Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, August 10, 2017

Five home runs, including Brian Dozier's grand slam, send Twins past Brewers. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1 Dietrich Enns called to the majors, will start for Twins Thursday. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2 Twins played their way (again) into a fun, awkward position. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 3 Kennys Vargas called up, sent down. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4 Colon wouldn't have been more casual throwing at front steps in Fulda. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 4 Mejia's MRI shows no damage, Santiago wild. Vargas here. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5 Twins players to wear nicknames on jerseys. What will Joe Mauer's be? Star Tribune (Sinker) p.6 Bartolo Colon does it again as Twins beat Milwaukee Brewers 4-0. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6 Reunion with ex-teammate helps Twins reliever Dillon Gee get on a roll. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7 Brian Dozier backs Bartolo Colon in Twins win. MLB.com (McCalvy & Gruman) p. 8 Veteran Bartolo Colon giving Twins boost. MLB.com (Gruman) p. 9 Twins recalling Dietrich Enns, option Vargas. MLB.com (Gruman) p. 10 Twins' Paul Molitor returns to Milwaukee. MLB.com (McCalvy) p.11 Twins donate to local Tink Larson Field. MLB.com (Jackson) p. 12 Zulgad: Bartolo Colon making a pitch for why he’s far from finished. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 12 Milestone watch: Can Joe Mauer pass Killebrew for most times on base in Twins history? ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 14 Colón, Dozier lead Twins to 4-0 win over Brewers (Aug 09, 2017). Associated Press p. 15 You’ll never have to get up for food at the game again. New York Times (Fickenscher) p. 16

Five home runs, including Brian Dozier's grand slam, send Twins past Brewers

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE – Everyone can’t wait to see Bartolo Colon hit, and understandably so. When he decides to swing, he spins around in the batter’s box, and you wonder if he’ll stay on his feet once the spinning stops. “He does the statue once in a while,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Then they think he’s going to statue, then he almost falls over.” Wednesday was also a night to watch Colon’s pitching belie his age — and body. Fastballs that stay out of the danger zone. Timely changeups and sliders. Lack of solid contact. Baffled Brewers batters. Heck, baffled spectators, too. Colon went seven shutout innings as the Twins beat Milwaukee 4-0 to return to .500 for the first time since July 24. Colon gave up five hits while walking one and striking out five. While Colon threw a complete game in his last outing, beating Texas on Friday, he gave up four runs that night. Wednesday might have been his best outing as a Twin as he lowered his ERA with his newest team to 4.02 through five starts. The Twins have won four straight to end the day 56-56. They have won four straight games at six different times this season but have yet to win five in a row. Their inability to go on a sustained run of wins has made it hard for them to be taken seriously, and their post-All-Star break swoon led to trades of Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler. Once again at the doorstep of a fifth straight win, the Twins will send lefthander Dietrich Enns to the mound — in his major league debut — as the Twins look to sweep the season series against their interleague rivals. They suddenly are getting solid outings from starting pitchers, enough offense, and Matt Belisle — who pitched the ninth inning on Wednesday

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— has lived Kintzler’s life. “It’s good how well we are playing, how we are finding ways to win games,” Colon said. “Hopefully we can keep winning games and see what we can do down the road.” The Twins got an RBI double in the second from Jorge Polanco, who is batting .500 during his seven-game hitting streak. Brian Dozier homered in the third, the fourth straight season he’s homered at Miller Park. Brewers second baseman Eric Sogard booted Joe Mauer’s grounder in the seventh, allowing Dozier to score to make it 3-0. Miguel Sano followed with an RBI double, and the Twins led 4-0. Colon didn’t add anything offensively, going 0-for-3 at the plate. But he added to the entertainment. He was robbed of a hit in the third when third baseman Hernan Perez grabbed his hard grounder. Colon also took some mighty cuts in the fifth before striking out. He fell behind reliever Jacob Barnes 0-2 in the seventh but worked the count to 3-2 before taking a massive swing at a 94-mph fastball, fouling it back. “I would have liked to have seen him square one of those balls up,” Molitor said. “I was afraid he was going to blow a hamstring out on that one swing.” He grounded out to third on the seventh pitch of the at-bat. He carried his bat as he ran to first and then was applauded as he jogged back to the dugout. He is 0-for-19 this season and is 0-for-his-last-32. But he makes it interesting. “He’s got a plan,” Molitor said. “I don’t know if I understand it, but he’s got a plan.” Opposing hitters, right now, probably feel the same way. Dietrich Enns called to the majors, will start for Twins Thursday

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 10, 2017

Lefthander Dietrich Enns, one of two pitchers traded to the Twins in exchange for lefthander Jaime Garcia on July 30, will be called up Thursday and will start against the Brewers. Enns, who will make his major league debut, last pitched on Friday, when he held Syracuse to two runs over six innings on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts. His old high school, Lincoln-Way Central in Frankfort, Ill., congratulated Enns on twitter for his promotion to the majors. Enns is on his regular schedule to start on Thursday. The Twins could push righthanders Kyle Gibson, Jose Berrios and Ervin Santana back a day in the rotation. Gibson now will pitch the first game of the Tigers series on Friday, with Berrios and Santana following. This makes up for the loss of lefthander Adalberto Mejia, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday with a left arm brachalis strain. Mejia left Tuesday's game in the third inning when he began feeling discomfort. Molitor gave Mejia credit for not trying to push through the soreness, which could have led to something worse. Less than a week after trading with Atlanta for Garcia, the Twins flipped him to the Yankees for Enns and righthander Zack Littell. Enns throws in the low 90 miles per hour range with a change up and slider/curve hybrid.

