Steven Trefz

I went and double checked...the runner from first was stealing, and Lewis couldn't have made the out at second. https://www.mlb.com/gameday/twins-vs-rays/2024/09/04/745045/final/summary/all I think we can debate whether or not the Twins played the infield in too early (just down 1-0 on Lee's play)...but that speaks to the poor offense of late. Stopping that bleeding wound by getting the out at first and allowing the run to score is probably the right play given the data we have now...but a good throw gets the second out easily and the double play was never an option.

In a game wherein both teams attempted some creative pitching gambits in hopes of gaining an advantage in the series, the points for cleverness all go to Tampa Bay. Louie Varland got crushed, the Twins infield threw the ball around, and the bats couldn't overcome a superior Rays effort. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Ronny Henriquez (opener) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K ( 12 pitches, 7 strikes (58% Strikes) Louie Varland (headliner) - 2.1 IP, 5 H, 8 ER, 1 BB, 1 K ( 59 pitches, 37 strikes (63% Strikes) Home Runs: Kyle Farmer (3), Carlos Santana (20) Bottom 3 WPA: Varland -0.330, Willi Castro -.099, Trevor Larnach -.071 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) For Openers... Wednesday night's contest between the Twins and the Rays provided fans of the "opener" strategy an evening to remember, as both teams trotted out an opener to start the game and both managers utilized their bullpens differently as they attempted to steal a game in the midst of the playoff push. The Rays began their pitching approach with righty reliever Cole Sulser and his 4.35 ERA over 10.1 innings of work. The Twins flipped the top 2/3 of their lineup right before the game, moving Carlos Santana up to leadoff from the fifth spot, and bumping Willi Castro down to the sixth spot from leadoff. Ryan Jeffers jumped up one spot from sixth to fifth, but would any of the managerial machinations matter? Not during Sulser's time, at least. Royce Lewis went opposite field for a single in the first, but the rest of the re-arranged lineup did not reach in Sulser's two innings. Righty Kevin Kelly surprisingly got the third inning for the Rays, pushing their expected "headliner," lefty Tyler Alexander, back to the fourth (and the presumed presence of left-handed bats). Kelly struck out two en route to an easy inning. The Twins turned to Ronny Henriquez, and for more on that, here's Rocco Baldelli! Henriquez did his best to make Lewis feel at home in his first start at second base by inducing two ground balls in the first inning. Henriquez only got one inning of work before giving way to recently recalled Louie Varland as their "headliner". Varland dominated early as well, facing the minimum Rays batters through the third inning. Making Headlines Against the Headliners? The Twins were ready for Alexander when he finally entered the game in the top of the fourth inning. Jose Miranda drove a double down the left field line with one out, and Jeffers delivered a beautiful two-strike swing, dumping a single to right field. The rally ended there, however, as Castro struck out swinging, and Trevor Larnach flied out harmlessly to end the threat. The Rays attempted to make headlines of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning against Varland. Brandon Lowe led off with a bloop to center field, and Junior Caminero worked a walk to clutter the bases with nobody out. Varland got Josh Lowe to fly out, advancing B. Lowe to third, and this put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of center fielder Jonny DeLuca. The headline will read: "Varland and Twins infield throw away the inning," as Varland threw wildly to first on a pick-off attempt, scoring Lowe and advancing Caminero all the way to third base. DeLuca bounced one to a drawn-in Brooks Lee at short, which Lee bobbled then threw high to Christian Vázquez, allowing Caminero to score as well to make it 2-0 Rays. A Dylan Carlson bunt single against the shift clutters the bases again, and a hanging Varland curveball on his 50th pitch to Jose Caballero scored DeLuca to make it 3-0. Then the real hot mess began for the Twins' opener/headliner/infield new ideas plan. Ben Rortvedt delivered a grounder to Lewis, again with the infield drawn in, and he made the pick but blew the throw home, allowing Carlson to score. Both runners advanced, and Taylor Walls wasted no time making the score 6-0 by blasting Varland's first pitch fastball to the outfield for a single. After starting Yandy Díaz out with two balls, Vázquez went out to calm down his headliner. Díaz then immediately drove Varland back into rage mode by blasting a two-run homer to dead center to make the fourth inning rout official at 8-0. Turning the Page to the Rest of the Story Scott Blewett replaced Varland and obtained the next two outs effortlessly, causing a casual Twins fans to ask, "Could that sweet medicine not have been applied four runs earlier?" The Twins offense had an impossible task in front of them, score nine or more runs in five innings after barely accumulating that many in the last five days combined. Lee started the fifth off with a single to right, and then Vazquez quickly erased him with a double-play grounder to third. In contrast to Varland's headlines, Alexander kept scattering hits and getting defensive support. That is, until his fourth inning of work. In the top of the seventh inning, Kyle Farmer rudely took Alexander deep to get the Twins on the board. Larnach followed with a ringing double, and Santana laced a 113.6 mph two-run shot with two out to get the Rays bullpen up and running again. A hustle double from Michael Helman on a pop-fly to right, and a Wallner single cut the lead in half at 8-4. Could they? Would they? Closing Thoughts No. They couldn't, and they wouldn't. The Rays would tack on one more run in the bottom of the eighth, and close out this opener drama game with a 9-4 victory. What’s Next? The Twins look to salvage the series split against the Rays Thursday afternoon. Once again, stopper Pablo López (13-8, 4.05 ERA) will be called upon to save the day (and the bullpen) after yet another rough week of sub-par baseball. The Twins are holding their own in the Wild Card, but squandering their chance at an AL Central crown and a first round bye. Opposing them in this final bay battle will be Rays RHP Taj Bradley (6-9, 4.35). First pitch for the next biggest game of the season is scheduled for 12:10pm CT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Sheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Blewett 54 0 0 0 43 97 Tonkin 37 0 0 21 17 75 Varland 0 0 0 0 59 59 Jax 0 27 18 0 0 45 Thielbar 19 0 0 19 0 38 Alcalá 0 0 32 0 0 32 Henríquez 0 0 20 0 12 32 Sands 0 13 17 0 0 30 Durán 0 13 14 0 0 27 View full article

