Nate Palmer

Though at least partially forced by the penuriousness of ownership, front office inactivity has put unnecessary pressure on David Festa. Image courtesy of Jason Bridge, Brad Penner After an inactive trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins had one injury circumstance that could not happen without resulting in a near-doomsday scenario. All three top starting pitchers--Pablo López, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan--needed to remain healthy for the rest of the season. As we learned late last week, the bubble they created for themselves has popped. Ryan will likely miss the rest of the regular season with a Grade 2 teres major strain. In the best-case scenario, he might be able to join the Twins sometime mid-playoff run. One thing we have learned, watching baseball, is that injuries happen, and you might as well assume that and plan for them. It appears the Twins' plan all along was to fill from within when those situations arose, and that approach has left one rookie standing in a very hot spotlight for the stretch run. David Festa made his debut on Jun. 27 in Arizona. The righthander has had plenty of excitement behind him this season, as he appears to have developed all the tools and skills to succeed at the MLB level. His first two starts, while they displayed flashes of greatness, also reflected the vagaries of a rookie pitcher. Festa was sent back to St. Paul after two starts with an ERA of 10.80. Since being inserted back in the rotation for Chris Paddack on Jul. 24, Festa has shown more of the upside that many watching him in the minors were excited about. In those four starts since returning to the majors, Festa now holds a 2.04 ERA, while limiting batters to a .188 batting average and .678 OPS. As we saw in his latest start, the home run ball may hurt him the most; he's allowed three over that stretch. What is scary down the stretch isn’t Festa’s ability. In many ways, he seems very capable of becoming the number-three (or higher) starter in the Twins rotation. What is scary is that the Twins need him to be that now, with limited regression or growing pains without Ryan in the rotation. Simeon Woods-Richardson and Louie Varland will also have pressure put on them, but they seem to remain in their perceived roles. Frankly, of that group, Festa seems to have the stuff to best replace a high-end starter like Ryan. Let’s be clear: I am rooting for Festa. If he could lock in his spot in a way that produces the sort of excitement that a healthy Francisco Liriano produced in 2006, there may be nothing better. From May 19 until getting shut down at the end of July that summer, Liriano made 14 starts, posted a 1.65 ERA, and held batters to an incredible .482 OPS--all while striking out 105 batters, or 30.1% of the batters he faced. The amazing thing is, Festa is knocking on the door to match some of those numbers. Even with the bad starts, Festa has a 27.5% strikeout rate. He's a talent on par with Liriano, though a bit less of a phenom. Maybe these are the scars of a Twins fan coming through, but there is also a dark side to this reliance on a rookie. It can beget the volatility he's shown and the risk of regression--or, as was the case with Liriano, a pressure that resulted in injury and complete unavailability for the playoffs. The Twins certainly have more pitching talent in their organization than I can ever remember. As we have screamed since the offseason, there is no backup plan to these young pitchers, leaving a lot of pressure on young and rookie pitchers. Right now, most of that pressure seems to be landing on Festa. Biomechanically, more pressure doesn't mean a greater injury risk. Statistically, more pressure doesn't mean a greater risk of failure. Because we are all humans, though, and because Festa is, neither biomechanics nor statistics are necessarily going to carry the day. View full article

The Minnesota Twins bats, sparked by Willi Castro and Royce Lewis home runs, led the Twins to an important series-opening win against fellow wild-card contender Kansas City Royals. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (96 pitches, 71 strikes (73.9%) Home Runs: Willi Castro (9), Royce Lewis (15) Top 3 WPA: Willi Castro (0.251), Royce Lewis (0.156), Austin Martin (0.088) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off of a series split with the team the Minnesota Twins are chasing in the standings, the Twins open up a series with a team chasing them in the Kansas City Royals. Pablo Lopez needs to show up as the rotation leader and stop the two-game losing streak. The lineup will also need to show up and find a way to get some hits off of Brady Singer, enjoying a good pitching stretch. Bobby Witt Jr. – still annoying More honestly, Bobby Witt Jr. is really good at baseball. He has quickly joined the prominent list of annoyingly good players that have played for Kansas City. Witt gave Lopez first-hand experience as to why pitchers do not want to fall behind in the count to him. Behind 1-0, Lopez tried to throw a sweeper by Witt. Instead Witt deposited it in the left field bleachers for his 23rd home run and a Royals 1-0 lead. The second inning didn’t stall out the Royals offense. With two outs, the Royals had runners on first and second and Kyle Isbel at the plate. The Royals are all the league leaders in average with runners in scoring position so it was no surprise when Isbel lined a single to bring Frazier home to increase the lead to 2-0. 2nd Inning wake-up call The Twins bats seemed to have been asleep after leaving the bases loaded Sunday to end the game and striking out three times to begin Monday’s game. The second inning must have been what the lineup needed. Singer got the Twins to two outs, but with their backs against the wall, the Minnesota bats got going. Carlos Santana walked, Ryan Jeffers singled, and Austin Martin drove in Santana with his own single to shorten the lead to 2-1. Willi Castro wasn’t ready for the Twins to take the field and extended the inning by smashing his ninth home run to give the Twins a 4-2 lead. Trevor Larnach came to bat with empty bases and sent a single just to the right of the second base bag. Then the Twins own annoyingly good player, Royce Lewis, came to the plate. He missed what looked to be the pitch to hit at one point in the at-bat but then got another one that he launched off the second deck facing for his 15th home run and a 6-2 Twins lead. Pablo battles through As has been a bit more the norm than the Twins would like, Lopez didn’t have his best stuff Monday but worked with what he did have to give the Twins a chance. What may have been the most impressive stretch on the night for Pablo was the way he responded to the Twins, giving him the 6-2 lead. He responded with two innings in a row, sending down the Royals lineup 1-2-3. The performance put Lopez in line for a milestone Monday night as he reached 50 career wins. Congratulations Pablo Lopez! Fireman Griffin Jax As Pablo exited, Griffin Jax was turned to in the seventh as the Royals 9,1,2 batters were due up. That second spot in the Royals lineup is occupied by none other than Witt. Showing off how good Jax has been this season as Rocco Baldelli turns to him against a crucial stretch of the Royals lineup. Jax would surrender a single to Isbel but then record an out with the next three batters, including forcing Witt into a fielder’s choice groundout. Bats pour on The Twins bats made sure to give the Twins bullpen as comfortable of a lead as they could. In the seventh inning, the game quickly turned from a save situation to not as Larnach and Lewis reached ahead of Matt Wallner. Wallner would single to score Larnach and allow Lewis to advance to third. Manuel Margot, who entered the game for Byron Buxton who was dealing with hip discomfort, hit a sacrifice fly to bring Lewis home for a Twins 8-3 lead. Blewett makes Twins debut Against his former team, Scott Blewett made his Twins debut in the ninth inning Monday evening. Blewett struck out Isbel, who had made plenty of noise throughout the game. He also ended the game by retiring three Royals batters in a row. What’s Next? On Tuesday, the Twins will face off against Royals All-Star Seth Lugo. The Royals right-handed starter is having a career year, leading the league in innings pitched with a 2.72 ERA. Twins fans will have the opportunity to take in the much-anticipated start of another rookie pitcher, Zebby Matthews. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Thielbar 0 20 0 32 0 52 Dobnak 0 0 0 51 0 51 Richards 0 9 0 0 25 34 Alcalá 0 16 0 15 0 31 Winder 0 0 29 0 0 29 Sands 0 18 0 9 0 27 Jax 0 12 0 0 12 24 Blewett 0 0 0 0 15 15 Durán 0 14 0 0 0 14 View full article

Good catch. I am trying to get over a summer cold and will blame the medications being deployed for the miss.

