Steven Trefz

Because I cut and pasted, and apparently didn’t cut enough and pasted too little 😂

The Twins looked to survive Sunday's season finale injury-free and with some positive momentum as they awaited news of their Wild Card series opponent on Tuesday. Bailey Ober dominated, the Twins lineup regulars hit the showers early, and Jorge Alcala made his first appearance since May. Here's what went down Sunday afternoon. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K (96 Pitches, 66 Strikes, 69%) Home Runs: None Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The main question coming out of Sunday afternoon's completion of the regular season was "Who will the Twins face at Target Field on Tuesday?" As the Twins and Bailey Ober went about their business, the answer to that question emerged, and the Twins looked sharp throughout most of their final tune-up for the Wild Card series. Ober Hopes for a Division Series Opportunity As the late-season pitching auditions continued, Bailey Ober made his case for becoming the Game 1 ALDS starter. Ober started the game looking to build on a September of succes, having gone 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA over his three Fall starts. Through the first four innings, Ober struck out five and only surrendered one hit to Nolan Jones. Unfortunately that hit traveled 458 feet. Oppo-rific Second Inning The Twins carried a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning mainly because their offense got opposite-field happy in the top of the second. Four straight singles to where the defense wasn't by Max Kepler, Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, and Alex Kirilloff plated two runs and gave Twins fans hopes of playoff offensive success. The offense went on snooze control from there, however, and the regulars began getting pinch hit for in the sixth inning. Seriously, Who Do We Play on Tuesday? Every game on the final Sunday started at 2pm CDT so that no one could unnecessarily tank. The Twins were locked and loaded to play either Houston or Toronto in their opening round, and by the time the sixth inning rolled around it looked fairly obvious that the Canadians would be invading Target Field on Tuesday. The Astros were taking care of the Diamondbacks, and the Rangers were losing to the Mariners. Twins fans were lamenting the Blue Jays' decision to skip Kevin Gausman for today's start implied that Toronto was setting themselves up for a loss today. Jose Berrios at Target Field on Wednesday doesn't sound wonderful either. Conspiracy theorists really took off once the Rays lit Wes Parsons (who definitely isn't Gausman) for seven runs in the second inning. Stay tuned... Intriguing Side-Story Part 2 The other Twins-worthy item of note involved the 2019 Bomba Squad home run record and the 2023 juggernaut Atlanta Braves. The Braves entered the day with 305 long balls, just three shy of the Twins' record 307. Marcell Ozuna took one deep in the third inning, putting them at 306 in their matchup with the Washington Nationals with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson having been removed from the game in the fifth inning. Back to Coors Field for a Game Still Being Played Ober kept dealing through the middle innings. The Twins offense kept sputtering. But the highlight of the game in what might be the final appearance of Twins baseball on TV as we've known it, Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe caught Dick Bremer off-guard with a cake and some bourbon in honor of Bremer's 40th season of bringing Twins baseball to the midwest and beyond. The future is uncertain for all parties, but clearly Bremer has made an impact with former players and staff, as well as the Blyleven fill-in's. Bremer teared up, and I forgave him for causing me pain with his premature home run calls all season. A bunt single led to Solano chucking the ball to goodness knows where, but the Rockies couldn't cash the run in and it was still 2-1 after six. Roster News Earlier in the day, the Twins called up Jorge Alcala and sent Dallas Keuchel to the IL after he apparently pitched injured to eat up innings for his squad yesterday. This answers the "Will Dallas be on the Wild Card roster?" question, but we already knew that. The bigger news might have been Gilberto Celestino being designated for assignment as a corresponding move. Celestino went from being a most-improved and unsung hero last season to an afterthought on the roster this season. We wish him well wherever he lands. Side-Story Updates As the games reached their seventh innings, the results stayed the same. Blue Jay fans were aggressively monitoring SeatGeak for a Tuesday and Wednesday run to Target Field. Houston looks to sit atop the AL West after all thanks to an indifferent Diamondbacks playoff team and a Rangers almost epic full collapse in Seattle. Houston will enjoy the week off as the #2 seed alongside #1 Baltimore. The Twins will host the Blue Jays (at 3:38 CT) and the Rays will host the Rangers on Tuesday. The Braves are still sitting at 305 home runs as they head to the eighth inning. Things Turn Bitter at Coors Alcala got the call for the Twins in the eighth inning, and he got the first two outs without issue. After running up the count 3-1 on pinch-hitting right hander Sean Bouchard, Alcala got away with a cookie to run the count full, and lost a cookie to the left field bleachers on the next pitch to tie the game at two apiece, and add uncertainty to his ability to be called upon when the games really really really matter over the next few weeks. After allowing three home runs in just over five innings of work in May, Alcala needed to show that his long ball issues were behind him. That didn't happen. Alcala returned in the ninth inning and well, and got the first two outs again easily before being squeezed early in the count by the home plate umpire into a 3-0 count and an eventual walk where Morneau was quick to claim that all five pitches were actually strikes. Kris Bryant came up with a hero moment, and an attempt to send the 100+ loss Rockies faithful home happy. With Christian Vazquez manning second base, Jones took second base while Vazquez whiffed twice at the tag. Bryant walked. Kudos to Alcala, who took all of that misfortune in his first game back since May and got Ryan McMahon to dribble out to third to end the threat. Hope lingers a bit more in young Alcala than it did an inning ago. One Last Dance with Ghost Runners! The "runner at second" in extra innings goes away once we reach the postseason, so Sunday afternoon offered one last chance for fans to discuss how much they love or hate this rule that's here to stay in the regular season at least. The 10th inning came and went without a run. In the 11th, the Twins loaded the bases only to have Jordan Luplow strike out. Luplow's punishment was to go to the mound to pitch the bottom half of the inning in a full-surrender scenario. He enticed a pop fly to right to start the inning, but with the ghost runner Brenton Doyle streaking for third, Vazquez (now catching) missed the pitch allowing Doyle to scamper home to end this meaningless ballgame 3-2. To add another gloomy cloud to this afternoon, in Atlanta, the lone starter left in the lineup, Ozuna, went deep yet again for number 307, tying the Bomba Squad for the all-time season record for most home runs. It's better than 308, but it still stings. What’s Next: Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (11-8, 3.66 ERA in regular season) will lead the Twins into the most anticipated Twins playoff games in recent history. He will most likely face the above-mentioned Blue Jay RHP Gausman (12-9, 3.16 ERA in the regular season). The game will take place at 3:38pm CDT on Tuesday, October 3rd. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for the details that matter during the Wild Card Round! Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Maeda 0 62 0 0 0 62 Funderburk 0 0 28 0 16 44 Pagán 18 0 9 15 0 42 Paddack 0 0 0 39 0 39 Alcala 0 0 0 0 39 39 Stewart 0 0 25 0 5 30 Thielbar 18 0 3 9 0 30 Jax 8 0 0 19 0 27 Durán 14 0 0 11 0 25 Varland 0 19 0 0 0 19 View full article

That, my friend, is the correct answer!

Easier said than done! Humans are not rational creatures or spreadsheets after all :) We will win, hopefully after enjoying a first round bye due to a Texas implosion this week!

