Steven Trefz

Good catch! 29 hits! I agree, 4 hits would have cemented his spot at #1 😂 That 3 BB to 29 K line is real though...I didn't even catch how good that was the first time through the numbers.

In a month where the Twins went a disappointing 13-11, the pitching can be both thanked and blamed for the results. These were the pitchers that stood out above the crowd in a July that needed their best performances. July exposed some chinks in the armor of the Minnesota pitching staff. Lights out starting pitching, and clutch bullpen work got replaced by inconsistent starting pitching and lost leads by the bullpen. The Twins starters have struggled out of the All Star, posting an ERA over 5.00 and wasting some quality offensive outbursts by their teammates. The issues weren't contained to the starters, as the bullpen also lingered above the 5.00 ERA mark. Where were the bright spots amongst the Twins hurlers? Honorable Mention Sonny Gray - 5 G, 4.85 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 29.2 IP, 25 H, 11 BB, 26 K In the month of July, Gray won zero games in five starts. He averaged less than six innings a contest, and established a mediocre 4.85 ERA. Yet, when it came to WPA, Gray led all pitchers at 0.7. Why? Because for the most part Gray was able to escape jams, and keep his team in the bulk of his starts. In a month like this, that counts for something...but not much. Gray still hasn't won a game since April 30th. Let that sink in...15 starts without a victory. The Twins offense can be blamed for much of this streak, but not all of it. July Pitchers of the Month #4. Griffin Jax - 11 G, 2.61 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K Why? Despite the Kolton Wong crushing blow (in a game the Twins won by the way), Jax stranded runners at a 93.8% clip, and gave the Twins four holds during a month when wins were hard to come by. Now, the two blown saves are an issue, and the fact that Jax cannot be counted upon to close a game puts extra pressure on Jhoan Duran, and the front office to find another fireman for the end of games. Keeping Griffin Jax where he's been successful will be a consistent theme of August's game plan. #3. Kenta Maeda - 5 G, 2.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 39 K King Kenta found the fountain of youth after suffering through injury through the bulk of 2023 (not to mention the past few seasons of Tommy John recovery). His success can be attributed to the recovery of his filthy splitter. Kenta Maeda can't be blamed for his loss on July 30th, and his resurgence provided both streak stoppers and streak starters throughout July. Will he still be a part of the rotation in the same capacity in August? The trade deadline and the status of Dallas Keuchel and Chris Paddack will help to answer this quandary. #2. Emilio Pagan - 13 G, 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 11 K The anti-Pagan movement will most likely never die, even after Paddack returns to the starting rotation to remind Twins territory that Pagan wasn't the only part of that pre-2022 trade. His results over the past month point to a different narrative, one where Pagan provides consistent and essential relief when the bullpen lives through some uncertain times. Dubbed the "Paganaissance" by Lou Hennessey, Pagan's increased usage in high-leverage situations only met one rough ending, and Julio Rodriguez offers that result to many MLB pitchers. Will Pagan move into a key role during the homestretch of the season, or will some deadline trades allow him to continue to dominate in the run-of-the-mill settings that make up the bulk of his Twins success? Only time will tell, but his stock is currently trending up. Winner: Bailey Ober - 5 G, 3.72 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 29 IP, 29 H, 3 BB, 29 K In July, the Twins won three of Ober's five starts, and even in his debacle versus the Royals on the 29th, he managed to eat some innings and the Twins had a chance to win the game in the end. July saw Ober's name bandied about for the title of number one starter in the Twins rotation, and he has backed that designation up into the second half of the season. Ober takes home the title of pitcher of the month, because the Twins need victories, and he provides the environment for victories start after start. His worst outing was his unluckiest as well, as his July 29th 0.357 xwOBA allowed paled in comparison to the 0.575 actual wOBA allowed. Did this loss to the Royals inspire confidence in Ober's ability to eliminate playoff-caliber teams down the stretch? No. Does the rest of his 2023 season and his start to July? Definitely. That's the best a Twins fan can hope for this season. Congratulations to Ober on a solid month of July. The Twins are going to need Ober's first half of July to replicate itself down the stretch if they hope to reach any level of success as August turns to September. What do you think? How would you rank your top Twins pitchers of July? Comment below. View full article

The Minnesota Twins entered Tuesday's game with the same roster that they had when the day started. It turns out that was just barely enough to win this matchup against the trade-depleted St. Louis Cardinals. Image courtesy of Jeff Curry, USA Today Box Score SP Pablo Lopez: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K ( 94 pitches, 65 strikes, 69%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Donovan Solano (0.187), Lopez (0.159), Matt Wallner (0.130) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins came into this contest against the St. Louis Cardinals on the heels of a whirlwind trade deadline... for the Cardinals. The Twins decided against any major trades, and the Cardinals moved Wednesday's originally-scheduled starter Jack Flaherty, SS Paul DeJong, RP Jordan Hicks, LHP Jordan Montgomery, and RP Chris Stratton since the weekend. Would the lack of movement encourage the current Twins roster to produce, or would the lack of action be seen as a contentment with mediocrity? Would the last-place Cardinals put up a fight like the Royals did over the weekend? Or would the past 48 hours get the St. Louis regulars daydreaming about October vacation? Turns out, a little bit of both happened, much to the Twins' delight. Rocco Baldelli and the Twins Strike First The Twins skipper started the game strong, winning two challenges and an appeal in the first five innings. Two of those decisions eliminated Cardinals scoring opportunities, and that can't be overstated in a game where runs were hard to come by. In the top of the fifth, the Twins finally managed to scrape a run across against Miles Mikolas, even though it was unearned. The Cardinals channeled their inner White Sox with some sloppy defense, and a little Ryan Jeffers hustle got the job done. Jeffers reached on a double, took third on a Joey Gallo fly out, and the shortstop for the day (Gold Glove-winner) Tommy Edman (whose brother works in the Twins front office) air-mailed the throw to first on a Michael A. Taylor groundout to put the Twins up 1-0. Pablo Deals Yet Again, and Almost for Naught Lopez only allowed a single through the first five innings, but the