Twins 5, Phillies 0: Phillies Shut Out at Home by Mick Abel and the Twins

[Steven Trefz]

Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: Mick Abel 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (73 pitches, 53 strikes (72.6%))
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (35), James Outman (6), Ryan Fitzgerald (4)
Top 3 WPA: Abel (.340), Buxton (.112), Outman (.068)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 
 

Mick Abel took the hill against his former team in search of securing his first Twins win before the 2025 season wrapped. The Phillies came into Saturday's contest looking to overtake the Brewers for the best record in the majors before the playoffs begin next week. The stakes weren't high, but unlike most of the outings in the past month for the Twins, the outcome of the game was going to matter for someone.

Byron Buxton, Please Don't Leave
Not much has gone right for the Twins this season, but Byron Buxton has been all kinds of right. On Thursday he hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season, and tonight he added another one to the tally. With the count full, Ranger Suarez left a cutter middle-in, and Buxton sent it over the left field wall for an early 1-0 lead.

Austin Martin singled and advanced to third on a Royce Lewis double with one out, but Suarez struck out Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee to end the threat.

Mick Abel, Welcome Home
Without a doubt, there was some extra adrenaline pumping through the former Phillies first round pick when he faced his former squad. Abel had already pitched four games at Citizens Bank Park this season, so the scene was familiar while the experience of returning through the visitors' clubhouse was a new thing. Abel started out by touching 98 with his heater and working changeups and sliders to perfection as he struck out the side in the first, two of the three batters in the second, and another two of three Phillies in the third! Seven Ks across his first nine outs, now that's a way to return home as the away team.

Rain Starts to Fall, but So Do Twins Hits
In the top of the fourth the impending rain clouds began to produce, but so did the Twins offense. Clemens led off with a single, and he advanced to third on a Lee single with one out. Carson McCusker is still looking for his first home run, but his ground out to third got Clemens in to up the Twins lead to 2-0. James Outman led off the fifth with a solo homer of his own to make it 3-0, and Ryan Jeffers knocked Suarez out of the ballgame a few batters later with a hard line drive off of the pitcher's inner thigh. Martin and Jeffers attempted a double steal with one out, and Martin got picked off to deflect the potential knockout blow for the game itself. Abel kept dealing, however, striking out nine Phillies across six shutout innings. As the Twins headed back out for the rainy seventh, Ryan Fitzgerald beat the raindrops off the ball into the second deck for a 4-0 Twins lead.

With two outs, Martin worked a walk and Jeffers hit one 105.6 mph. This time he got 11.6 degrees of launch angle which cleared the infielders' groins and rolled all the way to the wall for a run-scoring double. 5-0 good guys.

Closing Out Abel's First Win as a Twin
In a season of disappointment, Twins fans need every crumb of hope that they can find. Abel's lights out performance in this emotional conclusion to his first full MLB season serves as far more than a crumb. Mick showed why he should be a mainstay of the Twins rotation for the next decade, and this scrappy pile of misfit players not only took down one of the best teams in the league, but they were able be the first team to shut out the Phillies on their home turf all season long. Pierson Ohl took care of business in the seventh and eighth, and Kody Funderburk sealed the deal in the ninth.

As a season of "What could have been" comes to a close, I leave you with this small moment of Zen. Here's to more exciting and victorious times in 2026.

What’s Next?
The Twins put the final nail in the coffin of their 2025 season Sunday afternoon. Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (7-4, 4.27 ERA) hopes to finish off a positive September with another win, while the Phillies counter with impressive young lefty Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.57 ERA). The last first pitch of the season is scheduled for 2:05pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	TOT
Funderburk	11	0	14	0	31	56
Adams	0	16	0	30	0	46
Ohl	0	0	20	0	22	42
Cabrera	0	11	0	12	0	23
Sands	6	0	12	0	0	18
Laweryson	0	12	0	0	0	12
Tonkin	0	0	0	11	0	11
Hatch	0	0	0	0	0	0

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[tony&rodney]

Nice win. The Twins played well and flashed a little leather to go with the power. Happy to see McCusker get a bat to the ball and drive in a run that was needed at the time and get his first MLB RBI.