The Twins went 14-14 in the month of August, and the blame for mediocrity deserves to be spread equally amongst the team. Without solid pitching from a few key Twins, however, the team's fate could have been much, much worse. Here are the top reasons the Twins broke even in August and stayed in the playoff race. Honorable Mention: Simeon Woods Richardson (2-1, 4.21 ERA, 25.2 IP, 24 K, 10 BB, 1.17 WHIP) The rookie starters definitely had their up and downs in August, as could be expected by any rational fan. In the dog days of summer, however, eating innings and keeping a slumping offense in competitive games is worth its weight in gold, and Woods Richardson delivered consistently all month long. He started off by getting spotted to a 8-0 lead against the White Sox on August 4th, and only going four innings after racking up 89 pitches. The Twins won, and went on to win two more of Woods Richardson's five starts. He took a hard-luck seven inning loss against the Guardians, only surrendering two runs. Atlanta roughed him up, but he was not alone in that department. In the race for playoff starting pitching, Woods Richardson currently stands to make any necessary game three start. #4 - Bailey Ober (2-1, 5.33 ERA, 27 IP, 26 K, 9 BB, 1.15 WHIP) Ober's August ended with a disaster against Atlanta, but his outing to kick off September was more in line with Ober's month than that outlier. In his first four August starts, Ober went at least six innings in each and gave the Twins a chance to win all four games. If not for his early implosion against the Braves, Ober could have easily topped this list, Maintaining his mid-season pace will be key to the Twins playoff chances. #3 - Cole Sands (2-0, 2.53 ERA, 9G, 10.2 IP, 11 K, 1 BB, 1.22 WHIP) When the team is losing games that should have been victories, it can be easy to overlook the middle relief that not only keep games close, but also delivers in the clutch to bring wins whenever they can be found. Sands filled both bills for the Twins in August, and continued to be invaluable to a bullpen in chaos. His blemishes against the Cubs and Guardians weren't the reasons the Twins lost those games, and his contributions in the other seven outings led to victories. #2 - Pablo Lopez (3-1, 1.71 ERA, 31.2 IP, 22 K, 5 BB, 1.07 WHIP) In any other month, Lopez's results would have garnered him top spot for sure. Pablo stumbled slightly to open August by only going five innings versus the Cubs in a loss. His next four starts each went six or seven innings, and should have resulted in four victories (if not for Alcala's implosion against the Rangers). More importantly, Lopez stopped losing streaks to close out the month, and kept the Twins from truly imploding themselves. When the Twins needed an ace, Lopez delivered. In a month where the Twins offense couldn't be depended upon, Lopez made them unnecessary. #1 - Griffin Jax (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 G, 12.1 IP, 17 K, 0 BB, 0.49 WHIP) The numbers say plenty, but the murmurs of closer controversy speak louder. Most of Jhoan Duran's struggles just happened to follow a lights out inning from his bullpen-mate Jax. 13 games, no runs. Jax has transformed himself into a dominant force in a bullpen lacking dominance, and his ability to miss bats give the Twins a person who can come in to put out a fire, and to take out the top bats in a lineup in any particular inning. Will Jax rise to the closer's role? More likely, Baldelli will continue to utilize Jax and Duran against the matchups and in the innings that most make sense. The Twins will need both relievers to rise to the occasion if the Twins are to finish September on top of the division. View full article

On paper, the Twins had no chance of winning Wednesday night's contest against the Braves. Dominant Chris Sale faced rookie David Festa and a slumping Minnesota squad that had lost seven straight games to the Braves. Luckily for the Twins, Festa matched Sale pitch for pitch, but unfortunately the Twins' bullpen and bats once again couldn't match the Braves. Here's how the game on paper came to life. Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: David Festa - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (88 pitches, 58 strikes (66% Strikes)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Caleb Thielbar -.275, Christian Vazquez -.174, Carlos Santana -.096 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Twins in Trouble? Or Right on Track? On Wednesday evening, the Twins came into the series finale having lost seven straight games to the Atlanta Braves, and seven of their last nine overall. Rocco Baldelli shared a pre-game interview that called the current moment a mixture of "right where we want to be" and "not at all where we want to be." Braves are Holding an Ace, the Twins Play a Wild Card The Twins faced a daunting challenge, with the presumptive NL Cy Young Award winne.r Chris Sale on the mound for the Braves, while the Twins were countering with unpredictible rookie David Festa. The top of the first inning Jorge Soler welcomed the rookie rather rudely, and took a Festa fastball 431 feet to the bullpen to stake the Braves and Sale a 1-0 early advantage. And then...all of a sudden there were a pair of aces on the mound. Sale mowed down the first nine Twins that he faced in order and it looked like one run was all he was going to need. Then the crafty veteran faced some traffic on the bases, when Manuel Margot led off the fourth inning with a single, and