David Festa set the Minnesota Twins on solid footing with his career-high nine strikeouts in five innings. His start put the Twins on cruise control to a win in Chicago Monday evening. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: David Festa: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K (82 pitches, 51 strikes (62.2%) Home Runs: Manuel Margot (4) Top 3 WPA: David Festa (0.291), Manuel Margot (0.089), Jhoan Duran (0.089) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After the Minnesota Twins made life miserable for the Chicago White Sox, handing them their 18th, 19th, and 20th straight losses, they looked to continue to frustrate Chicago baseballers, this time up close and personal. The Twins look to collect some wins on the north side of Chicago this time. Opening up a series with the Chicago Cubs, they were hunting some momentum to carry into a pair of big divisional series lurking behind it. The Twins' bats faced off with Kyle Hendricks and a heavy dose of off-speed stuff. While Hendricks has struggled in 2024, he began the game well, able to neutralize the Twins offense well enough to get through the first two innings scoreless. In the third, the Twins got movement on the basepaths. Willi Castro walked, and then Trevor Larnach singled to put runners on first and third. Royce Lewis was next to the plate and lofted a Hendricks changeup to center field with enough distance to score Castro on a sacrifice fly. Missed Opportunity The Twins almost scored at least one more run, to make it 2-0. With Larnach on first and Matt Wallner at the plate, the latter launched a ball to right-center up and into the wind blowing in from the outfield. Pete Crow-Armstrong lost the ball in the air, and instead of making the final out, the ball dropped to the grass. While the Cubs made their mistake, the Twins made their own. With two outs in the inning, instead of running the bases and hoping for a dropped or bobbled catch as it happened, Larnach paused at second base. That resulted in a delayed sprint home, where he was easily tagged out for the third out of the inning. Festa hits career mark David Festa came out of the gates firing well, and finished that way, too. On the broadcast, it was mentioned that the Twins are looking for Festa to begin taking steps in pitching well into the second time through the order. Monday evening, the rookie was able to do that. At the end of five frames, Festa had punched out a career-high nine batters, including a big one at the end of the fifth on which he generated a swing and miss from Ian Happ with two runners on base. That whiff to end Festa’s outing was one of 14 that the righthander induced. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. Margot goes deep Also in the fifth inning, Manuel Margot added to the Twins' lead with a solo home run, doubling the advantage. The home run was Margot’s fourth of the season and his first off of a right-handed pitcher. Martin flashes the leather We may not know how big of an impact this play truly had on the game, because it didn't feel like a dangerous situation. Austin Martin's play was fun to watch, though, and it needs a shout-out. He and Carlos Santana both exhibited great glove work. What’s Next? In the second game of the series, Pablo Lopez will take the mound for the Twins. Lopez is in a stretch of four games where he has allowed two runs or less and will look to keep that up against the Cubs. The Cubs will counter with Shota Imanaga, who is having an excellent first season in the MLB. The All-Star brings with him a 3.09 ERA to the mound Tuesday. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Alcalá 0 6 0 23 9 38 Jax 0 8 14 0 13 35 Sands 0 0 0 33 0 33 Richards 0 9 0 22 0 31 Dobnak 0 0 0 25 0 25 Durán 0 0 6 0 15 21 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 15 15 Winder 0 0 11 0 0 11 View full article

The Minnesota Twins lost a game that they will want to flush and forget. Nothing went well, but we did get to see Matt Wallner showcase his mid-40s slider. Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Simeon Woods Richardson: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (81 pitches, 52 strikes (64.2%)) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (15) Bottom 3 WPA: Woods Richardson (-0.365), Royce Lewis (-0.072), Willi Castro (-0.064) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Monday evening, the Minnesota Twins looked to continue climbing to catch the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. Trade deadline rumors and deals had been flying around all day, and the Twins lineup would look to settle in against Mets left-handed starter José Quintana. Margot and Buxton combine early The Twins have been very successful against left-handed pitching this season, sporting a .778 OPS, the third-best in Major League Baseball. That success flashed early, as Manuel Margot led off the game with a double off of Quintana. Byron Buxton followed him, hitting a single to the outfield, giving Margot enough time to round third and score the game's first run. This put the Twins up 1-0 before an out was recorded. That 1-0 score held for some time, too, as Quintana and Simeon Woods Richardson battled each other half-inning after half-inning. Woods Richardson didn’t start completely clean in his first inning of work, but he did put up a scoreless frame, thanks in big part to strikeouts of Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. Alonso brings the ice. The pitching duel quickly lost that feel in the fourth inning. With Alonso at the plate again, the right-handed hitter took a Woods Richardson fastball for an upper-deck ride to right field. The home run was the Polar Bear's 22nd of the season, and it left the field with a 105.6 mph exit velocity. That home run now looks like it was the beginning of the end for Woods Richardson. Instead of big, impressive hits like Alonso’s home run, the rest of the inning was a collection of primarily walks and singles that kept runners moving and scoring. It wouldn’t be until the eighth batter, Brandon Nimmo, came to the plate that Woods Richardson recorded the first out of the inning. It was a sacrifice fly that made the score 5-1. That would be the only out Woods Richardson would record in the fourth, before he was taken out of the game in favor of Cole Sands. By the end of the inning, it was 6-1, and the Twins' bats were looking at a large deficit to overcome. With the game largely out of hand in the fourth, it was turned over to the bullpen. Sands was the first arm out, and did a decent job trying to slow and stop the scoring. He did allow some inherited runners but was able to stop the bleeding for the moment. After Sands, Josh Staumont, Steven Okert, and Brock Stewart had a series of rough outings. Stewart is maybe the hardest to see hit for runs, as the Twins