Rockies 8, Twins 5: Rockies Outlast Twins Behind Hunter Goodman's 3-Homer Night

[Steven Trefz]

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: Mike Paredes 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (74 pitches, 51 strikes (69%))
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Kody Funderburk (-0.24), Paredes (-0.15), Royce Lewis (-0.13)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 

After a ludicrous blown lead and extra inning comeback victory on Friday night, the Twins looked to take further advantage of a 50-loss Colorado Rockies club. Standing in their way was a familiar starter named Michael Lorenzen, who hadn't won a game since April with a 6.40 ERA in his last seven games. Standing on the mound for the Twins was the rookie Mike Paredes and his 4-6 innings of opener energy. On paper this game looked to be another offensive slugfest. In reality it was just plain offensive for the home team.

Hunter Goodman is a Bad Man
Goodman tried to ruin the night with a ninth inning blast on Friday night to give the Rockies the momentary lead. He tried to ruin the night from the start on Saturday night with a first inning moonshot against Paredes' non-sweeping sweeper. The Twins manufactured a run in the bottom of the first to tie the game back up as Trevor Larnach singled, Byron Buxton took one for the team, and then Kody Clemens notched his 33rd RBI with a single to plate Larnach with nobody out. Just when you thought Lorenzen's track record was going to keep on spinning, he fooled Josh Bell on a first pitch changeup and then got Victor Caratini and Royce Lewis to ground out to end the threat.

Paredes escaped some base clutter in the top of the second, but he couldn't escape Goodwin in the top of the third. His 24th home run of the year was less majestic, but just as damaging as the Rockies retook the lead at 2-1. 

Bending But Not Breaking...
The Twins couldn't muster anything in the early innings against Lorenzen, as he effectively mixed speeds and kept the Minnesota bats away from solid contact. Paredes held his own through the majority of his outing, but another big blast by Jake McCarthy in the top of the fifth led to the third Rockies run. With two runners on in the top of the sixth and only one out, Derek Shelton went to his trusty bullpen and veteran lefty Taylor Rogers. Rogers had been struggling of late, but he looked like the Rogers of old and got his team out of the jam tonight.

With Lorenzen still throwing in the bottom of the sixth, Bell got the Twins back on the board with a booming triple!

Caratini drove a ball deep into the left field corner for a sacrifice fly to immediately score Bell to cut the gap to 3-2. Brooks Lee tried to facilitate the completion of the rally with a ringing two-out double, but Tristan Gray kept his 30 percent strikeout percentage alive and well to end the threat.

Bullpens Beyond Broken
Goodman hit his third home run of the night, and it was a three-run shot. Rogers only needed nine pitches in the sixth, but Shelton inexplicably brought in the least-rested member of the bullpen to face a lead-off lefty in the top of the seventh. Kody Funderburk was that man, and he pitched poorly yet again tonight. The aforementioned lefty McCarthy ripped a single, and then Funderburk walked the pinch-hitting righty, Ezequiel Tovar. McCarthy and Tovar pulled off a double steal while Funderburk was focusing in on Goodman. With a full count staring him in the face, Funderburk decided that a center-cut 90 mph sinker was the best plan of action against the hottest hitter in the league. It left at 113 mph and the Rockies lead was jacked up to 6-2.

The Twins continued to flounder at the plate as the game reached its disappointing conclusion, but there was a moment of hope for the Twins in the midst of their league-worst bullpen 5.30 ERA in the month of June. Marco Raya made his long-awaited major league debut in the top of the eighth. He fit right in, as he promptly walked the lead-off man and gave up a gopher ball to Kyle Karros after falling behind to him as well. 8-2 Rockies. Raya did notch his first career strikeout to end the frame, against Goodman no less! Raya pitched a scoreless ninth to end his debut outing.

The Rockies sent the literal worst bullpen pitcher in the majors out on the mound for the bottom of the ninth, and his name is Zach Agnos. He promptly made Royce Lewis look foolish on an undisciplined swinging strike out. Lewis' lack of effort looked even worse given what came next. Lee refused to swing at balls out of the zone, and he was rewarded with a single. Even Gray got a single because he laid off the pitches Royce couldn't, and then Luke Keaschall worked a walk to load the bases with one out. Larnach refused to swing at non-strikes, cleared the bases with a double to creep the Twins within three at 8-5 and to chase Agnos from the game!

