fear the twins?

Curious thing about the Minnesota Twins’ surprising surge to the top of the American League Central standings: Brian Dozier, the team’s best player, has only just begun to heat up. Southern Miss product Dozier hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning today to give the Twins, now 26-19, a 5-3 win over Tampa Bay. Dozier has used an eight-game hitting streak to raise his average to a modest .255. He has seven homers and 19 RBIs, well off his pace of 2016, when he finished with 42 and 99, plus 104 runs. The Twins were unexpectedly bad (59-103) last year. This year feels different, Dozier recently told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “It’s a good vibe in here. It’s still early on — we’ve got a long way to go, but it’s a different vibe,” he said. When Dozier’s power starts to reappear – and surely it will — it should only help the Twins’ cause – and give Cleveland, the defending division and league champ, something more to worry about. P.S. By contrast, ex-Ole Miss star Zack Cozart has been wearing it out since opening day — but his club, Cincinnati, has struggled after a hot start. Cozart went 4-for-4 with a walk in a 4-3 loss to lowly Philadelphia. He is batting .355 with five homers and 25 RBIs for a 23-25 team.