Sherry Cerny

The Twins have taken two games thus far in the series, and while one doesn’t want to say easily, the Rangers slump certainly plays into the favor of the Twins, but on Saturday, Joe Ryan returned from the IL and Max Scherzer pitched for the Rangers. A battle of the pitchers ensued. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker 2023 USA Today Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (80 pitches, 51 strikes (63%) Home Runs: Jorge Polanco (9) Top 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco (.155), Joe Ryan (.153), Jhoan Duran (.103) Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.457), Caleb Thielbar (-.115), Matt Wallner (-.085) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Joe Ryan returned to the mound tonight from the IL (groin) and got out his first two hitters on strikeouts. He allowed a single before striking out the last pitcher to end the inning. A solid start coming off injury. His velocity was a little lower than we saw in the beginning of the season, sitting between 91 mph and 94 mph, which could be an issue later. However, maybe it was his change of pace for music for his walk up. Max Scherzer, who came to the Rangers in a trade deadline move, was backed up with Mitch Garver who has caught all his games since the trade. Scherzer looked good in the bottom of the first getting two outs before Max Kepler shot a single into the centerfield gap for a single and then walked Carlos Correa. Scherzer’s walks have been up this season, and in a slump-breaking situation, walks will haunt. Ryan worked up his pitch count in the second inning, struggled a bit with the velocity still, and allowed low hanging fruit to create opportunities for the Rangers. The first was a home run by Mitch Garver to put the Rangers on the board first. Frustratingly, Garver got the Rangers on the board first with a home run on Friday night too. The Twins defense kept things tight as Robbie Grossman hit a line drive double to Kepler, and as Ezequiel Duran rounded the bases and dug for home, a relay from Max Kepler to Correa before a cannon to home to get Duran out. Edouard Julien hadn't seen Scherzer before this game and struck out looking in his first at-bat, but fought back in the third and got a double to start out the inning followed by a solid hit to center field gap from Kepler, scoring Julien to tie up the game. The Twins and Rangers stayed tied through. Both pitchers and defenses stayed tight, Ryan continued to stay in command of the strike zone as he settled in. Caleb Thielbar came out in the sixth inning to give Ryan a break. Undoubtedly manager Rocco Baldelli is working Ryan back to more pitches. Thielbar gave up a home run to Adolis Garcia , giving the Rangers the lead, but nothing else, closing out the inning with minimal damage and a chance to come back, and come back they did with a solo home run from Jorge Polanco in the bottom of the sixth to tie-up the game again. Emilio Pagan replaced Thielbar in the top of the seventh inning and as he has done so many times the past three months in these set-up positions, got out of the inning with no damage. Both threw 10 pitches in their appearances, and for Thielbar, eight of those were strikes. The Minnesota Twins bullpen has been getting stronger, better and hopefully ready for a postseason push. The game remained tied and the Twins brought out Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning, which led this writer to believe that he would subsequently be back out for the ninth, but instead the Twins brought out Griffin Jax. The Twins flame-thrower Duran has struggled when in situations when he has to relieve in two innings. Jax has had a funny season. Lots of up and down, high highs and low lows, but as evidenced by his relief appearance on Thursday, he still has "it". Jax has been worked a lot this week, the most of the relievers (three relief appearances and 57 pitches) and his momentum quickly faded. The ninth inning was messy. Jax had two runners on base with no outs when Pete Maki made a visit to the mound, to relax his reliever. Jax initially focused in and then threw a pitch that got Duran on the soft part of the elbow to load the bases. Tie game, one out, bases loaded and Robbie Grossman up to bat, the infield came to the mound to discuss how to get shut down Grossman and out of the inning with no damage, maybe hit into a double play and move to the tenth inning. The meeting didn't work and Grossman was walked to put the Rangers up 3-2, but the damage was far from over. Jax walked another player with the bases loaded giving the Rangers another run for a two run lead. Dylan Floro came in to replace Jax, who left the mound with his head hanging. Floro came into the inning with the bases loaded, but in a repeat performance, Floro hit Marcus Semien in the elbow and reloaded the bases and bringing in another walk for a 5-2 lead. The bleeding finally stopped with a 6-2 lead for the Rangers. The pitching wasn't the only thing to blame in this demise, the Twins bats were quiet and offense didn't show up outside of a double and solo home run, giving the pitchers no cushion to allow for runs. With the amount of usage the bullpen got this week, the bats needed to show up just as much. The Rangers sent out Aroldis Chapman to face the four five six batters and the Twins made some adjustments with Jordan Luplow in the number five spot. Luplow walked and it looked like Donovan Solano squared up enough to send the ball out for a homerun, but he got just under it and it fell into the glove of Garcia in right field to end the game and the pain. What’s Next? The Twins continue their homestand with one more game from Texas in this series before coming head to head with Cleveland. Sunday 12:35 pm CDT: RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.41 ERA) vs. LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-10, 3.12 ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins are in for a hot and heavy last week of summer where they start with the Texas Rangers tonight and then follow up with playing Cleveland, Texas and Cleveland. The dog days of summer are certainly here and the Twins are going to need to stay ahead of the count in the game and the standing. Image courtesy of USA Today Jesse Johnson Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez 5 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (91 pitches, 58 strikes (66%) Home Runs: Royce Lewis (6), Kyle Farmer (8), Ryan Jeffers (10), Matthew A. Taylor (19) Top 3 WPA: Ryan Jeffers (.341), Carlos Correa (.256), Royce Lewis (.219) Bottom 3 WPA: Max Kepler (-.291), Pablo Lopez (-.325), Jordan Luplow (-.70) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Pablo Lopez, who came into tonight's game