Steven Trefz

The Twins aren't too hot, and they aren't too cold. Is there really a chance that they could get "just right" in time to bury the Guardians further down the AL Central? Four games means there's no where to hide our slumps, and everyone needs to find a way to contribute. Here's how the series sets up. Image courtesy of David Richard-USA TODAY Sports Most Twins fans had written off the Houston series as bust, only to see a less than prodigious lineup clobber Houston's young ace Hunter Brown around the diamond. Fresh off of a series and season series win against the reigning World Series champs, the Twins took a red eye flight back home to get ready for a pivotal mid-season series against the Cleveland Guardians. Minnesota can't change the division that they are in, so there is no shame in celebrating being in first place in the AL Central. Reality lurks just around the corner, however, as Detroit and Cleveland are one bad weekend away from taking over the top spot. Cleveland comes to town having split their last ten games, and only sporting a 25-30 record overall. Every statistic for the Guardians screams "average." The Twins average one more run per game than the Guardians, which speaks more to the struggles of the Cleveland offense than to the success of the Twins. Interesting Fact: In September 2022, the Twins played a five game series against the Guardians. The Twins entered the series four games behind in the division, and ended up losing four of five, all but ending their season. That's more depressing than interesting for Twins fans, but as the Twins find themselves in the opposite position, can they flip the results as well early in the season? Weather Factor: Sunny and high-80’s at Target Field this weekend, with Friday's game being the only chance for storms currently. Pitching Probables Game 1 - Thursday, June 1st, 2023 – 6:40pm CDT – It's Pablo day at Target Field yet again, as Lopez (3-3, 4.11 ERA) tries to set the tone for the series. The Guardians will send RHP Tanner Bibee (1-1, 2.88 ERA) out to make his seventh career start. The most pressing question facing the Twins will be the health of Byron Buxton. Will he be back in the lineup Thursday night? What role will Royce Lewis take on in this series? With the St. Paul Saints in Buffalo this weekend, quick call-ups across the river aren't quite as simple to make if injuries begin to linger. Game 2 – Friday, June 2nd, 2023 – 7:10pm CDT – Twins RHP Bailey Ober (3-2, 2.68 ERA) looks to bounce back from a rough first inning last week as he faces an annual Cleveland nemesis, RHP Aaron Civale (1-1, 2.84 ERA). Civale is only making his third start of the season, while Ober already has seven innings of no-run ball and a victory against Cleveland this season. Game 3 - Saturday, June 3rd, 2023 – 6:15 pm CDT – In the third game of the series, the Twins call upon the only starter yet to lose this season, RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.94 ERA). He will face Cleveland LHP Logan Allen (2-2, 2.72 ERA), who went 5.2 innings against the Twins on May 6th, surrendering two runs in the process. Gray looks to stay in the game longer in June than he did in May, as he only averaged five innings per outing last month. The bullpen will most likely be taxed by this point in the series, and a short start won't get the job done. Game 4 - Sunday, June 4th, 2023 - 1:10pm CDT - The Twins close out the series with RHP Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.77 ERA). Cleveland announced on Thursday that RHP Triston McKenzie will make his season debut, . Ryan looks to continue his home cooking, and deliver a knock out blow to the Guardians as the middle months of the season begin. McKenzie had a 1-2 record, with a 5.46 ERA against the Twins in five starts in 2022. Prediction Time! What's your prediction for this series? Can the Twins maintain their lead in the AL Central throughout this series? Who do you see being the biggest impact player at home this weekend? Let us know in the comments! Go, Twins! AL Central Standings (through May 31) View full article

From what I've witnessed on the road this season, no one in baseball receives the constant hate that Correa does in opposing ballparks. Dodgers Stadium was almost criminal at times. I don't know how a human being hears that time after time and doesn't let it impact his body during an at bat. Hearing the boos at home didn't help, because why would they. Until that all stops, its going to be an impossible hill to climb I'm afraid. It's one thing when the Astros come to town and the whole team gets hated on...you can build around that and rally against it. The personal hate towards Correa, with the stuff that went down that he had no control over this off-season getting added into the boos by jealous and non-millionaire fans, impact a body's ability to focus on the hardest task in professional sports...hitting a round ball with a round bat. His fielding hasn't sufferred...because he doesn't get booed out there. Hoping that time heals the wounds...but not thinking its a quick fix. Steve

tell me about it....

