Twins notes: Longoria feasting on Twins pitching

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. – Evan Longoria is only 30 years old, but it seems as if he's been picking on Twins pitching for decades. He's crushed homers against such long-ago Twins obscurities as Philip Humber, Bobby Korecky and Phil Dumatrait.

And Saturday, he added rookie Jose Berrios to his collection.

Longoria pulled his hands in to reach an 0-2 changeup from Berrios that was well inside, and somehow yanked the ball deep into the left field stands, helping power the Rays to a 7-3 victory over the Twins at Tropicana Field. "I wanted to throw the ball in the dirt," Berrios said.

He didn't come close. It was Longoria's 14th career home run against the Twins, whom he's victimized more than any team outside the AL East, and they've come against 14 Twins pitchers. Scott Baker, Liam Hendriks, Glen Perkins, when he was a starting pitcher? Yep, got them too.

"He's had a pretty good season against us," Twins manager Paul Molitor understated, considering that six of Longoria's 24 this season have come against Minnesota pitching. "Every time we get him out, I'm relieved."

Chris Archer got nearly everyone he faced out on Saturday, limiting the Twins to three hits in six innings, never more than one an inning. But Molitor was annoyed by the help that Eddie Rosario gave him, ending the second inning by being thrown out trying to advance to third on a Jorge Polanco single.

Poor decision-making on the bases "was part of the reason we had to get him back down" to the minors earlier in the season, Molitor said. "You can't make the third out over there. Those are the things you've got to be aware of. If there's small chance you'll be thrown out, it's too big in that situation."

Bobby Wilson also homered off Berrios, lining a 3-1 fastball just inside the foul pole in the fifth inning, and Logan Forsythe connected off Trevor May to lead off the seventh. The Rays also twice eluded tags at the plate to score runs in the sixth inning, one on May's 10th wild pitch of the season, most by a Twins reliever since Hector Carrasco had 14 in 2000.

Bats of the future

A few of the 2022 Twins, in all likelihood, were on the field during batting practice, getting a glimpse of what they hope is their future. After Saturday's noon game in Fort Myers — a 3-2 loss to the Red Sox — Minnesota's Gulf Coast League rookie team, made up mostly of teenagers who just signed last month or last year, boarded buses and rode to Tropicana Field to meet the current Twins.

"It's fun to come see the higher-ups play, be here to see the highest level," said Akil Baddoo, a 17-year-old outfielder from Conyers, Ga., who was selected with the 74th overall pick in June's draft. "It makes me hope I'll be there someday."

Molitor spent several minutes chatting with longtime GCL Twins manager Ramon Borrego, and several of the players greeted Twins they had met during spring training.

Baddoo's start in pro ball hasn't been what he'd hoped — he's 12-for-63 (. 191) in his first 19 games — but says he has learned plenty already and "can feel myself getting better." The biggest difficulty? The schedule is a shock. "It's tough. In high school, you play twice a week. In pro ball, you practice and then play a game, and it's every day," Baddoo said. "You've got to really trust your body."

Power is coming back

Trevor Plouffe broke up Adam Morgan's perfect game by launching a home run in the seventh inning Saturday, then hit an RBI double in the ninth, in what could be his final rehab game with Class AAA Rochester. The Twins will decide Sunday whether the third baseman, out since July 2 with a fractured rib, is ready to return to the majors.