The next man up for the Rockies was Friday night's losing pitcher Jimmy Herget and his sidearm craftiness. Buxton got ahead 2-0 but popped up a hanging sweeper to leave the rally to pinch-hitting Austin Martin who entered the game in the top of the ninth as a defensive replacement for Kody Clemens. Why did Shelton make that move down six runs while he left in Buxton and others? Your guess is as good as mine, but it meant the left-handed Clemens was watching from the bench as Martin flew out to end the rally. It's too bad FanGraphs hasn't figured out how to measure WPA for managers, because Shelton was on fire tonight.

What’s Next?
The Twins hope to salvage their 12th series win in 2026 against the hapless but pesky Rockies on Sunday afternoon. Lefty Connor Prielipp (2-5, 5.17 ERA) will look to get his season back on track before he reaches his Twins-mandated load limit. The Rockies will send young righty Ryan Feltner (2-2, 4.79 ERA) in hopes of winning only their ninth series in 2026.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	TOT
Rogers	38	0	0	0	9	47
Raya	0	0	0	0	40	40
Banda	0	25	0	11	0	35
Adams	30	0	0	0	0	30
Funderburk	0	0	0	20	25	20
Orze	0	0	0	14	0	14
Morris	0	7	0	6	0	13
Gómez	0	10	0	0	0	10

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[thelanges5]

Twins went 5-1 last week and are about to go 1-5 this week. 🎢

[mark allen]

why funderburk. bad decision on Sheltons part think we win that game 

[Linus]

Anybody ready to be done with Fundy?  I was last June but apparently Falvey knew better. 

[mrguy]

I pointed this out in the game thread, but I think Paredes has a sequencing issue happening. A lot of opportunities where he found himself way ahead in the count but couldn't close it out. His stuff profiled better than normal looking at the statcast data, but some questionable choices ahead in the count led to multiple times where he got punished hard for it. He knows how to get ahead, he has been able to throw quality stuff, but they need to fix the way he approaches some of those at bats and then you'll have a solid guy.

[mikelink45]

Yuck. We lack bulls in the pen!

[Danchat]

Even with the bullpen being as weak as it is, the issue is compounded seeing Morris and Gomez throw only 6 combined pitches the past two days. It's going to stink when you don't use your few best options.

[ashbury]

Quote

Hunter Goodman is a Bad Man

But he is not an Out man.

[ashbury]

From the post-game: "yeah, thought about [bringing in Rogers] a little bit but just decided we're going to go with Fundy there and, obviously, it didn't work out."

Story of the '26 bullpen.  No good options.

[Mike Sixel]

45 minutes ago, mark allen said:

why funderburk. bad decision on Sheltons part think we win that game 

Why is he still on the roster?

[wesnewy]

Funderburk needs to be put on a list... I don't know which one, but he needs to be on one

[Aggies7]

“Outlast” is an interesting way to describe what the Rockies did tonight 😂 

[1985Fan]

Funderburk hasn’t shown he can throw strikes (ever) and that’s not someone for the BP. He falls behind every batter and then has to come into the zone with his weak stuff. Frustrating to watch him pitch. Grooves a meatball middle middle to the hottest hitter in baseball. Send him down to St. Paul and leave him there please. 

[Sampson5]

I can't see why in a close game funderberk is the guy they decide to put in the game so many better options in that spot honestly there's a real argument he shouldn't be on the twins roster right now with how bad he's looked even with limited options in St Paul . Shelton makes some insane decisions been far to many losses this year where his choices have been a key reason for the loss that's why I don't think he's long for the job and really shouldn't even of been the hire in the first place. Replacing Clemens is even worse taking your 2nd best bat out of the lineup for Austin Martin is wild when you leave Buxton in so wasn't the white flag . Maybe they should just walk Goodman going forward it's clear none of our pitchers can handle him . Allowing him to hit 4 homers in 2 games is crazy 

[Jacksson]

Shelton is a chicken ****.  After Goodman unloads 2 bombs, when Goodman came up to bat in the 5th, all he sees is heat on the inside and if he should get hit by the pitch, so much the better.  Shelton should have ordered that Goodman get plunked.  If not for the 2 homeruns, then as payback for Buxton getting plunked in the 1st.

