Some bad Tigers defense helped the Twins win 5-4 on Tuesday, but the crazy finish might never have mattered if not for some sharp defense by the Twins.
When Chris Paddack allowed hits to the first two Tigers hitters in the sixth inning, Jorge Polanco and Carlos Correa prevented a big inning by turning an Austin Meadows ground ball into a slick second-to-short-to-first double play.
"Defense wins ballgames," said Correa, who was also the pivot man in an unusual third-to-short-to-first double play in the second inning, caused by the Twins' shift. "You could see it in the game [Tuesday] — defense was the difference."
Along with Gio Urshela at third base, the Twins have three potential ground-ball vacuums in the infield, and it showed again in the fourth inning Wednesday, when Urshela converted Meadows' slow roller and Correa speared Javy Baez's 107-mph smash into outs.
The season is only three weeks old, but does this unit, which also includes Miguel Sano at first base and Luis Arraez as a utility player, look like the best infield defense Rocco Baldelli has managed in his four seasons with the Twins?
"It probably is," Baldelli agreed. "When you're looking around the diamond at the guys we have out there, it's hard to think we've had a better defense. You feel pretty confident that when the ball gets hit on the ground, we're going to make the plays."
Even some that nobody expects. Urshela made a play on Sunday in a 6-4 victory over the White Sox that will be hard to top this year, diving far to his right to grab an AJ Pollock ground ball, rolling over, then firing the ball to Sano while sitting on the ground.
"That's not something I practice. I just relaxed and tried to put what I could" on the throw, Urshela said. "Our defense has been really good. You can see we're all getting comfortable with each other."
Correa, last year's AL Platinum Glove award winner as the league's best overall fielder, worked for seven years alongside Jose Altuve, a Gold Glove winner with the Astros. How does this year's alignment compare?
"It's hard to say because they're different in their own way, but they're both great," Correa said. "Polanco, I'm enjoying playing with him a lot. We make a good pair."
Gray set for rehab start
Sonny Gray is now eligible to come off the injured list, but the Twins have decided to wait until next week to activate him, Baldelli said. That will give the righthander time to work a third bullpen session, and then make a rehab start in Florida over the weekend, likely with the Class low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Gray will travel with the Twins to St. Petersburg, where they play the Rays this weekend, and drive to Fort Myers to make his start. That allows him to escape the cold weather the Class AAA St. Paul Saints will play in, which is important as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the manager said. "You want to be able to get some good work in and sweat it out a little bit," Baldelli said.
MLB rosters shrink from 28 to 26 on Sunday, which played a role in the Twins' decision, Baldelli said. "We're not going to have the luxury of bringing in bullpen guys to cover innings for starters. Getting into May, we're going to need him to make a full start, so we'll make sure he gets built up a little bit."
Etc.
- Gary Sanchez caught pitchers in the bullpen Wednesday and took batting practice in the indoor cages. Should he report no soreness in his abdomen, Baldelli said, he will be in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale.