desperately need him to be his old self for the stretch run. The game got far enough out of hand (14-1 Mets lead) that fans were treated to a position player pitching in the seventh inning. Matt Wallner came on to close out the frame. It makes some sense as Wallner was nearly a pitching prospect instead of a hitting prospect. I don’t think teams were enthralled by the 42-47 mph slider Wallner threw Monday evening. To their credit, the Twins have never been a team to make irrational, knee-jerk reactions. With the trade deadline looming, the front office may use Woods-Richardson's rough start and the bullpen's rough performance as motivation to strike a deal before time runs out. Ryan Jeffers Homers It may feel strange to celebrate a ninth-inning home run that makes the score 15-2. Ryan Jeffers needed something positive to happen at the plate. After being robbed of that moment in the sixth, Jeffers connected for his 15th home run as the game was winding down. A jolt in Jeffers's bat would be similar to acquiring a thumping right-handed bat via trade. What’s Next? The Twins will send David Festa to the mound once again on Tuesday. We will have to see if the rookie can continue to build on his strong 4.1 inning and seven-strikeout outing against the Phillies this past Wednesday. The Twins bats will look to get rolling against Sean Manaea, who has pitched 106 innings for a 3.74 ERA in 2024. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Staumont 0 17 21 0 35 73 Stewart 0 0 18 0 24 42 Thielbar 0 16 0 25 0 41 Okert 0 0 21 0 13 34 Sands 0 0 0 0 23 23 Durán 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jax 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alcalá 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

A depleted lineup and the best team in baseball was the recipe for success for the Twins Monday night. Bailey Ober controlled a dangerous Phillies lineup while the offense strung together hits for a 7-2 win. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (83 pitches, 58 strikes (69.8%) Home Runs: N/A Top 3 WPA: Bailey Ober (0.198), Diego A. Castillo (0.188), Carlos Santana(0.106) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a tough two-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Twins limped into Monday night’s matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies and the best record in baseball. While the Phillies seemingly field an All-Star at every position, the Twins, riddled with injuries, field a much different lineup than they would like to against a team of Philly's ability. Harper strikes first The rain delay didn’t affect the Phillies' quest to be tuned and ready to play baseball. After a quick out from Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner reached on a single, and then Bryce Harper came to the plate at his first Target Field at-bat. He celebrated the moment by taking a Bailey Ober cutter deep to give the Phillies an early 2-0 lead. Ober Rebounds Strong Ober almost gave up another home run to Harper in his next at-bat, but besides that, the right-hander really found his groove. The hope after an early home run like that would be to keep your team in the game simply; Ober took that sentiment to a level higher than that. At one point, Ober put away 12 Phillies batters in a row. That outing gave even the depleted Twins lineup a great chance to get back in the game after the early deficit. After a losing weekend, it was also the sort of losing streak-ending performance that the Twins needed. Third Inning Small Ball With so much of the regular lineup missing, it would be interesting to see where the Twins would find offense against a quality pitcher like Ranger Suarez. Suarez was cruising well for the first two innings until the bottom of the Twins lineup set up the offense to score. Diego A. Castillo took a one-out walk to give the Twins their second runner of the game. Manuel Margot followed up Castillo’s walk with a single. Ryan Jeffers grounded out into a fielder’s choice, which put runners on first and second. Finally, Willi Castro punched through a single to bring home Castillo and cut the Phillies lead down to one. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Fifth Inning, Second Verse-Same as the First The turning over of the lineup from the bottom to the top produced for the Twins, starting with Max Kepler in the fifth. In the lefty-on-lefty matchup, Kepler hit for a single. Castillo followed up, this time with a short bloop to right field that bounced off the netting for a ground rule double. Margot and the top of the lineup then came around with no outs. Manny slapped his own single to right field to score both Kepler and Castillo, putting the Twins up on the Phillies 3-2. Doubles, Doubles, Doubles As the Phillies took Suarez out of the game just shy of 80 pitches as they try and continue to manage his back, the Twins bats were able to get a little louder. In the seventh inning, Jeffers hit a double, and Santana wanted to stand on second again, so he hit his own double to plate Jeffers. Then again, in the eighth inning, Trevor Larnach also hit his double after entering the game by pinch-hitting earlier for Jair Camargo. Larnach’s double would also set the table for a Twins insurance run. Larnach was lifted for Austin Martin’s speed, and a Kepler single was enough to bring Martin in to score. Giving the Twins a 5-3 lead. The eighth continued with a series of walks and singles and even a wild pitch, adding to the Twins insurance. After nine batters made it to the plate in the inning, the home team could go into the ninth with a 7-2 lead and keep the ball in Cole Sands' hand. This game is just a win in the middle of July. It feels like a statement win after struggling out of the break against the Brewers and being down Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Jose Miranda. Castillo was a big part of that win, and he is a guy who is most likely to run out of a spot on the roster quickly as the names above get healthy. What’s Next? The run on high-quality Phillies starters will continue on Tuesday as Zack Wheeler takes the ball. Wheeler will bring a bit more velocity than Suarez and a 2.70 ERA for the Twins to try and figure out. The Twins will counter with rookie Simeon Woods-Richardson, who will be tested to keep the Phillies sluggers quiet. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Sands 0 0 10 0 30 40 Alcalá 0 0 17 16 0 33 Jax 0 0 14 15 0 29 Staumont 0 0 20 0 0 20 Thielbar 0 0 0 16 0 16 Durán 0 0 12 0 0 12 Okert 0 0 11 0 0 11 Henríquez 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

