Twins’ outfielder Trevor Plouffe fails to catch this deep ball to right field in the fifth inning, which Dustin Pedroia turned into a triple, as Minnesota lost 7-6 to Boston at Target Field in Minneapolis on April 25, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

It’s been a battle for Trevor Plouffe this season, but the Twins seem committed to determining once and for all whether the 2004 first-round pick can be a productive major leaguer.

Plouffe, 25, entered the finale of a four-game series against the Blue Jays at Target Field on Sunday, May 13, batting .130 with one homer and three RBIs. In his past two games, he had stranded 11 runners on base, and he started his day by making an error at third base and grounding into a double play.

“I’d like to think we’re going to give Plouffe an opportunity here to step up and see what we’ve got,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “Eventually, we’re going to have to find out.”

In parts of two seasons at Rochester in 2010-11, Plouffe hit 30 homers and drove in 82 runs. The Twins like his power potential — he hit eight homers in 81 games with the Twins in 2011 — but he has struggled to hit for average and field his position, no matter where he plays. He has some versatility, playing third, short, second and the outfield, but hasn’t been particularly good anywhere.

“He’s got some issues; he’s also got some talent,” Ryan said. “We’ll only find out by putting him out there.”

Plouffe isn’t the only player struggling, of course. The Twins entered play Sunday with a 9-24 record, worst in the major leagues, and a .236 team batting average. Rookie Chris Parmelee is hitting .188 with no homers and three RBIs.

On Wednesday, the Twins sent struggling third baseman Danny Valencia,

batting .190, to Class AAA Rochester to find his swing. Asked if Plouffe and Parmelee are in danger of the same, manager Ron Gardenhire indicated there was still time before adding, “We need production.”

Because Plouffe is out of minor league options, he would have to pass through waivers if the Twins designated him for assignment.

Daniel Bard went back to the bullpen to help out, and Cody Ross made him a winner.

For at least one night, all was right with the reeling Red Sox.

Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox and beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-5, on Monday.

“It’s been a tough go,” Ross said. “Everybody knows how tough it’s been on us, but nobody feels sorry for us. We’re going to keep having to go out there and grind it out.”

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff runner on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

“It gives them some confidence,” Ross said. “We have some guys that are really good out there, and we believe in them as a team.”

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll’s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Kevin Youkilis for the second out.

“He allowed everybody to be happy campers,” manager Bobby Valentine said.

Bard shrugged off his bullpen appearance.

“Same deal. You’re just trying to get out. You just have a little less time to warm up. That’s it,” he said.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Matt Capps (0-1), who threw a 92-mph, 0-1 fastball at the kneecaps, a tough one for anyone to hit, let alone far enough to reach seats to the opposite field.

“That’s tough to do. He did it. He hit it,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Said Capps: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cody Ross hit a ball that way. He put it a good swing on it and obviously squared it up well.”

After a rainout on Sunday gave the rotation an extra day of rest, Valentine put Bard in his struggling bullpen for a few days amid calls for the young right-hander to take over for Aceves as the closer. But Bard and Valentine insisted the move was merely temporary, and Bard is still on track to make his next start on Friday.

“I still view myself as a starter, and they said they do, too,” Bard said before the game.

Jon Lester allowed six hits, five runs and four walks over seven innings. He struck out four but wasted a 3-0 lead, after Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s two-run homer in the second.

Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Still, Valentine fervently praised the way Lester bounced back with strong a sixth and seventh.

“Nothing changed physically or mentally, but something got me locked in,” Lester said.

Around the bases

Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka’s rehab start for Class A Salem (Va.), his first real game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last June, was rough. He gave up six hits, three runs and two homers in four innings. … CF Marlon Byrd, 3 for 43 with the Cubs before being traded Saturday, had a single in his Red Sox debut. … Twins starters are 2-9 with a 6.46 ERA, last in the majors.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox and beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Monday night.

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff runner on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll‘s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Adrian Gonzalez for the second out.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Matt Capps (0-1).

