Mariners 7, Twins 6: Late Rally, Fake Rally

[Hans Birkeland]

Image courtesy of Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Box Score:
Starting Pitcher: Taj Bradley: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (94 Pitches, 57 Strikes, 60.6%)
Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (10), Royce Lewis (12), Luke Keaschall (6)
Bottom 3 WPA: Yoendrys Gomez (-0.38), Kody Clemens (-0.17), Brooks Lee (-0.14)
Win Probability Chart (Via BaseballSavant):

A lot has been happening in Twins world lately. The front office signaled they would be buyers at the trade deadline; the team got above .500 for the first time since April; and they acquired two veteran pitchers to back up the talk from ownership. They split the first two games against the scuffling Mariners in Seattle and looked to keep winning series, with Taj Bradley on the mound opposing George Kirby.

Bradley was a little wobbly with his command, and for the third straight game, the Mariners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Cole Young singled, Randy Arozarena walked, and Josh Naylor doubled them both home with two outs. Bradley did settle down from there, relying more on his cutter as the outing progressed.

Kirby was pounding the strike zone (as usual), and outside of a few deep fly balls, he was able to keep the Twins in check. They managed three singles in the second, but Brooks Lee lined into a double play with Royce Lewis getting doubled off of first.

The teams traded zeroes from there, with Kirby throwing the kitchen sink at the Twins (getting outs on six separate pitches), and Bradley pitching around traffic but navigating the Mariners lineup to great effect.

That would end in the sixth. With two outs, Colt Emerson singled, followed by a walk to the .130-hitting Leo Rivas. Cole Young then delivered his third hit of the game, a grounder up the middle that scored Rivas and gave the M's a crucial insurance run. With four walks and only two strikeouts, it ended up being one of his poorer outings in recent memory.

Kendry Rojas took over for the seventh, and it didn't go great. He allowed a swinging bunt to Dominic Canzone, followed by a walk to Julio Rodríguez. After retiring Naylor (and looking pretty good in doing so), Rojas got ahead of Cal Raleigh 0-2. He then hung a slider above the zone, which Raleigh walloped for a three-run, game-breaking home run.

Larnach homered off of Eduard Bazardo following Ryan Kreidler reaching on an error in the eighth. Josh Bell then doubled, prompting the Mariners to insert lefty Jose A. Ferrer. Kody Clemens singled off Ferrer's glove, and Lewis then crushed a sinker 402 feet to bring the game to within one.

A.J. Minter was called upon for the eighth, and quickly allowed a line out, a squib single from Young and a sharper single from Arozarena. He was hitting 95 MPH on his fastball and didn't allow too many hittable pitches, however. He ended up striking out Rodríguez on a cutter to end the frame.

Andres Muñoz was called upon to close out the game, and he brought in a career 4.91 ERA against the Twins. it didn't take long for that figure to rise. Keaschall jumped on the second pitch of the at-bat and launched a fastball the other way for a game-tying home run.

Larnach then singled with one out, and Ryan Jeffers walked. Bell and Clemens were unable to cash in, though.

Yonedrys Gómez got the ninth and allowed singles to Naylor and Victor Robles around a strikeout to Raleigh. Emerson then got a far-too-hittable pitch behind in the count and roped the game-winning single down the right field line.

Stuff I'm Tracking:

• Lewis has a hit in eight straight games and has looked less hopeless than a few weeks ago. His eighth-inning homer was key, of course, but he also nearly homered off of Kirby in the fourth after singling in the first.
• Trevor Larnach got carved up by Kirby three times, striking out feebly in the fifth to end the frame. He showed some frustration at that point, perhaps indicating some angst over being reportedly traded to the Astros on Friday. However, if you told Aaron Gleeman a few months ago that the Twins could acquire Bryan Abreu for just Larnach, his entire worldview would have fallen apart—confidence shattered—and he would have stayed with The Athletic, writing about baseball nationally.
• I don't love the Mariners' offensive approach, with a lot of chase and a lot of focus on getting off their "A" swings. You see how they got to the ALCS with Cal Raleigh hitting like Aaron Judge, but now that he's human and Julio Rodríguez more often looks like Harrison Bader than Mickey Mantle, it's hard to see the vision here.

What’s Next: The Twins have an off day to (ahem) enjoy the trade deadline. They will travel to Kansas City to start a three-game set with the Royals starting Tuesday. Joe Ryan will have a rematch with Randy Dobnak in the series opener. 