The Twins came into Tuesday night's game at Houston feeling over the moon after the come from behind victory on what will be forever known as "Royce Lewis Day." They ended tonight's game being placed firmly back to Earth. Here's how it all went down. Image courtesy of Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (88 pitches, 56 strikes (63.6%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-0.281), Byron Buxton (-0.115), Max Kepler (-0.059) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Say it Ain't So, Joe! Ryan has been the most consistent Twins starter, and his W/L record shows it. Tuesday was not his night, however, as the Astros got to him early and often. Alex Bregman led off the second inning with a rocket shot (94 mph, barely cleared the fence) to left for a home run. A few batters later, it was Chas McCormick and his .222 batting average's turn to inflate Ryan's ERA with a moon shot to the train tracks in left. 3-0 Astros. The hits just kept on coming for the Astros in the bottom of the third. A walk to Jeremy Pena with one out, and a single by Yordan Alvarez put runners on the corners for Bregman, and he delivered again with a run-scoring single to left to put the Astros up 4-0. Two batters later, Jose Abreu came up with the bases loaded, and while he couldn't replicate Jose Altuve's grand slam mojo, he did plate another run with a sacrifice fly (that Max Kepler caught while leaping into the wall in right). The Astro lead ballooned to 5-0, and it stayed that way until the fifth inning. Royce Lewis, Save Us! In the top of the fifth inning, Lewis stepped up to the plate and unleashed a 104.1 mph double to left. What followed shouldn't surprise Twins fans for the most part. Max Kepler struck out. Michael A. Taylor hit a ground out. The stage was set for the newly "Champion Ringed" Christian Vazquez to find a way to break out of his season-long slump, and he found a way to deliver a small dose of hope back into the game. The Twins Offense Stinks...Bad The top of the sixth inning started out well for the Twins, thanks to some uncharacteristic defense from the Astros. Edouard Julien led off with a shot to second base, and Altuve booted it. Carlos Correa drilled a 15 foot squirmer down the third base line which wasn't fielded. Suddenly, the Twins had two on with no one out, and Byron Buxton strode to the plate. One changeup later, Buxton hit into a 6-4-3 double play, and the hope meter decreased several notches yet again. Alex Kirilloff continued to get on base, however, and there were runners at the corners with superhero Lewis up at the plate. That walk chased Brandon Bielak from an excellent start, but reliever Phil Maton proved to be kryptonite to Lewis' abilities, and he struck him out swinging to end the threat. Sands Saves the Week, Win or Lose Out of all the predictions that were bandied about Twins Daily this week, a four-inning start by Ryan was not a common take. That's where the Twins found themselves Tuesday night, and luckily Cole Sands answered the call. After pitching only once in the last week, Sands found himself thrown into the fire against a hot lineup. He escaped the fifth and sixth innings without allowing a run, but left the game after walking two Astros in the seventh. Jovani Moran was the next man up, and one pitch and an Alvarez 4-6-3 double play later, the score remained 5-1. The ability to eat up innings won't bring the win home today, but it factors into every other game this week as the Twins don't get another off day until next Monday. A Double Play Kind of Day The heart of the Twins order came up in the top of the eighth, with the team amassing only three hits in the first six. Julien led off with a bloop to right that barely missed Altuve's glove. Correa was first pitch swinging, however, and chopped a 6-4-3 to remove the threat. The string of that poor at-bat lingered, as Buxton walked and Kiriloff shot a single into right to put runners at the corners with two outs. This time Ryne Stanek played the role of kryptonite, and Twins fans were forced to reckon with the fact that Lewis can't win 'em all. The Twins ended up getting six hits, limited the Astros to five hits, and managed to lose 5-1. That sums up Tuesday night's ballgame and the first third of this "Home Run or Bust" season quite well. Tough to watch, but a chance to redeem the series tomorrow. What’s Next? The Minnesota Twins will look to secure the series win again in game three as they send Louie Varland to the mound. The Astros will counter with young right-hander Hunter Brown. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews (Coming Soon, if available) Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Sands 0 0 16 0 48 64 De León 19 0 27 0 0 46 Durán 0 12 0 29 0 41 Stewart 0 13 0 18 0 31 Pagán 21 0 7 0 0 28 López 0 22 0 6 0 28 Jax 0 0 12 0 8 20 Morán 0 9 0 0 1 10 View full article

Looks like we got one…any chance for a sweep? Curious to see if Royce stays at third the whole series. Great win today.

