Steven Trefz

Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (86 pitches, 53 strikes (62%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Ober (-0.35), Royce Lewis (-0.09), Walker Jenkins (-0.06) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Bailey Ober started his last game of the season, and while his value can't be overstated, his future still is murky after a season of lower velocity and mixed results. With the Rangers needing to win in order to stay in the running for their division crown, they counted Nathan Eovaldi in hopes of accomplishing just that. After a laugher went the home team's way Friday night, could the Twins keep ruining the Rangers party planning? Keaschall Rakes, But Ober Breaks Luke Keaschall has claimed the leadoff spot and run wild with it. Tonight was no different, as he launched a double to kick-off the Twins offense yet again, and he scampered home on Kody Clemens' groundout, which notched Clemens' 80th RBI of the season. With a quick start and an early 1-0 lead, the Twins handed Ober a great chance to keep the good times rolling. Unfortunately, after Ober retired the first two men in the top of the second the wheels completely went off the rails. Nicky Lopez doubled, and then Danny Jansen worked a single out of a full count to knot the game up at one apiece. Then Ober and his 88 mph fastball and center-cut changeups gave up three straight doubles. After an inning of batting practice quality pitching, the Twins were now down 4-1. Twins Stay Down, While Rangers Take Flight The Twins got a walk from Keaschall and a double from Brooks Lee to put Eovaldi on the ropes in the bottom of the third. Clemens thought he had RBIs 81 and 82, but Brandon Nimmo robbed the potential extra-base hit and the threat went by the wayside. The Rangers immediately took that momentum and ran with it in the form of a Danny Jansen homer to start the fourth to make it 5-1. The top of the fifth saw another long ball from Texas, this time with Jake Burger taking advantage of Ober's slow fastball. Keaschall had runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but proved he was human with a double-play grounder to short. He proved himself superhuman with a leadoff triple in the eighth and came around to score the Twins second run of the game. But Luke can only do so much on his own, and the rest of the Twins couldn't mount a consistent effort against a desperate Rangers team. This 6-2 loss looked a lot like the other 84 losses so far this season. There is hope for next year, but if that hope doesn't get some help its going to be more of the same in Twins Territory. Did we see the last pitch from Taylor Rogers at Target Field tonight? Will outings like tonight help Travis Adams and Yoendrys Gomez maintain some presence in the bullpen mix in 2027? Only time will tell. Let's hope we aren't waiting until June or July to find out. What’s Next? The Twins finish their season with a Sunday matinee that hopefully will have playoff implications still in the mix (after the Astros and A's game Saturday night). Twins righty Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.97 ERA) looks to make a last impression in his final outing. The Rangers have all hands on deck in hopes of securing the playoffs, with their announced starter likely waiting for the result of Astros/A's. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10pm CDT either way. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Morris 19 23 0 0 0 42 Adams 0 0 0 0 40 40 Gomez 0 24 0 0 9 33 Funderburk 13 0 0 19 0 32 Rogers 0 0 0 8 14 22 Minter 9 7 0 0 0 16 Nance 0 0 0 11 0 11 View full article

Image courtesy of Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (104 pitches, 67 strikes (64%)) Home Runs: Walker Jenkins (4) Top 3 WPA: Bradley (0.20), Luke Keaschall (0.18), Andrew Morris (0.14) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) There have been fewer bright spots than fans hoped for in the 2026 Twins season, but Taj Bradley is definitely one of them. The young righty came into his last start of the season with career bests in wins, ERA, strikeouts—you name it. Opposing him was young Giants righty Anthony Molina, making only his seventh career start but bringing a stingy 1.03 WHIP to the bump. On paper, we were set for a pitchers' duel. The game lived up to the billing gorgeously. Bradley Makes Some History, and Then Gets Robbed In the bottom of the first, Bradley became just the 10th Twins pitcher to notch 200 strikeouts in a season when he enticed leadoff man Drew Gilbert to check-swing on a pitch outside the zone. