Sherry Cerny

The Twins seven-game winning streak came to an end in Tampa Bay on Friday night as Dylan Bundy gave up six runs in the first inning and the offense just couldn’t seem to battle back. Chris Archer made his return to Tropicana Field as a Minnesota Twin. Archer, the bullpen, and the lineup all came to play and started a new winning streak. Box Score SP: Chris Archer: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (79 pitches, 46 strikes (58.2%)) Home Runs: Kyle Garlick 2 (3), Max Kepler (5) Top 3 WPA: Kyle Garlick (.316), Gilbert Celestino (.73), Carlos Correa (.60) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Chris Archer Returns to Tampa Bay Chris Archer was acquired by the Twins from Tampa Bay on March 28 of this season, Saturday, he pitched against the team that he spent eight seasons with. While the asset for the Twins was knowing that Archer knows what to throw to his former teammates, the Rays also know what he will throw, which caught up to the pitcher in the bottom of the second when Taylor Walls hit a home run into right-center field off Archer’s slider in the second inning but is the only run that he gave up during his return to Tropicana. In Archer’s first start against his former team, the Rays lineup made him work for every pitch that was thrown, but he completed four innings with the help of his defense and certainly calm demeanor. Rocco Baldelli has been limiting his pitches to around 60 during his first three games this season. The Twins are easing Archer into the season after spending most of 2021 injured with right forearm tenderness. Archer’s confidence continued to grow, allowing him to throw a season-high of 79 pitches. He managed to work through four innings and only allowed two hits and one solo-home run before being relieved by Cody Stashak. The Bullpen did an amazing job of going five scoreless innings holding Tampa Bay to just one run for this game. Last Minute Roster Changes Assist in Game Win The further the Twins have gone into April, the more injuries have popped up along the way. This series both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton missed starting different games due to injuries. In their absence, other players have been stepping up figuratively and literally to get their chance at staying on the roster. Trevor Larnach replaced Buxton today in the lineup. Buxton was a late scratch for today’s game after he received a contusion from being hit in the hand during the game Friday. Larnach’s hitting against lefties has continued to improve and in his first at-bat, he walked, making McClannahan work. The Twins kept Larnach in the line-up even after the McClannahan had retired, allowing him to help the Twins continue to work towards the win, getting a double in the top of the seventh scoring Celestino giving the Twins a little padding with a 4-1 lead. Larnach’s performance has continued to improve substantially over the past two weeks as he puts in the work to show why he should stay after they reduce the roster in May. Sano is back in the lineup after missing games with a sore knee. Batting eighth in the lineup, he wasn’t able to find his stride in the game and struck out with each at-bat. Frustrating, for not only Sano, but for the team as well. Sano typically thrives at Tropicana Field with hits and RBIs, making it one of his more successful parks to play in, but just couldn’t seem to get anything going. Bailey Ober was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday and brought up Cole Sands to take his place. Sands most likely will be making his MLB debut with the team after the Rays series when they travel to Baltimore to face the Orioles. Kyle Garlick was the MVP of the game today as he smashed two home runs, a solo homer in the first inning, and a two-run shot in the sixth inning to give the Twins a 3-1 lead. Garlick had his first career multi-home run game of his career today and after his second home run, the Rays removed McClannahan bringing out JP Feyereisen to finish out the inning. Kyle Garlick was taken out after hitting his second home run. He returned to the dugout and the Twins brought in Max Kepler for defensive purposes, and because they would be facing right-handed pitchers the rest of the game. Kepler wasted no time getting in on the action hitting a single in his first at-bat and joining the player he replaced by hitting a home run deep to right-centerfield. Not Finished YET The Twins used the ninth inning to give Twins fans a show, getting seven hits and four runs before leaving the bases loaded. The Twins have been on a hot streak lately winning eight of their last nine decisions and potentially could close out this series with a win. What’s Next? The Twins have a get-away day game tomorrow to complete the series with the Rays before heading to the east coast for a four-game series against the Orioles at historic Camden Yards. Pitching matchups for tomorrow: Sunday 12:10: Chris Paddack (0-2, 5.00) vs Josh Flemming LHP (2-2) Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins fell behind very early, like on the first pitch. Chris Archer started out the Twins game by giving Tim Anderson a one-run home run and continued to struggle throughout the game. Archer fought through three innings giving up two runs before being relieved by Josh Winder, who gave up a solo home run in the seventh. But they battled back, scoring one run off of White Sox ace Lucas Giolito and tying up the game on a home run by Byron Buxton in the seventh inning. They threatened to take the lead in the eighth inning but left the bases loaded when Luis Arraez grounded out to second base. That didn't stop the Twins from having faith. Byron Buxton came up to bat in the 10th inning to get a three-run homerun to walk it off! Box Score SP: Chris Archer: 3 IP,3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (61 pitches, 32 strikes (52.4%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton 2 (6) Top 3 WPA: Byron Buxton (.761), Jhoan Duran (.227), Max Kepler (.168) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Larnach’s Series Trevor Larnach’s series versus the White Sox has been one of consistency. Since the game in Kansas City versus the Royals, Larnach has had a hit every game, responsible for two of the RBIs in the Saturday afternoon game giving the Twins a seven-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. He did not fare as well at the plate today, striking out twice (looking, once with the bases loaded, and once with runners on second and third) but still found a way to contribute. As Archer struggled to maintain control in the third inning, with bases loaded, Andrew Vaughn singled a sharp line drive to Larnach in left-field, who threw a cannon home to Jose Godoy to end the inning. Godoy Makes Twins Debut Jose Godoy’s contract was added to the Twins’ roster yesterday and made his debut with the Twins today. The former Seattle Mariner had 40 at-bats last year ending the season with a .162 batting average. Ryan Jeffers was scratched from the line-up two hours before game time for a knee contusion and Gary Sanchez is still out with abdominal tightness. Godoy saw five pitches in his first at-bat, striking out. Godoy’s first and second appearances he struck out, but rounded out his first game with the Twins being walked by Aaron Bummer, before being sent home off Byron Buxton game-tying two-run home run. Then he walked again in the 10th inning, coming around again on Buxton's game-winning home run. His defense and chemistry with Archer was impressive to watch. The rookie catcher was able to frame pitches on a consistent basis and has good reaction time. Godoy showed his speed and agility as he ran to catch a foul off Grandal’s bat at the top of the third. Interference from the fence made for a hard catch, but Archer and Godoy got Grandal to swing at a high fast ball striking him out with the next pitch. He did, however, commit a cardinal sin in the 8th inning. With