MINNEAPOLIS -- As early as Spring Training, when new Twins manager Derek Shelton was giving away very little about potential lineups, he said he wanted to bat Byron Buxton second.
It makes sense -- despite what traditional roles would indicate, modern analysis suggests that your best hitter should hit in the No. 2 spot. Buxton hit 35 home runs last year, Shelton noted, and it would be nice to have some runners on base when he hits them.
It lasted for eight games.
Buxton moved back into the leadoff spot on Monday, and since then, he and the Twins have been on a torrid stretch. Minnesota won its third straight game with its talisman in the No. 1 hole on Wednesday night, jumping all over Framber Valdez early en route to an 8-6 victory.
Unsurprisingly, Buxton was at the heart of everything the Twins did on offense. He started three separate run-scoring rallies with two singles and a double, and scored three times. In every inning where Minnesota scored, Buxton scored.
He scored on a wild pitch, beat out an infield single, scored on a play where Austin Martin was caught stealing, and generally showed exactly what makes him one of the game’s most dynamic players.
Since moving back into the leadoff spot, Buxton has reached base at least twice in every game, and the Twins are 3-0 with 19 runs scored.