with 19 straight scoreless innings, had the streak abruptly ended with Marcus Semien's home run off his first offering of the night. The Rangers kept the pressure on throughout the game, but the Twins countered with timely defense. In the second inning, Travis Jankowski bunted for a base hit and went first to third on a single from Ezequiel Duran to right. With the Rangers threatening, Lopez induced an inning-ending double play, proving that it will be vital for the Twins' defense to make key plays in this series. The heat and humidity Minnesota is experiencing likely aided in the baseball carrying at Target Field, and there was no lack of action. Kyle Farmer matched Semien's solo home run to tie up the game. But the Rangers weren't done. Lopez struggled heavily in the third inning. Corey Seager added another solo shot, and Texas followed with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Jankowski drove in two more, putting the Rangers up 4-1. The Twins battled back with a solo home run from Michael A. Taylor, bringing the score closer to 4-2, but Leody Taveras answered back with his solo home run -- the third home run of the night on Lopez -- and the Rangers a 5-2 lead. In the 5th, Michael A. Taylor added another solo home run to close the gap, 5-3. Lewis continued to help the Twins battle back with another solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, closing the gap to a one-run game and the Twins fourth home run. The Twins called on Josh Winder in the sixth inning. Winder hasn't seen action in eight days, but as a Virginia kid, he has played in this heat his whole life and seemed unphased as he gave the Twins their first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Winder did well and returned to have another scoreless seventh and eighth. It was the first time Winder had gone that long all season, and it provided a much-needed rest for a bullpen that was depleted in the Milwaukee series! In the eighth inning, Matt Wallner and Carlos Correa matched doubles to tie the game with no outs. With the bases loaded, the Rangers brought lefty Will Smith to face Max Kepler and Edouard Julien. The Twins called on Ryan Jeffers as a pinch hitter. Jeffers hit a go-ahead two-run home run to push the Twins ahead 7-5, complete with an epic bat flip! Jeffers is now a .571 hitter in pinch-hit situations. The Twins got a strong finish, and it was fun watching Griffin Jax come out in the ninth inning to close out the game, and he did so in fiery fashion. Griffin struck out Semien before walking Seager, and he was visibly frustrated as the officiating appeared questionable to both sides all night. Lowe grounded into a double play to Donovan Solano, Carlos Correa and ended with Joey Gallo on first base. The crowd erupted as the Twins won their first of the four-game series and handed the Rangers their seventh loss in a row. See you all tomorrow night! What’s Next? The Twins continue their homestand with three more games from Texas in this series before coming head to head with Cleveland. Friday 7:10 pm CDT: RHP Sonny Gray (6-6, 3.15 ERA) vs. RHP Dane Dunning (9-5, 3.19 ERA) Saturday 6:15 pm CDT: RHP XX (7-6, 3.77 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (7-6, 3.77 ERA) Sunday 12:35 pm CDT: RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.41 ERA) vs. LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-10, 3.12 ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins rollercoaster continues to be one wild ride. After a dominating sweep of the Diamondbacks, they lost two in a row in this series to the Tigers. This game was more than just a chance to not be swept, it was a chance to show that the Twins have the tenacity and bounce back to move forward. Maeda kept things as clean as he could, but once again the Twins offense failed to show up. Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski USA Today Box Score SP: Kenta Maeda 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (89 pitches, 58 strikes (65%) Home Runs: -0- Top 3 WPA: Kenta Maeda .146, Christian Vazquez .051, Carlos Correa .023 Bottom 3 WPA: Dylan Floro -.139, Edouard Julien -.137, Willi Castro -.083 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Kenta Maeda has had a great past few games. While he has given up nine earned runs, the Twins have won four in the five games he has started. His success has come with getting run support from the offense. But that would be different for Maeda this time. The Twins' offense started slow, and Maeda came onto the mound with no run support to begin his first inning, allowing a few hitters to get on base, but he got out with no damage and a clean first inning. Multiple times throughout the game, the Twins' offense looked like it would give Maeda support, but pitcher Reese Olson from the Tigers pitched six scoreless innings and kept the Twins from doing anything to get on the board. The Twins looked like they would get something going in the fourth inning. Jorge Polanco got a single to start the inning. Then Carlos Correa ripped a ball into center field off a two-seam fastball, almost taking out pitcher Olson on the return for a single. Now Correa and Polanco would be in scoring position with no outs. Correa has been turning a corner since the All-Star Break. In his past five appearances, he has made contact with the ball in every game and got four runs in three, but he was responsible for eight RBIs. He also continues to make outstanding defensive plays. After the Tigers visited a mound, Olson locked in and quickly struck out Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers. Matt Wallner battled at the plate but just got under the ball for a pop-out and was the third out of the inning, stranding Correa and Polanco. Joey Gallo was walked in the fifth, and the most unexpected thing happened with Christian Vazquez at the plate. As Vazquez was mid-swing, Gallo took off from first base. As the ball whizzed by Gallo as he rounded second, he continued to third. Vazquez's single put runners on the corners to start the inning and, once again, the hope of offensive production. But once again, the Twins came up empty, leaving the inning after two strikeouts from Edouard Julien and Polanco. Meada's struggle with strikes started around the bottom of the fourth, and even though he didn't allow any runs, by the bottom of the sixth inning, he was grimacing on his release. His pitches loaded up quickly as the Tigers lineup started to swing and foul off pitches until an 81 mph slider to lefty Riley Greene ended in a solo home run to get the Tigers on the board 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Dylan Floro came out of the bullpen to relieve Maeda, and it was not pretty. After the first out, the Tigers got three