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MLB : ATS Matchup
Tuesday 8/4/2015Line$ LineOU LineScore
MINNESOTA  HUGHES )
 
TORONTO  ESTRADA )
+1.5  -140

-1.5  +120
+155

-165

8.5ev
 
1
Final
3

MINNESOTA (54 - 51) at TORONTO (55 - 52)
View Previous GameView Next Game
Tuesday, 8/4/2015 7:05 PM
PHIL HUGHES (R) vs. MARCO ESTRADA (R)
Board OpeningLatest
 LineTotalLineTotal
917MINNESOTA+165Ov 9,+105+150Ov 8.5,-125
918TORONTO-175Un 9,-125-160Un 8.5,+105
ADVANCED TEAM STATS
MINNESOTA - Current Season Performance
 Team RecordsTeamOpponent
 W-LUnitsO-URunsAvgOBPSLGOPSRunsAvgOBPSLGOPS
All Games54-51+13.145-504.20.2490.3000.3950.6954.20.2700.3170.4220.739
Road Games20-29-1.818-273.40.2210.2750.3490.6254.40.2710.3240.4280.752
vs Right-handed Starters33-34+5.326-333.70.2430.2920.3830.6764.40.2730.3200.4250.745
Past 7 Games2-5-33-43.70.2120.2730.3750.6485.70.2750.3270.4690.796
Turf Games0-1-10-11.00.1000.1560.2670.4235.00.2500.3330.4690.802
Night Games29-26+9.822-294.30.2450.2950.3860.6813.70.2610.3060.3970.704
MINNESOTA - Team Hitting and Fielding Statistics
Team BattingTeam BattingTeam Fielding
 RunsAVGOBPGABH2B3BHRSLGRBIBBSOSBLOBGIDPERRDPOSB
All Games4.20.2490.300105350887217831910.395416260786516191055910457
Road Games3.40.2210.2754916503648315330.3491591254002528842274338
Righty Starters3.70.2430.29267219953511722490.3832381525213838364366334
MINNESOTA - Bullpen Pitching Statistics
 ERAWHIPIPRERHHRBBSOW-LSVBSVPct.
All Games3.991.304309154137307379621815-1731781.6%
Road Games4.211.36013971651411648846-915575%

TORONTO - Current Season Performance
 Team RecordsTeamOpponent
 W-LUnitsO-URunsAvgOBPSLGOPSRunsAvgOBPSLGOPS
All Games55-52-3.550-495.30.2630.3300.4430.7724.30.2520.3060.4050.710
Home Games33-21+4.521-315.50.2770.3490.4820.8313.70.2300.2820.3760.658
vs Right-handed Starters39-39-2.236-345.20.2600.3270.4370.7634.20.2470.3030.3960.700
Past 7 Games5-2+1.13-45.40.2880.3570.4760.8333.30.1920.2190.2930.512
Turf Games33-21+4.521-315.50.2770.3490.4820.8313.70.2300.2820.3760.658
Night Games32-33-531-305.10.2570.3220.4350.7564.20.2510.3090.3980.707
TORONTO - Team Hitting and Fielding Statistics
Team BattingTeam BattingTeam Fielding
 RunsAVGOBPGABH2B3BHRSLGRBIBBSOSBLOBGIDPERRDPOSB
All Games5.30.2630.3301073614951206101410.44354235874357662110659448
Home Games5.50.2770.3495417714911133810.4822911953172634455274227
Righty Starters5.20.2600.32778264268714471030.4373872615514249073516839
TORONTO - Bullpen Pitching Statistics
 ERAWHIPIPRERHHRBBSOW-LSVBSVPct.
All Games3.411.106316.3132120261358931413-20181652.9%
Home Games3.121.058161.7625613816331626-77750%
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
MINNESOTA - Schedule
 Team StatsOpp Stats
DateTeam StarterOpponentOpp StarterScoreW/LLineTot.O/UHLOBEHLOBE
7/21/2015GIBSON(R)@ LA ANGELSSHOEMAKER(R)0-7L1157 evP2401360
7/22/2015PELFREY(R)@ LA ANGELSWILSON(L)2-5L1507.5 ovU91211271
7/23/2015SANTANA(R)@ LA ANGELSRICHARDS(R)3-0W1707.5 unU530450
7/24/2015HUGHES(R)NY YANKEESPINEDA(R)10-1W+1408 evO144110100
7/25/2015MILONE(L)NY YANKEESSABATHIA(L)5-8L+1008 ovO7711021
7/26/2015GIBSON(R)NY YANKEESEOVALDI(R)2-7L+1158.5 evO1060750
7/28/2015PELFREY(R)PITTSBURGHMORTON(R)7-8L-1059.5 unO12711192
7/29/2015SANTANA(R)PITTSBURGHLIRIANO(L)4-10L+1208 unO12931382
7/30/2015HUGHES(R)SEATTLEHAPP(L)9-5W-1208.5 evO131011171
7/31/2015MILONE(L)SEATTLEWALKER(R)1-6L+1008.5 unU1201381
8/1/2015GIBSON(R)SEATTLEMONTGOMERY(L)3-2W-1308.5 ovU660661
8/2/2015PELFREY(R)SEATTLEIWAKUMA(R)1-4L+1059 unU450970
8/3/2015SANTANA(R)@ TORONTOPRICE(L)1-5L1958 unU340870
8/4/2015HUGHES(R)@ TORONTOESTRADA(R) 
8/5/2015MILONE(L)@ TORONTOHUTCHISON(R) 
8/6/2015GIBSON(R)@ TORONTOBUEHRLE(L) 
8/7/2015PELFREY(R)@ CLEVELANDANDERSON(R) 
8/8/2015SANTANA(R)@ CLEVELANDBAUER(R) 
8/9/2015HUGHES(R)@ CLEVELANDKLUBER(R) 
8/11/2015 TEXAS  

