Steven Trefz

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitchers: Simeon Woods Richardson - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (95 pitches, 56 strikes (59%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (4) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Luke Keaschall (0.28), Kody Clemens (0.19), Cole Sands (0.19) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins needed a win as they arrived in New York, having lost four in a row and finding themselves back at the .500 mark—with another starting pitcher on the injured list, to boot. The New York Mets wish it was only a week ago that their misery started, but instead, they entered this contest searching for their first win in a fortnight. Something had to give on a chilly night at Citi Field. The Twins turned to a lineup restocked with Royce Lewis and Matt Wallner, and a starter in Simeon Woods Richardson who was looking to regain his form. The Mets countered with phenom Nolan McLean, who was making only the 13th start of his career but who sports a 2.11 career ERA. An Old Foe Strikes First After the hurlers traded goose eggs over the first two innings, it was the Mets who struck first. Woods Richardson gave up a leadoff single to his old Mets minor-league pal Mark Vientos. After inducing a ground ball that Brooks Lee couldn't turn into a double play, Woods Richardson walked Marcus Semien on a full count to bring up Twins nemesis Francisco Lindor. Lindor got ahead 3-0, fell back into a full count, and then beat a fastball to its spot. At almost 108 MPH off the bat, he caught ever stitch of the ball, which found the upper deck in right field. As Lindor jumped and danced and screamed like the Mets just won the World Series, Twins Territory realized that they just saw the end of the ballgame at 3-0. Why? His name is Nolan McLean. Perfection Brewing... McLean had already struck out seven Twins before Lindor crushed his homer, and through five innings, he had garnered eight and was over halfway through a perfect game. McLean clearly had the Twins' number, mixing all six of his pitches with pinpoint precision, ranging from his 98-MPH fastball to his 84.5-MPH sweeper. Woods Richardson settled in and kept the game within reach through his five innings, but somehow, the Twins bats were going to need to get to McLean. In the top of the sixth, Wallner led off by avoiding a low changeup, and then lacing a perfect game-breaking single to left on a center-cut sinker. It looked like that was all of the damage that the Twins would muster, but then Byron Buxton got the count into his favor at 3-1. One pitch later, it was 3-2—the score, that is. Keep the Rally Going The attack of McLean kept rolling into the top of the seventh. After Anthony Banda took out the Mets in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Twins kept on swinging. Kody Clemens had seen all of McLean's pitches by his third plate appearance, and on a 2-2 count, he found a sinker to his liking and drilled a one-out double into the right-field corner. Two pitches later, Luke Keaschall took a sweeper straight into center field to tie the game; it was an aggressive send to the plate, but Clemens made it without a play. Keaschall later stole second base, but a Wallner shot up the middle was snagged by Lindor, and we headed into the bottom of the seventh still knotted 3-3. To the Ninth We Go! Justin Topa and Cole Sands got the Twins to the top of the ninth, where much-maligned Mets closer Devin WIlliams was waiting for Josh Bell and a potential Twins rally. Williams brought the boo birds out at Citi Field by walking Bell on four pitches. James Outman got the call to stand in and to steal second for Bell, and that he did. It didn't matter, because Ryan Jeffers also walked. Clemens laid down a would-be sacrifice bunt toward first base. Luckily for Twins Territory, Vientos tried to nab Outman at third instead of taking the sure out. Outman beat the throw, and the Twins had the bases loaded with nobody out. Keaschall was next man up, and nothing says hero like a slow, high chopper over the third baseman's head! 4-3 Twins. With the boo birds now at a fever pitch, Wallner fought his way into a full count, and laid off a changeup way outside of the zone to make it 5-3. Williams gave way to righty Austin Warren, who struck out Lewis, Lee and Buxton to keep the Mets' deficit manageable—in theory. In practice, Sands finished them off with relative ease. What’s Next? With the upper hand in the series, the Twins turn next to their youth movement. Mick Abel is on the shelf with elbow inflammation, so lefty Connor Prielipp is expected to get the ball for his big-league debut. The Mets will counter with veteran righty closer-turned-starter Clay Holmes (2-2, 1.96 ERA), First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Sands 20 12 0 0 23 55 Morris 0 0 47 0 0 47 Topa 11 10 0 0 17 38 Acton 0 0 29 0 0 29 Banda 0 0 0 0 18 18 Orze 0 15 0 0 0 15 Rogers 0 0 8 0 0 8 Rojas 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (99 pitches, 62 strikes (63%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Cole Sands (-0.30), Eric Orze (-0.14), Byron Buxton (-0.10) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins dropped the series opener against Cincinnati Friday night because of missed opportunities at the plate. As they looked to face yet another left-handed starter in Andrew Abbott on yet another chilly Saturday, manager Derek Shelton looked to regain some heat in the lineup by shifting around both positions and batting order. Josh Bell moved up into the three-hole and Luke Keaschall dropped down to fifth. Ryan Kreidler got his first Twins start in center field, while Trevor Larnach got left and Austin Martin got right. Would the manager's moves provide the necessary spark to right the ship after a brief two-game losing skid? Or would the fact that Taj Bradley was on the mound mean that one run would be enough to get the Twins back into the win column? Starting Strategically Strong In the top of the first inning, the first Reds swing of course found its way into center field, but Kreidler looked like a natural in making the grab. The lineup changes also played early dividends, as Bell followed a Martin walk with a strategic push swing for a single through an empty right-side of the diamond. With runners at first and second, Ryan Jeffers saved his at-bat by fouling off a fastball at the very last second. On the next pitch, Jeffers timed the Abbott fastball perfectly and tripled his way into a 2-0 Twins lead. A Challenging Third The Twins' lead got cut in half in the top of the second inning when Bradley walked lead-off man Sal Stewart, and a Nathaniel Lowe double with one out put both men in scoring position. Taj escaped with only allowing a sacrifice fly to Tyler Stephenson, and the Twins built the lead back to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning after three consecutive challenges went their way. First, Martin reached first base on an overturned call after an Elly De La Cruz bobble. Then Martin was ruled safe trying to reach second base on a Bell groundout, and even though the video seemed to show that he was out, the Reds challenge was unsuccessful in overturning the call on the field. Then, with two outs, the demoted Keaschall snuck a single into right field to plate Martin. Keaschall got picked off trying to steal second, but the Twins challenged and Luke was ruled safe. All in all, the longest one-run inning of my life came to a mericful end. More Defensive Issues Bite the Infield In the top of the fourth, Bradley got Eugenio Suarez to hit a grounder to the hole in short. Brooks Lee had two options: 1) Allow the ball to go through for a one out single. 2) Try to slide and snag the ball for no apparent reason. Lee chose option two, and booted the ball into no-man's land in short left field, allowing Suarez to reach second base on a gift double. Therefore, a Lowe inning-ending groundball double-play turned into a advance the runner to third groundout. On an 0-2 count, Stephenson struck again and plated a Suarez who should have never been there with a single. 