straight singles to load up the bases, and pitching coach Pete Maki came out to hopefully talk Floro down off whatever ledge he was on and pitch out of the inning. It didn't happen that easily, not before another single deep to center would score two runs to get the Tigers up 3-0. Jhoan Duran came into the game in the bottom of the eighth. He has yet to have a hitless outing in quite a while, and right away, Greene hit a slap to left field on pitch one to get a double to start the bottom of the eighth. Duran and the defense kept the Tigers from any runs or further damage, and the Twins would have one more chance to come back with Correa leading off in the ninth. But the Twins couldn't battle back. The Twins were swept in Detroit and lost the season series to Detroit 7-4. The Twins must fight a surging Phillies team to keep the Guardians from catching up. What's Next? The Twins continue their road series with a trip to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies, who are coming off some hot games, including their 14th no-hitter by former Tigers pitcher Michael Lorenzen. Friday 6:05 pm CDT: LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-6, 1.80 ERA) vs. LHP Christopher Sanchez (0-3, 3.44 ERA) Saturday 5:05 pm CDT: RHP Pablo Lopez (7-6, 3.81 ERA) vs. Taijuan Walker (13-4, 3.98 ERA) Sunday 12:35 pm CDT: RHP Sonny Gray (5-5, 3.18 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (9-5, 3.74 ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

It's a small sample size, but Dallas Keuchel's first game back shows he's ready to be back. He has the resume to get the job done, and that's what he did on a perfect Sunday afternoon at Target Field. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika USA Today A Battle Back Dallas Keuchel had an ugly 2022. So ugly that Twins fans sighed a breath of relief watching him implode after so many clamored to snag him in the off-season of 2020. Last year he registered a 9.20 ERA going 2-9 in 14 starts with three separate teams. Instead of retiring, Keuchel spent his downtime working hard with Driveline Baseball, one of baseball's best player development companies, and fought back to pitch in Triple-A. Rocco Baldelli noted that Keuchel isn't doing this for accolades or awards; he won everything he can, including the Cy Young award in 2015, and is playing because he loves the game and wants to keep playing baseball. But he wants to be back in the game at the top level. Triple-A wasn't enough for him, and Keuchel let that be known. He joined the Twins as one of his top picks for their organization and structure, but he opted out of his contract when the club didn't immediately pick him up. It looked like the Twins wouldn't pick up Keuchel after an outstanding performance in St. Paul. But Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan admitted that he had struggled the past seven starts due to groin pain. When Ryan was sent to the IL at the last minute on Thursday, August 3, the Twins bought Keuchel's contract, and he was on his way back up to the big leagues. His first game was Sunday against the Diamondbacks, and even if he didn't get the win, he showed that he still deserved a place on the mound. He's one of a few pitchers to throw low and slow and be successful. Keuchel is who he is, take him or leave him. First Game Back is a Success Much like Greg Maddux, he doesn't throw fast, and he doesn't throw hard. He is calculated and intentional. A lot of what he throws is slow-moving and not hit hard. According to Fangraphs, only 48% of his pitches were hit "hard"; everything else was categorized as "soft" contact. The majority of his induced contact stayed in the infield. The hardest hit ball on Sunday was thrown to Emmanuel Rivera at 89 mph with an exit velocity of 118 mph and stopped by Willi Castro at third base. The harder he throws the ball, the harder they hit it, and he knows it and adjusts. Keuchel is known for throwing hitters ground balls, so there will be contact, but the defense stepped up and helped him keep the runs off the board. Keuchel stayed scoreless through four innings. His final stat line for his first game back, Keuchel registered a 1.80 ERA, had eight hits, one earned run, two walks, two double plays, and zero strikeouts. Keuchel has never been a strikeout guy, and the defense has to be well aware of the grounders that will be coming, and they were: 50% of Keuchel's pitches were ground balls. He makes the defense work, and the defense typically likes that. They enjoy having a pitcher that allows them to get into the game. His performance on Sunday is something the Twins and fans should be happy with. He's a Keeper The front office may be reluctant to have a six-starter rotation. Still, Keuchel's appearance shows that he not only fits in with the club but also how his arm would be an asset to the pitching staff, specifically as a lefty, and making a six man-rotation would be an intelligent move by the Twins, especially with their drive for a postseason opportunity. Because of their solid starting staff, Keuchel does not have to strive to be an "ace," but he still has so much potential to help this rotation out, and he already looks like he fits in with the guys and the uniform. He also works hard. Instead of accepting that he could no longer compete at the highest level, he did what it took to fix what was wrong and worked above and beyond to improve where he needed to be. Keuchel's work ethic is an example for the younger guys. In his post-game interview with Bally Sports North, Keuchel explained how glad he was to be a part of this organization, how he was impressed with everyone, and how they came together to help him. He said he had a few butterflies, but seeing Carlos Correa helped ease those nerves. He struggled with having nine days off, but he knows the more time on the mound and reps, the better and more crisp he will be. Yes, he didn't get the win on Sunday, but he certainly won the hearts of the people and the team. View full article