It took extra innings, but the Twins bats picked up where they left off for much of the weekend. Three home runs and Brooks Lee in the clutch helped get the Twins the win in 11 innings in Chicago. They're 8-0 against the woeful White Sox this year. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Sports Box Score SP: Chris Paddack: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (78 pitches, 54 strikes (69.2%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (9), Matt Wallner (2), Carlos Correa (12) Top 3 WPA: Jhoan Duran (0.313), Byron Buxton (0.297), Kody Funderburk (0.203) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After taking a series from the Houston Astros over the weekend, the Minnesota Twins welcomed Chris Paddack back to the mound; Sean Aronson to the radio booth; and Marney Gellner on the television side, all in grand fashion. Larnach Makes It 26 Straight It didn’t take long for the Twins to put themselves in the run column. Squaring up a Chris Flexen curveball Trevor Larnach hit his ninth home run of the season. That solo shot into the bullpen also extends the Twins game with a home run streak to 26 games. Max Kepler and Byron Buxton kept the scoring going in the fourth inning. After Kepler hit his 16th double on the season with two outs in the inning, Buxton came in right behind him, replacing Kepler at second base with his 17th double and putting the Twins up 2-1. Kepler’s double had career significance as it was the 200th double of his career. Brooks Lee was looking to keep his career headed in a great start and nearly continued the scoring for the Twins. Lee hit his own line drive but was robbed by White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez. Rest Seemed to do Paddack Good Chris Paddack returned to the team after some time on the IL to deal with his arm as he continues through his first full season since Tommy John surgery. For most of the game, Paddack was doing well. His velocity was back where it had been, and he worked through the White Sox lineup out side of two instances. In both instances, Paddack had the batter at a 0-2 count with two outs in the inning. Martin Maldanado hit a home run to put the White Sox on the board in the third inning. Then, in the fifth, Corey Julks doubled to score Lopez from first base. Paddak’s performance took him five complete innings before he handed the ball off to the bullpen. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. Okert Struggles in 6th Steven Okert was the first man up out of the bullpen, and it simply did not go well. He hit his first batter faced in Andrew Benintendi. That followed up with an Andrew Vaughn double to put runners on second and third. Okert got Luis Robert Jr. to strike out, ending the left-hander's evening. The Twins turned to Josh Staumont, who has pitched well in low-leverage spots and now would get the chance to get the Twins out of a jam. That isn’t quite what would happen. An Eloy Jimenez single, Lopez single, and a Ryan Jeffers throwing error brought the White Sox quickly ahead of the Twins 5-2. Twins Fight Back The Twins offense wouldn’t let things end there. Buxton hit his second double on the night. Lee followed up with a single after getting robbed earlier in the game to score Buxton. Lee now has a hit in each of his six games played. Wallner, as part of his welcome back to the big leagues, hit a home run to score Lee. Just like that, the game was tied again, 5-5. The offense was not ready to settle for a tie. Carlos Correa came up to bat and took White Sox reliever Jordan Leasure deep for his 12th home run. Leasure did his part in the seventh to help the Twins forget about the Okert, who showed up in the sixth. White Sox Wouldn’t Go Away Unfortunately, the White Sox just wouldn’t go away. With Griffin Jax on the mound, Robert Jr. would walk, steal second, and reach third on a wild pitch. Led the way for Lopez to show up again and hit a double to score Robert Jr. and tie the game up again at 6-6. That took the game into extra innings. The Twins could not do anything in the tenth and sent Jhoan Duran to the mound to keep the game alive. After intentionally walking Eloy Jimenez, it got a little scary for a moment, with runners at first and second, but Duran was able to extend the game to the eleventh inning. In the eleventh, the Twins bats were ready to go as left-handed reliever Jared Shuster took the mound. Buxton singled, then so did Lee to score Kepler and put the Twins ahead 7-6. The single not only scored Kepler but also allowed Buxton to move to third. This development proved critical, as Manuel Margot was able to ground out, but it was still enough to get Buxton home and pad the Twins' lead 8-6. Just as it was drawn up, Kody Funderburk would be called upon to get the Twins the win and collect his own save. Facing the 7-8-9 spots in the lineup, that is exactly what would happen. The Twins would hope not to have to get those kind of wins against a club like the White Sox, but it is certainly better than those sort of losses. What’s Next? Bailey Ober will take the mound for the Twins and look to continue his stretch of good pitching into the All-Star Break. The White Sox will send likely trade deadline target, Erick Fedde to the mound. Fedde seems to have bad games when he pitches against good lineups, but last time facing the Twins on April 23rd he held the Twins to one run. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Sands 14 0 28 0 0 42 Jax 0 0 0 16 23 39 Funderburk 0 26 0 0 12 38 Alcalá 0 24 2 0 9 35 Durán 0 0 0 22 13 35 Staumont 0 0 0 9 15 24 Thielbar 0 0 9 0 14 23 Okert 0 0 0 0 8 8 View full article

The Twins offense may need to be addressed at the trade deadline if the team wants to make a playoff run. We already examined the outfield needs and now we turn our attention to the infield. Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports Earlier this week, we dove into where the Minnesota Twins can upgrade their lineup in the outfield. Now, we need to take a look at any existing holes in the infield. This past weekend and into this week have been a great example of how quickly the outlook of a position group can change with as little as one player regaining healthy status. One thing the infield group has going for them is a healthy Carlos Correa, who is performing more like the MVP-caliber player the Twins believed they were signing when everyone else was balking at his medicals. He is playing his usual stellar defense while hitting .252/.327/.430 and a .758 OPS. Those offensive numbers are below where Correa should be but not so alarmingly low that they create a crater as he is placed in the lineup each and every day. Royce Lewis returned Tuesday night to take his rightful spot at third base. As he loves to do, he returned with fanfare, collecting two walks and his second home run of the season. If Lewis and Correa are healthy, the Twins left side of the infield should be in good shape the rest of the way. That said, this is where the team needs to look to improve. Second Base Second base making this list is a surprise when considering