Steven Trefz

I think their fans would say "nothing to see here." The trends in their lineup seem to mirror the Twins: 2 runs, 1 run, 2 runs, explode for a game, back to the mean. Interesting note, the Brewers haven't been able to come back from a multi-run deficit since mid-May...so let's hope that we don't help them break that streak! Interesting tie to Yelich and that "it" factor that resides in a clubhouse. When do you think spreadsheets will start to note this data point? Thanks for the ideas, will definitely try to incorporate that more into the previews.

The Brew Crew comes to town for a Tuesday night cap and some Wednesday day drinking. The Twins come home following a 2-4 road trip that exposed them to the core, yet also offered glimpses of hope. The Brewers come to Target Field reeling from being swept by the Oakland A's...at home. Who will be celebrating after this two game series? Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports The Twins road trip to Tampa Bay and Toronto left a lot to be desired, but it wasn't a complete waste of time. The Rays continued to rip through any opponent placed in front of them, and of the losses in Tampa, Pablo Lopez showed impressive signs for growing into the pitcher that the Twins traded a potential .400 hitter for. They salvaged two of three in Toronto, and could have easily left Canada with a sweep if not for a mess of a game on Sunday. Minnesota still comes into Tuesday's game with a game and a half lead over Cleveland, and holding steady at 33-33. Milwaukee sits a game behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central, after a nasty sweep at the hands of the A's, trending towards sub-.500 baseball now at 34-32. Can the Twins help them on that journey downward? Or will the Brewers be out to get some revenge on baseball in general after their embarrassment over the weekend? Interesting Fact: The Twins lost the season series in 2022, going 1-3 against the Brewers. They had won the rivalry series in 2021 and 2020 each by a 4-2 margin. The lone win last season came off the bat of rookie Jose Miranda, who launched a mammoth 9th inning walk-off home run against the previously immortal Josh Hader. Neither player will take part in any potential heroics this week since Miranda is at Triple-A, and Hader is now a Padre. Weather Factor: Target Field couldn't receive more beautiful summer weather for this series, with high 70's for Tuesday night, and upper 80's for Wednesday afternoon. Will it be Brewers or Twins fans packing the stands? Pitching Probables Game 1 - Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – 6:40pm CDT – It's Pablo Day yet again to open a series at Target Field! Seriously, this happens a lot. Pablo Lopez (3-3, 4.25 ERA) will match up against Brewers ace RHP Corbin Burnes (5-4, 3.36 ERA). Both pitchers' records don't scream "number 1 starter" material, but Tuesday should be a low-scoring affair regardless. Michael A. Taylor is the only Twin to have a home run off of Burnes, and needless to say we could see another Twins strikeout record, even though Burnes' legendary strikeout rate per nine innings has decreased from 12.6 in 2021, to 10.8 in 2022, to 8.7 this season. Game 2 – Wednesday, June 14, 2023 – 12:10pm CDT – The Twins will send RHP Bailey Ober (3-3, 2.61) to the mound for the afternoon tilt, and the Brewers (as of Monday night) have yet to announce their intentions for a starter. RHP Colin Rea (3-3, 4.87 ERA) is next in line theoretically, and he has pitched well of late, winning three of his last four outings and giving up zero runs over five innings in a no-decision against the Orioles most recently. 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 during this border battle? Let us know in the comments! Go, Twins! AL Central Standings (through June 12) Minnesota 33-33 Cleveland 31-34 1.5 GB Chicago 29-38 4.5 GB Detroit 27-37 5.0 GB KC 18-47 14.5 GB View full article

I put the headline in like that due to the build-up and bullpen formation that has been brewing in plain sight. I'm open to new titles though...I did wonder if the two games cancelled each other out, but felt like the Twins went and got the game Saturday, as opposed to Toronto giving it away. Let's have some fun on this off-day...what title would you give the Sunday game recap TwinsDaily crew? Let's try to keep it PG-13 🤣

That’s where I was going with my title. Basically this game is a manifestation of the trade before the season last year, and an unwillingness to move on in the bullpen.