the winning run on third base and one out, he squared to bunt but popped out to White Sox pitcher Kendall Graveman. Postgame Postscript: We learned after the game that Jeffers took a ball off his knee earlier this series and had a left knee contusion and that Rocco really did not want to use him. That proved to be important as there was that opportunity in the 8th inning to pinch hit for Godoy in the bat in which he popped out on a bump. So the Twins entered today's game with three catchers on the active roster, but only one was truly active. Bats Show Signs of Life The Twins line-up was consistent over the series and through today battling rain and cold to keep their bats swinging, a nice change of pace from the earliest part of the season’s start. With the exception of a few players getting strikeouts early, by the 6th inning, at a minimum, almost every bat made contact with a pitch. Even Miguel Sano who was 0-for-8 through the series ended up getting a single into right field in the second inning. Giolito Returns But Doesn’t Last Long The Twins have been having trouble scoring runs, so the last thing they need is to face a preseason Cy Young Award candidate. Not only was today’s opposing pitcher, Lucas Giolito, a candidate, he opened the season as one of the favorites at 13-2 odds. However, he was also making his first start after a stay on the 10-day injured list for an abdominal strain, and that rust showed a bit in the first inning. Giolito threw 26 pitches that inning, only half of which were strikes, and walked two Twins. But with the bases loaded, he escaped untarnished by striking out Trevor Larnach on two changeups and a fastball. The story was similar in the third inning. This time, a walk, and a couple of singles loaded the bases, and the Twins cashed in a run on a sacrifice fly by Gio Urshela. But Giolito escaped further damage by fooling young left-handed hitters - this time both Larnach and Nick Gordon - with his changeup and fastballs away. Still, he had already thrown 65 pitches through three innings, and due to his stint on the injured list, it was expected he would only throw 70-80 pitches in his second outing this year. Sure enough, after an efficient fourth inning, his day was over. Gordon’s Growth Nick Gordon played in his 12th game today, starting at shortstop as manager Rocco Baldelli gave Carlos Correa a day off. He entered today with a 694 OPS in 26 plate appearances. He will likely never show a lot of power, and a .261 batting average is nothing special, but he is getting on base almost 35% of the time. Almost any evaluation of Gordon’s future and performance are tied to the wide range of expectations attached to him. If your expectations are tied to his selection in the first round of the 2014 draft, or of his family pedigree, you’re likely going to be disappointed. If, on the other hand, your expectations of him were set by his performance and health issues in AAA as recently as 2019, you might be delighted by his sudden progression as a valuable bench asset. To both camps, I’d suggest it is time to take a look at him with fresh eyes. He’s a 26-year-old who is likely to never post a big OPS because he will likely never hit for power. But he gets on base, he is capable (though not outstanding) in several key defensive roles, and as a left-handed hitter, he is more likely to get a decent matchup versus right-handed pitchers. Plus, he’s an asset on the base paths. All that makes him an ideal super-utility player, which is exactly the role he is fulfilling this year. If he can show that he can raise his batting average closer to .300, he might improve to the point where he could be a regular starter. Fortunately for him, his performance and usefulness should provide plenty of opportunities to show his development in the super-utility role. Winder Unleashed After nearly a week without making an appearance, long reliever and promising prospect Josh Winder made an appearance when Chris Archer only lasted three innings. He gave up one run over four innings, striking out two and giving up three hits. Maybe most notably, after struggling with his control in his first appearance, he walked none and threw strikes in 42 of his 61 pitches. Winder is working as the long reliever but is a starting pitching prospect long-term. We saw today what we have seen from him so far: he is a slider-first pitcher who turns to his fastball to keep hitters off-balance. It seems to be working well in a relief role, but it will be interesting to see how it plays when he has to face a lineup a second time. Certainly today that was in question, as he gave up a home run on his second time through the order. But for the most part, we likely won’t see him face batters more than once in his current role with the Twins. We might get a better sense of that if he was starting in St. Paul, but he’s now fulfilling an important role with the major league club. Regardless, it’s nice to see another Twins pitching prospect having some success in the majors. Postgame Postscript: We learned after the game that the plan was always for Archer to be limited to only 50-60 pitches, and he was told that after his last start in Kansas City. We also learned from Rocco that this decision was specific to Archer; they're not planning right now on similar planned short starts with the rest of the rotation. He also hinted that they wanted to do this now, when they still had a 28-man roster. It'll be interesting to see if Winder eventually does go down to St. Paul as part of the mandatory roster trimming that will happen next week, or whether he'll continue in this role in which he's having success. Clutch Buxton Byron Buxton had a fantastic series, hitting every chance he got, and coming through whenever the team needed him. His 3-run home run came on a 3-1 count with runners on second and third base and one out. White Sox closer Liam Hendricks, in his second inning of work, pitched to Buxton in that situation rather than give him a free pass to first base and load the bases for Luis Arraez. It’s not clear that strategy would have fared any better, but they likely would choose a different path given another chance. Postgame Postscript: As expected (and completely appropriate) postgame interviews centered entirely around Buxton doing godlike things. Baldelli called Buxton the best player in the world right now, and marveled at some of the things he did. But you might be surprised at what he wanted to breakdown: it was Buxton's first, game-tying home run in the 8th. Here it is, because he breaks down what we are seeing pretty nicely. "He's facing a left-hander who as we saw earlier in the game, is one of the best left-handers in the game. Gets a ton of groundballs. He's a really hard guy to drive the ball in the air against. And he's a guy that normally pitches all the right-handers in, pound 'em in. And he decided to go away to Buck. And it took a few pitches, but Buck identifies what's going on. Completely changes what he's trying to do at the plate. And lines a ball over the right field fence. I mean, there's nothing typical or everyday or normal about that. That's very, very special. And I don't want to stop talking about it, because it's so impressive. Even for people who watch this level of baseball everyday. To see what he's doing it's just awesome." What’s Next? The Twins will enjoy an off day at home on Monday before starting a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field. Pitching matchups for the series include: Tuesday 6:40: Chris Paddock (0-2, 5.00) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 5.27 ERA) Wednesday 6:40: Joe Ryan (2-1, 1.69 ERA) vs RHP Michael Pineda (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Thursday 12:10: Bailey Ober (1-1, 2.81 ERA) vs LHP Tarik Skubal (1-1, 2.30 ERA) Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

When I come home, see if she will come to a game! she can hang out with me and we will make it fun!