3-2 Twins. RISP for the Win? After establishing the first Sam Caulder jinx of the season by flailing with runners in scoring position on Friday night, the Twins knew that winning a close game was going to require re-discovering their scoring ways in the middle innings. Through the first four frames on Saturday, the Twins left FIVE men on in scoring position as they nursed a one run lead. After a Bell single and a Larnach walk in the bottom of the fifth, Lee came up with a chance at redemption and he finally delivered with a single that plated Bell and pushed the lead back up to 4-2. Unfortunately, the RISP success stopped there, as Tristan Gray struck out with the bases loaded to push the "left behind" total to SEVEN after five innings. Bradley Continues to Deal, Bullpen Loses a Winning Hand With his pitch count climbing towards the magic 100 mark in the top of the sixth inning, Bradley saved his best for last. Taj struck out the last three men he faced with a mixture of 96 mph heat and buckling curve balls. Though the bullpen got brought into play a bit sooner than last time, Bradley kept the Reds mostly quiet throughout his start and gave the constant and steady performance that Twins fans have grown to appreciate this season. Justin Topa was first man out of the pen in the top of the seventh, and after surrendering a leadoff single to Rece Hinds, he settled down and got the next two Reds. Kody Funderburk entered the game to face lefty Will Benson, and Terry Francona countered by pinch-hitting righty Dane Myers. Funderburk got ahead and then plunked Myers which brought up De La Cruz again. This this, the Twins weren't so lucky and Elly finally stung the Twins with a run-scoring single to tighten the game at 4-3, but still advantage Twins. After Shelton got tossed for arguing in general during the De La Cruz bat, the pitching decisions were up to bench coach Mark Hallberg, and he went with Eric Orze in the top of the eighth, Two batters later, the Reds had runners at the corners with nobody out. Orze notched a strike out, but then allowed a sac fly to Hines to tie the game and to rob Bradley of another win. No Defense for This Loss Cole Sands took the top of the ninth, and another ground ball found its way past Lee and into left field, this time under his backhand attempt. While ruled a single by Spencer Steer, it was a makeable play for an average shortstop. After a sacrifice bunt, Myers blooped a heart-breaker over Keaschall's head to score Steer and to give the Reds their first lead of the day at 5-4. Could the Twins bats overcome their lack of clutch throughout the day, and deliver their first walk-off win of the season? Nope. Not even close, as the Reds slammed the door shut 1-2-3 to take the series in a second consecutive one-run victory. What’s Next? The Twins look to salvage the series finale at home against the visiting Reds on Sunday afternoon. Twins send "crafty" righty Bailey Ober (2-0, 5.49 ERA) to the mound in search of more steady progress on his 2026 campaign. The Reds will send the former Royal RHP Brady Singer (1-1, 5.60 ERA) who is starting his second year of service in the Reds organization but has a 9.15 ERA at Target Field over his career. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THUR FRI SAT TOT Topa 0 13 0 11 10 36 Orze 0 12 0 0 15 35 Sands 15 0 0 20 12 35 Banda 0 24 0 0 0 24 Funderburk 0 14 0 8 10 22 Rogers 22 0 0 0 0 22 Morris 0 0 0 0 0 0 Acton 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson - Imagn Images Box Score SP: Mick Abel 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (90 pitches, 64 strikes (71%) Home Runs: Byron Buxton 2 (2, 3), Brooks Lee (3) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Abel (0.27), Buxton (0.19), Luke Keaschall (0.10) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins looked to continue their winning ways against an old friend, as non-lefty Sonny Gray returned again to Target Field. Gray was coming off of a dominant 6.1 scoreless inning performance against a salty Milwaukee offense. Meanwhile, his counterpart Mick Abel finally found his footing during his last start, going six scoreless against the Tigers in his last home start. Twins Offense Stays Unwelcoming Gray might have come into the game on a roll, but he encountered an even larger steamroller called the Twins lineup. Minnesota has averaged over nine runs a game in their latest three-game winning streak, and tonight it was Byron Buxton who got started the scoreboard tallying with his speed and power. In the bottom of the first inning, Buxton led off the game with a single up the middle, and then immediately advanced to second on a Gray balk. Trevor Larnach got called out on strikes after the Red Sox won an ABS challenge, but Luke Keaschall blooped a single to center to advance Buxton to third. Only, Byron didn't stop there! With the ball already reaching the infield, Buxton got the green light and he got called out at the plate. This call was also challenged, and this time the Twins were celebrating an overturned call and a 1-0 lead. Kody Clemens got on in the bottom of the second and worked his way around to third base but got stranded there. Buxton led off the bottom of the third, and he didn't get stranded anywhere. 2-0 Twins. The Twins kept the pressure on, eventually loading the bases in the third before stranding more runners in scoring position. Before Twins fans could fear reprecussions from the missed opportunities, Brooks Lee led off the bottom of the fourth, and for the sixth game in a row he drove in a run and for the third time in this recent streak that run was himself. 3-0 Twins. It's important to note how well Mick Abel was pitching, but the Twins wouldn't stop scoring runs. Tristan Gray followed up Lee with a hard single and Buxton found some space on the left side of the diamond to put runners at first and second with still nobody out in the fourth. Larnach has feasted on Gray (Sonny...not his teammate Tristan) in the recent past, and it was time for seconds. 5-0 Twins and Gray was chased from the game (Sonny...not our new third baseman). Abel is More Than Able The first two appearances of Abel's season left a lot to be desired. Piggy-backing in Baltimore didn't go well, and his first frozen Target Field start versus the Rays was rough. Abel's third start was near-dominant through six, and he managed to top that tonight. Mick struck out five consecutive Boston batters from the last out of the first through the first out of the third innings. Through six innings and only 81 pitches, Abel allowed only one runner to reach as far as second base. Before we get to how much Mick had left in his tank, a brief 438 foot message from Byron Buxton. More Abel, New Milestones Now emboldened with a 6-0 lead, Abel kept on dealing into the seventh and in many ways he accelarated his performance to the end. Abel notched two more strikeouts to reach a new career high at 10, with the last punchout of Carlos Narvaez maintaining his highest velocity of the night at 96 mph in what he himself described as a "pretty poorly executed pitch" in his dugout post-op interview. Not only that, but Abel utilized five separate types of pitches to collect his 10 strike outs, showing the kind of promise that made the Twins willing to depart with popular closer Jhoan Duran last season. Solid infield defense, no walks, and a 71% strike rate will make for a great night. Hope is abounding in Twins Territory, and Abel is starting to become a key part of that surprising story. Finishing it Off Like You've Been There Before After the first three series of the season, Twins fans were asking if their squad would get a series win at all in 2026. Now it feels like anything less is unacceptable. Taylor Rogers came in for the top of the eighth, and allowed a couple of baserunners but no ultimate damage done. Cole Sands got the call in the ninth as he looked to rebound from a rough outing in Toronto on Saturday. Sands preserved the shutout, and kept the Twins climbing up the win column. What’s Next? The Twins look to break out the brooms again at home on Wednesday afternoon during the annual Jackie Robinson Day celebration. Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2, 4.60 ERA) looks to join in on the winning side of the ledger for the first time this season, while the Red Sox will send young lefty Connelly Early (0-0, 2.63 ERA) out for eighth career start. First pitch is scheduled for 12:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Morris 0 0 67 0 0 67 Rogers 30 0 0 0 22 52 Sands 0 22 0 0 15 37 Banda 36 0 0 0 0 36 Acton 0 0 0 33 0 33 Topa 12 0 12 0 0 24 Orze 0 0 0 23 0 23 Funderburk 0 17 0 0 0 17 View full article

