The Minnesota Twins have fired manager Paul Molitor after four seasons Ian Desmond Jersey , according toUSA Today's Bob Nightengale.Molitor was hired by the Twins in November 2014 after Ron Gardenhire was fired. The Hall of Famer had a successful first season with the team, posting an 83-79 record and keeping them in playoff contention until the final weekend of the year.For his efforts in 2015, Molitor finished third in American League Manager of the Year voting. He took home the trophy last season after leading the team to an 85-77 record and trip to the American League Wild Card Game.Expectations were understandably high for the team coming into 2018 http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-greg-holland-jersey , especially with young stars like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton poised to play significant roles after showing promise the previous season.Instead, everything that could go wrong in Minnesota seemingly did. Buxton only appeared in 28 games and was demoted after posting a .383 OPS. Sano battled injuries early in the year, resulting in his OPS dropping from .859 to .679.The Twins finished second in the AL Central with a 78-84 record David Dahl Jersey , but it marked their sixth losing season since 2011. They made the postseason six times from 2002-10.After trading Brian Dozier and seeing Joe Mauer hitfree agency, the Twins are entering a rebuilding phase. Based on where things currently stand with the organization, adding a new voice to the mix will help get things back on track after a disappointing final season under Molitor. Bob Levey/Getty ImagesJustin Verlander hit a career milestone Sunday to help the Houston Astros reclaim sole possession of first place in the American League West. The 2011 AL MVP notched his 200th career victory in Houston's 9-4 victory over its division rivals:MLB MLBA milestone for JustinVerlander as the Astros reclaim first in the AL West. 3TT9i0IAy5Verlander settled in after a rough start in which he gave up two solo homers in the bottom of the first inning. The seven-time All-Star went just 5.1 innings but only allowed four runs with six strikeouts http://www.rockiesfanproshop.com/authentic-bryan-shaw-jersey , one walk and scattered seven hits.Among active players, VerlanderjoinsBartolo Colon of the Texas Rangers (247) and CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees (244) as the only pitchers with at least 200 wins.The win was also huge for the defending World Series champions, who find themselves locked in a battle atop the AL West standings. The A's won the first two games of the series to tie for the division lead.Verlander is in the midst of a Cy Young-caliber season. Heading into Sunday Tyler Anderson Jersey , heranked fourthamong AL pitchers in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (4.7) and has 223 strikeouts with a 2.65 ERA in 169.2 innings over 27 starts.