After a rainout on Sunday gave the rotation an extra day of rest, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine put Bard in his struggling bullpen for a few days amid fan calls for the young right-hander to take over for Aceves as the closer. But Bard and Valentine insisted the move was merely temporary, and Bard is still on track to make his next start on Friday.

”I still view myself as a starter, and they said they do, too,” Bard said before the game. He said he ”asked a lot of questions” about what the team’s goals were with the decision.

Bard gave the relievers some relief, but the starters still need some, too. Jon Lester allowed six hits, five runs and four walks over seven innings. He struck out four but wasted a 3-0 lead.

Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Carroll got the Red Sox back for that in the sixth. With one out and runners at the corners, he dived to stop a grounder by David Ortiz up the middle and flipped to the second baseman Plouffe from his stomach with one hand. Then Plouffe whirled around for a perfect relay throw to finish the double play.

The Twins have more modest expectations than do the Red Sox for this season after last year’s 63-99 mess. Their starting pitching has emerged as a significant concern if it wasn’t already this spring.

The rotation has a collective 2-9 record with a 6.46 ERA, last in the major leagues, with 114 hits allowed in 92 innings with only 53 strikeouts.

Gonzalez followed a pair of singles with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia smacked a 0-2 slider into the front part of the section of right-field seats that juts out and hangs above the warning track to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead in the second.

Then after the Twins surged ahead in the fourth, pulled away in the fifth and preserved the two-run edge thanks to Carroll’s slick play at shortstop, Marquis gave the game back to the Red Sox on that two-run drive by Ross that soared high above left field and into the seats.

NOTES: Red Sox RH Daisuke Matsuzaka’s rehab start for Class A Salem, his first real game since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery last June, was rough. He gave up six hits, three runs and two homers in four innings. … CF Marlon Byrd, who went 3 for 43 with the Cubs before being traded Saturday, had a single in his Red Sox debut. … Red Sox IF Nick Punto, who spent seven seasons with the Twins through 2010, checked out the visitor’s clubhouse at Target Field for the first time. But he was more impressed by what he saw on the other side. ”It’s cool to see both Mauer and Morneau healthy. Without those guys, it’s tough to win,” Punto said. … Morneau played 1B for just the second game this year. He’s been the DH 14 times. … With sputtering LH Francisco Liriano taken out of the rotation for his next turn, the Twins want him to relax. ”Let him take a step back,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. Liriano will start again May 1 after a couple of bullpen sessions and talks with pitching coach Rick Anderson. … Willingham will miss Wednesday’s game to be with his wife, who is about to have a baby. He could be gone through Friday, too, but the Twins will put him on paternity leave and be able to call up a minor-league replacement while he’s away.

The Minnesota Twins couldn’t hold a late lead. Both starter Jason Marquis and reliever Matt Capps were culpable in coughing that up.

But yet again they left runners stranded on base at the most important times.

Cody Ross homered twice, tying the game with a two-run shot in the seventh inning and giving Boston the lead with two outs in the ninth to snap a five-game losing streak for the Red Sox in their 6-5 victory over Minnesota on Monday night.

Starter-turned-temporary-reliever Daniel Bard (1-2) recorded two critical outs in the eighth after the Twins put the leadoff batter on third. Alfredo Aceves picked up the save, his third in five tries, and all was right with the reeling Red Sox for at least one night.

Aceves gave up a one-out single and a high drive to the warning track in left-center to Trevor Plouffe, but Denard Span bounced back to the mound to end it.

“I knew I got it up in the air, and I was wishing it over the fence. But definitely didn’t think I absolutely got it,” Plouffe said. “It was one of those ones where it was going to be just barely over the fence, or he was going to catch it.”

The Twins are 8 for 47 with runners in scoring position over their last five games, an average of .170.

“We put ourselves in good situations and have opportunities, but lately we haven’t really been coming through. Teams that win games, they hit in those situations,” Plouffe said.