The Twins need to find their heart in hostile territory, as they make a quick trip to Houston to face the juggernaut Astros in a three-game series. Will the return of Royce Lewis provide the spark that the team needs? Or will another round of low scoring losses send the Twins into second place in the division? Image courtesy of Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports The Twins limp into Houston on the heels of a 2-4 homestand against the Giants and Blue Jays. In their two victories, the Twins netted seven runs apiece. In their four losses, the Twins scored one, three, one, and zero runs respectively. Their reliance on the home run for offensive success again rose to the front of the storyline, and their inability to manufacture runs with consistent contact continued to waste quality starts and winnable games. However, the team still finds itself in first place in the division as we approach the 54th game of the season. This success glimmers like fool's gold, as a series sweep against the Astros would also find the Twins two games under .500. The imminent return of Royce Lewis to the lineup should be enough reason to get anyone excited, but the absolute offensive tear that he’s been on makes the waiting almost unbearable. Where will he play? (Third base) Who gets sent down? (Kyle Garlick, Matt Wallner) Can the Twins find a way to get him an at-bat in every inning like in a spring training rehab start? (We wish). Storylines abound this Memorial Day week, so let’s dig into the details. Interesting Fact: The Astros have only missed the playoffs once since 2014. For a great read about the years of “glory” that they’ve experienced, check out Winning Fixes Everything by Evan Drellich, 2023. Weather Factor: Sunny and high-80’s as the Texas summer kicks into gear. The roof of Minute Maid Park will most likely be closed for the series, so weather shouldn’t be a factor. Pitching Probables Game 1 – Monday, May 29, 2023 – 3:10 pm CDT – The Twins turn to RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.82 ERA) to kick off the series, and he will face Astros RHP J.P. France (1-1, 3.43 ERA). Both teams are coming off of a short night of sleep, and the advantage should be in the hands of the pitchers. How will Carlos Correa be received in Houston now that his permanent home has been established? (Note, along with Puerto Rico, Correa's permanent home is in Houston, but his baseball home is the Twin Cities.) Will he finally find a respite from the boo-birds on the road? (Yes) Will he finally find his swing again? (We hope so!) Game 2 – Tuesday, May 30th, 2023 – 7:10pm CDT – Twins RHP Joe Ryan (7-1, 2.21 ERA) looks to extend his All-Star resume when he faces Houston RHP Brandon Bielak (1-2, 3.55 ERA) on Tuesday night. Ryan got the victory against the Astros in early April, giving up four runs over six innings. Game 3 - Wednesday, May 31st, 2023 – 7:10 pm CDT – In the final game of the series, the Twins call upon RHP Louie Varland (2-1, 4.24 ERA) to continue his winning ways against fellow young hurler, RHP Hunter Brown (5-1, 3.12 ERA) for the Astros. Brown is 7-1 in 17 starts, with a 1.17 WHIP in his first two seasons. Varland looks to keep his role in the rotation with Kenta Maeda beginning his rehab assignment. Brown looks to make Astros fans forget about some guy named Justin Verlander. With the Twins facing the Guardians for four games beginning Thursday, Varland’s ability to eat up innings on Wednesday couldn’t be more important. Prediction Time! What's your prediction for this series? Can the Twins maintain their lead in the AL Central through this series? Who do you see being the biggest impact player in Houston this week? Let us know in the comments! Go, Twins! View full article

