Twins postgame: Hildy comes through in big spot. Reed rests. Mauer plunked and plunked again

Here is some post-game reading following the Twins' 6-2 win over Boston:

Hildy the hammer

Last year, Twins manager Paul Molitor would use Trevor Hildenberger in the toughest situations. Those appearances were expected to be reduced this year with the arrival of Addison Reed and Zach Duke. But there was Hildy on the mound in the seventh inning with one out and one on.

He walked Andrew Benintendi before getting Xander Bogaerts to ground out to third. With runners on second and third, everyone expected Hildenberger to intentonally walk J.D. Martinez and then go after Mitch Moreland or have Duke do it. Or have Hildy start off with Martinez and walk him if he falls behind 0-2.

Twins manager Paul Molitor had other ideas.

"I just like the way Hildy is throwing," he said. "It might've been determined by ball one, strike one. We had some things going on in terms of how long we'd let that at-bat go. But when he got ahead, we went out there with a message to make your pitches. We got a chacne here so don't give in. And he was able to get the big strikeout."

And Hildenberger finished off Martinez with his trusty change up. In this case, it was off the plate and well inside, but Martinez had committed to his swing. Hildenberger said he was going with his best pitch and hoped it dropped out of the strike zone.

What about Reed?

As for Reed, he has pitched just once since June 10. The Twins seemed intent of giving him an early All-Star break in order to take a step back for awhile. With an ERA pushing 4.00, it might be what Reed needs at the moment.

"We're kind of trying to reset him a little bit," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He has gone through a tough stretch of games. Sometimes I think you have to make a little adjustment on how you are using a guy and get him back on track."

Reed has been available, so Molitor definitely has been avoiding using him.

"I'm going to use him when I think it is the right time," Molitor said.

Joe Mauer has been hit by a pitch 25 times in his career. But never twice in the same game.

That changed on Tuesday when he was hit by Chris Sale in the sixth and Robby Scott in the eighth - the first time he's been hit twice in a game.

Interetingly enough, Mookie Betts was plunked by Jose Berrios in the seventh inning after Mauer's first plunking. Both batted in the leadoff spot on Tuesday. Hmmmm.....

Etc.