Ryan Sweeney misplayed Jamey Carroll’s single into a two-base error that put him at third with none out in that pivotal eighth, after the ball bounded down the right-field line, ricocheted off the padded facade of the seats in foul territory and skidded away.

But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to ground out weakly to first base, and Bard retired two of the three batters he faced sandwiched around an intentional walk to Justin Morneau. Josh Willingham greeted Bard with a sharp line drive, but it zipped straight at third baseman Kevin Youkilis for the second out.

Then Ross put the Red Sox in front with his drive off Capps (0-1), who threw a 92 mph, 0-1 fastball at the kneecaps, a tough one for anyone to hit, let alone far enough to reach seats to the opposite field.

“That’s where I wanted the pitch to go,” Capps said.

Jon Lester lasted seven innings for the Red Sox. Danny Valencia’s two-run homer, his first of the season, followed Ryan Doumit’s two-run double in a four-run fourth for the Twins. Then Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, Span singled and a run scored when Carroll grounded into a double play.

Carroll got the Red Sox back for that in the sixth. With one out and runners at the corners, he dived to stop a grounder by David Ortiz up the middle and flipped to second baseman Plouffe from his stomach with one hand. Then Plouffe whirled around for a perfect relay throw to finish the double play.

“It seems like we’re always one big hit away. I know that I had an opportunity today with Carroll on third there in the eighth,” Doumit said: “We’re going through a pretty tough patch right now. But I think our offense is good enough that we’ll be able to turn this around.”

The Twins have more modest expectations than do the Red Sox for this season after last year’s 63-99 mess. Their starting pitching has emerged as a significant concern, if it wasn’t already this spring.

The rotation has a collective 2-9 record with a 6.46 ERA, last in the major leagues, with 114 hits allowed in 92 innings and only 53 strikeouts. Marquis settled in after a shaky start but gave away the 5-3 lead he had in the seventh.

“That’s what we want, seven innings out of these guys,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “This guy’s a veteran, a 200-inning guy. He wants the ball. He felt fine. He felt great. He made a terrible pitch to Cody. He had such a great sinker all night long. We trusted him.”

NOTES: Morneau played 1B for just the second game this year. He’s been the DH 14 times. … With sputtering LHP Francisco Liriano taken out of the rotation for his next turn, the Twins want him to relax. “Let him take a step back,” Gardenhire said. Liriano will start again May 1 after a couple of bullpen sessions and talks with pitching coach Rick Anderson. … Willingham will miss Wednesday’s game to be with his wife, who is about to have a baby. He could be gone through Friday, but the Twins will put him on paternity leave and be able to call up a minor league replacement while he’s away.

Ross, who signed with Boston as a free agent in the offseason, cranked a two-run homer to tie the game 5-5 in the seventh, then added a solo shot in the ninth off Matt Capps (0-1). It was the eighth career multi-homer game for Ross.

Daniel Bard (1-2) got the win for Boston, pitching out of a jam in the eighth. Alfredo Aceves pitched the ninth inning for his third save of the year, surrendering only a one-out single to Chris Parmelee.

The Twins have lost three in a row.

Trailing by two in the seventh, the Red Sox pulled even when Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled, then Ross lifted a long home run into the second deck in left field.

Jon Lester started and went seven innings for Boston, but he is still looking for his first win of the season. He gave up five runs on six hits and four walks, striking out four.

The Twins looked to be on the brink of taking the lead in the eighth when Jamey Carroll led off with a single into the right field corner. Ryan Sweeney misplayed the ball for a two-base error, and Carroll ended up on third with no outs. But Franklin Morales got Joe Mauer to bounce out, then gave way to Bard. Josh Willingham lined out, and Bard intentionally walked Justin Morneau before getting Ryan Doumit to pop out to shortstop, ending the threat.

Jason Marquis started for Minnesota and gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox got on the board early, as leadoff hitter Mike Aviles singled, advanced to third on a single by Dustin Pedroia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez. After David Ortiz singled and Kevin Youkilis reached on a fielder’s choice in the second, Jarrod Saltalamacchia plopped his second homer of the season into the front row of the right field seats, giving Boston a 3-0 lead.