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Twins played their way (again) into a fun, awkward position

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | August 10, 2017

On July 30, barely a week ago, the Twins made an early-morning trade of left-handed pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Yankees. Garcia, who made just one start (in a victory) for the Twins after being acquired from Atlanta when the Twins were buyers, was suddenly dispatched after a rough week that turned Minnesota into sellers. At the end of that Sunday, after the Twins had blown a 5-0 lead in a 6-5 loss to the A’s, they were 50-53 — and a full seven games behind Cleveland in the American League Central and a five games behind Kansas City (with two other teams to climb over) in the race for the second Wild Card spot. A rational person playing the percentages — a description which we must conclude describes Twins bosses Derek Falvey and Thad Levine — would have looked at that situation and decided this season just wasn’t meant to be. A day later, right at the trade deadline, the Twins dealt away closer Brandon Kintzler — a free agent at the end of this season, but a reliever good enough to make this year’s AL All-Star team. In return for those two veterans, the Twins received three pitching prospects: Zack Littell, Dietrich Enns from the Yankees for Garcia and Tyler Watson from the Nationals. This wasn’t quite a fire sale, since Brian Dozier and Ervin Santana — arguably the Twins two best players to be mentioned in trade rumors — stayed in Minnesota. But it was a pretty clear message that management had turned the page to 2018 and beyond. The Twins lost their next game in San Diego to fall to 50-54. What followed, though, was a modest surge: five wins in the next seven games, including three in a row in comeback fashion over the past three games. The Royals, who had been red-hot when the Twins decided to sell, have lost seven of nine. Nobody else in the Wild Card race has really distinguished themselves. Suddenly, after just one pretty good week, the Twins find themselves back in the chase: just 1.5 games back, albeit as part of a cluster of six teams all within two games of one playoff spot. Granted, per MLB.com, the Twins still have just a 6.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason. They trail Cleveland by 5.5 games in the division race, so at this point we are almost certainly talking about a Wild Card berth and a long shot at making what is now a one-game playoff with the other Wild Card team. But it happened so suddenly — as quickly as the Twins had disappeared, they reappeared — that they are now in a fun and awkward position. The fun part is nobody expects anything of the Twins at this point, and the team appears to be playing with a certain attitude that is both loose and determined as a result. That can be a winning mix. The awkward part is there will inevitably come a point where the Twins’ depleted bullpen (minus Kintzler, who already has two wins in four scoreless appearances in Washington) or weakened starting rotation (minus Garcia and now with Adelberto Mejia on the disabled list) falters and costs the team a game. The bullpen has actually been great since the Kintzler trade. Matt Belisle has two saves in the committee approach so far and has been quite good overall lately after some rough early outings. But there will be howls from fans if and when he falters. If the Twins come up short of the playoffs — which is still the very likely outcome — there will be a nagging curiosity among fans (and maybe even players themselves) what might have happened if they hadn’t suddenly become sellers. This hot streak will be fun while it lasts, but the second-guessing will be a thing to watch, too.

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Kennys Vargas called up, sent down

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE – Kennys Vargas has gotten discouraged at times about his place with the Twins. That will happen when you end up on what manager Paul Molitor calls “the shuttle.” Vargas’ fourth stint with the Twins this season began and ended Wednesday, when he was called up to replace Adalberto Mejia, then sent down after the game to make room for Thursday's starter Dietrich Enns. He’s been sent down to Class AAA Rochester four times now. So many visits to Rochester will make one think. “It’s a tough process,” he said. “When you play in the big leagues and you go down, you are like, ‘What am I doing here?’” Vargas said. “You have to deal with that, keep focused and keep working on defense and hitting. “For me, my family it is very important. They give me support. My wife sees me down and says, ‘Oh, you can do it.’” Vargas batted just .224 during his recent 19-game stint with Rochester but did hit five home runs and draw 11 walks. “I don’t think anyone enjoys the shuttle, and he has been on it more than anybody,” Molitor said. “We all know he’s played well and he’s impacted this team at times, as he has with the Red Wings.” Colon wouldn't have been more casual throwing at front steps in Fulda

Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | August 10, 2017

What did a kid do when there was nothing to do on a summer day in Fulda, Minn. in the mid-1950s? There were two main options: You would throw a baseball against the steps in the front of the house, or you would toss a baseball in the air, get two hands on a bat and attempt to give it a whack. These options were not always available, since we resided in the upstairs of the large house, and the downstairs was my father’s funeral home. If a family in the area had suffered a loss, you had to check the schedule to make sure you wouldn’t be throwing a baseball against the steps when those folks arrived to pick out a casket for a loved one. And if there was a wake taking place, you were encouraged to be quiet if anywhere in the vicinity of the house. I was probably 9 or 10 one afternoon when I tossed up the baseball, took the whack, lost my grip on the bat and it went flying through a window. The wake would be starting in a couple hours, and even with my father’s love for baseball, a bat through a window of a sitting room in the funeral home was an inexcusable blunder. Somehow, I started thinking about this on Wednesday night, while watching Bartolo Colon work innings 4 through 7 in a 4-0 victory over the Brewers in Milwaukee. Colon went seven scoreless innings for the Twins, and he put those on top of a complete game in his last outing for the Twins. The casualness and pace with which he did this reminded me of a kid throwing a baseball at the steps. I was the kid because it’s the only experience I have with that picture. That’s what you did: You took a glance, zeroed in on a specific spot, and tried to hit it so that the baseball would return as planned. Once the ball was back in the glove, you would look around for a moment, maybe flip the ball in the air, and then get ready to make another throw as close to your spot as possible. I think this vision came to me as the Twins were batting in the top of the sixth. The TV camera went to the dugout as Dick Bremer and the excellent analyst, Roy Smalley, were mentioning Colon. And there was Bartolo, looking straight ahead, not much to do, but he had a ball in his possession, so he tossed it a couple of feet above his head and caught it. Young Bartolo had to be a fabulous time killer on a languid day in Altamira, Dominican Republic. I’m guessing all he would have needed to

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occupy himself was a baseball. I don’t care if he’s 44 and was making his 528th start (including playoffs) in the major leagues. Nobody can be the cool hand that was Colon on Wednesday, not even Paul Newman as Luke Jackson. Colon’s strikeout fastball is long gone, so he basically has to keep pumping strikes until a hitter puts a ball in play. Every pitch needs a thought, and he gets the ball back from the catcher, stares at nothing for a couple of seconds as he contemplates, and then he’s ready to go. As Smalley pointed out, Colon gets hitters so conscious of the fastball that’s down with a little run at 86/87 miles per hour, that when he goes with the fastball at 92 – high and straight – it can get on the top of the hitters before they adjust. The thing about Colon’s high fastball is that it’s not so high that it’s easy to lay off. It’s more like an inch and fraction above a perfect hitting location … irresistable, but not the cookie it looked like approaching the plate. The most amazing pitch of Colon’s night came when he jammed Orlando Arcia with a fastball at 84. This is Ozzie’s kid brother and a future All-Star as a shortstop. And Arcia actually wound up with a hit in this at-bat, but strike two had to hit the knuckle of Arcia’s right index finger as he swung. It was a hysterical hack. The whole Colon approach – looking around, picking out a spot, doing so as casually if he was throwing at the front steps; flipping a baseball because there’s nothing else to do at that moment – was hysterical. It was the most fun I’ve had watching a Twins game since back in 2010, when Twins games were fun. Mejia's MRI shows no damage, Santiago wild. Vargas here