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the second inning, Bradley should have had No. 201, but automated check-swings are still a year away. Scott Bandura was given new life, instead. Bandura singled, which put runners on the corners with only one out. Drew Cavanaugh bunted in the first run of the game to make that missed call sting, as the Giants went up 1-0. From Flailing to Flying In Monday's series opener, the Twins mustered only four hits against a Giants squad that ranks near the bottom in terms of team ERA. On Tuesday night, the bats went hitless through three innings against Molina. Brooks Lee finally broke that goose egg open with a single in the top of the fourth, but Molina kept cruising until the top of the sixth. Ryan Kreidler laced a single with one out, and another bright spot in the Twins season kept on shining bright, as Luke Keaschall dented the 399 sign on the left-center-field wall for a game-tying triple. Next up was the aforementioned Lee, who poked a single through the drawn-in infield to put Minnesota on top, 2-1. Youth Movement Keeps Moving While strikeout number 201 took an inning longer than it should have for Bradley, he kept the Giants on lockdown with five more punchies through six stellar innings. That made 205 strikeouts, and hopefully, he'd also collect his 12th win. That would depend on his young teammates' ability to keep scoring runs, and in the top of the seventh, it was Captain America's turn to shine. Walker Jenkins's fourth homer of the year continued his torrid pace on this road trip and put the Twins up 3-1. Bullpen Dims the Room One of the dim spots of the 2026 season, at least since the All-Star break, has been the bullpen's inability to hold leads. Kody Funderburk followed Bradley's awesome outing by only getting one out and leaving runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh. Andrew Morris got the call to clean up Funderburk's mess, and Keaschall had his teammate's back. He made a fine sliding catch and started a 9-3-6 double play to end the threat. Morris got the first out of the eighth, as well, before losing Victor Bericoto to a walk. A.J. Minter was next man up, and again, Keaschall slid his way into a solid catch to save an extra-base hit. Bo Davidson decided to direct the next Minter pitch away from Keaschall, shooting a single into the left-field gap. Davidson quickly took second, too, as teams continue to run wild on the Twins battery (no matter who's at either end thereof). With the tying run at second base, Minter got ahead of Shay Whitcomb, only to see the youngster work the count full. Victor Caratini typed in a 3-2 changeup, and Whitcomb whiffed to keep the Twins in the lead for one more inning. One of the brightest spots in the season has been Yoendrys Gómez. As the Twins looked to close the game in the ninth, though, the well-rested but recently cratering Gomez was not called upon. Instead, Jeff Hoffman looked to become the 15th Twin to notch a save. Hoffman walked the leadoff man, Brett Harris, on five pitches. Seriously. Then he hit Andrew Knizner on the very next pitch. Seriously. Christian Koss bunted the runners over, and Hoffman almost got Kody Clemens killed with a throw up the line. In a season of bright nights and dark weeks, the stage was set for another epic bullpen collapse. Osleivis Basabe was the batter, the count ran full, and Hoffman missed the inside corner by 0.2 inches to load the bases. Jonah Cox ripped a 10.2.5-MPH rocket over Lee's head, and Lee got it in his glove, only to have it pop free behind him. He alertly scrambled to pick up the ball and touch third base for the second out of the inning, but a run did score to make it 3-2. Basabe pulled something in his mad dash to second, and needed to be replaced as a baserunner. Therefore, Marcelo Mayer became the new tying run as Hoffman faced Bericoto with the game in the balance. Hoffman's slider decided to click back into place just in time, as Bericoto went down flailing to lock down the victory for Bradley and the Twins. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their last road series of the season in a Wednesday matinee against the Giants. Twins rookie LHP Connor Prielipp (6-7, 4.94 ERA) will start his last game of the season in hopes of evening out his record after a bright start to his career. Fellow rookie LHP Cesar Perdomo (0-1, 3.72 ERA) will get the start for San Francisco, after failing to complete five innings in each of his last two starts. First pitch is scheduled for 2:45 PM CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Rogers 0 26 0 25 0 51 Hoffman 0 19 0 0 24 43 Morris 0 15 0 0 19 34 Adams 10 0 0 20 0 30 Gomez 0 24 0 0 0 24 Nance 23 0 0 0 0 23 Minter 0 8 0 0 9 17 Funderburk 0 2 0 0 13 15 View full article