how the position was widely viewed coming into the season. Since the beginning of the season, Edouard Julien has struggled mightily and was the move to make room for Royce Lewis to return to the MLB roster. Last season, Julien hit for a .839 OPS. His OPS has dropped significantly to .676 this season. I don’t need to go into detail here as his struggles have been examined and scrutinized already, but this now becomes a position that needs answers. Julien’s demotion left the Twins turning to Willi Castro to start at second in the first game without Julien. As discussed with the outfield mix, it may be time for Castro to have a starting role. What is tough now is Castro appears to be needed potentially at second, in left field, and as a utility player. Last I checked, there is only one Willi Castro, and he can’t be the answer everywhere. Now would be an excellent time for Kyle Farmer to shake off his ugly start of .163/.274/.239 and a .513 OPS. He is still best suited as a bench or platoon player, but for the short term, he could really help out the Twins lineup if he could be trusted to play second regularly. First Base/DH Technically, first base and designated hitter should be the easiest holes for any team to fill. They are at the lowest end of the defensive spectrum (or require no defense), and often, the goal is to find a player who can hit and play enough defense at first base to contribute positively. This offseason, the Twins emphasized the position's defensive side and signed Carlos Santana. Santana has carried a bulk of the load at first base in 2024, but his bat overall has yet to follow. His season numbers sit at .222/.304/.397 with a .701 OPS. Santana has shown improvement. In May, he improved to a .735 OPS, and in a young June, he is sitting at 1.043 OPS. For the Twins, designated hitter functions best in a rotation as a day of rest from the field for some of the team's better bats or oft-injured players. Because of the lack of production from some players, Ryan Jeffers has been used heavily at DH and still sits at the top of games played at the position with 24. Trevor Larnach (20 games), Alex Kirilloff (12), and Byron Buxton (6) are the following most prominent players to rotate through that spot. If it weren’t for Jeffers, the DH production would be ugly. The new wrinkle in this mix adds intrigue to how to move forward at this position: Jose Miranda. In a ripple effect move to Lewis being healthy, Miranda needs a new home, and both first base and DH could be just that for him. Backup Catcher Christian Vazquez is a joy to watch defensively. There have been a few times this year when he has thrown out potential base runners, and it has been nothing short of awesome. His bat has proven the Lego Movie song very wrong. He is part of a team, and it has not been awesome. With Vazquez’s contract, there may be nothing the Twins can realistically do about this spot unless they are willing to carry three catchers. Undoubtedly, the Twins would like to see Vazquez’s .169/.194/.237 and .431 OPS drastically change or be replaced by someone with better batting numbers. Injury Reinforcements: Lewis was the big name on this list less than a week ago. Now that he is back, the Twins are healthy at these positions. Minor League Promotions: Brooks Lee Brooks Lee recently returned from injury and is the prized promotion for the Twins infield mix. He was very desired when Correa and Lewis went down this year and certainly would have been a call-up if he was healthy. The next player to get a crack at the Twin's primary second baseman job may be a race between Lee and Julien. Lee is doing his job thus far in five games at Triple-A, batting .450/.476/.550 with a 1.026 OPS. Jair Camargo Jair Camargo was up with the Twins for a moment this season, and while he didn’t produce much at the plate in his two games of action, don’t let that fool you into thinking he can’t hit. Camargo has a .917 OPS in the minors this year, and last season had a .826 OPS with Triple-A St. Paul. Camargo is rehabbing on his way back from injury but is the Twin's answer to backup catcher whenever they make that move. Michael Helman It feels like Helman’s name continues to come up as a guy who could but just has never quite gotten a call-up. Julien and Lee are certainly ahead of him as long as they are healthy, but Helman’s .261/.357/.466 slash line, .823 OPS, and eight home runs make him intriguing. Coming into the season, I would have expected to be writing Yunior Severino or Chris Williams’ name here, but they have been unable to follow up their powerful 2023 campaigns in the same way in 2024. View full article

As has been well documented this far into the 2024 season, the Minnesota Twins offense has been all over the performance spectrum. As school closes for summer, we hit prime trade deadline speculation territory. To consider trade options well, let’s first look at where the Twins may need upgrades before making a stretch run to October and whether there are any in-house options. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports Today, we will start by looking at the outfield mix and any improvements that could be made. Later, we will do the same with the Twins' infield mix. The Michael A. Taylor Role Last season, Michael A. Taylor filled a vital role for the Twins as Byron Buxton could not roam center field. Going into the 2024 season, there was always hope that Buxton would return to being the primary center fielder, and thankfully, outside of a quick IL trip, that has been the case. Injuries and Buxton are always a possibility, and the Twins front office recognizes that. Instead of re-signing Taylor, Manuel Margot was acquired to fill that role. While I, for one, was originally excited about this as a plan B, it has been pretty ugly thus far. Margot was competing for the worst team fWAR at -0.3 and was tied with fellow veteran Christian Vazquez for that title until this weekend when Margot got “better,” and Vazquez dropped further into the negatives. That fWAR has been accumulated by the veteran outfielder in 52 games, where he has slashed .209/.279/.264. As one can imagine, it only gets worse the further we dig into the numbers, such as a .542 OPS, a 58 OPS+, and a 61 wRC+. The hope had been for Margot to help the Twins when facing lefties, and while that split is better with a .715 OPS, it doesn’t feel good enough to overshadow the rest of his performance. That includes his normally good fielding. So far this season, Margot has a -2 Outs Above Average. At this point, Willi Castro has been trusted as the primary backup center fielder. Buxton has the clear hold on most action in center for the Twins, with Castro coming in second with 19 games in center field. Solidify Left Field Coming into the season, there was a clear path (barring health) to who would play