Dallas Keuchel made his return to the big leagues in Sunday’s final game. The Twins and Diamondbacks battled in the final game of the series, but in a weekend celebrating the career of a hometown hero, a Forest Lake kid played hero to complete the series sweep. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika | USA Today Box Score SP: Dallas Keuchel 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (74 pitches, 46 strikes (60%) Home Runs: Max Kepler (18), Matt Wallner (7, Walk-Off) Top 3 WPA: Max Kepler (0.396), Matt Wallner (0.200), Dallas Keuchel (0.114) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) While it's been a while since Keuchel has seen a big-league mound, he found himself settling in early in the game. Keuchel is known for throwing a ton of ground balls and that’s exactly what he did. He did what was expected out of him and managed to go scoreless through three innings and only allowed one run over all in his first appearance with the Twins. He didn’t get his first win, but he certainly showed fans and the club alike that he still has what it takes to be on the mound. Defense Shows Up The game was a pitcher's duel, forcing both defenses to put in the effort to keep the other team off the board, and it stayed that way through the first four innings. The Twins' defense got a workout with Keuchel on the mound, with 50% of his outs coming via the ground ball, the balls were spraying all over the infield. Keuchel's fastest pitch was an 89 mph sinker to Emmanuel Rivera that went into left field. More than once, the defense made outstanding plays to help Keuchel keep runs off the board. In the second inning, the first hard-hit ball was from Emmanuel Rivera to Willi Castro, who lunged into the ball in a flying motion for the out. In the fourth inning, Wallner and Castro both went after the fly ball hit by Jake McCarthy and in an acrobatic move, Wallner slid under Castro to grab the ball as Castro hurdled over him, avoiding a collision. In the fifth inning, Keuchel allowed a few more hits than the first four, and the defense was a little late with throw-outs and tag-outs. Carson Kelly hit a double off Keuchel's sinker, starting a run of singles that allowed the Diamondbacks to get on the board first with a force out from Tommy Pham, scoring Kelly before the end of the inning. He had an excellent first game back, only allowing one run, seven hits and no walks, but he also didn't strike anyone out. The Game Must Go On Dylan Floro replaced Keuchel in the sixth inning. Floro, who was acquired for Jorge Lopez, threw 20 pitches in his inning but managed to get out of the sixth with no damage even with a single, a walk and double steal. The Diamondbacks had two double steals against Keuchel as well, and stole bases eight times in the game, six of them double steals. Zac Gallen struggled in the sixth inning, and the Twins showed up to take advantage starting with a long hit to right field from Castro that was cut off by McCarthy, but not before Castro got to second base for the Twins first extra-base of the game and Castro’s 13th double. During Julien's at bat, Castro advanced to third on a poorly blocked pitch from Kelly before Julien was walked. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Correa came up to bat and hit a ball into the gap of left field for a two-run hit, putting the Twins out in front of the Diamondbacks 2-1. It's Not Over Until It's Over Emilio Pagan was back in the early relief position in the seventh inning, where he has been effective over the past few months. He walked his first batter, Corbin Carroll, who scored on a double from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. which tied the game 2-2. Sunday was the first time Pagan allowed a run since July 25th, and before that was July 3rd. The Twins couldn’t make anything happen in response to the Diamondbacks game-tying run in the seventh, but Jeffers hit the snot out of a grounder and got to show off his "wheels" with an infield single. The Twins moved to the eighth with Griffin Jax on the mound. The inning was ugly and Jax, another pitcher victim to a stolen base by the Diamondbacks, managed to get out of the inning with no runs. Caleb Theilbar came in the ninth inning and gave up a line drive home run to Christian Walker that put the Diamondbacks in front 3-2. The Twins would need to show up in the ninth inning, and they did. Max Kepler, whose bat had been silent during the game but hot since the All-Star break, led off the top of the ninth for the Twins. He smashed a home run deep to right field to tie the score and really excite the crowd. And then, in what seemed like a storybook ending, Matt Wallner stepped up to the plate and finished the game and the series sweep with a walk-off home run. It marked the Forest Lake star's first walk-off home run of his career, another hometown hero!!! What’s Next? The Twins will start a long road trip starting with a four-game series in Detroit. The Tigers continue their struggles, and have no dog in the play-off fight except as a spoiler. Now is not the time to get complacent. Monday 5:40 pm CDT: RHP Pablo Lopez (6-6, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Joey Wentz (2-9, 6.37 ERA) Tuesday 5:40 pm CDT: RHP Sonny Gray (5-4, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 2.96 ERA) Wednesday 5:40 pm CDT: RHP Bailey Ober (6-5, 3.21 ERA) vs. TBD Thursday 12:10 pm CDT: Kenta Maeda (3-6, 4.22 ERA) vs. RHP Reese Olson (1-5, 4.94 ERA Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins finish out the series against the Cardinals Thursday night taking the series. After the shellacking on Wednesday, the change of pace was very welcome, and the guys played like a well-oiled machine. Image courtesy of USA Today Jeff Curry 3 AUG 2023 Box Score SP: Sonny Gray 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (77 pitches, 55 strikes (71%) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (6), Michael A. Taylor (13) Top 3 WPA: Sonny Gray .201, Ryan Jeffers .161, Michael A. Taylor .141 Bottom 3 WPA: Edouard Julien -.043, Carlos Correa -.042, Kyle Farmer -.038 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The first inning of the game moved rather quickly for both sides. The Twins led off with Carlos Correa back in the lineup, but Matthew Liberatore didn't mess around and promptly shut down the offense. Sonny Gray started his appearance against Lars Nootbaar, striking him out with a 1-2-3 and getting the next two hitters retiring with pop-out flies. Jorge Polanco started off the second inning with a walk which came in handy as Ryan Jeffers got his sixth home run off Liberatore's curveball. Jeffers has not performed well against lefties (.649 OPS vs. LHP coming into tonight's contest), so a two-run home run was a great start and provided Gray with immediate run support (something he doesn't get much of from this team). Willi Castro, who has been keeping the Twins' offense alive lately, got a double when Libertore deflected the ball to left fielder Nootbaar. During Michael A. Taylor's at-bat, Castro saw an opportunity and stole his 27th base of the season. With Castro on third, Taylor launched his 13th home run deep into left field. The Twins ended the second inning with four runs of padding for Gray. The second inning looked like the Twins may have a battle on their hands as Gray's pitches turned into singles, leaving the Cardinals in constant scoring position. With one out and Tommy Edman on first base, Dylan Carlson hit