Shelton is an idiot.  Lefthander on the mound, runners on 3rd and 2nd = FIRST BASE OPEN and a guy that has gone yard twice already this game.  Either walk him or plunk him.

Funderburk needs to be optioned to St Paul and remain there for the rest of the season.  Clearly, his mind is on his new kid and his wife's health.  With those things paramount on his mind, he is no use to the team at the major league level.  All Kody has to do is get 3 outs.  Instead, he digs himself into a hole from the get-go = single, walk, homerun.  And that homer was on a hanging sinker, up in the zone and right down the middle.

All Raya has to do is to get 3 outs. And yet, the first batter he faces sees ONE strike out of the six pitches he sees; the FIVE that missed were not even close.  Having walked that guy, Raya misses badly on 3 out of 4 pitches before grooving pitch #5 which promptly left the yard.  Question: What is Hawkins being paid for?  To send in relief pitchers  that: can't throw strikes, pitch behind in the count, give up walks, give up hits, and serve up homerun balls??  Hawkins is supposed to have a handle on the performance of the members of his bullpen and despite the dubious abilities of the bullpen pitchers; he is supposed to be making them BETTER !! Marco, Keep your ticket to St Paul handy!!

Let's not fail to point out the misplay in RF by Keaschall where he completely misplayed a ball of the wall in RF that the charitable, hometown scorer scored as triple as opposed to the correct call which should have been a single and a 2 base error on Keaschall. 

The Twins pitchers need to take this so-called "Official Scorer" out behind the woodshed and knock some sense into him as to what is exactly a hit and what is an error.  ANYBODY who plays RF at Target Field needs a few hours EACH AND EVERY DAY to learn how to play the caroms off the wall on balls hit over their heads (as well as work for the pitchers, and catchers to not call and throw pitches that are not going to end up being hit over the heads of the outfielders - who are hopefully positioned correctly.

[mrguy]

I want to know who was telling the pitchers to pitch up against Goodman, Maki? Caratini? The pitchers themselves making that decision? All of the three home runs came from pitching up against him, even outside of the zone he managed to launch it but then the two times they pitched down against him, Paredes got a first pitch ground out and Raya struck him out. Granted Funderburk's was a middle middle 90 MPH sinker that anyone would've blasted, but who's scouting told them pitching up was the answer against him?

[David HK]

3 hours ago, ashbury said:

From the post-game: "yeah, thought about [bringing in Rogers] a little bit but just decided we're going to go with Fundy there and, obviously, it didn't work out."

Story of the '26 bullpen.  No good options.

Crabs in a bucket. Just pick one and get shelled.

[David HK]

I wonder if fans can bring a class action suit for malpractice against the pohlads and the FO.  What inglorious incompetence.  Why in the H did they have to completely tear down the BP- and then do less than nothing to build it back over the off-season, when there were a handful of decent options available? Did they really think a couple of retreads and Stiff of the Week candidates would be in any way effective?  

Screw you, joe pohlad. Right-size this 👎 Same for you, Falvey and especially Zoll, for inflicting this stream of the lame, the halt, and the incapable upon us. 

And while I'm at it- hey Sheltie, and your all-star coaching staff- you wanna get a handle on the bone-head brand of baseball your troops are displaying anytime soon?

Sheesh, what mess.

[shimrod]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

8 hours ago, mark allen said:

why funderburk. bad decision on Sheltons part think we win that game 

Why is he still on the roster?

Waiting for CO to cut Agnos so we'll have a ready replacement. Next reclamation project.

[Saxophone Joe]

The Shelty post-game presser was painful. Still searching for guys in the pen to step up 85 games into season. “It’s challenging.” 

Gonna try and keep it postive. Today is a new day. Get a win and keep our head above water on the road trip.

[JD-TWINS]

9 hours ago, mark allen said:

why funderburk. bad decision on Sheltons part think we win that game 

Down 3 ……. somebody’s got to pitch……. Down 3 ……. the dominant Adams, or Raya earlier, were the other 2 choices, which one is obviously better than Funderburk? “I think we win” …… possible, certainly, but not very likely.

Funderburk cannot give in, even at 3-2 count, to a guy who’s one AB removed from a homer in 3 consecutive AB’s. 1B was open & left handed hitter on deck. Terrible pitch location!! Terrible game management in that situation….. some of that’s on Caratini & bench but 90% on Funderburk.