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | August 9, 2017

An MRI of Adalberto Mejia's left shoulder revealed inflammation but no other damage. The lefthander was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday with a left arm brachials strain. And that will be the last time I write that word. Twins manager Paul Molitor gave Mejia credit for not trying to push through the soreness, which could have led to something worse. He also mentioned Mejia showing signs of fatigue, which was interesting. Last year, Mejia threw a career-high 134.1 innings for four different clubs, and the Twins said he wore down late in the season. He's thrown 107.1 innings so far this season. The Twins have not made up their minds on a starter for Sunday to replace Mejia, but Dillon Gee sure looks like an inviting option after pitching well on Tuesday. Lefthander Hector Santiago could have been in the mix, but he gave up three earned runs over 41/3 innings this afternoon while pitching for Class AAA Rochester in a 12-3 loss to Columbus. Santiago gave up two hits and walked SIX while striking out four. "I wanted him to take that turn today given the fact that we are still trying to get him back to what we know he can be in terms of arms strength," Molitor said. "Him pitching today eliminated him, in my mind, for Sunday just because it would have been three days of rest." Kennys Vargas has joined the Twins after being called up from Rochester to replace Mejia on the roster. It gives Molitor another bat to choose from the bench. With two complete games thrown during the homestand and an off-day coming up on Monday, Molitor felt comfortable going with a hitter over another pitcher. Twins are going for their sixth four-game winning streak of the season, tying their longest streak. They done it five times. Twins Brian Dozier, 2B Max Kepler, RF Joe Mauer, 1B Miguel Sano, LF Eddie Rosario, Lf Byron Buxton, CF Jorge Polanco, SS Chris Gimenez, C Bartolo Colon, RHP Nice challenge for Max Kepler and Eddie Rosari, as Woodruff throws 94-95 miles per hour with a good slider.

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Twins players to wear nicknames on jerseys. What will Joe Mauer's be?

Howard Sinker | Star Tribune | August 9, 2017

Later this month, Major League Baseball will have its first Players Weekend, the hook being that teams will wear a unique set of jerseys that will have their nicknames on the back -- if they choose to do so. In other words, you'll be seeing Ervin Santana's No. 54 with "Magic" on the back and Tyler Duffey's No. 56 will have "The Doof." Some of the nicknames will be pretty predictable: Kyle Gibson is Gibby, Brian Dozier is Doz and Byron Buxton is Buck. A few others include Jose Berrios doing business as Orlandito, Eddie Rosario as Baudidou and Chris Gimenez as G. (Yes, we're a bit disappointed Gimenez didn't go WWE on us and go for "Certified G.") Right now, our favorite is Max Kepler, who is using his birth name of Rozycki. Before joining the Twins organization as a 16-year-old from Germany, he was known as Max Kepler-Rozycki. "Teams told us it wouldn’t fit on the back of a jersey,” Kathy Kepler said. “We decided upon Kepler, though if he had signed with the Cubs, with all the Polish people in Chicago, he may have used Rozycki.” Here's a photo of the Players Weekend jerseys provided by MLB.com. The game-used jerseys will be auctioned on MLB.com after the weekend. But can you tell what really disappoints us? Mauer, Grossman, Pressly and Rogers. You guys should think of something, unless you want us to do it for you. Bartolo Colon does it again as Twins beat Milwaukee Brewers 4-0

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 9, 2017

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what Bartolo Colon enjoys more: Swinging a baseball bat or making hitters half his age look helpless trying to do the same against him. The ageless right-hander, pitching in his final interleague road game of the regular season, got to do the former in three more wondrous at-bats on Wednesday night at Miller Park. That should tell you all you need to know about his contributions to the Twins’ 4-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. “He’s got a plan,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I don’t know if I understand it, but he’s got a plan.” It was the fourth straight win for the Twins, who climbed back to .500 in tying their longest streak of the season, and their sixth win in eight games. They remained 1 1/2 games out of the second American League wild-card spot. Building on his historic complete-game victory last weekend, the 44-year-old marvel worked seven shutout innings. Lowering his earned-run average to 4.02 through five Twins starts, Colon (4-9) claimed career victory No. 237, six behind hall of famer Juan Marichal for most by any pitcher born in the Dominican Republic. The Brewers managed to advance just two runners as far as second base, and both times it was shortstop Orlando Arcia, younger brother of former Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia. Arcia had two of the five singles the Brewers could muster off Colon, who was still pumping 91-92 mph fastballs as he finished off a 101-pitch night. Arcia stole second with some nifty hand jive in the second and then moved up on an oddly timed sacrifice bunt in the seventh with the Twins leading by four runs. Once Colon had recorded his fifth strikeout, freezing Jonathan Villar to end the seventh, the resurgent pitcher walked over to Arcia with a friendly word and a playful glove tap on the backside. “I threw a fastball inside and he kind of had a weird swing,” Colon said through a translator. “You could tell his back was bothering him, so I went up to him and asked how his back was doing. I didn’t want him to be bothered by it.” When Colon made his big-league debut on April 4, 1997, Arcia was 2 years old. What is it like for Colon to face opponents half his age?

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“The way I look at it, that’s about the same age my son is,” Colon said. “He’s about 20. I think about it and say, ‘How cool would it be or how interesting would it be if my son would be here playing or facing me?’ I look at them like they’re my kids. It’s very fun.” Brewers rookie starter Brandon Woodruff was 4 when Colon broke in, so you can imagine his shock at Colon pulling a 91-mph fastball down the third-base line in his first at-bat. Brewers third baseman Hernan Perez made the backhand stop to rob what could have been the fifth career double for Colon, who is hitting .085 in 295 at-bats. “I thought it was a double, obviously,” Colon said. “Good for him. He made a good play.” Colon, swinging even harder his next time up, struck out on four pitches in the fifth. In the seventh, facing hard-throwing reliever Jacob Barnes, he fouled off multiple mid-90s offerings before grounding to Arcia. Each time he put the ball in play, Colon trotted halfway to first with the bat in his hand and a huge grin on his face. “I like to hit and today I was trying,” Colon said. “My last at-bat, when they had me with two strikes, I told the catcher, ‘Just throw it down the middle. I’m not going to swing.’ But then, when I was back to 3-2, I said, ‘OK, let’s go for it’ and I swung again.” Now that Colon has allowed just one run over his last 12 innings, his manager might rather see him take things a little easier at the plate. “I was afraid he was going to blow a hamstring out on that one swing,” Molitor said. “He does the statue once in a while. When they think he’s going to statue, then he almost falls over. I would like to have seen him square one of those balls up. It was entertaining.” Jorge Polanco continued his scorching August with two more hits, including a two-out double that scored Eddie Rosario in the second. Brian Dozier banged out three hits, including his 22nd homer and sixth in nine games, and Miguel Sano added a run-scoring double in the seventh. Reunion with ex-teammate helps Twins reliever Dillon Gee get on a roll