a line drive into left field, past Castro for a double, scoring Edman from first base, closing the Cardinals' 4-1 gap. Sonny and the defense got out of the inning without any further damage. Both pitchers slowed the lineups through the fifth inning, but things started to get away from Liberatore in the sixth inning with a couple of singles from Donovan Solano and Edouard Julien. With one out and Jeffers up to bat, they took a mound break to determine the best move. Knowing what a threat Jeffers was, Liberatore adjusted, throwing low, getting him to chase, and mitigating Jeffers' potential damage, but then walking Castro to load the bases. With bases loaded, the Cardinals brought in Drew VerHagen. VerHagen walked Taylor, pushing across a run to put the Twins back up by four runs. The Cardinals returned within three in the sixth inning with a solo home run from Alec Burleson to get the Cardinals up 5-2. Still, again, Gray got out of the inning with no other issues and was back for the seventh with complete domination to close out his appearance. Gray indeed appeared a lot more confident and in control of this game, and it showed. The run support from the Twins also allowed him to lessen his stress and keep things tight. Griffin Jax threw just an exceptional inning. Even though a few players threatened, the defense came in strong when needed. Jax threw two pitches to Paul Goldschmidt that were absolute heat and got out of the inning, securing the Twins lead for at least another inning. Jhoan Duran put the Cardinals to rest but struggled to do so quickly and without damage. Duran has had a weird road series and the past few games with the Twins, and tonight the oddity continued as he threw a wild pitch that prompted a towel wipe down to control his sweat and inability to grip the ball. After a complete wipedown of the arms, delivery of a fresh rosin bag, and mound visit, Duran fired off a fastball that was shot directly to Correa on a hop, who fired an absolute canon to Solano, who masterfully picked it perfectly to retire Dylan Carlson. Burleson scored on the play, making it a 5-3 game. The ninth inning was a little too close for comfort, but Duran got out of the game with only 15 pitches thrown. A win not only for the Twins but it was also Sonny Gray's first win since April. What's Next? Tomorrow the Twins start a series back home against the Diamondbacks, who just loaded up their lineup in hopes of a postseason run. Arizona will be a good team, and the Twins need to continue to dig deep and find that fire, especially against their pitching. Friday 7:10 pm: RHP Bailey Ober (6-5, 3.19 ERA) vs. RHP Merrill Kelly (9-5, 3.23 ERA) Saturday 6:10 pm: RHP Kenta Maeda (2-6, 4.53 ERA) vs. RHP Ryne Nelson (6-5, 4.84 ERA) Sunday 1:10 pm: RHP Jorge Lopez (6-6, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Zac Gallen (11-5, 3.41 ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

I don't think the Padres would give us anything that we can use now. Which, is fine. I don't know if we need anything right now. I'd love to see a post season run - but like I said to someone else, I don't know if it's going to be enough that anything would matter.

I could not agree more, which is why I said that we would have to send cash and a prospect - and I didn't say which prospect because the Mets have no standards - just money they like to throw around.

And that's the entire intent here. I don't THINK we are a WS team, but I'd like to clinch the central with more than a half game and make a run at the post season. all we have to do is get into the post-season and it all changes. I'm not delusional - just hopeful lol

They aren't going to want those. They aren't interested in them. No one really is. can you blame them?

I think he IS a team leader - but he's been optioned so many times this season, the Twins really need to leave him up or let him go somewhere that he can truly play and stay. I would hate to see him go - but if I am him - right now I am frustrated with all the movement.

Raley is *also* 35...while I know we aren't probably going to make a run like the Rangers, I do think they bring something that could change the trajectory...but, I don't know. I haven't heard about the Twins/Nats, but I am going to look now!

The trade deadline is approaching, and the Twins front office has stayed silent outside of the trade dealing Jorge Lopez to the Marlins for Dylan Floro. It’s not that we don’t have anything to give away, but there isn’t much out there to get that would bolster the club into a post-season position. But one rumor has sparked interest, teams are certainly interested in Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports For many, it's the most wonderful time of the baseball year. Along with the playoffs and the winter meetings, and even the draft, are also great times of the year. The trade deadline is great in many ways whether your team is a buyer or a seller. 7:59pm, Sunday July 30th, Metsmerized editor Mike Mayer tweeted that the Mets have shown interest in Trevor Larnach, with Athletic writer Dan Hayes as the source in a report. Larnach has been a topic of discussion among Twins fans over the past month, specifically since the All-Star Break. Larnach is hitting .216/.314/.401 (.715) in his big-league time this year, and has covered left field and right field quite well. The Twins need hitters, and while the Oregon State alum has shown flashes of big power, he has been inconsistent. With the Twins, he has moved up and down between the Twins and Saints the last couple of seasons. He needs consistent opportunities. Will that be available with the Twins? Maybe a trade will suit him as a AAA player who keeps riding the “option” train. If the Twins were to deal Larnach, what might the return be? The Mets are one of the teams that have shown some interest in the slugger. The Twins would undoubtedly need a bat back, a more heavy-hitting bat, and bullpen assistance. The Twins could never trade away enough to make a Justin Verlander trade (I could be wrong - looking back at the Carlos Correa surprise), but Verlander certainly would make not only a splash but give the bullpen a break. Verlander would cost a lot more than Larnach. What else do the Mets have that could help us this season? Two players come to mind that could make a huge impact immediately offensively. Tommy Pham. Pham is having not only one of the best seasons at the plate, but he is also an outfielder that is effective and dominant. In 76 games, Pham is currently leading the team with a .816 OPS, 35 RBI, 15 doubles, and 11 stolen bases. He also has come in as the designated hitter and could be a potential option for getting Byron Buxton worked back into center field if that is an option. Something