Twins day at camp: Sweeney, Quentin making presence felt

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Could a team built around young players really consider committing roster spots to veterans over 30 who didn't play in 2015?

Ryan Sweeney and Carlos Quentin are making it difficult to dismiss the possibility.

Sweeney helped stake the Twins to an early lead with a two-run double Friday, and when the Red Sox rallied, Carlos Quentin put the Twins back in front with a tape-measure home run over the little-Fenway monster, powering the Twins to an 8-6 victory over Boston at JetBlue Park.

Sweeney and Quentin, each of whom has nine seasons of major league experience but who sat out last summer, are hoping to earn spots as reserves or pinch hitters, and each has had a solid spring. Sweeney, 31, owned a .429 on-base percentage even before he smacked a double into the right-field corner off Boston starter Rick Porcello in the second inning, breaking a 1-1 tie by driving home Eduardo Escobar and John Ryan Murphy.

"Sweeney had a good day," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "[Porcello] tried to entice him early in the count with changeups. He came back to it on 3-2 and [Sweeney] stayed back and was able to poke it in the corner."

After the Red Sox took a 6-4 lead with a four-run seventh — Ryan LaMarre's three-run homer off Casey Fien was the big blow — the Twins tied the score on a Buck Britton double. Then Quentin, 33, smashed a fastball from righthander Roman Mendez far over the heads of the fans atop the left-field wall, putting the Twins ahead for good.

Mendez "was getting it up there pretty good, but [Quentin] is continually good when he gets it down in the zone. A classic low-ball hitter," Molitor said of Quentin, who raised his spring average to .364, including four extra-base hits. "He's always hit righties very well. That was an impressive homer."

Righthander Ricky Nolasco faced Class AAA Pawtucket on Friday and had his curveball working. He threw the pitch 16 times over five innings and dominated PawSox hitters.

In five innings, Nolasco gave up two runs, one earned on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Nolasco has given up six earned runs over 7⅓ innings for a 7.36 ERA in major league spring training games. He's considered to be up against Tommy Milone and perhaps Duffey for a rotation spot. ''It's not up to me,'' Nolasco said. ''We'll see what happens.''

• Byron Buxton slept all day Thursday and said he woke up Friday feeling healthy again, his flu symptoms gone. He went through a workout and was running around catching fly balls with no problem, so Molitor expects him to be in the lineup in Bradenton, his first game action since last Sunday.

• Danny Santana, who missed five days because of a sore left wrist, went 0-for-4 in his first game back Friday.