Anytime a professional sports club achieves a record that spans across all type of sport, the fanbase realizes that this is a "special" event. When that "special" event represents the longest postseason losing streak in all of professional sport, the trophy loses its shine. How did the Twins actually get to this record of records, and what must they learn from that story of 0-18 before 0-20 becomes a reality? Image courtesy of Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports October 5, 2004. Yankee Stadium (the elder), New York Yankees, American League Divisional Series Game 1 That was the last time the Minnesota Twins won a playoff game. When the Twins take the field to kick off the playoffs in October of 2023, it will 19 years since the last taste of playoff victory lingered on the lips of Twins Territory. Johan Santana scattered nine hits over seven scoreless innings, and Juan Rincon and Joe Nathan finished off the shutout with an inning each. Shannon Stewart drove in Michael Cuddyer for the game's first run, and Jacque Jones took Mike Mussina deep for the last run. 2-0 Twins, and the 2004 squad was on the verge of toppling Goliath and grasping the decade for their own. In fact, even the most pessimistic of Twins fans couldn't have predicted just how terrible the narrative would turn for over a generation of teams and fans. In 2004, the margin between ecstasy and misery was a fine one, as the Yankees needed extra innings to win two of the next three games to take the series. No part of the series screamed out that "This is the beginning of a two-decade curse!" If anything, the Twins squad was left thinking optimistically at just how close they were to climbing back into the World Series conversation despite the disappointing loss of the series. How were we to know that losing three games in a row would become a trend and not a mirage? That's how 18 losses in a row in the MLB Playoffs becomes a reality. In three and four day spans of playing baseball after long and successful seasons. One at-bat at a time. Fueled by late season injuries and unexpected bullpen misfires. Therein lies the lesson of 0-18, for those brave enough to go there. Like when the Harry Potter squad realized that in saying Voldemort's name you took away some of his power, perhaps if Twins fans can name what happened perhaps we can neuter the streak. It's time to take the narrative out of the realm of myth and to break it down into real, live, human action and inaction on the baseball diamond. Here are the true stories that stuck out upon closer inspection., and are worthy of being named lest they be repeated. Prologue - Twins Postseason Losing Streaks Existed Before 2004 The Twins playoff losing streak actually begins before the collective memory of the event formed. The Twins' very first World Series trip ended in valiant defeat to the Dodgers in 1965. The years between that appearance and the Twins next playoff victory would span 22 years. Yes, even longer than their current winless streak. In that era of "only the two division winners make the playoffs," to make the dance at all was a rare gift, and the victories once you got on the dance floor were icing on the cake. The Twins got swept 0-3 by the Baltimore Orioles in both 1969 and 1970. That was the extent of their playoff opportunity until the magical run of 1987 came to pass. Again, after the ecstasy of 1987, the homer hankies stayed in the closet until 1991. The Twins were able to win the Central Division that year, and survived two playoff rounds to clinch their second miraculous World Series trophy in only four seasons. Here is where the narrative of 0-18 makes its first turn from reality. When a fanbase ignores the fact that two decades went by without a playoff victory, and leans into the belief that World Series victories happen all the time, disappointment lurks right around the corner. Indeed, the Twins would take another decade off from the playoffs completely, not seeing the lights of October again until 2002. It was here that they experienced the only time in history that the Minnesota Twins won a playoff series, but didn't reach the World Series. They managed to win the AL Central, and then overcame the 103-win Oakland A's to advance to the ALCS against the eventual World Series Champion Anaheim Angels. The Rally Monkeys won the series by dropping the opener, but winning the final four games of the series. More importantly for Twins fans, in 2002 the Twins started a decade of regular season success that would lead to ample opportunities for playoff games...and therefore playoff losses. 2003 saw the Twins reach the postseason again, and Johan Santana took down the Yankees in Game 1. The offense never scored more than one run in any of the remaining three games in the series, however, and the Twins exited the series after getting swept after winning the first game yet again. In summary, from 1965's World Series team to 2003's playoff effort, the Twins made the playoffs six times in 38 years. In the four years that they didn't win the World Series, they were bounced from the playoffs by losing three or four games in a row. The Formative Years - Without "Winning Streak Builders," Sweeps Happen Now that we've addressed the themes of the first 38 years of Twins postseason life, we can more fully understand what has transpired in the last 20 years: Nothing new, nothing unheard of, just more of the same. The Twins of the 2000-2010's maintained balanced clubs that made the playoffs more often than most, but they never could put together two aces and offensive consistency when October rolled around. 2004 - Lose to New York Yankees 3-1 in ALDS Again the Twins enjoy having the greatest Twins pitcher of recent decades, Johan Santana, and his ability to defeat the Yankees. Unfortunately, the trend of getting swept out of the series after winning game one continues. But how? Why? Does it all boil down to the fact that the Twins only had one starting pitcher worthy of winning a playoff game? Would you be surprised if I told you the answer for the past two decades was "Yes"? Looking more deeply into the 2004 series, Santana came back for Game 4 on only three days rest, and it almost worked. He held the Yankees to one run over five innings while running his pitch count up to 87. Juan Rincon's eighth inning was one to forget, unless you are Ruben Sierra, because Sierra's three-run homer capped the four-run rally and sent the game into extra innings. But games two and three were decided because the Twins didn't have a number two that had dominant "stuff" to throw at their playoff opponent. Without having winning streak builders up and down the rotation, losing streaks are inevitable. 2006 - Swept by Oakland A's 3-0 in ALDS Starting pitching did the Twins in yet again, with Santana taking the hard-luck loss in Game 1. An expired Frank Thomas still tasted good enough to clobber two solo shots, including the game winner in the ninth off of Jesse Crain. Boof Bonser got the call for Game 2, and Brad Radke couldn't make it to the fifth inning of Game 3. Once Santana didn't get his victory, the Twins felt the pain of Francisco Liriano's absence all the more acutely. When Liriano went down in August of his rookie campaign with elbow inflammation, he was unhittable. Cruising at 12-3 with a continuously shrinking 2.13 ERA, Liriano was going to be the second ace that got the Twins back into playoff success. He was going to be the losing streak-breaker or winning-streak builder that the Twins had missed having since 1991. The trend of Twins bats tightening up in playoff action also continued, with outputs of two, two, and three runs in each game. The first two games were in the dome, and the last game was in Oakland, so temperature can't be the excuse. The Twins averaged 4.9 runs per game in 2006, but couldn't find their groove against a talented A's staff. Combine a lack of a dominant number two starter, and a failure to string together quality at-bats against quality pitching, and you have a recipe for misery that the Twins have been trying to make taste gourmet for the past decade. 