Minnesota Twins Relegated to International League After Embarrassing Secret Loss to St. Paul Saints

[Matthew Lenz]

For the first time ever, a Major League Baseball team has been relegated to the minors. After a convincing victory against the Minnesota Twins, the St. Paul Saints will now usurp their maligned parent club, replacing them in the American League Central.

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images

After the Minnesota Twins lost their first four games of the season, they hoped to get a mood boost from a quick scrimmage against their own Triple-A affiliate. Instead, they lost that, too. They were relegated to the International League and will play the remainder of the season at CHS Field. As a reward for beating the big-league club, the St. Paul Saints will play the remainder of the 2025 season at Target Field and take over the Twins' remaining schedule.

Commissioner Rob Manfred organized the face-off after the Twins were blanked by Martín Pérez and the lowly Chicago White Sox. Sources suggest that Twins players were caught off-guard when their gear was loaded on the team bus and they were shuttled to the Fosco Park neighborhood instead of their motel off Michigan Avenue. The game was secretly played at the home field of the Kekambas, with minimal fanfare and no cameras. Fortunately, Jefferson Albert Tibbs still resides in the area and shared the game from his perspective.

Tibbs reported that Simeon Woods Richardson and Zebby Matthews, two guys who just recently battled to anchor the rotation, went head-to-head in the matchup. After an immaculate inning from Matthews in the top of the first, Woods Richardson struggled to record outs. Austin Martin, on his revenge tour, led off with a bunt base hit and afterward looked into the Twins’ dugout screaming “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” like he just won an NBA championship. Top prospects Luke Keaschall and Emmanuel Rodríguez followed with back-to-back home runs, making it 3-0 Saints early.

Woods Richardson mostly settled in thereafter, but Matthews remained dominant. Tibbs, who spent most of the game trying to guess what "Zebby" was short for, was impressed with the 25-year-old.

“I don't know what that dude throws, but striking out 10 hitters and remaining perfect after five innings is hella impressive,” he said. "But I guess they must have had five dudes who are even better."

It was at that moment things truly went awry for the Twins. Woods Richardson, who was approaching the 80-pitch mark at the end of five frames, didn't leave the dugout for the top of the sixth.

“Yo Coach! Sup with Sim?” Tibbs recalled shouting to manager Rocco Baldelli. Before Baldelli could share his philosophy on pitch counts, though, Tibbs saw Jorge Alcalá headed to the mound in relief. For the second straight appearance, Alcalá failed to record an out—this time, against the seventh through ninth hitters in the Saints lineup. Cole Sands was called on to face the top of the lineup with the bases loaded, but the murderer's row of Martin-Keaschall-Rodriguez continued to make a case for the big-league club. Facing an 8-0 deficit, it was up to the Twins offense to mount a comeback in the final innings of the game.

“If there’s one thing I remember from Coach O'Neil, it's that they need to choke up on the bat and swing down on the ball like your chopping wood”, said Tibbs. “These hacks are going up there swinging for the fences and it isn't working. Put the ball in play!”

Wise or otherwise, these words fell on deaf ears, as Matthews continued to mow down hitters. After eight perfect innings and 84 pitches, Saints manager Toby Gardenhire shouted to the Twins’ dugout “Hey, Rocco! Check this out!” and sent Matthews back to the mound, all but guaranteeing he would throw more than 90 pitches in the game. Naturally, Baldelli countered with a trio of pinch-hitters. Naturally, those pinch-hitters went three up, three down, locking in Matthews’s perfect game and a victory for the Saints. It was barely more dominant than the White Sox's trampling of the hapless Twins earlier Monday, but it was enough to prompt a swap of one team with a long history in the majors with one who currently seems more deserving of being there.

"They sure as hell aren't goin' to the ship," Tibbs put it, bluntly.

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[Cory Engelhardt]

The way they started the season, this truly would not shock me. 

That said, I truly do enjoy April fools day and the jokes it can bring. The article itself was outstanding :)

[TopGunn#22]

An excellent April Fools laugh that hurts my ribs a little so I'll stop laughing...

As Twins fans, we ALL know that a baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint.  There are still 158 games to play.  Plenty of runway to get things under control.

The problem is the listless way this team has come out of the chute.  They are hitting like zombies.  They are pitching like zombies and they are fielding like designated hitters.  

With the fan base openly ticked off that the Pohlad family still owns the team, I don't see good crowds when the Twins play a home game...and this might include a lower than normal Opening Day crowd.  I just don't see the fan base willing to spend a nickel that could benefit the Pohlad's.  

There's a certain kind of feeling when the fan base is already agitated and the season starts with a thud in St. Louis.  That feeling is exacerbated when the team rolls into Chicago to play the historically worst team in baseball history only to be no-hit for much of the game while their veteran "hanger-on" of a SP gives up 9 runs in the first 3 innings.  

You really can't get a more sour taste in your mouth as a Twins fan than that. 

[LambchoP]

The way they've played so far, I'm not so sure the Twins could beat the Saints right now lol. If we go into our home opener 0-6 it would be funny if nobody went to the game Thursday in protest of the crappy play so far. Won't happen, but it would be a strong message to ownership. Their time is up, move on and sell the team to somebody who cares!

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

An excellent April Fools laugh that hurts my ribs a little so I'll stop laughing...

As Twins fans, we ALL know that a baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint.  There are still 158 games to play.  Plenty of runway to get things under control.

The problem is the listless way this team has come out of the chute.  They are hitting like zombies.  They are pitching like zombies and they are fielding like designated hitters.  

With the fan base openly ticked off that the Pohlad family still owns the team, I don't see good crowds when the Twins play a home game...and this might include a lower than normal Opening Day crowd.  I just don't see the fan base willing to spend a nickel that could benefit the Pohlad's.  

There's a certain kind of feeling when the fan base is already agitated and the season starts with a thud in St. Louis.  That feeling is exacerbated when the team rolls into Chicago to play the historically worst team in baseball history only to be no-hit for much of the game while their veteran "hanger-on" of a SP gives up 9 runs in the first 3 innings.  

You really can't get a more sour taste in your mouth as a Twins fan than that. 

That worst team in baseball last year may finish with a better record then the Twins this year.

[spanman2]

2 hours ago, LambchoP said:

The way they've played so far, I'm not so sure the Twins could beat the Saints right now lol. If we go into our home opener 0-6 it would be funny if nobody went to the game Thursday in protest of the crappy play so far. Won't happen, but it would be a strong message to ownership. Their time is up, move on and sell the team to somebody who cares!

Will be interesting to see how many fans show up vs. how many tickets have been purchased. 

[I Miss The Lakes]

Relegation is real.
Look what happened to the Oakland Sacramento Athletics!

[CRF]

Forget about the Saints...it's the other 29 teams in MLB that I'm worried about. 

[Fezig]

At this point and yes, it's early. I'd give the benefit of the doubt to the East side club. 

[Craig Arko]

Well, at least they weren’t accidentally deported. 

[gil4]

Knew it was satire because it's completely unrealistic to have them relegated to anything above the 

Midwest League.  

[Peter]

Huge much needed win!!! Question though? Kids live at target field don’t they during season? I think Gardy did during season when he managed twins