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TAMPA BAY ( SMYLY ) |
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| 969 | MINNESOTA | +1.5,-170 | +1.5,-160 | | 970 | TAMPA BAY | -1.5,+150 | -1.5,+140 |
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| All Games | 65-61 | +17.2 | 57-59 | 4.4 | 0.249 | 0.301 | 0.401 | 0.703 | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.322 | 0.427 | 0.748 | | Road Games | 27-37 | +0.4 | 28-32 | 3.9 | 0.230 | 0.283 | 0.370 | 0.653 | 4.9 | 0.279 | 0.335 | 0.442 | 0.777 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 22-19 | +7.2 | 21-18 | 4.9 | 0.255 | 0.312 | 0.411 | 0.723 | 4.2 | 0.265 | 0.313 | 0.421 | 0.734 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +8 | 3-4 | 6.4 | 0.272 | 0.321 | 0.425 | 0.746 | 3.4 | 0.259 | 0.320 | 0.389 | 0.708 | | Dome Games | 2-0 | +3 | 2-0 | 8.0 | 0.325 | 0.373 | 0.623 | 0.997 | 5.0 | 0.301 | 0.386 | 0.534 | 0.920 | | Night Games | 38-33 | +14.4 | 32-35 | 4.6 | 0.252 | 0.302 | 0.408 | 0.710 | 4.1 | 0.267 | 0.317 | 0.411 | 0.728 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.249 | 0.301 | 126 | 4245 | 1059 | 215 | 35 | 120 | 0.401 | 523 | 314 | 971 | 56 | 741 | 116 | 64 | 118 | 66 | | Road Games | 3.9 | 0.230 | 0.283 | 64 | 2192 | 504 | 112 | 18 | 53 | 0.370 | 239 | 162 | 550 | 29 | 377 | 50 | 31 | 53 | 44 | | Lefty Starters | 4.9 | 0.255 | 0.312 | 41 | 1410 | 360 | 66 | 9 | 45 | 0.411 | 189 | 116 | 284 | 13 | 255 | 42 | 24 | 42 | 25 |
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| All Games | 3.94 | 1.285 | 390.6 | 188 | 171 | 379 | 45 | 123 | 288 | 22-20 | 37 | 9 | 80.4% | | Road Games | 4.19 | 1.337 | 199.6 | 99 | 93 | 193 | 24 | 74 | 141 | 12-11 | 20 | 7 | 74.1% |
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| All Games | 62-64 | -5.3 | 56-61 | 3.7 | 0.247 | 0.304 | 0.393 | 0.697 | 3.9 | 0.238 | 0.297 | 0.378 | 0.676 | | Home Games | 30-31 | -6.8 | 31-24 | 3.7 | 0.245 | 0.302 | 0.394 | 0.695 | 4.0 | 0.236 | 0.293 | 0.378 | 0.671 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 21-14 | +6.6 | 14-17 | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.329 | 0.434 | 0.763 | 3.3 | 0.236 | 0.290 | 0.356 | 0.646 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | -1.8 | 4-3 | 3.1 | 0.247 | 0.309 | 0.405 | 0.713 | 4.6 | 0.260 | 0.296 | 0.433 | 0.729 | | Dome Games | 31-32 | -7 | 31-26 | 3.6 | 0.241 | 0.298 | 0.387 | 0.685 | 3.9 | 0.235 | 0.291 | 0.375 | 0.666 | | Night Games | 45-41 | +3.5 | 39-41 | 3.9 | 0.247 | 0.306 | 0.396 | 0.702 | 3.9 | 0.242 | 0.301 | 0.387 | 0.688 |
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| All Games | 3.7 | 0.247 | 0.304 | 126 | 4227 | 1046 | 207 | 28 | 118 | 0.393 | 448 | 342 | 1009 | 75 | 832 | 115 | 73 | 89 | 68 | | Home Games | 3.7 | 0.245 | 0.302 | 61 | 1964 | 481 | 94 | 12 | 58 | 0.394 | 212 | 160 | 489 | 43 | 375 | 51 | 32 | 39 | 35 | | Lefty Starters | 4.4 | 0.267 | 0.329 | 35 | 1197 | 320 | 60 | 7 | 42 | 0.434 | 153 | 110 | 282 | 28 | 258 | 35 | 22 | 24 | 16 |
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| All Games | 3.90 | 1.245 | 415.3 | 190 | 180 | 368 | 54 | 149 | 401 | 21-28 | 48 | 16 | 75% | | Home Games | 3.81 | 1.172 | 205.6 | 93 | 87 | 178 | 30 | 63 | 216 | 11-10 | 25 | 5 | 83.3% |
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| 8/13/2015 | SANTANA(R) | TEXAS | GONZALEZ(R) | 5-6 | L | -135 | 9 ov | O | 7 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 8/14/2015 | MAY(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | 1-6 | L | +120 | 7.5 un | U | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | | 8/15/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | CLEVELAND | TOMLIN(R) | 4-1 | W | -115 | 9 un | U | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | | 8/16/2015 | MILONE(L) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | 4-1 | W | +120 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 8/17/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ NY YANKEES | MITCHELL(R) | 7-8 | L | 145 | 9 un | O | 16 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 8/18/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 4-8 | L | 130 | 9.5 un | O | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 3-4 | L | 155 | 9 un | U | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 15-2 | W | 155 | 8.5 ov | O | 18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 1 | | 8/21/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | 4-3 | W | 150 | 8.5 un | U | 11 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | | 8/22/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 3-2 | W | 140 | 8.5 un | U | 7 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GAUSMAN(R) | 4-3 | W | 160 | 8.5 ov | U | 7 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 3 | | 8/25/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | KARNS(R) | 11-7 | W | 130 | 7 un | O | 12 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 0 | | 8/26/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | ARCHER(R) | 5-3 | W | 170 | 7 un | O | 13 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | SMYLY(L) | | | 8/28/2015 | GIBSON(R) | HOUSTON | FIERS(R) | | | 8/29/2015 | PELFREY(R) | HOUSTON | KAZMIR(L) | | | 8/30/2015 | SANTANA(R) | HOUSTON | MCCULLERS(R) | | | 9/1/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | | | 9/2/2015 | | CHI WHITE SOX | | | | 9/3/2015 | | CHI WHITE SOX | | |