2008 - Defeated in Game 163 by the Chicago White Sox, 1-0 You might be checking your Twins playoff history coloring book and wondering why you don't have a 2008 page. I'm counting the time Jim Thome broke our hearts in Game 163 here because if we will allow it, it actually proves that 0-18 doesn't really exist! Back when one-game extensions of the regular season determined who would advance to the playoffs, the Twins found themselves knotted up with the Chicago White Sox. Nick Blackburn did his best to get the Twins into the dance, but Thome took him deep and the Twins offense could only muster two hits off of John Danks and crew. This time the offense again proved to be the Achilles heel, when Ken Griffey Jr. threw a missile to A.J. Pierzynski to catch Michael Cuddyer at the plate on a sacrifice fly attempt. You read that correctly. Griffey Jr. to Pierzynski. This 1-0 loss was a crushing way to end the season, but realistically the Twins didn't have the starting staff to manage playoff success anyways. Glen Perkins, Scott Baker, and Livan Hernandez were good to average, and weren't going to strike fear into opposing lineups. 2009 - Defeat the Detroit Tigers in Game 163, Swept by New York Yankees 3-0 in ALDS This is where, I would argue, that the 0-18 streak actually stopped at seven! That's because 2009 also featured a Game 163 tiebreaker, and the Twins won it in epic fashion against the Detroit Tigers at the Metrodome. As staff was actively trying to clean out the dome for the move to their new Target Field home in 2010, the Twins just kept playing baseball. By the time Twins Territory was told they would be "Ca-see-ya'd tomorrow night," the team and its fans had a glimpse of "post-season" victory. Legally, this game is considered an extension of the regular season. Emotionally, it felt like the Rally Monkey had finally been tossed off of our backs. We all know what happened next. A Joe Mauer double gets called foul, 54,735 fans say goodbye to the Metrodome with a loss. But what else was at play here? Again the starting staff was a middling mix with 4.50 or higher ERA's. The offense held there own in the regular season, but could again only muster an average of two runs per game in the playoffs. This series wasn't an outlier, and the Twins weren't robbed. It was the norm. 2010 - Swept by New York Yankees 3-0 in ALDS If we toss out Game 163 in 2009, the streak of losses just runs right through 2010 again. The Yankees again play the willing villains, and the injury gremlin gets a participation award. 2010 saw the launch of Target Field, a whole lot of success, and a horrible injury to Justin Morneau mid-season. He never recovered from his concussion, and the offense he was carrying never recovered either. The starting staff continued to be average at best, even with a mildly resurgent Liriano and a surprisingly able Carl Pavano leading the way. Jon Rauch and Matt Capps were the closers, so those who could see clearly knew that playoff success was going to be hard to find. Game 1 against the Yankees started out hopeful enough, with Michael Cuddyer launching a two-run shot in the second and Liriano catching lightning in a bottle through five scoreless innings. The bottle burst in the sixth, and four runs later the Twins had lost again. The offense went dormant in the final two games of the series, and the official playoff loss streak reached 12 games and counting. 2017 - Defeated in one-game Wild Card round by New York Yankees 8-4 New York Yankees, rinse and repeat. This time it was only a one game Wild Card playoff (a then-legal form of Game 163), but the result was the same. The offense started strong and went quiet. The pitching struggled mightily after Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios took turns giving up runs. It turns out that Miguel Sano wasn't the only injured Twin that was missing, as we later learned Santana was pitching injured as well. Again the Twins were left wondering what might have been after their season long heroes were unable to perform in playoff time. The Modern Era - When the Pieces Aren't in Place, the Results Repeat 2019 - Swept by New York Yankees 3-0 in ALDS This series was the last time a sellout crowd at Target Field got to try to will their favorite squad to victory. The first two games were at Yankee Stadium (the younger), and Game 1 started with a couple of bangs. Jorge Polanco homered in the first, and Nelson Cruz also hit a solo shot in the third. The Berrios start couldn't make it past four innings, and the Yankees put up crooked numbers on the Twins bullpen in the fifth, sixth, and seventh. The Twins offense, the vaunted Bomba Squad, had beaten the Yankees in the regular season for the home run record, but come playoff time it was the Yankees' ability to manufacture runs against the Twins' pitchers that led to three lopsided victories. Randy Dobnak was a great story, but he wasn't a number two starter. The Twins once again averaged just above two runs a game of offense. Rinse and repeat indeed. 2020 - Swept by Houston Astros 2-0 in AL Wild Card Round 2020 brought a global pandemic and an eerie shortened season of empty stadiums. The Twins survived the divisional race of attrition without fully regaining their Bomba identity. This was the season that the Twins thought the curse would be reversed, because they had two aces in Kenta Maeda and Jose Berrios and a more balanced offense that didn't rely solely on the home run to find victory. Maeda and Berrios were aces, but were both pulled after only five innings of work. Taylor Rogers, Sergio Romo, and Tyler Duffey didn't perform up to their regular season standards, and therefore the Astros scored late while the Twins stayed stuck in neutral. The Twins offense only generated a run in each game, and only seven hits total in the two-day sweep. Opportunity lost, and the streak rolls on. 2023 -? On paper, the Twins have two aces again in Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray. The Twins offense, unfortunately, is more likely to get two runs or less per game than they are to break out crooked numbers against quality pitching. Can Lopez and Gray pitch shutout baseball into the seventh inning or later? That answer will determine whether or not the Twins can break the curse. History shows that five innings of quality pitching won't get the team to playoff victory lane, so now is not a time for quick hooks when things are going well. The Twins also will have the home field again for this best of three opening round. The problem being, of course, that if the Twins can't take Game 1 the curse narrative amplifies and Game 2 suddenly becomes a one-or-done scenario. You can hear the nerves tightening from here. In nine of the 12 best-of-three playoff series in 2020 and 2022 (2021 briefly went back to the one-game model), the series ended with a 2-0 sweep. The emotional realities of such a short series stand out in this statistic, and Game 1's importance becomes magnified. This is why the Twins traded the AL batting champion Luis Arraez for Lopez before the season. This is why the Twins have been filling their bullpen tank with gas late in the season. This is why the Twins have been nurturing along their lineup for optimal postseason health. Will the Twins break the streak and journey forward towards World Series glory like the legends of old? Or will Game 1 disappointment fuel the fires of the myth of 0-20? Do the Twins finally have the right kinds of pieces in place for playoff success, or is 2023 another prime example of a punchless offense not supporting a moderately decent rotation? Ready or not, it's time to find out how this story goes. View full article

