Sherry Cerny

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. 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. 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. Image courtesy of Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports 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

STOP. lol omg. I can't

Jesus!

LMAO I am not a fan.

That guy reminds me of Twins 2021 pitching lol

Afternoon Fam!!!! I am really excited about Gio and also Arraez getting a lead off! Hoping Sonny Gray can have a successful game, however he measures that.

Afternoon Fam!!!! I am really excited about Gio and also Arraez getting a lead off! Hoping Sonny Gray can have a successfull game, however he measures that.

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. Image courtesy of USA Today: Bruck Kluckhohn 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. Image courtesy of USA TODAY 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! Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports 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

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Sarcasm...font? is there such a thing?