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| 8/14/2015 | KARNS(R) | @ TEXAS | PEREZ(L) | 3-5 | L | -105 | 9 un | U | 12 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | | 8/15/2015 | ARCHER(R) | @ TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | 4-12 | L | -125 | 8 un | O | 10 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 1 | | 8/16/2015 | SMYLY(L) | @ TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 3-5 | L | 105 | 8.5 ov | U | 12 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 8/17/2015 | RAMIREZ(R) | @ HOUSTON | KAZMIR(L) | 9-2 | W | 150 | 7.5 un | O | 15 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | | 8/18/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | @ HOUSTON | FELDMAN(R) | 2-3 | L | 105 | 8 un | U | 9 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | KARNS(R) | @ HOUSTON | KEUCHEL(L) | 2-3 | L | 165 | 7.5 un | U | 10 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | ARCHER(R) | @ HOUSTON | MCHUGH(R) | 1-0 | W | 105 | 7 un | U | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | | 8/21/2015 | SMYLY(L) | @ OAKLAND | BASSITT(R) | 2-1 | W | 115 | 7 un | U | 7 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | | 8/22/2015 | RAMIREZ(R) | @ OAKLAND | GRAY(R) | 5-4 | W | 135 | 7 un | O | 7 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | @ OAKLAND | GRAVEMAN(R) | 2-8 | L | -120 | 7.5 un | O | 7 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 0 | | 8/25/2015 | KARNS(R) | MINNESOTA | SANTANA(R) | 7-11 | L | -140 | 7 un | O | 13 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 0 | | 8/26/2015 | ARCHER(R) | MINNESOTA | DUFFEY(R) | 3-5 | L | -180 | 7 un | O | 9 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | SMYLY(L) | MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | | | 8/28/2015 | RAMIREZ(R) | KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 8/29/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | KANSAS CITY | MEDLEN(R) | | | 8/30/2015 | KARNS(R) | KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | | | 8/31/2015 | ARCHER(R) | @ BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | | | 9/1/2015 | SMYLY(L) | @ BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | | | 9/2/2015 | | @ BALTIMORE | | |
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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. | | TAMPA BAY: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - A year after being a trendy preseason pick to contend for the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays are back in a familiar role as underdogs.
''That's good. ... We like that,'' three-time All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria said, noting the team has a history of flourishing most when little is expected from outside the organization.
''I just think it's going to be a really good year,'' the club's career home run and RBIs leader said. ''We've got a young team, a bunch of guys eager to learn and get out there and win games. I'm really looking forward to that.''
Former manager Joe Maddon - and his often unconventional way of doing things - is gone.
So is Andrew Friedman, the young executive who was architect of the teams that made the playoffs four of the past seven seasons.
The roster has a much different look, too, with 10 key players from a year ago either traded or released this winter.
''The end result is a club that we have optimism about, a club that we're excited about, that we think can compete for a playoff spot. And, that's what we want,'' team president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said.
''Every year, we want to come into camp believing our team can play meaningful games in September and have a chance to go to the playoffs, and even beyond,'' Silverman added. ''We have that - and at the same time, we've reloaded our minor league system, added some players who impact us this year, might impact us in the future, and we're better off because of that.''
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, catcher Rene Rivera, outfielder Steven Souza Jr., and pitchers Kevin Jepsen, Ernesto Frieri and Burch Smith are offseason acquisitions who could figure in the team's success - or failure.
Smith and two other young starters - Matt Andriese and Nathan Karns - figure to begin the season in the rotation because of injuries to Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, and Matt Moore.
The hope is the rest of the projected rotation, Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi, can help the Rays stay afloat until they can get back to full strength.
''If you've got starting pitching, you've got a leg up on going into the season,'' rookie manager Kevin Cash said. ''We're very fortunate with the pitchers we have - starters and relievers.''
