Past tense: Controlling pressure a boost for Matt Davidson

Minnesota Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas catches the throw for the out on Matt Davidson to end the game Wednesday. (AP)

MINNEAPOLIS — When you see a wide grin come across Matt Davidson’s face, it won’t stay for long.

Davidson will get it together and get back to that emotional middle ground that works best for him.

“I am enjoying it and it’s fun, but if I show my emotion, I can unravel a little and lose my focus,’’ Davidson said Wednesday.

“It” is the good start Davidson is having in his first full season in the majors. On a team with long-ball threats Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia and Todd Frazier, Davidson leads the Sox with 16 home runs, including six in his last nine games. Davidson is also prone to strikeouts in bunches, as he demonstrated with three against tough right-hander Jose Berrios (7-1, 2.67 ERA) in the Sox’ 4-2 loss to the Twins at Target Field.

Davidson is batting .255 and ranked sixth in the American League with an 11.75 home-run ratio going in, a number that signals danger to opposing pitchers every time he steps in.

The big thing, he said, has been keeping tension out of his body when he’s at the plate. He has done a better job of that this season.

“I would get tense, not from a stress standpoint but from trying to do too much, and that makes me make bad decisions,’’ Davidson said.

“Trying to get the tension out of my shoulders and arms and just try to be in my hands. When I get long or slower or tense up, I will foul those pitches off or swing through them.’’

He’s still chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone, and his K’s against sweeping curveballer Berrios (eight innings, two runs, four hits, one walk, eight strikeouts) gave him 82 whiffs in 213 plate appearances. The number doesn’t concern hitting coach Todd Steverson as much as the “bad” strikeouts that elevate that total.

“If I strike out two or three times a day and I go out of the zone all two or three, that’s my fault,’’ Steverson said. “He’s starting to get it — did he strike me out or did I strike myself out by giving him two strikes, and then I have to face something dirty later.’’

Davidson is working on it. He doesn’t buy the notion that his home runs and RBI (37, fourth on the Sox) offset the strikeouts. He wants more.

“Put the ball in play more, make better decisions,’’ he said. “It comes down to hitting pitches when I get good pitches to hit. The league has definitely taken notice that I will swing myself into bad counts. That’s what I’m focused on, not the success. I’m not beating myself up over it, but I don’t want to throw away at-bats. There’s a consistency level I want to take to the next level.’’

The Sox’ level of play behind left-hander David Holmberg — who allowed plenty of hard contact and four runs and seven hits in 3„ innings in the latest abbreviated outing for a Sox starter — was shaky.

Shortstop Tim Anderson’s 16th error on a sharp grounder led to two unearned runs.

On another play, he was late to second, then hesitated on the throw to first. Instead of an inning-ending double play, the Twins scored their fourth run.

“We needed that double play,’’ manager Rick Renteria said.

A pop foul that fell between catcher Omar Narvaez and Abreu didn’t cause damage, but it wasn’t a good look.

“You have to play clean baseball,’’ said Renteria, whose 31-39 team lost its third consecutive game. “We just didn’t play clean baseball.’’

Garcia (.341) singled for his 51st RBI and lined another single off the right-field wall in the ninth to put the tying run on for Davidson with two outs against closer Brandon Kintzler. Davidson hit a one-hopper behind second that was turned into the final out.

Follow me on Twitter @CST_soxvan.

Email: dvanschouwen@suntimes.com