Twins Video
Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (89 pitches, 61 strikes (69%)
Home Runs: DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (1), Byron Buxton (10)
Top 3 WPA: Paddack (.320), Keirsey Jr. (.178), Buxton (.067)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
The Minnesota Twins came into Thursday’s matchup riding high on a 10-game winning streak, fresh off a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles the day before. They were 5-0 against Baltimore on the season and looked to cap off the season series with a perfect sweep.
Chris Paddack took the mound, coming off his best outing of the season against San Francisco. With every arm in the bullpen used during Wednesday’s twin bill, Minnesota was counting on a deep start, and Paddack delivered.
For much of the first quarter of the season, the Twins’ offense was sluggish out of the gate, but that wasn’t the case today. In the top of the 3rd, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (who came into the game with an .086 slugging percentage) launched a two-run homer to right to open the scoring. Moments later, Byron Buxton followed with a solo shot of his own, continuing his hot streak and putting the Twins up 3-0.
But the mood shifted dramatically in the bottom of the 3rd.
As a shallow fly ball looped just beyond second base, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa collided violently in pursuit of the catch (Byron incredibly held onto the ball). Both players were down for an extended period. Trainers came out immediately. While Buxton initially stayed in the game, he did not return to the field for the bottom of the 4th inning. It was later reported that both Buxton and Correa are now in MLB’s concussion protocol. We’ll certainly learn more in the coming days, but it’s a gut punch to lose two of the team’s highest-paid and most crucial players in the same freak accident.
Still, the game had to continue. In the bottom of the 4th, Baltimore looked poised to start a rally when Ryan Mountcastle laced a ball down the right-field line. It rebounded hard off the high wall and got past Kody Clemens, inspiring Mountcastle to try for a triple. Clemens picked it up on the run and fired a strike to third, though, thwarting the slow-footed Mountcastle and forestalling a rally.
The injury woes didn’t end there for the Twins. In the top of the 7th, Willi Castro hit a double and immediately stayed down in visible pain after a headfirst slide into second base. Unlike Correa and Buxton, though, Castro was able to remain in the game, and he scored on the very next pitch, when Royce Lewis singled him home.
While the day featured plenty of drama, the Twins got exactly what they needed on the mound. Paddack threw 7 brilliant innings, allowing just 3 hits and no runs. On a day when the bullpen was taxed, Paddack’s performance was both timely and crucial. Since surrendering 9 earned runs in his season debut, Paddack has not allowed more than 3 earned runs in any of his last eight starts. His ERA now sits at 4.05, a testament to his consistency and resilience in the fifth spot of the rotation.
The bullpen slammed the door once again. Louis Varland and Jhoan Duran each tossed a scoreless frame to secure Minnesota’s third shutout of the season. It also extended the winning streak to 11 games, just one shy of their 12-game streak from a year ago—around this same time.
The Twins improve to 24-20 and gained ground in the suddenly stacked AL Central, as the Royals, Guardians, and Tigers were all idle.
What’s Next
The Twins take their 11-game winning streak on the road to Milwaukee this weekend to face the 21-23 Brewers. The series kicks off Friday night at 7:10 p.m. with Joe Ryan getting the start for Minnesota. He’ll be opposed by Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
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