Lester cruised through the first three innings, but he hit a snag with one out in the fourth. Mauer’s single was followed by a Willingham walk. After Lester struck out Morneau, Doumit doubled to score Mauer and Willingham. Three pitches later, Danny Valencia blasted his first homer of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in deep left-center field, giving Minnesota a 4-3 lead.

An inning later, Carroll bounced into the Twins’ big-league-leading 19th double play of the season, but it brought in a run. Trevor Plouffe scored from third base, putting the Twins up 5-3.

NOTES: Center fielder Marlon Byrd made his Red Sox debut after coming to Boston in a trade with the Cubs on Saturday night. … Twins catcher Mauer threw out Pedroia on an attempted steal of second base in the first inning. Previously, runners had been 10-for-10 when attempting to run on Mauer this season. … Red Sox utility infielder Nick Punto made his return to Target Field but did not play. Punto spent seven seasons with the Twins.

Read More: Jamey Carroll (SS – MIN), Alexi Casilla (2B – MIN), Jason Marquis (P – MIN), Luke Hughes (3B – OAK), Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox

Expendable after the Minnesota Twins opted to open a roster spot for pitcher Jason Marquis, utility infielder Luke Hughes was finally claimed off waivers, and will now be headed to Oakland. The Star Tribune’s LaVelle E. Neal III broke the news in the early innings of Minnesota’s game with Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Hughes batted .223 with seven home runs for the Twins last season, and had collected two hits with a pair of RBI to open up the 2012 campaign. The 27-year-old Hughes was eventually edged out for consistent playing time by veteran infielder Jamey Carroll and youngster Alexi Casilla, and did not factor into the team’s long term plans. Marquis, the man who effectively took Hughes’ roster spot, is expected to start on Monday against the Boston Red Sox.

For more on the Twins, head over to Twinkie Town. For more MLB coverage, check out Baseball Nation.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Jason Marquis warms up before starting on the mound against the Boston Red Sox Monday. It was a short outing for Marquis, who was yanked by manager Ron Gardenhire after one and two-thirds innings. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – With his daughter recovering well after an accident, Jason Marquis appears ready to resume his first season with the Twins. The right-hander is expected to return to camp on Tuesday, April 3, the day before the Twins break camp and head to Baltimore for Friday’s season opener.

“It’s pretty obvious there’s not much chance that he’ll start with us,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We’ll have to do something here.”

The Twins already have made provisions for his absence, inserting rookie right-hander Liam Hendriks into his No. 3 slot in the rotation. By Wednesday, general manager Terry Ryan will have to determine what kind of exemption list to place Marquis on so the team can use his 40-man roster spot. The

most likely is Major League Baseball’s bereavement list, which allows players to miss between three and seven days for a family medical emergency.

The move would be backdated to his last start, March 19.

First, however, the Twins need to see what kind of shape Marquis is in. His daughter is recovering from a serious bicycle accident, and Marquis has been with his family for the past two weeks. He has been working out with a local high school baseball team near his home in New York, telling general manager Terry Ryan he has thrown between 90-95 pitches in a game.

That’s great, the GM said, but it’s not spring training. “I don’t doubt the effort,” Ryan said, “but it’s different.”

Marquis, 33, made four starts on the major league

side of camp before leaving, giving up 12 earned runs on 19 hits in 12-2/3 innings. Gardenhire said the primary concern has always been Marquis’ daughter and that with her condition stabilized, the team can now work on getting Marquis ready for the season.

“He says he has been throwing 90-95 pitches to kids or something like that, but that doesn’t do us any good down here,” the manager said. “We have to get him in under our circumstances here and get him to where he is throwing to some hitters

and get him in a game again. But first we have to see him throw on the side. We have a lot of work to do here, then that will dictate what we do next.”

The Twins are committed to a four-man rotation for the first two series, a decision made possible because they have an off day after the home opener April 9. After that, however, they play 15 consecutive games, and 19 in 20 days, so they’d like to get Marquis ready for a home series April 13-15 against the Texas Rangers.