sixth inning saw the Cardinals scatter three singles, culminating with one run scored and an out made on the bases during a questionable cut-off play by Jorge Polanco to make the score 1-1. Matt Wallner and Ryan Jeffers both thought the throw to the plate was going to work, Polanco didn't and got the sure out. They reconciled soon after with Polanco leading off the seventh with a single, and Wallner moving him to third on a ground-rule double. Jeffers came up to the plate next, but couldn't complete the reconciliation circle as he struck out for the first out of the inning. Pinch-Hitting...Works for the Twins? One of the bats that was on the verge of being replaced in the Twins lineup was Donovan Solano, who saw his average, OBP, and SLG all fall throughout the month of July. So what happens when the calendar turns, and you find yourself still on the bench? You step up to the plate to pinch-hit for Joey Gallo with two on in the top of the seventh inning and do this to put your squad back into the lead at 3-1! How Will the Bullpen Respond to the Deadline Silence? Many anticipated that the Twins would continue to invest in the bullpen as the deadline approached, but nothing more transpired. With the trade deadline come and gone, Twins fans readied themselves for more exciting seventh innings with Emilio Pagan, eighth innings with Griffin Jax, and ninth innings with Jhoan Duran. This mix has been lights out for the majority of the season, but have wavered of late as the innings and usage and heat indexes begin to mount. Pagan took the seventh, and ran his fastball up to 98 mph and walked one in a scoreless inning. Jax allowed back-to-back singles with two outs, and then increased the stress levels of a five-state region when he hung a 2-1 sweeper to Nolan Arenado. The ball landed innocently in Willi Castro's glove on the left-field warning track for out number three. Duran? Willson Contreras was retired quickly enough to start off the bottom of the ninth inning, but Tyler O'Neill did not go quietly into the night. He launched a 102 mph fastball into the bullpen in right field to squeeze the score to 3-2 Twins. Jordan Walker struck out swinging for the second out, which brought up pinch-hitting Alec Burleson as the final threat of the evening. Three pitches and a swinging strike out later, the Twins win, and all is...well? What's Next? The Twins look to win the series and will send RHP Joe Ryan (9-7, 4.06 ERA) out in hopes of getting his ace stuff working again. The Cardinals will counter with someone who isn't Flaherty, as RHP Dakota Hudson (1-0, 4.19 ERA) will fulfill an opener role. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm CDT, but rain is in the forecast throughout the day so stay tuned for updates. Post-Game Interview: Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Jax 10 0 22 0 14 46 Winder 0 40 0 0 0 40 Pagán 18 0 6 0 16 40 Durán 25 0 0 0 14 39 Balazovic 0 33 0 0 0 33 Morán 9 11 0 0 0 20 Floro 9 0 11 0 0 20 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The headline says it all. On a day that the Twins needed a win, they put up no fight. The Royals swept away the Twins' good vibes and left them with more questions than answers before the impending trade deadline. Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff - USA Today Box Score Kenta Maeda: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (94 pitches, 60 strikes, 64%) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (5) Bottom 3 WPA: Christian Vazquez (-0.148), Michael A. Taylor (-.115), Joey Gallo (-0.081) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins came into Sunday's game with the Royals on the heels of at four-game losing streak. After dominating the Royals all season, the Twins faced a sweep when they were favored to be the "sweepers." Kansas City started a left-handed pitcher, Ryan Yarbrough. All of the pieces were in place for an afternoon to forget for Twins fans. Those pieces unfortunately fell into place. Royals Strike First, Again The consistent theme of the weekend in Kansas City has been that the Royals score early and often against Twins pitching. After erupting for 18 runs in the first two games of the series, Kenta Maeda kept the Royals bats in check for the most part. But the Royals did strike first, and took an early 1-0 lead when Maeda surrendered yet another home run by a Twins starting pitcher, this time to Freddy Fermin in the second inning. Twins Strike Back, Again Another consistent theme this weekend has been a resilient Twins offense, chipping away at the Royal's leads again and again. Today it was Matt Wallner, and I don't think you can consider this game-tying homerun, his first against left-handed pitching this season, a chip shot. Royals Strike Back, Again The tie game was extremely short-lived, for in the bottom of the third inning the Royals took advantage of Willi Castro's route on a Maikel Garcia line drive to the wall in left field. The ball cleared Castro, and then cleared him again on the way back in, allowing Nicky Lopez to score all the way from first base to make the game 2-1. Maeda ended up leaving the game after five innings, having continued his strong work in July. Due to the inconsistency of the lineup in July, Maeda managed to only go 1-1 over five starts, despite posting a 2.78 ERA and 1.01 WHIP for the month. Yarbrough, on the other hand, enjoyed pitching against the Twins. He threw seven innings, allowed just the one run, and delivered the first three-game winning streak of the season for the Royals. So Where Does This Leave the Twins? With Cleveland's win today, the Twins now hold just a half-game lead in the AL Central after losing five games in a row. The trade deadline looms between now and their next game on Tuesday. The Twins face a long look in the mirror, an honest look at the roster, and perhaps multiple changes between now and their matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (5-6, 4.13 ERA) is scheduled to make the start on Tuesday, and he will be facing a Cardinals pitcher to be named later (basically whoever is left on the roster after the trade deadline). First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm CDT at Busch Stadium on August 1st. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for all of your last minute trade news and post-trade deadline roster discussion. Post-Game Interview: Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Winder 36 0 0 40 0 76 Balazovic 32 0 0 33 0 65 Jax 0 0 10 0 22 32 Durán 0 0 25 0 0 25 Pagán 0 0 18 0 6 24 Morán 0 0 9 11 0 20 Floro 0 0 9 0 11 20 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins scored seven runs, including four in the first inning. Pablo Lopez left the team a 6-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning. And yet, the Mariners seized the victory. Here's all of the gory details from one of the most deflating games of the season. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Pablo Lopez: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (94 Pitches, 63 Strikes, 67%) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (2), Michael A. Taylor (12) Bottom 3 WPA: Oliver Ortega (-.439), Jovani Moran (-.189), Emilio Pagan (-.176) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): After surviving two consecutive extra-inning walk-off victories, the Twins looked to win the season series against the Mariners and to keep their good times rolling against right-hander George Kirby. Kirby held the Twins scoreless last week in Seattle over seven innings of work, so the task looked formidable from the start. Turns out scoring runs against Kirby was the least of the Twins' worries, as he only lasted four innings in this game. Yet the Twins still found a way to lose a virtual lock of a game. Twins Pick Up Where They Left Off Offensively The Twins started their offensive attack against Kirby right from the first pitch. Carlos Correa took a fastball to the opposite field for a double and the Twins didn't stop until they put a four-spot on the board. Edouard Julien worked the count full, before bashing a triple off of the left field wall, scoring Correa in the process. Max Kepler followed up a few batters later with a seeing-eye, thanks-for-not-shifting-anymore single through the hole at second. Before Twins fans could even say "Thank goodness Max is back!" Matt Wallner stood up to the plate and torpedoed the first pitch fastball he saw, hitting it 111 mph off of a human in the right field overhang to complete the four-run first inning. Pablo Deals, but the Mariners Hung Around Lopez only gave up three hits over the first five innings, but unfortunately, two of those were home runs. Julio Rodriguez took Lopez deep in the top of the second, and Cade Marlowe followed in the fifth inning by crushing a no-doubter to the bullpen for his first career home run. One might argue that Lopez was pitching as if he was spotted a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but he has already given up 17 homers on the year, and is on pace to set a career-high by the time the playoff push rolls around. Lopez ended up completing seven innings, and only surrendered the two runs. That should be the main point of the story here. It really should be. A few base runners scattered around when those homers launch, like in his July 15th start against Oakland, and the story changes dramatically. Will Lopez be able to make the necessary adjustments for the nights when the offense isn't adding on? The Twins Add On a Little, and Strike Out Far Too Much One of the plagues of the first half of the season for the Twins involved failing to add on to leads when opportunities presented themselves. Slamming extra base hits with runners on base continues to be an effective way to overcome that trend. Willi Castro was the first man up to get it done in the bottom of the third, when laced a triple to right and forced Kepler to run really hard all the way around the bases to make the score 5-1 at the time. The flip side of this quality offensive outburst was the 12 strike outs that Twins batters amassed in the first five innings. 12. In the first five innings. Granted the Twitter-verse disagreed with a few of the called strike threes to Trevor Larnach, but flailing and missing accounted for eight of them, including all three of the vaunted lefties when southpaw Gabe Speier came in to relieve Kirby in the fifth. The Twins Add On a Little, and Strike Out Far Too Much This is a different section than the one above. I promise. Except that it isn't different. It's the same story just shared two innings later. Willi Castro look a walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth for the Twins. Then Castro stole second and third while Larnach was working a strike out. Ryan Jeffers walked, and Donovan Solano came in to pinch hit for Joey Gallo. Solano received a fortunate no-call on what should have been strike three at the knees, and hit a fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly to plate Castro and to put the Twins ahead 6-2. The strike outs kept piling up through the late innings, and the Twins struggled to add more baserunning threats to bolster their lead. This came back to bite them in a big way. Pitching as Though the Twins Need to Trade for Bullpen Help With the game time temperature of 90 degrees and no breeze to speak of, the Twins depleted bullpen faced a slight challenge, but the Twins had a 97% chance of winning when Jovani Moran got the ball in the top of the eighth with a 6-2 lead. He proceeded to walk the first two batters that he faced. Moran delivered a changeup for a strike to Cal Raleigh, but unfortunately for the Twins, the M's catcher drove that pitch to the left field gap to make the score 6-3. Moran exited stage left without recording an out, and Emilio Pagan was brought in to face the heart of the Seattle order in hopes of keeping the lead. Thanks to Julio Rodriguez, those hopes went unfulfilled, as he went opposite field for a no-doubt, game-tying home run off of Pagan. The Twins Strike Outs Kept on Coming The Twins came to the plate in the eighth ready to respond, and Wallner started things off by striking out (called, not flailing) against hurler Matt Brash. Castro was next up, and he struck out. Larnach was next up, looking to avoid the golden sombrero. After getting two strikes early, Larnach managed to work a walk to keep the inning alive. Ryan Jeffers then struck out. That's 18 Twins strike outs for the game if you were keeping track. The Bullpen Kept on Imploding Oliver Ortega got the call to pitch the top of the ninth for the Twins, as the majority of the bullpen was unavailable for the evening. Ortega walked Marlowe, allowed a stolen base, successful bunt, and hit a batter to load the bases with nobody out. The extra innings and inability to put away teams finally came to call upon the Twins bullpen, and things looked dire. They were dire, and Eugenio Suarez placed a double down the left field line to score two and give the Mariners into the lead at 8-6. With runners at second and third with nobody out, the Mariners continued to add on with a sacrifice fly (see sections above for why it's important to make contact when opportunities present themselves). Eventually the Twins came up for the bottom half of the ninth needing three runs to tie the game at nine. A lead-off ninth inning homer for Michael A. Taylor gave a glimmer of hope, but the Mariners were inevitable tonight. Three up and three down followed, and the Twins were left wondering what might have been. What’s Next: The Mariners series wraps up with an afternoon affair to determine the season series victor. The Twins send RHP Joe Ryan (9-6, 3.88 ERA) to the mound, while Seattle counters with RHP Bryce Miller (6-3, 3.50 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm on Wednesday at Target Field. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart: FRI SAT SUN MON MON TOT Ortega 0 0 36 0 28 64 Pagán 15 0 11 0 19 45 Jax 0 16 8 19 0 43 Morán 22 0 0 5 14 41 Durán 0 21 16 0 0 37 J. López 0 0 9 12 0 21 Balazovic 0 7 0 12 0 19 Sands 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

That was my thought too, that we found a glitch in the statistical matrix with extra inning rule changes. If Kirilloff can't get above that with the game saving hit in the 9th, then the stat loses its "stat-ness" for me.