I would LOVE to meet your sister! Thank you for sharing your family generation traditions with yuor daughter!

Thank you for sharing your little love story! it's absolutely amazing and I love seeing it!! Thankyou for sharing your passion and your dating tips

Thank you for being one of my best friends and someone who makes me love the game more!

SQUIRREL!!!!!! what!? lol. I had NO idea! I am in AWE!!!!!! I love my time with you on the forums!!

Having something special to share with your closest friends and family is part of what makes traditions so unique. As women, typically brunch, manicures, shopping, and trips to Mexico are all a part of what "women do" to spend time together, but there is something more special and unique than just your' average female' - that's the female baseball fan. My love for baseball is what got me into writing about it. The more I watched, the more I learned. I have been a fan of the Twins since as far back as I can recall, but I didn’t start truly watching until right before the strike in 1994. As I grew in my love for the sport, the more I loved the interaction with fans. That was easy when I was home in Minnesota, but after a life-altering move to the east coast, I had to find new ways to communicate with fans. I found twitter in 2012 and other fans. It made me feel like I was home. The more I watched the games, the more I had to say on Twitter, but 120 characters didn't seem to be enough for me. I knew how hard it could be for women in journalism, but I knew I wanted to say more. Lately, there has been a lot of emphasis on women in sports, and when I reached out with my desire to be a writer, Twins Daily immediately took me under their wing to get me started. As I continued to grow in followers, content, and fans, I noticed that more women worked in baseball and as fans. Baseball is the second most popular sport in the United States behind Football and seventh in the world. Baseball also has one of the most gender-even fan bases. Men make up 55% of the fan base, and Women make up 45% of the fan base. This past week, even in a state that competes with other major professional leagues, the Minnesota Twins home opener drew in more than 35,000 fans after a 99-day lockout and a shortened spring training. Almost half of those were women. I was there with my mom and waiting to meet up with a group of women I met on Twitter and attending the game. Female baseball fans are a particular type of woman: passionate, competitive, complex, and loving. We are independent and strong and can speak our minds, especially during a bad call. We started our Twins Twitter group to talk about the Twins and baseball in general. We decided to meet up and say hi to each other and meet in person. After all, we have spent hours talking about the game, the players, the organization, and the rules. Our group ranges from all areas, professions and ages. We have different views on the game's rules and how plays, contracts, and rosters are made. We all have different views on life, but we all come together and agree on one thing: we love Twins baseball. We all have memories stemming from childhood, talking about our favorite players of yesteryear: Trevor Plouffe, Brad Radke, LaTroy Hawkins, Justin Morneau, and now fanning over players like Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, Carlos Correa, and Max Kepler. This season's line-up, the trades, and the acquisitions left our mouths watering for the home opener after the excruciating 99-day lockout. To say the lockout unhinged us may be an understatement. None of us could imagine a world without baseball, relying on rumors, old stories, and hopes of what was to come. The day finally arrived, though, and as I walked around the stadium, I noticed the number of women in attendance, and it made my heart full. I arrived through Gate 34 as the Mariners were taking batting practice. Crowded around the railing were tons of people hoping to catch a ball, so I moseyed on over to watch the kids holler and wave in hopes of getting a big leaguer's attention for the coveted official MLB ball. Harley was there with her dad, Alex. She had just caught a ball, and in a pink hat that was just a little too big for her, she jumped up and down in excitement at her first ball from a major league player. Her dad took her ball and placed it in her bag as she turned around, almost hoping for more balls to be thrown her way. Harley was here for her second home opener and arrived early like the rest of us to catch some batting practice and watch the players. Not bad for a four-year-old. She doesn't know the players yet, but that's okay; she is more excited about watching the game, catching the balls, and getting snacks. She has plenty of time to learn the other stuff, and dad Alex is an avid fan who encourages her fandom. She's more interested in catching more balls than speaking to me but allowed me a little extra time to ask what her favorite food was at the stadium, and she said Cotton Candy, which earned an emphatic high five from me because that's my favorite too. She went on to tell me that she played baseball outside of the stadium, and she enjoyed it. That's the thing about baseball, it's fun, and it's for everyone. Seeing her excitement for the day and what it entailed showed me that we have not only future generations of fans but also future generations of women who will grow in the game. She has core memories that she will be able to share with her kids and traditions that will lead her to keep the game alive for generations to come. "They'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and could be again." - Terrance Mann Field of Dreams The impact of baseball has erased many things like sadness during a pandemic, made things whole like bringing us together after, and kept things constant in a world that seems unsure. Melissa and Pamela have been coming to games together since before they had their kids. This year is different. This is the first time they brought their daughters along for the experience and joined in the home opener's annual tradition. Melissa was excited about all the new food showcased this season, and they were all excited for the team as a whole. I love when I run into baseball fans who understand baseball's business and don't get too attached to the players. When I asked if any of the trades bothered them, they said, "no. Not really". They were excited about the team and the potential they have. I could tell that the girls, Amanda, Taylor, and Anglea, the daughters of Pamela and Melissa, were raised in Twins Territory and shared the passion with their moms. Their first opening day was a little chilly, but they didn't let that stop them from stopping to take pictures and taking in the sights on the greens inside gate 34. They knew just as much about the team, and we're excited to join in the tradition. Baseball is all