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MINNESOTA ( MILONE )
KANSAS CITY ( VARGAS ) |
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| 971 | MINNESOTA | +140 | Ov 8,-120 | +135 | Ov 8,-105 | | 972 | KANSAS CITY | -150 | Un 8,+100 | -145 | Un 8,-115 |
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| All Games | 5-8 | -2.1 | 5-6 | 3.1 | 0.219 | 0.272 | 0.318 | 0.590 | 5.1 | 0.278 | 0.335 | 0.433 | 0.767 | | Road Games | 1-6 | -5 | 3-3 | 2.0 | 0.192 | 0.248 | 0.245 | 0.493 | 5.7 | 0.301 | 0.363 | 0.498 | 0.860 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 2-3 | -0.9 | 3-1 | 4.0 | 0.263 | 0.297 | 0.383 | 0.680 | 5.8 | 0.294 | 0.339 | 0.469 | 0.808 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +1.9 | 2-3 | 3.9 | 0.238 | 0.288 | 0.370 | 0.658 | 4.7 | 0.256 | 0.312 | 0.378 | 0.690 | | Grass Games | 5-8 | -2.1 | 5-6 | 3.1 | 0.219 | 0.272 | 0.318 | 0.590 | 5.1 | 0.278 | 0.335 | 0.433 | 0.767 | | Night Games | 2-1 | +1.8 | 0-2 | 2.3 | 0.170 | 0.228 | 0.234 | 0.462 | 3.3 | 0.243 | 0.304 | 0.340 | 0.643 | | Division | 5-8 | -2.1 | 5-6 | 3.1 | 0.219 | 0.272 | 0.318 | 0.590 | 5.1 | 0.278 | 0.335 | 0.433 | 0.767 |
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| All Games | 3.1 | 0.219 | 0.272 | 13 | 425 | 93 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 0.318 | 35 | 31 | 101 | 4 | 80 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 7 | | Road Games | 2.0 | 0.192 | 0.248 | 7 | 229 | 44 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0.245 | 11 | 17 | 56 | 3 | 44 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | | Lefty Starters | 4.0 | 0.263 | 0.297 | 5 | 167 | 44 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0.383 | 19 | 8 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
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| All Games | 4.54 | 1.296 | 41.7 | 24 | 21 | 42 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 1-1 | 3 | 0 | 100% | | Road Games | 5.23 | 1.500 | 20.7 | 13 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
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| All Games | 10-3 | +6.8 | 7-5 | 5.8 | 0.310 | 0.357 | 0.468 | 0.825 | 3.2 | 0.221 | 0.265 | 0.359 | 0.625 | | Home Games | 6-1 | +4.8 | 3-3 | 5.4 | 0.317 | 0.367 | 0.483 | 0.850 | 2.7 | 0.213 | 0.263 | 0.339 | 0.602 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 5-1 | +4.1 | 3-3 | 5.5 | 0.297 | 0.338 | 0.476 | 0.814 | 3.3 | 0.241 | 0.292 | 0.374 | 0.666 | | Past 7 Games | 4-3 | +0.4 | 3-3 | 5.0 | 0.295 | 0.343 | 0.405 | 0.748 | 3.7 | 0.240 | 0.290 | 0.382 | 0.673 | | Grass Games | 10-3 | +6.8 | 7-5 | 5.8 | 0.310 | 0.357 | 0.468 | 0.825 | 3.2 | 0.221 | 0.265 | 0.359 | 0.625 | | Night Games | 5-2 | +3 | 3-3 | 4.4 | 0.310 | 0.350 | 0.431 | 0.781 | 3.4 | 0.218 | 0.251 | 0.364 | 0.616 | | Division | 5-2 | +2.6 | 4-2 | 6.6 | 0.312 | 0.368 | 0.487 | 0.855 | 3.1 | 0.228 | 0.259 | 0.356 | 0.615 |
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| All Games | 5.8 | 0.310 | 0.357 | 13 | 451 | 140 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 0.468 | 70 | 33 | 63 | 10 | 101 | 14 | 4 | 15 | 4 | | Home Games | 5.4 | 0.317 | 0.367 | 7 | 230 | 73 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 0.483 | 35 | 18 | 27 | 8 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 4 | | Lefty Starters | 5.5 | 0.297 | 0.338 | 6 | 212 | 63 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 0.476 | 33 | 13 | 30 | 6 | 51 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
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| All Games | 0.69 | 0.692 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 8 | 33 | 3-0 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | | Home Games | 0.00 | 0.706 | 22.7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 3-0 | 4 | 1 | 80% |
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| 4/8/2015 | NOLASCO(R) | @ DETROIT | SANCHEZ(R) | 0-11 | L | 150 | 8.5 un | O | 4 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 11 | 0 | | 4/9/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ DETROIT | GREENE(R) | 1-7 | L | 125 | 9 un | U | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 1 | | 4/10/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | NOESI(R) | 6-0 | W | 100 | 9 un | U | 10 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 4/11/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 4-5 | L | 140 | 8.5 un | O | 8 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 | | 4/12/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | 2-6 | L | 155 | 7.5 ev | O | 7 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 0 | | 4/13/2015 | MAY(R) | KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | 3-12 | L | +120 | 8.5 un | O | 7 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 | | 4/15/2015 | GIBSON(R) | KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 3-1 | W | +115 | 8 un | U | 5 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 4/16/2015 | MILONE(L) | KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | 8-5 | W | +105 | 7.5 un | O | 14 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 1 | | 4/17/2015 | PELFREY(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | 3-2 | W | +170 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 2 | | 4/18/2015 | HUGHES(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | 2-4 | L | -105 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 4/19/2015 | MAY(R) | CLEVELAND | HOUSE(L) | 7-2 | W | +105 | 9 ev | P | 11 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | | 4/20/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 1-7 | L | 125 | 8 un | P | 5 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | | 4/21/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | | | 4/22/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | GUTHRIE(R) | | | 4/24/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ SEATTLE | HERNANDEZ(R) | | | 4/25/2015 | MAY(R) | @ SEATTLE | PAXTON(L) | | | 4/26/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ SEATTLE | IWAKUMA(R) | | | 4/27/2015 | | DETROIT | | | | 4/28/2015 | | DETROIT | | |
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| 4/8/2015 | DUFFY(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | 7-5 | W | -120 | 7.5 un | O | 14 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | | 4/9/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | 4-1 | W | -135 | 8.5 ev | U | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | | 4/10/2015 | VARGAS(L) | @ LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 4-2 | W | 120 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 2 | | 4/11/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | @ LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 6-4 | W | 120 | 7.5 un | O | 12 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | | 4/12/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ LA ANGELS | WILSON(L) | 9-2 | W | 105 | 7 un | O | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | | 4/13/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ MINNESOTA | MAY(R) | 12-3 | W | -130 | 8.5 un | O | 13 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | | 4/15/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ MINNESOTA | GIBSON(R) | 1-3 | L | -125 | 8 un | U | 9 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | | 4/16/2015 | VARGAS(L) | @ MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | 5-8 | L | -115 | 7.5 un | O | 10 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 2 | | 4/17/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | OAKLAND | GRAY(R) | 6-4 | W | +105 | 7.5 un | O | 15 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 4/18/2015 | VENTURA(R) | OAKLAND | HAHN(R) | 0-5 | L | -125 | 7.5 un | U | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 1 | | 4/19/2015 | DUFFY(L) | OAKLAND | KAZMIR(L) | 4-2 | W | +100 | 7 un | U | 8 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0 | | 4/20/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | MINNESOTA | GIBSON(R) | 7-1 | W | -135 | 8 un | P | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | | 4/21/2015 | VARGAS(L) | MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | | | 4/22/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 4/23/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | | | 4/24/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | | | 4/25/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | | | 4/26/2015 | VARGAS(L) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | NOESI(R) | | | 4/27/2015 | | @ CLEVELAND | | | | 4/28/2015 | | @ CLEVELAND | | |
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| |  | MINNESOTA: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Molitor was hired as Minnesota's new manager, bringing Hall of Fame membership and renowned intelligence and intuition to a team seeking a fresh start.
The Twins brought back one of their most popular players ever, Torii Hunter, to help solidify an unsettled outfield, mentor a fledgling team and hit a few home runs. They have collected plenty of promising young hitters, either slated for the opening day lineup or waiting in the minor league wings.
None of that will matter much if the starting pitching continues to wobble the way it has the last four seasons.
Phil Hughes had by most measures a career year, his first away from the New York Yankees, but his ability to match that is low on the list of 2015 goals. Ricky Nolasco needs to rebound from a terrible first season with the Twins. Ervin Santana must show he's worth that $55 million, four-year contract. Kyle Gibson has to reduce the times (five of 31 starts in 2014) he goes three innings or less and gives up six runs or more. The fifth spot winner, Trevor May, Tommy Milone or Mike Pelfrey, needs to keep it.
''We'd put up a couple good starts and somebody would get hurt or we'd take a step backward,'' said Hughes, whose 2014 season has been one of the few true success stories of the rotation since it unraveled in 2011. ''Every good team I've been on, it seems like the rotation gets on a roll.''