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the Blue Jays and some of the Twins players got together to play a baseball game. Three hours later it was time for the game to be done. Catch more of the excitement in this amazing recap. Image courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 HR (95 Pitches, 61 Strikes, 64%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Kyle Farmer (-0.162), Matt Wallner (-0.159), Byron Buxton (-0.115) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Eduoard Julien's Growing Pains The game started off promising for the Twins offense, as Joey Gallo led off with a single, Julien worked a walk after being in the hole 0-2, and Carlos Correa delivered a single to the opposite field. In his best effort to help the Twins avoid a bases-loaded opportunity, Julien found a way to miss seeing the largest man on the field (Gallo) still standing at third base after being held up. The Jays easily threw out Julien, who was stuck in no-mans-land between second and third. No runs, plenty of "what might have been." In the top of the second, Julien made an excellent stop on a ground ball in the hole between first and second. When he popped up to make the throw, however, the ball did not come with him. While not ruled an error, it was an out that needed to be completed as it extended the inning for Alejandro Kirk. The light-hitting catcher (Editor's Note: ... who won a Silver Slugger in 2022) hit a weak fly ball to left-center, and no Twins could get there in time to catch it. By the time the dust settled, two Blue Jay runs had scored, and Julien's gaffes became an unfortunate focus of the early innings. Pitch Count and Pitches that Count Bailey Ober fell behind in the game due to a mixture of bad luck and bad counts. He reached 60 pitches before he obtained his seventh out. Time after time Ober found himself ahead in the count at 0-2 or 1-2, only find the count evened out at 2-2 or 3-2. Non-competitive pitches didn't entice the Blue Jays to swing, and the patience of the Toronto hitters led to Ober only going five innings. Jose Berrios Can Still Pitch The rumors of Berrios' demise have been much exaggerated. Berrios commanded his change-up when it mattered most, and the Twins were unable to deliver clutch hits yet again. He scattered four hits and five walks, in 5 2/3 innings. Was the goose egg on the scoreboard the result of Twins hitting or Berrios' pitching? That's a question that has no right answer for Twins fans. Heartless Baseball During the game, I received several texts from lifelong Twins fans who had either turned the game off, or were bemoaning the fact that the games are terrible to watch and devoid of emotion and heart. All I can say Twins fans, is that Royce Lewis will meet us in Houston. To be continued... What’s Next: The Twins travel south to Minute Maid Park to face the defending champion Astros for a three-game series. Monday's matchup will feature Twins' RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.82 ERA) and Astros RHP J.P. France (1-1, 3.43 ERA). The Memorial Day first pitch is slated earlier than usual, at 3:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT De Leon 21 0 19 0 27 67 Moran 24 0 0 9 0 33 Stewart 20 0 0 13 0 33 Pagan 0 0 21 0 7 28 Duran 13 0 0 12 0 25 Lopez 0 0 0 22 0 22 Sands 0 0 0 0 16 16 Jax 0 0 0 0 12 12 View full article

As I continue to research the lyrical stylings of 007, I think the moral of the story is that when the Twins realize they still are alive and got the dog in them somewhere, they can walk away from games like last night and not let it carry over into today. I still have the team at 96 wins and an AL Central title. And a playoff victory. Here's to the first game of the rest of our Twins fan lives! (author was legally obligated to pull the drain on the cesspool he himself started filling...)