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | August 9, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Hours before recording his first career save with four shutout innings on Tuesday, Twins right-hander Dillon Gee walked into the clubhouse video room with a question for Jeremy Hefner, his former New York Mets rotation mate in 2012-13. “Hef, whaddaya got?” Gee asked the Twins’ director of major league video scouting. The two friends went over the Milwaukee Brewers’ lineup and potential pinch hitters and sketched out a quick game plan that helped Gee push his scoreless streak to seven innings since joining the Twins at the start of the month. “He gave me a basic rundown,” said the 31-year-old Gee, six weeks younger than Hefner. “He knows I don’t like to get too into detail about stuff. It’s kind of just a general idea of what we’re going to attack with. We pitched together, so he knows what I got. I think he knows how to relate to me well, what probably would work for me.” Hefner, who retired this offseason due to shoulder issues, had such a similar repertoire during his pitching days, he doesn’t have to do much projection to figure out how Gee should proceed. “When I got to the Mets, I started throwing Dillon’s changeup,” Hefner said. “So I owe what limited success I had to throwing his changeup. We were kind of the same guy: same velocities, changeup, curveball, worked up in the zone, threw a little sinker. We could lean on each other and game plan together because our stuff was similar.” Gee has rediscovered his changeup after shelving it in favor of a cutter in recent seasons. He’s also mixing in more curveballs at the expense of his slider while attacking the zone more in general. The result has been extreme efficiency as shown by Gee’s nine strikeouts against just one walk. Of the 119 pitches Gee has thrown in a Twins uniform, 80 have been for strikes (67.2 percent). “I’m not pitching away from contact,” Gee said. “I’m throwing strikes with all different pitches. The curveball’s been really good. The changeup has been a really good weapon too. My changeup was pretty much why I got to the big leagues in the first place. The last couple years I struggled with it, but it’s kind of coming back.” Having Hefner as a daily sounding board once again has helped Gee rebuild his confidence after the Texas Rangers released him in June.

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“Hef has been a huge addition to my game plan and attacking guys,” Gee said. “It’s been fun. I’ve been able to stay in attack mode and keep that demeanor.” MEJIA UPDATE A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no structural damage in Adalberto Mejia’s upper throwing arm, but the Twins still placed the rookie left-hander on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation between his biceps and triceps. The Twins will call up left-hander Dietrich Enns, 26, from Triple-A Rochester to start Thursday’s series finale against the Brewers. Enns’ hometown of Frankfort, Ill., south of Chicago, is 125 miles south of Miller Park. Already on the 40-man roster, the finesse pitcher was acquired on July 30 in the deal that sent veteran lefty Jaime Garcia to the New York Yankees. Enns has a 2.38 ERA in eight Triple-A starts this season after missing 2 1/2 months with a strained throwing shoulder. The rest of the rotation will have an extra day of rest. The Twins don’t believe Mejia, who was removed in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 11-4 win, was trying to pitch through any lingering pain or soreness. “He’s been good,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “It’s just one of those wear-and-tear things. You throw a lot of pitches, things are going to happen over time. I’m glad he got someone’s attention when he did.” Mejia, 24, hasn’t gone past 97 pitches since July 3, but he struggled with marathon innings at times this year. That included a 30-pitch first inning on Aug. 3 against the Texas Rangers, followed by a 40-pitch fourth that ended his night. “There’s probably some fatigue, which created some pain and soreness,” Molitor said. “It was the right thing to get him out of there and try to get that thing calmed down.” Veteran lefty Hector Santiago figures to remain at Triple-A Rochester for at least another start after walking six, hitting a batter and giving up a two-run homer in 4 1/3 innings Wednesday afternoon. That was the fourth rehab outing for Santiago, whose 30-day rehab window runs through Aug. 24. BRIEFLY Kennys Vargas, who fouled out in a pinch-hitting appearance Wednesday, was optioned back to Triple-A after the game to make room for Enns. Vargas had just been recalled when Mejia landed on the DL. Twins third-base coach Gene Glynn will leave the team Saturday to attend funeral services in Austin, Texas, for his longtime friend Don Baylor, who died Monday at 68 after a long bout with cancer. Glynn, who was on Baylor’s coaching staff with the Colorado Rockies (four seasons) and Chicago Cubs (2000-02), made several offseason trips over the years with his wife, Julie, and Don and Becky Baylor. Ben Molitor, the manager’s 10-year-old son, was at Miller Park with a group of Edina Little League all-stars in town to play a group of Milwaukee-area kids on Thursday morning. The game was scheduled for 10:30 a.m., across the street at Helfaer Field, a Little League diamond that seats 722 and was built for $3.1 million. The younger Molitor, who wears No. 3 instead of his dad’s famous No. 4, was slated to pitch an inning and play some shortstop. Brian Dozier backs Bartolo Colon in Twins win

Adam McCalvy and Andrew Gruman | MLB.com | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Bartolo Colon is proving there is still something left in his 44-year-old tank. The veteran right-hander followed last week's complete-game victory over the Rangers with seven scoreless innings against the Brewers on Wednesday, leading the Twins to a 4-0 win at Miller Park. Colon yielded five hits, all singles, to spoil the home debut of Brewers pitching prospect Brandon Woodruff, who allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Brian Dozier, who will be wearing the nickname "Doz" on the back of his jersey for Players Weekend, led the Twins' offense with a solo homer, his sixth in his past nine games, after hitting his first career grand slam on Tuesday. "It was fun to watch," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I don't think you go into a game thinking Bartolo is going to give you seven zeros, but