The main story was Mick Abel. He has stuff and when he throws strikes with more than one pitch he is a handful. Great performance by Abel and he was well supported by his teammates.

[DJL44]

Wow, great game by Abel

[IndianaTwin]

To Rocco’s point about the starting pitching being good this trip, so far this week, it’s 3 ER in 30 innings by the five starters. Me likey.

 

[IndyTwinsFan]

7 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

To Rocco’s point about the starting pitching being good this trip, so far this week, it’s 3 ER in 30 innings by the five starters. Me likey.

 

Me, too!

Allows for some hope going into next season. 

[stringer bell]

13 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

To Rocco’s point about the starting pitching being good this trip, so far this week, it’s 3 ER in 30 innings by the five starters.

 

Yeah, there is some hope. Bradley and Abel are live arms, to be sure. Austin Martin might just be a major league left fielder and the Twins best position player prospects are on the cusp. 

[terrydactyls]

Last game on Sunday.  I believe the Twins hold the tie breaker so the Twins' have secured the second worse record.

       Team              Record       GB

1. Minnesota          70-91          ----

2. Pittsburgh          71-90           1 

I just thought of a question about the tiebreaker.  The first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record.  The Twins won two games and the Pirates won one.  Does the best record win the tiebreaker?  Or, because this is a race for the worst record, do the Pirates hold the tiebreaker?  Anyone know?

[High heat]

Not a sexy spot or take but I think Ryan Fitzgerald is a good bench piece for 2026.  
 

Not a lot of guys can play 1 day a week and have good at bats.  He can play all three infield positions and he can plays some OF.  He is a major league 26th man. 

[Nashvilletwin]

I wonder if we fire Rocco if we could somehow talk Ryan into signing an extension.  Just move Lopez then.  It would be nice to have Ryan as the anchor of our young staff.

Nah, that’s probably a pipe dream….

[tony&rodney]

13 minutes ago, High heat said:

Not a sexy spot or take but I think Ryan Fitzgerald is a good bench piece for 2026.  
 

Not a lot of guys can play 1 day a week and have good at bats.  He can play all three infield positions and he can plays some OF.  He is a major league 26th man. 

I'm not sure if the Twins will agree with you. I do. Fitzgerald is older, he has decent power, speed, and can field average to slightly plus at numerous positions. It is really hard for someone like Lee, Lewis, or Julien to fit comfortably as a utility player. While I'm hoping for improvements through additions via trades for a couple of positions, a player like Fitzgerald could hold down that 13th person among position players.

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

I wonder if we fire Rocco if we could somehow talk Ryan into signing an extension.  Just move Lopez then.  It would be nice to have Ryan as the anchor of our young staff.

Nah, that’s probably a pipe dream….

All things are possible. The organization needs to improve the roster and the most likely or feasible manner is through some trades. 

[Nashvilletwin]

28 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

Last game on Sunday.  I believe the Twins hold the tie breaker so the Twins' have secured the second worse record.

       Team              Record       GB

1. Minnesota          70-91          ----

2. Pittsburgh          71-90           1 

I just thought of a question about the tiebreaker.  The first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record.  The Twins won two games and the Pirates won one.  Does the best record win the tiebreaker?  Or, because this is a race for the worst record, do the Pirates hold the tiebreaker?  Anyone know?

My understanding is that in the event of a tie, then last year’s record is used.  In this case, the Pirates would hold the tiebreaker. 

[old nurse]

24 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

Last game on Sunday.  I believe the Twins hold the tie breaker so the Twins' have secured the second worse record.