[JD-TWINS]

5 hours ago, David HK said:

I wonder if fans can bring a class action suit for malpractice against the pohlads and the FO.  What inglorious incompetence.  Why in the H did they have to completely tear down the BP- and then do less than nothing to build it back over the off-season, when there were a handful of decent options available? Did they really think a couple of retreads and Stiff of the Week candidates would be in any way effective?  

Screw you, joe pohlad. Right-size this 👎 Same for you, Falvey and especially Zoll, for inflicting this stream of the lame, the halt, and the incapable upon us. 

And while I'm at it- hey Sheltie, and your all-star coaching staff- you wanna get a handle on the bone-head brand of baseball your troops are displaying anytime soon?

Sheesh, what mess.

BANDA got guys out consistently for 7 weeks - had a couple not great outings……gonna happen with any pitcher. ROGERS is piecing it together and probably effective 6/7 times out of 10 at this point - not great. PARADES into the PEN will help, when Ober is back. ROJAS is coming off injury and working to get back to where he was a month ago. SANDS has been out for couple months and that created a hole.

IMO, Adams & Funderburk need to be displaced ASAP …….. Parades - Rojas are the likely candidates in another 6-10 days.

GOMEZ - MORRIS - PARADES - ROJAS - BANDA - ROGERS - ORZE - RAYA by the All-Star Break ………. not perfect but guys that can generally get guys out……or have stuff to get guys out.

[mark allen]

38 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

BANDA got guys out consistently for 7 weeks - had a couple not great outings……gonna happen with any pitcher. ROGERS is piecing it together and probably effective 6/7 times out of 10 at this point - not great. PARADES into the PEN will help, when Ober is back. ROJAS is coming off injury and working to get back to where he was a month ago. SANDS has been out for couple months and that created a hole.

IMO, Adams & Funderburk need to be displaced ASAP …….. Parades - Rojas are the likely candidates in another 6-10 days.

GOMEZ - MORRIS - PARADES - ROJAS - BANDA - ROGERS - ORZE - RAYA by the All-Star Break ………. not perfect but guys that can generally get guys out……or have stuff to get guys out.

im not giving up on Adams lots of strikeouts lately, think maybe make him a one inning guy also

[JD-TWINS]

1 minute ago, mark allen said:

im not giving up on Adams lots of strikeouts lately, think maybe make him a one inning guy also

Adams, 🙏🤞🙏🤞🤞🤞🤞- not unlike 60% of the roster…….😁

[Hubie29]

11 hours ago, mark allen said:

why funderburk. bad decision on Sheltons part think we win that game 

As I've said before he has no clue on managing the pitching staff. 

[Hubie29]

9 hours ago, Sampson5 said:

I can't see why in a close game funderberk is the guy they decide to put in the game so many better options in that spot honestly there's a real argument he shouldn't be on the twins roster right now with how bad he's looked even with limited options in St Paul . Shelton makes some insane decisions been far to many losses this year where his choices have been a key reason for the loss that's why I don't think he's long for the job and really shouldn't even of been the hire in the first place. Replacing Clemens is even worse taking your 2nd best bat out of the lineup for Austin Martin is wild when you leave Buxton in so wasn't the white flag . Maybe they should just walk Goodman going forward it's clear none of our pitchers can handle him . Allowing him to hit 4 homers in 2 games is crazy 

He was a convenient, cheap yes man that they could hire. His in game decisions are terrible. When the ownership either changes or gets serious, then they will move on hopefully. 

[JD-TWINS]

10 hours ago, 1985Fan said:

Funderburk hasn’t shown he can throw strikes (ever) and that’s not someone for the BP. He falls behind every batter and then has to come into the zone with his weak stuff. Frustrating to watch him pitch. Grooves a meatball middle middle to the hottest hitter in baseball. Send him down to St. Paul and leave him there please. 

Agreed.

I assume the strategy is to throw his weak stuff around the strike zone, hoping for swings, prior to having to groove pitches when behind. He just doesn’t have much success with that strategy.

[D.C Twins]

We were.....FUNDERSTRUCK!