New pitching coach Neil Allen will have more impact on the staff than Molitor, but after 13 years under manager Ron Gardenhire the clubhouse has been naturally buzzing with excitement about the new boss.
''He's one of the smartest baseball people I've ever been around,'' first baseman Joe Mauer said.
As for Hunter? His presence was desired for more energy and stronger camaraderie.
''If there's no tension between players and you're comfortable with everyone, you're going to play better,'' closer Glen Perkins said. ''So that's chemistry, I guess. I think we've held it together as much as we can, as much as we've struggled.''
Here are some key angles to know about the Twins in 2015:
MAUER IMPROVEMENT
Mauer, soon to turn 32, will make $23 million each of the next four years. Injuries have limited him to an average of 116 games from 2011-14. His batting average hit a career-low .277 last season, and he had a career-most 96 strikeouts despite time lost to an oblique muscle injury.
The Twins haven't lost faith in their franchise player, the homegrown guy who was the first overall draft pick in 2001. Playing for Molitor, whom he grew up admiring as an alumnus of the same St. Paul high school, ought to help.
''He's healthy. I think he's anxious to prove that last year was just an aberration,'' general manager Terry Ryan said.
LINEUP FLEXIBILITY
Molitor has been touting his options at the top and in the middle of the order, with a team that quietly scored the third-most runs in the majors after the All-Star break last year and added an accomplished hitter in Hunter.
One decision is whether to bat Mauer third, where he was most of his career until Gardenhire began to bat him second often over the last two seasons.
With Hunter, Kennys Vargas, Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia, Molitor has power to play with in the heart of the order. The downsides are Arcia's inconsistency, leadoff man Danny Santana being the only player with a 2014 average above .290 and an unsettled situation in center field.
''It's a small sample, our track record from last year, but it's something you can use as a foundation to see potentially how your offense can work. We're going to have depth, I think, all the way down to the bottom,'' Molitor said.
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Twins could return as few as three relievers to their roles from last season: Perkins, Casey Fien and Brian Duensing. Blaine Boyer and Tim Stauffer, from San Diego, were signed. At least one of the losers in the fifth starter competition was headed for the seven-man bullpen. Rule 5 draft pick J.R. Graham, who must be returned to Atlanta if he's not on the 25-man roster, has been pushing for a spot, too.
Reliever use will be one area in which Molitor's strategy could differ from that of Gardenhire.
''I want to get them out of a one-inning mentality. Not that they all have it, or don't want to pitch more. But we've talked a lot about some of those guys, trying to get two innings out of them here, if we can,'' Molitor said. | | KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Every once in a while, Ned Yost will spin a story about his days on Bobby Cox's bench with the Atlanta Braves, back when the organization was winning NL pennants by the fistful.
Inevitably, Yost would start drawing comparisons to his Kansas City Royals - that they were building through the farm system in the same manner as the Braves, and Kansas City would embrace the franchise in the same way Atlanta did if it ever became a winner.
Last year, that narrative finally made sense.
After squeaking into the playoffs as a wild card, the Royals swept all the way to the World Series. If not for a virtuoso performance by Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, the Royals might very well have been celebrating their second championship.
The postseason run led Yost to draw one more comparison when he arrived in Arizona for the start of a new season, and his players filed into the clubhouse for the first time.
''It definitely reminded me of that feeling in Atlanta,'' he said, ''when you came to spring training every year with the feeling that you have an opportunity to go to the World Series - instead of hoping, you know? And it's a different feeling.''
There is good reason for that feeling, too.
The Royals return most of the pieces from the club that ended a 29-year playoff drought, including one of the best bullpens in baseball history. And the pieces they did lose to free agency have been replaced with what could turn out to be upgrades.
Designated hitter Billy Butler is gone, Kendrys Morales signed in his place. Alex Rios is taking over for Nori Aoki in right field. Edinson Volquez was signed to fill the rotation spot of staff ace James Shields, who chased bigger money all the way to San Diego.
Even though a few faces have changed, the tenants that the Royals believe in have not: They will continue to rely on speed, defense and pitching to chase another playoff berth.
''Any time you're fortunate enough to keep those key pieces, you feel good,'' said Greg Holland, the Royals' All-Star closer. ''Yeah, we lost Billy and Shields and Nori, but for the most part, we're right where we need to be.''
Besides, the back end of the bullpen is still intact.
Kelvin Herrera harnessed his electrifying fastball to become a shutdown seventh-inning reliever last season. Former starter Wade Davis had a historically dominant year as the setup man. Holland further cemented his status as the AL's best closer.
