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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins badly need to improve their pitching staff, with a team ERA that ranked among the three worst in the majors in five of the last six seasons.Help can come from all corners of the organization, including behind the plate. Thats why the Twins signed former Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro to a three-year contract worth $24.5 million, a deal agreed to last week and finalized Wednesday.We feel this is a great step in the right direction to building the team that we set out to build, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said.Castro will make $8.5 million in 2017, $8 million in 2018 and $8 million in 2019. He became a free agent after six seasons with the Astros, hitting .232 with 114 doubles, 62 home runs, 212 RBI and 215 walks in 617 career games after being drafted in the first round out of Stanford in 2008.I definitely know that this organization is capable of doing some great things, Castro said. They have a lot of young really good talent and some veterans thrown in the mix that can make for a special group.The Twins finished 59-103, their worst record in Minnesota and the worst in the major leagues in 2016. Castro experienced some similar growing pains with a young Astros team that lost 106, 107 and 111 games from 2011-13 before making the playoffs in 2015.Looking at their roster and the pitchers that they have here, I think that this group is a little bit ahead of where the Astros were, Castro said on a conference call with Minnesota reporters.Kurt Suzuki became a free agent after serving as Minnesotas primary catcher over the last three seasons, including an All-Star selection in 2014 when he batted a career-high .288. Suzukis career average is 24 points higher than Castros, and the left-handed hitting Castro batted only .210 with 11 homers and 32 RBI last year. He was an All-Star in 2013, when he hit a career-best .276 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI.The newest Twins backstop is considered an upgrade on defense, though, in terms of both fielding his position and handling a pitching staff. Castro threw out 24 percent of base-stealers last year, and Suzuki had a 19 percent success rate. Plus, there are the areas of game planning and game calling, each difficult to quantify.We feel Jason is one of the best at that, Falvey said, adding: Ive certainly observed and witnessed that the impact of catchers who commit to that side of the game ... has an exponentially positive effect on the pitching staff.Framing pitches, a sneaky skill that has drawn more attention in recent years through the rise in analytical evaluation and available data in the sport, is another one of Castros strengths.The goal at the end of the day is to try to help your pitcher keep as many strikes as possible, Castro said, just to be almost as unrecognized as possible behind the plate to allow the pitchers work to speak for itself. Nike Free Run Canada . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Nike Free Run Canada From China .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. http://www.clearancenikefreecanada.com/ . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Nike Free Run Canada Outlet . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Cheap Nike Free Run Canada . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Middlesex 381 (Fuller 93, Harris 78, Bailey 71, Gubbins 67, Allenby 4-67) and 302 for 8 (Simpson 79*, Gubbins 76, Groenewald 5-90) beat Somerset 236 and 348 for 6 (Trescothick 124, Trego 115*, Podmore 3-75) by two wicketsScorecard John Simpson celebrated his 28th birthday by blasting Middlesex to a sensational two-wicket Specsavers County Championship win against Somerset at Taunton after 96 runs had been needed off the final eight overs.An enthralling game seemed to be heading for a draw when Tim Groenewald took four wickets to help restrict the visitors to 185 for 5, chasing 302 to win.But Simpson, with 79 not out off 80 balls, including four sixes and five fours, and James Fuller produced a stand of 86 off less than eight overs. A Craig Overton over went for 23 and, although Fuller fell, Middlesex wrapped up victory with just two balls to spare.The winning hit was a six over fine leg by Simpson off Jim Allenby after eight had been needed from the final over. The Middlesex wicketkeeper, who had claimed nine catches in the match, threw both arms in the air in celebration.Nick Gubbins contributed 76 to the run chase and, although Groenewald finished with five for 90, Middlesex took 23 points to Somersets three after four exceptional days of Championship cricket.Simpson said: Im almost speechless. The feeling of elation when that ball went for six to win the game was unbelievable. Jim Allenby was swinging the ball into my pads, so I just went with the swing. At first I thought it was going to be a one bounce four, but the ball kept on travelling over deep backward-square.Credit the whole team because we never gave up trying to win. After a period of consolidation, James Fullers innings provided a real lift and I was able to finish things off.Im not sure how I am going to celebrate my birthday. We are staying down for the T20 game on Friday night and there is talk of golf in the morning. By then I will either be hungover or very tired.Set 302 to win from a minimum of 46 overs, the visitors made a promising start and were 108 for one in the 17th over when Overton took a stunning catch at third man to dismiss Dawid Malan.Gubbins and Malan hadd produced an array of attacking shots to add 76 for the second wicket.dddddddddddd Then Malan got a top edge off Groenewald and Overton made 30 yards running to his left before diving full length to hold the ball two-handed inches off the ground.Gubbins had faced 70 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes, when he miscued a back-foot forcing shot off Groenewald to Allenby at deepish extra-cover.When George Bailey was bowled by a perfect Groenewald inswinger for four it was 155 for 4 and Middlesex had to think twice about chasing a target of around seven an over.Allenby cemented Groenewalds good work with an economic spell from the River End, earning reward when pinning James Franklin lbw for 28.The departure of the skipper at 185 for 5 seemed to signal the end of Middlesex victory hopes. But Simpson and Fuller changed all that with an astonishing assault, Fuller hitting three sixes and two fours in his vital knock.Jack Leach struck twice in the closing overs to increase the tension, but it was Simpsons day.Earlier, the hosts had extended their second innings score from an overnight 348 for 6 to 446 for 9 declared, Peter Trego making 138, three short of his best score on his 200th first class appearance.Groenewald and Leach shared an unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 42, using up valuable time, but it still seemed a generous declaration by Chris Rogers against his old county in excellent batting conditions.In fact, it produced a wonderful finish and Championship cricket at its best.Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard said: I am proud of our players. It was a fantastic game of cricket and we have come up just a bit short. We took a gamble on using a green pitch, knowing we would be asked to bat first, and the lads gave everything. Losing Jamie Overton was a blow.Overton pulled out of the game midway through an over on the second day and will miss the Lions series against Sri Lanka next week. Somerset will investigate his lower back injury over the next few days but are hopeful there is no stress fracture. ' ' '