The Twins got things going early and often on Sunday afternoon in Toronto, and the brooms were getting dusted off and ready for use. An odd game, with an injury delays to both umpire and players, and momentous swings and errors turned what should have been a Sunday stroll into a tragic loss. Here's how it all went down: Image courtesy of © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Louie Varland: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (89 Pitches, 61 Strikes, 68%) Home Runs: Donovan Solano (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Emilio Pagan (-0.689), Max Kepler (-0.076), Christian Vasquez (-0.047) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Doubles Get the Twins Ahead Early After erupting for eight runs late in the game last night, the Twins didn't waste any time putting a crooked number on the board. In the top of the first inning, Eduoard Julien started his second game in Canada the same way he started his first, lacing a double to right field. After a Donovan Solano walk, Alex Kirilloff followed with a double of his own, scoring Julien for a 1-0 lead. Carlos Correa came up next and took a walk to load the bases. Larnach delivered immediately with a single to right field, scoring Solano and Kirilloff in a sign that perhaps Correa broke the seal on the bases-loaded curse. Royce Lewis followed with an infield single to score Correa, and the Twins were up 4-0 before the Jays recorded their first out. Double Plays Keep the Blue Jays in the Game Early After the Blue Jays scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning, the Twins had plenty of opportunity to add to their lead. Gausman, however, was able to use his sinker to induce three inning-ending double plays to erase the threats in the first, second, and fourth innings. He could not finish the fifth inning and allowed seven hits and six runs, including this dead-center blast that got Solano into the 10,000 rakes vest for the first time this season! Not Turning a Double Play Costs the Twins A 6-1 lead felt like a million as Varland continued to cruise into the fifth inning. He found himself with runners on the corners with one out but got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to bounce out into an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately, Julien's throw to Correa was not textbook, and Correa threw the relay to Kirilloff away to allow a run to score and keep the inning alive. Matt Chapman made the Twins and Varland pay for that sloppiness with a home run, and suddenly the score was 6-4. Keeping the Blue Jays in the Game Was a Bad Idea The eighth inning on Saturday was the stuff of storybooks for the Twins. The eighth inning on Sunday was the stuff of nightmares. Emilio Pagan entered the game, and before the first out was recorded, it was 7-6 Blue Jays. Two singles put runners on, and the struggling Cavan Biggio ended his struggles by launching a get-me-over fastball to the right-field bleachers to send Twins fans to therapy. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT De León 0 26 0 31 0 57 Durán 2 0 38 0 0 40 Jax 0 10 13 0 17 40 Stewart 13 0 24 1 0 38 Morán 0 0 7 0 20 27 Pagán 0 0 0 0 22 22 J. López 0 0 0 13 0 13 Winder 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins got to town a day early in order to rest and to prepare for playing the best team in baseball. They should have stayed another day on the beach. The Rays are who we feared they were, and here's how the game went down. Image courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: SP: Louie Varland: 6 IP 7 H 7 ER 4 BB 5 SO (90 Pitches, 58 Strikes, 64%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Varland (-0.223), Donovan Solano (-0.072), Willi Castro (-0.046) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Twins entered Tuesday's clash with the Rays with some lineup adjustments. Carlos Correa was back to batting third after sitting out the Guardians series with planter fasciitis. Byron Buxton headed to the injured list, and Trevor Larnach met the team in St. Petersburg to take his place in the lineup. They faced a stiff challenge, with Zach Eflin and his .99 WHIP and 7-1 record. Meanwhile, Louie Varland attempted to keep the good times rolling having won three of his last four starts. Sometimes the Pitchers are Just Really Good In the first three innings: Eflin - 0 H, 1 BB, 5 K - 45 pitches Varland - 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K - 34 pitches Those commentating on the game professionally spun the angle that Eflin and Varland were nearly unhittable and on top of their game. Those commenting on the game from the Twins fan-zone were convinced that the Twins offense will never score again for at least a decade, maybe more. Sometimes One of the Offenses is Just Really Good In the top of the fourth, Correa belted a one-out double, 108 mph+. A Donavan Solano warning track fly ball, and a Larnach strike out later, the threat goes unredeemed. In the bottom of the fourth, the Rays displayed how offense works. Former Twins prospect (aka the other guy traded for Kenta Maeda) Luke Raley led off with a foul ball that ended up being called a triple. Could the Rays cash in where the Twins failed? That answer took all of four pitches. Randy Arozarena singled to center, and it was 1-0 Rays. Harold Ramirez followed that up with a walk. And then Randy Arozarena took the extra base on a fly out, and the Rays had runners at the corners with one down. Would the Rays cash in again? That answer only took three pitches, and Christian Bethancourt singled to where Michael A. Taylor and Correa weren't, and Ramirez took the extra base. 2-0 Rays with runners at the corners and one down. Do the Rays cash in again? Of course they do. The Ballys booth called it, and the Twins were caught flat-footed, as newly called up Vidal Brujan used the safety squeeze bunt to make the score 3-0. Seven batters, three hits, one walk, and no home runs later and the Twins were in trouble. Pleading in the Fifth Remember in that last sentence how I pointed out that the Rays don't always need to hit home runs to score runs. Well they do that too, in fact they came into the game leading the majors with 103 home runs. Raley confirmed this statistical fact with a 108.6 mph, 450 foot cannon shot to center with Wander Franco trotting on home in front of him. One walk, one home run, 5-0 Rays after five. Live to Fight Another Day, or Fight to Win Today? Who needs former Twins that were traded as surplus from our stacked lineup, and are currently lighting up scoreboards? We have...ummmm... Nothing. The Twins had no answer. Eflin took his team into the seventh, the bullpen took care of the Twins in easy fashion. Meanwhile, Varland also took his team into the seventh, but Jose Siri greeted him there with a 110.8 mph, 457ft blast to make it a 6-0 score. Franco continued to rake, setting up another run with a double which a ground ball delivered upon. 7-0. Game, set, match to the superior team. Sometimes the Twins Offense is Just Really Bad In the last 11 games, the Twins offense has been held to two runs or less seven times, going 1-6 in those games. In the other four games, the offense feasted to the tune of seven or more runs in each game and went 4-0. The overall record says 5-6, but does that really tell the story of how the team did? Will an AL Central division title, with a barely above .500 record, where half of the games are unwatchable be enough for everyone? What’s Next: The Twins send RHP Pablo Lopez (3-3, 4.54 ERA) and a well-rested bullpen out for the second game of the series in hopes that the Twins offense has another one of their seven run outings. The Rays annouced after tonight's game that righty reliever Shawn Armstrong (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2 innings in 2023) will be their opener. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart SAT SUN MON TUE TUE TOT J. López 31 0 0 0 0 31 Pagán 4 0 0 0 20 24 Morán 19 0 0 0 0 19 De León 0 12 0 0 0 12 Jax 0 11 0 0 0 11 Thielbar 0 10 0 0 0 10 Durán 0 0 0 0 0 0 Stewart 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