Many things can be said about the Twins 2026 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season, but "Outstanding Pitching Performances" wasn't one of them. Granted, these youngsters were getting their first taste of professional ball in a new environment. Statistics need to be taken with a grain of salt at this level (ERA is inflated due to usage patterns), while progress throughout the season reigns supreme in our analysis. Also, the Twins invested heavily in offensive prospects, and for the most part went bargain hunting in the pitching department (stop me if you've heard that one before...). That being said, a few young hurlers separated themselves above the field and hope to inject some life into the rotations and bullpens of the Twins minor league system for years to come. Let's start with a couple of honorable mentions before getting to the top pitchers. Honorable Mention RHP Alam Soriano (19): 2-2, 7.39 ERA, 11 G, 1 GS, 28 IP, 30 H, 14 BB, 26 K RHP Miguel Martinez (19): 0-2, 6.92 ERA, 11 G, 3 GS, 26 IP, 26 H, 23 BB, 30 K RHP Enmanuel Mena (18): 1-3, 7.41 ERA, 10 G, 5 GS, 17 IP, 22 H, 12 BB, 21 K #2 (tie): RHP Yolcar Garcia (18): 1-1, 7.45 ERA, 11 G, 5 GS, 29 IP, 28 H, 13 BB, 26 K. The Twins look for improvement, and the young righty Garcia steadily lowered his WHIP throughout the season while also showing an ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. At 6'0" and 177 pounds, this Venezuelan prospect has a frame for continued growth and has already shown an ability to go at least four innings in a couple of outings. #2 (tie): RHP Adrian Martinez (17): 1-2, 6.67 ERA, 11 G, 10 GS, 29 2/3 IP, 27 H, 28 BB, 35 K. Martinez registered the highest signing figure ($100,000) from the 2026 pitching class of international prospects, and the young Venezuelan showed continued improvement as well. Command issues sent his ERA climbing throughout the season, but he lowered his opponents batting average from .302 in June to .167 in August. He led the DSL Twins in strikeouts and WHIP, and he shows potential as a either a starter or a high-leverage bullpen arm. At 6'0" and 195 pounds, he's already a grown man amongst his peers, but his next stage of growth in accuracy and durability will determine how high up the organizational system he climbs in the near future. 2026 Minnesota Twins Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year #1: RHP Fernando Hernandez (20): 0-1, 4.05 ERA, 7 G, 7 GS, 13 1/3 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 16 K A couple of things immediately strike you about this 5' 10", 169-pound hurler from Venezuela. First, he's 20 years old in a league of 17-year-olds. Second, he has the command that one would expect from more experience and maturity of frame and technique. In limited action, Hernandez struck out over a batter an inning, while only walking two...TWO batters for the entire season. In a league where that ratio is usually 50/50 at best, Hernandez is an albatross. Hernandez was forced to miss the middle of the season, but he didn't miss a beat until his final outing of the season in which he surrendered four runs over a couple of innings. If you take that game out of the mix, his statistics sing even more loudly with only two runs surrendered over the other six games. His ERA is almost three runs lower than the next tier of pitchers on the team, and his age might actually increase his ability to rise quickly through the Twins system in 2027. In a season where there was much that didn't go the DSL Twins' way, Hernandez served up some hope for an organization in desperate need of reinforcements. Congratulations to Hernandez and the rest of the international prospect pitchers mentioned here on a strong debut pro season, and best of luck and health to each of them! View full article

