Steven Trefz

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

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.

The Twins entered tonight's game with a chance to beat the White Sox while they were down. Instead, they gifted their division rivals another reason to hope again. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (87 pitches, 60 strikes, 69%) Home Runs: Nick Gordon (1) Top 3 WPA: .Joe Ryan (.364), Nick Gordon (.177), Brock Stewart (.135) Bottom 3 WPA: Jorge Lopez (-.397), Caleb Thielbar (-.365), Jose Miranda (-.155) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Baseball Weather Guaranteed Rate Field felt like 45 degrees at the start of the game, and the baseball acted accordingly. Minnesota missed out on a chance to bust out the "Land of 10,000 Rakes" vest early, as Carlos Correa's 350 foot blast only traveled 336 feet...and the White Sox had a guy there. Joe Ryan Continues to Deal Ryan entered the game with a 5-0 record and a 0.82 WHIP with 40 strikeouts in only 34 innings pitched. In these chilly conditions, Ryan managed to continue his pinpoint control and ability to mix up his pitches effectively, to the tune of six strikeouts over the first four innings. It was the first time all season that Ryan navigated the first 12 outs of a game without giving up a run. Michael Kopech Picked a Bad Time to Start to Deal Kopech entered the game with 0-3 record and a 1.58 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in only 29 2/3 innings pitched, with a 6.07 ERA. Tonight saw Kopech hold the Twins hitless through five innings, mixing three walks with his six strikeouts. The Twins attempted to slow him down by taking time outs with 0-2 counts. That strategy rarely worked, and pointed out how smoothly Kopech was rolling, and how mystified the Twins batters were feeling. And He's Off! The Running Game Works...and Doesn't Work In the top of the third inning, Byron Buxton earned a walk with two out, and stole his first base of the season to put himself into scoring position. While he was ultimately stranded there, it was an encouraging development for a team needing to manufacture runs on the road. The fourth inning, however, pointed out the downside of aggressive baserunning, as Trevor Larnach was thrown out attempting to steal on a Jose Miranda strike out. On a night where the ball wasn't traveling well, it was a calculated risk. Finally! A Hit! And Some Baserunners! And a Run! Buxton got the hit parade started with one out in the top of the sixth inning with a ground ball up the middle that just cleared under newly returned Tim Anderson's glove. Jorge Polanco came up next, and took a four-pitch walk to put runners at first and second for Correa. Kopech's next four pitches weren't even close to the zone, and now the Twins were in business with the bases loaded for Larnach, who just got under a Kopech fastball for a sacrifice fly to score Buxton to break up the shutout. It All Adds Up A key moment in the game occurred without a ball ever entering fair territory. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Ryan was cruising along having only thrown 70 pitches. Anderson came to the plate, and 12 pitches later he had not only earned a walk, but had cost Ryan perhaps an extra inning of work later in the game. Andrew Benintendi eventually grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but the damage to the beloved pitch count was done. Bullpen Time Gregory Santos was the first man up from the White Sox bullpen as he entered to start the seventh inning, and gave up a close call blast to Joey Gallo but escaped unscathed. Jorge Lopez entered the bottom of the seventh inning, and gave up a lead-off single to Andrew Vaughn and a go-ahead home run to Eloy Jimenez on only eight pitches. Eight. Pitches. Thank You Alex Colome! And Nick Gordon of Course! Luckily for Twins fans, the White Sox decided that their best chance at winning this game was to bring newly reinstated and Twins legend Colome into the eight inning. In a retrospectively masterful move, Gordon pinch hit for Michael A. Taylor, and suddenly the game was tied 2-2! Gordon Giveth, and He Taketh Away Twins Daily has been trying to figure out Gordon's role on the Twins as the season progresses, and other outfielders and bats come calling from the minors. Gordon showed in the bottom of the eighth how his impact to the roster carries into the field through his utility abilities as well by making an excellent catch in center field to end the inning. How he continues to play out this road trip will go a long way toward how long he stays on the roster. Let's Hand the Game to... Brock Stewart? Stewart got the call for the bottom of the ninth, and he walked Andrew Vaughn on six pitches, which led to the Billy Hamilton show entering the game as a pinch runner. Hamilton stole second, and stayed there after a successful White Sox challenge. Miranda made a nice play on a hard ground ball, but Hamilton took third on a groundout to third. The Twins then elected to intentionally walk Luis Robert, and pinch-hitter Adam Haseley flew out to Gordon in shallow center for the second out. Yasmani Grandal also walked, which brought up another pinch-hitter, Hanser Alberto. And yes, I'm stress-typing every one of these details out, please don't hate on me for it. Could Stewart escape the bases-loaded jam to bring us to extras? Yes! He! Can! Alberto flys out to Kepler, and we never had a doubt that it would all be ok... Extra Baseball! Jimmy Lambert came in to pitch the 10th for the White Sox, and he couldn't throw a strike to save his life. Luckily for him, Christian Vasquez and Gordon decided they would swing at anything within three feet of the zone for a strike out on a ball four, and a groundout on a ball three. That left "ghost" runner Gallo at third base with two outs, with Buxton up at the plate. Three pitches and a strikeout later (on a very high pitch), an opportunity was missed and it was up to Caleb Thielbar to strand his inherited runner as well. The White Sox began the 10th with some small-ball, with Elvis Andrus bunting Alberto over to third base. Anderson came up and laced a 2-2 pitch to a drawn-in Correa, who picked it clean and threw him out. Left-handed Andrew Benintendi was the next man up, and the Twins averted disaster as Thielbar bounced a fastball that Vasquez somehow miraculously kept around the home plate area to keep the winning run from coming in. All this relief quickly dissolved, however, when Benintendi laced a single to left field, ending the game at 3-2. What’s Next? The Twins will try to bounce back from this rough outing on Wednesday with RHP Louie Varland (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will be taking the mound for the Twins, while the White Sox will send out Twins-killer RHP Dylan Cease (2-1, 4.15 ERA). Tomorrow’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:10 pm CDT, and the temperatures should bring another low-scoring affair. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Thielbar 25 22 0 0 13 60 J López 20 16 0 0 15 51 Jax 16 15 0 0 9 40 Stewart 0 0 13 0 24 37 Pagan 0 0 23 0 0 23 Winder 0 0 23 0 0 23 Duran 0 15 7 0 0 22 Moran 0 0 0 0 0 0 South Dakotan Twins fan, on a quest to see a Twins series in every MLB stadium by 2025. Follow Steven Trefz on Twitter: @TwinsTrefz View full article

