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MINNESOTA ( DUFFEY )
TORONTO ( HUTCHISON ) |
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| 973 | MINNESOTA | +180 | Ov 9,+100 | +187 | Ov 8.5,-120 | | 974 | TORONTO | -190 | Un 9,-120 | -205 | Un 8.5,+100 |
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| All Games | 54-52 | +12.1 | 45-51 | 4.2 | 0.247 | 0.299 | 0.393 | 0.692 | 4.2 | 0.269 | 0.316 | 0.423 | 0.739 | | Road Games | 20-30 | -2.8 | 18-28 | 3.4 | 0.218 | 0.274 | 0.345 | 0.619 | 4.4 | 0.271 | 0.324 | 0.429 | 0.753 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 33-35 | +4.3 | 26-34 | 3.7 | 0.241 | 0.291 | 0.380 | 0.670 | 4.4 | 0.273 | 0.320 | 0.426 | 0.746 | | Past 7 Games | 2-5 | -3 | 2-5 | 2.9 | 0.177 | 0.236 | 0.323 | 0.559 | 5.0 | 0.268 | 0.322 | 0.484 | 0.806 | | Turf Games | 0-2 | -2 | 0-2 | 1.0 | 0.086 | 0.159 | 0.190 | 0.348 | 4.0 | 0.238 | 0.314 | 0.476 | 0.790 | | Night Games | 29-27 | +8.8 | 22-30 | 4.2 | 0.242 | 0.293 | 0.382 | 0.675 | 3.7 | 0.261 | 0.306 | 0.399 | 0.705 |
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| All Games | 4.2 | 0.247 | 0.299 | 106 | 3536 | 874 | 179 | 31 | 91 | 0.393 | 417 | 263 | 792 | 51 | 623 | 105 | 59 | 104 | 57 | | Road Games | 3.4 | 0.218 | 0.274 | 50 | 1678 | 366 | 84 | 15 | 33 | 0.345 | 160 | 128 | 406 | 25 | 292 | 42 | 27 | 43 | 38 | | Righty Starters | 3.7 | 0.241 | 0.291 | 68 | 2227 | 537 | 118 | 22 | 49 | 0.380 | 239 | 155 | 527 | 38 | 387 | 64 | 36 | 63 | 34 |
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| All Games | 3.96 | 1.304 | 311.3 | 154 | 137 | 309 | 37 | 97 | 221 | 15-17 | 31 | 7 | 81.6% | | Road Games | 4.14 | 1.359 | 141.3 | 71 | 65 | 143 | 16 | 49 | 87 | 6-9 | 15 | 5 | 75% |
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| All Games | 56-52 | -2.5 | 50-50 | 5.3 | 0.263 | 0.329 | 0.443 | 0.772 | 4.2 | 0.250 | 0.304 | 0.403 | 0.707 | | Home Games | 34-21 | +5.5 | 21-32 | 5.5 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 0.482 | 0.830 | 3.7 | 0.227 | 0.281 | 0.371 | 0.652 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 40-39 | -1.2 | 36-35 | 5.2 | 0.260 | 0.326 | 0.437 | 0.764 | 4.2 | 0.245 | 0.302 | 0.393 | 0.695 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +4.8 | 3-4 | 5.6 | 0.292 | 0.363 | 0.498 | 0.861 | 3.0 | 0.176 | 0.208 | 0.269 | 0.476 | | Turf Games | 34-21 | +5.5 | 21-32 | 5.5 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 0.482 | 0.830 | 3.7 | 0.227 | 0.281 | 0.371 | 0.652 | | Night Games | 33-33 | -4 | 31-31 | 5.1 | 0.256 | 0.321 | 0.435 | 0.757 | 4.2 | 0.249 | 0.307 | 0.394 | 0.701 |
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| All Games | 5.3 | 0.263 | 0.329 | 108 | 3645 | 958 | 208 | 10 | 143 | 0.443 | 545 | 361 | 749 | 57 | 669 | 110 | 65 | 94 | 48 | | Home Games | 5.5 | 0.276 | 0.348 | 55 | 1802 | 498 | 115 | 3 | 83 | 0.482 | 294 | 198 | 323 | 26 | 351 | 55 | 27 | 42 | 27 | | Righty Starters | 5.2 | 0.260 | 0.326 | 79 | 2673 | 694 | 146 | 7 | 105 | 0.437 | 390 | 264 | 557 | 42 | 497 | 73 | 51 | 68 | 39 |
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| All Games | 3.39 | 1.101 | 318.7 | 132 | 120 | 261 | 35 | 90 | 315 | 13-20 | 19 | 16 | 54.3% | | Home Games | 3.07 | 1.049 | 164 | 62 | 56 | 138 | 16 | 34 | 163 | 6-7 | 8 | 7 | 53.3% |
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| 7/22/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ LA ANGELS | WILSON(L) | 2-5 | L | 150 | 7.5 ov | U | 9 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 | | 7/23/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ LA ANGELS | RICHARDS(R) | 3-0 | W | 170 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | | 7/24/2015 | HUGHES(R) | NY YANKEES | PINEDA(R) | 10-1 | W | +140 | 8 ev | O | 14 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | | 7/25/2015 | MILONE(L) | NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 5-8 | L | +100 | 8 ov | O | 7 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | | 7/26/2015 | GIBSON(R) | NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 2-7 | L | +115 | 8.5 ev | O | 10 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 7/28/2015 | PELFREY(R) | PITTSBURGH | MORTON(R) | 7-8 | L | -105 | 9.5 un | O | 12 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 2 | | 7/29/2015 | SANTANA(R) | PITTSBURGH | LIRIANO(L) | 4-10 | L | +120 | 8 un | O | 12 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 2 | | 7/30/2015 | HUGHES(R) | SEATTLE | HAPP(L) | 9-5 | W | -120 | 8.5 ev | O | 13 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 1 | | 7/31/2015 | MILONE(L) | SEATTLE | WALKER(R) | 1-6 | L | +100 | 8.5 un | U | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 1 | | 8/1/2015 | GIBSON(R) | SEATTLE | MONTGOMERY(L) | 3-2 | W | -130 | 8.5 ov | U | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | | 8/2/2015 | PELFREY(R) | SEATTLE | IWAKUMA(R) | 1-4 | L | +105 | 9 un | U | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 8/3/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ TORONTO | PRICE(L) | 1-5 | L | 195 | 8 un | U | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | | 8/4/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ TORONTO | ESTRADA(R) | 1-3 | L | 155 | 8.5 ev | U | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | | 8/5/2015 | DUFFEY(R) | @ TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | | | 8/6/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ TORONTO | BUEHRLE(L) | | | 8/7/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ CLEVELAND | BAUER(R) | | | 8/8/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | | | 8/9/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | | | 8/11/2015 | | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | | | 8/12/2015 | | TEXAS | | |
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| 7/22/2015 | DOUBRONT(L) | @ OAKLAND | GRAY(R) | 3-4 | L | 130 | 7 ev | P | 12 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 0 | | 7/23/2015 | DICKEY(R) | @ OAKLAND | POMERANZ(L) | 5-2 | W | -120 | 8.5 ov | U | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | | 7/24/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ SEATTLE | HERNANDEZ(R) | 2-5 | L | 150 | 6.5 ov | O | 7 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 7/25/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | @ SEATTLE | HAPP(L) | 8-6 | W | -130 | 8 un | O | 8 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | | 7/26/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | @ SEATTLE | WALKER(R) | 5-6 | L | -120 | 7.5 un | O | 9 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 1 | | 7/28/2015 | DOUBRONT(L) | PHILADELPHIA | MORGAN(L) | 2-3 | L | -265 | 9.5 un | U | 6 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | | 7/29/2015 | DICKEY(R) | PHILADELPHIA | WILLIAMS(R) | 8-2 | W | -275 | 9 ov | O | 16 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 | | 7/30/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | 5-2 | W | -125 | 9 ev | U | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | | 7/31/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | KANSAS CITY | CUETO(R) | 7-6 | W | -110 | 7.5 ov | O | 15 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | | 8/1/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 6-7 | L | -125 | 8 un | O | 8 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | | 8/2/2015 | DICKEY(R) | KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 5-2 | W | -145 | 8.5 ov | U | 7 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | | 8/3/2015 | PRICE(L) | MINNESOTA | SANTANA(R) | 5-1 | W | -215 | 8 un | U | 8 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | | 8/4/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | MINNESOTA | HUGHES(R) | 3-1 | W | -165 | 8.5 ev | U | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | | 8/5/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | MINNESOTA | DUFFEY(R) | | | 8/6/2015 | BUEHRLE(L) | MINNESOTA | GIBSON(R) | | | 8/7/2015 | DICKEY(R) | @ NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | | | 8/8/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ NY YANKEES | NOVA(R) | | | 8/9/2015 | ESTRADA(R) | @ NY YANKEES | TANAKA(R) | | | 8/11/2015 | HUTCHISON(R) | OAKLAND | GRAVEMAN(R) | | | 8/12/2015 | | OAKLAND | | |