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan - 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (91 pitches, 65 strikes (71%) Home Runs: Brooks Lee (2), Trevor Larnach (1) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Larnach (0.17), Josh Bell (0.12), Lee (0.11) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) Joe Ryan looked to lead the Twins back into their winning ways against the suddenly red-hot bats of the Toronto Blue Jays. Standing in their way was yet another lefty, this time Eric Lauer who has started and opened in his two appearances thus far in 2026. With Royce Lewis again on the shelf, Ryan Kreidler made his Minnesota debut at third base, and Andrew Morris and his passport also made the trip up to Canada to replace the injured Cody Laweryson. Ryan Rocked in the First, but Keeps on Slinging The Blue Jays started Saturday's game the way they finished Friday's, by ripping the cover off of the ball. Ryan walked the leadoff man George Springer, then got ahead of Daulton Varsho 1-2 before Varsho took a high fastball yard for an early 2-0 Blue Jay lead. Visions of Joe's Kansas City start began to emerge, but the ace of the Twins staff dug in and took charge from there. Ryan only allowed two more baserunners through six innings on 79 total pitches. Lauer Starts Strong, but Gives Up the Ghost in the Third Lauer cruised through the Twins lineup through the first two innings, surrendering only a two-out walk in the second. His day began to unravel when the much-maligned but recently encouraging Brooks Lee stepped to the plate to lead off the top of the third. Lee pulled an 0-1 center-cut fastball to the seats in left for his second home run in as many days, and to put the Twins on the board. After Kreidler grounded out in his first Twin at-bat, Byron Buxton kept the rally going with a swinging bunt, and he advanced to second on a single from Austin Martin. Luke Keaschall worked a walk on a full count, and Ryan Jeffers didn't have to work to walk when four straight pitches missed the zone to tie the game at 2-2. Josh Bell found himself right where the Twins want him with the bases loaded and a chance to punish left-handed pitching. While Bell didn't destroy the ball, the results sure punished Lauer and the Blue Jays as Varsho couldn't reach is high fly ball to mid-center and then he wished that he hadn't gotten as close as he did! With the Twins now in the lead at 4-2, Trevor Larnach looked to reward his skipper for putting him in the lineup against a lefty. Trevor likes 90 mph center cut fastballs no matter who throws them. Consider us all rewarded. Finishing it Off Kreidler wasn't able to collect his first hit as a Twin, but he sure got his first web gem. As Ryan was attempting to complete the seventh, Nathan Lukes crushed a ball into the hole at short. Brand new third baseman Kreidler said, "I play here now." After Ryan collected his congratulatory hugs in the dugout after dominating the Blue Jays through the seventh, the Twins turned to a bullpen that more than struggled on Friday night. Kody Funderburk got the first call out of the bullpen, and he allowed an Ernie Clement single and an Andres Gimenez walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Three batters and some teeth gnashing by Twins fans later, Toronto returned to their dugout without scoring a run and the game remained squarely in Minnesota's hands at 7-2. Cole Sands came in for the ninth and slammed the door shut. Unfortunately, Jesus Sanchez didn't get the memo, as he took Sands deep for a two-run blast to inch the home team closer at 7-4. That was as close as they would come, as Sands took down the next three Blue Jays, and the visiting squad leveled the series at one game apiece! What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first road series of the season when they tackle Toronto in a Sunday matinee. Twins righty Taj Bradley (2-0, 1.08 ERA) looks to continue his blazing start to the season. The Blue Jays counter with veteran Hall of Famer-in waiting, righty Max Scherzer (1-1, 3.38 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:37pm CDT. Postgame Interviews! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Banda 0 21 0 36 0 57 Sands 12 9 0 0 22 43 Rogers 12 0 0 30 0 42 Funderburk 0 20 0 0 17 37 Topa 14 10 0 12 0 36 Acton 0 0 35 0 0 35 Orze 19 0 14 0 0 33 Morris 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (104 pitches, 68 strikes (65%)) Home Runs: N/A Top 3 WPA: Bradley (0.28), Ryan Jeffers (0.17), Justin Topa (0.10) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) The Twins looked to build more Central Division momentum against the Tigers on another chilly night at Target Field. The players looked like they were facing a snowball fight, but Tarik Skubal and Taj Bradley were throwing nothing but filthy heat early on. An Ace vs. An Ace in the Hole? Both of the starting pitchers in tonight's contest began their Major League journeys via the 2018 draft. Skubal came to the Tigers in the 9th round, and emerged quickly into a quality big-league arm in 2021. He came into tonight's contest as a back-to-back Cy Young winner, who has been rewarded with the largest arbitration contract in history at $32 million. Bradley was selected higher in the 5th round of the 2018 draft by the Rays, but his rise into a consistent Major League starting role has been a longer and less successful path. While Bradley has been starting since 2023, he looks primed to enjoy his first taste of success with the Twins for an annual salary of $820,000. Skubal was drafted out of college, while Bradley was selected straight out of high school, so the 29-year old Tiger southpaw should be ahead of the 25-year old young Twins fireballer. Would tonight's game give Twins fans a glimpse of a potential ace in the hole for years to come in the Twins rotation? The first three innings saw traffic on the basepaths, with the Tigers loading the bases in the top of the second before Bradley induced a Colt Keith groundout on a nasty splitter to end the threat. Skubal allowed a Victor Caratini double with one out and struck out Matt Wallner and got Royce Lewis to flyout to end a runner at third with only one out opportunity. Again the Twins got leadoff clutter in the bottom of the third thanks to Brooks Lee and Byron Buxton singles. Austin Martin couldn't put down a bunt, and instead banged into a double play that helped end another chance at taking the lead. Middle Innings...One Ace Remains As the game progressed, the offense did not. The Twins got some more base clutter in the bottom of the fourth, but Lewis once again teased Twins fans with a warning track blast to end the inning. Javier Baez singled and found his way into scoring position in the top of the fifth, but red hot rookie Kevin McGonigle popped up a 3-0 fastball from Bradley to end that threat. The low-light of the Minnesota offense came in the first at-bat of the bottom of the fifth, when Lee bunted the first pitch he saw but forgot to hold onto his bat tightly. The ball dribbled in front of home plate, and the bat flew up and tried to remove Lee's lower incisors. But before a goose egg could land on the scoreboard as well, the Twins got patient and then finally cashed in on a RISP. Buxton and Martin worked walks off of Skubal, and Luke Keaschall stepped up to the plate like a man unhinged, and he ripped a single up the middle to plate Buxton and to put the Twins ahead 1-0. With runners still at first and second, Ryan Jeffers battled the Cy Young winner until he finally got a two-strike slider that he could handle, lacing a two-run double into the right field corner! After a Caratini strikeout, Josh Bell thought that a two-strike changeup was the pitch to hit, looping a double down the left field line to score Jeffers and to chase Skubal from the game down 4-0 without completing the fifth inning. Cy Bradley With a solid lead, and all of his pitches behaving well despite the frigid temps, Bradley cruised into the seventh inning with nine strikeouts and needing only two more to tie his career high. Taj was rudely greeted by two straight singles to start the inning, but Derek Shelton left him in to face the righty Baez and to eclipse the 100 pitch mark. Bradley rewarded his skipper with his 10th strikeout of the game, and Taylor Rogers came in to try to clean up the rest of the mess. Pinch-hitter Jamai Jones obliged with a flyout to right, but it was deep enough to advance the lead runner Torkelson to third. McGonigle showed why he's been such a tough out by lacing a single to left, to cut it to a 4-1 Twins advantage. Jeffers achieved his second strikeout challenge of the game to end the threat, and to close the books on a great start by Bradley. Will the Twins Bullpen Waste a Winning Hand? Rogers stayed in to tackle the lefty Riley Greene, and then Cole Sands was summoned to assumably end the night with five outs. The first out hit Lewis' glove at about 100 mph, but the next outs wouldn't be gotten by Sands as he lost all connection to the strike zone. After nine more pitches, there were Tigers on first and second and Eric Orze couldn't get ready fast enough. Kerry Carpenter came in to try to break the hearts of the approximately 1,824 fans in attendance, but Orze struck him out and kept the Twins in possession of a winning hand. The bottom of the eighth found the bases loaded with Twins yet again, and yet again in this fledgling season the Twins found a way to leave them there. The pressure switch turned back towards the Twins bullpen, and Orze allowed a leadoff double to Baez and another to McGonigle with one out to tighten the score up to 4-2. With the tying run now at the plate, Shelton called in Justin Topa. Topa immediately induced a Gleyber Torres groundout, but lost Riley Greene to a full count walk. Dillon Dingler represented the tying run, but a Topa sinker represented a Twins victory, as Dingler bounced out to Lee to finally secure the win for Bradley. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series of the season in the third game of the season Wednesday evening. Twins righty Bailey Ober (0-0, 6.75 ERA) looks to improve upon his consistent but slow start to the 2026 campaign. In two starts, Ober has gone four innings, surrendering four hits and three runs in both outings. The Tigers will counter with the rumored Twins free agent target, lefty Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.75 ERA) who has just been consistently awesome. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Rogers 0 23 18 0 12 41 Orze 37 0 0 12 19 37 Topa 17 0 15 0 14 32 Banda 17 15 0 17 0 32 Sands 0 0 21 0 12 21 Laweryson 10 9 0 14 0 19 Funderburk 2 0 3 20 0 5 Acton 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Mick Abel 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (69 pitches, 43 strikes (62%) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Abel (-.23), Taylor Rogers (-.09), James Outman & Victor Caratini (-.08) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) Abel Gets of to a Slow Start in the Snow Mick Abel took the mound in his first start of the season and his first Target Field start with snowflakes flying and temperatures plummeting. After pitching around a walk and a single in the top of the first, Abel froze up against the Rays hitters in the top of the second. The first baserunner really wasn't his fault, as Royce Lewis couldn't make the charging throw successfully on a Chandler Simpson leadoff swinging bunt, and Josh Bell couldn't dig out the throw in his first chance at first base. With the speedy Simpson now on second, Abel went rogue walking Ben Williamson on four pitches and hitting number nine batter RIchie Palacios on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. With Yandy Diaz at the plate, another off-speed delivery went astray and plunked in the first run of the ballgame. With the bases still loaded, Jonathan Aranda delivered a missile off the right field wall to plate two more Rays for a 3-0 lead. One day after the Twins bullpen needed to toss 83 pitches, it looked like they were going to have to dig deep again if the Twins were going to make a comeback after Abel spun 57 pitches just to escape the first two innings. Twins Try to Craft a Comeback The Twins hoped to stage another comeback victory, but they faced Steven Matz in the finale of the "week of crafty lefties." With the newly minted Silver Slugger, Byron Buxton, out of the lineup due to last night's pitch off of his forearm, the Twins faced an uphill battle. After a lifeless first inning, the Minnesota bats got some momentum moving in the bottom of the second. Matt Wallner snuck a single up the middle, and Ryan Jeffers worked a walk. Victor Carantini struck out, and Lewis got robbed on a diving catch by centerfielder Cedric Mullins. Brooks Lee returned to the lineup and delivered a clutch RBI single, which Mullins booted to put runners at second and third with two out. The Buxton replacement, James Outman, in all his left-handedness, struck out quickly to make Twins fans wonder what might have been. Small Ball Stings Abel...and Rogers... The Rays immediately regained their three-run lead in the top of the third, as Mullins dropped a successful bunt and quickly stole second base. Simpson threatened to bunt, and opted to lace a single to right instead to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Surprisingly, Simpson didn't attempt to steal, and Williamson shot a grounder to a drawn-in Lee. Lee opted for the double-play, and Mullins scored to make it 4-1 Tampa. Taylor Rogers made his first Target Field appearance in a Twins jersey since 2021 in the top of the fifth inning. The Rays greeted him rudely with a single, a stolen base, a single, a stolen base, and a single to expand the lead to 6-1. ABS...and Matz...Sting Twins After Josh Bell lost a challenge in the first inning in an attempt to avoid a strikeout, Luke Keaschall lost a challenge in the third inning in an attempt to avoid a 1-2 count. This loss really stung when a 3-2 sinker looked to cruise outside of the zone, but strike three was the call, and there was no recourse left for the protesting young Twin. The Twins were going to have to fight the rest of the way with an expanded strike zone and no more challenges. WIth the border of the strike zone fully at his disposal, Matz proceeded to take down ten Twins batters in a row, cruising through six innings on 97 pitches. Rays Keep On Running While the Twins failed to take advantage of the Rays bullpen entering the scene in the bottom of the seventh, the Rays continued to take advantage of Caratini's arm behind the plate. After stealing only two bases in their first seven games, Tampa swiped the fourth base of the evening in the top of the eighth inning. With Palacios now in scoring position, Diaz blasted a ball deep to right-center that went into and out of Outman's glove for a "Buxton on the bench" triple, plating Palacios and adding insurance to insult at 7-1. It's hard to place the blame for this loss upon any one Twin when only Lee, Jeffers, and Banda had positive WPA"s. Luckily only a few hundred fans had to witness it in person, and tomorrow's always another day. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series of the season in an Easter Sunday matchup against the Rays. Twins righty Simeon Woods-Richardson (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will get his second start of the season, after taking a hard-luck loss against the Royals earlier in the week. The Rays will counter with righty Nick Martinez (0-0, 3.00 ERA) in the rubber game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Kent 0 47 0 0 34 47 Laweryson 0 36 0 10 9 46 Banda 0 12 0 17 15 44 Funderburk 0 0 15 2 0 43 Topa 0 0 13 17 0 40 Orze 0 0 0 37 0 37 Rogers 0 0 4 0 23 18 Sands 0 0 11 0 0 11 View full article

Image courtesy of © Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley - 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K (92 pitches, 58 strikes (63% strikes)) Home Runs: Royce Lewis (1) Top 3 WPA: Lewis (0.20), Eric Orze (0.13), Bradley (0.11) Win Probability Chart Taj Battles Early, While Twins Bats Do Not The Twins went 18-32-2 in their series in 2025, including going 7-19 in road series and 1-7 in series to end the season. A loss on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore would keep the worst kind of momentum alive, while a victory could give early hope to a season that desperately need it. On a day where Griffin Jax lost the game for the Rays down in St. Louis, his trade counterpart Taj Bradley took the hill for the Rays hoping to establish himself as a fixture in the Twins rotation for years to come. Bradley only had 73 starts before Saturday, but he'd already faced the Orioles seven times. Would this familiarity be enough to get the Twins back into the win column? Bradley struck out the first two Orioles that he faced, but then surrendered the Polar Bear's first hit for his new club. Two walks later, and Bradley was facing a 30-plus pitch inning and loaded bases. A 98-mph heater blew by Dylan Beavers, however, and the Twins escaped the first inning unscathed. Meanwhile RHP Kyle Bradish made quick work of the Twins lineup through the first two innings, only allowing a walk to Ryan Jeffers in the second. In the bottom of the second, Bradley again got the first out quickly, but he soon gave up a 103.9 mph double to Colton Cowser on a 1-2 count. On the very next pitch, Jeremiah Jackson laced a hanging cutter into left to plate Cowser and put the Orioles up 1-0. That was all of the offense that Baltimore would mount against the young hurler, as Bradley battled his way into the fifth inning while making some Twins history of his own. In the bottom of the third inning, Bradley struck out Adley Rutschman with a 100-mph fastball, the fastest recorded pitch by a Twins starter in the StatCast era! Buxton and Lewis Ignite the Offense In the anticlimactic season opener, Byron Buxton was the lone bright spot as he flashed power and speed to help manufacture the Twins' only run. In the top of the fourth inning on Saturday, in his 900th career game, the Buck Truck led off and showed how speed kills yet again. The action started with a successful Twins challenge, by Grady Sizemore via the Twins bench, as Buxton's slow grounder up the middle was fielded but Jackson's throw was unable to catch the racing Buxton down the line. Buxton took second on a fly ball to center. Yes. On a fly ball to center. Then Rutschman tried to catch Buxton sleeping off of second, but his throw down