September 14 – The Minnesota Twins added a key player to the team just hours before Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds in Minneapolis.
Minnesota (78-69) activated shortstop Carlos Correa before the second game of the three-game series. Correa has been out of action since July 12 because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
The three-time All-Star is batting .308 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 75 games this season and a 0.896 batting average.
Correa and the Twins face another tough test from a Cincinnati team (72-77) that looks set to play spoiler in the final weeks of the regular season.
Twins head coach Rocco Baldelli knows his team is in pole position for the American League’s final wild-card spot. However, he’s not busy watching the standings every day.
“It’s not going to affect us,” Baldelli said of the Twins, who are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the final wild-card spot. “Our season is coming to an end and we’re going to do our best to win every game.
“You can only give everything you have. We’ve said this in various conversations here, whether it’s the players’ side or the decision-making side, from now on, there has to be some sense of urgency. It has to be ‘now’. Now is the time to do anything to win.
Reds right-hander Nick Martinez (8-6, 3.46 ERA) is expected to make his 14th start of the season on Saturday. He has spent most of the season in the bullpen and has proven his ability as a member of the starting rotation.
Martinez has pitched consecutive wins over the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. In Monday’s game against Atlanta, he allowed two hits, a walk-on and struck out five in seven scoreless innings, leading the Reds to a 1-0 win.
“My mindset has always been to challenge people and be able to control and change the pace,” Martinez said after the performance. “(Catcher Tyler Stephenson) did a really good job of recognizing swings and calling pitches. I think we did that. A good job of keeping people off balance and making some weak contact.”
In five career games (four starts) against Minnesota, Martinez is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. He gave up 16 earned runs in 21 1/3 innings, walked seven and struck out 18.
On Saturday, the Twins will face right-hander Simon Woods-Richardson (5-4, 3.96), who will make his 26th start of the season. He is looking for his first win since beating the San Diego Padres on Aug. 21.
Woods-Richardson allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings in his most recent start, against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. He gave up three walks and struck out two.
This will be Woods-Richardson’s first time in his career against the Reds.
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is expected to perform well in his second game back from the injured list. Buxton played his first game since Aug. 12 on Saturday and promptly blasted a solo homer into the left field bleachers for his 17th home run of the season.
Eli De La Cruz looks to continue a strong series for the Reds. He hit his first career grand slam in Cincinnati’s 8-4 win on Friday.
——Visual-level media
