Postgame: Twins rewarded, punished for taking risks on the bases

Three extras from Texas' 6-5 win over the Twins:

The Twins' daring on the bases produced one run out of sheer audacity on Thursday. But when they tried it again, it cost them a potentially critical run.

Eddie Rosario was rewarded for some aggressive baserunning but Shane Robinson was punished for it. Rosario scored from first base on a single by dashing home and avoiding a tag after Eduardo Escobar got caught in a rundown. But Robinson, trying to score from first and put the Twins ahead in the sixth inning, was thrown out at the plate.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said he supported both risks, but added that Rosario had little choice. Rosario was on first base after a second-inning single, when Escobar singled to right. Rosario went to third, but when Escobar rounded first base too far, mistakenly believing right fielder Shin-Soo Choo would throw to the plate, the rookie hesitated, then broke for home.

"Esko kind of put Rosario in a tough spot," Molitor said. "Once you get in that rundown situation, you get out there in no-mans land, you might as well take a shot and try to score the run, because you're going to end up with a man in scoring position with two outs even if it doesn't work. So it was the right play to try, and he made a nice slide to get the run."

Rosario slid head-first, well wide of the plate, and avoided catcher Chris Gimenez's sweep tag as he went by. Rosario jumped up and touched the plate before Gimenez could recover and tag him.

"I'm talking to him there, but with reaction time, movement time, it's more up to him," said third base coach Gene Glynn. "I don't know if [he] hears me or not. It was just him reacting, him making a good slide, and he was aware enough to realize the guy didn't tag him."

"I went and tried to watch it on the replay. There wasn't really anything decisive," Robinson said. "I didn't feel it. I don't know if when I hit the ground, he got me, but I didn't think so. That's why I went back and tagged home plate."

Molitor didn't challenge the call, though. He credited Andrus for making a strong throw after Delino DeShields just lobbed the ball back to the infield.

"I think we made a good attempt to try to steal a run there. The thing that worked in their favor was the center fielder [DeShields], although he didn't fire the ball, he led the shortstop, so he had some momentum with his throw to home," Molitor said. "It's a good risk play, two outs, trying to score back door, especially when you've got the running start over there at first."

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Molitor said rookie Miguel Sano's has adjusted well to not having a regular defensive position.

That hasn't been a problem; Sano is batting .284 and has 25 RBIs in just six weeks. "I watch him in between [at-bats]. He keeps the bat. I know he goes up and gets loose, I know he takes a few swings in between," the manager said. "But you've got to tinker with that and see what works for you. So far he doesn't seem to have any problems adjusting to that role."

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Ricky Nolasco is able to run without the help of a cart he's been using while wearing a boot on his surgically repaired right ankle. But Molitor said he can't predict whether the righthander will pitch again in 2015.