The 2026 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season didn't yield a lot of positives, with the club needing a late season surge to even reach a 19-35 record. They were outscored by 113 runs over their 54-game season, but most of that statistic sits on the backs of sub-par pitching. The teenagers experiencing their first taste of professional ball actually raked a .282 average as a team and struck out far less than many of their peers. Power numbers were down comparatively to other clubs, but a few diamonds began to emerge out of the rough season as team average and runs produced ranked towards the top of the league. Of the 20 main international signings for the Twins in 2026, 13 of them were batters. The Twins poured almost $7.5 million dollars into a hopeful pool of international teenage prospects, and most of their highest paid hitting prospects did deliver accordingly and bring some hope up the pipeline into 2027. Here are the top DSL Hitters in terms of 2026 on-field performances according to our Twins Daily writers! Honorable Mention Jhon Gonzalez - 46 games, .299/.364/.437 (.800), 11-2B, 5-3B, 1-HR, 10-SB, 17-BB, 42-K. Juan Holmann - 46 games, .310/.533/.535 (1.069), 7-2B, 0-3B, 3-HR, 14-SB, 31-BB, 31-K. #3: (Tie) 1B/INF Daiyer Barboza & SS Enmanuel Merlo Barboza and Merlo tied amongst the voters, with each delivering positive signs of growth towards the end of the season. The 6' 2", 176 pounds, 17-year-old Barboza signed for only $130,000, and managed to hit above his expectations. The native Venezuelan was mainly utilized at first base, this infield prospect slashed a .272/.487/.412 (.899) line over 45 games and 197 plate appearances, which ranked second on the team. Barboza bats left-handed, and as his average increased over the summer, his power decreased. If the three-homer June can be rediscovered as he grows into his frame, it would be a hopeful development for the young corner infielder. Merlo signed out of Venezuela for a whopping $1.5 million, which was the highest deal handed out by the Twins during that signing cycle. The 6' 2", 190 pounds 17-year-old was courted by the Dodgers but eventually decided to take his talents to Twins Territory when the Dodgers got distracted signing every Major League Free Agent possible. Merlo blew up in August, batting .432 in his final month and stacking some power into his stat line after a slow start to the season. Merlo aims to lock down the shortstop position during his climb up the organizational ladder, and his .311/.422/.429 (.850) season are successful enough to deserve some close looks in 2027 for early promotion. When you invest this much in a teenager, it's always a gamble. The Twins are definitely glad that Merlo finished his season trending in the right direction. #2: Jeferson Abreu (C) The Twins have poured prospect capital into their catching pipeline over the past year, and yet their biggest steal might be the 17-year-old, 5' 10", 165-pound Dominican Abreu. The young right-handed bat signed for only $45,000, but instantly made his presence felt with a .279/.406/.519 (.925) season. Abreu only worked 36 games, but he led the team in home runs with five, while also drilling eight doubles and balancing his walks and strike outs perfectly at 31 apiece. The power is tantalizing, and hopefully Abreu can learn the craft behind the plate as well in order to keep his presence moving up the ladder. #1: Jendy Martinez (2B/SS) Martinez signed for $500,000 and carried a shortstop moniker at first, while playing at second base throughout the season as well. The 17-year-old switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic struggled through his first few months (.214 avg), before ending with a sensational August (.419 avg). He played in 47 games and hit .276/.483/.428 (.911) when it was all said and done. He hit 13 doubles, three triples, and one home run. Most importantly, the young Martinez managed 58 walks while only striking out 18 times! At 5-9 and 165 pounds, he has a long way to grow in order to add power to his arsenal, but the contact skills can't be ignored. Martinez ranked second in runs scored (45), towards the top of the squad in RBI (33), and first in stolen bases (22)! For these all-around reasons and the trajectory of his season the Twins Daily writers are proud to select him as this year's Dominican Summer League Hitter of the Year! As these prospects make the move up the ladder and onto the American minor league ballpark soil in 2027, we can't wait to see how their unique skill sets continue to grow. Congratulations to these players on a successful first pro season! View full article