glanced off of back of Buxton's helmet and headed out into center field which allowed Buxton to advance to third. After Matt Wallner drew his third walk of the season, Josh Bell stepped up and delivered a sacrifice fly to shallow left. Not many ballplayers could score on that ball, but the Buck Truck is one of them. 1-1 ballgame, and Bell notched his first RBI for his new club. Trevor Larnach started the fourth inning by working a well-earned walk. Royce Lewis and his well-documented early spring training struggles strode to the plate. On a fastball that was riding in on his hands, Lewis turned on it and drilled a low line drive that carried just beyond the outfield wall. By the time he circled the bases and touched the plate, it was 3-1 Minnesota, and the Twins had their first home run of the season. Early Struggles Put Pressure on Revamped Twins Pen While Bradley held the Orioles to only one run, he also only managed to last 4 1/3 innings. New Twins lefty reliever Anthony Banda entered in the bottom of the fifth and immediately drew the ire of Gunnar Henderson by hitting him up and in on the hands. The rest of Banda's debut was "effectively wild" as the hit by pitch and a walk to Rutschman were offset by two strike outs. Lefty Kody Funderburk got the call for the sixth, and he struck out the first two Orioles that he faced. Ryan Mountcastle and Jackson took advantage of pitches in the zone for singles, and it was time for another new arm to make his Twins debut. Righty Eric Orze also appeared to feel the nerves of outing number one, walking Taylor Ward to load the bases and running the count full to Henderson before Gunnar gracefully flew out on ball four to end the threat. Baseball the Shelton Way The aggressive works of Derek Shelton continued to manifest hope across Twins Territory in the top of the seventh inning. Lewis worked a one-out walk, and while Brooks Lee flailed into a strike out, Lewis stole second base. Kody Clemens, batting leadoff in his first start of the season, laced a line drive into center field and plated Lewis to add an insurance run to make it 4-1. Shelton's strategy continued into the bottom of the seventh, with James Outman taking Larnach's place in left. Again, immediate dividends were reaped as Alonso flew out to Outman on a nice foul-territory play to help fuel Orze to a three up, three down innings. Justin Topa got the confidence of his manager to find some redemption in the bottom of the eighth, and another three up, three down innings was the payoff for that confidence. Cole Sands filled the closer role for the first save opportunity of the season, and he struck out Jackson swinging on a big curve ball. Taylor Ward took a four-pitch walk and then struck out Henderson on a high cutter. With the insurance run sitting in his back pocket, Sands toed the rubber against Alonso and immediately induced a game-ending groundout to seal the first Twins victory of the 2026 season! Other Notes There were three challenged pitch calls and one challenged call on the bases. The overturned call on the bases led to a run for the Twins, and the final challenged pitch call by Jeffers behind the plate led to a Topa strikeout. Jeffers unsuccessfully challenged a ball call earlier in the game. What’s Next? The Twins will hope to grab their first series win of the season against the Orioles on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. The Twins will send RHP Bailey Ober to the mound for his first start of the season to face former Rays first round pick RHP Shane Baz. Baz just signed a five-year, $68 million contract with the Orioles who acquired him in a trade with the Rays this offseason. This not only prevents Ober from making the dreaded early-season Kansas City start in the next series but also gives the Twins offense a chance to keep its lefty-heavy lineup rolling. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Availability Chart TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Topa 0 0 18 0 12 30 Funderburk 0 0 17 0 13 30 Orze 0 0 0 0 21 21 Sands 0 0 0 0 16 16 Banda 0 0 0 0 15 15 Rogers 0 0 10 0 0 10 Laweryson 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images In the middle of 2022 I became hooked on a unique facet of Major League Baseball fandom: the road trip. After experiencing a Twins away series in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks, I discovered several unique perks to road game attendance: 1) You get to see your team participating in batting practice when the gates open. 2) If you wear your team's gear, you become a magnet for stray baseballs being tossed into the stands after an inning, or pre-game interactions and autographs. 3) If you play your cards right, you can score great seats at low, low prices due to an absolute lack of interest in Twins games at most ballparks! 4) If nothing else, win or lose, you get to experience another ballpark and all of its quirks and food and drink and amenities...along with memories and stories for a lifetime. As my road-tripping gained momentum into 2023 and 2024, some "glass is half empty" moments did begin to reveal themselves. For instance, the Twins (and all teams) typically lose the majority of their away games. 2023 was a boom year with a 40-41 record on the road, but 2025's 32-49 record is more typical. So if your heart is set on "best chance to see a Twins win" then the home game is still the way to go. But if you want a change of pace, and an excuse to observe how other teams operate so that you can see if your complaints about the Twins organization still resonate, or if you simply don't live anywhere near Target Field and want to watch your team live and in person – nothing beats a road trip. In past seasons I've presented all 13 road trips that the Twins take as individual articles. I honestly just have been so depressed about the offseason that 13 articles felt like torture for you and for me. Instead, I'm going to present the top trips for each two-month segment of the 2026 season based upon three main variables: 1) approximate off-market ticket price, 2) city ad stadium amenities, 3) chances of victory. The March/April/May stretch of the season takes the Twins to the following locations: March 26-29 - @ Baltimore March 30- April 2 - @ Kansas City April 10-12 - @ Toronto April 21-23 - @ New York Mets April 24-26 - @ Tampa Bay May 5-7 - @ Washington May 8-10 - @ Cleveland May 22-24 - @ Boston May 25-28 - @ Chicago White Sox May 29-31 - @ Pittsburgh So here's your Best Twins Road Trip options for the kickoff to the 2026 campaign! #3 - April 24-26 - @ Tampa Bay This season marks the return to Tropicana Field after a hurricane-induced season spent at the minor league Steinbrenner Field. While watching from the literal outfield wall at that little ballpark was fun, it was very much a minor-league stadium. Now is the Trop an actual big-league ballpark? Most people would argue that it isn't, but on the flip side, ticket prices due to increased seating and no increase in fan interest mean great seats for low prices! Amenities aren't great at the stadium, but it does bring back a "Metrodome" vibe, and the fast-paced turf should make for interesting ballgames. Tropicana Field boasts the notorious label of being “unattractive” and “nondescript.” A concrete dome, with Astroturf (that even the Astros stopped using…), optical illusions from the seating arrangement, and catwalks that giveth (Jason Kubel in 2010) and taketh away (Miguel Sano in 2015). Tropicana Field defines “quirky.” Will the Twins be able to emerge victorious in the series? Minnesota is 4-8 at the Trop since 2021, so the outlook is murky at best. #2 - May 22-24 - @ Boston I was tempted to consider either of the first two series, since they involve home openers for their respective clubs in Baltimore and Kansas City. The inflated price tags of those games, and the reality that this year's Twins team will most likely stumble out of the gates, led me to aim later in May. Memorial Day weekend takes place in Boston this year, and no greater baseball experience can be found on the road than at Fenway Park. What it lacks in variety and contemporary charms, it more than makes up for in nostalgia and ambience. The fans are there to watch baseball, and that makes a huge difference compared to most other road stadiums. Prices will be higher, because you will be most likely in a packed house. But you can still find Green Monster seats off-market the day of the game, and if you can...you must. Travel to and from Fenway will require more planning than a Tampa trip, with the train being the best door to door option probably. Will the Twins win while you are there? They've gone 7-9 at Fenway since 2021, and took the series from the Red Sox on their home turf last year! So there is hope that the squad performs up to the competition in such a historic