I had the same headline typed in twice today for the twins!!!

The Twins entered Sunday's matinee looking for a sweep of (and a knockout blow to) the White Sox. Like previous matchups, the Twins bats struggled early. All was not lost, however, especially the game as the Twins rallied multiple times late to send the Target Field faithful home happy. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober: 6 IP 5 H 3 ER 0 BB 6 SO (82 Pitches, 54 Strikes, 66%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Ryan Jeffers (.439), Kyle Farmer (.301), Joey Gallo (.254) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): This game featured strong starting pitching, elite relief pitching, timely offense and missed opportunities galore. When the final run crossed the plate, Twins territory was cheering and the White Sox faithful were crying yet again. A sweep for the Twins and another game gained in the AL Central. It wasn't pretty, but it counts all the same. Cluttered Bases, Missed Opportunities The Twins started their offensive attack with a lead off single by Carlos Correa, and a walk by Edouard Julien. A double play and a Donovan Solano strikeout ended the threat quickly, and gave a foreshadowing of the offensive day that would follow. Max Kepler laced a lead off double in the bottom of the second, only to get erased at the plate while trying to score on a Matt Wallner single to right. Runners at the corners came to nothing later in the inning following a Michael A. Taylor strikeout. Kepler and Wallner found their way onto the base paths again in the bottom of the fourth, only to be stranded by yet another Taylor strikeout. The Lucas Giolito time machine generated nine strikeouts in the first five innings, and held the Twins scoreless despite surrendering six hits and three walks. White Sox Skip the Bases Bailey Ober tossed a quality start, but he needed perfection today. Eloy Jimenez greeted an Ober fastball with a moon shot to center field to lead off the second inning, putting the White Sox up 1-0. Rookie Zach Remillard thought that approach was worth imitating, and he took the second pitch of the third inning deep for his first career home run, stretching the Chicago lead to 2-0. Sloppy defense in the top of the fifth led to the third White Sox run, as Ryan Jeffers let it fly on a stolen base attempt by Oscar Colas, and Colas ended up at third base. Remillard struck again, singling home Colas to push the lead to 3-0. Twins Offense Continues to Hit the Snooze Button Giolito exited after five innings, and the Chicago bullpen didn't miss a beat. Wallner continued to rake, with a double in the sixth. However, everyone else who tried to bat in the last four innings flailed and failed against the White Sox relief crew. Joe Kelly and Reynaldo Lopez combined to silence the Twins for three innings, collecting another five strikeouts in the process. The Twins Finally Wake Up in the Ninth The White Sox brought in their closer Kendall Graveman to seal the deal, and the Twins fans who stuck around to the bitter end were glad they did! Wallner stayed hot, and drew a six-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Jeffers laced a single up up the middle, and all of a sudden the Twins had yet another cluttered base situation. This time, Rocco Baldelli went to the bench and brought in captain pink eye Willi Castro, who took out three days of conjunctivitis frustration on the baseball. With the score now 3-1 after the Castro double, Correa lined a looper to left, and Andrew Benintendi couldn't say that three times fast, but he did catch it at his shoelaces for the first out. Jeffers was able to tag and score to cut the lead to one run at 3-2, but the tension grew as Castro stayed at second, now with one down. Julien stepped up to the hero's plate, but had one of his weaker swings after working a 3-1 count, flying out to left for the second out. Twins fans started collecting their things and post-game recap writers started scrambling to write their "woe is me" headlines, but Alex Kirilloff decided that extra innings were in order, as he dropped an opposite field double down the line to plate Castro, and tie the game 3-3. To the 10th We Go... Jhoan Duran got the call for the Twins in the top of the 10th inning, and he got the first two White Sox batters on a strike out and a ground out. Tim Anderson came up with the ghost runner on third, and with two strikes delivered a soul-deflating rocket to the gap in right to put the White Sox back ahead 4-3. Luis Robert struck out to strand Anderson at second, but the damage was done and the deck was stacked against the Twins yet again. Lefty Tanner Banks took the 10th for Chicago, which led to Kyle Farmer pinch hitting for Kepler to lead things off. Joey Gallo assumed the ghost runner position, and run he did. Gallo ran to third base when Banks bounced a pitch to the backstop. Then when Farmer weakly flied to short right field, Gallo ran home because the right fielder decided to lie down on the job. Byron Buxton kept the excitement going with a bloop to center. Christian Vazquez pinch-hit for Wallner. Let that sink in for a bit. Vazquez popped out to second base on the first pitch. The comment space below is provided for your reflections on that situation. Jeffers tried to pop out in foul territory, but Anderson whiffed on it to offer a second chance. Buxton never tried to steal, but Jeffers ended up walking to push Buxton into scoring position anyways. Castro came to the plate for hero moment number two, but popped up weakly to center to send us into yet another bonus frame. To the 11th We Go... Griffin Jax got the call for the 11th inning, and Robert started the inning at second base. Jimenez flied out to Castro in center to start the inning, and Yasmani Grandal grounded out to Julien to advance Robert to third with two outs. Jake Burger had gone hitless through the first four innings, and he decided that was pattern worth repeating as Jax struck him out swinging to hold the Sox scoreless. Banks stayed in for the White Sox, and they intentionally walked Correa to put runners on first and second for Julien. Their plan was affirmed when Julien missed a few fastballs that could have sent everyone home happy, and ended up striking out. Kirilloff was the next lefty vs. lefty matchup, and Castro decided