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (101 pitches, 69 strikes (68%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Taylor Rogers (-0.20), Austin Martin (-0.10), Ober (-0.08) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins only have pride to play for, and as they attempted to avoid another inevitable Yankees sweep at home, they sent the enigmatic Bailey Ober and his 89-MPH fastball to the mound Tueday night. As the writing on the wall begins to grow larger by the day about Ober's future with the team, the Minnesota faithful hoped the Bearded Nightmare could pull off another Maddux-like outing. He couldn't. Max Fried almost did, however. It was an ugly night for the hometown nine. Having Two Changeups Ain't Enough In reality, Ober doesn't have a fastball. He has two changeups, and Cody Bellinger tallywhacked a helpless specimen of the firmer variety in the top of the first inning to stake the Bronx Bombers to a 2-0 lead before most fans had a chance to sit down. Ober managed to maneuver his way around a two-on, one-out jam in the top of second, and the Twins actually made some noise in the bottom of the second against a tough lefty in Fried. Royce Lewis started things off with a single, eventually stole second base, and came around to score on an Emmanuel Rodriguez single up the middle to make it 2-1. That's literally the last hopeful Twins sentence that will be in this recap. Ober surrendered a walk and two singles in the top of the third to immediately give that run back, but he again found his way out of a bases-loaded jam to give a false sense of hope to Twins fans. In fact, that was the last run the starter would allow on the night, but the Yankees battered him enough that he could only last one out into the sixth inning. Then, another round of bullpen implosion took the stage. Tough End to a Great Era When Taylor Rogers rejoined the Twins at the start of the 2026 campaign, we knew that he wasn't the Rogers who fired up the scoreboard with walkout music and mid-90s heaters several years ago. We don't know how many more nights at Target Field Rogers will get, but Tuesday night was a rough one. He entered the sixth inning with one out and empty bases, and by the end of the inning, the score was 7-1 Yankees. Kaelen Culpepper booted a ball that made the last three runs unearned, but the gopher ball to Spencer Jones that put the game on ice wasn't Culpepper's fault. Meanwhile, Fried went seven strong in his playoff ramp-up; Andrew Morris coughed up yet another run in his attempt to right this season's ship; the Twins stranded Kody Clemens after a leadoff triple, with Lewis, Brooks Lee and Victor Caratini failing to manufacture a run; and the Twins fell lifeless down, down, down the AL Central division standings yet again. To everyone who stopped watching in the third inning, congratulations. Luke Keaschall's three hits, Rodriguez's early success left-on-left, and Derek Shelton going apoplectic late in the game when the umps robbed a home run notwithstanding, tonight was a terrible night for Twins baseball. What’s Next? Believe it or not, the Twins can still tie the season series against the Yankees with a win on Wednesday afternoon. They send Zebby Matthews (9-10, 4.98 ERA) out to achieve this normally exciting feat. Carlos Rodón (6-3, 2.94 ERA) looks to achieve his playoff practice run and sweep the Twins back out onto the road. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Nance 24 0 21 22 0 67 Rogers 0 0 22 0 38 60 Morris 0 17 0 11 30 58 Minter 17 16 0 18 0 51 Funderburk 15 22 0 3 0 40 Hoffman 10 16 0 13 0 39 Adams 0 0 36 0 0 36 Gomez 21 0 0 0 10 31 View full article

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Connor Prielipp - 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (77 pitches, 57 strikes (74%)) Home Runs: Emmanuel Rodriguez (1) Top 3 WPA: A.J. Minter (0.16), Jeff Hoffman (0.12), Rodriguez & Andrew Morris (0.09) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins saw their playoff chances dwindle even further towards zero after suffering a ninth-inning debacle on Friday night to their Central Division foes. The Guardians looked to leap right past the wild card and into the division lead, and they used a series of bullpen openers in hopes of getting the game eventually into the lefty hand of Joey Cantillo. Meanwhile, the Twins continued to rely on rookies to save their season, and they rolled out Connor Prielipp without an opener this time. Would the long-awaited debut of Twins top-prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez spark the Twins to victory? Or would the Cleveland magic of the past month keep on steamrolling through Target Field? For Openers Prielipp and opener Daniel Espino made quick work of the first inning, but Prielipp ran into trouble in