Nationals 9, Twins 3: Twins and Ryan Embarrassed by the Nationals at Home

Box Score

SP: Joe Ryan 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (83 pitches, 59 strikes (74%)
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.212), Byron Buxton (-.106), Harrison Bader (-.084)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 
 

The Minnesota Twins looked to keep the home stand rolling them back to the .500 mark with another evening game against the woeful Washington Nationals. It was Bailey Ober jersey night, but Joe Ryan was the man on the mound for Twins and the packed Target Field hoped that it wouldn't be for the last time in a Minnesota jersey. Ryan (10-4, 2.59 ERA) came into Saturday's game boasting the best pitch in baseball, as his 4-Seam Fastball checks in with a 21 run value on the season. Standing opposed to the Joe Ryan Experience was southpaw Mitchell Parker (6-10, 4.91 ERA) and he had given up an encouraging 18 runs over 14.2 innings in July thus far. This game was there for the taking as the Twins looked to avoid a Seller's Summer, could Ryan and the Twins capitalize on the opportunity?

Ryan Gets Bit by Nats
Ryan looked the part through the first two innings, mowing through the Nationals lineup without much ado thanks to his fellow All-Star Byron Buxton and his amazing glove.

Parker unfortuneately also looked like an All-Star through the opening two frames, facing the minimum. The bottom of the Washington lineup came up in the top of the third, and Drew Millas scraped a single to left, and then the young catcher swiped second base. In an odd scene, Alex Call became the new ninth hitter when Jacob Young had to leave the game with an injury during a bunt attempt. Call took the change and punched another single through the left side of the infield to score Millas and make it 1-0 Nationals early.

The Twins managed to string together a Ty France single and a Christian Vazquez walk to put runners at first and second with only one out in the bottom of the third, but a couple of hard hit balls by Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa both found Washington gloves and the opportunity went by the wayside. When Luis Garcia Jr. came up to start the fourth inning, Ryan got ahead 0-2 with his great fastball, only to never throw it again in the at-bat. What Ryan did throw was a 2-2, thigh-high sinker, and Garcia took him deep to make it 2-0 Nationals.

Lewis Looks Alive Again, but He's About the Only One
With the Twins offense continuing to pressure the front office towards a fire sale, Royce Lewis continues to offer hope. With one out in the bottom of the fourth Lewis laced a double into the left field corner to put the pressure on Paker. Harrison Bader flailed weakly for a strike out, and Matt Wallner popped up weakly to snuff out yet another opportunity.

The bottom of the Nationals lineup bit Ryan and the Twins again, but the sleepwalking Twins played a vital role in their own demise as well. Ryan couldn't finish off Daylen Lile or Millas with two strikes, and both reached on singles by simply putting the ball in play. Ryan got Call to pop up to shallow right field, and that's when the Twins defense let their All-Star down. France and Willi Castro couldn't have wanted to get to the ball any less, leaving Brooks Lee in a position of lunging after travelling the furthest distance to the ball. Simply put, he missed it. Castro picked up the ball, and waited for Correa to get to second base for a force out opportunity. The ball sailed high, ripped off Correa's glove, and now the bases were loaded with nobody out. C.J. Abrams immediately cashed in on his opportunity in a big way, clearing the bases by rocketing a hanging slider into the right field corner to make it a 5-0 worst-case scenario midway through the game.

It Ain't Over Until...
Lately, it ain't over until the Twins get runners in scoring position. France and Lee led off the bottom of the fifth with singles to put runners in scoring position with less than two outs yet again. Vazquez (get used to him in the nine spot with Jeffers on the paternity list) failed to advance the runners, and then Buxton and Correa just missed their shots to once again leave the ducks on the pond. 

Finally the Twins broke through against Parker in the bottom of the sixth, with Castro doubling to start the inning. Lewis delivered yet again, singling home Castro to make it 5-1. Bader again continued to swing and miss, striking out with Lewis still at first. Wallner continued to make soft contact, popping out to keep Lewis still at first. Lucky France stayed locked in, and he doubled to the gap in left-center to score Lewis to sneak the Twins within three at 5-2.

It Ain't Over Until...Part 2
France's double chased Parker and brought on the league-worst Nationals bullpen and their 5.93 ERA. Luis Garcia uncorked a wild pitch into the Twins dugout to advance France to third, but Lee's liner that seemed destined to pull the Twins within two was snagged on a leaping catch by second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. to drive the latest stake into Twins fans' hearts. 

The Twins stuck with the Justin Topa experience for a second inning, and Alex Call immediately took advantage of that by belting his third homer of the year, a solo shot to make it a four-run lead at 6-2 yet again. That two run emotional swing exemplified the frustrations of the 2025 season in many ways. Topa took care of the rest of the seventh, but the momentum had successfully swung back Washington's way.

About the only thing worth noting from the last few innings included more bad news for the home team. Buxton left the game for some reason in the seventh inning, surrendering his at-bat to Trevor Larnach due to soreness in the side of his body that collided with the wall during that earlier amazing catch. Bader replaced Buxton in center, and immediately misplayed a deep fly ball to surrender an opening "double" to Garcia Jr. to start the eighth, and Josh Bell immediately greeted Kody Funderburk with a rope of a single to score Garcia Jr. and to make it 7-2 Nationals. A wild pitch and walk later, and suddenly the Nationals were back in scoring position with nobody out. After a fly out advanced Garcia Jr. to third, another wild pitch plated him to make it 8-2. Another single, a Correa error, and the bases were loaded. Lee made a great stop on a grounder up the middle to get at least an out, while the ninth run crossed the plate to make it 9-2.

The Twins scraped together a meaningless run in the eighth, and then went back to play dangerous baseball on the field. Triple-A hero Mickey Gasper came in to catch the ninth, and in his first catching action since his call up, Gasper whiffed on a Funderburk fastball and the ball almost shattered the home plate umpire's forearm. Gasper's face said all that needed to be said about the Twins' efforts on the field tonight. Embarrassment, even finely mustached, cannot be hidden.

What’s Next?
Luckily the Twins won't have long to stew about this one, as they look to avenge this loss and salvage a series win in game three on Sunday afternoon. The Twins will work an opener and piggyback situation, with Travis Adams (1-0, 6.00 ERA) getting the bulk of the work. The Nationals send out Bloomington's own, righty Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.81 ERA), in hopes of stealing a road series from the Twins. Hopefully many of his friends and family will be able to get to the ballgame. All hope isn't lost on the Twins' season just yet, but it's getting close. The trade deadline is only five days away, and the Twins are now four games under the .500 mark once again. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. 

Postgame Interview

And in a reminder about what really matters in life...great job today after all Twins. Let's get the series tomorrow!

Bullpen Usage