about traditions and transcends years. Traditions are something that brings us and keeps us close, and give us something to look forward to every year. Since they were kids, Jenny, Katie, Tiffany, and Marcy have not only been Twins fans but have been coming to the season opener since as far back as they can remember, to the Metrodome era. They don't have season tickets, but they make sure that they get together to make it to opening day and many other games as a group. They enjoy cheering on their favorite players in a fun, reverberant fashion. They cheer on the players as they take their place on the field, and fans around them know that they are there for the players. They want the team as a whole to succeed, specifically with better fielding and hopefully pitching. They are passionate about this team and start to recall the previous series and games they have been at. They were even at the last regular-season game in the Metrodome on October 6th, where the Twins won a fantastic 12-inning game, 6-5, to reach the postseason. As they reminisced about the games they attended, there was talk about a sign they had during one of the games, and Marcy quickly shut down the conversation in a "we don't talk about Bruno"-esque fashion. Like unspoken rules in baseball, some things are sacred and not discussed. They had so many memories of their favorite players, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, and Joe Mauer the stories and years seem to overlap. That's what this game does. It creates core memories, memories that carry on after we are gone. That's what Jane is doing, carrying on her father's traditions with her. Jane is bundled up, sitting in the shadows of 111 with her phone, earphones, a device she was listening to the game on, and a scorebook. She took in the game, kept score on her score sheet, and watched the players and the umps. If anyone can rattle off stats like they were nothing, it’s her. I just sat in awe, watching her and listening to her story. Her dad took her to games since the Twins were at the Met when it opened in 1961. She remembers going to games with her dad there. He would bring his scorebook and keep track, he taught her how to do the same, and it's how she fell in love with the game. If there is a fan that I genuinely aspire to be like, it's Jane. Jane is quiet, probably early 60's, and remembers all the greats: Tony Oliva, Kirby Puckett, Jim Kaat, but her favorite player? Joe Mauer. I was a little taken aback by the statement. I know the millennials love him for many reasons, but Jane has her reasons too. She used to watch Joe in college, so she watched Joe Mauer grow up in the game. Her fondest memories are every time he would get a personal, division, or league record. She knows so much about the team that to her, Joe Mauer is the definition of Minnesota baseball, and so is Jane. There are so many amazing things about baseball and its fans. It truly creates bonds that countermand politics, religion, and economics. While I hope to see the women I interviewed on opening day again, all of them made an impact on me that I will carry with me forever. It was fantastic to see the game through other women's eyes. As for our group? We talk every day, through every game, and it's one of the best things that ever happened to me. We grieve over losses, cheer over wins, and gripe about bad calls and the things we think should be done differently. We have some of the smartest women in the group, and I never knew how fun sports could be once you found a group with which you can share experiences. We genuinely have a bond that can’t be broken because it all centers around something we all love. In a sport typically a "man world," women are closing in on evening out the gap from fans to correspondents, journalists, players, and now MLB coaches. The ceiling has been shattered, and I am so glad to be a part of a generation of women actively growing in baseball. Follow my friends to talk Twins baseball with some of the savviest minds in Minnesota: @TrstTheJrny24 @Vollmsy @Tyann98 @KaitMBee @mntwinsfan07 @Shaylarz @Melissa_Berman @tacosnbaseball @tonderk View full article

On Thursday afternoon, the Twins won the final game of their three-game series at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City. The offense wasn’t good at all, but that’s been the biggest theme of the first two weeks of the season. Here are a few thoughts from this week’s Series loss to the Royals. This week’s series against the Royals was about as dismal as the weather that the Twins played in. Even though they came away with one win, they have yet to win a series. The Twins are either not meant to play in the rain and cool weather or the team is taking their time getting their rhythm. Either the weather affects the bats or attitudes, but the bats need to get moving, including the bat of Carlos Correa. The Question of Carlos Minnesota baseball fans were stunned and delighted when they woke up on March 12th to the news that Carlos Correa would be a Minnesota Twin. The former Houston Astros shortstop was a free agent, and that was a position Minnesota needed to fill. His defense since coming over has shown why he is one of the best in the league. He led the American League with 20 defensive runs saved in 2021, earning the Gold and Platinum Glove Awards. Shortened spring training and Carlos not practicing in the off-season, these factors combined show why the shortstop is at only nine hits, five runs, including one home run out of his 51 plate appearances, and went 1-for-12 in the Royals series. At this time, offensively, Correa is slightly better than Miguel Sano in strikeouts, but no one is talking about Correa and how bad his at-bats are like they are about Sano. Call it a matter of expectation, but Correa has been an outstanding hitter with an average of .275 over his seven seasons with Houston. Some fans are taking notice that he's not hitting. It is clearly a small sample size being only 13 games in. I think the overall lack of offense may be what’s frustrating. Maybe Correa, along with the rest of the team, will heat up. For now, we will continue to rely on his defense and leadership until his bat warms up. Defense is Carrying the Team, and the Starting Pitching is helping Correa isn't the only one that is struggling at the plate. The defense is carrying the team and keeping the score from being run up by the opposing team. Even with Byron Buxton out for five games, the outfield managed to keep the runs at bay. Defensively, we have seen a handful of players rotate between positions in the outfield, like Gilbert Celestino, Kyle Garlick, and Nick Gordon, and they have had some fantastic plays. That doesn’t equate to offense, sadly. The players on this team have the makings of a championship team. That is my personal view. I know it’s early, but why are other teams hitting well? The offense has 41 