Berrios struggles early as Twins shut out by Mets
NEW YORK -- Brian Dozier remains the brightest light in yet another dismal season for the Minnesota Twins.
Dozier extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games with an infield single in Friday night's 3-0 loss to the New York Mets and Bartolo Colon.
"At the end of the day, kind of doesn't mean anything, to be honest with you," Dozier said.
Minnesota is a major league-worst 55-93, losing 92 games or more for the fifth time in six seasons. Dozier, whose 41 home runs rank second in the majors behind Mark Trumbo's 42 for Baltimore, watched across the field with envy as the Mets pursued an NL wild card.
"The opportunity to kind of learn these last couple of weeks, to see these teams and how they play when they are in the running for something special, that's what you have to take from these games right now," he said.
The 43-year-old Colon (14-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions, allowing three singles in seven innings. Rookie pitcher Jose Berrios singled softly to right in the third in his first big league plate appearance, and Dozier reached on a slow bouncer to third that left Jose Reyes with no throw. Colon then retired Jorge Polanco on a flyout to escape a bases-loaded jam.
Polanco singled in the sixth for the Twins' last hit. Jeurys Familia worked around a pair of walks in the ninth to complete the three-hitter, retiring pinch-hitter Kennys Vargas on a flyout to deep left for his 49th save in 53 chances.
"Really, we hit one ball hard," said Minnesota's Paul Molitor, managing on the 20th anniversary of his 3,000th hit.
Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera hit consecutive home runs against Berrios in the third, and Yoenis Cespedes added an RBI single in the seventh off Pat Light.
The 22-year-old Berrios (2-7) was 2 when Colon made his big league debut in April 1997. Berrios allowed two runs and four hits in four innings and has given up 12 home runs in 48 2/3 innings. He dropped to 0-6 in seven starts since beating Cleveland on Aug. 1 in his return from the minors.
After walking the bases loaded in the first, Berrios retired T.J. Rivera on an inning-ending flyout.
"I went over and I told him it might not be the prettiest zero you've ever put up, but it was a zero and regroup and get yourself back out there," Molitor said.
WAY BACK WHEN
Berrios said the hit was his first since high school.
"It was a beautiful moment," he added. "It was something that you sometimes dream about."
DIFFERENT TYPE OF JAM
Minnesota's second bus from its hotel arrived at Citi Field about 2 hours, 40 minutes ahead of game time after getting stuck in traffic.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Joe Mauer, a DH on Thursday after missing four games due to a sore quadriceps, started at first base and went 0 for 1 with three walks. ... C Kurt Suzuki took a foul ball to the mask with Curtis Granderson batting in the seventh. Suzuki needed five stitches to close a cut after taking a foul ball off the mask from Detroit's Cameron Maybin. "Thankfully his stitches held," Molitor said.
UP NEXT
RHP Ervin Santana (7-10) is to start Saturday for the Twins and RHP Seth Lugo (4-2) for the Mets. Santana is 1-2 in four interleague starts this year despite a 2.96 ERA.