The Twins entered Tuesday night's game on the edge of "having something left to play for." It turns out that they played anyways, and played dominantly over the hapless A's. Here's how the rout went down. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (86 pitches, 60 Strikes, 70%) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (13, GS), Alex Kirilloff (11) Top 3 WPA: Wallner (.228), Ober (.143), Kyle Farmer (.106) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins looked to continue to build momentum toward next week's playoff games. An essential part of that story involved eating innings and allowing a couple of needed bullpen arms to make their returns to the mound. All of that happened, and then some! Cashing in Early Gifts A's starter Paul Blackburn quickly retired the first two batters. The following five did not go away quietly. Four straight walks plated the first Twins run. Then Matt Wallner plated four more all by himself. The Twins' offense didn't need much more, thanks to Bailey Ober's five innings of two-hit ball. But in the bottom of the fifth, Alex Kirilloff decided to go oppo-taco to steal that pretty vest back from his fellow lefty slugger. 7-0 Twins. Welcome Back Gunslinger Chris Paddack's tenure with the Twins has been a struggle. Tommy John surgery left the righty starter without a chance to help his team in either season until today. When Paddack took the mound in the bottom of the sixth, he was on fire and throwing fire. The Game Tightens and Then Loosens Paddack returned to pitch his second inning of work to much less success. The A's struck for three runs before he could escape the inning. Griffin Jax and the return of Brock Stewart handled the rest. Granted, their load was lighter thanks to Christian Vazquez and his angry response to having the bases intentionally loaded to face him. What’s Next: Operation Playoff Push continues Wednesday evening as Pablo Lopez (11-8, 3.61 ERA) works his final tune-up before the Playoffs. The A's counter with RHP Joey Estes (0-1, 9.64 ERA), with first pitch going at 6:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Paddack 0 0 0 0 40 40 Winder 0 35 0 0 0 35 Durán 34 0 0 0 0 34 Funderburk 0 0 27 0 0 27 Varland 11 0 15 0 0 26 Thielbar 20 0 0 0 0 20 Jax 0 0 0 0 17 17 Stewart 0 0 0 0 16 16 Pagán 0 10 0 0 0 10 Keuchel 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins were locked into a dogfight on Sunday afternoon with the Angels, until the skies opened up and stopped the game. When the seventh inning resumed the Twins' bats unleashed five unanswered runs to seal the victory. Here's how the series winner transpired. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (91 pitches, 64 Strikes, 70%) Home Runs: Jorge Polanco (14), Max Kepler (23), Ryan Jeffers (12) Top 3 WPA: Jeffers (.216), Trevor Larnach (.150), Matt Wallner (.137) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins entered Sunday afternoon's final matchup with the Angels with a major league lineup, and a quality starter on the mound. After Saturday's hangover game, the time to get the positive momentum flowing again was now. Joe Ryan pitched good enough for the win, the offense delivered just enough for the win, and the Twins Young Lefties for the Lead Angels opener Andrew Wantz came into today's contest with a 2.53 ERA in September. He encountered Alex Kirilloff (single), Matt Wallner (walk), and Trevor Larnach (RBI single) but limited the damage to a 1-0 Twins lead. Ryan offered the lead right back in the top of the third when Brandon Drury laced a two-out double that plated two Angels to make the score 2-1. Old Lefty for the Tie The Angels lead was short-lived, however, because Jorge Polanco was back in the lineup, and he likes to get clutch hits. Twins fans like it when he gets clutch hits too. Trading Runs Ryan failed to hold the lead yet again when a Randal Grichuk sent a fly ball one inch further than Larnach could travel for a double. Zach Neto followed immediately with another double to push the Angels back into the lead. Ryan completed his six innings without allowing any more runs to cross, and finished the day with a quality start and 10 strikeouts as he continues to make a case for a spot on the playoff rotation. Unlike on Saturday, the Twins offense came alive in support of their starting pitcher in time to get him the win. Ryan Jeffers crushed a triple to center field, scoring Wallner. With only one out, Larnach had a variety of options for plating Jeffers. He chose the ground out to first base method, and just like that the Twins had regained a 4-3 advantage. Rain Rain Go Away...or Stay Long Enough So That We Win! The game was suspended in the top of the seventh inning as the rain began to pour down upon Target Field. Chris Paddack was warmed up to make his season debut (after missing 16 months following Tommy John surgery), but Louie Varland got the spot instead after the delay. The rain went away, but the Twins offense definitely was around to stay. After a leadoff Edouard Julien walk, Max Kepler came up to the plate with visions of hitting the ball a long way. He succeeded, and it was 6-3 Twins. The bottom of the seventh continued, and the usual suspects were involved. Wallner doubled, Kyle Farmer stayed hot with an RBI single, and then Jeffers hit another rocket that went a little bit higher than the last one. 9-3 Twins, and the rout was on. Game, set, match...to the AL Central Champions. What’s Next: Operation Playoff Prep-Work continues on Tuesday evening, with Twins RHP Kenta Maeda (6-7, 4.28 ERA) getting the start against the Oakland A's and a pitcher or four to be named later. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CT at Target Field. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Winder 29 0 0 35 0 64 Durán 21 0 34 0 0 55 Funderburk 0 0 0 0 27 27 Varland 0 0 11 0 15 26 Thielbar 0 0 20 0 0 20 Floro 0 0 0 1 17 18 Jax 17 0 0 0 0 17 Pagán 0 0 0 10 0 10 Paddock 0 0 0 0 0 0 Keuchel 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Was at seven road getaway afternoon games, and they played terribly in all seven. That’s what made me dig into the stathead splits to see if I was just imagining things. I don’t think you can ignore it, because the sample size is large enough to average out the good teams/bad teams and back to back appearance variables. This is one area where the eye test and the quantitative realities aligned. except where they didn’t!!!! That’s why the names that I listed really stuck out to me. would love to here more on this from everyone though!

18 playoff losses in a row. 19 years since their last playoff victory. Twins fans have heard these sad and sorry answers to questions that they are sick and tired of getting asked. It's time to get some new answers, and for that we must ask some bold new questions. Here are the top three new questions that face the Twins as they head into the 2023 playoffs. Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp & Twins Daily The Minnesota Twins are headed to the 2023 Major League Baseball Playoffs. This phrase should excite and inspire Twins fans of all generations, but the reality is that as the playoffs approach a Twins fan who knows history can't help but feel some fear and trembling. Nobody wants to face the potential for another year of failure, losses, records in futility, and missed opportunities. For those bold enough to ask new questions, however, the 2023 Twins present an exciting team with a real shot at making a run towards the World Series. The answers that Twins fans want to give this winter depend upon the Twins finding a way to tackle three key “new” questions during this postseason run. New Question #1: What will the Twins do to adjust their lineups for success when the lights aren't on? It would be easy to focus upon the pressure of full stadiums and bright lights when we get to playoff time, but the odds are that most of the Twins early rounds of playoff games will take place in the afternoon. Due to the fact that the Twins' fan base pales in comparison on a national scale, the prime time spots will probably go to other teams. Therefore, the Twins would do well to consider how to put their best mid-day roster forward as they seek to break the playoff losing streak. The Twins played 