that could be used to compliment the already illustrious base-stealing duo of Michael A. Taylor and Willi Castro. He has not spent time on the IL this season and would be a consistent body in the outfield and at the plate. Pham signed only a one-year deal for $6 million with the Mets, making him an unrestricted free agent. Brooks Raley. The Mets southpaw reliever has been the most dependable on the Mets club. He has 43 appearances, a 2.57 ERA, and 38 strikeouts in his 35 innings. Righties are batting .177 against him, compared to lefty’s .250 average, and he has a WHIP of 1.26. With a solid middle reliever and one who doesn’t fold in high-pressure situations, the Twins could push further than the already struggling first-place “lead” at .505. It would be great to move into a position to be competitive to try for a post-season win. Raley is currently playing in the second year of a two-year, $10 million contract. His base salary this season in $4.5 million. The Mets have an option for him in 2024 at $6.25 million (with a buyout at $1.25 million). It’s hard to estimate what a package involving Larnach might look like. The Mets threw so much money around this past offseason; the best option might be to send Larnach to the Mets, and maybe with a prospect. The best thing about these two players (Pham and Raley) is they nearing the end of their contracts and make the most sense for what the Twins need. The Mets barely know what they want, so they may be an excellent club to trade with now. View full article

The Twins and Red Sox finished their four-game series on Thursday afternoon after an electric ten-inning win on Wednesday night. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton got things going early, and Joe Ryan did something no Twins pitcher had done in five years. The feeling in the stadium was electric and the energy carried the players through the game. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker, USA Today Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (112 pitches, 83 strikes (74.1%)) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (10), Byron Buxton 2 (13) Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (.197), Byron Buxton (.132), Carlos Correa (.086), Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins...and Buck...are Back? The Twins were still feeling the fire from Wednesday night when Thursday's game against the Red Sox began. The Twins started the first inning mashing baseballs giving the Twins a 2-0 lead. Carlos Correa, who has found his groove again, started out in the first inning getting the Twins on the board with a solo home run, Two batters later another solo home run was hit by Byron Buxton - the second longest home run of his career (466 feet). Red Sox "bulk" pitcher Brandon Walter had a difficult time keeping the Twins from manufacturing runs, something they have desperately needed to do as of late. A single from Ryan Jeffers started out the second inning followed by a double from Willi Castro and another double from Michael A. Taylor brought home both Jeffers and Castro, giving the Twins a 4-0 lead. The second inning was strategically different than anticipated. Donovan Solano pinch hit for Edouard Julien against the lefty, and Kyle Farmer pinch hit for Alex Kirilloff. Julien has a wOBA of .127 against lefties. The weirdness of the second inning continued when the Twins had two on. With one out, Michael A. Taylor took off for third base (stolen base attempt). Farmer's fly ball to deep center was caught on the warning track. Taylor was thinking stolen base, so he slid headfirst into third base, looked up to see the fly out, and did not retouch third base before retreating back to second allowing Rafael Devers to force an out, ending the inning. Buxton had a day. Hitting his 12th and 13th home runs of the season, he also hit two of his three longest home runs today (466ft and 465ft). The longest one he ever hit was off of Liam Hendricks for 496 feet. Buxton certainly has struggled through some stretches this season in the DH position, some fans even calling for him to return to the IL until he is “better”. His second home run of the day gave the Twins a 5-0 lead over the Red Sox. A Complete Game Shutout for Joe Ryan The pitching from the club has kept them afloat much of the season. Joe Ryan put on a clinic from the mound. After his last appearance, Ryan seemed to have gathered himself. Ryan only threw 33 pitches through the first five innings, didn’t give up a hit until the fourth inning, and didn’t allow a single run, against the Red Sox line-up. Ryan has been working on his splitter with pitching coach, Pete Maki, and he used it often in this one. Ryan’s ability to control the lineup gave the manager the confidence to keep him in the game. It was Ryan's first complete game and shut out of his career and the first complete game shutout for the Twins in the past five seasons! The most pitches that Ryan has thrown in a game this season was 107. In Thursday’s game he threw 112, struck out nine batters, three of those batters struck out swinging back to back in the fifth inning. Ending on a High Note The rest of the game was a cake-walk for the Twins, something that gave the club and the fans a lot to cheer about. The fifth inning started out with a lead off walk from Farmer, who advanced with every at-bat from his teammates keeping the pressure on the Red Sox. He eventually made it to third base. Royce Lewis stepped up to the plate and blooped a ball to centerfield that dropped right in between the three outfielders to drive in Farmer and give the Twins the 6-0 lead. The score stayed at 6-0 throughout the remainder of the game, giving the Twins the win and the series tie. They also returned to .500 before starting their road trip with the Tigers. What’s Next? Tomorrow the Twins start a series in Detroit against the Tigers starting with Kenta Maeda taking the mound. The Twins didn’t fare very well last weekend against the Tigers losing the series (3-1), hopefully the Twins can take a series from the Tigers. Friday 6:40 pm: RHP Kenta Maeda (0-4 9.00 ERA) vs. LHP Joey Wentz (1-7, 6.82 ERA) Saturday 7:15 pm: RHP Pablo Lopez (3-4, 3.40 ERA) vs. RHP Reese Olson (0-2, 5.59 ERA) Sunday 1:40 pm: RHP Bailey Ober (4-4, 2.83 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-5, 4.00 ERA) Postgame Interviews BULLPEN CHART SUN MON TUE WED THU TOT Headrick 0 0 41 0 0 41 Morán 11 13 0 17 0 41 Balazovic 40 0 0 0 0 40 Durán 0 0 0 32 0 32 De León 0 25 0 0 0 25 Jax 0 10 0 8 0 18 Pagán 0 17 0 0 0 17 Ortega 0 0 16 0 0 16 Stewart 0 0 0 15 0 15 View full article