       Team              Record       GB

1. Minnesota          70-91          ----

2. Pittsburgh          71-90           1 

I just thought of a question about the tiebreaker.  The first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record.  The Twins won two games and the Pirates won one.  Does the best record win the tiebreaker?  Or, because this is a race for the worst record, do the Pirates hold the tiebreaker?  Anyone know?

Pittsburg will hold yhe tiebreaker because they lost more games than the Twins in 24

[stringer bell]

10 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

I wonder if we fire Rocco if we could somehow talk Ryan into signing an extension.  Just move Lopez then.  It would be nice to have Ryan as the anchor of our young staff.

Nah, that’s probably a pipe dream….

I'd much rather keep López. I like him better off the field--dedication to his craft, outreach to the fans--and I think he's a slightly better pitcher. Ryan would net more in a trade because of his contract status and they are both the same age.

[stringer bell]

31 minutes ago, High heat said:

Not a sexy spot or take but I think Ryan Fitzgerald is a good bench piece for 2026.  
 

Not a lot of guys can play 1 day a week and have good at bats.  He can play all three infield positions and he can plays some OF.  He is a major league 26th man. 

Nice story, but I hope they go for more. It's hard to judge players on September at-bats but Fitzgerald hasn't shown much upside in his minor league career. I would hope the Twins pick up a really good defensive shortstop as Plan B for Brooks Lee and hope that the alternative to Lee is Culpepper by Memorial Day 2026.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

Great win. Lots of young starting pitching for the Twins that makes me optimistic about the future of the Twins especially heading into 2026. My guess is Abel doesn't start the season with the Twins because    S-W-R is out of options, and he has been good enough to be considered for a starting role. It would be really nice to see Buxton steal a base tomorrow to go 35-25.

[darwin22]

1 hour ago, High heat said:

Not a sexy spot or take but I think Ryan Fitzgerald is a good bench piece for 2026.  
 

Not a lot of guys can play 1 day a week and have good at bats.  He can play all three infield positions and he can plays some OF.  He is a major league 26th man. 

Absolutely agree.  His versatility, imo, outweighs his age.  Interesting (to me) a friend of my son's played college ball (Creighton) with Fitzgerald and commented how his work ethic, grit and leadership were an inspiration to the younger players.  Great to see Fitzgerald contribute since his promotion and hope he gets a legit chance to make the active roster next season.

[Blyleven2011]

A start like Abel had is impressive  , pitching was our strength until the deadline this year , then there was no bullpen  ...

Starting pitching looks to be a strength in 2026 if nobody is traded, Abel and Bradley  Ober and a few others ( cant write lopez or ryan in because my gut just doesn't feel right ) , I'm sure Mr PBO is already on the phones with all clubs that Lopez and Ryan are available for the right price  , let's hope not ...

It's always nice to get a win against a good playoff team  , SWR takes the mound for the last game of the season  , let's hope he's good for 6 or 7 good innings for our last hurrah for 2025 ...

Let's also hope that baldelli's rumor of his contract was picked up are false and we get a different voice  , hes just worn out his welcome along with falvey too ...

Also in 2026 I hope we get some clutch hitters that can drive in runs consistently and I hope the solo homeruns turn into something more than 1 run ...

A combination of good pitching and runs scored will win games ...

[jmlease1]

well, this is the Abel you hoped to get when you trade for him. The stuff has always been good, but he did an impressive job throwing strikes when he needed to and missing out of the zone in key spots instead of hanging one. Can he do it consistently? We'll see, but you could really see the talent there. I expect he would have gotten the 7th, but once again Rocco probably wanted to make sure he was walking off the mound on an upswing to go into the offseason, and I can't really blame him.

Martin did a nice job (double steal not withstanding) of getting on base again, and that was a very nice catch he made in LF. It was nice to get some runs from the bottom of the lineup, but I'm still not impressed with Outman. Running into a homer every once and a while doesn't do it for me, and the error in the field was annoying.

[RadBradke72]

This was a great game, and remember the 7-0 shutout of the Yankees a week ago Monday. There is hope for a fun season next year. 