runs this season, batting .203 as a team. The offense's struggles could potentially be explained by the shortened spring training, the cold weather, too few games, or the schedule, but in reality, not all other teams are struggling the way that the Twins offense is. They join the Rangers and the Orioles in the bottom three teams in the league. While not far out from the leader, the Anaheim Angels, with eight wins, projections would indicate that the offense will not catch up with the performance they have had the past few weeks. The potential to make it to the postseason right now is 25.2%. Even though the offense seems to be taking a while to heat up, one player is already on fire. Luis Arraez, Shining Star(ter) If it seems like the team improves when Luis Arraez enters the game, it's because it does. Arraez has had 40 plate appearances, and he has made contact with the ball 31 times. This matters because he is one of the players who is making contact with the ball almost every time he is up to bat. Luis Arraez was left out of the starting lineup four times in the first 13 games. Rocco Baldelli keeping him out of the starting lineup is a matchup situation that makes sense on paper. In the games where Arraez has been left out of the lineup, he came in as a pinch hitter, essentially only missing one game so far this season. Arraez has six RBIs so far. In the Twins' losses, Arraez has had an impact on getting the Twins on the board, whether playing a position or pinch hitting. In the five wins the Twins have, Arraez has had a hit or run in four games to assist in the win. What about the other plate appearances? Four strikeouts and four walks, and one base reached on an error. Arraez has not been in specific lineups because he doesn't hit as well off of lefties. That is obvious in the numbers compared to his numbers against right-handed pitchers. An argument for keeping him out of the lineup unless he's DHing. His defense has been brutal at third base this year. He has played eleven innings at third base and has committed four errors. Arraez may have more errors than Gio Urshela, but Arraez is a player who can also cover first and second base and record fewer errors making him an integral part of the team. Urshela could also play those spots, he just may not have had the chance yet. While there may be reasons why Arraez is not in the line-up every day, there are reasons why this writer and other fans believe he should be. What do you think will happen now that we are starting to play teams inside our division? Will our bats come back? Will the team catch up, take the lead, or continue to plummet in the standings? View full article

The Second game of the Boston series started out with Sonny Gray pulling himself out in the second inning with an apparent Hamstring injury and while Josh Winder certainly came out and got the job done, the offense was unable to get anything going and were consequently shut out. While there were some frustrating parts, Larnach had a good game and it was great to see Gordon getting some outfield catches. Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Sonny Gray looked like he was going to have a good day against the Red Sox. Gray, who has a 1-6 record against the Red Sox, managed a quick one, two, three inning, with the help of the defense and striking out Bogaerts looking. Verdugo, who typically doesn’t hit against right handers was put on the line-up and against Gray’s what was supposed to be cutter ended up right in the sweet spot for Verdugo to crush the ball into right field giving Boston the initial lead of the day with a two-run home run. Gray, who had been a bit behind the count in the first two innings seemed to struggle a bit more and called out the training staff and Rocco Baldelli after a pitch to Bobby Dalbec. During his release, Sonny hopped off the mound grabbing and massaging his right hamstring. He took himself off the mound bringing in Josh Winder. Nick Gordon, who seems to be trending in the upward trajectory with the club, got things going in the top of the third making it to third base, but was stranded after a double-play from Jeffers and a dribbled hit from Arraez. Tanner Houck, who does struggle to place his pitches in the zone, gave the Twins opportunities to get some runs, the offense just couldn’t seem to capitalize on opportunities. leaving the Twins shut out in game two of the series. Winder got a fresh start in the third inning, only gave up two hits, but consequently one of those hits ended up being a two run home-run to Bogaert. Winder didn’t give up anymore runs and continued to find his stride with some walks and hits, and got out of another potentially messy fourth inning when Gordon trailed and caught a fly ball hit deep by Jackie Bradley, Jr and closed out the inning. Winder, who is normally a starter has had some weird starts coming in as a mid-reliever first in the Dodgers series and now Boston. He stayed consistent and while the outings he got were less than perfect, he was able to get out of them showing why he is a perfect match for this rotation and club. Winder ended the day with 66 pitches, 5.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 errors, 1 walk and 2 strikes. He did an amazing job. Trevor Larnach seemed to have a good day, getting two hits and breaking his 0-5 hitting streak getting a single before getting out on a double-play from Gio Urshela. His next at-bat Larnach hit again deep to center, bouncing off the green monster for a double before being pulled with a pinch-runner, only to be left stranded again by another substandard at-bat by Urshela. The Twins just could not get the bats going against the Boston pitching, but there are still two games left in this series and the guys could finish with at least a split. What’s Next? The Twins will continue their series at home with the Boston Red Sox tomorrow at 12:35ct with Bailey Ober going against Michael Wacha. Postgame Interview (Bally Sports Tweets) Coming soon. View full article

