Mets 10, Twins 8: Fun Seesaw Battle Leaves Twins with Nothing But Sore Butts

Box Score

Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 5 IP, 7 H, 7 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K (92 pitches, 66 strikes (72% strikes))
Home Runs: Tristan Gray, Ryan Jeffers
Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-0.44), Anthony Banda (-0.36), Luke Keaschall (-0.13)

Win Probability Chart (via Baseball Savant)

The Twins came into Thursday’s rubber match with a chance to do something they’ve never done before: win a series at Citi Field. For much of the night, it looked like they wouldn’t come close. Then, for a brief moment late, it looked like they might steal it, after all. It was a blowout, undone by a triumphant comeback—but it ended in heartbreak.

They fought back. They erased a six-run deficit. But in the end, the early damage and one more late breakdown proved too much to overcome.

JOE RYAN CAN’T ESCAPE EARLY DAMAGE
Joe Ryan never really found his footing. The first inning set the tone. After allowing a leadoff single and a walk, Ryan looked like he might limit the damage. But one mistake changed everything. Brett Baty got a fastball at the top of the zone and didn’t miss it, launching a three-run homer to give the Mets an early 3-1 lead.

It snowballed from there. The second inning unraveled in a different way. A leadoff double, a passed ball that allowed a run to score on a strikeout, and a sequence of extended at-bats kept the line moving. Before Ryan could settle in, the Mets had pushed across three more runs, stretching the lead to 6-1.

From there, Ryan did stabilize. He retired six straight at one point and needed just 13 pitches to get through a clean third inning, after throwing 52 across the first two. But the damage was already done. A fourth-inning solo homer from Carson Benge added another run, and by the time Ryan exited after five, the Twins were staring at a steep deficit.

The final line shows seven runs, but only four earned. Even so, this was a grind from the start, and one where he was constantly pitching uphill. It's to Ryan's credit, at least, that he stuck around and got them 15 outs, without letting the game get any further out of hand.

MISSED CHANCES EARLY
The Twins had just as good a chance to hang a crooked number in the first inning as the Mets did. They just couldn’t capitalize. They didn’t record a hit in the inning, yet still managed to score, thanks to four walks and a hit batter. Mets starter Christian Scott had serious command issues, needing 33 pitches to get through the inning while throwing just 13 strikes.

That should’ve been the moment to break things open. Instead, the Twins left the bases loaded.

That became a theme. Through the first four innings, they left eight runners on base and logged one hit with runners in scoring position. There were competitive at-bats, traffic on the bases, and plenty of opportunities, but no big swing to flip the game. By the time the offense started to break through, they were already chasing the game.

THE COMEBACK SWING
For seven innings, it felt like the Twins were stuck in neutral offensively. Then everything changed in one swing. After slowly chipping away, including a solo homer from Tristan Gray in the sixth, the Twins entered the eighth still trailing by four. They loaded the bases with two outs, bringing Ryan Jeffers to the plate, and he delivered, big-time.

Jeffers got a sinker over the heart of the plate and demolished it, launching a game-tying grand slam that erased the deficit in an instant. Just like that, a 7-3 game became 7-7, and the energy completely flipped (literally—Jeffers flipped his bat with gusto and the dugout was abuzz after the blast).

It was the kind of swing that felt like it could define the game, but the momentum did not last long.

BULLPEN CAN’T HOLD THE LINE
After clawing all the way back, the Twins needed the bullpen to record some big outs in the bottom of the eighth. They did not get them.

Andrew Morris was outstanding in relief of Ryan, striking out four across two perfect innings and giving the Twins exactly what they needed to stay within reach. He carried that momentum into the eighth, but the inning quickly turned. A leadoff single, a walk, and a couple of extended at-bats loaded the bases with two outs, in the middle of which Anthony Banda took over for Morris. His walk to Tommy Pham set up a sacks-packed showdown with Bo Bichette, and Bichette made Banda and the Twins pay.

He got a slider up out of the zone and drove it off the wall in left-center for a bases-clearing double, instantly flipping the game back in the Mets’ favor at 10-7. It was a harsh reminder of how quickly things can unravel, especially after free passes extend an inning.

The Twins didn’t go quietly in the ninth. Brooks Lee and Tristan Gray each singled to bring home a run, and Byron Buxton followed with a double to put the tying run in scoring position. But that’s where it ended. Trevor Larnach struck out swinging, and the comeback fell just short.

The Twins lose the series, and they’re now below .500 for the first time since April 7—left to wonder what might’ve been after one of the more chaotic games of the season.

What’s Next?
The Twins travel to Tampa Bay tonight to start a three-game series with the Rays tomorrow. Taj Bradley is set to take on his former team tomorrow, and opposite Bradley will be righty Drew Rasmussen. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.

Postgame Interviews
Coming Soon!

Bullpen Usage Chart