Ryan Jeffers followed with a bloop ground-rule double to right just out of the reach of Soler. Sale struck out Jose Miranda, walked Carlos Santana to load the bases, and then added a Willi Castro strikeout and a Christian Vazquez ground out to end the threat. Meanwhile, between the second and sixth innings, Festa matched Sale pitch for pitch...and then some! Festa only surrendered one hit while striking out six across those frames. While Festa was keeping his team in the game, Sale was continuing to wiggle in and out of danger. In the bottom of the sixth, Margot led off with a ringing double to right, but was inexplicably erased while "sort of" trying to score on Jeffers single in the next at bat. Not Folding Yet! Much like Monday night's rally that was always going to fall short, the Twins kept on fighting against Sale in the bottom of the sixth. The mis-play on the bases stung immediately when Miranda laced a single to left. With runners at first and second, Santana popped out, and it looked like the bad habits and luck of the past week were going to keep on haunting the Twins. Luckily, this time the Twins' All-Star Castro stepped up and delivered a single to tie the game at 1-1. The rally ended here, and Festa sprinted out to take the mound once again in the top of the seventh for the first time in his career. No Lucky Seven for Twins Pitching Festa's seventh inning lasted all of one batter, as he issued a leadoff walk to that aforementioned thorn in our side Soler. Baldelli played the averages, and brought in lefty Caleb Thielbar to face lefty Matt Olson. The odds weren't in the Twins' favor on that one, as Olson rocked a double to the wall in right, scoring Soler all the way from first to make it 2-1 Braves. Ramon Laureano was next up to the plate, and he is a right handed hitter. And hit it right handed he did, for a single to right that plated Olson to extend the lead to 3-1. Eventually, Jorge Alcala replaced Thielbar in hopes of securing the final two outs of the seventh, and those hopes were raised when Alcala made an amazing bare-handed fielding play to snag Laureano at the plate. The next defensive play managed to end all hope, however, as Margot twisted and turned his way into misplaying a deep fly ball to left off of the bat of Luke Williams. Fly out for out number three turned into a two-run "double," and all of a sudden it was 5-1 Braves. Do the Twins Have any More Comebacks Up Their Sleeves? The only silver lining to be found was in the fact that Atlanta's bullpen had been just as taxed as the Twins' bullpen of late. Luke Jackson and his 8.31 ERA greeted the Twins in the bottom of the seventh, Edouard Julien came in for Kyle Farmer, and he drew a walk. Big boppers Matt Wallner and pinch-hitting Trevor Larnach took called third strikes, and Margot grounded out to quickly lower Jackson's ERA. The Twins also folded in the eighth and ninth innings, and were left searching for something...anything to bring back the laughing and winning Twins of yester-week. What’s Next? The Twins look to rebound against an underperforming Toronto Blue Jays team. The Twins send out RHP Pablo Lopez for the last Pablo Day of August (12-8, 4.26 ERA) in hopes that he will continue to build off of his dominant start against the Cardinals. The Blue Jays send RHP Kevin Gausman (12-9, 4.10 ERA) out for revenge against a Twins squad that burned him for seven runs in three innings back on May 11th. Twins fans will remember that the Blue Jays eventually won that contest, and the Twins definitely remember it. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm CT. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Sheet SAT SUN MON TUES WED TOT Durán 16 25 0 19 0 60 Henríquez 0 0 32 0 19 51 Jax 19 12 0 10 0 41 Blewett 0 0 39 0 0 39 Sands 0 26 0 6 0 32 Tonkin 0 0 0 0 25 25 Thielbar 0 0 0 8 16 24 Alcalá 0 0 0 8 8 16 View full article

The Twins came into Wednesday afternoon's series finale in San Diego on the heels of a three-game losing streak and having fallen into a tie with Kansas City for the Wild Card position. Thanks to Trevor Larnach, Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, and just enough pitching, the Twins got back to their winning ways. Image courtesy of © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (101 pitches, 69 strikes (68% Strikes) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (8) Top 3 WPA: Woods Richardson .162, Austin Martin .149, Willi Castro .122 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Who Would Deliver the Knuckle Sandwich? The Twins came into Wednesday afternoon's matchup with the Padres in search of salvaging a game in the series, and a winning road trip overall. They were facing a unique challenge in their quest to snap a three-game losing streak: Matt Waldron and his occasional knuckle-ball. Simeon Woods Richardson took the hill for the Twins in hopes of sending his squad home in style. While Waldron came into the game struggling (giving up 12 earned runs over his last 10 innings), Woods Richardson came into the afternoon rolling along (giving up four earned runs over his last 12 innings). Who would deliver the punches in this final battle of two playoff hopefuls? Twins Punch First...and Often! After scratching across the game's first run in the third, the fourth inning started innocently enough for the Twins with a Jose Miranda ground out. It looked like the pitch-mix and timing of Waldron would keep the Twins off-balance throughout their at-bats. Turns out that the remedy for this situation was some aggressive early swings. Edouard Julien took the first pitch he saw to right, Christian Vazquez blooped a single on the first pitch to right, and although Austin Martin apparently didn't get the memo of "swing away" and took a first pitch strike in his at-bat, he redeemed himself immediately on pitch number two. Martin's double plated Julien and a hustling catcher to stake Woods Richardson to an early 3-0 lead. Castro then said, "First pitch, right?" and blasted a double off of the right field wall to plate Martin and make it 4-0. Larnach, second pitch, single. Lewis, first pitch, single plats Castro. Wallner, fourth pitch, and boy was he glad he