Do-it-all Buxton steals show in return

PHILADELPHIA -- Oh, Byron Buxton is healthy, all right.

The center fielder showed the Twins how much they missed his presence on both sides of the ball upon his return to the lineup on Saturday, using his baserunning prowess to score the game’s first run before preserving Minnesota’s lead with an outfield assist in the Twins’ 6-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Buxton’s hard work over the offseason in simplifying his swing and adding muscle following a disappointing 2018 have paid off so far -- and it’s evident both in the stats and in the confidence he exudes in the Twins’ clubhouse.

“He’s playing the game in a very confident state all the way around,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “On the bases, in the field, the way he’s swinging the bat, he’s doing it. We talk about game-changing plays, but that’s really what they are. He’s an impactful guy in every single way, including his attitude and his personality as well. It impacts us in a very positive way, too.”

Three of the five hardest-hit balls of Buxton’s career have come in 2019, including a line-drive single off Phillies starter Jake Arrieta that was measured at 110.9 mph in Buxton’s first at-bat on Saturday. He stole second -- his team-record 31st consecutive stolen base -- and moved to third on a soft grounder to short before scampering home on a wild pitch.

While Buxton’s extreme range in center field has been well-established -- both this season and in years past -- he showcased his throwing arm in a pivotal situation on Saturday to keep the game tied.

With the Twins holding a 3-1 advantage in the sixth, the Phillies loaded the bases against Twins reliever Adalberto Mejía and pulled within one run on a sacrifice fly by Odubel Herrera. Cesar Hernandez followed by lifting a fly ball to center field, but Buxton settled under the ball and uncorked a 96.1 mph throw home without setting his feet to throw Bryce Harper out at home plate and maintain Minnesota’s 3-2 lead.

“I knew he was running, so you try to get the throw as close as possible,” Buxton said. “I usually have a [hard] time trying to get it over the pitcher's mound and into the side. I got a lot better angle at where I want to put the ball.”

“The double play was key, basically,” said Willians Astudillo. “If not, they were going to tie the game or maybe go ahead, so it was a key point during the game.”

Buxton had not appeared in the starting lineup since Tuesday after colliding with the center-field wall at Kauffman Stadium, but he did make his presence felt on Wednesday, when he appeared as a pinch-runner, stole a base and scored the winning run in the ninth inning.

The 25-year-old Buxton has said that he’s just focused on simplifying his mindset and approach at the plate and hitting the ball hard, as he has raced out to a 5-for-16 start in 2019 with three doubles and three runs scored. But most importantly, he’s relaxed and having fun -- as are his teammates.

“I keep saying we like to have fun,” Buxton said. “In a meeting, fun comes up 10, 15 times. That's one of the things we harp on here now is just go out and have fun. You have fun, you don't worry about what a pitcher is going to do or what he's going to throw you or whatever. You're just in that moment.”

Bullpen buckles down

The Twins’ bullpen twice showed its mettle against the potent Phillies offense, which had scored at least five runs in each of its first six games of the season.

In the sixth, Buxton’s outfield assist helped maintain the Twins’ one-run lead despite the Phillies loading the bases with no outs. In the eighth, Taylor Rogers loaded the bases on a pair of unlucky infield singles and a walk with the Twins still only leading by one, but he induced a ground ball from Hernandez to preserve the advantage.

“He just continued to make good pitch after good pitch,” Baldelli said. “He was not rewarded for those good pitches. Unfortunately, that happens sometimes. But looking at it after the fact, I could say one, he threw the ball well. Two, I think he certainly pitched more than well enough to get out of the inning.”

The Twins added only Blake Parker to their bullpen during the offseason, but even after the pitching staff allowed 10 runs in Friday night’s rain-soaked affair, Minnesota’s bullpen ERA sits at 2.89 through seven games. Take out fifth starter Martin Perez, and that bullpen ERA drops to 2.08.

Minnesota’s four core relievers -- Trevor Hildenberger, Trevor May, Parker and Rogers -- have combined to allow two earned runs in 14 1/3 innings this season with 10 strikeouts.