TORONTO - Schedule
 Team StatsOpp Stats
DateTeam StarterOpponentOpp StarterScoreW/LLineTot.O/UHLOBEHLOBE
7/21/2015BUEHRLE(L)@ OAKLANDGRAVEMAN(R)7-1W-1107.5 evO1071870
7/22/2015DOUBRONT(L)@ OAKLANDGRAY(R)3-4L1307 evP1211211100
7/23/2015DICKEY(R)@ OAKLANDPOMERANZ(L)5-2W-1208.5 ovU841540
7/24/2015ESTRADA(R)@ SEATTLEHERNANDEZ(R)2-5L1506.5 ovO760971
7/25/2015HUTCHISON(R)@ SEATTLEHAPP(L)8-6W-1308 unO881981
7/26/2015BUEHRLE(L)@ SEATTLEWALKER(R)5-6L-1207.5 unO9611371
7/28/2015DOUBRONT(L)PHILADELPHIAMORGAN(L)2-3L-2659.5 unU650620
7/29/2015DICKEY(R)PHILADELPHIAWILLIAMS(R)8-2W-2759 ovO1682762
7/30/2015ESTRADA(R)KANSAS CITYDUFFY(L)5-2W-1259 evU770540
7/31/2015HUTCHISON(R)KANSAS CITYCUETO(R)7-6W-1107.5 ovO15911021
8/1/2015BUEHRLE(L)KANSAS CITYVENTURA(R)6-7L-1258 unO851930
8/2/2015DICKEY(R)KANSAS CITYVOLQUEZ(R)5-2W-1458.5 ovU790440
8/3/2015PRICE(L)MINNESOTASANTANA(R)5-1W-2158 unU870340
8/4/2015ESTRADA(R)MINNESOTAHUGHES(R) 
8/5/2015HUTCHISON(R)MINNESOTAMILONE(L) 
8/6/2015BUEHRLE(L)MINNESOTAGIBSON(R) 
8/7/2015DICKEY(R)@ NY YANKEESEOVALDI(R) 
8/8/2015PRICE(L)@ NY YANKEESNOVA(R) 
8/9/2015ESTRADA(R)@ NY YANKEESTANAKA(R) 
8/11/2015 OAKLAND  
KEY GAME INFORMATION
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.
TORONTO: TORONTO (AP) - The upcoming season for the Toronto Blue Jays seems destined to be defined by the one young pitcher who'll miss it and the two even younger guys who'll try to replace him.
Toronto's plans for ending baseball's longest active playoff drought took a serious hit when Marcus Stroman suffered a season-ending knee injury in spring training.
The second-year right-hander tore a ligament when his knee buckled as he backed off a bunt during a pregame fielding drill. He's out for the year after undergoing surgery.
''It's tough,'' Stroman said. ''I just feel like I let my team down. I've worked harder than I ever had this offseason.''
The injury changed Toronto's thinking about 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who might have been closing games rather than starting them if Stroman was still healthy, and 21-year-old lefty Daniel Norris, the van-dwelling surfer dude.
The two pitchers now look likely to get their shot in Toronto's rotation, slotting in behind 200-inning workhorses R.A Dickey and Mark Buehrle, and 24-year-old right-hander Drew Hutchison.
How successful they are could well determine what happens to the Blue Jays, out of the postseason since winning their second straight World Series in 1993 and the only team that hasn't reached the playoffs this century.
''We may have to rely on a young guy who may not be proven,'' manager John Gibbons said. ''Stro was a baby, too, but a special guy.''
Sanchez has already shown signs that he could also be special. He excelled out of the bullpen in 24 games last season, posting three saves and a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings, striking out 27 while walking nine and holding opponents to a .128 average.
With the increased demands of a starting role lying ahead, the hard-throwing Sanchez has spent this spring refining his slider.
''With the way he throws, it could turn into a big strikeout pitch for him,'' Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays are also high on Norris, currently better known for spending his winters searching for prime surfing spots while living out of a 1978 Volkswagen camper van nicknamed ''Shaggy.''
''He's a different bird,'' Gibbons said. ''Anytime you live in a van, I wouldn't say that's normal.''
Norris had an abnormal 2014 season, rising from Class A to the majors after going 12-2 with a 2.53 ERA at three minor league stops. He underwent elbow surgery last October to remove bone spurs, and expects to be better this year than the pitcher who made five appearances for the Blue Jays in September.
''He's a student of the game,'' Gibbons said. ''He's a very smart kid and he's grounded. He's got the most important thing: He's got a great arm.''
After Jose Reyes and the Blue Jays went 83-79, here's what else to watch as they try to move up:
MIGHTY MIGUEL: Sanchez and Norris aren't the only impressive young arms expected to break camp with the Blue Jays. Right-hander Miguel Castro, 20, didn't allow a run in his first five spring appearances, striking out eight and walking none while allowing three hits over nine innings. A hard thrower who stands an imposing 6-foot-5, Castro has put himself in position to jump from Class A, where he went 8-3 with a 2.68 ERA last season, all the way to the majors. ''He looks like a seasoned vet out there, under control, very relaxed,'' Gibbons said.
NEW GUYS, NEW FOCUS: Toronto strengthened its lineup over the winter by signing free agent catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million contract and acquiring All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from Oakland. Slugger Jose Bautista has praised the newcomers for making a difference in the clubhouse with their winning pedigree and intense focus. ''We need something along those lines here every now and then,'' Bautista said. ''It's good to have guys to whom winning matters.''
BLOCKING THE PLATE: Adding Martin gave the Blue Jays a logjam at catcher, where incumbent Dioner Navarro is signed through 2015 and Josh Thole is Dickey's knuckleball specialist. Martin has worked hard this spring to prove he can handle Dickey's floater, which could mean Thole is ticketed for Triple-A. Or, Toronto may yet trade the switch-hitting Navarro to open room at DH for Edwin Encarnacion, who has been slowed this spring by a balky back and may not be able to handle regular duty at first base.
PREVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-TORONTO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Twins-Blue Jays Preview* =========================

