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Still ill, Gardy leaves game against Tribe
Still ill, Gardy leaves game against Tribe
MINNEAPOLIS — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is still battling an illness, and left Wednesday’s 7-5 win over the Indians during the game, according to bench coach Scott Ullger, who served as manager in his absence.
“He might’ve stayed a couple innings, but then he went to the doctors,” Ullger said. “He wasn’t feeling well.
Before the game, Gardenhire said that he added another medication to the ones that he’s already taking.
Gardenhire joined the team on the field for early batting practice on Tuesday afternoon, and he admitted before Wednesday’s series finale that it probably was not the best decision.
“I screwed up yesterday by going out for that early batting practice and trying to run around a little bit,” he said. “I hadn’t been out in a while and that really set me back, because I was coughing all through the game and it was not fun.”
The illness, which Gardenhire referred to last week as a viral infection in his esophagus, has forced the Twins to play most of the homestand with Gardenhire watching from his office. He even had to leave the ballpark early one night to go home and get some rest.
Gardenhire said that it gets worse as the day goes on.
“I wake up in the morning and feel better; I’ve got some nice cough medicine that knocks me out,” Gardenhire said. “But as the day goes, I just have a really hard time breathing. But yeah, they’re trying some more aggressive stuff, if that can be possible with that bag of drugs over there.”
Twins notebook, 7/19
Gardy: No roster move until at least Thursday
MINNEAPOLIS — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said it would be until Thursday at the earliest before the club makes a roster move to get another position player back.
After bringing up an extra pitcher to help get through Monday’s doubleheader, the Twins will play through at least the next two games with a short bench offensively. Before their series opener with Detroit on Thursday, the Twins could call up an outfielder.
Which outfielder they call up will likely depend on if Jason Kubel is ready to return from the disabled list, where he has been since early June with a sprained left foot.
“I think Thursday would be the first day that [Rene] Tosoni would be eligible,” Gardenhire said. “If it looks like Kubes needs to stay a little longer, we could maybe change it out.”
If he were available now, Tosoni would likely have been recalled on Monday following the doubleheader. But after being optioned on July 10, he has to spend 10 days with Triple-A Rochester, making Tosoni eligible to return on Thursday.
Matt Tolbert, who was optioned to make room for the extra pitcher, will also not be eligible to return until after at least 10 days with the Red Wings.
While Kubel is the preferred option this week, Gardenhire said he would not rush either Kubel or Denard Span back from rehabbing in Rochester. Through two rehab games, Kubel is 1-for-8 with four strikeouts, and Span is 0-for-6 with a strikeout.
“I’d sure like to see [Kubel] swinging better than he is now,” Gardenhire said. “They don’t have return flights, I know that. So, we’ll do the best we can. We’ve got to get [Kubel and Span] swinging, though.”
Injured Twins at various stages of recovery
MINNEAPOLIS — Right-hander Scott Baker’s bullpen session is scheduled for Wednesday, and the Twins will decide on the next step for him based on how it goes.
Twins head trainer Rick McWane said Baker “felt great” throwing long toss on Tuesday.
“After he throws his bullpen, we’ll make a decision on if he needs to go on a rehab,” McWane said.
Right-hander Kevin Slowey (abdominal strain) is scheduled for another rehab start on Wednesday in Rochester, with no pitch limit.
Outfielders Jason Kubel and Denard Span continued to rehab at Triple-A as well, with both scheduled to start on Tuesday night. Kubel was set to DH for nine innings, while Span was expected to play seven innings in center field.
Through two rehab games entering Tuesday, Kubel was hitting 1-for-8 with a double and four strikeouts, while Span was 0-for-6 with a strikeout.
Twins’ bats come up short in nightcap
MINNEAPOLIS — It was a long day on Monday for Scott Diamond. But that did not stop the Twins’ left-hander from enjoying it.
Diamond gave the Twins just about all they could have asked for on Monday night in his Major League debut. Unfortunately for Diamond and the Twins, the offense could not get anything going in a 6-3 loss to the Indians in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
“It’s been a fun experience, and I really had some fun with these guys today,” Diamond said. “I thought it was pretty good. I was able to challenge a lot of hitters and keep them off balance for the most part. I gave up a couple big hits, but for the most part I’m pretty satisfied with it.”
Pitching for the first time in 12 days, Diamond went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits, with a strikeout and two walks. He held the Indians without a hit for the first two innings, and kept them off the scoreboard until the fifth.
When he exited in the seventh, Diamond got a huge ovation from the crowd at Target Field.
“It was unbelievable,” Diamond said. “It’s what every kid dreams of, especially being my Major League debut, it was really exciting. It’s awesome to have that kind of crowd here.”
Before he let Diamond walk back to the dugout, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made sure to tell Diamond to take in the moment.