setting, and that Royce Lewis can rip 10 doubles off of the Monster while he's at it. #1 - May 29-31 - @ Pittsburgh Word on the street is that PNC Park is one of the gems of Major League ballparks. While I personally haven't yet entered its gates, I plan to this season. Call it the Derek Shelton (or Josh Bell) revenge tour, or the Paul Skenes awesomeness tour, or the battle for the number one draft pick in 2027 tour...this series should matter more than most in late May. Twins fans in attendance should stand out well, and not have too many enemies (forgot to mention that factor in the Boston paragraph). Prices should be reasonable, with not a bad seat in the house. When it comes to competitive balance and chance for victory, the Twins don't have much to go by in way of previous meetings. Minnesota has only traveled to Pittsburgh once since 2021, and that was a 1-2 series loss in 2024. Outside of the Nationals, the Pirates look to be the weakest link on the early calendar, and since Twins fans only get a chance to travel to Pittsburgh to see their favorite squad every other year, this series gets my stamp of approval for the Best Road Trip in the first third of the season. Now its your turn Twins Daily faithful. Which road series do you plan on attending, or think ranks highest when factoring in cost, amenities, and chance for victory? Are there other factors in road trip planning that you would add to your calculations? View full article

Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Mick Abel 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (73 pitches, 53 strikes (72.6%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (35), James Outman (6), Ryan Fitzgerald (4) Top 3 WPA: Abel (.340), Buxton (.112), Outman (.068) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Mick Abel took the hill against his former team in search of securing his first Twins win before the 2025 season wrapped. The Phillies came into Saturday's contest looking to overtake the Brewers for the best record in the majors before the playoffs begin next week. The stakes weren't high, but unlike most of the outings in the past month for the Twins, the outcome of the game was going to matter for someone. Byron Buxton, Please Don't Leave Not much has gone right for the Twins this season, but Byron Buxton has been all kinds of right. On Thursday he hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season, and tonight he added another one to the tally. With the count full, Ranger Suarez left a cutter middle-in, and Buxton sent it over the left field wall for an early 1-0 lead. Austin Martin singled and advanced to third on a Royce Lewis double with one out, but Suarez struck out Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee to end the threat. Mick Abel, Welcome Home Without a doubt, there was some extra adrenaline pumping through the former Phillies first round pick when he faced his former squad. Abel had already pitched four games at Citizens Bank Park this season, so the scene was familiar while the experience of returning through the visitors' clubhouse was a new thing. Abel started out by touching 98 with his heater and working changeups and sliders to perfection as he struck out the side in the first, two of the three batters in the second, and another two of three Phillies in the third! Seven Ks across his first nine outs, now that's a way to return home as the away team. Rain Starts to Fall, but So Do Twins Hits In the top of the fourth the impending rain clouds began to produce, but so did the Twins offense. Clemens led off with a single, and he advanced to third on a Lee single with one out. Carson McCusker is still looking for his first home run, but his ground out to third got Clemens in to up the Twins lead to 2-0. James Outman led off the fifth with a solo homer of his own to make it 3-0, and Ryan Jeffers knocked Suarez out of the ballgame a few batters later with a hard line drive off of the pitcher's inner thigh. Martin and Jeffers attempted a double steal with one out, and Martin got picked off to deflect the potential knockout blow for the game itself. Abel kept dealing, however, striking out nine Phillies across six shutout innings. As the Twins headed back out for the rainy seventh, Ryan Fitzgerald beat the raindrops off the ball into the second deck for a 4-0 Twins lead. With two outs, Martin worked a walk and Jeffers hit one 105.6 mph. This time he got 11.6 degrees of launch angle which cleared the infielders' groins and rolled all the way to the wall for a run-scoring double. 5-0 good guys. Closing Out Abel's First Win as a Twin In a season of disappointment, Twins fans need every crumb of hope that they can find. Abel's lights out performance in this emotional conclusion to his first full MLB season serves as far more than a crumb. Mick showed why he should be a mainstay of the Twins rotation for the next decade, and this scrappy pile of misfit players not only took down one of the best teams in the league, but they were able be the first team to shut out the Phillies on their home turf all season long. Pierson Ohl took care of business in the seventh and eighth, and Kody Funderburk sealed the deal in the ninth. As a season of "What could have been" comes to a close, I leave you with this small moment of Zen. Here's to more exciting and victorious times in 2026. What’s Next? The Twins put the final nail in the coffin of their 2025 season Sunday afternoon. Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (7-4, 4.27 ERA) hopes to finish off a positive September with another win, while the Phillies counter with impressive young lefty Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.57 ERA). The last first pitch of the season is scheduled for 2:05pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Funderburk 11 0 14 0 31 56 Adams 0 16 0 30 0 46 Ohl 0 0 20 0 22 42 Cabrera 0 11 0 12 0 23 Sands 6 0 12 0 0 18 Laweryson 0 12 0 0 0 12 Tonkin 0 0 0 11 0 11 Hatch 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (93 pitches, 56 strikes (60%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Cole Sands (-.407), Brooks Lee (-.196), Luke Keaschall (-.151) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a dramatic win Friday night, the Twins looked to keep the good times rolling against the visiting Diamondbacks. Joe Ryan looked to find some redemption after his worst start of the season, but the Twins had to find some offense against the young righty Ryne Nelson. What version of Ryan and the Twins would show up live on Saturday night? Ryan Escapes Danger, but Twins Can't Capitalize Ryan cruised through the first inning, but ran his pitch count up in the top of the second. Gabrie Moreno got things started with a single, and with one out Blaze Alexander also singled. A two-out Tim Tawa walk put Ryan on the ropes with the bases loaded, but he struck out Jake McCarthy to end the threat. Meanwhile, the Twins built a second inning bases loaded threat of their own. Luke Keaschall singled to lead things off, then Royce Lewis and Kody Clemens followed suit to load things with nobody out. In typical 2025 Twins fashion, that's where the threat ended. Brooks Lee and Jhonny Pereda struck out, and James Outman grounded out to keep things scoreless. Ryan Doesn't Escape Danger, Twins Still Can't Capitalize In the top of the fourth, Adrian Del Castillo doubled to start the inning. Ryan got Alexander this time, but not Alex Thomas, who took Ryan deep to stake the Diamondbacks to a 2-0 lead. With his pitch count already to 93, the fourth would be the last inning for Ryan and it was up to the bullpen to hold the game within reach. Pierson Ohl was the first man up, and he immediately loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fifth. Luckily, Arizona kept finding infielders as the next two batters grounded into fielder's choices, with the Twins nabbing the runners at the plate. Ohl escaped, and the Twins were left to fight another inning. The Twins thought they had finally gotten to Nelson in the bottom of the sixth, when Austin Martin and Trevor Larnach walked to start the inning. Luke Keaschall grounded into a 6-4-3, however, and Lewis grounded out to end yet another scoring chance. In the bottom of the seventh, the Twins once again got a couple of runners on with one-out singles by Lee and Pereda. Carson McCusker got a pinch hit opportunity to hit that first home run of his career. Off the bat, he thought he had it, but the warning track power landed in Thomas' glove at the wall for the second out of the inning. Byron Buxton's fly out ended yet another opporunity for the home team. Bullpen Keeps Holding Serve, Offense Finally Capitalizes Rookie Cody Laweryson made the most of his first major league outing, taking care of business in the seventh and eighth innings. Taylor Rashi got the ball for Arizona in