to spice things up by stealing third base! Now, with the winning run 90 feet away, Kirilloff ripped the winning hit down the right field line...only to have Grandal make a leaping snag for out number two. Lefty vs. lefty matchup number three fell upon Gallo's hefty shoulders. Those hefty shoulders tried to draw a bunt down the first base line in a move that surprised all humans everywhere. It didn't work, and Grandal caught the easy pop up to send us to yet another inning with a grand chance squandered. Each Extra Inning Shouldn't Get It's Own Headline Emilio Pagan pitched the 11th for the Twins. He did amazingly well, stranding the ghost runner yet again to set up a potential walk-off moment for the sweep. A mostly blind Gallo stood at second base, and Farmer stood in the box against the new righty reliever Jesse Scholtens. Farmer sliced a single to right and Gallo checked up on third base with nobody out. The White Sox intentionally walked Buxton, and Vazquez (remember this was Wallner's spot) found himself up with the bases loaded and nobody out. On a 2-0 count, he hit a weak grounder to short, and after a 6-2-3 double play, the Twins faithful were stretching their comment fingers yet again. Jeffers said do not fear, I am still here (even after taking a foul ball to the throat an inning earlier in a situation where the Twins had no bench players left), and he poked an opposite field grounder to right to win it all! What’s Next: The Mariners come to town for three games, with the revived Twins RHP Kenta Maeda (2-5, 5.10 ERA) taking the hill to start the series. Seattle sends RHP Luis Castillo (6-7, 3.04 ERA) who took a no-decision against the Twins last week. The Twins look to keep the good vibes rolling against a jet lagged Mariner squad. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm on Monday at Target Field. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart: Durán 20 0 0 21 16 57 Ortega 0 18 0 0 36 54 Jax 15 0 0 16 8 39 J. López 0 28 0 0 9 37 Pagán 11 0 15 0 11 37 Morán 0 0 22 0 0 22 Balazovic 0 0 0 7 0 7 Sands 0 3 0 0 0 3 View full article

Joe Ryan took the mound in an attempt to deal the Twins back to the top of the AL Central. He left before the fifth inning was over, and by the time the dust settled on the sixth inning the game was going, going, long gone. Here's how the first half of the season ended. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan: 4.1 IP 5 H 5 ER 2 BB 10 SO (98 Pitches, 61 Strikes, 62%) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (7) Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.191), Jovani Moran (-.189), Byron Buxton (-.063) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Familiar Faces, Familiar Results The Twins faced off against one of their home-raised starters today, as Kyle Gibson took the mound looking to give the Orioles a sweep in his old stomping grounds. Gibson started the game by quickly walking the lead-off man Carlos Correa while trying to nibble the strike zone's edges. Then Gibson proved that he could throw a strike, and Edouard Julien proved he could hit the ball a long way by scorching a double to the right field gap to score Correa from first and put the Twins up 1-0. In typical 2023 Twins fashion, the Twins left Julien on base and failed to capitalize with runners in scoring position with nobody out. This lack of attack became an issue immediately in the top of the second inning when Austin Hays greeted a polite Joe Ryan fastball by crushing it to the home run porch in left field. No margin for mistakes when pitching for the Twins, and Hays looks to be healthy again as he heads into next week's All-Star Game. Ryan Tries to Pitch Like the Twins Offense, and That Ain't Good Having watched the strike out, walk, or home run outcome approach from the dugout all season long, he tried his version on Sunday against a potent Orioles lineup. While striking out the first eight and ten total batters in 4.1 innings was neat, he followed up the Hays homerun by serving up a long fly ball that didn't stop carrying to Ramon Urias, which put the Orioles up 3-1. Ryan followed that up with two straight walks, ending his outing. His ERA, however, wasn't done moving, as Jovani Moran came in to clean up Ryan's mess. Moran left after facing four batters, with the score now 8-1. After two RBI singles by Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, a demoralizing (on several levels) Aaron Hicks' three-run home run to right followed. I refuse to place the highlight video here. I also advise that if you didn't see it, watch it when you are in a healthy and safe space...so November. At Least it's Draft Night Remember to follow along with the fantastic Twins Daily coverage of the 2023 MLB amateur draft starting Sunday night! The future is our hope! 2027 is right around the corner! Back to the Game...Because I'm Obligated To By the sixth inning, Dick Bremer and Glen Perkins were dissecting a town ball home run that Bremer gave up back in the day when the baseballs were hand-stitched. Cole Sands was attempting to return from the injured list, and the Orioles were enjoying it. Adley Rutschman...gone. Anthony Santander...gone. Cedric Mullins...almost gone. Sands got one out in the sixth and gave up four runs. Jordan Balazovic came in, and gave up two more hits and two more of Sand's runs. 14-1 Orioles. Knowing that it would take the Twins almost until August to score enough runs to come back when down 14-1, the Twins started packing their bags for vacation week. No vacation for Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray, however. Those guys have to go to Seattle and try to explain why your number-one-ranked pitching staff is still not over .500. They Finished the Game...Because They Get Paid To Julien keeps playing and hitting. Julien sent a 2-1 changeup to the opposite field bleachers to close the gap to 14-2. Julien has the only two Twins hits in the first six innings. Julien is the reason that Kyle Gibson isn't no-hitting the Twins today. Meanwhile, Buxton found a way to have a -.063 WPA in a 15-2 ballgame. That's how bad his at-bats were. While it's refreshing to think that at least one of the Twins didn't mail in today's game, it's even more distressing to think that Julien is likely the player they will send down once Jorge Polanco returns from the