waited for that cutter that didn't cut! A three-run blast to right and Wallner's eighth of the year provides what Twins fans hoped was an early 8-0 knock-out! Would the Padres Get Off the Mat? Major League Baseball rules stipulate that games continue even after one of the fanbases declares early victory, and as the Twins have experienced the past few days, the Padres can rally in a hurry. Woods Richardson looked to be cruising through the bottom of the fourth, but a Merrill blooper and a creative fielding "non-error-error" by Julien at second led to an extra 10 pitches and runners once again clogging the bases. A strike out of Higashioka on a full count ended the threat, but the inning meant that the punch-drunk Twins bullpen was going to be needed sooner rather than later to seal this victory. The Twins, desperate to get back in the win column in spite of their recent bullpen woes, kept on punching after the bell had rung. Julien, Martin, Castro, and Larnach stayed hot (first career four hit game!), with more runs accumulated in the top of the fifth for the Twins to push the lead to 10-0. Old friend Donovan Solano pinch-hit in the bottom of the fifth, and he delivered the only bruise on an otherwise spotless five inning bout for Woods Richardson by hitting a solo homer. Cole Sands got the first call up in relief, and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Caleb Thielbar conquered Arraez in an entertaining at-bat, and also held the Padres scoreless. Ronny Henriquez came in for the eighth, and he tried to throw the fight. A Jake Cronenworth triple led to a Bryce Johnson run batted in, and Merrill continued to mash the bullpen to the tune of 403 feet to bring the Padres within a fighters chance at 10-4. Steven Okert bore the brunt of the accusations Tuesday night, and he got a chance to leave town a victor. Just to be safe, Julien (four hit night of his own) and Manuel Margot combined for a double and single to give just a little more cushion at 11-4. Okert turned out the lights one, two, three and sent the Twins back home with their hands raised. What’s Next? After an off-day Thursday, the Twins begin a nine-game home stand against the slumping St. Louis Cardinals Friday night. With the Braves and Blue Jays visiting next, its time to regain some momentum in the standings. The Twins send out rookie RHP David Festa (2-2, 4.96 ERA) in hopes that he will continue to improve upon his solid start to the season, while the Cardinals will send RHP Andre Pallante (5-6, 4.07 ERA) to the mound in hopes that he can repeat his seven-inning victorious performance against the Dodgers last week. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm CT. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Sheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Henríquez 27 0 0 10 17 54 Richards 0 13 27 0 0 40 Okert 0 0 0 19 15 34 Alcalá 9 19 0 0 0 28 Thielbar 0 0 9 0 17 26 Sands 9 0 0 0 15 24 Jax 0 9 0 10 0 19 Durán 0 6 0 0 0 6 View full article

The Twins looked to push the Royals even further into their rearview mirror Wednesday, after taking the first two games of the series easily. The Royals sent their season-opening ace to the mound in hopes of staying in the race for the long haul. Something had to give. Alas, this time, it wasn't the Kansas City pitching staff. Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Louie Varland - 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K ( 98 pitches, 66 strikes (67% Strikes) Home Runs: Carlos Santana (16) Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan Jeffers -.099, Willi Castro -.086, Royce Lewis -.091 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Get Out the Brooms? Wednesday afternoon presented a chance for the Twins to sweep the Royals and to put some much-needed distance between them and their AL Central foe. Louie Varland got the assignment, potentially his final chance to remain firmly in the starter conversation as the playoff push ramps up. The Royals sent their second All-Star starter in as many days to the mound, in hopes of salvaging a game and a hope, as lefty Cole Ragans looked to rebound from already losing two games to the Twins this season (after surrendering only 4 earned runs over 11 innings in March and May). Royals Make Things Messy Varland’s day started with cluttered bases, and the Royals finally broke through with the first run of the game in the top of the second inning, with a dribbling grounder to Varland that allowed Paul DeJong to score from third. While Varland was able to limit the damage in those first two threats, Bobby Witt Jr. showed him why he’s an MVP threat with a leadoff home run in the top of the third inning to make it 2-0 Royals early. Meanwhile, Ragans was looking very much the All-Star, holding the Twins hitless through their first 11 batters. Santana Starts a Rally that Never Quite Materializes Ragans’s 12th batter faced had more success--much more. Carlos Santana went down swinging in his first at-bat, but left the yard in his second to cut the Royal lead in half. José Miranda followed up with a ringing double to left field, but was stranded there. The bottom of the fifth saw the bottom of the Twins lineup continue to batter Ragans around, ultimately loading the bases with two outs for Grand Slam Hero Royce Lewis. Ragans won the battle, however, inducing a weak grounder from Lewis to end the threat. Royals Continue to Add to the Pile The Twins’ inability to capitalize immediately came back to haunt them in the top of the sixth inning, when DeJong continued his perfect day at the plate with a moonshot to left-center to make the score 3-1 Kansas City, and to essentially finish Varland’s day on the mound. Jhoan Durán came in to pitch the seventh inning, after remaining in the bullpen since Friday afternoon. While the move made sense with the heart of the Royals order coming to the plate, it didn’t pay off, with Durán surrendering another run on a two-out double to Vinnie Pasquantino. The Twins have posted the third-highest bullpen ERA since the All-Star break, and today continued this disturbing trend. Meanwhile, Ragans seemingly gained energy, movement, and velocity with each insurance run that he