64 day games in the 2023 campaign before last week’s action, and the day/night splits provide considerable data worth reckoning with. In the day time, Matt Wallner rakes to a 1.004 OPS, while dropping to .753 when night falls. In another case of reverse-dracula splits, Alex Kirilloff achieved a .924 OPS during the sunlit hours while shrinking to .693 in the night time hours. The hero of our hearts, Royce Lewis, also is not immune to the hours of the day. Lewis slugged his way to an impressive 1.027 OPS at night, while only scrapping .749 during the day. Max Kepler rounds out our vampire statistics by hitting .945 OPS in the evening, while melting to .565 during afternoon play. Ryan Jeffers, Jorge Polanco, Carlos Correa, and Michael A. Taylor all prefer the night when it comes to providing consistent offense. Will this keep them out of the playoff lineup during day game heavy series? No, but perhaps it should influence pinch hitting. Edouard Julien, Byron Buxton, and Joey Gallo are the only Twins batters to show consistent performance as clearly in the night as they do during the day. We can argue about whether or not Buxton’s or Gallo’s current consistency is the kind we want in the playoffs. Julien is the only Twins guaranteed to be available at the moment, and has earned the right to be penciled in regardless of scheduled first pitch time. Pitchers are not immune to the sands in the hour glass either. In fact, the results bare out even starker splits. Those who show reverse-dracula splits (performing better in the daytime) are Brent Headrick (2.25 ERA in daytime/11.70 at night), Dylan Floro (2.57 ERA in daytime/9.39 at night), and Dallas Keuchel (2.21 ERA in daytime/11.70 at night)! While all three of those hurlers might not even be on the Twins pitching staff in the playoffs, maybe they should be if the Twins see multiple daytime games in the schedule. Emilio Pagan (6.12 ERA at night, 1.41 during the day), Kenta Maeda (5.40 ERA at night, 3.38 during the day), Sonny Gray (3.47 ERA at night, 2.02 during the day), and Pablo Lopez (4.25 ERA at night, 3.20 during the day) definitely will be on the roster, and their splits bode well for the Twins in the early rounds of the playoffs. The vampires of the Twins pitching staff are Caleb Theilbar (2.40 ERA during the day/ 1.46 at night) and Brock Stewart (1.74 ERA during the day/ 0.00 at night!), but their results are awesome any way you split it, and that bodes well for breaking the playoff curse as well! New Question #2: What "earns" a Twins player the right to be in the lineup for the 2023 playoffs? Even the casual Twins fan has noted that rookies are driving the offense in 2023, but will they still be in the lineup when Game 1 of the postseason finally rolls around? Lewis, Julien, Wallner, and even Kirilloff to a certain mathematical extent fit the rookie bill. Playoffs tend to tighten up the roster, and drive the opportunities towards the veterans who have paid their dues over the course of many seasons. For every Jeremy Pena, Randy Arozarena, and Kyle Schwarber there are hundreds of mid-level journeymen and all-star level veterans that take up the majority of playoff at-bats. The last time the Twins had a shot at winning a game in the postseason, Kirilloff surprisingly got the nod and sent Eddie Rosario to the pine. Kirilloff responded with a bases loaded pop up, and Rosario responded with an NL Championship MVP and World Series ring with the Braves. The trivia answer "the first player to make his major league debut in the postseason" was a neat story at the time for Kirilloff in 2020, but its not the narrative that is playing out in 2023. The main four Twins rookies this season have combined for 1,078 plate appearances (Lewis 227, Wallner 213, Julien 354, Kirilloff 284). Add in Trevor Larnach's 188 from early in the season when he was the one carrying the offense, and the Twins find themselves with rookie bats that have experienced an unusual amount of seasoning and responsibility come playoff time. One need look no further than the weeping and gnashing of teeth that ensued when rookie Lewis had to leave the game due to injury Tuesday night in order to determine just how important the young talent has been to the Twins success both now and into any potential playoff matchup. Manager Rocco Baldelli loves to pinch hit for these rookies based on pitching splits and game situations, but their success while in the lineup will be the necessary answer to the question "How did the Twins manage to start winning again in the playoffs in 2023?" Which brings us to the most vital new question facing the Twins in the coming weeks... New Question #3: Did the Twins win the season-long game of "injured list roulette"? Buxton, Maeda, Stewart, Gordon, Taylor, Kirilloff, Lewis, Polanco, Farmer, Alcala, Paddock, Gallo, Correa... In previous years, the focus might have been about who wasn't available for the playoff run. New Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta was brought in to change the question, and thereby change the Twins playoff answers. This hire didn't lead to less injuries, but it did lead to a shift in seasonal perspective. Time after time, a player's injury was discussed with the playoff timeline in mind regardless of how the club was doing at the time. How does this impact the 2023 playoff roster? Twins fans will have to wait for a few more weeks to tell for sure. We know that Buxton will get thrown into center field at some point in the next week, but we don't know if he will be healthy enough to stay there. For now, a DH turn on Thursday night became the first step. We know Stewart is coming back to the bullpen, but we don't know if he will be able to regain his crucial role there. Chris Paddock is pitching with explosive energy, but we don't know where in the roster he will fit and if his arm will be able to hold on for a few more weeks. Is Maeda trending up or down? Will Nick Gordon find a place in the field or on the base paths? Will Lewis, Correa, Polanco, and Kirilloff's respective bodies hold up to the challenge of extra weeks of baseball around the infield? Can Jorge Alcala find the strike zone when he returns, and will Joey Gallo keep pitches from beating him in the zone? Tyler Mahle and Jose Miranda won’t be helping the Twins break the curse. That much we know. Carlos Correa found his way to the injured list after his plantar fasciitis "popped" in Cincinnati, but as his teammates continue to point out: Carlos will not miss the playoffs even if he needs a wheelchair. Royce Lewis didn't find his way onto the IL in Cincinnati, but his presence for round one of the playoffs isn't a certainty. Again, the plan in place appears to be "get healthy for postseason" even with an outside chance of the second seed in front of the team. Even amidst all of this uncertainty, one thing is clear. The Twins hope to be the healthiest on paper that they have been all season long when the first pitch of Game 1 of the 2023 playoffs is thrown. That was their plan all along, and it looks like it worked to the best that it could have given the circumstances and the fact that baseball is 162 games of constant sprints, stops, throws and lunges. What do you think the answers will be as the Twins enter the 2023 playoffs? What questions did I miss? Now its your turn Twins Territory, let us know what your answers to these three bold new questions would be. What did I overstate? Anything I missed? What questions keep you up at night, and what potential answers help you to wake up in the morning? Ready or not, the 2023 playoffs are coming to Target Field. Here's to hoping that the Twins have what it takes to be ready to answer the bell whether it be day or night, rookie or veteran, full strength or walking wounded. View full article

I did wonder if in all of the role changes, they forgot to "replace" Tingler's duties for the short term so that he could focus on other game management aspects. They sounded like they got caught unawares, and hopefully learned from it.