“We’ll take a look and see where he’s at,” Ryan said. “Until then, I certainly don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”

Minnesota Twins pitcher Jason Marquis warms up before starting on the mound against the Boston Red Sox Monday. It was a short outing for Marquis, who was yanked by manager Ron Gardenhire after one and two-thirds innings. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff) (Chris Polydoroff)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Minnesota Twins right-hander Jason Marquis, out of camp for almost a week, has been with his family in the wake of a serious bicycle accident involving his 7-year-old daughter.

The girl fell off her bike and was injured, Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Monday, March 26.

Marquis has been working out near his home in New York and is expected to be on track to break camp with the Twins on April 4, but he’s not expected back anytime soon, Ryan said.

“I’m more concerned about the girl than I am about pitching,” Ryan said. “Don’t worry about the pitching; that will take care of itself.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Boston Red Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-1 this morning in a rather informal, eight-inning “B” game at Hammond Stadium. There were two umpires and maybe 100 fans on the premises.

The game was so makeshift that the Twins only got two outs in the bottom of the second inning because Red Sox starter Jon Lester had reached his pitch count.

Among notables playing for the Twins, Joe Mauer, at first base, went 0 for 2. Justin Morneau, the designated hitter, doubled and walked in three trips. His double clanged off the right-field wall despite a stiff crosswind.

“It’s getting there,” Morneau said. “I’m about where I usually am. When it really starts to come is when you start playing on back-to-back

days.”

“It was fine,” said Mauer. “Last time up I hit the ball hard. This is only the third time I’ve seen live pitching. It takes a little while. Right now, I’m just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere.”

Twins starter Nick Blackburn pitched two innings and gave up two hits, no walks and no runs. He struck out four.

- Tom Powers

PORT CHARLOTTE — Scott Baker pitched two hitless innings in his spring debut as the Minnesota Twins beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Tuesday.

The outing was a good sign for Baker, who went 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA for the Twins before an elbow injury ended his 2011 season.

The Rays are winless in their four exhibition games, with three of the losses to Minnesota.

Mets (SS) 8, Cardinals 6

PORT ST. LUCIE — Lefty ace Johan Santana returned to the mound for his first game against major league hitters in 18 months and pitched two scoreless innings as a Mets split squad beat the St. Louis Cardinals.

Santana walked his first batter on five pitches. But a single marked the only other runner against Santana, who threw 17 of 29 pitches for strikes.

Tigers 3, Marlins 1

JUPITER — Jose Reyes was hitless in three at-bats in his spring debut for the Marlins.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello allowed an unearned run and a hit over two innings.

Pirates 7, Yankees 4

BRADENTON — Andrew McCutchen had two hits and two RBIs hours after agreeing to a new deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

McCutchen hit a run-scoring single off Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the first and doubled in the third.

Indians 3, Royals (SS) 2

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Shelley Duncan hit a three-run homer to power Cleveland to the victory.

Duncan connected in the third inning against reliever Zach Miner, working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2010.

Angels 6, White Sox 2

TEMPE, Ariz. — Albert Pujols doubled again and scored in the Angels’ victory.

Pujols narrowly missed his first spring homer, doubling deep to left-center field off Matt Thornton in the third.

Mariners 8, Reds 6

PEORIA, Ariz. — Seattle ace Felix Hernandez struck out four in three hitless innings.

Hernandez hit the first batter he faced this spring, then retired nine in a row. The right-hander threw 26 of his 35 pitches for strikes.

Seattle star Ichiro Suzuki went 3 for 3 with two RBIs.

Phillies 7, Blue Jays 0

DUNEDIN — Cliff Lee and Kyle Kendrick each threw two innings, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over Toronto.

Lee yielded a hit in the first and second before giving way to Kendrick, who allowed a hit, struck out two and walked none.

Cubs 11, Rockies 4

MESA, Ariz. — Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs and a double to send Dale Sveum to his first victory since he was hired to manage the Cubs in November.