[knothole61]

Abel, against a very good team in their home park, in a game that they had to win to try to nab the #1 seed from the Brewers...my God man!! 24 year-old, 6' 5", McLean Able was the 15th overall pick in 2020 and I have a feeling that the Twins (fingers crossed) may have captured lightening in a bottle this time. Lopez, Ryan, and tonight's version of Mick Able and 2026 suddenly doesn't seem as daunting.

Ah...the hope that springs eternal. 

[JDubs]

By wining this one, the Twins made it much more likely they can win Sunday as Philly officially has nothing at all to play for now. And if they manage to pull it out, that means two series wins in a row to end the season. Which means...well, absolutely nothing, but it would be a nice way to close everything out.

[Whitey333]

Typical, albeit not typical, end to another year of Twins baseball.  Keeping Lopez would be nice but not very likely considering the teams payroll dump and his 21.5 million salary for next season.  Rocco needs to go but only if he takes Falvey with him.  IMO a key start to this off-season and a start to revive some fan interest would  e to immediately dump Falvey AND Baldelli.  A new voice is needed.  If they make Rocco the scapegoat by firing him but keep Falvey would be a huge mistake.

[High heat]

9 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm not sure if the Twins will agree with you. I do. Fitzgerald is older, he has decent power, speed, and can field average to slightly plus at numerous positions. It is really hard for someone like Lee, Lewis, or Julien to fit comfortably as a utility player. While I'm hoping for improvements through additions via trades for a couple of positions, a player like Fitzgerald could hold down that 13th person among position players.

I think you’re right, the Twins will cut bait with him and go sign another play.  That player will likely flounder and look lost at the plate.  
 

All I’m say is the MLB role of consistently inconsistent ABs is difficult and the guys who can stay read and contribute when called is a major league skill set.  Fitzgerald seems to be able to atleast give you good at bats when called upon.

[Peter]

Great win!!! Lopez and Ryan aren’t going anywhere!!! With able we will have great rotation with zebby/SWR!!! As I’ve said before 2026 will be way better. Future is looking great!!! Just sucks no more twins games until next year

[Old Crow]

9 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

A start like Abel had is impressive  , pitching was our strength until the deadline this year , then there was no bullpen  ...

Starting pitching looks to be a strength in 2026 if nobody is traded, Abel and Bradley  Ober and a few others ( cant write lopez or ryan in because my gut just doesn't feel right ) , I'm sure Mr PBO is already on the phones with all clubs that Lopez and Ryan are available for the right price  , let's hope not ...

It's always nice to get a win against a good playoff team  , SWR takes the mound for the last game of the season  , let's hope he's good for 6 or 7 good innings for our last hurrah for 2025 ...

Let's also hope that baldelli's rumor of his contract was picked up are false and we get a different voice  , hes just worn out his welcome along with falvey too ...

Also in 2026 I hope we get some clutch hitters that can drive in runs consistently and I hope the solo homeruns turn into something more than 1 run ...

A combination of good pitching and runs scored will win games ...

Add better game management.

[DJL44]

Fitzgerald will likely survive the 40-man roster purge and get penciled into next year as the 28th person on the depth chart. He would be available whenever there is an injury, which happens often. He has two years worth of options left.

[dxpavelka]

73 pitches one walk no runs.  Old enough to remember when that would be been considered a good start.  And the manager would have said "go finish it kid." 

[stringer bell]

42 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Fitzgerald will likely survive the 40-man roster purge and get penciled into next year as the 28th person on the depth chart. He would be available whenever there is an injury, which happens often. He has two years worth of options left.

I think he'll get a DFA and be offered a minor league contract. The "good" in Fitzgerald's numbers are his home runs and he's not shown anything in his minor league career that suggest he could sustain that. 

[DJL44]

Congratulations to Dashawn Keirsey on passing 100 plate appearances as a Twin. That’s means he’s officially the worst hitter in franchise history with 100 or more plate appearances.