“I said, ‘You did a heck of a job, enjoy this. These people are going to be cheering for you when you walk off. You’ll never forget this moment,'” Gardenhire said.
It would have come as no surprise if Diamond showed some nerves early in the game, with it being his big league debut.
But Diamond said the nerves subsided once he warmed up in the bullpen, and he looked very comfortable, as he retired the first six batters he faced with five groundouts and a flyout.
“I thought he was great. I know he had some nerves running. We’ve all been there,” said Twins catcher Joe Mauer. “I was impressed with him throwing his breaking pitches for strikes. He threw the ball well, and some good pitches, but they had a couple balls off the bat and things like that. But that’s what good teams do to win. I thought he pitched great.”
After the Twins took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Mauer, the Indians answered with a pair of two-out runs in the fifth, as they strung together a double, a walk and two singles.
Mauer went 3-for-4 in the game, matching his 3-for-4 performance in the first game of the doubleheader. The six-hit day improved his batting average thirty points, raising it to .290.
“I was just trying to keep it simple and not do too much,” Mauer said. “On days like this, with the heat and things like that, you get a little more fatigued and you maybe stay within yourself a little bit. It was good to get a couple hits and get on base, but I’d rather take some wins.”
Right-hander Fausto Carmona picked up his fifth win of the season for the Indians, as he pitched for the first time since July 2, after going on the disabled list with a strained right quad.
Carmona gave up just two runs on seven hits, with a strikeout and a hit batter to secure his first win since June 15.
The Twins lost consecutive games for the first time since losing six in a row from June 22-27. They also dropped back to seven games behind the first-place Indians.
“From now on, just about every series against our division is important for them and for us,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “We know that those guys are in it, and they’re going to be in it. The title runs through Minnesota. They’ve been the best team in our division over the past few years, and they won it last year.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Twins notebook, 7/18
Morneau set to begin baseball activities
“He’ll take some grounders,” McWane said. “Swinging a bat will be the last thing, but he’s ready to take ground balls, play catch and run around.”
Morneau had the surgery on June 29 and was expected to be out at least six weeks, a timeframe that would have Morneau back in action for the Twins no earlier than mid-August.
His current progress seems like it may be ahead of schedule, but it remains unclear whether it actually is.
“Maybe a little,” McWane said, “but it’s kind of early to say until he starts swinging.”
Twins decide to be cautious with Baker
MINNEAPOLIS — After Scott Baker felt stiffer than expected on Sunday, he and the Twins’ coaching and training staff decided it would be best not to push things by pitching on Monday.
If Baker had pitched the first game of the doubleheader against the Indians as scheduled, the situation could have gotten worse than it is already. Any issues with his elbow after that outing would have eliminated the Twins’ ability to backdate his trip to the disabled list.
“We all sat down and had a long conversation,” said Twins head trainer Rick McWane. “We all decided it was in his best interest not to push it and give it a couple extra days. We’d already invested 12 days or whatever it was in this, and we didn’t want to have him go out there and throw, because then you’re talking another 15 days.”
Baker’s current plan is to rest for a couple days before throwing another bullpen session. The Twins will reevaluate the right-hander at that point and decide on the next step.
McWane also gave updates on outfielders Denard Span and Jason Kubel, both of whom are rehabbing injuries with Triple-A Rochester.
Span and Kubel started Sunday’s game for the Red Wings, with Span going 0-for-3 batting leadoff and playing center field. Kubel was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while batting in the No. 3 spot as the designated hitter.
They’re both scheduled to play again Monday in Rochester.
“Span did fine last night. He’s going to play another five innings in the outfield today,” McWane said. “Kubel is going to play outfield today for nine innings. He had no problems yesterday.”
Blyleven in home stretch for Hall induction
MINNEAPOLIS — All season, the Twins have been counting down the number of home games until Bert Blyleven’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
That countdown reached single digits over the weekend, and was down to just five games Monday as Blyleven entered the final week before the ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.
It’s a big eight-day stretch for Blyleven, which began Saturday with the Twins retiring his No. 28 at Target Field, and will culminate in Sunday’s induction ceremony.
“It’s kind of a nice stepping stone to the following weekend in Cooperstown,” Blyleven said Friday on a conference call. “The honors are coming my way and it’s very, very nice.”
In the final week before his induction, Blyleven continued his usual broadcasting duties in the TV booth for the Twins during Monday’s doubleheader and Tuesday’s game at Target Field.
Blyleven also will be working on his induction speech, which he said Friday he had yet to finish. It should be a good one considering Blyleven’s experience with public speaking and doing color commentary for Fox Sports North.
“My speech, I’m still working on it,” Blyleven said. “To me, it’s a day of ‘Thank you’ to so many people that mentored me, and that’s what I’m just trying to get down.