Postgame Interviews:

Bullpen Usage Chart:

	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN	TOT
Rojas	52	0	0	0	24	76
Gomez	0	21	25	0	19	65
Rogers	0	27	0	14	0	41
Morris	0	12	6	12	0	30
Nance	0	0	11	16	0	27
Funderburk	0	0	19	3	0	22
Minter	0	0	0	1	19	20
Adams	0	0	0	11	0	11

 

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[thelanges5]

Heading into the deadline, we have 33% playoff odds and are only one game out of a playoff spot. 

[Peter]

2 crushing devastating one run losses💩🤮🤬😡😤👎rest of season are ALL must wins!!! 0 margin for error!!! 

[Mike Sixel]

Peter's bit was funny for awhile.....

[Saxophone Joe]

I have a feeling the flight to KC won’t be quite as jubilant as the one to Seattle…

[Saxophone Joe]

I hope Shelty flipped over the table holding the postgame buffet, Billy Martin style.  

[IndyTwinsFan]

Gonna need some better innings near the start of games by the starters.  Playing from behind almost from the get-go is not a good way to play a game. 

Going to be even more important as we near a difficult stretch of games after the upcoming KC series.

[Saxophone Joe]

This series was a mirror image of last year’s visit to Seattle: Big come from behind Twins win in the first game, followed by two disappointing, walk-off one-run losses. I remember it ended up being a bit of a turning point in the 2025 season. Hope that isn’t the case again this year.

[Hunter4848]

Too bad we can't play cupcakes every game...

#pretenders

[howeda7]

Nice come back but they need to do something with the offense. Going into the 6th inning with no run every single game can't work. Call up Jenkins and Culpepper immediately. 

[Hubie29]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

Peter's bit was funny for awhile.....

I think Peter is who he is. 

[Hubie29]

1 hour ago, Saxophone Joe said:

I hope Shelty flipped over the table holding the postgame buffet, Billy Martin style.  

I doubt that happened. Gee golly, good try boys, let's go get em Tuesday.

[KirbyDome89]

54 minutes ago, Hunter4848 said:

Too bad we can't play cupcakes every game...

#pretenders

What are they pretending to be? They've been the same team all year; inconsistent or streaky, lacking some talent in specific areas, and being floated by a really bad AL, in particular the ALC. The last point is unlikely to change. 

[Old Twins Hat]

Not sure why this article claims it to be a "fake rally".  Last I checked, Keaschall tied the game in the 9th after they were down 6-0.

I turned the game off in the 7th, so to me, I missed a great rally, with three home-runs.

Baseball is hard, but writing about coming back from 6-0 shouldn't be.

[umterp23]

0-2 in August. 25 more games to go this month… Royals, Brewers (away). Orioles, Phillies, braves (home). Padres, athletics (away)and then last day of month start series with tigers. Hard pressed to see them getting maybe 10 wins this month. Offense has so many holes in it, can’t score without homeruns, not sustainable. Buyers for twins mindset but let’s see what they buy, not impressed yet
 

 

[Danchat]

2 hours ago, Hans Birkeland said:

[Larnach] showed some frustration at that point, perhaps indicating some angst over being reportedly traded to the Astros on Friday.

Methinks Larnach was frustrated by striking out against Kirby, not because some questionable rumors were surfacing about him getting traded.

[Hunter4848]

1 hour ago, KirbyDome89 said:

What are they pretending to be? They've been the same team all year; inconsistent or streaky, lacking some talent in specific areas, and being floated by a really bad AL, in particular the ALC. The last point is unlikely to change. 

Management is pretending they are a playoff team...

[Maybe Next Year]

Stupid, absolutely stupid manager! Bottom of 9, 1 out and men on 2nd and 3rd. 1st base open. Does Shelton walk the bases loaded to force an out at any base? Hell no! Does Shelton walk the bases loaded to create a potential inning ending double play? Hell no! Instead he leaves 1st open, and pulls the infield in to prevent the bunt which is ok. However,  if a bunt is fielded cleanly, without the bases loaded there is no force out at home making a perfect throw to the plate necessary. With the bases loaded the bunt isn’t as much of a weapon. Had the bases been loaded and the batter has two strikes lowering the chance of a bunt you could pull the infield back and try for a force out at home or a dp. Way more options with the sacks full. Just really stupid to leave 1st open. 

[Maybebaby]

Just an "F" bomb.

[KirbyDome89]

39 minutes ago, Hunter4848 said:

Management is pretending they are a playoff team...