The Twins' magic number lowered to three, the Twins' arms pitched a shut-out, and no Twins fan went home happy after Royce Lewis left the game mid-at-bat. Here's how the ecstacy and agony transpired. Image courtesy of Kareem Elgazzar - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Kenta Maeda 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (83 Pitches, 51 Strikes, 61%) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (11), Willi Castro (8) Top 3 WPA: Maeda (.305), Matt Wallner (.185), Jeffers (.097) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Tuesday night's matchup between the Twins and the Reds saw two clubs at very different ends of the playoff push spectrum. The Twins came into the game with a magic number at 5, and the opportunity to rest some players and to experiment with their approach, with a fill-in manager Jayce Tingler to boot (thanks to Rocco Baldelli's twins arriving this week!). The Reds came into the game tied with the Cubs for the last wild card spot in the NL, with little to no room for error. The Twins sent a veteran starting pitcher to the mound in Kenta Maeda. The Reds sent an opener to the mound in Fernando Cruz, with plans for a bullpen game. In order to figure out which of those narratives lent itself towards victory, they played a baseball game. It turns out the Twins' approach was the way to go. No one could foresee, however, the cost that would come with this victory. Kenta Maeda Made His Case Known Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray will be the Game 1 & 2 starters for the Twins in the playoffs. Game 3 is up for grabs, and on Tuesday night Maeda made an excellent case for the role. On the heels of a dominating seven-inning, two run performance against the White Sox, Maeda kept the Reds young hitters off of the basepaths in the opening innings, and escaped cluttered bases in the top of the fourth. Twins Open the Scoring The Twins faced an opening pitcher, and ended up seeing five different pitchers in the first five innings. They had planned on seeing Ben Lively as a longer relief option earlier in the game, but insetad the Reds went to Buck Farmer as the second man out of the pen to get the Reds out of a dicey situation in the top of the second inning. Max Kepler reached on a walk and stole second thanks to an Elly De La Cruz botched catch and tag. Farmer promptly accelerated the anxiety of the situation by walking Ryan Jeffers. Matt Wallner looked overmatched by Farmer's fastball, but luckily he ended up getting a slider which he deposited past the infield to plate Kepler to make it 1-0 Twins. Jeffers got into the scoring mix again in the top of the fourth, when he lined a solo shot into the left field bleachers off of the next reliever up, Daniel Duarte. 111.5 mph of pure Twins magic number reduction power. The Middler Finally Arrives, and the Twins Were Ready for It By the time Lively finally arrived in the game the Twins bats were warmed up and took what he gave him. Four straight singles in the top of the sixth led to two more runs. The top of the seventh inning brought more runs as well, this time provided by the daddy power of one Willi Castro. Let's Talk About Twins Pitching Some More Maeda ended up completing five innings of one-hit baseball. Full counts early in the game ended well, but Maeda's pitch count rose to 83 by the end of the fifth and the keys to the mound were handed to Kody Funderburk, Emilio Pagan, Caleb Thielbar, and Dylan Floro kept the shutout intact. Castro and his home run robbing skills also kept the shutout intact, which cannot go overlooked in the analysis of "how well the pitchers did tonight." The Only Thing That Could Ruin Tonight Is... Royce. Lewis. Injured. Lewis attempted to stay in the game after tweaking something while running out a double-play grounder in the sixth inning. He was forced to leave the game mid-at-bat in the top of the eighth. The words "oblique" and "despair" circulated on social media. The Twins added on to their lead in this game, but their lead on the division and hope for the playoffs will rest with the post-game news on just what level of injury is facing the heart of this team. Initial reports focus on a tight hamstring, but until more details emerge its our heartstrings that will be clenched. What's Next: Twins RHP Bailey Ober (7-6, 3.67 ERA) against Reds RHP Hunter Greene (4-6, 4.45 ERA) in the series finale Wednesday, with the Twins looking to continue their push for the second seed in the AL. First pitch is scheduled at the Great American Ball Park for 11:35am CDT. Yes, you read that right, its time for some morning baseball in Twins Territory. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Keuchel 0 0 0 58 0 58 Funderburk 16 0 0 0 20 36 Pagán 0 0 22 0 8 30 Jax 16 0 13 0 0 29 Varland 29 0 0 0 0 29 Winder 0 25 0 0 0 25 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 16 16 Floro 0 0 0 0 16 16 Durán 0 9 0 0 0 9 View full article

The Twins let one slip away Saturday night on the South Side of Chicago, but they never lost control of Sunday's game. The magic number continues to fall, and the Twins playoff hopes continue to rise. Here's how the Twins victory transpired. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (81 Pitches, 57 Strikes, 70%) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (14), Jorge Polanco (13) Top 3 WPA: Gray (.378), Julien (.225), Matt Wallner & Ryan Jeffers (.038) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins entered Sunday afternoon's final matchup with the White Sox having missed a golden opportunity to shave the magic number and creep closer to Houston for the #2 seed in the AL. Redemption would rest on the golden arm of Sonny Gray, and a lineup of rookies, free agent role players, and the longest-tenured Twin. That was all that the Twins needed to win the day. Sonny Side is Looking Up for Playoffs Gray's last outing against the Rays didn't last past the fourth inning, but today showed the best of what he has to offer on the mound. Other than a lead-off double in the bottom of the sixth inning, Elvis Andrus, Gray held the White Sox out of scoring position throughout his seven innings of shut-out work. A Rookie Shall Lead Them The Twins offense failed to match Gray's success, going scoreless through the first four innings. Jeffers singled with one out in the top of the fifth off White Sox starter Dylan Cease. Kyle Farmer drew a walk. Rookie (and ceremonial Mountie) Julien did the rest, to the tune of 410 feet, 103 mph, and 27 degrees of launch angle. 3-0 Twins and that would prove to be more than enough to seal the victory. Switching Gears to the Record Books Not to be outdone by the young whippersnapper, the longest-tenured Twin Polanco greeted Luis Patino with 396 feet, 105.2 mph, and 22 degrees of his launch angle to put the Twins ahead 4-0. In so doing, Polanco took sole position as "most home runs by a switch hitter in Twins history" from Roy Smalley. I don't know what the trophy looks like for that prize, but the Twins playoff hopes rest on the hope that it won't be his last career home run. Sunday Cruisin' Gray was lights out, Griffin Jax and Emilio Pagan didn't let the White Sox hope again, and the Twins cruised to their 79th win of the year and scraped their magic number down to six. This was the kind of stress-free victory the Twins needed as they head to Cincinnati for a competitive series. The bullpen leaves in good shape, a few more lineup components should be able to return to the field, and playoff tickets go on sale without any real fear of jinxing it. What's Next: Twins RHP Joe Ryan (10-9, 4.20 ERA) takes the mound against a Reds team currently on the bubble of the NL wild card race. The Reds have yet to name a starter for any of the three-game set. First pitch is scheduled at the Great American Ball Park for 5:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Pagán 29 0 0 0 22 51 Jax 16 0 16 0 13 45 Winder 0 14 0 25 0 39 Varland 0 0 29 0 0 29 Thielbar 17 0 0 0 0 17 Funderburk 0 0 16 0 0 16 Floro 13 0 0 0 0 13 Durán 0 0 0 9 0 9 View full article

On the day that the Twins began to sell playoff tickets, the Twins faced a playoff team on Tuesday night and proved that they belong. Here's how the clutch victory happened. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett - USA Today Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (102 Pitches, 71 Strikes, 69.6% Strikes) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (12), Willi Castro (7) Top WPA: Willi Castro (.401), Jhoan Duran (.158), Louie Varland (.152) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Old Faces in New Jerseys Part 1 The Twins faced a familiar foe on the mound Tuesday night in Zack Littell. Littell pitched three years for the Twins, with 2019 being his best run with 29 relief appearances, a 6-0 mark, and 1.16 WHIP during the Bomba Squad season. The other two seasons were far less successful, which is why Littell found his way to San Francisco, then Texas, then Boston, and now as a starter (of course he is) with a 1.12 WHIP on the playoff-bound Rays. Littell cruised through the lineup the first time through. When Edouard Julien came up again in the bottom of the third inning, he pumped the brakes on Littell and the ball deep into the Rays bullpen to put the Twins up 1-0. Old Faces in New Jerseys Part 2 The Twins' pitcher on Tuesday night also looked familiar to the team he was facing. Joe Ryan was drafted in the seventh round in 2018 by Tampa Bay and came to Minnesota in the post-Bomba Nelson Cruz trade. Ryan had the Rays' number the first time through the lineup, holding them hitless. Once the lineup turned over, the offensive action started in earnest. Brandon Lowe laced a double on the first pitch of the fourth inning, and he might have stayed there if not for a "Carlos Correa wishes he had that one back" liner by Josh Lowe (no relation) that went from being an inning-ending double play into a run-scoring single in the blink of an eye. Is This Really Zack Littell? Julien might have created a bump in the road for Littell, but he was back on cruise control immediately. Through his first six innings of work, he had surrendered only two hits on 66 pitches at an 80 percent strike rate. The Twins looked rushed as they tried to conquer Littell early in the count. They failed to make quality contact and found themselves playing from behind after the Rays took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a Rene Pinto home run. Ryan pitched well but didn't escape the fifth inning after eclipsing the 100-pitch mark and cluttering the bases with two outs. Is This Really Louie Varland? The artist formerly known as the starter Varland entered the fifth inning to clean up Ryan's mess and clean up he did. Varland got J. Lowe to fly out to end that threat, struck out the side impressively in the sixth, and got another three outs in the seventh. Varland faced seven batters and got seven outs in his trial run for playoff playing time. Will the Twins Realize This is Zack Littell Before its Too Late? In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the score still 2-1 Rays, Max Kepler blooped a single into right-center with one out. Littell looked like he was going to escape yet again after striking out Correa for the second out, but Willi Castro had other thoughts. Deep, powerful, and game-changing thoughts... The Rays bullpen offered another chance for added insurance, with control issues leading to a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the eighth inning. A Correa pop fly ended the rally, and the game was handed to Jhoan Duran with a 3-2 lead in the ninth. Duran thought three up, three down was all the drama that Twins fans deserved tonight as he sent the Target Field faithful home happy with dreams of a single-digit magic number on their minds. The Rays bullpen offered another chance for added insurance, with control issues leading to a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the eighth inning. A Correa pop fly ended the rally, and the game was handed to Jhoan Duran with a 3-2 lead in the ninth. Duran thought three up, three down was all the drama that Twins fans deserved tonight as he sent the Target Field faithful home happy with dreams of a single-digit magic number on their minds. Next Up The Twins look to take the series from Tampa Bay and will rely on crafty veteran LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 4.78 ERA). The Rays will counter with rookie RHP Taj Bradley (5-7, 5.44 ERA), who is making his 18th career start. First pitch at Target Field is scheduled for 12:10pm CDT on what looks to be a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon. The Twins are 17-9 at home since the All-Star break in a trend that bodes well for the opening round of the playoffs. Up-to-Date Standings AL Central W L Pct GB Minnesota 76 69 .524 0.0 Cleveland 68 77 .469 8.0 Post-Game Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Varland 0 20 0 0 31 51 Headrick 0 0 0 47 0 47 Winder 0 0 0 38 0 38 Thielbar 15 10 0 0 11 36 Floro 0 11 0 24 0 35 Jax 8 0 24 0 0 32 Durán 14 0 0 0 10 24 Funderburk 0 15 0 0 0 15 Pagán 11 0 0 0 0 11 View full article

I viewed it as a mistake. The fielder dove, and he would have plenty of time if he even went halfway.

Pablo Lopez brought his Sunday best, setting two personal milestones on the mound, and the Twins still lost. Here's how this getaway dud of a game went down. Image courtesy of Michael McLoone - USA Today Box Score Starting Pitcher: Pablo Lopez - 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 14 K (106 Pitches, 73 Strikes, 69% Strikes) Home Runs: None Bottom WPA: Griffin Jax (-.410), Alex Kirilloff (-.178), Matt Wallner (-.140) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Sunday brought last-minute changes to the line-up, a pitching milestone, and the opening of the NFL season a few blocks down the street from Target Field. Jorge Polanco was placed on the bereavement list hours before game time, and Gilberto Celestino made his 2023 return to the ball club as the corresponding move. Donovan Solano took over at second base, bumping Edouard Julien into the DH spot. Pablo Lopez got the start one day after his "Los Twins" jersey was distributed to the masses. While the Vikings attempted to begin anew, the Twins were busy trying to finish off a series sweep. Fans of both teams were left wanting. It's Been "Pablo Day" All Year Long The first out of the game was a momentous one, as Lopez struck out his 200th batter of the season. Lopez became the ninth Twins to reach the feat, and it was his first season for such an accomplishment. 2018's version of Jose Berrios was the last Twin to achieve the mark, and Twins fans would agree that that if Lopez could reach a happy middle ground between Berrios and four-time 200 strikeout man Johan Santana, its going to be a good few seasons enjoying Lopez' contract extension! Lopez didn't stop at 200. Will he reach the 265 mark set by Santana in 2004? Probably not. But he's getting closer to his idol inning by inning. Scoring Runs is Hard to Do...Apparently Last year's opening day pitcher for the Mets, Tylor Megill (also known as former Twins pitcher Tyler's brother) tried to silence the Twins lineup. The first time through, all was quiet on the offensive front. In the bottom of the third, the second run through the lineup brought better plate appearances but still no runs. Alex Kirilloff laced a sinking liner to left, and Julien got caught in no-man's land between first and second, and was forced out at second on the trapped ball. Royce Lewis had a chance to open up the scoring with Castro on third, Kirilloff on second, and two outs, but a soft liner down the left field line landed just foul. Eventually Lewis squared up the ball, directly to the third baseman, and on to the middle innings we went still tied at 0-0. In Sunday games this season, the Twins have reflected their overall summer vibe. They've gone 11-12, averaging 3.91 runs per game. While this screams "average," in 10 of the 23 games the Twins have scored two or fewer runs. This is the offensive element that gives me the most pause heading into the playoff push. Lopez Keeps Dealing K's, but the Twins Bats Stay Quiet Maybe Lopez will reach Santana's record at this rate! He struck out the side in the fourth, and other than a hit batter he was spotless through five. The top of the sixth brought two more, to put Lopez's six inning total to 10 K's on only 77 pitches. Kirilloff's double-play ball to second ended a threat for the Twins in the bottom of the fifth, as Megill limited the Twins to two hits. Megill's pitch count was not nearly as tidy, however, and he was finished at 93 pitches after five innings of work. Mets Bullpen = Runs? Statistically speaking, the Mets bullpen has not enjoyed facing the Twins this week. In the first two games of the series, Mets relievers have surrendered eight runs in four innings of work. Phil Bickford got the call in the sixth, and he walked Lewis to start the inning. Max Kepler was next up, and Dick Bremer erroneously cried "Home Run wolf" for what felt like the 90th time this series, and as Kepler's ball failed to reach the warning track, Lewis scampered to third on the tag. With a runner at third, and less than two outs, the Twins were back in September's version of "bases loaded no outs" with Carlos Correa up at the plate. Correa fanned, putting the slumping Matt Wallner into the hero's spot. A weak pop fly to center ended yet another threat in a game where one run feels like 1,000,000. How Far Can He Go? With the Twins having placed themselves well into the driver's seat of the AL Central, one of the talking points heading into the final weeks of the season revolved around pitch counts and innings for the playoff-caliber starting staff. How far would Rocco