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he kept making pitches." With a fourth straight win, including three in a row over Milwaukee, the Twins remained 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners for the second American League Wild Card spot. "Right now, with how good we are playing, we are able to find ways to win games," Colon said through an interpreter. "Hopefully, with God's help, we can keep winning games and see what we can do down the road." The Brewers, who have lost four in a row, are still 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs, who have lost six of their last eight, in the National League Central. The Brewers have scored three or fewer runs in 18 of their last 24 games. The only Brewer to get past first base in Colon's seven innings was Orlando Arcia, who used a nifty slide to steal second in the second inning and advanced on a bunt by Eric Sogard in the seventh with the Crew trailing by four runs. "There's frustration, of course. When you struggle to score runs, you get frustrated," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It's OK. It's natural. You compete the next day. There are important at-bats the next day, so you have to step up. "We have to score more runs. Is it frustrating not scoring runs? Of course it is. After you lose a game, 4-0, you're frustrated as a hitter, for sure, but you come back tomorrow. There's a lot of opportunity in front of us. When we wake up tomorrow, that's how you have to see it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Powered by Polanco: The Twins jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a second-inning double by shortstop Jorge Polanco, who has been doing his best Rod Carew impression against the Brewers over the past three days. With that two-out hit, plus a single leading off the fifth, Polanco had eight hits and four RBIs in his first nine at-bats against Milwaukee pitching. Two-out trouble: Minnesota doubled its lead in the seventh, thanks to a two-out error charged to Milwaukee second baseman Eric Sogard. Dozier started the rally with a two-out double and Max Kepler walked before Sogard booted a Joe Mauer grounder, allowing Dozier to score. Miguel Sano followed with an RBI double to make it 4-0. "It's a big play," Counsell said of the error. "Down 2-0, you're asking the other team to make bigger pitches, more pressure pitches, especially with one guy on. It was a big play. It was a tough play up the middle, but it's a play he expects to make." QUOTABLE "He told me, 'Hit it somewhere else. Quit hitting it up the middle.'" -- Arcia, on a light-hearted exchange with Colon near third base at the end of the seventh inning, after both of Arcia's singles went back up the middle "I threw a fastball inside, and he had kind of a weird swing. You could tell his back was bothering him, so I went up to him and asked him how his back was doing. I don't want him to be bothered by it." -- Colon, on the exchange with Arcia SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS According to the Baseball-Reference.com database, Colon became the oldest right-hander to pitch seven or more scoreless innings in 23 years. Knuckleballer Charlie Hough shut out the Cardinals on June 14, 1994, at age 46. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Brewers challenged in the top of the ninth after Dozier stole second base under Arcia's tag, but the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Dietrich Enns will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester to make his Major League debut in Thursday's series finale against the Brewers at 7:10 p.m. CT. Acquired from the Yankees in the Jaime Garcia trade on July 30, the left-hander has a 2.38 ERA in eight Triple-A starts this season. Brewers: Zach Davies will take the mound in the border battle finale at Miller Park on Thursday. The right-hander has never faced the Twins, but he has gone 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA over his last eight starts, including four straight quality starts.

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Veteran Bartolo Colon giving Twins boost

Andrew Gruman | MLB.com | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Just when Bartolo Colon is about to be written off, the 44-year-old right-hander proves that his 20-year career isn't over yet. Colon followed up a complete-game performance last week by throwing seven scoreless innings in the Twins' 4-0 win over the Brewers on Wednesday at Miller Park, as the veteran continues to provide them with an unexpected boost. The Twins signed Colon last month to provide starting depth for down the stretch, as their American League Wild Card aspirations appeared to be fading. But with two strong starts from Colon mixed in, Minnesota has won five of six and sits just 1 1/2 games back of Seattle for the second Wild Card spot. "Right now, with how good we are playing, we are able to find ways to win games," Colon said through an interpreter. "Hopefully, with God's help, we can keep winning games and see what we can do down the road." According to the Baseball-Reference.com database, Colon became the oldest right-hander to pitch seven or more scoreless innings in 23 years on Wednesday. Knuckleballer Charlie Hough shut out the Cardinals on June 14, 1994, at age 46. Colon shut down the Brewers, allowing just two baserunners to reach second base and scattering five singles over seven scoreless innings. "It was fun to watch," manager Paul Molitor said. "I don't think you go into a game thinking Bartolo is going to give you seven zeros, but he kept making pitches. "He was in command. You could tell by their swings. The ball running in on their hands on the back-door sinker, and mixing in the change and the breaking ball. He has just had a really good feel lately of how to make pitches and what guys might be looking for and how to counter that." Colon posted an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts with the Braves before being released on July 4. He signed a Minor League deal with Minnesota three days later. After one start for Triple-A Rochester, he made his debut with the Twins on July 18. The Twins lost each of Colon's first three starts, in which he had a 5.87 ERA. But something clicked in a complete-game win over Texas on Aug. 4, and carried over to Wednesday. "I think what has helped is just mixing my pitches up," Colon said. "My first two starts, I was just throwing the fastball. Now, I am able to mix it up." The Twins certainly would continue to benefit in the Wild Card race if Colon truly does have more left in the tank. Minnesota has starter Ervin Santana to thank, as his recruiting phone call to Colon was the deciding factor in the veteran signing with the Twins. "I feel good," Colon said. "I have to thank the Braves for giving me an opportunity, and now the Twins and Ervin Santana. Without him, I wouldn't be here. We had a talk before I came here, and it motivated me to come here." Andrew Gruman is a contributor to MLB.com based in Milwaukee and covered the Twins on Wednesday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Twins recalling Dietrich Enns, option Vargas

Andrew Gruman | MLB.com | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- With Adalberto Mejia going on the 10-day disabled list, the Twins recalled first baseman Kennys Vargas from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday to utilize the roster spot, but they still needed to eventually bring in another starter. That decision came after Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Brewers, as Vargas was optioned back and manager Paul Molitor announced Dietrich Enns would be recalled to make his MLB debut on Thursday in Milwaukee. Right-handers Kyle Gibson, Jose Berrios and Ervin Santana will each bump back a day to pitch Minnesota's weekend series in Detroit. "It is a little strange Kennys was only here one day, but he's going to go back, given the way things worked out and the final decision we made," Molitor said. "It is not always the best decision, but we are going to protect our pitching the best way we can. "We had a few things to consider. I don't want to get into depth of how we landed there, but reports [on Enns] are encouraging. I think we feel he can do a good job for us [Thursday], so we selected him."