the top of the second with a pair of leadoff singles by Jo Adell and Angel Martinez to start the threat. Travis Bazzana cashed in the first run of the game with a single to center that plated Adell, but Rodriguez immediately made his presence felt by gunning out Martinez at third! Rodriguez is Him After Rodriguez cut down the Guardians momentum, the game cruised along until the bottom of the third with one out. That's when Rodriguez got his first crack at new pitcher Franco Aleman. His first crack was a 420 foot one, and suddenly we had an electric Target Field and a tie ballgame! What unfolded next might continue to have ramifications on Sunday, as three straight singles by the Twins put them in front 2-1. Aleman then put a 95 mph fastball off of Kaelen Culpepper's neck, and while the Twins were excited to have the bases loaded with still only one out, Culpepper had to leave the game and payback is inevitable. Victor Caratini also got hit to score the fourth run of the inning and to chase Aleman. To be continued...but the Twins took a 4-1 lead and that's as far as their offense could go today. Cleveland Does What Cleveland Does? Prielipp had his lead, but in the top of the fifth inning it was deja vu all over again, as the pesky Guardians chipped away at the lead. The inning started with a non-retributive hit by pitch to David Fry, and that became runners at second and third with one out on an Austin Hedges double. Brayan Rocchio did his job, and grounded out to second to score one run, and Steven Kwan flipped a single to center to pull the Guardians within one at 4-3. While Cantillo came in and silenced the Twins through his four innings of work, the Twins bullpen was finally up to the challenge themselves. Andrew Morris, Kody Funderburk, and Jeff Hoffman kept the game at a one-run Minnesota advantage, and A.J. Minter found some redemption in the ninth with two strikeouts and his first save as a Twin. With that win the the Twins moved back to 4.5 games back, and claimed the season series against their division rival as well. What’s Next? The Twins look to win yet another "last chance" game in this roller coaster season in their last game against Cleveland for the season. Minnesota has yet to name a starting pitcher, while the Guardians will toss out RHP Tanner Bibee (5-15, 4.22 ERA) in the final game of the series. Tune in to see who wears that retaliation! Tune in for Emma! Or follow along at TwinsDaily while you are watching football. Either way, first pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Funderburk 0 22 0 15 22 59 Minter 23 0 0 17 16 56 Nance 0 24 0 24 0 48 Hoffman 18 0 0 10 16 44 Adams 0 42 0 0 0 42 Gomez 13 0 0 21 0 34 Morris 8 0 0 0 17 25 Rogers 0 16 0 0 0 16 View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Marton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Box Score SP: Taj Bradley - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (80 pitches, 52 strikes (65%)) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (14) Top 3 WPA: Jeffers (0.25), Jeff Hoffman (0.12), Kody Funderburk & Yeondrys Gomez (0.09) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins hadn't won on a Saturday since July 25th, and they lost the season series and any hopes of the AL Central division to the White Sox on Friday night. They faced a tough left-handed starter in Anthony Kay, and needed a victory to keep any mirage of a chance in the Wild Card race. Taj Bradley was tasked with starting strong and keeping hope alive for one more day. Something had to give on Saturday night in the South Side of Chicago, who would it be? Bradley Bends First The Twins started the game off quietly in order against Kay in the top of the first, but the White Sox were loud in their half of the inning. Bradley gave up a leadoff walk to Sam Antonacci, and two batters later he gave up a fly ball to Munetaka Murakami that would have been an out in 25 ballparks across the league. Unfortunately at Rate Field, it scraped the back of the left field wall to put the Twins in a 2-0 hole for his 30th homer of the year. That might have been bad luck on a good pitch, but two batters later Bradley grooved an 0-2 cutter down the middle, and Colson Montgomery launched his 31st homer of the year. Just like that, the Twins were facing an uphill battle yet again. Kay Breaks Eventually The Twins failed to log a hit in the first three innings, but the newly minted number two hitter Kaelen Culpepper took care of that to lead off the fourth with a single. Ryan Jeffers went