Baldelli allow Lopez to go in this game? In the seventh inning, Lopez struck out two more on only 14 pitches, to equal his career high mark at 12 K's for the game. The eighth inning brought the Twins ace back onto the mound (or, perhaps it was the utter failure of the Twins offense that did it...). Two more strike outs, a career high 14 for the game, and the Target Field faithful who chose baseball over football today gave him a well-deserved standing ovation. Does Someone Want to Win This Game? Unfortunately the Mets did. Griffin Jax came in for the ninth, and immediately got Francisco Lindor to hit a weak fly ball to left. Wallner got there eventually, dove for it but for some reason turned his glove upside down at the exact moment the glove should have been open, and a gift double was the result. Jax then hit Jeff McNeil on an 0-2 pitch. Two batters later, DJ Stewart hit the ball a long ways to the gap and it was 2-0 Mets. Adam Ottavino entered to attempt the save. Correa greeted his second pitch with 110 mph of angst for a lead-off double. Wallner's offensive woes continued with a strike out. Trevor Larnach, your table is ready. Lopez's brilliant start was wasted, a winnable game was placed yet again on the Sunday afternoon disinterested offensive effort pile, and attention in Twins Territory can once again promptly turn towards yelling at the Vikings. Next Up The Twins look to avenge their mid-season sweep in Tampa Bay by sending RHP Sonny Gray (7-6, 2.98 ERA) up against his ERA doppleganger RHP Tyler Glasnow (8-5, 2.98 ERA). Thanks to Cleveland wasting a gem by their ace Tanner Bibee, the Twins still hold a 7.5 game lead on the AL Central and saw their magic number drop to 12 on Sunday. First pitch at Target Field is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT on Monday. Up-to-Date Standings AL Central W L Pct GB Minnesota 75 68 .524 0.0 Cleveland 68 76 .472 7.5 Post-Game Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Varland 43 0 0 20 0 63 Jax 0 0 8 0 24 32 Funderburk 11 0 0 15 0 26 Thielbar 0 0 15 10 0 25 Durán 0 0 14 0 0 14 Pagán 0 0 11 0 0 11 Floro 0 0 0 11 0 11 Headrick 0 0 0 0 0 0 Winder 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins looked to deliver another crushing blow to their division rivals on Tuesday night. After swinging and missing several times, they finally landed the knock out punch to the Guardians in the eighth inning. Here's how the big night went down. Image courtesy of Ken Blaze - USA Today Box Score Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (101 Pitches, 66 Strikes, 65% Strikes) Home Runs: Christian Vazquez (6) Bottom WPA: Willi Castro (.312), Christian Vazquez (.297), Carlos Correa (.088) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins faced an unusual challenge on Tuesday night in Cleveland. How does one go from facing a third-string catcher for four innings of the 20-6 victory on Monday, to facing a Cy Young candidate the very next day? When the season is on the line, but isn't really, but kinda is...would the Twins respond like a team that deserves a playoff opportunity, or a team that can't bring a consistent attack to the field night in and night out? The Art of the Two Out Rally The top of the first inning started innocently and meekly enough, with Tanner Bibee retiring the first two Twins easily. Bibee wanted no part of Royce Lewis, however, and walked him on four pitches. Max Kepler decided that a pitcher should be punished for that kind of disrespect. The Twins weren't done there, as Carlos Correa continued his recent line drive exploits, singling in Kepler to put the Twins up 2-0. This stretch of 7-3 baseball has displayed a new-found flavor for not giving up on an inning, as the Twins continue to put up crooked numbers against starting pitching with two outs in an inning. The Art of Going to the Well One Too Many Times Sonny Gray cruised through his first two innings of work, but after surrendering a lead off single to Will Brennan, Gray found himself trying to get back on track against slugger Bo Naylor. Gray was able to sneak a fastball by Naylor right down Broadway to advance the count to 0-2, but he through the same pitch in the same spot with his next attempt, and Naylor parked it 389 feet to right-center to even up the score at two apiece. The Art of the Poorly Timed Strike Out In the second inning, the Twins had opportunity to strike again and add to their lead, but with runners at second and third with one out, Edouard Julien struck out, and the runner at third never made it home. In the fifth inning, Polanco led off and missed a home run by inches, but ended up at second base, and then advanced to third on a Lewis single. Again with one out and a runner at third, the Twins were in perfect position to re-take the lead. Kepler again strode to the plate, but this time he struck out swinging at a ball above his ears, and once again the runner at third stayed stranded. Juxtapose this with Cleveland's bottom of the fifth inning, where they advanced a leadoff double by Gabriel Arias to third with one out, and then Myles Straw choked up on two strikes and fought off a fly ball deep enough to to plate Arias on a tag to take the lead at 3-2. The Christian Vazquez Redemption Story Begins Tonight? The Guardians bullpen got the call to enter in the top of the sixth, with the left-hander Matt Moore starting the evening's wave of managing. Rocco Baldelli countered with pinch-hitting Jordan Luplow for Matt Wallner (and thus removing his bat for the entire game), and Luplow promptly struck out. Before Twins fans had time to release the appropriate expletive, Vazquez stepped up and unleashed an opposite field bomb to tie the game at three apiece. A Willi Castro single and a Kyle Farmer double later, and the Twins were right back in position to score with a runner on third and one out. Polanco worked a full count, and then... struck out swinging. This deflating narrative of the Twins offensive performance in a pivotal game continued, with Lewis also striking out to end the threat. Now the expletives focused themselves towards the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" aspect of this game. Will the Missed Opportunities Come Back to Haunt the Twins? Some Guardians familiar faces put immediate heat back on Gray, with Jose Ramirez and Kole Calhoun singling their way to first and third with only one out. Andres Gimenez found himself in the prime at-bat, and Gray fought him pitch after pitch to strike Gimenez out, and retire Arias after him to escape the jam. Bullpens took over for good after that, and Reynaldo Lopez hoped to have a better first impression as a waiver wire hero for the Guardians than Giolito did the night before. He did. Griffin Jax took his turn in the seventh for the Twins, and he did well. Trevor Stephan of the Guardians found no such luck in the top of the eighth inning, however, when the Vazquez redemption tour led off with a single, and Castro roped a double to once again place runners at second and third with nobody out. It was Farmer's turn to come up in the "do not strike out" spot, and he struck out. Polanco came up next, trying to cash in where he failed earlier in the game. Things looked bleak as Polanco fell behind 0-2, and expletive's once again were locked and loaded, but Twins Territory let out a collective sigh of relief as Polanco made just enough contact to the outfield to drive in pinch-runner Joey Gallo to re-take the lead 4-3. Stephan then walked Lewis and Kepler to load the bases, and sent a pitch to the backstop to make it 5-3. Correa got hit by a pitch, and then the bases were loaded yet again for Donovan Solano. And he delivered! What began as an "oh no, not again" Twins offensive inning, became a laugher that was sending fans home early. With a five run lead, the Twins turned to Caleb Thielbar and Emilio Pagan took turns quieting the Guardian's bats, and the Twins looked every bit the part of a team that is destined for a playoff appearance. Up-to-Date Standings Post-Game Interviews What’s Next? The Twins look to win the season series with a sweep of the Guardians on Wednesday. This game carries extra weight, as its worth an extra game in the standings either way due to the elimination of Game 163 in the new playoff alignment. Twins starter Joe Ryan (10-8, 4.20 ERA) will look to avenge his two earlier quality start losses against the Guardians. He will face Cleveland rookie RHP Gavin Williams (1-5, 3.46 ERA), who hasn't pitched since he got pulled due to injury after one inning versus the Twins last week. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm CDT. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUES TOT Headrick 0 15 0 46 0 61 Pagán 0 24 0 0 12 36 Jax 11 7 0 0 17 35 Durán 9 21 0 0 0 30 Thielbar 8 6 0 0 10 24 Funderburk 0 9 14 0 0 23 Floro 0 8 0 14 0 22 Winder 0 6 5 0 0 11 Varland 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article