[1985Fan]

Putting Funderburk in the game when down is not a bone head move by Shelton. Every arm in the BP has to contribute somehow. If not and Shelton is limited to 3-4 arms every night, those 3-4 guys will be wore out in a couple of weeks. They can’t hide guys in the BP when starters only go 5-6 innings

Trying to squeeze three outs from Funderburk in the seventh is what happens given the BP the FO handed him. Blame Zoll for the BP (while you give him credit for Roger’s, Banda, Orze, and Gomez). 

FWIW all teams have weaker BP arms that are used when behind in games. Twins have one of worst BP in the league, so not surprising when you see nights like last night happen. The only reason Funderburk is here is Rojas is not ready for normal BP duty yet. I think you’ll see Funderburk demoted soon as he’s proven he’s not useful in any situation. Problem is, no one is knocking on the door in St. Paul to step up and help out. Funderburk and Raya were/are the best options in AAA. Let’s see if Zoll can make more moves now to get something better. 

[mnfireman]

10 hours ago, Jacksson said:

Shelton is a chicken ****.  After Goodman unloads 2 bombs, when Goodman came up to bat in the 5th, all he sees is heat on the inside and if he should get hit by the pitch, so much the better.  Shelton should have ordered that Goodman get plunked.  If not for the 2 homeruns, then as payback for Buxton getting plunked in the 1st.

Shelton is an idiot.  Lefthander on the mound, runners on 3rd and 2nd = FIRST BASE OPEN and a guy that has gone yard twice already this game.  Either walk him or plunk him.

Funderburk needs to be optioned to St Paul and remain there for the rest of the season.  Clearly, his mind is on his new kid and his wife's health.  With those things paramount on his mind, he is no use to the team at the major league level.  All Kody has to do is get 3 outs.  Instead, he digs himself into a hole from the get-go = single, walk, homerun.  And that homer was on a hanging sinker, up in the zone and right down the middle.

All Raya has to do is to get 3 outs. And yet, the first batter he faces sees ONE strike out of the six pitches he sees; the FIVE that missed were not even close.  Having walked that guy, Raya misses badly on 3 out of 4 pitches before grooving pitch #5 which promptly left the yard.  Question: What is Hawkins being paid for?  To send in relief pitchers  that: can't throw strikes, pitch behind in the count, give up walks, give up hits, and serve up homerun balls??  Hawkins is supposed to have a handle on the performance of the members of his bullpen and despite the dubious abilities of the bullpen pitchers; he is supposed to be making them BETTER !! Marco, Keep your ticket to St Paul handy!!

Let's not fail to point out the misplay in RF by Keaschall where he completely misplayed a ball of the wall in RF that the charitable, hometown scorer scored as triple as opposed to the correct call which should have been a single and a 2 base error on Keaschall. 

The Twins pitchers need to take this so-called "Official Scorer" out behind the woodshed and knock some sense into him as to what is exactly a hit and what is an error.  ANYBODY who plays RF at Target Field needs a few hours EACH AND EVERY DAY to learn how to play the caroms off the wall on balls hit over their heads (as well as work for the pitchers, and catchers to not call and throw pitches that are not going to end up being hit over the heads of the outfielders - who are hopefully positioned correctly.

I'm all about sending a guy a message if/when warranted, but Goodman never showboated any of his HRs and Buxton was not hit on purpose. He should have been pitched around, but that didn't happen, not to mention if MLB even thinks somebody ordered a HBP there would fines, suspensions and/or worse repercussion.

Despite the misplay, which has happened to better OF than him, Keaschall played RF very well last night - the limited foul ball territory, the corner that juts out, the cut-off throws, etc..., let's give him a few more appearances before passing judgment. If we have seen anything this season, it's that Sizemore, Borrego, Morneau, and others have been working the players before games and on days off.

Funderburk and Raya probably should not be with the big club, but the team needs to see what pitchers fit their plans, long-term and short-term. Throwing strikes would go a long way towards determining their futures.

The official scoring in today's game is horrible, but it's league wide and it's probably not going to change.

Most of the teams pitchers are FB pitchers and the OF use the scouting reports (recipe cards) to help with positioning, same as every other MLB team. The pitchers need to execute their pitches in order to help the fielders record outs.

Its an easy game to manage or criticize player performance from your recliner in front of the TV, we all do it, obviously, or TD would not exist. I like the direction the team seems headed, under Shelton, as compared to Rocco, let's see if he gets a chance to finish if/when the prospects arrive and start performing, instead of having to piece together the scrap-heap finds and other teams cast-offs.