The brutality of the Dodger series certainly will outweigh the few shining bright spots, but I managed to find a few, but kept it real as we lick our wounds and move forward to Boston. Kepler Got His Groove Back? Max Kepler had a rough season after contracting the Covid-19 virus in early 2021. Not only was his physical appearance worn and thin, but his defense and at-bats were also not what they used to be. Over the past two series, Kepler has increased his plate discipline. Savant showed his zone contact is 90.9% which helped him at least in this series, garnering him both a home run and a double. He may be batting .188 right now, but the average doesn't say it all. He is on track for a good season and getting better the more plate appearances he has, and he's undoubtedly rounding out his efforts by adding in good defensive play. Kepler has been making impressive defensive plays in the right field in a Buxton-like fashion. He is not Buxton, but his commitment to the hustle and making key plays like the out in the bottom of the fifth getting Chris Taylor out was beautiful. Admittedly I thought trading Kepler would have been a good idea at the beginning of the season, but he continues to show the staff and the fans that he is not done yet and won't go down without a fight, or up his trade value. Situational Hitting Gets an "F" The Dodgers pitching lineup was too much for the Twins bats. Over the two-game series, the Twins' offense could only get six hits. I'd rather get a root canal than sit through another series like that again. The Dodgers' pitching is one of the best in the league, but there is no reason the Twins bats couldn't make contact more than they did, at a minimum in game one. Byron Buxton and Gio Urshella went 0-for-4, and Luis Arraez, who has been a bright spot, went a dismal 0-for-3. Thank God at least Kepler and Nick Gordon were able to get runs, or this would have been a shutout series, and that's not a good look. Clayton Kershaw, who had never pitched before at Target Field, got comfortable really quick and was off to a combined perfect game, but thankfully Gary Sanchez came into the batter's box in the eighth inning and broke it up with a single to right field. That's probably the best news of the series, considering no one else could get anything going, and the frustration mounted to a peak when Miguel Sano busted his bat after going 0-for-3 and striking out twice. We are all Miguel Sano right now. I like Josh Winder, but... It was not a shock to me when Josh Winder made the 28-man roster out of spring training. During the shortened spring training, Winder showed confidence and capability to be a part of the rotation. Coming into his first MLB appearance facing one of the best lineups in MLB was not an easy task. He pitched to Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, and his first MLB strikeout went to Will Smith in his debut. Of all the hitters he had to debut with, he kept his head together, not getting phased and letting the defense do their part. Even if a sacrifice fly earned one run, that's all the rookie allowed in his first appearance. Winder's fastball averaged 94.5 MPH, which is excellent, but he needs to keep it in the zone. As he continues to have more mound appearances, there is room for control growth. As he can get control of his fastball, he will be a great mid-reliever. The rest of the pitching was sad. Chris Archer held his own after a jittery first inning, but Chris Paddack had one of the worst first innings I have seen in a while. While he was able to calm himself down and get out of the innings and continue on, both days the bullpen allowed multiple runs. Dereck Rodriguez looked like he was going to be able to keep it together and then gave up three home runs in a row in his fourth inning of the day. The bullpen definitely needs to see more batters to improve thanks to a lockout and short spring training but hopefully not at the cost of losing multiple series. I couldn't imagine that there would be a worse series for the Twins the rest of the season, but I have been wrong before. What's next? Hopefully, a series win in Boston instead of a repeat of last season where Boston won four of the series' five games. What were your lasting impressions from the Dodgers series? Leave a comment below. View full article

We have made it through the first series of the season after a longer than typical off-season and shortened spring training, but the Minnesota Twins are putting the pedal to the metal and giving the season some serious gas. Sa-No Go? At the end of the 2021 season, Miguel Sano seemed to have found a rhythm and confidence in his swing. He finished the season with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs. Spring training fans seemed to get their hopes up as Sano seemed to be in the same form that he was in last season and hitting home runs like it was nothing. In the season-opening series, Sano struggled at the plate. In the four-game series with the Mariners, Sano had 16 plate appearances and went 0-for-13 with three walks and six strikeouts. . While we consider a truncated spring training, hitting off Double-A and Triple-A pitchers, other players in the line-up were getting multiple hits by the third regular-season game. Sano is 0-for-13 and Alex Kiriloff is just 1-for-15 so far. While it's still early in the season and only 16 plate appearances, fans are unsure that Sano has what it takes to be a productive part of this team in the lineup offensively. Yes, he gets on base, but is that enough? In an interview with Phil Miller from the Star Tribune, Rocco Baldelli explained that he feels differently. He feels there are too few at-bats to go off of and that Sano has been working hard at laying off bad pitches. That is true, and he does seem to have more plate discipline; maybe he's just getting another slow start. His defense has been outstanding to start, so maybe we just need to trust Rocco on this one. We have pitching For the first time in four baseball seasons, I feel good about the pitching. The pitching has been impressive thus far, and rookie Joe Ryan did not disappoint in his first Opening Day start. He seemed to settle down after getting over his first-inning jitters and giving up two runs. He had four strikeouts. In Game 2, Sonny Gray had his Twins debut and matched Joe Ryan with four strikeouts and two runs. Sonny, like Ryan, was pulled early, leaving fans frustrated again with another managerial decision by Rocco. Both pitchers are solid starters and have strong fastballs that make hitters chase. They both have a strong command of the mound and control of the strike zone. When looking back at the games, compared to Bailey Ober, both pitchers held the Mariners to two runs in five innings, which isn't too bad for a new guy and a rookie. Even if some are frustrated with Rocco pulling the starters early, the Twins have a strong bullpen. The bullpen has players from trades, rookies, and everything in between: like Jorge Alcala, Caleb Thielbar, and Jharel Cotton. They all gave fans impressive performances and a lot of confidence in our bullpen and, oddly, our front office. New reliever Jhoan Duran (affectionately known as "Durantula" or "Hurricane") has become a fan favorite with his nasty pitches. In the three innings pitched in the series, Duran's velocity was over 101 MPH. With Taylor Rogers going to the Padres and Tyler Duffey struggling in game two, Duran is a very welcome addition to the bullpen and could be a solid contender for a closer. The front office continues to surprise us with their trades and acquisitions to bolster the pitching staff. The Twins may not have the ace we are looking for in our starters, but we certainly have the depth and ability to move players around to keep