IL. Meanwhile, Buxton will still not be in center field and will take up Wallner's DH spot. Balazovic was the sacrificial lamb for eating up the pitches in the seventh inning. Santander took his first pitch slider deep to right, squashing the Twins' budding comeback and making it 15-2. Alex Kirilloff got a lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh! I'll give you three guesses on what happened next, and the first two don't count. Remember, Gibson is still on the mound in the seventh. Strike out, fly out, strike out. I can't make this stuff up. Kirilloff continued to play, even to the point of ripping his pants. Jorge Lopez appreciated that some of his teammates played defense into the ninth inning. I'm posting the video because it matters too. One more item to note, just because I watched until the very last out. Jose Miranda reached on an infield single with two out in the ninth. The play was initially called an out, but Miranda hustled the whole way and beat it out. As Max Kepler flailed weakly at the final pitch to finally end this misery, my thoughts returned to Miranda for some reason. And Kirilloff. And Julien. And Wallner. And Royce Lewis. And Brooks Lee. And whoever we pick 5th in tonight's draft. The Twins are invested in a different team than the one performing in the field and lineup this season. The second half will be necessary, but for what reason? System Failure or Just a Bad Day at the Office? Luckily for the Twins, the Guardians fell prey to the juggernaut Royals today, so the Twins are only 0.5 games out of the lead in the AL Central entering the All-Star Break. It's one loss. It's also the 45th game in which the Twins scored three or fewer runs. So tell me, faithful reader of Twins game recaps, no matter the result, what is your honest assessment of the club at the break? Can it get any worse? Can it get any better? Or is it where things are just about right and not ripe for change any time soon? What's Next: Lopez and Gray hopefully don't injure themselves in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Then the season begins again...again on Friday, July 14th, versus the Oakland Athletics in the echo chamber known as Oakland Coliseum. Starters for this game have yet to be named, but rest assured, the series will be more meaningful than needed. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SAT TOT Balazovic 0 0 0 0 42 42 Sands 0 0 0 0 38 38 Morán 0 0 16 0 14 30 J. López 0 0 0 13 14 27 Ortega 0 0 0 25 0 25 Durán 0 0 21 0 0 21 Jax 0 0 13 0 0 13 Pagán 0 0 4 0 2 6 View full article

Last week we posed the question as to whether or not the Twins would still have a season worth watching after their three-game series in Baltimore. This week the Twins still lead their division by two games, and are looking to expand upon that as they head into the All-Star Break and trade deadline parts of the season. Here's how this weekend's series sets up. Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan, USA Today The Twins took two of three against the Orioles last week in Baltimore, and only surrendered three runs total in the process. Had the offense shown up at all in the finale, the Twins could easily be looking to take their third series sweep in a row. For the Twins, Max Kepler comes into the series red hot, going 6-for-12 with three runs scored and five RBI in his last four games. Edouard Julien's power is returning, and he went 2-for-4 with two solo homeruns in the Kansas City series. The "platoon" method continues to restrict Julien's at-bats, and with a lefty starting Friday night's game Julien will have to probably wait for his opportunities. Jose Miranda might be running out of opportunities. His questionable defense at third, mixed with going 0-7 since his return to the lineup with no walks, makes Miranda tough to put in the lineup night in and night out. Can he find his swing again against this Orioles staff? Here is a refresher of the familiar faces that abound on the Orioles roster (Thanks to Seth Stohs @sethtweets for his Twins Almanac skills): RP Yennier Cano, SP Kyle Gibson, SP Tyler Wells, RP Danny Coulombe, and CF Aaron Hicks. Hicks in particular has regained some of his dynamic form since being released from the beard-care rules of the Yankees organization, although cooling down of late during this recent Orioles rough patch. Gibson leads a rotation in the way that the Twins always hoped he would, although he's struggled of late as well. Cano and Coulombe would look nice in our bullpen right now. And I didn't even remember Wells, but now I'm sad about how that all went down (see Game 2 below). Not to mention Minnesota area connections with Terrin Vavra (Currently on the IL, but son of coach Joe Vavra and a former Gopher has played 2B, 3B, LF and RF this year), RP Mike Baumann (From Mahtomedi), and backup catcher Anthony Bemboom (from Sauk Rapids). Bemboom, along with former Twins prospect Chris Vallimont (who was called up after the Twins series, pitched in one game), was DFAd a couple of days ago. The Orioles are led offensively by their outfielders, Austin Hays, Hicks, Anthony Santander, and Cedric Mullins, who are all posting an OPS over .800 with the O's this year. Catcher Adley Rutschman is living up the hype of a first pick, and as the Twins witnessed a week ago, the Orioles have their own lights-out closer in Felix Bautista (3-1, 1.13 ERA) who is averaging two strike outs per inning! The Orioles have lost six of their last eight games, however, and come into Target Field having just survived a four-game series at Yankee Stadium that didn't conclude until late Thursday evening. Hays still is suffering from the hip injury that he suffered after colliding with Donovan Solano at first base last week. Rookie prospect Colton Cowser got the call-up to be in left field, and should see action against the Twins this weekend. Weather Factor: Gorgeous. Beautiful. No excuse to not pack the stadium type of weather. low to mid-80's with sunny skies and a light breeze that only blows out when the Twins are batting. Seriously, you can't dream up better weather for baseball. Pitching Probables Game 1 – Friday, July 7th, 2023 – 7:10 pm CDT – Twins RHP Bailey Ober (5-4, 2.70 ERA) looks to make another dominant start against the Orioles in the series opener, after allowing only two hits and zero runs