was given, mowing down the Twins 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end his day and hand off a 4-1 lead to the Kansas City bullpen. Last Chance to Clean Up? In the top of the eighth, Trevor Richards got the call, and after getting the first two outs innocently enough, the drama began: a walk, a single, and another walk to load the bases. Facing Maikel García with a full count, and Witt Jr. in the on-deck circle, Richards threw ball four...but Garcia took a rip anyway, to go down swinging and prevent the nail from reaching the coffin for the moment. Would the Twins take advantage of this gift? Manuel Margot and Lewis delivered back-to-back singles against Sam Long in the bottom of the eighth to bring up Santana as the potential tying run. The lone engine of offense for the team today, Santana delivered a deep fly, but to the wrong part of the ballpark, and Kyle Isbel put away out number two at the warning track in center. With Miranda ready to take his cuts at tying the game, the Royals switched to righty Lucas Erceg, and the move paid off with Miranda grounding out weakly to Witt to end yet another Twins threat. Steven Okert walked Witt to lead off the ninth, but picked him off to clean off the bases yet again and to get the Twins back in the dugout with a chance for one last rally. Erceg wiped away that dream 1-2-3 to save the game and the moment for this pesky Kansas City ballclub. What’s Next? The Twins begin a seven-game road swing in Texas against the stumbling Rangers Thursday evening. This series could be a potential window-shopping opportunity, if Texas looks to shed payroll at the waiver wire after a disappointing season. The Twins send out Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) in hopes that he will continue his dominant ways, while the Rangers have yet to name their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Sheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Richards 0 0 25 0 33 58 Thielbar 0 32 0 14 0 46 Okert 0 0 0 15 15 30 Durán 0 0 0 0 22 22 Alcalá 0 15 0 0 0 15 Jax 0 0 12 0 0 12 Sands 0 9 0 0 0 9 View full article

The Twins moved their Independence Day rubber match against the Tigers up an hour in hopes of beating the rain. Not only did they beat the rain, but they beat old friend Kenta Maeda to win their fourth straight series. Here's how the celebratory fireworks took flight. Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober - 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (103 pitches, 77 strikes (75% Strikes) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (14) Top 3 WPA: Max Kepler .281, José Miranda .264, Ryan Jeffers .064 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Tigers Roar Early Against Ober After finding their groove against David Festa last evening, Detroit wasted little time capitalizing on Ober's off-speed pitches and sloppy Twins defense. Colt Keith pulled an 0-2 slider into the right-center upper deck to stake the Tigers to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After Maeda mowed down the Twins in order in the bottom half of the first, Ober thought he had turned a 1-2-3 second inning of his own, but Ryan Jeffers allowed strike three to Zach McKinstry to reach the backstop. Former Twin Gio Urshela dumped a single to right to put runners on the corners with two down. Jake Rogers and his .613 OPS then took a 2-2 changeup down the left field line to clear the bases, and put the Twins and Ober down 3-0. Drizzle or no drizzle, the Twins needed to get the bats going, or else this series was going to get washed down the drain. Twins Can Hit in the Rain Too! Back in April, King Kenta reigned against his former club by going six innings and only allowing one earned run. By the end of the second inning today, Maeda ran into double trouble. Jose Miranda laced a leadoff double to the wall in left-center, and had no problem scoring on Jeffers' rope double down the left field line. Max Kepler kept the the line moving with a single, and Brooks Lee's second career RBI came via a fly-out to deep right field. The Twins were suddenly back in the contest, important on a day where a rain-shortened game was definitely in the forecast. Which Starter Will Make the Adjustments? Ober cruised through the top of the third, while Maeda stalled out in the bottom. The inning started innocently enough, with a Willi Castro ground out. After a Carlos Correa single up the middle, a Trevor Larnach walk, and a Miranda "excuse me” single to third, the Twins had the bases loaded and a chance to take the lead with the wind picking up and the clouds rolling in. Jeffers struck out without ever seeing an actual strike, however, and the pressure system all fell upon Max Kepler to deliver. Deliver he did, guiding a 82 mph sweeper through the hole on the left side of the diamond to put the Twins up 4-3. Manuel Margot continued the contact-making theme of the inning, rolling a 74.6 mph bouncer off of Maeda's lunging glove to plate Miranda and make it 5-3 Twins. That stall out became complete engine failure for Maeda, as the hard-hit rate increased in the bottom of the fourth. After getting Austin Martin and Castro easily, Maeda lost Correa to a walk on a full count, and Larnach took a four pitch walk. A.J. Hinch stuck with his starter, and Miranda stuck with crushing the ball. The hits kept on coming for the home team, as Jeffers took an 0-2 splitter even further down the left field line this time to extend the Twins home run streak to 22 games, and pushing the lead to 9-3. The Race is On The only question that remained was whether or not Ober could make quick enough work of the top of the Tiger's lineup in the top of the fifth inning in order to make this game officially count as the lightning moved camera operators to safety and fans started opening their favorite weather apps. Two strike outs helped, two bleeding singles didn’t, and there were two on and two out for Wenceel Perez as fans began to head for shelter. Perez also headed for shelter, after weakly grounding out to Miranda at first base to end the threat and to set up a potential victory. Rumors of getting rained out after five innings were greatly exagerrated...and the