MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins manager Paul Molitor didn't put much stock into the fact that his team finally got to the .500 mark with a win Saturday against Chicago, acknowledging that Minnesota's status as a .500 team would change the following game.
How does a winning record sound to the first-year skipper?
"I think everyone's pleased that after what happened at the beginning that we've been able to turn this thing around and win some games," Molitor said. "You've got to get greedy when things are going well. You try to ride these things as long as you possibly can."
The Twins jumped all over the visiting White Sox in Sunday's series finale, routing Chicago by a 13-3 final to earn a four-game sweep -- their first four-game sweep since doing so against these same White Sox last June. The win improved Minnesota's record to 13-12, an impressive feat considering the Twins began the 2015 season with a 1-6 mark after a brutal opening road trip. Now less than a month later, they've righted the ship.
Just like being a .500 team, Minnesota's status as a club with a winning record could change Monday when the Oakland Athletics come to town. For now, though, the Twins are enjoying the roll they're currently on after winning seven of their last nine games.
"We feel good, but we've got a lot of work to do," said third baseman Trevor Plouffe. "Especially coming back from the start we had, to play like we have the last couple weeks shows character."
It's the first time since May 23 of last season that the Twins have had a winning record. Last season, Minnesota improved to 23-21 with a win over San Diego before getting swept by San Francisco the following series. The Twins hadn't been above .500 since -- that is, until Sunday.
Sunday's victory came thanks to season highs in runs (13) and hits (18). The Twins scored in double digits twice during their four-game series against the White Sox, including a 12-run performance in Friday's win. Minnesota also forced two Chicago pitchers -- Chris Sale on Friday and John Danks on Sunday -- out of the game in three innings or less. Danks was knocked out after 2 1/3 innings.
Every Twins player in the lineup had a hit Sunday. That included Jordan Schafer, who entered the game in the fourth inning as a pinch runner for the injured Oswaldo Arcia. After a single in the fourth, Arcia suffered right hip irritation and left the game. Arcia said after the game that his hip was sore and he didn't expect to play Monday, but was hoping to avoid a trip to the disabled list.
One of the Twins' biggest hits of the afternoon came in the seven-run third inning. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Plouffe connected on a pitch from White Sox starter John Danks and sent it 408 feet to the seats in left field. It was the first career grand slam for Plouffe, who hit his second home run in as many days and now has five on the season.
"That was the big turning point in the game," said Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. "That was huge for us."
Dozier had himself a big day, too, tallying a career-high four hits as well as a walk. Dozier batted twice in that seven-run third inning and scored on Plouffe's grand slam. He also added a two-out triple to the gap in right-center field in the bottom of the eighth but was stranded on third base.
The Twins couldn't do much of anything right during the first week of the season. Minnesota's defense was a mess, the starting pitchers faltered, and the offense was absent. In the four-game series against the White Sox, the Twins performed well in all three of those areas. They outscored Chicago by a 31-8 margin and didn't give up more than three runs in a game all series. Defensively, Minnesota turned four double plays in Sunday's win after turning two each in Friday and Saturday's games.
And although Twins starter Mike Pelfrey wasn't sharp Sunday -- two runs and three hit batters in 3 1/3 innings -- Minnesota's rotation as a whole has been better as of late. That, combined with a more confident lineup, has resulted in the Twins putting their disappointing start in the past en route to a winning record.
"We're playing good baseball," Dozier said. "We're throwing the ball over the plate. We're getting people out. We're playing really, really good defense. I think that's the biggest thing. Obviously the two-out hitting and the bats have come alive for a good week or two now. . . . Things seem to be clicking on all cylinders."
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