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One of two pitchers acquired by the Twins in the trade that sent left-hander Jaime Garcia to the Yankees on July 30, Enns is 2-2 with a 2.10 ERA in nine games (eight starts) in Triple-A this season. The left-hander has a 2.38 ERA over his eight starts, all but one for Scranton-Wilkes Barre, a Yankees affiliate. Enns made his lone start in the Twins' organization last Friday for Rochester, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over six innings in a loss to Syracuse. "Make-up wise, we hear really good things," Molitor said. "Poise, mound presence, all the things you want to hear about a kid trying to get to the big leagues. He has a nice variety of pitches. I think he uses them all. He pitches behind his fastball that has a little bit of a natural cut. He just knows how to make pitches" No tear for Mejia An MRI on Mejia's left brachialis strain came back negative and did not show a tear. The left-hander left Tuesday's 11-4 victory over the Brewers in the fourth inning, and was placed on the disabled list following the game. "There's probably some fatigue, which created some pain and soreness, which he didn't know how to respond to," Molitor said. "It was the right thing to get out of there, and try to get it calmed down. We're hoping it is not too significant in length before we can get him throwing again, but we obviously need to get rid of the soreness in the arm." Twins' Paul Molitor returns to Milwaukee

Adam McCalvy | MLB.com | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Twins manager Paul Molitor's return to Milwaukee on Wednesday came on the 30th anniversary of a milestone on his march to a 39-game hitting streak. On Aug. 9, 1987, Molitor flared a double to right field in his final at-bat of an 8-4 win over the White Sox at Comiskey Park, giving him a hit in 24 straight games. That matched the Brewers' record, which was set by Davey May in 1973 and remains the second longest hitting streak in franchise history behind Molitor's epic run. "At the time, there was some attention given to [tying the team record]," Molitor said before leading the Twins into a two-game Interleague series at Miller Park. "I don't remember the hit or anything that either tied … that particular record. There was a little bit of [pressure] around that time, but it really started to ramp up once I started extending it into the 30s." The next day, Molitor went 2-for-4 at home against Texas for a new Brewers record. His streak reached 39 games before coming to a memorable end on Aug. 26, when Molitor went hitless against Indians rookie right-hander John Farrell -- current manager of the Red Sox -- and was on-deck in the 10th inning at County Stadium when Rick Manning hit a walk-off single. It remains the only game in Brewers history in which a player was booed for delivering a winning hit. No Major Leaguer has had a longer hitting streak since. "I remember the day of the 39th game," said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who was in high school at the time and a regular at County Stadium because his father worked in the Crew's front office. "I remember the team -- it was a team that was full of streaks, and a team that was fighting for a playoff spot in mid-August, kind of in a similar spot to us right now, really. "As Paul has said, once he had the top Brewers streak, then it became this daily … living thing. It was fun. It was something to follow every day. You get to that point, and everybody got interested." Speaking of anniversaries, the Brewers held a reunion last month for the 1982 American League pennant-winning Brewers. About two dozen players attended, including Molitor's fellow Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers. Molitor, of course, had to decline the invitation, as he was busy managing the Twins. "The Brewers told me I was invited, but understood it was going to be unrealistic for me to be there," Molitor said. "I heard from some of the guys along the way. I got a nice email from Gorman [Thomas] last night. I correspond with Robin now and then. I know the guys had a good time. I'm not sure what they did, but knowing that group, I'm sure they had a good time."

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Twins donate to local Tink Larson Field

Shane Jackson | MLB.com | August 10, 2017

WASECA, Minn. -- It was a day that Tink Larson wasn't certain would ever come. After a grueling 16-month process, enough money was raised to build a new grandstand at Tink Larson Field in Waseca, Minn. The Twins were the first to get involved in the $1.9 million project by contributing $100,000. Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony signaled the start of the project. "Everyone is excited, now that the project has moved forward like it has," Larson said. "We certainly are indebted to the Minnesota Twins, for sure. They got the ball rolling." Larson, whom the field is named after, has coached high school and amateur baseball teams in the Waseca area for more than 50 years. He won a state high school championship in 1990, and still helps out with the Waseca High School team, in addition to volunteering at Minnesota State University. But Larson can still vividly remember April 6, 2016, when he get a call about the fire department making its way to the field. The previous grandstand, which had been built in 1939, had been destroyed by arson. "I looked out the window, and the place was in flames," Larson said. "Immediately, I thought, 'There goes 50 years of effort and memories down the drain.' I was actually a mess, to tell you the honest truth. Seems for like all the tough ballgames I was in, you'd thought I handled those OK, but this was a very sad moment." The project was delayed last fall due to flooding. Suddenly, it became difficult to find the funds to build a new grandstand. However, that's when Twins president Dave St. Peter helped jumpstart the fundraising. At a meeting back in January, Peter agreed to donate $100,000, as well as seats, 100 of which will be from the old Metrodome and 100 more from Target Field. The Minnesota Vikings chipped in $50,000, while the Super Bowl Host Committee donated $50,000 as well. And as a result, seven months later, the building process has started. It is expected to be completed by the 2018 season. "This project, in my mind, is important," St. Peter said. "I think it symbolizes baseball in all kinds of communities across the Midwest. You see ballparks like this bring the community together. I think it's absolutely critical, maybe more so than any sport, to have these gems within our community." The Twins understand the importance of Tink Larson Field better than most. First baseman Joe Mauer is among the several professional baseball players to play on the field as a child. Mauer actually admitted to Larson that he was first discovered at Tink Larson Field during a trial camp. "That's something we can be proud of, Mauer was pretty much discovered at this field," Waseca mayor Roy Srp said. Zulgad: Bartolo Colon making a pitch for why he’s far from finished

Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | August 9, 2017

Bartolo Colon had given up four runs and eight hits in four innings of a 6-3 loss to the Yankees in his first start with the Twins last month when he mentioned to an ESPN reporter that he might be nearing a breaking point. This caused Marly Rivera to report that Colon’s next start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, “could be a determining factor in making a decision” on whether he might walk away. The news was surprising considering Colon had just joined the Twins, but it wasn’t shocking given how 2017 had gone for the 44-year-old righthander known as the Big Sexy. Colon had signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Braves last winter, coming off a season in which he went 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA with the Mets. That earned him a spot on the NL All-Star team. But Colon looked as if he had gone off the pitching cliff once he arrived in Atlanta. He was 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA before being jettisoned after a poor start in late June.