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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. | | 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. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (MINNESOTA-TORONTO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Twins-Blue Jays Preview* =========================
By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer
Minnesota (54-51) at Toronto (55-52), 7:07 p.m. EDT
As the Toronto Blue Jays continue to surge, the Minnesota Twins can't seem to shake their lingering struggles.
The Blue Jays can record a fourth consecutive victory by handing the visiting Twins their fourth loss in a row Wednesday night.
Troy Tulowitzki and Josh Donaldson each homered to help Toronto (56-52) move ahead of Minnesota in the AL wild-card standings with a 3-1 victory Tuesday. The Blue Jays have won six of seven after falling 3-2 to Philadelphia to open a 10-game homestand.
The Twins (54-52), meanwhile, have dropped 12 of 16 and been held to one run in three straight contests and four of the last five. They've managed 16 hits in those five contests, including five in the first half of this four-game series.
"The thing we've done great all year is not worry about what's happened the day before so we're not going to let it get to us now," said infielder Trevor Plouffe, who is 1 for 10 in the last three games.
Donaldson continues to shine opposite the Twins, batting .398 with six home runs and 20 RBIs during a 22-game hitting streak against them - the longest active streak for any player against an opponent. He's hit .379 with four of his 28 home runs - one shy of his career high - and 10 RBIs in the last seven games overall.
"He's had a very good year, an MVP-caliber year," said Toronto bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who ran the team Tuesday while manager John Gibbons served a one-game suspension for his role in Sunday's brawl with Kansas City.
Toronto has won all six contests started by Tulowitzki, who is batting .333 with two homers and five RBIs in seven games since coming over from Colorado.
Donaldson and Tulowitzki provide a daunting challenge for Minnesota's Tyler Duffey, who makes his major league debut Wednesday. Called up to replace the injured Tommy Milone, Duffey went 6-8 with a 2.66 ERA and allowed one home run in 21 starts this season between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester.
"I can't even put into words what it feels like to be here right now," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "I'm excited to be here.
"I just have to go out and compete. I'm just going to try to go out and pitch my game and try to give my team a chance to win.
He'll be opposed by Drew Hutchison (9-2, 5.42 ERA), who went 1-1 with a 6.93 ERA in five July starts but throws at home where he's received an average of 6.24 runs of support while going 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 10. The right-hander allowed four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings but Toronto won its sixth straight home contest with him on the mound, 7-6 over Kansas City in 11 innings Friday.
Hutchison gave up four runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of a 6-5 loss May 31 at Minnesota. He's 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA and has a major league-leading 9.53 run-support average in 11 road starts.
All-Star Brian Dozier is 4 for 6 with three doubles against Hutchison but is batting .152 with 12 strikeouts in the last eight games.
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| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 10:27:42 PM EST. |
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