Twins 6, Rays 5: Brooks Lee Walk-Off Bunt Gives Rocco Baldelli 500th Career Win

[LambchoP]

Loved the bunting there. Twins need to do this more, especially when struggling to score runs. I've been pretty impressed with what I've seen from Clemens. Kids got some real power and most of his HR have come in game changing moments. His defense seems passable at second and RF as well. I wonder how they keep his bat in the lineup when Keaschal returns. Of course it'll be a lot easier if Castro is traded.

[USAFChief]

1 hour ago, Old Twins Cap said:

Paul Blair.

They had a team.

That core of that Baltimore team kept our MN Twins out of the World Series in both 1969 and 1970. The new ALCS was a best of 5 and the Orioles swept the Twins 3-0 both years. Not naming names but a certain someone was crushed.

Many of those same Orioles formed the team that created what I consider baseball's best trivia question:

What winning World Series team scored more runs in the 1st inning of game 1 than the losing team scored in the entire Series?

[RpR]

2 hours ago, karcherd said:

I am not advocating to get rid of Clemens, I like him and think he can provide a role for the team.  I don't think he is an every day player though.  As for Wallner at what point do you stop giving him resets in St. Paul, he is not a young prospect anymore.  Either he produces or you have to move on.  I would love to see him play every day for the rest of the year and not platooned.  Of course he gets a day off here and there.  But find out if you can count on him going forward.  This team needs direction and needs players with talent. Either develop it or do a better job of signing free agents and not one year stopgap.

The Twins, especially he front office, want to win games, not be a AAA club for wannabes.

He made one good fielding play yesterday, AAA would be a good place to learn to do more of that.

Gardenhire seems to inspire the gents; Baldelli want to be their drinking buddy.

[HarmonK03]

36 minutes ago, RpR said:

The Twins, especially he front office, want to win games, not be a AAA club for wannabes.

He made one good fielding play yesterday, AAA would be a good place to learn to do more of that.

Gardenhire seems to inspire the gents; Baldelli want to be their drinking buddy.

And you are going to win games by playing Clemens every day? Wallner has at least produced in his career for more than a one month stretch.

[HarmonK03]

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

They -should- trade him. Or Larnach. They're the same, poor to average defense and occasional power. Clemens at least offers positional flexible and savings.

I don't necessarily disagree about Larnach and Wallner but they should play them on a regular once and for all and find out which one can be a contributor.  Yes Clemens can have a role on the bench.  But I think they overvalue positional flexibility versus talent.  Get players who can play and not worry how many positions they can play.  Yes you always need one Willi Castro type but you don't need 5 or 6.

[Doctor Gast]

4 hours ago, arby58 said:

Lee's bunt won the game, but it was not the most impactful hit of the game. If the Twins played 'small ball' in the sixth and Clemens maybe scratches out one more run, they wouldn't have been in position to win it in the ninth with a squeeze play.  Yes, there is a time and place for just settling for one run (the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game is the most obvious situation of all), I just don't believe they should fall in love with that strategy earlier in the game.

I never said that a bunt early in a game is a good strategy. There is a time for a bunt. Smart small ball isn't limited to bunting. It's stealing a base, taking an extra base, orchestrating a double steal, hit & run, clutch hitting (that can be HR) and it's not limited to offense; picking off & throwing behind runners are a part of small ball. It's doing the small things well. Swinging for the fences hasn't been doing it for us. If our DH can constantly hit HRs, I don't expect him to bunt. But he has my admiration if he can, when the time is applicable.

[miller761]

After watching Adams I would much rather see Raya in that spot in the rotation. Hopefully Mathews is back after AllStar Break.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Some weird voodoo in Minneapolis. Winning one run games?! Using small ball to do it?!

[arby58]

5 hours ago, Old Twins Cap said:

I thought it was, "Pitching, defense and 3-run homers".  Mark Belanger, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, that center-fielder, not Bumbry, but a black guy with speed.  

Doesn't hurt when you have 4 20 game winners, either:  Palmer, Cuellar, oh man, who were those other guys....?

Actually, in looking it up, it was 'pitching, fundamentals, and three run home runs.'

[knothole61]

23 hours ago, Met Stadium Usher said:

Some good notes above about the tough Mesopotamian Division.

The Sumerians are a great old school team for sure, but you can never overlook expansion teams like Hammurabi's Babylonians, or the Akkadians, with big boppers Gilgamesh and Enkidu. 

And don't forget that Sargon of Akkad won the Triple Crown in his MVP year!

[P Meyer]

On 7/5/2025 at 9:19 PM, jimbo92107 said:

I'm liking Brooks Lee more and more. Baseball is in his blood. Perfect bunt to win a game, and his hitting is becoming more solid all the time. 

He should rarely sit.