The Twins won’t be making any excuses, manager Rocco Baldelli said Saturday, with Minnesota coming off a series-opening loss to Kansas City and reeling with a full third of its starting lineup, two members of the starting rotation and two members of the Opening Day bullpen on the injured list.\n\nSo, they didn’t. The remaining members of the lineup stepped up their production and some bullpen depth came through in needed spots as the Twins took care of business first on Saturday, and then again on Sunday with a 5-4 win against Kansas City, led by three hits from
The victory secured a series win at Kauffman Stadium after the Twins had sustained a three-game sweep in their last trip two weeks ago. It was particularly important that Minnesota picked up two games in light of the continued success of Cleveland and Chicago, which both entered Sunday within a game of the Twins in the American League Central.
• Notes: Avila mentoring; starting prospects
“It’s the teams that adapt the best to the ever-changing environment that I think are going to come out on top and give themselves the best chance to win games, to succeed, to come together,” Baldelli said. “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen from our group as a whole under some very, very challenging times, and I personally know that there have been difficult things -- injuries, guys maybe not playing as well as they’d like, all these different things.”\n\nAs they have for much of this season, the Twins scored early and clung to a narrow lead for the win. It just didn’t come as easily as it otherwise might have with Josh Donaldson, Byron Buxton and Mitch Garver in the lineup, and the previously shaky Poppen also had to step up as one of those lead protectors late in the close game.\n\nSanó’s continued emergence has been especially critical for a shorthanded lineup. He added two doubles and a single on Sunday and extended his hitting streak to seven games, a span that includes eight doubles and a homer.
\"I don't feel comfortable at the plate,” Sanó said. “I'm working every day. I'm coming in and doing my routine like last year. I prepare myself for the game, and then try to make good contact with the ball. And then you see base hit, base hit, you know?\"\n\nThe Twins struck for two in the first off Sanó's RBI double and
Still, the two-thirds of the Opening Day lineup that remained had barely enough oomph, led by consecutive multihit games from Rosario and Sanó.\n\nSo, they stepped up -- as did Poppen.\n\nWith the Twins starting
Poppen’s effort could prove particularly important in the big picture because the Twins might have taken another injury hit on Sunday, when