wly climbing into playoff contention. Grifol was given the job on a full-time basis after

MINNEAPOLIS -- From the moment Yasiel Puig broke into the big leagues, its been go, go, go for the 23-year-old Cuban outfielder. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey . Now that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is seeing his electrifying, and sometimes maddening, player start to slow things down on the diamond, theres no telling how far his talents can take him. Puig tied a career high with four hits and drove in two runs and Dan Haren struck out seven in 6 2-3 innings to help the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader on Thursday. "His whole game seems to be calming down, base-running, defence," Mattingly said. "At the plate were seeing him be more patient. The sky is the limit for Yasiel Puig. "If he continues down this path, then he changes everything with how you pitch him, what you can do to him, because hes going to force you to throw the ball over the plate." Haren (4-0) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and six hits with three walks and Juan Uribe also tied a career-high with four hits and two RBIs for the Dodgers. Chris Perez pitched 1 2-3 innings for his first save. Mike Pelfrey (0-3) gave up five runs and seven hits and walked three in four innings for the Twins. Brian Dozier had two hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. The Dodgers looked uncomfortable in the 40-degree weather in the first inning, when throwing errors by Carl Crawford in left field and catcher Miguel Olivo on the same play allowed Trevor Plouffe to score from first base on a bloop single by Jason Kubel to give the Twins a 2-0 lead. But Pelfrey, who has not won a game at Target Field since April 16, 2013, gave the lead right back when his walk to Olivo loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning. Puigs two-run double made it 3-2 and the Dodgers scored two more on a double from Matt Kemp and a single from Uribe in the third to take control. "Weve got to do something about it, we have to fix it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Pelfrey. "Were trying to get him on the right path." Puig also had singles in the first, fourth and sixth innings and walked in the eighth, the third time hes had four hits in a game. He is batting .400 (16 for 40) with three doubles and 12 RBIs in his past 10 games to raise his average to .308 for the season and said hes worked with hitting coach Mark McGwire on his approach at the plate. "Hes helped me not get too anxious at the plate," Puig said through an interpreter. "And its helped me just connect with pitches that would normally give me trouble." The Twins seemed poised for a big inning in the fifth when Doziers single drove in two runs and a walk to Joe Mauer gave them runners on first and second with nobody out. Mattingly then challenged a close play at second base, when Hanley Ramirez stabbed a line drive from Plouffe and, in one motion, flipped the ball from his glove to second baseman Dee Gordon to try and double up Dozier. Umpires ruled Dozier safe on the play, but after a two-minute replay, officials overturned the call and ruled Dozier out. Jason Kubel grounded out in the next at-bat to end the inning and Haren escaped with a 5-4 lead. "That fifth inning was close to falling apart," Haren said. "Id be lying if I told you I didnt catch a break there, Hanley making a good play and getting the double play. ... Besides that I felt really good. I had a good rhythm the whole game." Gardenhire had a challenge of his own in the eighth inning when Kubel was called out on a play at second base. Gordon dropped the throw from Ramirez on the play, and replay officials quickly overturned the play to call Kubel safe. NOTES: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, on the disabled list since after his first start of the season with strained shoulder, threw 86 pitches and allowed two runs in five innings in a start for Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday night and appears in line to rejoin the rotation early next week. ... Red Patterson will make his MLB debut in the nightcap for the Dodgers against Twins LHP Kris Johnson. Both were called up to start the game under a provision that allows rosters to expand to 26 for a doubleheader. Andre Dawson Jersey . -- Max Domi scored twice and set up two more as the London Knights toppled the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Custom Chicago Cubs Jerseys . JOHNS, N. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-ryne-sandberg-jersey/ . - The infectious smile was missing from Nam Nguyen last week. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals shook up their coaching staff Thursday in an attempt to jumpstart their failing offence, making Dale Sveum the hitting coach and Mike Jirschele their third base coach. Pedro Grifol, who took over as hitting coach last season, will now instruct catchers. The moves were announced after the Royals finished off a disastrous homestand that included a sweep at the hands of Houston, and before they opened a four-game series in Toronto. Sveum said the Royals havent done a good enough job this season of hitting pitches in the upper half of the strike zone. "The bottom line is weve struggled with elevation and weve swung at pitches down in the zone probably way too much," he said. "From thigh high to the top of the strike zone, were not doing enough damage." The Royals began the day last in the majors with 21 homers, putting them on pace to match the 1976 club for the fewest in franchise history for a non-strike-shortened season. Theyre also last in the American League in runs and slugging percentage. "There is not one man in the lineup thats hitting the ball well," Royals designated hitter Billy Butler said Wednesday. "Were just cold." Yost said "a different voice can make a difference," to struggling batters, but the Royals have heard plenty of voices about hitting: Sveum is Kansas Citys fifth hitting coach in lless than three seasons. Joe Maddon Jersey. The Royals let go of Kevin Seitzer two years ago in the hope that somebody else would help the club generate more power. Seitzer was eventually hired by the Blue Jays, who currently lead the majors with 76 homers -- more than Kansas City is on pace for all season. Jack Maloof and Andre David were hired before last season, but they only made it a couple of months before they were reassigned within the franchise. It was at that point that the Royals hired Grifol and Hall of Famer George Brett on an interim basis. The Royals showed signs of life once that duo was in charge, slowly climbing into playoff contention. Grifol was given the job on a full-time basis after Brett stepped down in July, but lasted less than a year in the role. "Hes the one that pulled us out of our trouble last year," Yost said of Grifol Thursday. "A year later, we find ourselves in the exact same spot." Sveum, a former Brewers and Cubs manager, had been serving as the Royals third base coach. But he also has plenty of experience as a hitting coach, helping Milwaukee finish in the top three of the National League in homers in each of his three seasons. "Hes got experience, he studies hitting," Yost said. "Hes got a lot of knowledge. He helped Prince Fielder get, in my opinion, to the next level as an offensive performer." ' ' '