HOUSTON - Sometimes you have to admit a mistake was made and move on. So here goes.
Jorge Polanco showing Twins they were right to keep him
He has been a hot hitter since the team made changes near the trading deadline.
August 7, 2021 at 6:35AM
Jorge Polanco, I was wrong.
It was here a few weeks ago where I demanded that the Twins consider dealing nearly the entire roster before the July 30 trade deadline. That included Polanco, the 2019 All-Star, as I cited an apparent regression in offensive ability, as part of a Twins core that wasn't developing.
The time seemed right for a roster reboot. Polanco looked more and more capable and comfortable at second than short. So he was included on my list of tradeable Twins.
Little did I know what Polanco had in store for opposing pitchers the last month. And it continued on Friday during the Twins' 5-4, 11-inning win against the Astros.
The Twins were down 3-0 after three on a pair of home runs off Bailey Ober. Polanco was three feet shy of a home run in the fourth, flying out deep to right field. The Twins then scored twice in the fifth, including a long solo blast by Mitch Garver.
Polanco returned to the plate to lead off the fifth inning and hammered a double to right off Astros righthander Zack Greinke, then scored on Luis Arraez's single to tie the game. Both bullpens held into extra innings before Max Kepler hit a sacrifice fly in 10th, and then Danny Coulombe yielded an RBI single to Yordan Alvarez in the bottom of the inning.
But Josh Donaldson drove in Polanco in the 11th, and Juan Minaya held on for the win. Miguel Sano, who had just moved to third before the inning, threw out Jose Altuve to end the game with a throw that would have broken most radar guns. It came after Garver's error at first put runners on the corners with two outs.
"It was one of the better and more exciting ballgames you'll see," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
About four hours earlier, Polanco met with reporters to discuss his surge at the plate. Entering Friday, Polanco was batting .362 with eight homers, 23 RBI and a 1.067 on base-plus slugging percentage over his previous 24 games. Since July 4, Polanco's nine home runs tied Cleveland's Franmil Reyes for the most in the American League.
"It's been good, "Polanco said. "I've been working on my approach at the plate. Working with my hitting coaches. It's been fun. This last month, I feel really great."
It's important to focus on the last four words of his statement, because Polanco hasn't felt great for a while.
When asked when was the last time he's felt as good, he replied: "Ah, 2019. Yeah, 2019 is how I'm feeling right now."
From the second half of 2019, Polanco was banged up, mostly from a nagging right ankle that required surgery after that season. He continued to have problems in 2020, as he hit just .258 with a .658 OPS.
Doctors had to go back in after that season to remove a bone spur, for the second time, in addition to a bone chip. Polanco reported to spring training feeling better. From that point, it was a matter of rediscovering his swing.
He did have some problems with the ankle in May, but an MRI revealed no structural damage. The results started to show up in June. Then he heated up in July. This slightly husky sportswriter never saw it coming.
"We're again seeing the really, really just tremendous all-around talent that he shows that we probably hadn't seen since probably closer to the middle of (2019)," Baldelli said.
His importance to the offense has never been greater in the aftermath of Nelson Cruz being traded to Tampa Bay. He takes some of the best at-bats on the team and his switch hitting is valuable. Under contract through 2023 with options in 2024 and 2025, he will be vital to the Twins' retooling efforts.
He's healthy and reminding us what his bat can do. OK, Jorge, you can stay.
County leaders hope the Legislature will agree to converting the 0.15% sales tax that funded Target Field for ongoing health care costs.