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The Mets wanted him back, but Colon looked at the pitching-starved Twins and saw an opportunity. After a minor league start with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, he looked good early against the Yankees before they began to get to him. He then gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings, getting a no-decision, in a 6-4 loss at Los Angeles. There were conflicting reports as to whether Colon really might have hung it up if that start didn’t go well, but there is no doubt Colon and Twins are happy he stuck it out. After another no-decision, this time he gave up three runs and eight hits in 6.1 innings of a loss at Oakland, Colon has put together outstanding back-to-back performances. The second of those came Wednesday night against the Brewers at Miller Park. Colon, coming off a complete-game victory over Texas, continued to prove you don’t have to throw hard to win games. The man known as Big Sexy used his pinpoint control to shut out Milwaukee for seven innings, surrendering five hits and a walk while striking out five. That helped the Twins to a 4-0 win over the Brewers, giving Minnesota a four-game winning streak and pulling them back to .500 (56-56). The Twins remain 1.5 games back in the AL wild card race. “It was fun to watch,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Colon’s start on Wednesday. “He kept making pitches. He was in command. You could tell by the swings. He’s had a really good feel lately of how to make pitches.” After Colon’s first two starts with the Twins, it appeared he had a chance to get through a lineup once or twice but that would be it. “He’s such a leader on this ballclub,” Twins pitching coach Neil Allen told the team’s radio network. “He’s very aggressive with his stuff and he’s committed to his stuff.” Allen acknowledged that Colon had “wanted to go back out” to pitch the eighth inning on Wednesday but added, “you have to take age into consideration.” That isn’t a concern with too many professional athletes, but in Colon’s case it definitely factors into the equation. While he didn’t join the team until after the All-Star Break, Colon in many ways symbolizes the Twins’ season. Common sense says Colon, and the Twins, should be non-factors at this point. Yet, both refuse to go away. The Twins went 5-10 coming out of the break, including a four-game skid, causing Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey to send Jaime Garcia to the Yankees (after only one start) and All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington. Colon, of course, stuck around because portly pitchers who once played for the Montreal Expos aren’t exactly in demand. When the Colon signing occurred, it was applauded here because there was a curiosity about how an addition, that seemed to border on a stunt, would work. The only thing that has looked like a stunt so far have been Colon’s at-bats during Interleague games in NL parks. Colon went 0-for-3 on Wednesday, but his teammates appeared to have great fun watching his attempts at the plate. “I was afraid he was going to blow a hamstring out on that one swing,” Molitor said. “He’s got a plan (up there). I’m not sure I understand it, but he’s got a plan.” Evidently that plan has nothing to do with retirement.

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Milestone watch: Can Joe Mauer pass Killebrew for most times on base in Twins history?

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | August 9, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – Twins first baseman Joe Mauer is climbing the franchise’s lifetime achievements lists, and the three-time batting champ has a nonzero chance to be No. 1 all-time in reaching base. The milestone that will receive more pub is the hit list. Mauer moved into sole possession of third place in Twins history with a 1st-inning single on Tuesday, leaving Twins legend Tony Oliva in his wake at 1,917 hits. Twins fans to this day are left wondering how many Tony O. would have hit if his knees hadn’t given out on him. He likely wouldn’t have had to wait this long to get into baseball’s hall of fame, but that’s another column for another day. Mauer hadn’t notched a hit in six days, after he tied Oliva on the Twins’ all-time hit list. Word is that Oliva told Mauer before Tuesday’s game to get it done, and the first baseman didn’t waste any more time. It was a different milestone that caught my eye Tuesday, when Mauer reached base twice – one single and one walk – during a Twins home run parade. Mauer has now reached base 2,812 times in his 14-year career, which is two more times than Twins legend Kirby Puckett. “He tied [Oliva] in San Diego, I think,” Molitor said with a slight grin. “He might be leading our team in on-base percentage this homestand. He’s had some good at-bats and hits some balls sharply, but he finally got that one to go through tonight.” “He’s as familiar as anybody with Twins history – from here – and I know that he doesn’t take for granted when he has a chance to join and pass and do those different things that happen on milestone lists. But, you know, we all know what Tony did here. And that’s pretty impressive,” Molitor said. The all-time franchise leader in “times on base” is Sam Rice, who did all his damage with the Washington Senators. He reached safely 3,619 different times, according to the Twins. (Paul Molitor is No. 20 on the MLB all-time list, if you’re wondering, with 4,460 times on base during his Hall of Fame career.) Harmon checks in at No. 2 on the Twins’ on-base list, and you’ll find him at or near the top of basically every leaderboard in Twins history. The Killer reached base 3,576 times throughout his career, a healthy margin in front of Mauer. OK, I was curious. What if you counted just the numbers of times on base in a Twins uniform? It’s a bit of an unfair fight. Killebrew didn’t get to control the fact that the team moved from the nation’s capital to the Twin Cities during his playing career. And we’ll forget for a moment about the year he spent in Kansas City at the end of his career. That helps level the playing field a little bit, since Killebrew played 21 years in the big leagues and Mauer is now in his 14th, and 7 more years for Mauer seems like a near-impossibility. If you look at just the achievements in a Twins uniform, suddenly Killebrew’s lead over Mauer is diminished. Counting Mauer’s two times on base Tuesday, the Twins’ all-time leader is ahead of Mauer by a margin of 3,072 to 2,812. So Mauer has to get on base 260 more times to tie Killebrew. Killer still holds the lead, but the milestone isn’t miles ahead in the distance. It’s attainable. I asked Mauer about the significance of one-upping Tony Oliva on the Twins all-time hit list, knowing full well that Mauer’s not the kind of guy that likes to discuss his own accomplishments with the media. “Any time you’re mentioned with Tony, that’s a pretty good thing,” Mauer said. “Obviously he’s one of the best guys to put on this uniform – and now a good friend, which is even more special. That’s pretty neat to stop and think about that for a little bit.” When he was informed that the base hit in his first at-bat Tuesday also put him ahead of Kirby Puckett in terms of getting on base, Mauer said that Oliva and Puckett were “Two of my favorite players.” Lastly, I brought up the fact that Mauer had Harmon in his sights if you’re projecting this thing out another year and some change – just 260 more times on base for No. 1 in Twins history. “Well, I know there’s probably a couple categories I’ll never be mentioned with Harmon,” Mauer said. “But that’s another guy—great ballplayer, great person, too. I guess I’m doing something right if I’m mentioned with those guys.” Mauer’s 34 years old. He’s signed through next season with the Twins as part of the massive contract extension the team gave him after he’d

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become the stuff of local legends and won the MVP award in his home state in 2009. Here’s the sloppy, bar-napkin math. Figure we’re a little more than two-thirds of the way through Minnesota’s baseball season (111 games out of 162). Mauer’s been on base 142 times this year. He’ll get his customary days off the rest of the way, whether he wants to or not, and if he stays healthy maybe you can pencil him in for, what, another 70 times on base? He’s walking nearly as often as he strikes out this season, which you don’t see every day. That allows him to keep his on-base percentage nearly 100 points higher than his .272 batting average. (Killebrew walked more than he struck out in his Twins career: 1,321 to 1,314.) All right, so if Mauer stays healthy and keeps producing at this rate, he’ll finish the year in the neighborhood of 2,882 times on base in his career. That figure would still leave him 190 shy of Killebrew’s record number of times reaching base in a Twins uniform. But Mauer has another year to chase the record. And over the past four seasons, Mauer’s averaged getting on base 206 times a year, injuries all included. It’s going to be close. If he signs another contract with the Twins, it ought to be a cake walk for Mauer. If he doesn’t – and, really, who knows how that will play out? – then it figures to be a fascinating pursuit. Colón, Dozier lead Twins to 4-0 win over Brewers (Aug 09, 2017)