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD STATS Writer

Minnesota (54-50) at Toronto (54-52), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Although a lack of scoring has led to their recent slump, the Minnesota Twins have unsurprisingly found a way to break through offensively when Phil Hughes is pitching.

The right-hander looks to win a career-high seventh straight decision as the visiting Twins try to keep the surging Toronto Blue Jays from moving past them in the wild-card chase Tuesday night.

Minnesota (54-51) led the wild-card race July 17 before dropping 11 of 15 to fall into a virtual tie for the second wild-card spot. It's 8 1/2 games back in the AL Central.

The Twins have scored six runs in the last four games overall and nine while dropping five of six on the road.

Torii Hunter hit a second-inning home run Monday but Minnesota managed three hits off David Price - who was making his debut for Toronto (55-52) - in a 5-1 loss.

"One solo home run is not going to do it," Hunter told MLB's official website. "Those guys know how to hit over there. Josh Donaldson is as hot as a firecracker."

Offense hasn't been a problem for the Twins whenever Hughes has taken the ball - just as it wasn't for the New York Yankees, his first team. The right-hander's run-support average of 5.65 is the sixth highest in baseball among active players since his debut April 26, 2007.

The Twins have given him 7.3 runs per game in his last eight starts, during which he's gone 6-0 with a 3.06 ERA to tie for the longest active winning streak in the majors.

Hughes (10-6, 4.11 ERA) particularly benefited from that perpetual offensive largesse Thursday when he gave up a season high-tying five runs and 10 hits - two home runs - over five innings of a 9-5 home win over Seattle.

After going 0-2 with a 9.18 ERA in his previous four starts at Toronto, Hughes didn't allow a run while striking out nine over seven innings of a 7-2 win at Rogers Centre last June 11. He's gone 6-7 with a 4.69 ERA against the Blue Jays in 29 appearances - his most versus any team.

Hughes has done a nice job against Donaldson, who is 2 for 11 with four strikeouts in the matchup. Donaldson hit a tiebreaking home run in the fifth inning Monday and is 10 for 25 with three home runs, four doubles and nine RBIs over his last six games.

The two-time All-Star is also batting .405 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 19 RBIs in a 21-game hitting streak against the Twins. It's the longest active hit streak in the majors against an opponent.

Toronto is batting .302 with 10 homers while averaging 6.0 runs during its 5-1 stretch. The Blue Jays are also the highest-scoring team in baseball at home, averaging 5.6 runs.

Marco Estrada (8-6, 3.53) has also thrived at home recently, going 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his last five such outings. He's posted a 2.66 ERA in his last eight starts overall.

After allowing a season high-tying five runs over four innings of a 5-2 loss at Seattle on July 24, Estrada bounced back by allowing two over 5 2-3 in Thursday's 5-2 home win over Kansas City.

He's struggled against Minnesota, going 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four career starts.


Last Updated: 3/18/2024 11:31:35 PM EST.


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