We're 70% of the way through the season and the Twins are 1 game back of Cleveland for the final WC spot. 

Two things can be true at once; the Twins can be a massively flawed team and still have a very realistic shot at the postseason.  

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, KirbyDome89 said:

We're 70% of the way through the season and the Twins are 1 game back of Cleveland for the final WC spot. 

Two things can be true at once; the Twins can be a massively flawed team and still have a very realistic shot at the postseason.  

I think they have a good shot. I wish they'd act that way, or not. But this half measure stuff is not my jam. 

[Saxophone Joe]

6 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

 But this half measure stuff is not my jam

 

[jkcarew]

3 hours ago, Peter said:

rest of season are ALL must wins!!

105-57 should get us in…probably could sprinkle a couple more losses in, but you’re right…better safe than sorry.

[Wedman13]

4 hours ago, Peter said:

2 crushing devastating one run losses💩🤮🤬😡😤👎rest of season are ALL must wins!!! 0 margin for error!!! 

Fairly dramatic.  It's a ball game.  It's good..... the sun will rise brother  

[knothole61]

The last two loses hurt, especially considering the razor-thin margin we are facing (along with several other teams) of making the playoffs. And in a fairly mediocre American League this year, any team making the postseason has more than just the proverbial "chip, chair, and chance" of making a deep run.

Playoffs or not, I have a feeling that the Twins will give us some meaningful games in September, and back in April when I believe we lost 9 out of 10 at one stretch, that didn't seem possible. This has been a very interesting season and the 2026 Twins are an exciting team. I'm eager to watch them develop the rest of this season and next, and I'm left to wonder how much better this season would have turned out if we had a real closer.   

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, Hunter4848 said:

Too bad we can't play cupcakes every game...

#pretenders

Who are the cupcakes? 

Serious question. Who are the cupcakes? 

 

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

• Lewis has a hit in eight straight games and has looked less hopeless than a few weeks ago. His eighth-inning homer was key, of course, but he also nearly homered off of Kirby in the fourth after singling in the first.

I also noticed the recent Lewis hitting streak. He is steadily climbing out of the offensive hole that he was in to start the season and finally showing more consistency at the plate. If he can take it up another  gear while Buxton is out, that will be a huge help to the Twins. Plus, Keaschall is also hitting better lately too. Now we got to find a way to score more runs and not keep losing these games by one run,

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Two brutal losses on Saturday and Sunday. On the bright side, the Twins are a resilient group - they certainly keep fighting. On the flip side though, those are the games they have to win if they want to sneak into the post-season.

[mikelink45]

I do not understand WPA and this is one of those confusing days.  How can Rojas not be in the bottom three?  

Second thought - Seattle like KC pulled their starter when he was doing great only to go to lesser arms in the BP.  Is there a new unwritten rule that Starting pitchers have to be replaced with BP arms near the end of the game?  I loved Freeland going 9 for the Rockies yesterday.  

It is just a game and we should be happy for the way the team battled back to tie.  This is a 500 team - keep that in mind as we win a couple lose a couple.  That is who we are. 

[Riverbrian]

10 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

What are they pretending to be? They've been the same team all year; inconsistent or streaky, lacking some talent in specific areas, and being floated by a really bad AL, in particular the ALC. The last point is unlikely to change. 

In NL vs AL Games. The current record is 276 - 238 in favor of the NL. That's a .537 winning percentage in interleague play.

A .537 winning percentage would be the 2nd wild card or the 5 spot in both leagues. 

The Twins would be 3.5 back in the National League Wild Card. 

This means that Cleveland who is the Current American League 6th team is 2.5 games back of the Phillies and D-Backs who are both tied for the 6th spot and 5th spot. 

This means that the Phillies and D-Backs would be 1.5 games behind the Red Sox who are the current holders of the 5th spot in the American League. 

The Yankees and Cubs are the holders of the top wild card spot and 4th spot and they have identical records of 63-49. 

Now the American League doesn't have 3 clear division leaders like the National League has. The top 3 records in baseball are national league teams. The Rays are the top team in the American League with a 65-46. The Brewers, Dodgers and Braves all have better records than the Rays. Tampa would be 1.5 games behind the Braves, 3.5 behind the Dodges and 4 games behind the Brewers. 

The Brewers are 23-13 vs American League Teams. The Dodgers are 26-16 vs AL teams. The Braves are 21-14 vs the American League. 

The American League isn't as good as the National League. The Numbers clearly show a National League advantage but how steep is that difference between the leagues?