Associated Press | August 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE (AP) Bartolo Colón surprised his manager and then baffled the Milwaukee Brewers. Colón pitched seven innings for his second consecutive win since joining the Twins, Brian Dozier added a home run, double and single and Minnesota beat the Brewers 4-0 on Wednesday night. “I don’t think you go into a game thinking Bartolo is going to give you seven zeroes, but he kept making pitches,” manager Paul Molitor said. “He was in command. You could tell by their swings.” Colón (2-1) scattered five hits, struck out five and walked one in his sixth career start at Miller Park. Milwaukee failed to advance a batter past second. The oldest active player in the majors, Colón made his 518th career start and fifth for the Twins. He was 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts for Atlanta before being released July 4. Three days later, the 44-year-old right-hander signed with Minnesota. He pitched the 37th complete game of his career in his last start and beat Texas 8-4. “We couldn’t get anything going of any substance,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He kept us off balance enough. We weren’t able to string together any good at-bats, certainly.” Colón swung the bat well in his three at-bats and grounded out sharply to third twice. “I was afraid (he) was going to blow out a hamstring on that one swing,” Molitor said. “Even that first at-bat, he almost scooted one down the line there.” Orlando Arcia had two sharp singles, the last coming in the seventh. As Colón walked to the dugout, he smiled and tapped Arcia on the back a couple of times with his glove. “He told me ‘Hit it somewhere else. Quit hitting it up the middle,’ ” Arcia said through interpreter Carlos Brizuela. Taylor Rogers retired the side in order in the eighth. Matt Belisle struck out the side in the ninth to seal Colón’s 237th career victory. Dozier teed off on a 3-2 pitch from Brandon Woodruff (1-1) in the third for his 22nd home run. Dozier doubled in the seventh off Jacob Barnes and scored when second baseman Eric Sogard misplayed a hard smash by Joe Mauer. Miguel Sanó followed with a run-scoring double. “It was a big play,” Counsell said of the error. “Tough play up the middle, but it’s a play he expects to make. They ended up getting another base hit and putting you in a 4-0 hole.” Dozier was hit by a pitch in the fifth and singled in the ninth.

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Jorge Polanco drove in the Twins’ first run with a double in the second. Woodruff won his major league debut, a 2-0 road victory over Tampa Bay last week, but the 24-year-old right-hander couldn’t duplicate that effort at Miller Park. He went 5 2/3 innings, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out two. TRAINER’S ROOM Twins: Twins starter Adalberto Mejia (left arm brachialis strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list after being pulled Tuesday night in the fourth inning with pain in his upper left arm. Molitor said that an MRI showed inflammation in the muscle, but no major damage. TWINS ROSTER MOVE LHP Dietrich Enns makes his major league debut Thursday after being called up from Triple-A Rochester. Molitor said that move allows the team to push the three right-handers back a day each when the Twins play the Detroit Tigers. “(It) gives us (Kyle) Gibson, (José) Berrios and (Ervin) Santana this weekend,” he said. 1B/DH Kennys Vargas is headed back to Triple-A Rochester after a one-day stint in the majors. He was recalled from Rochester on Wednesday. He pinch hit for Colón in the eighth and fouled out. “Not always the best situation, but we are going to protect our pitching the best way we can,” Molitor said. Brewers: 3B Travis Shaw missed the game for personal reasons. … C Stephen Vogt aggressively worked out before the game while wearing a supportive brace on his injured left knee. “Running felt great, throwing felt phenomenal and the blocking felt very good,” he said. “We’re well ahead of schedule.” He said the brace provided a sense of security, despite being uncomfortable to wear. UP NEXT Twins: Enns makes his major league debut Thursday after being called up from Triple-A Rochester after Wednesday night’s game. Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (13-5) is 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA over his last eight starts. He’s going for his fifth consecutive quality start and 10th overall. He’s never faced the Twins. You’ll never have to get up for food at the game again

Lisa Fickenscher |New York Post | August 9, 2017

Sports fans across the country might soon kiss those long lines at the concession stands buh-bye. Grubhub and other restaurant delivery companies are talking to stadium operators about launching food delivery to all fans — not just the lucky ones sitting close to the action in premium seats, The Post has learned. Jets and Giants fans may be among the first to get seat-side service — ordering up via an app a juicy Bubba Burger, fries and a beer, for example, without getting off their duffs, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. “We’re always looking for new ways to connect our diners with food they want when they want it,” Grubhub, the 500-pound gorilla of food delivery and mobile restaurant ordering, told The Post. Grubhub declined to comment specifically on any talks with any potential customer. Delaware North, which operates the food service at MetLife Stadium and for some 30 professional sports franchises — including the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, and the Boston Celtics, at TD Garden — declined to comment. Currently, vendors roaming MetLife Stadium only sell popcorn, water and pretzels. Although the talks are in the early stages, Grubhub may test the service in certain pockets of MetLife Stadium as early as this fall, the source said. The idea of offering fans more tech-friendly, service-oriented food programs is catching on. During the most recent NHL and NBA seasons, Madison Square Garden tested food delivery in its Delta Club section during Knicks and Rangers

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games via those teams’ apps in an expansion of a program that used to be available only in its suites. The Yankees have tested seat-side food delivery outside of the usual premium seating area, according to Marty Greenspun, senior vice president of strategic ventures for the team. “The technology is changing rapidly and there are teams attempting to do this,” Greenspun said, adding that “all options are on the table” for the Yankees to do this as well. Several years ago, the San Francisco 49ers — who are Silicon Valley’s de facto home team — were the first professional franchise to roll out food delivery to all its fans via its mobile app. Other teams are clamoring to do the same, according to Marty Hahnfeld, an executive with Olo, which handles digital ordering for 35,000 restaurants nationwide. “Over the past couple of years, large venues and professional teams have contacted us wanting to talk about delivery,” Hahnfeld said. Not everyone has been persuaded that having hundreds of couriers at stadiums climbing over seats or passing a meal down the aisle is a great idea. “When vendors come back and forth, it can get in the way of watching a game,” said Tracy Nieporent, an executive with Myriad Restaurant Group, which operates the Porsche Grille at Citi Field. “It’s like being at a movie and at the most dramatic moment, someone starts chatting.”