Added the news that Varland is indeed getting the start on Wednesday!

it could mean “we know who’s buying in and who isn’t” or it could mean “mutiny!”

The thing I was thinking was this...If you can build the lead in May and June, you can experiment with call ups and tweak the roster with post-season relief options without as much risk.

This feels like a set-up. Can the Twins avoid the trap and swipe the series from a team in crisis? Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports At the beginning of the 2023 season, the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins sat at about even odds of winning the World Series. What a difference a month makes! The Twins enter this three-game tilt at Guaranteed Rate Field with a 17-12 record, and a commanding nine-game lead over the White Sox after only 29 games. On Tuesday night, the Twins begin a six-game AL Central road trip with a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. Chicago is in free-fall mode, having just benched Luis Robert for not hustling on what he claims is a tight hamstring. They had a miracle ninth-inning comeback against the Rays on Sunday, which stopped a 10-game losing streak. Minnesota, meanwhile, has been winning series both home and away, and looks to extend their lead over their long-time rivals. Fun Fact: The Twins took two of three from the White Sox in mid-April at Target Field, but the scores were as close as they get. 3-4, 4-3, and 3-1. Since then the Sox have gone 3-13, and 8-21 overall in Pedro Grifol's first year as manager. Weather Factor: Chicago looks to be chilly, with temperatures in the low-40's and slight winds adding to the chill (and probably keeping the baseball in the park) Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Thursday's afternoon game might touch the high-50's if they get lucky. Pitching Probables Game 1 - Tuesday, May 2nd - 6:10pm CDT - The first game in the series will feature Twins RHP Joe Ryan (5-0, 2.81 ERA) versus White Sox RHP Michael Kopech (0-3, 7.01 ERA). While Ryan is tied for the MLB lead in wins, Kopech is still looking for his first win on the season. On paper, this looks like a great matchup for the Twins to kick off the road trip. The Twins have yet to face Kopech this season, however, and their lineup has a cumulative .180 batting average against him in 74 plate appearances. Ryan has little experience against the current White Sox lineup, but will face a team charged up from an improbable comeback in their most recent game. Will the momentum of a seven-run ninth-inning rally be enough to overcome the inertia of a .675 OPS? Or will Ryan's stuff continue to dominate against this short-handed squad? Game 2 – Wednesday, May 3rd – 6:10pm CDT - The Twins announced that RHP Louie Varland (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will take the mound opposite White Sox RHP Dylan Cease (2-1, 4.15 ERA). Louie Varland last pitched April 27th for the St. Paul Saints, going 5 1/3 innings and getting the win. He seems to be the logical call up with Tyler Mahle getting shut down for a period of time. Varland looked sharp at Yankee Stadium in mid-April, and Cease faced the Twins on April 10th at Target Field. He five innings and gave up three hits and three runs over that span. Cease's last outing ended after only four innings, having surrendered seven runs to the Blue Jays. Game 3 - Thursday, May 4th (be with you) - 1:10pm CDT - The Twins have scheduled RHP Pablo Lopez (2-2, 4.00 ERA) to close out the series. The White Sox will counter with RHP Lucas Giolito (1-2, 4.15 ERA). Lopez earned a no-decision against the White Sox in their first matchup this season, going 7 2/3 innings with 10 strike outs, giving up two runs. Last time the Twins saw Giolito they handed him a hard-luck loss, and he handed Kyle Farmer a 91.6 mph fastball to the teeth. The action on the field shook-up players, coaches, and fans. Nothing about the pitch seemed intentional, but it will be interesting to see if the moment comes up in any way as the two teams meet again this week. Prediction Time! What’s your prediction for this important road series against the White Sox? Can the Twins offense feast on a pitching staff with an ERA barely under 6.00? Will the momentum of Chicago's walk-off win Sunday to snap the 10-game skid continue all the way into Tuesday? Let's go, Twins Territory, tell us what you think! Steve is on a mission to take in a Twins series in every Major League ballpark by 2025. Follow the journey on Twitter @TwinsTrefz View full article

Actually KC was jersey and shorts weather, Miami was 90s, nyc was 94 for games 1 & 2….then the northeast breeze started the football weather vibe. Target field has been colder than usual I feel this season…some of the home crowds have resembled Marlins games 😳

Cheer loud…do you have a favorite seat at that park?

Marlins Park sue to the fact you could get 15 dollar Twins dugout seats on game day! And everyone was so happy to help you and you had the run of the whole Stadium. One caveat, it was 90 degrees and beautiful with the roof open all three games…which isn’t the same as the roof-closed experience. Every local fan that I talked to there said roof-closed = jacket weather cold from the ac and echoes and ugly from the structure. The best “while the game is played on the field” experience so far has been Fenway Park…hands down. But the structure is clunky to navigate before and after.