, climbing from Class A Fort Myers to Double-A New Britain to Triple-A Salt Lake and

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finally to Minnesota as a September call-up. He hit his first home run on Sept. 14, 1997, in Texas against reliever Julio Santana, and batted .327 with a .353 on-base percentage in his initial exposure to the big leagues. Ortiz was at the forefront of the Twins' late-'90s youth movement, a bumper crop that included center fielder Torii Hunter, Jones, third baseman Corey Koskie, shortstop Cristian Guzman, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, catcher A.J. Pierzynski, second baseman Luis Rivas, and pitchers Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins, some of whom are expected to attend Friday night's pregame ceremony. "They were all like brothers," said Herman, then a Twins public relations intern. "All those guys kind of came up together and won together in the minor leagues. You hear stories about them playing practical jokes on each other, like Koskie putting peanut butter in David's underwear. It was so accurate, so funny. It was like the older brothers picking on the younger brother, and it always seemed like David was the younger brother." Back then, Ortiz was still learning to speak English. But it didn't stop him from volunteering for public appearances. His favorite, according to Herman: the Minnesota State Fair, a 12-day event leading up to Labor Day that annually draws more than a million people. "There was a local Mexican restaurant and it must've been a sponsor of ours because we always had to bring a player to their booth," Herman recalled. "David loved going there because they would let him make his personal homemade guacamole. He would literally get up there with a jersey and an apron and a chef's hat and just have fun, kind of like he was just one of the Minnesotans there for the day. "And I remember he would always ask, 'Can we go back? I want to go back.' I was like, 'No, David, just one time a year. The State Fair isn't every week.' He was the same genuinely happy person that you see now. That's how I remember him." You never would have known that Ortiz's career wasn't taking flight. Injuries were part of Ortiz's problem. He missed two months with a fractured right wrist in 1998 and underwent surgery on the wrist three years later. In 2002, he had bone chips removed from his left knee. And for a big man, playing on the unforgiving artificial turf at the old Metrodome wasn't exactly conducive to staying healthy. "I got to the big leagues when I was 21, and a year later, I had so much pain in my body because of that turf," Ortiz said. "It was the worst. I went to Fenway, and the pain was gone." But there were other reasons Ortiz never seemed like a fit with the Twins. With 41-year-old future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor entrenched at DH, Ortiz was used in 1998 at first base. And although Jones described him as "nimble" for his size (a possible reason for the "Big Cat" moniker, perhaps as an homage to hulking former first baseman Andres Galarraga), Kelly didn't believe he could play the position every day. Ortiz often clashed with Kelly over his style of hitting, too. An old-school manager and Minnesota institution who steered the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, Kelly demanded that Ortiz conform to the organization's small-ball philosophy by using the opposite field and moving runners. Ortiz, of course, wanted mostly to pull home runs to right field. "I remember David would get frustrated because they wanted him to be something different than what he was," Tewksbury said. "If there was a guy on second, the Twin thing to do was pull the ball on the ground and get the guy to third. He's a left-handed hitter with power, and you're making him go the other way to the biggest part of the field at the Metrodome. It was definitely challenging for him." Grass was greener Ortiz said he nevertheless was "crushed" on Dec. 16, 2002, when the Twins told him he was being released. "I'm not going to lie to you, that was tough," Ortiz said. "Minnesota has a lot of good people. I had a lot of friends there. None of them are playing anymore -- I'm like the last dinosaur roaming from there -- but I had to leave my boys. That wasn't easy." Ryan has insisted the decision to dump Ortiz wasn't driven by money, even though Ortiz was due to make about $2 million through salary arbitration at a time when the club's payroll was only about $15 million. The Twins simply chose Matt LeCroy over Ortiz to be their primary DH, and for one year, they didn't regret it. LeCroy batted .287 with 17 homers and an .832 OPS in 2003, helping the Twins take the AL Central crown with 90 wins. But he dealt with

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injuries over the next few years, hitting only 28 more homers from 2004 to '07 before retiring. Ortiz, meanwhile, was free to be himself with the Red Sox. All but 58 of his 519 career homers have come since he signed with Boston, and 208 have been hit at Fenway Park, where he peppers the bleachers in right field. Looking back, though, Jones believes Kelly's tough love made Ortiz a better hitter. For one thing, Jones said being forced to hit the ball to left field prepared Ortiz for what he would eventually need to do to beat the defensive shifts that have been employed against him for the better part of the past 13 years. "He's a really good hitter now, but I think he was a better hitter when I first saw him in A-ball because he actually went the other way [to left field] way more than he does now," Jones said. "He studied pitchers and what they were trying to do, and he went through a little spell with the shift that he wasn't too happy about. But he learned to hit the ball where it was pitched and let the chips fall where they may." In a way, then, maybe the whole Minnesota experience was good for Ortiz, not that he misses playing here. One visit per year since 2003 has been just enough to see old friends like Herman and remind the Twins that they erred by getting rid of him. And make no mistake, Ortiz has tormented the Twins. He's a .323 career hitter with 20 homers and a 1.042 OPS in 67 games against them. Since Target Field replaced the Metrodome in 2010, Ortiz has hit nine homers and slugged .899 in only 69 at-bats there. Herman caught up with Ortiz for about an hour one day during spring training and asked the question so many fans have been posing, especially with Ortiz on pace for 71 doubles, 43 homers and 151 RBIs. "I was like, 'What are you thinking [with the decision to retire at season's end]?' And he's like, 'Oh, Mikey. Big Papi's got to go home,'" Herman said. "I wasn't going to get into it that deep with him to see if he was ever going to reconsider, but then again, that was before he started hitting .380 or whatever he's hitting." There will be time for that this weekend. "I see David once or twice a year, and we could sit and laugh and ham it up like we never missed a beat. That's how it is with him," Herman said. "I'll miss running into him because you never know what you're going to get. He could air you out, he could hug you and pick you up. I have trouble calling him Big Papi. To me, he's just Davey." Hey, it's better than "Big Cat." "They used to call me a lot of names in Minnesota," Ortiz said, chuckling. "Bro, I have no idea why anyone would even ask me for a bat back then anyway." Said Tewksbury: "I know. Why did I have some rookie sign a bat for me? There must've been something. It appears to be a collector's item. I was forward-thinking, I guess." As Ortiz comes to town one last time, the Twins must wish they could say the same.