down looking, but Josh Bell went down and roped a double to the gap in left to put runners on second and third with one out. After failing yet again Friday night with runners in scoring position, the White Sox probably felt like they had the Twins right where they wanted them. Royce Lewis didn't get a hit, but he refused to swing outside the zone, and he took his walk, moving the responsibility/opportunity down the line. Kody Clemens delivered the first Twins run of the game with a fielder's choice grounder and some good hustle. Brooks Lee batted right-handed, and stayed on a low fastball with two strikes to golf a double down the left field line. Bell came home to make it a 3-2 game, but that's where the rally ended. Until the top of the fifth, that is. That's when Ryan Kreidler took one (barely) for the team off of his elbow guard, and Luke Keaschall laced a single to right. Culpepper exchanged places by getting Kreidler tagged out on a grounder to third. Miguel Vargas cried foul (and in pain) as he smacked Kreidler's helmet in a throw attempt to first. After a short delay, Ryan Jeffers almost dented a human in the left field bleachers. 5-3 Minnesota! Bell laced another single up the middle, and that chased Kay as the White Sox continue to operate their games as if they are actually still in a playoff race. Kay's night was over in the fifth, and the stingy Chicago bullpen took over. Bradley Gives Little, Then a Little After Montgomery's blast in the first, Bradley more than settled down. He put the White Sox on lockdown, retiring the next 10 batters that he faced. Now staked to a two-run lead, Taj immediately lost that streak when Chase Meidroth accelerated a 98-mph fastball back up the middle for a leadoff single. Bradley got the next two men, but Meidroth snuck his way to second base on a spiked offspeed pitch. Antonacci walked, and suddenly Vargas was up as the go-ahead run in a story that Twins fans had watched too many times to be funny anymore. Vargas delivered, but luckily for Bradley and the Twins it was only a run-scoring single. Taj struck out the dangerous Murakami on a heater, and the Twins escaped the fifth inning still ahead at 5-4. Apparently the Twins are acting like they are in a playoff race too, as Derek Shelton pulled Bradley after only 80 pitches after five innings. Taj got burned early, held the line in the middle, and escaped late but left in line for the win if the Twins bullpen could keep the Chicago bats silent. The Bullpen Battle Winner Is...? Kody Funderburk held the line in the bottom of the sixth thanks to some slick catches from Keaschall in right. Then Culpepper added some insurance in the next inning. After missing a booming home run off of an off-speed pitch by mere feet on the wrong side of the left field foul pole, Kaelen stayed with a 96 mph fastball and deposited it down the right field line for a 6-4 Twins lead. Jeff Hoffman got the next four outs. A.J. Minter struck out the dangerous Murakami but surrendered a two-out double to Randal Grichuk to put the tying run, named Montgomery Colson, in the batter's box in the bottom of the eighth. The Twins added Minter at the trade deadline to get quality left-handed batters out in close games, and 95-mph of high cheese later, that is what he did. The game migrated into the ninth inning with the Twins still nursing a 6-4 advantage. The Twins couldn't push across any more insurance, so it was up to Yoendrys Gomez to lock down the ninth and to win back what was lost yesterday in the playoff race. Lewis dug out a Lee throw for out number one, Gomez swept away Meidroth on three pitches, and Lewis let the third out peacefully fall down into his glove for a well-earned victory. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series on the road since July 5 at Yankee Stadium. Twins righty Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.37 ERA) looks to deliver his second quality start against the South Siders in a week, after taking a no-decision last Saturday on one run over five frames. The White Sox have yet to name their starter for the last game of the season series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:20pm CDT, and will require a Peacock/NBCSN to watch from the comforts of your devices. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Acton 39 0 0 18 0 57 Funderburk 0 29 0 0 11 40 Minter 0 17 0 0 18 35 Nance 0 33 0 0 0 33 Hoffman 0 12 0 0 17 29 Morris 29 0 0 0 0 29 Rogers 0 7 0 19 0 26 Gomez 0 15 0 0 7 22 Adams 9 3 0 0 0 12 View full article