the bottom of the eighth, and Martin jumped all over him to start yet another threat with a lead-off double. Larnach went down swinging, but Keaschall walked, and then Lewis singled to load the bases yet again. Last night, Kody Clemens achieved home run hero status. Tonight, it just took a single to tie up the game. After Clemens stole second, the Twins had a chance to take the lead, but Pereda popped up and the game headed to the ninth all square at two apiece. Another Crazy Ninth? Or Tenth? Kody Funderburk got the call for the top of the ninth, and he did his job swimmingly. Three up, three down. John Curtiss came in to neutralize the Twins, and he did the same. Time for extras! Cole Sands threw the tenth, hoping not to face the same struggles as he did Friday night. A sacrifice bunt got the ghost runner, Jorge Barrosa to third base, and Sands caught Ketel Marte looking for the second out. The Twins decided to intentionally walk Corbin Carrol, who promptly stole second base. Moreno then hit one into the hole at short, and Lee was unable to throw him out while Barrosa scampered home to put Arizona up 3-2. A stronger arm could have ended the inning, but that arm now plays in Houston. Sands then walked Adrian Del Castillo to load the bases yet again, and needed to get Alexander to stop the bleeding. He didn't. Alexander hit a gusher, a double to right, scoring Carroll and Moreno to continue Sands' rough weekend. The Twins couldn't move their ghost runner an inch, and the game ended with a whimper at 5-2. What’s Next? The Twins look to recover and win the series on Sunday afternoon. Bailey Ober (5-7, 5.08 ERA) looks to finish his season trending upward in wins, not ERA. Opposing him will be young righty Nabil Crismatt (2-0, 3.24 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Ohl 43 0 0 0 35 78 Sands 0 18 0 21 26 65 Hatch 24 0 0 0 0 24 Funderburk 0 0 0 7 15 22 Tonkin 0 0 0 20 0 20 Laweryson 0 0 0 0 20 20 Adams 0 0 0 17 0 17 Cabrera 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 2.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (62 pitches, 33 strikes (53%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.327), Thomas Hatch (-.119), Trevor Larnach (-.056) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins have been a Major League-worst 15-30 since the All-Star Break. The only bright spot in that time frame has been the shine on their All-Star starter Joe Ryan and his experience. Even the light from his four wins since the break has been dimmed by three rough losses to the Nationals, Athletics, and Blue Jays. With the Twins still looking for their first win in September, what kind of experience were Twins fans in for tonight as they faced a Kansas City squad still in the hunt for a wild card spot? Rough From the Get-Go The Royals sent righty Stephen Kolek to the mound in his third start since being acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline. Weak contact is his game, and the Twins obliged with nothing but weak grounders in the top of the first. Ryan took the mound having been sick for the majority of the week. By the end of the first inning most people involved with the Twins were also ill. Ryan came into the game riding a historic WHIP season, but he walked Mike Yastrzemski to start the game. Next man up was Maikel Garcia, and after starting Garcia off with a strike, Ryan threw strike two only to have the home plate umpire fail to identify a center-cut fastball as a strike. Ryan was visibly frustrated and eventually walked Garcia as well. Vinnie Pasquantino smoked a double over Matt Wallner's head to score Yastrzemski, and immediately Ryan and the Twins were reeling. Then the ageless Salvador Perez stepped to the plate, and one pitch later the score was 4-0 Royals. Perez's homer was soul-crushing, but Ryan's third walk of the inning to Adam Frazier was just as painful because Nick Loftin split the gap in left-center to send Frazier all the way home from first to make it 5-0 before Ryan could get his team back into the dugout. Byron Buxton is Still Amazing The Twins offense has continued to flounder as the season winds to a close, but the Buck Truck continues to do everything that he can to keep Twins fans from tuning out completely. After James Outman doubled to lead off the top of the second inning, Buxton fell behind 0-2 before timing up a fastball for his seventh triple of the year to put the Twins on the board. A Luke Keaschall groundout scored Buxton, and suddenly the Twins weren't completely out of it after all. Completely Out of It And then the Twins were completely out of it. Ryan labored through the second inning as well, allowing two runners to reach before escaping without surrendering a run. After two innings of work and only 62 pitches, Ryan's night was done, and the Thomas Hatch Experience began. Hatch retired Jac Caglianone to start the bottom of the third, but the fact that Caglianone's liner traveled at 115 mph should have been a warning sign. Loftin then singled and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, the floodgates of the Royals runs broke open yet again. Kyle Isbel doubled in Loftin. Yastrzemski walked. Then Garcia and Pasquantino both singled in a run of their own, to erase the Buxton momentum and expand the Royal lead back to 8-2. While Kolek was quickly embarassing Twins hitters, the Royals kept abusing their former pitcher Hatch. This time Caglianone discovered that he could get a single up the third base line at 60 mph, and he then advanced to second base on a groundout. Hatch then helped make a memory for the Jensen family, as rookie Carter Jensen laced a double down the right field line for his first career MLB hit and RBI. 9-2 Royals, and the experience just kept getting worse for Twins fans. It's a Bad Experience The Brooks Kriske Experience was next up for Twins fans, as he came on to relieve Hatch in the bottom of the sixth. Turns out the night's experience was stuck on repeat. With one out, Kriske walked Adam Frazier, and then Caglianone singled again. Loftin doubled in Frazier, and advanced Caglianone to third. Jensen didn't wait long to notch his second RBI, this time with a groundout to score Caglianone to make it 11-2 Royals. The Twins tried to make some noise off of Kolek in the top of the seventh, as Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper led the inning off with a couple of singles. With two on and nobody out, Kolek struck out Brooks Lee and Outman to bring up Buxton as the Twins' last chance for hope on the evening. After Kolek struck out Buxton, and embraced his HOF catcher on the way back to the dugout, one couldn't help but compare the trade deadlines of the Royals and Twins, and sigh. The two teams were virtually dead even at the All-Star break, and then couldn't have taken two more different trajectories since. The Royals ride the excitement of a playoff race to the end of the season, while the Twins have become the laughing stock of the major leagues. Tonight was just another night in September for many baseball fans, but what Twins fans experienced on September 6, 2025, no doubt left them seeking new experiences. What’s Next? The Twins look to avoid getting swept by a second AL Central opponent in a row in a Sunday matinee game. Twins RHP Bailey Ober (4-7, 5.23 ERA) looks to hold the tide against fellow giant RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-9, 4.54 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon...maybe? Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Hatch 64 0 0 0 66 130 Kriske 27 0 0 0 37 64 Topa 0 18 0 13 0 31 Adams 0 0 31 0 0 31 Funderburk 0 11 0 15 0 26 Tonkin 0 0 11 0 12 23 Cabrera 0 0 20 0 0 20 Sands 0 18 0 0 0 18 View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Ty Langenberg) No part of the Twins roster failed its post-deadline stress test worse than the starting pitching staff. Short starts, piggybacks, and call-ups ruled the month at the major-league level, and the results weren’t great. It’s been difficult to classify what a starter even means in the Twins system lately. For the purposes of this article, averaging close to four innings of work per outing (or higher) classified the pitcher as a starter. Mick Abel excelled in his starts at Triple-A, but has already found his way back to St. Paul after mighty struggles for the Twins. Some new stars have begun to rise within the organization. Some fell off this list when they struggled at the next rung up the ladder, while others have further cemented their place in the Twins’ future plans to steady the rotation. Here are the top performers among Twins minor-league starting pitchers in August. Honorable Mentions - RHP Christian Becerra (Fort Myers): 5.25 ERA, 3 G, 12.0 IP, 13 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1.25 WHIP, .277 BA - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul): 3.78 ERA, 4 G, 16.2 IP, 16 H, 7 ER, 10 BB, 18 K, 1.56 WHIP, .242 BA #5 - RHP Mick Abel –St. Paul Saints 1.76 ERA, 3 G, 15.