The Twins came into Tuesday's matchup with the Giants looking for some home field redemption. They hit the showers unredeemed. Here's how it all went down at Target Field. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Sonny Gray: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (105 pitches, 69 strikes (66%) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (10), Michael A. Taylor (6) Top 3 WPA: Buxton (.119), Javoni Moran (.085), Griffin Jax (.048) Bottom 3 WPA: Jorge Lopez (-.356), Donovan Solano (-.063), Willi Castro (-.070) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Monday night's loss left a sour taste across Twins Territory, and left both the team and the fans eager to get redemption for a night of poor plate appearances and questionable decisions. Carlos Correa took the night off with a sore heel on Tuesday, and Trevor Larnach hit the IL with a lingering illness. Would the remaining Twins be able to stand their ground against a streaky Giants squad? Live by the Long Ball Things got off to a bang for the Twins offense, when Donavan Solano drilled an opposite field single to right with one out. After an Alex Kirilloff strike out, Byron Buxton went first-pitch hunting and did not miss, jolting a home run to deep left center to put the Twins up 2-0 early. Die by the Small Ball In the bottom of the second inning, the Twins got a lucky break on a Kyle Farmer grounder to LaMonte Wade Jr. that bounced away and led to an errant throw. Willi Castro followed with an attempted sacrifice bunt, but Alex Cobb was able to get Farmer at second base. A quick Christian Vázquez double play ball later, and the rally was snuffed out on two pitches. Live by the Long Ball - Part 2 The Twins failed to manufacture runs throughout the middle innings, until Michael A. Taylor came up with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. On a 1-2 count, Taylor called for time, gathered his bearings, and then left the yard for the sixth time this year to put the Twins up 3-0. Sonny Skies Turn Gray in the Sixth Gray hadn't been dominant through the first five innings, scattering five hits across the scoreless frames. J.D. Davis worked a lead-off walk in the sixth, and Michael Conforto powered a double to the left field gap. Gray stayed in to face Mitch Haniger to eclipse the 100 pitch mark, and ended up walking him as well to load the bases. The mess was left to Jovani Moran to clean up, and he started out well by inducing a fly out by Casey Schmitt to short center, and then by striking out Wilmer Flores. The third out wouldn't come as easily, as control issues returned to Moran's outing, and he walked Patrick Bailey on four pitches to bring in the first Giants run. When Bryce Johnson entered as a pinch hitter, Rocco Baldelli went to the bullpen again. This time it was Brock Stewart's turn to face loaded bases and a pivotal moment in the game. He responded by walking Johnson on five pitches. You can't make this stuff up. LaMonte Wade Jr. came up next, and Stewart responded by missing badly with his first two pitches. Wade Jr. had the third best walk rate in the Majors, and things looked bleak. Pitching coach Pete Make made his way to the mound, and luckily whatever he said worked. Three strikes later, Stewart was out of the jam, and the Twins held on to their 3-2 advantage. Die by the Long Ball The threats just kept on coming for the Giants, as Thairo Estrada led off the top of the seventh with a scorching double off of Jorge Lopez. Kyle Farmer robbed J.D. Davis of another extra base hit, but Conforto struck again, and he would not be robbed as he lofted a two run homer about two inches beyond the left field wall to put the Giants ahead 4-3. Live and Let Die It's not just a catchy 007 lyric, its what Twins Territory was asking about the rest of the summer heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Therapy sessions were being offered on Twitter, fishing rods were being readied for months of baseball-free evenings, and Twins players were beginning to plan their October vacations. Stop me if you heard this one, but another medium-level left-handed reliever dominated Kyle Garlick, Solano, and Kirilloff. Buxton, Edouard Julien, and newly called-up Matt Wallner (who had already played a game today) tried to keep hope alive in the ninth. Two strikeouts later, and it was up to Wallner. Matt took one for the team on the right ankle, bringing Castro up as the winning run with two outs. Fade to black. Castro strikes out swinging, and the Twins find themselves just one game above the .500 mark. What’s Next? In the third and final game of the series the Twins will send Joe Ryan and his 6-1 record, and 0.89 WHIP to the mound. The Giants will counter with Anthony DeSclafani and his 3-3 record, and 0.99 WHIP. This in when the ace rises to the top of the deck, so can Twins fans count on a win Wednesday? Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Jax 33 0 0 17 18 68 J. López 0 19 12 0 18 49 Sands 0 0 0 44 0 44 Pagán 0 0 0 23 9 32 De León 0 0 31 0 0 31 Stewart 11 5 0 0 10 26 Durán 0 20 0 0 0 20 Morán 0 9 0 0 10 19 View full article

I just barely survived going to the west coast road trip in person. The early subsitution thing has to stop. It's wrecking confidence, having people look over their shoulders, and worse yet, not letting anyone get to actually improve on hitting. If we were winning with that strategy it would be one thing, but there is no world where our bench is better than Kirilloff just because said person is "right handed." I wrote about it in the preview. I was hoping it wouldn't happen. But here we are.