us in contention until we do. These bats are on fire Not only was the weather for opening day chilly, but so were the bats. As the weather warmed up, so did the bats. By game three of the series against Seattle, the players were making contact. The first person to bring life to a game was Gio Urshela. Urshela seemed a little unsure in spring training, but it didn't take him long to find his stride in Minnesota, leading with the first Minnesota Twins home run of the season in game one. Over the next three games, other hitters quickly followed suit: Luis Arraez, Max Kepler, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton, who hit his second-fastest home run at 112.3 MPH. Gary Sanchez, who came over with Gio Urshela in the Yankee trade, left many Twins fans with negative feelings and doubted his position on this team. Sanchez wasted no time getting to work to show us that he indeed is an asset and has a lot to offer this lineup as the designated hitter. In-game one, Sanchez swung often and swung hard. With the crowd cheering his name in the bottom of the ninth, Sanchez fell short in the last hit of the game, thinking he hit a home run, accompanied by a bat-flip. Unfortunately, because of the cold weather, the ball did not carry as far as not only Gary thought but the entire stadium and both teams. In the third game, Sanchez didn't come up short of a home run when he hit a grand slam to give the Twins a five-run lead over the Mariners, with a very well-earned bat flip. It seems that the Bomba Squad may be back in action! Come back for more Top Three Takes after each series! View full article

The second game of the Twins season started out with a bang, the bats were swinging and Sonny Gray got his first start as a Minnesota Twin. In a repeat performance of the first game of the series, the Twins lost by one run. As much as a second loss hurts, there are positives to the game and a lot to look forward to! Box Score SP: Sonny Gray: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (76 pitches, 52 strikes (68.4%)) Home Runs: Luis Arraez (1), Byron Buxton (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Tyler Duffey (-.620), Miguel Sano (.098), Jorge Polanco (.080) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Sonny Gray, who started his very first regular-season game as a Minnesota Twin, completed 4 2/3 innings in his debut. Gray has a solid presence on the mound and control of his strike zone. Even when he isn’t throwing 94 mph, his command of the strike zone earned him four strikeouts and 52 strikes. Birthday boy, Luis Arraez, hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning and subsequently gave the Twins their very first lead of the season! Byron Buxton, who didn't get on base in the season opener or in his first three plate appearances on Saturday, brought the Twins' bench to life and fans to their feet in the bottom of the eighth inning when he hit his first home run of the season deep into left field. The offense had been remarkably quiet and Buxton turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. It was the second hardest-hit home run for Buxton at 112.3 MPH. Nick Gordon who had a huge run-in with Max Kepler on April 4 in the final game of spring training is feeling better and certainly showed that there are no lingering side effects from the collision. Gordon ripped the ball through the shift in the second inning, advancing Ryan Jeffers to third. Gordon had a tremendous plate appearance that ended in a walk to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. For the second straight day, Carlos Correa made great defensive plays that really showed his dedication to this team and skill he brings to the game. I was talking to a few fans at yesterday’s game and some are still in disbelief that he is here, but he’s here and making a difference all over the field. The Twins defense is certainly better with him. In an opportunity to get to know our new pitcher, Chris Archer who just joined the Twins today in the clubhouse was on the headset during the third and fourth inning of the game today and talked about how much he’s excited to be here. Archer attributes a large amount of his move here to not only Rocco, but Jake Odorizzi. He called him to see what the organization and the city and the fans are like and "Odo" gave nothing but props to the city, fans, and organization. He loves the new defense and Ryan Jeffers as the catcher. He said that it came down to a few teams, but that he genuinely believes in this team and organization. We look forward to seeing him on the mound. Tyler Duffey came in the ninth inning, and according to Baldelli it was exactly as it was planned, except the pitching didn't go the way they wanted. Duffey continues to struggle with command of the strike zone and gave Julio Rodriguez his first MLB hit, With two outs, Adam Frazier doubled into left-center to score Rodriguez and tie the game. Ty France followed and drove Frazier home with the go-ahead run. Not the way the Twins or their fans wanted the game to end, and while some of the players struggled to make contact with the ball, we saw glimmers of what is yet to come with this team as the months and the bats get a chance to warm up. What’s Next? The Twins will finish their series at home with the Mariners tomorrow at 1:10 pm central time with Bailey Ober taking on left-hander Marco Gonzalez. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Duran 0 0 0 31 0 31 Coulombe 0 0 0 27 0 27 Cotton 0 0 0 0 20 20 Smith 0 0 0 0 20 20 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 18 18 Duffey 0 0 0 0 18 18 Alcalá 0 0 0 13 0 13 Ober 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pagán 0 0 0 0 0 0 Romero 0 0 0 0 0 0 Winder 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

MLB and the Players Union announced recently that they would resume the 28-man roster rule they had at the start of the shortened-2020 season. This time the shortened spring training was due to the owners implementing a lockout, and by the time MLB and MLBPA reached an agreement, players only had three-and-a-half weeks of spring training. Let’s see which Twins players are vying for the two additional spots on the Opening Day roster. Expanded rosters will not be permanent. The 28-man roster will last through May 1st when rosters will go back to 26 players. It’s just enough time to allow players to have a little extra time to tune their bodies, specifically for pitchers to ready their arms. As we have seen in spring training games, this extra time will be a good thing. This additional time will also give players fighting for a spot on the roster a little more time to fight for a position. Player Injuries The most important part of spring training is getting the players ready for the regular season. Pitchers use this time to get back into a pitching schedule. Hitters need to get their timing back and get