While some of the affiliates struggled tonight, the Kernels only used two pitchers in nine-innings, and Twins FCL Harold Grant put on an absolute hitting clinic. Read here to see how the rest of the affiliates did! Image courtesy of McKenzie Short (Cedar Rapids Kernels) TRANSACTIONS RHP Josh Winder transferred to the Minnesota Twins with Caleb Thielbar going back on the Injured List. Joey Gallo was sent to the St. Paul Saints on Major League rehab. The Wind Surge add catcher Kyle Schmidt from Fort Myers, OF Gregory Duran and catcher Alex Rodriguez were promoted to the Mighty Mussels from the FCL Twins. LHP Connor Prielipp and RHP Alex Phillips began rehab assignments with the FCL Twins. RHP Owen Griffith made a second rehab appearance in the FCL. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Iowa 7 Box Score Brent Headrick started on the mound in game five of seven against the Iowa Cubs on Friday in St. Paul. The southpaw worked the first seven innings and gave up just two runs on four hits (2 homers). He walked one and struck out four batters. The Saints jumped out to an early lead. Rehabbing Joey Gallo drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Mark Contreras hit his sixth homer of the season in the second frame, a solo blast to make it 2-1 Saints. Fast-forward to the bottom of the sixth frame and Andrew Bechtold hit a big, three-run homer to make the score 5-1. It was his first homer of the season. Headrick gave up a solo homer in the first inning, and then one more in the seventh inning before his night was complete. Kody Funderburk came in and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. With a 5-2 lead going to the ninth, Funderburk got a fly out and then issued a walk. He then recorded a strikeout for the second out. Then Funderburk walked a second batter to put runners on first and second. Austin Brice came into the game. He gave up a run-scoring double, a walk, a two-run double, and a two-run single before getting the final out. Now down 7-5, the Saints got two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but they were unable to get that one more big hit they needed. Jose Miranda went 3-for-4 in the game to raise his average to .262 on the season. He has been quite good lately. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 with his 15th double. Mark Contreras was 2-for-4. Joey Gallo went 0-for-2 with the first-inning sacrifice fly. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, San Antonio 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl made his Wichita debut Friday night and after a nerve-driven first inning giving up one run, he calmed down and threw three scoreless innings, giving the Surge’s offense an opportunity to give their new pitcher some support. The Surge responded with an exciting second inning and then some. With two outs on the inning, Alex Isola got his ninth double of the season to get himself in position to score a run. Followed on base was Jake Rucker who was hit by a pitch to get two in scoring position. Seth Gray stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run deep into right field that gave the Surge a lead of 3-1. Ohl’s night started to unravel in the fifth inning with a start off single from Cole Cummings. He advanced to second base. on a wild pitch Ray Patrick-Didder ripped a ground ball to left field. Ripken Reyes first got a single to score Seagle to tie the game 3-3 and then stole second base. The next few batters just started stringing together single after single, driving up the score one hitter at a time until the Missions led 5-1. Ohl was relieved by Hunter McMahon to stop the bleeding. The next two batters got out on a pop-fly and strike out to end the inning. The seventh inning, the Surge looked like they were threatening to get back in front, but were stopped at every opportunity by the Missions defense. Severino brought some hope to the game with a solo home run in the eighth inning, but it just wasn’t enough. The Surge now trail 3-1 in the series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Dayton 1 Box Score There was another pitching duel in Dayton tonight. After both pitchers shook out the icks from the first inning, and a few runs allowed, the remainder of the game became a game of creating opportunities and the Kernels created just enough to be the winner. The Kernels got to work right away in the first inning, working Dayton pitcher Julian Aguiar. Aguiar started out by walking Tanner Schobel, followed by a pair of singles to Emmanuel Rodriguez and Ben Ross. Shoebel scored on a force out from Noah Cardenas to get the Kernels on the board first at the top of the first. Another single from Noah Miller, scores Rodriguez, giving the Kernels a 2-0 lead to start the game. Raya, still working through stretching out his arm, continues to excel in every game and was the best game he’s had thus far this season. After giving up one run in the first inning, Raya shut down Dayton throughout the remainder of his appearance. Ross gave the Kernels some insurance in the third inning. With Rodriguez on first base from a walk, Ross drove a line drive deep into right field for a double, sending Rodriguez home to get the Kernels a two run lead. Rodriguez got his seventh home run of the season in the fifth inning giving the Kernels another run on the night for a 4-1 lead. Raya threw four successful innings (the most he has thrown this season) before the Kernels brought in Christian MacLeod in the fifth inning. MacLeod was immediately locked in and had one of the best relief games he has had all season. There were no other relievers for the remainder of the game. The Kernels used only two pitchers for nine innings to hold Dayton to two runs. The last inning of the game, Dayton did threaten to come back stringing together a couple of hits, and getting one run, but ultimately were unable to work around MacLeod. He ended the night pitching the most innings of the season, getting a career high nine strikeouts and his first win of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score The Mussels pitching staff stifled the Threshers offense tonight in Fort Myers, which was a win for Fort Myers in more ways than one. Tonight the Mussels broke their three game losing streak, and managed to get back in front of the Threshers. The game remained scoreless for both teams, but in the bottom of the third inning, Luis Baez and Dylan Neuse got a pair of singles to set up an opportunity to get on the board. Jorel Ortega was just the man to help with that opportunity as he sent a fly ball to deep right center scoring Baez to strike first blood. During the same play, Neuse was also coming home and got out at the plate, but it wasn’t over for the Mussels. With two outs looming and Ortega waiting patiently on third, Danny De Andrade ripped a single to center to score Ortega and give Fort Myers a 2-0 lead. Starting Pitcher