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 23 K, 0.85 WHIP, .140 BA The former 2020 1st-round (15th overall) selection of the Philadelphia Phillies was part of the bounty received for Jhoan Duran. Abel had a terrific July across the Phillies' and Twins' Triple-A clubs, but crashed and burned in his big-league appearances. He's a lanky 6-foot-5, 190-pound righty who is only 24 years old and is trying to establish himself at the game's highest levels. He can miss bats, and hopefully, he will continue to develop the ability to perform under the big lights. Until then, he remains a dominant minor-league starter. #4 – LHP Dasan Hill – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels 3.57 ERA, 5 G, 17.2 IP, 13 H, 7 ER, 9 BB, 21 K, 1.25 WHIP, .203 BA After two starts at Fort Myers in August, Dasan Hill got the call to high-A Cedar Rapids for another three starts. His first game for the Kernels on August 16 was rough, surrendering four runs in only 2 2/3 innings. The rest of Hill’s month was lights-out, though. Granted, he barely managed around three innings per start, so time will tell if that number ever rises. For now, his left-handed strikeout prowess is worth recognizing, and he becomes a prospect on the rise. #3 – RHP Adrian Bohorquez – Cedar Rapids Kernels 4.00 ERA, 4 G, 18.0 IP, 17 H, 8 ER, 5 BB, 23 K, 1.22 WHIP, .250 BA Bohorquez refuses to leave the list. After two straight months in the fifth spot, he climbs slightly due to sheer consistency in both strikeouts and appearances. The Twins signed Bohorquez in 2023 out of his native Venezuela, and he bounced between the FCL Twins and the Mighty Mussels before taking the next step up this summer. Bohorquez continues to climb Twins prospect rankings, too, and I still wouldn’t be surprised if the 20-year-old is pitching at Wichita to start 2026. #2 - RHP C.J. Culpepper – Wichita Wind Surge 1.17 ERA, 5 G, 23 IP, 15 H, 3 ER, 11 BB, 16 K, 1.13 WHIP, 183 BA The 6-foot-3, 193-pound Culpepper isn’t even the best prospect named Culpepper in the system, but he’s one of the top arms after surviving injuries and setbacks the past few seasons. A 13th-round draft pick from California Baptist in 2022, he's heated up as the season progresses, giving hope that his success is a trend and not a mirage. The .174 opponent batting average gives testament to weak contact, and while the strikeout rate isn’t too impressive, the ERA will play at any level. However the starting rotation shakes out in early 2026, Culpepper looks to sneak onto a St. Paul mound sooner, rather than later. Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month – Ty Langenberg – Cedar Rapids Kernels 1.37 ERA, 4 G, 26.1 IP, 16 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 22 K, 0.87 WHIP, .174 BA How does a 23-year-old, 2023 11th-round draft pick still in High A make his way to the top of this list? Well, a 0.87 WHIP and 22 strikeouts doesn’t hurt, but more importantly, Langenberg continues to pitch—a lot. While other Twins prospects are going three to four innings a night, Langenberg pushes into the sixth and seventh innings. The only question that remains is how his stuff will continue to play as he ascends to Wichita and all stops north. August has come and gone, but several starting pitchers in the Twins organization made their mark and hope to continue that success into the dwindling days of the minor-league campaign. How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (85 pitches, 52 strikes (61%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Thomas Hatch (-.408), Woods Richardson (-.080), Mickey Gasper (-.073) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) In order to stay out of the AL Central cellar, the Twins need to (eventually) stop losing to the current cellar-dwelling White Sox. Simeon Woods Richardson got the call to stop the bleeding on Tuesday night. Young righty Davis Martin took the hill for the White Sox for his third start this season versus the Twins. In Martin's first two outings, he gave up only two earned runs over 10 innings. Could the Twins offense finally figure out Martin, or would tonight be another reminder of just how far the Twins have fallen? Buxton Starts the Scoring, and the Twins Lead Early After Woods Richardson took care of business in the top of the first, Byron Buxton took Martin off the left field wall for a lead-off triple. Trevor Larnach wasted no time, knocking in Buxton to stake the Twins to an early 1-0 lead. That lead lasted all of 15 minutes, before Andrew Benintendi hit a laser beam homer off the dock in right to knot it up again in the second. The Twins looked to be on their way back out into the field in the bottom of the second, but Mickey Gasper worked a walk, and then—amazingly—stole a base! After winning the challenge and reversing the out call at second, Ryan Fitzgerald blooped a single to left to score Gasper and re-take the lead, 2-1. Things hummed right along from there until Martin ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Kody Clemens led off with a single, Austin Martin followed suit, and James Outman walked to load the bases with nobody out. Gasper came to the plate looking for a knockout blow, but instead, the Twins got the same gaffes that have plagued them all season. Gasper hit a shallow pop fly to left that was deep enough to score Clemens to bump the lead up to 3-1, but Martin got caught trying to snag third in the process. From bases loaded and nobody out to a runner at first with two outs. Rally killed. Errors Pile Up, White Sox Pile On With the lead now at two runs, the Twins hoped that pitching and defense could hold the line. They couldn't. Brooks Baldwin led off the top of the fifth with a walk, and then Will Robertson hit a ball to Woods Richardson that should have been an easy out, but a throwing error resulted in runners at first and third with nobody out instead. Two pitches later, Bryan Ramos tattooed a 93-mph center-cut fastball for a two-run double off the top of the big wall in right. All tied again, 3-3. Martin kept taking care of his pitching duties past the fifth inning, while Woods Richardson's night was done after five. Thomas Hatch came in to keep the game tied, but instead, another lead-off walk and a fielding error (Austin Martin this time) led to two more Chicago runs on a pair of Benintendi and Baldwin singles. While the Twins' Martin was struggling mightily, the White Sox's Martin kept dealing in the sixth. This set up Chicago for another offensive outburst in the top of the seventh. Kyle Teel started things off with a homer off of Hatch, and then Lenyn Sosa went back-to-back. Suddenly, it was 7-3 cellar dwellers. Hatch got Colson Montgomery to strike out, but then he surrendered three straight singles to load up the bases with only one out. Will Robertson came to the plate and he got jammed. But the ball fell innocently in front of Matt Wallner, and two more Chicago runs scored. With (still) nobody in the bullpen, Hatch was on the hook for this stinker; he managed to wiggle out of the inning "only" down 9-3. Where Can it Go From Here? The good news, Davis Martin finally left the game after six innings. The bad news is that they put in a lefty, Bryan Hudson. Larnach took him off the top of the right-field wall for a double with two outs, but Lee struck out to strand him there. Noah Davis got his chance for redemption in the top of the eighth, in his first game back since September call-ups. Davis hit the first batter, got a couple of strikeouts on full counts and surrendered a single on another. With two on and two out, Benintendi hit an 83-mph sweeper that didn't sweep way out to right to make it 12-3. Brooks Kriske got the ninth, and he struggled but held the White Sox scoreless after a lucky/amazing between-the-legs snag of a 108-mph grounder. The Twins' offense decided to keep their scoreless inning streak alive and well as they headed into Wednesday. How bad was this game for the Twins? There wasn't a single highlight on social media once the game started. Not. One. They let dogs into the ballpark tonight in an attempt to get fans to show up, and hopefully those folks brought a lot of pooper scoopers to clean up the field as well. What’s Next? The Twins take their third crack at trying to win a game at home against the worst team in the American League on Wednesday. Minnesota will turn to RHP Zebby Matthews (4-4, 5.06 ERA), while Chicago will start RHP Yoendrys Gomez (3-2, 5.20 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Kriske 0 44 0 0 27 71 Hatch 0 0 0 0 64 64 Funderburk 23 0 0 31 0 54 Cabrera 0 31 0 20 0 51 Topa 24 0 0 17 0 41 Tonkin 0 0 37 0 0 37 Davis 0 0 0 0 33 33 Sands 17 0 0 0 0 17 Adams 0 0 0 6 0 6 View full article