Twins go from first-inning jam to a near-triple play

KANSAS CITY, MO. – The Twins were inches — or maybe an interference call — away from a triple play in the first inning Saturday.

Whit Merrifield led off the first inning with a double off Jose Berrios and moved to third on Nicky Lopez's single. Then Alex Gordon hit a tapper to first baseman C.J. Cron, and things got weird.

Cron came in to tag Gordon while keeping tabs on Merrifield. Gordon dived away from Cron as he tagged him. Cron then threw home to catcher Willians Astudillo as Merrifield was caught between third base and home.

"I saw Whit kind of break home, but he didn't really fully commit so it gave me time to charge," Cron said after driving in two runs in a 5-3, 10-inning victory. "If he would have broke to third, I probably would have thrown to third and probably not even worried about the tag. But it worked out to where I was able to tag him and get the ball in Willians' hands."

Astudillo chased after Merrifield, who retreated toward third as Lopez rounded second. Astudillo ran Merrifield back before colliding with him and tagging him out. Astudillo then managed to get off a throw to Miguel Sano as Lopez approached third, but Sano's tag was a tad late. It sure looked as if Merrifield affected Astudillo's ability to throw; Twins manager Rocco Baldelli came out for a lengthy discussion with umpire Jerry Meals.

"There's a lot of things going on and your eyes are looking in a lot of different places," Baldelli said. "Ultimately I think that the umpires got that right and [I] told them as such."

The Twins signed former Cleveland closer Cody Allen to a minor league deal and will see if they can help him regain his old form.

Allen signed with the Angels in January, getting an $8.5 million, one-year contract to be their closer. But this season was a disaster for the 30-year-old, as he posted a 6.26 ERA in 25 games while picking up four saves. The Angels released him Tuesday and remain on the hook almost all of his salary.

Allen is the Indians' all-time saves leader with 149. But the Twins, after initially kicking the tires on him over the offseason, backed off during free agency.

Yennier Cano, the righthander from Cuba the Twins agreed to terms with earlier this month, is awaiting the approval of his visa before he can travel to Fort Myers, Fla., and begin training.

The Twins don't see any potential red flags in the process, and hope to have him in the minors — he is expected to start at Class AA Pensacola — sometime in July. The Twins reached agreement with Cano on a $750,000 bonus one day before they would lose that remaining money from the 2018-19 pool.

The next international transfer window will open July 2, and the Twins will have nearly $5.94 million in bonus money to spend. The Twins like several corner infielders and corner outfielders among this year's class.

• After breaking an 0-for-18 skid Friday with a home run, Miguel Sano added another homer Saturday. It was estimated at 454 feet, the third longest by a Twins player this season. Jonathan Schoop has the two longest, at 467 (May 23) and 465 (May 1).

• Jake Cave was 0-for-16 since being called up for Byron Buxton on Tuesday before he singled in the fifth inning, and he followed that by walloping a 437-foot home run in the eighth. "He did a real nice job," Baldelli said.

• Blake Parker, back from a three-day family medical emergency leave, hit the first batter he faced but retired the next three for his 10th save. He might have had his best split-fingered fastball of the season. "Obviously it's a pitch I need to utilize more," he said.