After a west coast swing that coulda, woulda, shoulda been, the Twins come back home to face the San Francisco Giants. From an opener in the opener, to the return of Lamonte Wade Jr. to Target Field, this series has some interesting storylines. Let's begin! Image courtesy of © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports The Giants won the Wade Jr. trade, and his seven home runs and .901 OPS would be enviable in center field for the Twins this season. Byron Buxton missed Sunday's game with a sore leg/knee, and is questionable to start the homestand. Luckily the Giants have been a weak 7-13 on the road this season, while the Twins boast a 14-8 home record. The Giants come into town on a bit of a roll, however, sweeping the Phillies and winning a series against the Marlins last week. The Twins enter Monday's contest reeling from a 2-4 west coast swing through Los Angeles, having lost three leads and losing a winnable game against Shohei Ohtani. The Giants look to rookies Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey to get their offense going, while boasting a right-handed rotation and two left-handed relievers. These attributes set up well for some big outings from the Twins left-handed mashers. The Twins bullpen was tagged with three of the four losses in Los Angeles, and it remains their Achilles' heel on the 2023 campaign. Having the starters go at least six innings is imperative, especially with a talented Blue Jays squad waiting in the wings for the weekend. Interesting Fact: The Twins swept a three-game series against the Giants at home in August of 2022. Aaron Sanchez got the series started, and Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan finished it off. Carlos Correa and Kyle Garlick are the only current Twins hitters to play in that series. Yes, you heard me right. All of the other members of that 2022 series lineup are either gone or injured! Weather Factor: Sunny and in the low-80's for Monday and Tuesday night. Wednesday will be 69 degrees of beautiful! Pitching Probables Game 1 – Monday, May 22, 2023 – 6:40 pm CDT – Twins RHP Bailey Ober (3-0, 1.78) can't be blamed for any of the Twins mediocre run of late, and he looks to get the series started off right. San Francisco counters with righty reliever John Brebbia (2-0, 4.26 in the bullpen) in an opener-style plan to get their series started. The Giants will most likely rotate their righty and lefty relievers intentionally throughout the game, inviting Rocco Baldelli to make his beloved lineup substitutions early and often. Last week those early switches came back to bite the Twins late in games. Will Monday's managing lead to success or head-scratching? Game 2 – Tuesday, May 23, 2023 – 6:40 pm CDT - In the T-Shirt Tuesday matchup, the Twins will send RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.64) out to face former Twins free agent dream guy RHP Alex Cobb (3-1, 1.94). Cobb comes in with a 220 ERA+, inducing ground balls and getting out of jams routinely. His last outing against the Phillies only lasted four innings, but the Giants still won the game. Gray's ERA+ of 263, and ability to keep the baseball in the ballpark (no home runs allowed in 2023!) are metrics that set him apart from the field this season. His last outing against the Dodgers saw him run up his pitch count and hit the showers after only four innings also. Which versions of Cobb and Gray will we see Tuesday night? Game 3 - Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – 12:10 pm CDT - In the afternoon series finale, the Twins send ace RHP Joe Ryan (6-1, 2.25 ERA) out to face Giants RHP Anthony DeSclafani (3-3, 3.09 ERA). Nothing of note sticks out about DeSclafani's statistics, other than the fact that he strikes out five times more batters than he walks, so the strikeout prone Twins might be in trouble. Ryan looks to bounce back from a solid, but ultimately disappointing start back in his native California. Born in San Francisco, Ryan looks to take out his frustrations on his favorite team as a kid and get his new favorite team back on the winning track. Prediction Time! What's your prediction for this series? Can the Twins build up their lead in the AL Central against an inferior opponent? Who do you see being the biggest impact player in this series? Let us know in the comments! Go, Twins! View full article

The Dodgers fans at the stadium didn’t know what to think. A season ticket holder said in June that a few of those left field warning track shots of the Dodgers would have been gone. But we played small ball, and got the win. Hoping the ramp up in Buxton running also is a sign that we are ramping up his return to center field. Levine said last Wednesday at a season ticket holder event that they can’t just put him out there without some intentional practice and workouts…but with Royce, Julien and Miranda waiting in the wings we need that DH spot back. Great game, let’s win this series!

Pablo gettin ready!!! Let’s go!