Cobb, sidelined by a forearm strain during spring training, believes the team will thrive as underdogs.
''We're not going to get bullied. A lot of people are picking us at the bottom, and we're going to embrace that and have each other's backs,'' the right-hander said.
''Any time anybody calls you out in your profession and makes you feel like you're not as good as you know you are, there's always something to prove,'' Cobb said. ''I don't feel like we need to have extra motivation. It's just going to be that much sweeter when we go out there and perform well.''
A look at the keys to the Rays' season:
WHO WILL LEAD?: Pitching and defense were staples during six consecutive winning seasons that produced four playoff berths and one trip to the World Series. The Rays slipped to 77-85 a year ago, their first losing record since 2007. They're banking on Cash, who has no previous managerial experience, being the right fit to restore winning ways. At 37, he's the youngest current manager or head coach in the four major professional sports.
BETTER LONGO: Longoria played in every game in 2014 for the first time in his career, however he hit a disappointing .253 with 22 homers and 91 RBIs. He's moving into the cleanup spot after batting third most of his career, and knows he has to be more consistent if the Rays - last in the AL in runs scored a year ago - are going to have a chance to be better offensively.
BEHIND THE PLATE: Catcher Ryan Hanigan was traded and backup Jose Molina was released this winter. The three-team deal that sent Wil Myers to San Diego and brought Souza to Tampa Bay from Washington, also landed Rivera from the Padres.
The Rays believe he's an upgrade defensively, as well as offensively.
Rivera posted career highs with a .252 batting average, 11 homers and 44 RBI's in 103 games last season. Still, the 31-year-old catcher stresses his job is to provide solid direction behind the plate.
''I want to help my pitching staff first. I think that's what the game is all about. If you pitch well, you're going to win some games,'' Rivera said. ''If I get a hit here, a hit there and help us win some games, that's even better.'' |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-TAMPA BAY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Twins-Rays Preview* ====================
By KEVIN MASSOTH STATS Writer
Minnesota (65-61) at Tampa Bay (62-64), 7:10 p.m. EDT
A mid-August sweep that capped a disastrous first month out of the All-Star break had the Minnesota Twins' playoff chances looking bleak.
Suddenly, a surprising winning streak has pushed the Twins into a postseason spot while the Tampa Bay Rays are the ones starting to feel things slipping away.
Minnesota goes for a three-game sweep of the Rays on Thursday night as it looks to win a seventh straight game for the first time in more than four years.
The Twins (65-61) sat four games back of the AL's second wild-card spot on Aug. 19 after dropping three straight to the Yankees to open this 10-game trip, falling to 9-21 in the second half. But after a four-game sweep of Baltimore and a pair of wins over Tampa Bay, Minnesota is back in playoff position, a half-game ahead of Texas.
Tommy Milone has played a part in two wins during the Twins' streak, which with a win Thursday would be their longest since and eight-game run in June 2011.
In a 4-3 victory in Baltimore on Friday, Milone retired 13 consecutive hitters to start the game and left after allowing three runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Milone (6-3, 3.69 ERA) was then called on in a pinch two days later during Sunday's 4-3, 12-inning win over the Orioles. The left-hander was the last of eight Twins pitchers used and picked up his first career save with a perfect 12th inning.
"We showed that we're not giving up," Milone told MLB's official website. "We just go out and battle and we are going to grind out games until the very end. Obviously it didn't work out for us in New York, but we didn't let that get us down. I think it's going to help us in the end."
Milone is 2-2 with a 6.17 ERA in four career starts against the Rays, none this season.
While the Twins have driven through the jam-packed wild-card standings, Tampa Bay (62-64) is stuck right in the middle. The Rays' third consecutive loss Wednesday pushed them three games back of Minnesota while still behind three other teams.
Opportunities were there the last two days, but the Rays have left 21 runners on base so far in the series.
"A disappointing loss to say the least," manager Kevin Cash said after his team went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position in Wednesday's 5-3 loss. "We've talked about it time and time again, when we get opportunities to score, we've got to somehow find a way to get those guys across. We did not."
Tampa Bay hopes Drew Smyly can help break its skid. Smyly (1-2, 3.42) will make his third start since coming off a three-month disabled list stint with a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.
The left-hander's first start back was underwhelming - five runs over four innings in a 5-3 loss to the Rangers on Aug. 16 - but he picked up his first win in nearly a year on Friday.
Smyly, who's 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA in four career starts against the Twins, held the A's scoreless over 5 2-3 innings in a 2-1 victory in Oakland, surrendering just six singles on 91 pitches for his first victory since Aug. 27, 2014.
"We all said we were very optimistic after that start that he would bounce right back," Cash said, "and he made us look smart because he did."
With his 3-for-5 day Wednesday, Joe Mauer has reached base in 28 of 29 career games at Tropicana Field. He is hitting .404 in St. Petersburg with a .507 OBP.
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| | Last Updated: 5/21/2024 7:58:23 AM EST. |
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