“It’s going to be a long one, I’m thinking about going over an hour. … Just kidding.”
On Wednesday morning, Blyleven will fly out to Cooperstown to begin his busy week of Hall of Fame activities. Upon his arrival, Blyleven will have a series of meetings with the Hall of Fame staff and will go through the schedule for the weekend.
Among the things on Blyleven’s schedule on Friday and Saturday are an induction ceremony rehearsal, a Hall of Fame member golf outing, the awards presentation, the Parade of Legends and the Chairman’s party.
The induction ceremony will be held on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. CT) at the Clark Sports Center, located about a mile from the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. Admission to the ceremony is free, and it will also be broadcast live on MLB Network.
On Monday morning, Blyleven will see his plaque at the Hall of Fame and take part in a program to share his memories before returning home.
He’ll have a lot on his schedule while in Cooperstown, but Blyleven said he’s looking forward to all of it.
“I enjoy meeting people, because that’s part of it,” Blyleven said. “Hopefully shaking a lot of hands of all the fans that come out there, taking time out of their busy schedule to come out and see myself or Roberto Alomar or Pat Gillick. It’s a great honor for me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with those two gentlemen.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what Cooperstown is all about during the induction weekend. I heard it was a lot of fun.”
Blyleven seemed particularly excited about one particular person expected to be in attendance, flying in just to see him.
“I’m looking forward to also my mother, at 85, is flying in. Most of my family is going to be there,” Blyleven said. “Hopefully the weekend’s going to be very special for her.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Thome’s mammoth blast, No. 596, lifts Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — Not many people can hit a baseball farther than Jim Thome.
In the sixth inning on Sunday, he reminded everyone of that fact by crushing home run No. 596 into the second deck in right field, a blast that was measured at 490 feet.
Thome’s seventh home run of the season propelled the Twins to a 4-3 win over the Royals in the series finale.
Thome’s three-run shot topped his previous Target Field record blast of 480 feet, which hit off the flag pole beyond right field last September.
“He clocked it, I heard,” said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who has been battling an illness and was forced to watch the game from the clubhouse.
It was not Thome’s longest career home run — he once hit a 511-foot blast with the Indians that remains the longest in the history of Progressive Field. That home run, on July 3, 1999, also came against the Royals.
Of course, 490 feet is still a pretty impressive blast.
“Ridiculous. I stood up immediately,” Twins starter Brian Duensing said. “I knew it was gone when he hit it; I didn’t know it was going to go that far.
“That’s why it’s so fun watching him hit, because you never know when it’s going to happen. When he gets them, they’re usually big situations or very large home runs. Today was both.”
Thome crushed a 3-2 slider from Royals starter Felipe Paulino about halfway up in the second deck. It was the 596th home run of Thome’s career putting him just four shy of becoming the eighth player in Major League history to hit 600 or more career homers.
The lefty slugger hit it while still recovering from a sprained left big toe, and at age 40, health issues are the only thing keeping Thome from hitting mammoth home runs on a daily basis.
“I’m not going to win any races,” Thome joked about the status of his toe. “I never did anyway. It’s coming along good.”
Joe Nathan came on in the ninth for his second straight save in the series, the first time since Oct. 2-3, 2009, that Nathan recorded saves in consecutive games.
Nathan has made nine consecutive scoreless appearances, allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings of work. He sits three saves shy of tying Rick Aguilera on the Twins’ all-time list.
Thome’s blast gave the Twins just enough offense to support Duensing, who picked up his seventh win of the season. The left-hander went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
Duensing settled in nicely after opening with three long innings, retiring 10 straight Royals hitters from the third to the second out in the sixth.
“We just said, ‘Let’s keep going at ’em,'” Duensing said. “I was a little shaky early, and I think part of that was the All-Star break. I threw bullpens when I got back, but being off the mound in a game situation that long … it took me a little while to get it going.”
After Thome handed Duensing a 4-1 lead, he surrendered a two-run blast to Jeff Francoeur in the seventh. Francoeur’s home run was his 13th of the season, a 418-foot blast to left. Duensing was taken out after facing one more batter, and the Twins’ bullpen retired the Royals in order over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Both teams scored in the first inning in similar fashion before going scoreless until the sixth. Melky Cabrera and Alexi Casilla each doubled with one out, and Alex Gordon and Joe Mauer each drove them in with singles.
With their second straight win and the fourth in five games, the Twins moved to within five games of first place in the American League Central for the first time since April 23. The Twins also are five games under .500 for the first time since they were 9-14 on April 28.
As the first-place Indians head into town on Monday for a four-game series, the Twins have a big opportunity to gain even more ground this week.
“Maybe this momentum will carry us over into the next two series,” Thome said. “You don’t win every ballgame, but the thing this time of year is you want to win series. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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