into game shape. If a player goes into a regular season with less than a whole month of training, injuries can happen more than they already do. In 2020, the players showed up to spring training in shape, but because they had less time to get back into game shape, be in live game situations and get their legs under them, injuries happened throughout the season. Spotrac recorded a 22% increase in injuries from previous years. The Twins already have Kenta Maeda out with Tommy John rehab, and Randy Dobnak is out with ongoing issues with his middle finger. Both are currently on the 60-Day Injured List. On March 24th, Brent Rooker is out with shoulder tenderness and will be kept out of the rotation until that improves. Keeping injuries at a minimum is not only important every year, but for the Twins, they have been plagued with key players being injured, so getting the extra time to loosen up with a few extra weeks will serve them well. For the players, doubleheaders (which will again consist of two nine-inning games) mean more wear and tear on their bodies. Doubleheaders are already scheduled during the season to make up for missing the first week of games, and there are sure to be other games that will be rescheduled due to rain delays. The Twins do have good depth on their roster. There will be room for moving players between the Twins and the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. However, another new rule is that players can only be optioned up to five times during a season, so they have to be careful in doing this too much. 2022 is the first season I have seen fans this excited for the new roster and the possibilities of what the players can accomplish. Defensive Battle Royce Lewis had a tough 2021 season. His pre-camp physical showed a torn ACL which was repaired by surgery on February 21st. Between the lost COVID season in 2020 and his injury, he has not had a chance to play baseball. Lewis was optioned down to St. Paul on Saturday, March 26th, but that is not going to stop him from trying to make the roster. Lewis believes he can make the 26-man roster sometime in 2022 and start his MLB career after a clean bill of health. Lewis has added some weight and some power to his swing. His offseason work has shown as he’s stepped up to the plate during spring training and will need more time in the minors to get back into full offensive and defensive mode. The extra roster spots may also give Nick Gordon more time to prove himself. Gordon has struggled a little bit in the field. Gordon has improved in the outfield, and even his bat has started to come alive, and we saw glimmers of the Gordon that we hoped to see. Both players, along with Austin Martin and Spencer Steer have learned from All-Star Carlos Correa, the newest acquisition by the Twins, during workouts and conversations before they were sent back down to minor-league camp. Correa, one of the best shortstops in baseball, has a lot to teach players, and being on the 28-man with him would be the best education either of those players could get. Martin and Lewis are ranked one and two in the organization's prospect rankings, respectively. The players fighting for the chance to stay up on the Opening Day roster are Kyle Garlick, Jake Cave, and Brent Rooker. All three outfielders have all the heart and drive in the world to make the roster, but when up against players like Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach and Alex Kiriloff, their numbers just may not be enough. That doesn't mean that they won't see the 40-man or 26-man at all this season, it does mean however, that they are going to take the next week before the 28-man is solidified and give it everything they have got to try and edge out the other Triple-A guys. Cave, Rooker and Garlick have all struggled with injuries that have either ended their seasons or left them fighting to get back into the line-up in 2021, so not only have they not seen a lot of at-bats, but the lockout really affected them getting in the field time that they need to be a contender for the 26-man roster, but hopefully the two open spots through April give them more of the time needed to been seen as an asset to the club and stay in the Twins clubhouse. Competition in the Bullpen Clubs across MLB must carry 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster.. There is no ‘cap’ on pitchers in April, meaning the extra two spots could go to pitchers Pitching has often been a weak spot for the club, but this season there may be a glimmer of hope from what could be their Opening Day pitching staff. Pitchers such as Sonny Gray and older pitchers of the club like Chris Archer, Tyler Duffey, and Taylor Rogers have competition from the other pitchers who also want to start. Many other up-and-comers could quickly fill the extra two slots and give the Twins the pitching depth that the fans have been looking for from our club. We have seen pitchers like Joe Ryan, Devin Smeltzer, and Josh Winder out on the mound during spring training. We have seen solid performances from all three pitchers. These pitchers have a command of the mound by hitting their target based on where he and the catcher are set up constantly and impressive strikeouts. ] mlb.com Josh Winder has quickly become a fan favorite to be seen on the mound, but new acquisition Chris Archer rounds out what could be a very solid rotation, making Smeltzer and Winder work harder for those two spots. Archer has had his own struggles with the strike zone and while fans are not excited about him, there is hope that pitching coach Wes Johnson can improve the 33 year old RHP. Archer is not the ace that the Club is looking for, but he certainly is going to give the other pitchers the push they need to fight for those extra roster spots. They could all be in contention for filling the two new spots in April and potentially deeper into the season. Smeltzer has seen the most significant improvement; he looks strong, confident and has improved his strike-throwing (Smeltzer only pitched once last year and then was injured.). With only adding two players for April, there will not only be lots of competitive drive to make that 27th and 28th spot but ultimately to beat out a teammate to stay on the 26-man roster come May 1st. On paper, compared to other seasons, even the ones with the Bomba Squad, the 2022 Twins roster is one of the stronger rosters that the Twins have had in a few years. It’s exciting to think that there are players who can be in contention for an extra spot on the roster. Who do you think are some of the major contenders for a spot for not only the 28-man month-long roster but who do you think can make it to the 26-man for the remainder of the season? That said, the Twins will use a ton of guys during the remainder of the season, and probably in April too. View full article

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