''The way you tilt the field in your favor, in my opinion, is having quality pitching and really good defense,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''Those are things that hopefully can show up every single day and perform for you.''
As the Royals approach opening day against the Chicago White Sox on April 6 at Kauffman Stadium, here are a few other story lines to watch this season:
THE ROTATION: Shields was the anchor in 2014, but he struggled mightily in the playoffs. So when the Royals signed Volquez to replace him, it was mostly met with a collective shrug.
Besides, the success of the rotation will more likely be determined by the success of young flamethrowers Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, both of whom have ace ability.
INJURY BUGS: The Royals stayed remarkably healthy last season. Will karma even out?
Second baseman Omar Infante already missed long stretches of spring training with a bone spur in his elbow that could require surgery next offseason. Left fielder Alex Gordon also got a slow start to the spring after undergoing wrist surgery this past offseason.
SLOW STARTS: The last couple of seasons, the Royals have gotten off to slow starts. They unsuccessfully dug out of a big hole two years ago, but pulled it off last season.
Considering every other team in the AL Central appeared to get better over the winter, the Royals can ill afford to let Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota and the White Sox bury them.
RESTING SALVY: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez faded in the playoffs in part due to his heavy work load in the regular season, where he appeared in 150 games. Yost intends to give him more days off this year, though it's hard to take his bat out of the lineup.
BASEBALL TOWN: Did the World Series run turn Kansas City into a baseball town again? The club has been overshadowed for decades by the Chiefs, who play just across the parking lot in Arrowhead stadium. How will fans respond to having the reigning AL champions? |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-KANSAS CITY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Twins-Royals Preview* ======================
By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor
Minnesota (5-7) at Kansas City (9-3), 8:10 p.m. EDT
The Kansas City Royals have won every series this season with one exception. They now have a chance to exact some revenge against the Minnesota Twins.
Jason Vargas hopes to atone for a dreadful performance and pitch the Royals to a seventh win in eight home games Tuesday night.
Kansas City has shown last season's playoff success was no fluke, winning 10 of its first 13 games for the franchise's best start since 2003.
The Royals have been particularly good at home, opening their Kauffman Stadium schedule with a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox and taking two of three from Oakland over the weekend before winning the first game of this series, 7-1 on Monday.
Edinson Volquez pitched seven innings and Kendrys Morales had two hits and two RBIs as Kansas City evened the season series after dropping two of three at Minnesota last week.
The Royals' vaunted bullpen tossed two more scoreless innings, lowering the majors' best ERA to 0.69.
Vargas (1-1, 6.00 ERA) hopes his relievers won't need to come into the game nearly as early as they did in Thursday's 8-5 loss at Minnesota. The left-hander had his shortest start since 2011, allowing five runs and 10 hits over three-plus innings.
That dismal outing came after Vargas went 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in four starts against the Twins last season. He tossed seven innings in a 5-0 victory April 18, 2014, in his only home appearance versus Minnesota.
Joe Mauer is batting .400 (12 for 30) against Vargas, while Torii Hunter improved to 15 for 45 with six doubles after he had a pair of hits in three at-bats last week.
The Twins failed to win their fifth in six games overall and dropped to 1-6 on the road. They've totaled 14 runs in those seven contests while batting .192.
Leadoff batter Danny Santana returned to the lineup after getting a day off Sunday and went 1 for 4 to raise his average to .200. He also struck out twice and has fanned a team-high 15 times in 45 at-bats.
"A lot of young players when they're not producing they feel like they're hurting the team and then they try that much harder," Twins manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "Sometimes you have to let the game come to you a little bit more."
Tommy Milone (2-0, 2.08) seeks to win his first three starts for the second time in three years. The left-hander was outstanding in his season debut and did enough to earn the win Thursday against Kansas City. He surrendered a two-run homer to Lorenzo Cain in the first before settling down to allow three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Milone, who started 3-0 for Oakland in 2013, is 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts against the Royals.
Salvador Perez, batting .435 with six RBIs at home this season, is 6 for 14 with two doubles in their matchups, while Mike Moustakas is just 1 for 12.
Already missing closer Greg Holland (pectoral) and outfielder Alex Rios (hand), the Royals feared second baseman Omar Infante could also be headed to the disabled list with a left groin strain sustained Sunday. Infante, though, said he felt better and manager Ned Yost said he could be used in an emergency Tuesday.
Kansas City has won 15 of 20 at home against Minnesota.
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| | Last Updated: 4/19/2024 12:17:29 PM EST. |
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