game slid on into the sixth, with Ober taming the Tigers in order. Lefty Joey Wentz stayed in the game, which brought Carlos Santana in to replace Larnach from the right side of the plate. Santana walked, Miranda singled to make it a 4-for-4 day, and Jeffers found success again with a slightly shorter blast. The grounder tipped off of Wentz's glove and died in the grass while Santana scampered home. A wild throw to first plated Miranda, and the Twins now found themselves coasting to a 11-3 advantage. In the bottom of the seventh, Miranda found himself up again, and he crushed again, scoring Kyle Farmer with another ringing double. Tarpaulin on terra firma finally look place a few batters later, and the game's conclusion came early with a 12-3 Twins win in seven innings. What’s Next? The Twins host the Astros Friday night to kick off what should be a great summer series at Target Field. Pablo Lopez (8-6, 4.88 ERA) looks to get the weekend started off right, while the streaking Houston squad will put forward righty Shawn Dubin (1-1, 4.91 ERA) in an opener role. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm CT. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Sheet SUN MON TUE WED THU TOT Funderburk 10 0 0 37 0 47 Durán 19 0 13 0 0 32 Sands 15 0 0 0 14 29 Thielbar 16 0 0 9 0 25 Okert 16 0 0 0 0 16 Alcalá 0 0 15 0 0 15 Jax 0 0 14 0 0 14 Staumont 0 0 0 13 0 13 View full article

I agree, can't get Buxton back soon enough, and it appears that Kirilloff's plate woes are drifting out into left field with him.

The Minnesota Twins looked to salvage the final game of the series, after going 18 innings without scoring a run against Yankee pitching. Clarke Schmidt took that hope and knuckle-curved it into smithereens. Here's how the series sweep came to pass. Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan - 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K ( 93 pitches, 60 strikes) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-1.37), Edouard Julien (-0.073), Max Kepler (-0.064) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Not the Start the Twins Needed Joe Ryan began today's game with two goals: 1) Stop the demoralizing trend of getting hurt with two strikes and 2) Try to repeat his last performance in terms of length and quality. By the end of the top of the first inning, both goals were shot. After pushing lead-off man Anthony Volpe to a 2-2 count, Ryan gave up a solo home run. Juan Soto struck out on three pitches, but after an Aaron Judge walk, Alex Verdugo stroked a two-strike single. Gleyber Torres laced a booming two-strike "double" off Alex Kirilloff's glove in deep left center scoring Judge. On his 29th pitch of the inning, a fielder's choice groundout plated Verdugo, and Ryan found himself down 3-0 before they even had a chance to take a swing. Ryan settled down in the ensuing innings, but was pulled in the top of the sixth after allowing a double to Gleyber Torres. Caleb Thielbar couldn't strand the runner, allowing an Austin Wells RBI single to make it 4-0 bad guys. Schmidt Starts with Authority Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt, on the other hand, dominated the Twins lineup from the first pitch to his last. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Clarke only allowed two singles, a double, and a hit batter through six innings. Over seven scoreless, Schmidt scattered ground outs and flyouts at an even pace, and struck out a personal best-tying eight Twins as well. This marked the first time in his young career that Schmidt had gone seven full. Here is some video evidence of how the Twins anemic attack against Yankees starting pitching continued against Schmidt's consistent mix of cutters, sweepers, and the mesmerizing and lefty-embarrassing knuckle curve. No Relief in Sight Cole Sands entered the game in the top of the seventh, and the Yankees mashers greeted him in a most stereotypically unfriendly manner. After a walk to Soto, Judge attempted to break the netting in the center field wall with a double. A simple Verdugo fly ball plated Soto, and pushed the lead to 5-0. After losing 5-1 and 4-0 the previous two nights, the Target Field faithful began to lament their paid tickets to Groundhog Day. Meanwhile, Schmidt continued to deal into the eighth inning. After retiring Christian Vazquez and Edouard Julien on only four pitches, he got Trevor Larnach to ground out. Jon Berti booted the ball, however, and suddenly Carlos Correa was up with a chance to chase Clarke from the game. Two pitches and a lazy fly ball later, Clarke walked to the dugout having extended the Twins scoreless inning streak to a whopping 25 innings. To the Ninth We Go! After Jay Jackson took down the Yankees in the top of the ninth, the Twins hoped to find some source of hope off of Yankees reliever Victor Gonzalez. There was no hope to be found today, however, as three up became three down and the Yankees sweep was complete. 26 innings in a row without a run, and a date with the Guardians looming large Friday night. Notes Byron Buxton continues his rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints Thursday night. There is hope that he will rejoin the club Friday or Saturday in Cleveland. What’s Next? It's time to take back the Central, as the Twins travel east to face Cleveland for a three-game set. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 3.24 ERA) will attempt to re-establish himself as a strength in the rotation against Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-3, 3.54 ERA). The Twins enter Friday night's contest 2.5 games back of the Guardians for the division lead, and now a full game behind the Royals again as well. First pitch is set for 6:10pm CT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE WED WED TOT Funderburk 23 0 0 29 0 52 Jackson 0 0 28 0 8 36 Staumont 0 0 14 17 0 31 Sands 12 0 0 0 18 30 Okert 0 0 10 0 6 16 Durán 14 0 0 0 0 14 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 9 9 Jax 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