center field (Buxton) and right field (Max Kepler). Left field, on the other hand, wasn’t as clear. Instead of clarity, there was a variety of options. Now, entering June, that clarity isn’t much better. Matt Wallner had the opportunity to grab hold of the position first, but after struggling, he was demoted to St. Paul and has yet to rebound. While Margot has not been trusted in center, he has seen 30 games in left. From there, the others to get time in left include Alex Kirilloff (19), Austin Martin (16), Castro (15), and Laranch (8). Currently, if the Twins were to run out their best lineup, it likely includes Castro as the starting left fielder. Maybe we are at a point where we need to trust that Castro deserves to be the everyday starting left fielder with his .775 OPS. Is that truly the mix the Twins want for the outfield going further? Certainly, the team may consider whether a more natural left fielder instead of a utility player would be better for the long haul. Injury Reinforcements: Often, a team can answer midseason needs by players simply regaining their health. On the major league roster, there aren’t any options like that in the Twins' outfield. Kepler and Buxton have both returned to the lineup after their IL trips. There could be a ripple effect that once Royce Lewis returns, Castro will be that much more available for outfield duties. Minor League Promotions: There are a few more minor leaguers who could be promoted to help at some point this summer. Austin Martin Martin has already seen some action with the Twins this season. His usage seemed strange at best. Outside of the power component, Martin is the player who could be perfect as a fourth outfielder and backup center fielder and fill that Taylor role from last season. The Twins didn’t seem to want to use him that way in his initial run in the majors this season, and Martin’s .224 average and .644 OPS didn’t force their hand to either. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Keirsey is approaching a point where he may have earned himself a chance to play in the big leagues. Defensively, he is fully capable of playing any of the outfield positions. While he would add another lefty to the Twins lineup, he has also been producing at the plate in 2024. Keirsey has a line of .302/.390/.538 as he has suited up for St. Paul this season. Emmanuel Rodriguez This big swing likely has a slim possibility of happening without a stop at Triple-A St. Paul first. Rodriguez has been destroying Double-A with a 1.079 OPS and seems more than ready for a new challenge. As a top-three prospect in the Twins system, the promotion of Rodriguez to the majors would bring the same sort of excitement that promoting Royce Lewis did last season. View full article

It was a mild, cool Memorial Day, but Joe Ryan brought the heat and the bullpen made fans sweat late as the Twins defeated the Royals 6-5. Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (99 pitches, 68 strikes (68.7%) Home Runs: José Miranda (5), Trevor Larnach (4) Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (0.294), José Miranda (0.167), Trevor Larnach (0.111) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) As the United States paused to remember those who gave their life for our country, the Minnesota Twins played a game proving why baseball is America’s pastime. With the Kansas City Royals in town, this series can have significant ramifications when the season ends in an already very competitive American League Central. Miranda Continues to Provide Power As the Twins came to bat in the third inning, there hadn’t been anything in the way of offense outside of a Bobby Witt Jr. single. The Twins' first hit came off of the struggling bat of Edouard Julien, who almost seemed to fight off a pitch to an open hole down the third base line. Up to Julien’s hit, Alec Marsh had been perfect. After Julien knocked perfection off Marsh’s Monday afternoon resume, Jose Miranda obliterated the shutout from that same resume. In the next at-bat, Miranda took a 96 mph sinker 437 feet at 107.4 mph for his fifth home run on the season. Taking the Twins to a loud 2-0 lead. As Larnach Launches Come the fifth inning, the Twins continued to get to Marsh. It started with walks by both Willi Castro and Julien. Those walks would sure haunt. That haunting came to bear on the barrel of Trevor Larnach’s bat. Larnach took his turn, taking Marsh deep out, doing Miranda in both distance and exit velocity, and giving a dominant performance from Joe Ryan a 5-0 lead. The 6th inning was the first glimpse at Ryan looking human. With Maikel Garcia on base, Bobby Witt Jr. singled his way on for his second hit of the game and to put two runners on the basepaths. Witt was the one Royals batter to have significant success against Ryan, which makes sense as Witt is becoming one of those division rivals who is a long-term thorn in the Twins' side. He already boasts a .869 OPS in his young career when facing the Twins. Vinnie Pasquantino would put the finishing touches on a run-scoring opportunity by hitting a single and scoring Garcia. Ryan would keep the damage to just one run by striking out Salvador Perez to end the sixth inning. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Ryan’s Overall Dominance Ryan was throwing some of his best stuff all Monday, holding off the Royals' offense and striking them out nine times. This included 15 swings and misses, which kept the visiting team's bats off balance. Outside of the one run scored, Ryan was only off-balance when he almost toppled over in the fifth inning. That is the sort of blunder that we can exchange for a performance like he had on Monday. After Monday’s outing, Ryan brought his season-long ERA below three to 2.96 in his 11 starts. He has also collected 73 strikeouts as he has been a bright spot in the Twins rotation. One blip on the Twins' radar Monday came to the bullpen. As the Twins extended their lead, an attempt was made to save some of the top arms later in the week. Cole Sands was unable to fulfill those duties. Instead, Jhoan Duran was called on to get the final out and the save. Duran and the defense behind him didn’t equal a sure thing. The Royals capitalized on a pair of infield hits and an errant throw from Castro to bring themselves within one run of the Twins. Thankfully, all of Twins Territory exhaled as Duran fielded a short grounder and flipped it to first for the final out. A game that should be remembered for Joe Ryan’s performance will also be remembered for a near meltdown. In the end, it counts the same in the win column. Wins are what the Twins need to continue to collect this week against the Royals. What’s Next? With the opportunity to win the first two games of an important series, the Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound. The Royals will counter with Cole Ragans, who can be a tough lefty against any lineup. The Twins will look to keep their bats going like they were Monday afternoon. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Durán 0 15 8 0 15 38 Alcalá 0 0 0 38 0 38 Sands 0 0 22 0 16 38 Jax 0 10 0 0 13 23 Staumont 0 0 0 19 0 19 Thielbar 0 12 0 0 0 12 Okert 0 5 0 0 0 5 View full article