in seven innings against them last week. The Orioles counter with LHP Cole Irvin (1-3, 6.32 ERA) who also had success against the Twins in his start last week, allowing only one run over five innings in the game that the Orioles eventually won. Game 2 – Saturday, July 8th, 2023 – 1:10 pm CDT - RHP Sonny Gray (4-2, 2.50 ERA) will try to go deeper into the game than he did last Sunday versus the Orioles, when he was able to complete six innings of shutout work only to have Jhoan Duran and the bullpen run out of gas to lose the game. The Orioles send RHP Tyler Wells (6-4, 3.19 ERA) to the mound. Wells was taken in the 15th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Twins, only to be developed and lost in the Rule 5 draft before the 2021 season, where he made his debut with the Orioles. Wells got a no-decision in his last start against the Yankees. Game 3 - Sunday, July 9th, 2023 – 1:10 pm CDT - The series finale pits Twins RHP Joe Ryan (8-5, 3.43 ERA) and his 276 career innings pitched against Orioles RHP Kyle Gibson (8-6, 4.73) and his 1,606 career innings pitched. We all know that Gibson served in the Twins system and rotation for many seasons, and he appears to have re-gained some success with Baltimore after bouncing between the Rangers and Phillies in the past few seasons. The pitch clock and Gibson were never meant to co-exist, so it will be interesting to watch this version of his approach up close. Prediction Time! The wheels are back on the Twins bandwagon! Right? How do you think the Twins will handle the pitching matchups in this series? Can the Twins sweep their way into the break, or could they realistically get swept back into second place in the AL Central? Leave your thoughts in the comments. View full article

The Twins entered Tuesday's Independence Day battle with the Royals looking to continue the fireworks display that started late in Monday night's game. This 4th of July had an international flair, as Kenta Maeda took the hill, and shut the lights out. Max Kepler stepped up to the plate, and launched some rockets. Celebration was the name of the game at Target Field! Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Starting pitcher: Kenta Maeda: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO ( 87 pitches, 59 strikes, 68%) Home Runs: Max Kepler (12), Donovan Solano (4), Byron Buxton (15) Top 3 WPS: Kepler (.310), Maeda (.175), Solano (.157) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins looked sharp in their home whites and Independence Day red caps. The Twins pitching and hitting looked sharp as well. Maeda set the tone by striking out the first four batters that he faced. Kepler set the tone by driving in a run with a two-out single to left in the first inning. Then Kepler set an even louder tone with two outs in the third inning to make it 4-0. The Royals Don't Give Up Without a Fight Jose Miranda led off the top of the fourth inning with an error, which gave the Royals only their second baserunner of the game. Bobby Witt Jr. then tried to break someone's face in the bullpen to make it 4-2. The home run was 106.8 off of the bat, and Maeda almost suffered whiplash trying to track it. The Twins relievers looked less than impressed. The Twins Like Hitting Against Zach Greinke In the bottom of the fifth inning, Donovan Solano stepped to the plate and sent a long fly ball to the Fishing Porch in right. One potted plant was harmed in the filming of this highlight, but it will be forever remembered as the place Solano's fourth homer of 2023 landed. Byron Buxton stepped up to the plate directly after Solano put the vest on, and he politely said to "Give that to me now!" After back-to-back solo rockets, the Twins were up 6-2. Did I Mention that Kenta Maeda Dominated Today? Seven innings, one earned run, three hits, nine strike outs. Maeda took control of the game early, and maintained it late. The Royals were never "in the game" with Maeda on the mound and the bats were relaxed as they worked to back him up. Did I Mention the Twins Offense was Awesome Today? The Twins clutch two-out hitting continued into the seventh inning, when Alex Kirilloff lined a single to center to plate Buxton (whole stole second to get into scoring position!) and Solano to make it 8-2. It felt like an honest to goodness baseball play. The Twins kept rolling off of reliever Nick Wittgren from there, taking a walk, hit by pitch, and a walk to Willi Castro to plate Kirilloff to make it 9-2. The offensive drought appears to be lifting, or its the Royals, either way we don't care. It's amazing. Celebrating Lopez's Return: Jorge Lopez returned from his mental health stint, and it's great to seem him back and with his teammates. Lopez took the mound for the ninth inning, and things didn't go "smoothly," but a double-play ended the inning with only one run allowed. His return will be a key to the second half of the season, so it was good to provide him a chance to get that first outing under his belt. What's Next: Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (4-5, 4.24 ERA) looks to celebrate Pablo Day with a sweep, while the Royals counter with RHP Alec Marsh (0-1, 11.25 ERA) who makes his second career start after surrendering five runs in only four innings versus the Dodgers in his first start. Is this going to be one of those beloved "trap games," or can the game be judged by its cover? First Pitch at Target Field is scheduled for 6:40pm. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Pagán 19 0 6 25 0 50 Durán 0 8 34 0 0 42 Morán 8 0 0 17 0 25 Jax 0 11 14 0 0 25 Balazovic 9 0 0 6 0 15 Ortega 0 0 0 0 13 13 J. Lopez 0 0 0 0 8 8 Winder 0 0 0 0 0 0 Follow Steve Trefz @TwinsTrefz View full article