On the roller coaster that was April for the Minnesota Twins, the pitching staff tried their best to stay the course and to keep the team in ballgames. The fact that the Twins are streaking back above .500 rests squarly on a bullpen that kept them in more games than they deserved, and some starters who brought consistency to the mound every five days. What hurlers stand above the rest and can claim their spot as pitcher of the month? As the Twins entered the 2024 season, big questions surrounded the starting rotation, while the bullpen appeared to be an area of strength. Injuries took out our closer, and shuffled our newest additions to that bullpen, and questions suddenly emerged all across the pitching staff. Several Twins stepped up and filled a need in April, and helped hold the line until the bats could wake up late in the month. Here are the four that stand above the rest for the streaking Twins. April Pitchers of the Month #4 - Griffin Jax, 14 G, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 12 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 17 K When Jhoan Duran started the season on the injured list, someone needed to assume the closer role, whether that be in the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning against the meat of the opponent’s lineup. Jax, once again, took the ball and didn’t flinch. Other than back to back frustrating outings at Detroit and at Baltimore in the middle of April, Jax was lights out. His four saves and three holds show how flexible and essential Jax was to Rocco Baldelli’s end of game management. Jax got the opportunity, and he definitely took command of it. #3 - Joe Ryan - 6 G, 3.38 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 34.2 IP, 31 H, 5 BB, 41 K You can’t have a winning month without at least one starting pitcher finding his way onto the list. Ryan rises to the top due to his consistency and durability, outpacing all starters in total innings, WHIP, and ERA among Twins with four or more starts. His 8.20 K/BB nearly doubled his nearest competitor, and the team was 4-2 in games that he started. It’s worth noting that Ryan took his playoff “demotion” in stride, and has returned with a new pitch and a leader’s moxie. #2 – Cole Sands - 10 G, 1.98 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 20 K On paper, Sands looked to be a lock for adding length and mop-up capability for a bullpen that started the season depleted. In reality, he’s entered 10 games and served almost as many roles as that. He’s mopped-up for a couple of innings, he’s come in to shut things down in the late innings to the tune of two holds, he’s come in to get one or two outs, and he’s held ground in the middle of tie games as a vital bridge to the back-end of the bullpen. His last two outings have been his worst, so he’s trending in a rough direction. However, without Cole Sands toeing the rubber after short starts, the Twins’ bullpen couldn’t have performed at the level that they did. Indeed, Sands was “weirdly good” in April. Winner – Brock Stewart – 12 G, 0.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 7 H, 6 BB, 17 K After a lights out 2023, Twins fans hoped that Stewart would still have some magic left in his revitalized right arm. April couldn’t have gone better for Stewart, as he did not yield a single run across 12 relief appearances. None. Nil, Nada. Stewart’s six holds also leads the squad. Now with the return of Duran to the closer role, Baldelli has the flexibility again to utilize Stewarts masterful stuff in the inning of his choice. Whatever success the Twins finally found as April rolled around, none of it happens without Stewart shutting the doors of the late innings. He truly is ready and willing to take the hill every day, and the Twins needed every pitch he had to give in April. Congratulations to Brock Stewart for a “perfect April.” The Twins are going to need more of his best if they hope to continue their run back up the division ranks. What do you think? How would you rank your top Twins pitchers of April? Comment below! View full article

The last of the 2024 Twins' road trips takes us east again, to face divisional foe Cleveland and to square off against the Red Sox at the legendary Fenway Park. Will the Twins have a lot to play for, or can they coast their way to the finish line? Only time will tell. Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports Though they're far from favorites in the AL playoff projections, both the Guardians and the Red Sox could hang around and have plenty to play for in their own right come September. The Twins won't be able to let up. Cleveland Guardians – September 16-19 Progressive Field – Capacity 34,830 2023 Attendance: 1,834,068, up from 1,295,869 in 2022 (Averaged 22,643, ranked 10th out of 15 AL parks, 23rd overall MLB) The Twins make their second trip to Cleveland either in need of a crucial series win against a competitive division rival, or hoping to put an early nail in the coffin of a division rival. Only time will tell which type of series Twins fans will get, but winning games against the Guardians is always great! This will be the last regular-season tussle with an AL Central foe. You can find more details about traveling to Progressive Field and the Cleveland experience from the earlier road trip report. The weather in mid-September mirrors mid-May, so dress appropriately. This four-game weekday series should offer plenty of great seats, and perhaps a Browns game to bookend the trip? From the shores of Lake Erie, the Twins continue onward to their last road stop of the season. It’s on to the curse of the Bambino and Fenway Park…640 miles east to Boston! Boston Red Sox – September 20-22 Fenway Park – Capacity 37,755 2023 Attendance: 2,672,130, up from 2,625,089 in 2022 (Averaged 32,989, ranked 5th in AL, 11th overall MLB) One of two remaining original “jewel box” ballparks (Wrigley being the other), Fenway Park serves as a must-see for any baseball road-tripper. Across the Charles River from the likes of MIT and Harvard, the Red Sox’s home field carries a history of curses and triumphs. From the house that Babe Wrecked to Big Papi’s stomping grounds (ouch), Fenway speaks to the iconic and cultural power of baseball in America. Even my backyard wiffle ball set-up had a “Green Monster” set of evergreen trees…temptingly close but