The Twins' woes continued Monday. Pablo Lopez's worst start of the season pushed the team's losing streak to seven, and the offense continues to struggle. Image courtesy of © Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Pablo Lopez: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (74 pitches, 55 strikes (74.3%) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Pablo Lopez (-0.297), Christian Vazquez (-0.061), Manuel Margot (-0.053) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After being swept in two straight series against the Yankees and Guardians, the Twins enter Monday night desperately needing a win. With Pablo Lopez on the mound, it seemed the perfect time to get back on track as they opened up against the Washington Nationals. The Twins would strike first, but only with some missed opportunities blemishing the effort. In the second inning, following a Byron Buxton single, Willi Castro sent a double to left field. As Buxton was using his speed to get from first to third, it looked like he was beginning to slow down until getting what must have been a surprise wave home. That hesitation was enough to result in Buxton getting thrown out at home. Thankfully, on the next at-bat with Kyle Farmer at the plate, the Twins would bring Castro home to make it 1-0. For a team that has struggled to score runs in stretches, it is worth wondering what could have happened if Buxton had been full speed the whole way? Washington Brings the Bats On a night when the Twins missed an opportunity to get their offense going early, the Nationals got theirs rolling. In the second inning, the Nationals got on the board first with a two-run home run from Luis Garcia Jr. With another home run two innings later, Jesse Winker hit a solo shot to make it 3-1. It was the fifth inning when the Nationals extended their lead to 7-1. The inning was less explosive than others but showcased the Nationals putting runners on base and moving them around. The RBI producers were singles by Jacob Young, Joey Meneses, and Garcia Jr.. While Lopez produced five strikeouts against the Nationals offense, they found many different ways to put runs on the board against the Twins top starter. Mitchell Parker Flashes Nationals rookie Mitchell Parker started his seventh game of 2024. Coming into the matchup with the Twins, Parker had a 3.09 ERA, 129 ERA+, 2.0 BB/9, and a 7.0 K/9. The numbers have not painted Parker as a strikeout pitcher, but he looked like one against the Twins Monday night. That would have been normal last season, but this season, the Twins have been less prone to the strikeout, and they still fell victim seven times when facing Parker. The Twins, specifically Carlos Correa, were able to get to Parker late. After former Twin and National Denard Span called a Carlos Correa home run on a Parker breaking ball pre-game, Correa delivered in the sixth inning with a 2-run blast. The home run was the shortstop's third for the season. The Twins did leave runners on base in the sixth, which would have come back to haunt them if the game was closer. Thielbar Struggles Caleb Thielbar was the first arm out of the bullpen for the Twins. After allowing runs in appearance early to Thielbar’s start to the season, the left-hander had been getting the job done as of late. Monday night was not a continuation of that. Instead, he gave up three runs, three hits, and two walks. Some of the defensive plays around him did not help either. Namely, Vazquez made a throw down to third, which hit the runner Young in the back. This allowed Young to score, Eddie Rosario to head home, and eventually score, as the veteran catcher was not able to corral the throw home to attempt and apply a tag. Caleb Boushley Debut Caleb Boushley debuted for the Twins after getting the call after Jay Jackson was DFA’d. Boushley’s first inning went as smoothly as one could hope. The right-hander faced the minimum and collected a strikeout. The next inning got rocky. Boushley almost got out of the inning with another zero, but he couldn’t put Rosario away, resulting in the Nationals extending their lead to 12-3. What’s Next? With a seven-game losing streak, Joe Ryan will take the mound for the Twins to try and bring a stop to the bleeding. The Nationals will send veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin to the mound. We can fully expect Rocco Baldelli to counter with a right-handed heavy lineup to try and get the offense going early. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Funderburk 0 0 38 0 0 38 Boushley 0 0 0 0 31 31 Thielbar 9 0 0 0 21 30 Durán 0 10 0 14 0 24 Sands 18 0 0 0 0 18 Okert 6 11 0 0 0 17 Jax 0 9 0 0 0 9 Staumont 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

With the win streak at seven, the Twins grinded out a win to extend the string to eight. It took a Santana home run, Kepler RBI single, and big relief appearances from Jax and Thielbar to secure the win. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (86 pitches, 59 strikes (68.6%) Home Runs: Carlos Santana (4) Top 3 WPA: Caleb Thielbar (0.164), Joe Ryan (0.164), Max Kepler (0.122) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Riding a seven-game win streak, the Minnesota Twins received good news as Carlos Correa was activated and started the game Monday. Of course, one player's good news often results in the opposite for someone else. That someone was Austin Martin, who was sent back to St. Paul to make room for Correa. The Twins faced off against Garret Crochet once again, whom they were only allowed to go 4.0 innings and scored five runs against back on April 24th. The Crochet that came out Monday didn’t look like that version of the left-hander. Instead, he looked much more like the version that opened the season. Included in Crochet's opening few starts were 7.0 IP, 1 ER, and 8 K’s against the dangerous Atlanta Braves. In a puzzling move, the White Sox did pull Crochet early. This was a welcome sight for Twins batters, as he pitched five innings and struck out seven. The White Sox offense also looked much different early in the game. Chicago has been struggling with fastballs and got to Joe Ryan’s fastball early and often. Nicky Lopez singled sharply up the middle, setting up an Andrew Vaugn RBI double. Before the end of the inning, Vaughn would score on a double-play ball that would put the Sox up early 2-0. Carlos Slamtana with Sausage Power That White Sox lead held just until the second inning. The Twins roared back as Manual Margot took a walk, setting the stage for Carlos Santana to hit his fourth home run in five days. And yes, the sausage made another appearance, flying out of the Twin's dugout into Santana's hands. Unlikely Stolen Base Duo The Twins were moving on the bases Monday evening. Willi Castro was the first to swipe a bag in the second inning. We are used to Castro swiping bags, but it is the next guy who we need to get used to being involved in the running part of the running game. Christian Vazquez also stole second on a close play in the seventh inning. That puts Castro and Vazquez in a four-way tie with Austin Martin and Kyle Farmer for the team stolen base lead at two. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. The Twins and White Sox would stay tied at two from the second inning until the ninth. It was then that two long-time outfield mates got the offense going again for the Twins. Byron Buxton finally got a hold of a ball and ripped it to left field for a double. Max Kepler followed him up with an RBI single to right field, which gave Buxton plenty of time to score and go up 3-2. On a night when it seemed Joe Ryan wasn’t at his best, he still gave the Twins a great outing. Only allowing two runs put his team in a position to win as long as the offense could do its job. Ryan also helped produce nine swings and misses against White Sox batters. The Twins could then work through their bullpen with Brock Stewart into Griffin Jax into Caleb Thielbar to close the win. Jax especially had to find a way through a tough inning and a tough stretch of the White Sox lineup and did so successfully. The Twins now own an eight-game win streak and are 8-0 against under .500 teams. It is one more successful step as the Twins climb back up the division ladder after their rough start. What’s Next? The newest fixture in the Twins rotation, Simeon Woods Richardson, will take his turn on Tuesday. Wood Richardson will look to put together a third strong start for his young season. The Twins will see Mike Soroka start again. He was strong against the Twins initially, but their bats eventually got him. Twins hitters would undoubtedly like to get to him earlier on Tuesday. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON 19 Sands 13 0 0 35 0 48 Okert 10 0 0 29 0 39 Funderburk 0 0 38 0 0 38 Jax 9 0 0 6 22 37 Bowman 0 35 0 0 0 35 Stewart 20 0 0 0 15 35 Jackson 0 0 29 0 0 29 Thielbar 13 7 0 0 0 20 View full article

The Minnesota Twins' left-handed bats came alive to start the game Monday, and Chris Paddack showed the White Sox who is in charge with a much-needed series-opening win. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Chris Paddack: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (96 pitches, 64 strikes (66.7%) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (5) Top 3 WPA: Max Kepler (0.219), Chris Paddack (0.209), Trevor Larnach (0.092) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The limping Twins welcomed in the 3-18 White Sox, who are struggling far more than the Twins are to begin the 2024 season. On Bark on the Park night at Target Field, the Twins wanted to leave the canines as the only ones taking trips to the doghouse. They managed it, in just the type of decisive fashion the team and the fans needed. Twins Strike First The Twins got rolling in the first inning with a two-out rally. The conflagration began with Trevor Larnach's excellent at-bat, which resulted in a walk. Ryan Jeffers followed with a solid single, which allowed Larnach to go first to third. On the throw to third base, Jeffers advanced to second. With runners on second and third, Max Kepler stepped up to the plate for the first time since landing on the injured list. Kepler put together his own “welcome back” party by driving a pitch with a 110.8 mph exit velocity for a two-RBI double. Larnach-Kepler Strike Again As the Twins hit in the third inning, the same part of the lineup helped put runs on the board. Edouard Julien got the action going with a single. Larnach came to the plate again and made an impact with the swing of his bat, hitting a double to score Julien from first. Kepler didn’t want to be outdone and again plated Larnach with a single. The struggling Willi Castro kept the scoring rolling, giving the baseball a ride to deep right-center for an RBI double. In the early going, the Twins put a crooked number on the scoreboard and increased their lead to 5-0. Twins left-handed hitters (traditional and switch) did well against White Sox starter Jonathan Gannon. Those lefties collected eight hits as a group. Max Kepler would finish his return to the lineup by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Law and Order On a night of great performances, Chris Paddack likely gets the award for “top dawg.” Monday night’s start will undoubtedly be marked as one of those great leaps forward in reestablishing himself after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Paddack starte the game masterfully, collecting two strikeouts in the first inning, and from there on, he looked to be efficient and in cruise control. There was a bit of a blip in the fourth, which has been a mark of Paddack’s good starts this season. The difference in this game is that the right-hander was able to shake free of that adversity. He pitched around some tough plays that Castro was unable to complete on defense. With the bases loaded and one out, an amazing Alex Kirilloff grab at first followed by a Paddack strikeout got the Twins out of the inning. Paddack ended the night with his longest start of the season, generating 16 swings and misses while also collecting ten strikeouts. The White Sox are a struggling group, but no matter who is on the other side, a performance like that is still something to celebrate. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Henriquez Season Debut Getting the call-up on Monday, Ronny Henriquez got the opportunity to make his 2024 debut out of the bullpen. Henriquez would end up with a nearly flawless first inning. With a slightly more interesting ninth inning, the righty would finish the game for the Twins with a line of 2.0 IP, two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. What’s Next? Pablo Lopez will look to keep the Twins in the win column. On the other side, Erick Fedde will take the bump for the White Sox. Fedde’s overall numbers do not look as rough as his Baseball Savant page does. There is a lot of blue and the Twins should have a good opportunity to hit the ball hard again Tuesday. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon... Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Henríquez 0 0 0 0 47 47 Thielbar 0 17 0 22 0 39 Jax 0 21 12 0 0 33 Bowman 0 0 3 30 0 33 Sands 0 0 10 23 0 33 Jackson 0 0 0 32 0 32 Funderburk 0 2 22 0 0 24 Okert 0 0 17 0 0 17 Stewart 0 15 0 0 0 15 View full article