The Twins pitching staff held the Orioles to two runs on a day when they needed another shutout. The Orioles pecked and pecked away at Jhoan Duran in the eighth, and salvaged the last game of the series for their 29th comeback win of the season. Here's how the exercise in futility went down today. Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Starting pitcher: Sonny Gray: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO ( 87 pitches, 55 for strikes, 63%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPS: Jhoan Duran (-.584), Jose Miranda (-.113), Joey Gallo (-.096) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins were 2-0 since their meeting to reset the season Wednesday late afternoon. Sonny Gray entered the game to regain his early season length and results. This Sunday afternoon game wasn't even on TV, leading to scrambling for those seeking to view the potential sweep. Those who missed the action missed a nail-biter, but ultimately a game worth missing for Twins fans. Missed opportunities and bad luck on offense, mixed with dominant pitching and a terrible inning from one of our most trustworthy relievers on defense, equals a 2-1 loss. Sonny Skies in Baltimore, After All Gray started the game dealing, survived the middle innings by trusting in his best pitches despite the situation, and finished strong. The threats were few and far between through the first five innings for the Orioles' offense, as Gray kept the pitch count down to 66 while scattering two hits, two walks, and a plunked toe. Jose Miranda Returns, and Austin Hays Pays the Price Miranda's return from his AAA banishment started as it ended, flying out and grounding into a double play to squash the start of the threat in the fourth inning. His defense was just as offensive, helping the Twins potentially but not in the way anyone intends to. League batting leader Austin Hays led off the bottom of the second inning and hit a slow roller to Miranda at third. Miranda made the play, but the throw led Solano off the bag and into a collision with Hays. The impact eventually knocked Hays out of the game and could have also taken out Solano. Due to the lack of TV replays, feel free to recreate the horrible play with pen and paper. Willi Castro Continues to Make Himself Indespensible Castro plays all positions, hits righties and lefties, steals bases, scores runs, and shows up with a blast when you least expect him to. After Byron Buxton singled in the top of the sixth with one out, Castro found himself up with Buxton on second and two outs, and he hit a ball so far that only the revamped Camden Yards could contain it. Here's how it looked and sounded in Spanish! Skies Get Less Sonny in the Sixth The Twins had been hitting laser beams all game, with consistent 100+ mph exit velocities and very few hits, let alone runs, to show for it. Again, like Saturday's game, the early innings "felt" like the Twins had accomplished improvement and should have been ahead by many runs. They scored one run over five innings against LHP Cole Irvin, who brought a 6.32 ERA and 1.69 WHIP into the game. This lack of production became even more apparent in the bottom of the sixth when Cedric Mullins sat on a 3-2 fastball from Gray and parked it onto Eutaw Street. Luckily for Gray and my blood pressure, it was a few feet foul, and Ryan Jeffers convinced home plate umpire Mike Estabrook that the next pitch was not three inches outside for Gray's seventh and final strikeout of the night. The extra work in the fifth and sixth innings sealed his fate, and the game was officially left in the hands of the teams' bullpens to finish it out. Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran are Beasts...but One was Human Today Jax stepped to the mound in the seventh inning, and 14 pitches later, the Twins were jogging back in from the field. Duran was given the nod in the eighth inning with the top of the Orioles lineup due up. The dominant Duran faced long at-bats. A swinging bunt from Adley Rutschman, and a single from Anthony Santander put runners on the corners with only one out. Aaron Hicks came to the plate, looking to play spoiler after replacing Hays earlier in the game. And spoil it he did, as the ex-Twin drove a game-tying single into center field. One Alex Kirilloff saved the game at first base as he dove towards the line and speared Mullin's attempt at a two-run double. The game was then lost when Duran lost Ryan O'Hearn to a four-pitch walk and plugged Jordan Westburg with a 101 mph fastball on an 0-1 count to send Anthony Santander home to put the O's up 2-1. Just like that, a sure thing turned into another reminder of how one run won't win you many baseball games, and a brilliant day by the Twins pitching staff went unrewarded. The Orioles 29th come-from-behind win of the season showed their resolve this season, exposing the Twins' approach as well. What Version of the Twins Returns to Target Field Monday? The Twins started the weekend with inspired play and joyful offense. After their live-by-the-homer, die-without-the-homer strategy emerged again, they finished it with more questions than answers. The Orioles scored three runs all weekend, and the Twins are lucky to leave town with two victories. That fact says all you need to know about the state of the Twins heading into their last homestand before the All-Star Break. What's Next: Twins RHP Joe Ryan (8-5, 3.44 ERA) tries to rebound from his home run disaster fest against the Braves last week. He will face the Royals, sporting a bottom-five offense across all major categories. As of Sunday afternoon, the Royals have yet to announce who their starting pitcher will be. First Pitch at Target Field is scheduled for 7:10pm. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Morán 36 0 8 0 0 44 Durán 0 0 0 8 34 42 Balazovic 18 0 9 0 0 27 Pagán 0 0 19 0 6 25 Jax 0 0 0 11 14 25 Headrick 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ortega 0 0 0 0 0 0 Winder 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Sorry... June's New Top 4: 4. Ryan Jeffers 3. Ryan Jeffers 2. Christian Vazquez 1. Christian Vazquez (they have to play anyways, so the jinxes won't matter as much and will stay contained to one spot in the lineup)

Where would you put Arraez on this list? A pitcher can't be a "heartbeat" for a team, and it's obvious when it isn't there. I do believe Correa can be the Twins' heartbeat. It's going to look different than Kirby or Jacque Jones or Rosario...but its possible.

You have no idea how tempted I was to put him in at #2...but that's why the TwinsDaily creators give us the MiLB hitter of the month. But yeah...he would have been on the list.

Oops! Castro has the best chance of making that list from the pitching/fielder perspective 😀 Watching Lewis leave the game today made me cry inside...hoping that its a "see you in Oakland after the All-Star Break" move, and that Miranda can bring the fire and energy that he's capable of.