Andrew Morris had a very clean first three innings, but in the top of the fourth inning, appeared to unravel slightly. He was able to get out without any damage, but in the fifth inning that all changed. The fifth inning looked a little shaky as Ricardo Rosario got a triple to right field. Emaarion Boyd got out on a fielder's choice to third baseman Rafael Cruz, who made an errant throw, allowing Rosario to score. Cruz made an errant throw to home that allowed the run to score, getting Clearwater on the board. Morris's night was done as Brian Meyer brought in Develson Aria to finish the inning and control the damage. The fifth inning for the Mussels looked very similar to the third inning with Baez (single) and Neuse (double) creating more opportunities by putting runners at second and third with no outs. After an Ortega ground out, Baez scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-1. De Andrade followed with a bloop single to right that scored Neuse to give Fort Myers a three-run lead. In the bottom of the sixth, The Mussels got in Clearwater pitcher Seth Nightingales head. The Mussels loaded the bases after Nightingale, hit Dillon Tatum, Maddux Houghton singled and then hit Luiz Baez. Neuse stepped up to the plate and Nightingale threw a wild pitch, scoring Tatum to increase the lead to 5-1. The Mussels A.J. Labas and Johnathan Lavallee came in to finish out the game and provide support, allowing the Mussels to get one more run to extend the score 6-1 and not allow any further damage from Clearwater. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 9, FCL Red Sox 11 (10 innings) Box Score Connor Prielipp got the start on the bump in his rehab assignment with FCL. Prielipp has been dealing with inflammation and right forearm soreness off and on since the beginning of April. The fact that he’s throwing live again is a good sign. In 2 2/3 innings, Prielipp struck out his first batter, Nataneal Yuten, and closed out the first inning without the Red Sox sniffing a run. His second inning looked a little different, a walk by Kevin Diaz and Albertson Asigen came back to haunt Prielipp. Prielipp closed out the inning and came back to start the third before being relieved by Owen Griffith. The good news for this team? They are full of offensive weapons and guys who love to create problems for the opposing team's pitching staff. Andres Centeno started the retaliation against Boston with his first home run this season and the first run on the board in the bottom of the second. Centeno ended the day going 3-for-5 and accounted for two of the nine RBI. Third baseman Harold Grant spent his day creating opportunities for the rest of his teammates going 4-for-5, and getting two RBI, kept Boston’s defense on their toes. Grant, just a homer short of a cycle, led that Twins with seven total bases in Friday’s game. Endy Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI.. In the seventh inning, Grant hit a triple which scored Isaac Pena home to even up the score 7-7 for the next two innings. Alex Phillips made his first rehab appearance and threw an absolute gem of an inning. He only threw five pitches, three were strikes. Julio Bonilla replaced Phillips and struggled in his first outing, giving up four runs in the sixth. A lot of back-and-forth, bats on fire and ten stolen bases between the two teams pushed the game into extra innings. Boston completely obliterated Ricardo Velez in the top of the tenth inning, scoring another four runs to pull ahead 11-7. The FCL Twins did their best to answer in the bottom of the 10th, but could only manufacture two more runs. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from the DOMINICAN DSL Twins 6, DSL Mets Blue 10 Box Score The DSL Twins team has yet to get a win in their short season. There were not as many runs as there were against the Angels on Thursday night, but they did get six runs in to stay competitive, but the Met’s pitching was on point during their Friday game. The Twins lineup had 13 strikeouts against the Mets, and a lot of offensive substitutions. The Mets got on the board first, but the Twins offense answered in the bottom of the second with a double from Javier Roman (2-for-3). Dameury Pena (2-for-4) hit a routine single to shortstop Branny De Oleo, but after Oleo fielded the ball, he had an errant throw and Roman scored to bring the score 2-1. Pena immediately stole a base, but was unable to capitalize on it. Moises Lopez hit his first double of the season. A set of doubles and a single from Carlos Silva (1-for-3), Moises Lopez (1-for-4) and Ariel Castro (1-for-3) put the Twins in a better position to close the gap, but the pitching staff was overrun by the Mets offense. Miguel Cordero made his first start of the season and his career on Friday. He pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up three earned runs, one walk and struck out five. He got the loss on the night, but his strike record looked good. Oscar Paredes relieved Cordero, going 2 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts. The final pitcher was 18-year-old Joel Garcia who also had his debut on Friday. Pitching two innings, the rookie gave up one hit but three earned runs. His biggest downfall was his control as evidenced by his five walks and no strikeouts. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Kernels) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K. Hitter of the Day – Harold Grant (FCL) - 4-for-5, 2B(1), 3B(1), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects. These are the prospects that played tonight and how they did! #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 4-for-4, R #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB,, HR(7), 3 R, RBI #4 - Edouard Julien (Saint Paul) - Did Not Play (assume he’s heading to Toronto) #5 - Connor Prielipp (FCL Rehab) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, HBP, 3 K. (51 pitches, 35 strikes) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2B(15), R #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 1-for-6, K, SB(1) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB(10) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K (90 pitches, 54 strikes) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 2-for-6, R #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR(13), R, RBI, FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Kenta Maeda (3rd rehab start, 0-0 3.60 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (2-2, 5.06 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-1, 2.42 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares (2-2, 6.225 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Mets Blue @ DSL Twins (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article