Giants 8, Dodgers 4

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Melky Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate in the Giants’ win.

San Francisco left-hander Barry Zito gave up four hits and two runs in two innings.

Nationals 5, Braves 2

LAKE BUENA VISTA — Gio Gonzalez pitched three scoreless innings in his Washington debut, leading the Nationals over the Atlanta Braves.

Gonzalez, acquired in a trade during the offseason from the Oakland Athletics, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two.

Athletics 6, Brewers 0

PHOENIX — Jemile Weeks had two hits and tackled his older brother Rickie to end a rundown, helping the Athletics get the victory.

Oakland left-hander Tommy Milone pitched three innings of one-hit ball.

Rangers 16, D’backs 3

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Elvis Andrus singled, doubled, scored twice and had a sacrifice fly for Texas.

Conor Jackson hit a solo home run.

Astros 4, Mets (SS) 1

KISSIMMEE — Wandy Rodriguez pitched three shutout innings and the Houston Astros beat a Mets split squad.

Brad Snyder and Chris Snyder homered for the Astros.

Red Sox 5, Orioles 4

FORT MYERS — Daniel Bard, who’s in the process of converting from a reliever to starter, opened with two hitless innings and the Boston Red Sox beat Baltimore.

Bard struck out two and walked one.

Royals (SS) 7, Padres 4

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Luke Hochevar worked two scoreless innings for the Royals’ split-squad, and Max Ramirez hit two homers and drove in four runs.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – J.R. Towles’ game-winning, two-run homer Sunday in Port Charlotte rallied the Twins past Tampa Bay in a split-squad game, another conspicuously good moment for a guy trying to be Minnesota’s third catcher coming out of camp.

Towles, 28, threw out a runner and had a hit in his first appearance last week, in a B game against the Boston Red Sox. On Sunday, Towles replaced Drew Butera in the sixth and broke a 3-3 tie with a home run in the ninth. Gardenhire was 45 minutes south, managing the other squad against Boston at JetBlue Park at the time.

The Twins are trying to find a competent backup catcher who can provide some offense, something Butera and Rene Rivera haven’t been able to do. Rivera hit .144 in 45

games last season, and Butera is a career .178 hitter in 142 major league games over the last two seasons.

Asked if it’s too early for Towles to raise eyebrows, Gardenhire said, “Did you see him hit the home run? I didn’t, either. You saw the box score, he hit a home run. You raise eyebrows when you hit a home run, absolutely. My eyebrows went big.”

Towles, however, is a .187 hitter in parts of five seasons with the Houston Astros.

BRIEFLY

Twins first-base coach Jerry White missed tonight’s game because he was hospitalized for a precautionary examination after complaining of tightness in his chest and abdomen. … A moment of silence before the game was held for Don Mincher, a two-time all-star and member of the 1965 Twins’ AL

pennant winners, who died Sunday after a long illness.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – After watching some of his infielders kick the ball around in a split-squad loss Sunday against Boston, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire addressed the issue with his players prior to tonight’s game against the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium.

“We spoke about it when we talked, before I sent them out, about controlling the baseball,” the manager said. “Yesterday, in one game, we didn’t control the baseball.”

Gardenhire has been candid about the team’s zero-tolerance policy on lackluster play, whether it’s a mental gaffe in a game or a failure to appreciate the details in a drill. For instance, he said, a number of coaches approached minor league left-hander Tyler Robertson because he wasn’t bringing his glove

tight to his chest in pitcher fielding practice.

“He had six coaches who had him through the minor league system go tell him, ‘What the heck are you doing?’ ” Gardenhire said. “They’ve all had relationships with him; they’ve all dealt with him; they know he’s a good kid. So that’s good, that six people went up to him and said, ‘Get your head out of your back pocket.’ ”

But, Gardenhire added, don’t read too much into any of it.

“It’s not like we’re running around yelling at people,” he said. “We just make sure if we see something, we say something. If we don’t like something, we talk about it and we make sure the player understands. That’s all we’re doing.”