impossible to clear. I didn’t make that up; Fenway did. At 37 feet tall, the Monster serves as the biggest batter distraction in baseball. If you have the opportunity to view a game from the top of the Monster, do it! Best baseball experience of my life thus far. Pesky’s pole in right field sits a mere 295 feet away from home plate, if you believe independent measuring services (“officially” 302, according to the Sox). The pull-happy Twins lefties should do great there, as long as they can remember actually to watch the ball and not the scenery. Being the birthplace of our nation also provides numerous places for investigation for the Twins-motivated traveler. Boston Harbor, Paul Revere’s home, and the replica of “Cheers,” the bar, along with several cultural hotspots and historical museums await. Plan to spend a day walking through the older parts of the city, and enjoy the food and atmosphere that exists everywhere around town. At Fenway, show up early and enjoy a brat on the street outside the ballpark, which serves as a secondary concourse. Investigate the walkways and architecture of the hallowed grounds. Be ready for some excitable fans, who love their team and the game that has tortured them for decades. This year’s Red Sox squad doesn’t appear to have much bite, with injuries attacking the starting staff and little star power in the works. Trying to beat them on their home turf, however, is always a daunting task. Hopefully, by this point in the season, the Twins are the only team with something to play for. The Twins will be traveling 2,783 miles for 7 games, 0 off days, and ____ wins? How do you think the Twins will fare on their last regular-season road voyage? Anyone planning to go to Cleveland or Boston? Any favorite watering holes or tourist traps? Baseball is almost here Twins Territory…let’s get talking! Let's Road Trip is a series of stories exploring the Twins' 13 road trips during the 2024 season. I will focus on stadium highlights, attributes, Twins history, and community amenities. Potential pitfalls and roadblocks get considered, and travel considerations get mentioned. My handy-dandy Baseball Road Trips by Timothy Malcolm and Moon travel guides will be a go-to for this conversation. View full article

The Twins start off the final month of the season with a jet setting trip to play the perennial thorns in Tampa Bay, and the AL Central up-and-coming Royals. These seven games have the potential to give separation to the playoff race, or to send the Twins back home limping. Which will it be? Image courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Tampa Bay Rays – September 2-5 Tropicana Field: Capacity 42,735 2023 Attendance: 1,440,301, up from 1,128,127 in 2022 (Averaged 17,781, ranked 13th in AL, 27th overall MLB) It made sense on paper. Home of spring training and epi-center of major league baseball for two months each year, so why not put an actual franchise in town? 1998 brought MLB and the Tampa/St. Pete metro area its own ballclub: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They celebrated by losing at least 90 games in each of their first 10 seasons! Then after a 2008 name change to the Rays (think “sunshine,” not “animal”), the tide turned in many respects. Their first World Series appearance and a constant stream of small market success stories defined the next decade. Attendance, however, hasn’t followed suit. 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.” It’s days are also numbered! The new stadium is set to open in 2028, so if you have ever wanted to experience this thing for yourself, now’s the time! Apparently, the Tropicana Field game experience itself can be a lot of fun. Dancing grounds crews, a live ray tank in the outfield (think “animal,” not “sunshine”), a Ted Williams and Hitters Halls of Fame, and plenty of room to roam make the Tropicana experience a good buy. If you can time the series right, you can also catch a few minor league games in the area while you are there. I’m not sure that the Twins have a “history” at Tropicana Field. The Rays’ rise coincided with the Twins’ decline most recently. Rocco Baldelli grew up in the organization. Delmon Young and the Nelson Cruz/Joe Ryan trade stick out a bit as moments of connection. When traveling about town, the Salvador Dali Museum, the Sunken Gardens, the Big Cat Rescue, or the Florida Aquarium are great spots to visit. With a four-game series, there is plenty of time to explore! Then, its time to hop back on a plane for a 1,255 mile journey to wrap up the season series with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City Royals – September 6-8 Kauffman Stadium: Capacity 37,903 2023 Attendance: 1,307,052, up from 1,277,686 in 2022 (averaged 16,136, ranked 14th out of 15 AL teams, 28th overall) For the ins and outs of Kansas City baseball travel, please look back at the article from the opening week preview. For the purpose of this conversation, its important to note that the defending NFL-champion Chiefs will be next door for the Thursday, September 5th NFL season kickoff! Prepare right, and you can catch two games, two sports, two days, in one parking lot! While the Chiefs have been the talk of the town, the Royals have an opportunity to rise within a weak AL Central. Will they still be in the discussion come September? Either way, this city will be ready to party that week, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip. The Twins will be traveling 3,275 miles for seven games, zero off days, and ____ wins? How do you think the Twins will fare on this September voyage? Anyone planning to go to Tampa or Kansas City? Any favorite watering holes or tourist traps? Baseball is almost here Twins Territory…let’s get talking! Let's Road Trip is a series of stories exploring the Twins' 13 road trips during the 2024 season. I will focus on stadium highlights, attributes, Twins history, and community amenities. Potential pitfalls and roadblocks get considered, and travel considerations get mentioned. My handy-dandy Baseball Road Trips by Timothy Malcolm and Moon travel guides will be a go-to for this conversation. View full article

Angry shouting because you can’t see anymore ??? 😂