The Twins came into tonight's series opener in first place in the American League Central. They left tonight's game to the sound of boo-birds. What went wrong, and will it get fixed in time to save the series...and the season? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Louie Varland 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (95 pitches, 66 strikes (69% strikes)) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Louie Varland .204, Jose Miranda .110, Alex Kirilloff .081 Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax -.312, Carlos Correa -.149, Jorge Polanco -.123 Win Probability Chart Pitchers Hold Serve Through Three Louie Varland started his first home start of the season by scattering two hits over the first three innings. Three strikeouts and a key double-play in the second inning kept the Padres off of the scoreboard. Michael Wacha countered by only allowing one hit in the first three innings, as the Twins continued to fail to make solid contact. Padres Strike First Varland ran into trouble in the top of the fourth inning when Juan Soto laced a one-out double to right. Varland recovered to strike out Xander Bogaerts. But with two outs, the ageless Matt Carpenter played pinball off of Polanco's glove to send Soto home with the first run of the game. Walk this Way! In the bottom of the fourth, the Twins got things going by having solid professional at-bats. Byron Buxton led off and worked a six-pitch walk. Alex Kirilloff followed by getting a walk of his own, by laying off of several close pitches. The Twins' epic baserunning about bit them again, as Buxton failed to advance to third on a long fly out to Soto in left field. Luckily, Jose Miranda decided that it was time to break out of a slump, as he drove home Buxton with a double to knot the game at 1-1! Unfortunately, Joey Gallo and Christian Vasquez did not break out of their slumps, and the Twins stranded two more runners in scoring position to close the fourth. How Long Can They Go? The question as the game entered its middle innings, was how long could the starters hold on until the bullpens needed to be called upon. Varland entered the fifth with 67 pitches, while Wacha sat at 63 pitches. With both teams enjoying an off-day on Monday, both teams were prepared and ready. Wacha proved that throwing pitches at 92 mph over and over can actually work, as long as none of them are in the zone and the team he is facing is trying to hit a homerun every time they swing. Luckily for the Twins, Varland was mixing his pitches and locations equally well until his third time up against the fearsome duo of Manny Machado and Juan Soto. A single and a walk later, Varland was asked to face Bogaerts one more time with one out and two men on in the top of the sixth. Varland stayed in, and struck out the free agent again. Would he be left in to face Carpenter again? Of course he would! Never a doubt (said no one on Twitter). And once again, Miranda made his case for sticking around on the big league side of the river with an excellent fielding play against the ageless (but not fast) wonder. Bullpen Time Griffin Jax got the call to start the seventh inning, and Ha-Seong Kim reached on a throwing error by Kirilloff, and Trent Grisham followed with a walk to start low-grade panic across Twins Territory. Austin Nola tried and failed at bunting twice, but on the second attempt the Twins failed at keeping Kim from stealing third. Then, when Nola finally laid down his bunt, Kim scored and put the Padres in the lead 2-1. Slick fielding by Carlos Correa eliminated Grisham's spot at second base, but more errant throws allowed Fernando Tatis Jr. to take third after stealing second. Inexplicably, as Jake Cronenworth was taking his walk to first base, Vasquez tried to sneak attack Tatis Jr. at third base. He drilled Tatis Jr. in the back (for the third throwing error of the inning), and Tatis Jr. came home to score the second run of the inning, without any Padres getting a hit. Sigh. Emilio Pagan came into the seventh with one on, and two out, and got Machado to pop up to end the threat, but the damage to the game and fans' overall psyche was already done. Rally Time? In the bottom of the seventh, the Padres brough in Luis Garcia to keep the lead, and Gallo got things started with a smash single up the middle. Vasquez got pinch-hit for (curious how this plays out on the homestand) by Willi Castro, and Castro got rung up on a bad called strike. Nick Gordon was next up off of the bench, and he delivered by lacing a single to left. Steven Wilson came in to pitch next, and he promptly struck out Max Kepler swinging. This put Correa in the position of hero again, but it only took three pitches for Wilson to strike him out, and the rally was squashed. Miracle Time? Nope. Machado put hopes in that to rest with two on and two outs in the ninth. After a spinning cement-mixer from Jorge Alcala, it was suddenly 6-1 and the Padres will go to bed winners tonight. Other notes Michael A. Taylor got his sixth steal of the season, taking second base to set up a scoring opportunity with two outs in the bottom of the third. Gallo broke an 0-for-25 streak tonight. Kirilloff looks locked in early in his return to the line-up, and one can hope that Kyle Farmer's presence in the dugout tonight means that his return is soon to come. What’s Next? The Twins aim to take Game 2 of the series with Padres Wednesday night. Pablo Lopez will go for the Twins against Seth Lugo for the Padres. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Pagán 0 0 12 0 24 36 Alcala 0 29 0 0 23 52 Pagán 0 0 12 0 24 36 Durán 18 0 0 0 0 18 Jax 0 0 0 0 18 18 Morán 0 12 0 0 0 12 Stewart 0 0 11 0 0 11 Lopez 10 0 0 0 0 10 Rodriguez 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

I was unlucky enough to see Wacha destroy our lineup live at Target Field back in his Cardinals days. It was the classic "come in at 0-4 with a 6.33 ERA and shut us out" type of outing...which is the trend that has been bothering me the most about our 2023 run so far. Those pitchers are usually beat by taking long at-bats with singles and doubles scoring in bunches. Plate-nibblers!

Notable that Anderson and Eloy being back should also make them more formidable than the White Sox of last week…especially if their pitching wakes up from their terrible start.