I believe that was supposed to be alcala’s inning…just didn’t work out

You know it! 😂

Yes to both unfortunately. also just an update, Varland getting named as starter Tuesday. Not sure what took so long for that to come out.

The Twins offense started the game with Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Alex Kirilloff on the bench due to injury and illness. The result was exactly what anyone who has watched the club this season might suspect. The Guardians salvaged the series split, and the Twins avoided real disaster, but left many roster question marks heading into a difficult road trip. Here's how it all went down. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: SP: Joe Ryan: 6.2 IP 2 H 2 ER 1 BB 4 SO (88 Pitches, 65 Strikes, 74%) Home Runs: Willi Castro (5) Bottom 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco (-0.207), Royce Lewis (-0.204), Caleb Thielbar (-0.107) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Definition of a Pitching Dual Triston McKenzie made his debut for the Guardians Sunday, and he did not disappoint. Twins fans were hoping for rust, but instead they got straight nastiness. McKenzie scattered ten strikeouts over five innings, and all that the Twins could muster was a Michael A. Taylor single in the third inning. On the other side, Joe Ryan was in fine form. Through six innings, he gave up just one hit, and that runner was thrown out trying to steal second base by Ryan Jeffers. The Story Turns in the Seventh (You've Heard this One Before) Ryan started the seventh in innocent fasion, retiring the first two batters easily. Jose Ramirez worked a two out walk, Ryan's only of the game, and then the wheels fell off. After a mound visit, it was decided that Ryan would stay in to finish what he'd started. Turned out that Josh Naylor enjoyed that decision, taking Ryan deep for a run-scoring double to put the Guardians up 1-0. Thielbar returned to the bullpen after a lengthy injury absense, and Twins fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then Andres Gimenez came to the plate, and greeted Thielbar with a run-scoring triple off of the out-of-town scoreboard to stretch the score to 2-0. Can the Twins Come Back? That second run felt like the game-clincher, especially with the depleted lineup and the recent history of low-scoring losses. But someone forgot to tell Willi Castro. In the top of the eigth inning, Castro cleared the out-of-town scoreboard to cut the lead in half at 2-1. A Taylor double to left, and the Twins were back in business. Jorge Polanco made a quick out to second, moving Taylor over. Then the hero of the week (and the next decade) Royce Lewis stepped up to the plate with two outs. Then disaster struck, both for the game's chances and most importantly, for Lewis' chances to continue his hero run with the Twins. Royce flipped over the first baseman after being thrown out, and you can find the video on your own. For now, let's give thanks that he wasn't seriously injured. So Clase, and yet So Far The Twins were able to start a two-out rally in the ninth against Guardian closer Emmanuel Clase. Ryan Jeffers walked, and Kyle Farmer laced a single to right, setting the stage for Castro to make another memory in a Twins uniform. Unfortunately, Castro struck out, without ever actually seeing a strike thrown to him, and it was game, set, split. What’s Next: The Twins finally have an off-day on Monday, before heading out on an epic 3000+ mile road trip to Tampa and Toronto. The Twins were late in naming there Tuesday starter, but have settled on Louie Varland (3-1, 3.51 ERA) to face Tampa's surprise ace RHP Zach Eflin (7-1, 3.30 ERA) to kick-off the three game series. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Chart SUN WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT J. López 0 16 0 0 31 0 47 Pagán 0 0 33 0 4 0 37 Morán 1 0 0 13 19 0 33 Jax 8 0 12 0 0 11 31 Stewart 0 13 0 15 0 0 28 De León 0 16 0 0 0 12 28 Durán 0 0 0 26 0 0 26 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 View full article

True, but the drive Wallner over after an afternoon game to play a night game becomes less feasible :)

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