Twins first. Max Kepler grounds out to shallow right field to Jose Abreu. Josh Donaldson grounds out to shortstop, Tim Anderson to Jose Abreu. Jorge Polanco walks. Nelson Cruz doubles. Jorge Polanco to third. Eddie Rosario walks. Jake Cave homers to left field. Eddie Rosario scores. Nelson Cruz scores. Jorge Polanco scores. Luis Arraez singles to left field. Marwin Gonzalez strikes out swinging.4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Twins 4, White sox 0.Twins second. Alex Avila hit by pitch. Max Kepler strikes out swinging. Josh Donaldson walks. Alex Avila to second. Jorge Polanco singles to left field. Josh Donaldson to second. Alex Avila to third. Nelson Cruz doubles to deep right field. Jorge Polanco scores. Josh Donaldson scores. Alex Avila scores. Eddie Rosario doubles to deep left field. Nelson Cruz scores. Jake Cave hit by pitch. Luis Arraez singles to left field. Jake Cave to second. Eddie Rosario scores. Marwin Gonzalez pops out to shallow right field to Leury Garcia. Alex Avila... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins set their opening day roster on Thursday, with right-hander Jake Odorizzi on the 10-day injured list due to mild soreness in his upper back.Rich Hill will take Odorizzi's place the first time through the rotation, scheduled to start on Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox. José Berríos will take the mound for the opener on Friday, with Kenta Maeda set for Sunday and Homer Bailey on track for next week.Manager Rocco Baldelli said he expected Odorizzi to throw a bullpen session at some point during the weekend. The 2019 All-Star will be eligible to rejoin the active roster on July 30. With an off day on Monday, the Twins might not need an additional starter before Odorizzi is cleared.Backup catcher Willians Astudillo, who tested positive for the coronavirus upon his arrival at camp and has yet to work out with the team, joined Odorizzi on the injured list. Center fielder Byron Buxton, who suffered a left mid-foot sprain on July 13, was included on the 30-man roster and expected to join the Twins in Chicago. The biggest surprise on the opening day roster was Australian rookie outfielder Aaron Whitefield, a speedster who finished last season in Double-A.Major league rosters must be trimmed to 28 players in two weeks, and then to 26 players two weeks after that.___More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When the Minnesota Twins signed Rich Hill from the bargain aisle of free agency last winter, they expected the left-hander to be available around midseason after his recovery from elbow surgery. Now the 40-year-old is on track to be ready right away, thanks to the virus outbreak that shoved the schedule back by four months and shrunk it to 60 games. The Twins, who open on the road against the Chicago White Sox on July 24, are setting up a rotation with Hill in it. The 15-year veteran faced hitters at Target Field on Monday, logging four simulated innings in his latest step forward in yet another injury comeback.“There’s a lot of people who put in the time and the effort and gave me their time to make sure that I can be in the best position possible to go out there and perform,” Hill said Tuesday on a video conference call with reporters. "I put in the time and put in the effort, and it’s definitely paid off. I feel great, and yesterday was just one step in the right direction.”Over... [More]

April 61972 — For the first time in history, the major leagues failed to open on schedule because of a player strike, which started on April 1. The traditional season opener between Houston and Cincinnati was canceled and a total of 86 games were lost before the strike was settled.1973 — Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first major league designated hitter. With the bases loaded in the first inning, he was walked by pitcher Luis Tiant, but the Red Sox won 15-5.1973 — At the Oakland Coliseum, Tony Oliva became the first designated hitter to homer. The Twins DH hit a two-run shot in the first inning off of Catfish Hunter to Minnesota to an 8-3 win.1974 — Due to renovations at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees’ home opener took place at Shea Stadium. It was their first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922.1977 — The Seattle Mariners played their first regular-season game and lost 7-0 to the California Angels at the Kingdome.1982 — A freak storm that brought subfreezing... [More]

April 61972 — For the first time in history, the major leagues failed to open on schedule because of a player strike, which started on April 1. The traditional season opener between Houston and Cincinnati was canceled and a total of 86 games were lost before the strike was settled.1973 — Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first major league designated hitter. With the bases loaded in the first inning, he was walked by pitcher Luis Tiant, but the Red Sox won 15-5.1973 — At the Oakland Coliseum, Tony Oliva became the first designated hitter to homer. The Twins DH hit a two-run shot in the first inning off of Catfish Hunter to Minnesota to an 8-3 win.1974 — Due to renovations at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees' home opener took place at Shea Stadium. It was their first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922.1977 — The Seattle Mariners played their first regular-season game and lost 7-0 to the California Angels at the Kingdome.1982 — A freak storm that brought subfreezing... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Kenta Maeda got off to a memorable start for the Minnesota Twins, that's for sure.The Twins newcomer gave up a home run to Boston's Andrew Benintendi to begin the game Monday, prompting the Japanese pitcher to laugh later."First time facing hitters so I just wanted to get that feel back," Maeda said through an interpreter. "And I wasn't scheduled to give up a home run on the first hitter, just so you know."Maeda threw 37 pitches in two innings, allowing two hits with one walk and one strikeout. The Twins won 3-2."Everything felt fine. Velocity is up there way more than I expected. It's just the little things that need to be refined, adjusted," he said.It's all about adjustments for Maeda right now.Maeda, 32 in April, is entering his fifth MLB season after four with the Dodgers and eight years in Japan. He went 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA last season for Los Angeles.Minnesota acquired the right-hander earlier this month in a deal that sent its top pitching prospect, right-hander... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Expecting another big season from their high-octane offense, the Minnesota Twins hope to pitch well enough to win a second straight AL Central title.Minnesota set a major-league record with 307 homers and was eighth with a 4.18 ERA last year."We had a pretty darn good pitching staff last year statistically speaking,” said right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 30 starts. “You didn’t hear anything about it because we had such a historic offense. As with any staff, I think we’re fine with it. We don’t need the notoriety. This isn’t the Nationals’ pitching staff, the guys that have tremendous staffs that always get talked about.”Minnesota was second in runs with 939 and batting average at .274. The ERA was fifth among AL teams.“I think we’re just going to try and build off what we did last year,” the 29-year-old Odorizzi said. “If we get talked about a little more this year, great. If not, as long as we win, we’re a happy group.”Minnesota signing... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Kenta Maeda wonders whether the Astros’ sign stealing affected the performance of teammate Yu Darvish during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2017 World Series loss to Houston.Darvish lost Games 3 and 7. He gave up nine runs — eight earned — over just 3 1/3 total innings with two walks and no strikeouts. He didn’t make it out of the second innings in either game.“Yu Darvish usually doesn’t give up that many hits, in that sense now that this news has come out, it makes sense — and he didn’t get any strikeouts,” Maeda said through a translator Friday morning at Minnesota’s spring training complex, four days after he was acquired from Los Angeles. Maeda didn’t think it sign-stealing affected his performance. He gave up a tying, three-run homer in Game 5 to José Altuve in a game Houston went on to win.“That’s the only homer I gave up,” Maeda said. “I’m not even sure for 100% if he knew my signs, if he knew the pitch.”“If I knew for sure Altuve knew my pitch. I would have been bothered, frustrated,” Maeda said.He is bothered his chance to win the World Series was impacted“Being a Dodger at that time, it is a little frustrating because the Dodgers had a chance to win the whole thing,” Maeda said.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports