Steven Trefz

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Ruddy Gomez) The Twins promoted several of their relief pitching prospects at the end of July, in the wake of the trade deadline overhaul. With the end of the FCL and DSL seasons, our attention fully focused upon those prospects at Ft. Myers, Cedar Rapids, Wichita, and St. Paul. A few young arms made the most of their new opportunities, and here are the top relievers of August 2025 in the Minnesota pipeline. Honorable Mentions - Chase Chaney (Cedar Rapids Kernels): 3.76 ERA, 7 G, 26.1 IP, 27 H, 11 ER, 7 BB, 29 K, 1.29 WHIP, .260 BA - Trent Baker (St. Paul Saints): 1.17 ERA, 5 G, 23 IP, 15 H, 3 ER, 11 BB, 16 K, 1.13 WHIP, .183 BA #5 – RHP Mike Paredes– Wichita Wind Surge 3.00 ERA, 7 G, 18 IP, 14 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 17 K, 1.06 WHIP, .212 BA The 25-year-old strikeout machine continued to build upon a stellar season with an August that ended well. While shorter in stature than some of his fellow relievers at 5’11” and 185 pounds, Paredes continued to baffle opposing batters at the Double-A level, converting on three of four save opportunities in August. #4 – LHP Kade Bragg, Wichita Wind Surge 2.19 ERA, 9 G, 12.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 9 K, 0.78 WHIP, .071 BA The trade deadline shuffle directly impacted the 24-year-old lefty Bragg, as he took a promotion to Wichita after the dust cleared at the end of July. His first month there saw the 2023 17th-round draft pick not miss a beat. His delivery and multi-pitch mix continue to deliver results, and the ceiling is high for this prospect out of Angelo State. Continued improvement on his changeup could lead to major-league opportunity in 2026. #3 - RHP Brent Francisco (Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels) 0.00 ERA, 5 G, 9.2 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, 0.93 WHIP, .189 BA This 24-year-old former Williamsport Crosscutter also took full advantage of his late-July promotion. Standing at an imposing 6’7” and weighing 250 pounds, Francisco enjoyed a spotless August down in Florida, keeping his WHIP under 1.00 and averaging over a strikeout per frame. Hopefully, the young arm can continue to build upon this success for a rise up the system in 2026. #2 – RHP Hunter Hoopes – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge 3.48 ERA, 8 G, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, 0.48 WHIP, .139 BA August saw Hoopes land right where he left off on July’s list. The 25-year-old Alabama product signed with the Twins on a minor-league deal in July 2024. Since then, he has climbed three levels to the Wichita club, thanks to his rocket arm. Hunter found his groove in August, and proved that he belonged at the advanced level. The YouTube sensation might not have seen the strikeout results follow him up, but the .071 opponent batting average speaks to his dominance. And since one can’t stress his discovery story enough, here it is one more time! Twins Minor League Reliever of the Month – RHP Ruddy Gomez (Cedar Rapids Kernels) 0.00 ERA, 9 G, 12.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, 0.57 WHIP, .132 BA Last month’s winner, Samuel Perez, ended up getting a baseball off of his wrist after a strong start to August, so there was an opportunity for someone to rise up to claim the top spot. That man was Ruddy Gomez. The 25-year-old found his way to the Twins organization after competing in the Frontier League for the Windy City ThunderBolts in 2024. The sturdy hurler can spin the ball from a unique angle, and has the ability to make hitters look foolish. Gomez couldn’t have had a better August, averaging over a strikeout per inning and showing an ability to go into a second inning of relief if needed. Finishing the year strong could lead to a fast trip up the organizational ladder in 2026. August has come and gone, but several relief pitchers in the Twins organization made their mark and hope to continue that success as summer leagues head into playoff time. How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Relievers of the Month? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperLuke KeaschallEduardo TaitConnor PrielippEmmanuel RodriguezKendry RojasMick AbelDasan HillCharlee SotoGabriel GonzalezMarek HoustonMarco RayaBrandon WinokurKyle DeBargeRiley QuickAndrew MorrisKyler FedkoKhadim DiawEduardo Beltre

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperLuke KeaschallEduardo TaitConnor PrielippEmmanuel RodriguezKendry RojasMick AbelDasan HillCharlee SotoGabriel GonzalezMarek HoustonMarco RayaBrandon WinokurKyle DeBargeRiley QuickAndrew MorrisKyler FedkoKhadim DiawEduardo Beltre

Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (96 pitches, 65 strikes (68%)) Home Runs: Luke Keaschall (3), Mickey Gasper (1), Matt Wallner (20) Top 3 WPA: Gasper (.416), Wallner (.310), Austin Martin (.218) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) With the Twins plummeting down the standings and toward a top-five draft pick, Bailey Ober looked to keep some semblance of respectability in Twins Territory Tuesday night. Toronto countered with the moderately successful righty Chris Bassitt, in hopes of keeping their surprising place among division leaders in the American League. Would tonight be the night that the Twins captured their first international win of the season? Or would Louis Varland and Ty France's new mates prove to be too much for the free-falling Twinkies to handle? Twins Threaten, but Blue Jays Score The night started off promisingly for the visiting Twins, as Trevor Larnach led off the game with a walk and Brooks Lee immediately advanced him to third with a single. With runners on the corners and nobody out, however, the Twins of 2025 reared their ugly heads yet again. Three straight strikeouts of Luke Keaschall, Matt Wallner, and Edouard Julien left the ducks on the pond and got Bassitt and the Jays out of a huge early jam. Ober's night started off the same way, and then got worse. He gave up a single to George Springer to start the bottom of the first, and then Nathan Lukes doubled, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. A Valdimir Guerrero Jr. sac fly made it 1-0, Bo Bichette singled Lukes over to third, and with two outs, Alejandro Kirk singled in the second Blue Jays run. Where the Twins failed, the Jays succeeded. After Bassitt took care of the Twins in order in the top of the second, the Jays struck again in the form of a Springer home run to make it 3-0, and it looked like another rout was on. Sloppy and Broken Play, but Twins Sneak Back Anyway The middle innings left much to be desired for baseball fans, as sloppy play, injury delays, and missed opportunities for the Twins and even the Jays defined the action. In the bottom of the fifth, Springer once again abused an Ober middle-middle fastball for his second homer of the game to stake Toronto to a 4-0 lead. The Twins responded in a big way in the top of the sixth, thanks to their young middle infielders. Lee singled again to start the inning, and this time, Keaschall didn't miss a Bassitt sinker that didn't sink. He slashed a 400-foot bomb to cut the lead in half at 4-2. Louis Varland came in to finish off Royce Lewis to end the top of the sixth inning, and he took the ball to start the top of the seventh against Mickey Gasper and Austin Martin. Gasper singled, Martin walked, and Varland got the hook. Brendon Little came in, and Ryan Jeffers immediately singled to load the bases with nobody out. What happened next resulted in a run, but it also was a baserunning disaster that Martin keeps finding himself involved in. Lee ripped a ball to right-center, which Addison Barger dove to catch. Martin had been off to the races on contact and never got close to making it back to second base. The Twins went from bases loaded and nobody out to two down and a runner on first, just like that. It was 4-3 Blue Jays, but oh, what might have been. Twins Bullpen Holds, but Baserunning Still Folds Ober ended up handing the ball to the bullpen after five innings of 10-hit and four-run baseball. Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk held their ground in the sixth and seventh, but the Twins kept blundering away scoring opportunities. In the top of the eighth inning, Wallner took one for the team and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Julien then walked, and once again the Twins had runners on with nobody out. James Outman was the next man up, and he whiffed on a bunt attempt. How bad was it? Wallner got caught off and thrown out on the way to third base. Outman then struck out, as did Lewis, and the maddening offensive woes of 2025 kept marching on. And Then Baseball Happened What happened next is why we keep watching Twins baseball. Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman got the call for the top of the ninth, and the man at the plate was the much-maligned Gasper. Another sinker didn't sink, and suddenly, the game was all tied up! First career home run? Check. Next man up was (the also much-maligned) Martin, and he laced a single and then stole second base to put the go-ahead run at second base with nobody out. Jeffers couldn't advance Martin, as he hit a grounder to third. Luckily, Martin stayed put this time. Lee got hit by a pitch to set up Keaschall for another heroic moment. No moment to be found for the Natural, as he flew out. Wallner stood at the plate, then, with two outs and a game's worth of missed chances having transpired. Hoffman pounded the zone with a first-pitch fastball, and by the time Wallner's three-run homer landed, the Twins dugout and all fans who stuck with the game through all of the tears and angst were jumping for joy! Justin Topa suddenly became the Twins' "closer" for the evening, and he struck out his old friend France to start the bottom of the ninth. After an Andrés Giménez groundout, Topa faced the hot-hitting Springer—and Springer stayed hot, with a single to start the "uh-oh" train. Next up was Daulton Varsho, who laced a double into right to make it 7-5 Twins and to bring the tying run to the plate in Guerrero. The unnecessary stress was ratcheted up, but Topa was up to the task. Guerrero tried to go deep, but the ball fell harmlessly in Wallner's glove for the final out! What’s Next? The Twins look to build upon this unexpected success with a rare road series victory on Wednesday evening in Toronto. While Zebby Matthews is in line for the start, the Twins have yet to announce their starter. The Blue Jays are sending out nasty LHP Eric Lauer (8-2, 2.76 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:07 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Topa 32 0 0 0 26 58 Hatch 0 54 0 0 0 54 Ohl 0 0 46 0 0 46 Cabrera 17 0 0 22 0 39 Kriske 0 0 0 37 0 37 Sands 14 0 0 0 23 37 Funderburk 21 0 0 0 15 36 Tonkin 0 0 0 0 9 9 View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (87 pitches, 57 strikes (66%)) Home Runs: Brooks Lee (13), Ryan Jeffers (9) Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.310), Royce Lewis (-.131), Byron Buxton (-.095) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Though it didn't match nationwide household names, Tuesday night's contest at Target Field featured two aces: Joe Ryan (him, you know) and Jacob Lopez. Healthy deeper into a season than ever before, Ryan has been pitching tremendously. The bad news for the Twins: Lopez has been even better, allowing no runs across his last 24 innings entering this game, and he's left-handed. You've already read the headline; here's how the bad news unfolded. Twins Strike First, but the A's Strike Most Nick Kurtz led off the game with a double, but Ryan utilized strikeouts to keep him from scoring and to get the Twins' bats out to face Lopez. Right away, it was clear that the team had an effective plan against the southpaw, despite their diminished roster. They put two runners on in the first, though they failed to score. In the second, an error by Sacramento third baseman Brett Harris opened the door and Matt Wallner stormed through it, with an RBI double that gave the Twins a 1-0 lead. Quickly, however, the game swerved in the direction of the visitors. A two-out walk of Nick Kurtz brought Ryan into a matchup with catcher Shea Langeliers, who crushed a two-run homer to flip the scoreboard in the top of the third. To lead off the fourth, Tyler Soderstrom hit a ground ball that took Brooks Lee to his right (he'd been shading him toward the second-base bag) and reached when Lee was unable to get off a good throw. Lawrence Butler then hit a screaming grounder through the right side, which Luke Keaschall could only deflect, turning it into a double. With runners on second and third, Sacramento shortstop Darell Hernaiz hit a chopper to Royce Lewis at third. Lewis made the throw across the diamond, but Kody Clemens couldn't squeeze it, and Hernaiz reached, loading the bases. Ryan struck out JJ Bleday, but Harris then scooped a shallow flare to right field. Keaschall caught the fly ball for the second out, but his lack of arm strength became apparent as he was unable to throw out the tagging Soderstrom; the A's now led 3-1. A single by Luis Urías and a double by Kurtz stretched it to 5-1 Athletics, and Ryan's night became his shortest outing of the year. A good defense gets him out of that inning without a run scoring. An average one holds it to a single tally. Bombas Attempt to Rally With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the Twins struck back. Lee went with a Lopez outside fastball to make it a 5-2 ballgame. With two outs, it was Ryan Jeffers's turn, and he and his nasal strip pulled one right down the left-field line to tighten the game even more at 5-3. Pierson Ohl Attempts to Hold After Ryan's short start, the Twins handed things off to rookie Pierson Ohl. Ohl managed to make quick work of the A's in the top of the fifth, but he ran into some more "almost outs" bad luck in the top of the sixth. This time, Hernaiz kept his helmet on, and hit a ball into the right-field gap that glanced off the tip of a diving Byron Buxton's glove for a double. Hernaiz advanced to third on a solid running catch from Buxton into the left-field gap, and then scampered home on a Harris single through the drawn-in infield to make it 6-3 Athletics. Ohl rebounded to take care of business again in the top of the seventh and eighth innings, to keep the game within striking distance. Twins Can't Cash In Against A's Bullpen Lopez left after six innings, surrendering three runs on only four hits but in line for his seventh win of the season. Justin Sterner got the call from the bullpen, and he mowed down the Twins in the bottom of the seventh before running into a bit of trouble in the eighth. With two outs, Trevor Larnach and Keaschall hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. The potential tying run, Lewis, watched a first-pitch fastball go right down the middle, before eventually popping up to the infield to end the threat. After Erasmo Ramirez scattered a double and an intentional walk to keep a scoreless top of the ninth, the Twins took their cuts against lefty closer Hogan Harris. While he isn't the recently traded Mason Miller, he did just fine against the Minnesota lineup. Lee, Clemens, and Austin Martin all tried, but none succeeded, and the Twins lost yet again. What’s Next? The Twins look to redeem themselves on Wednesday evening in a rematch against the A's. Twins righty Bailey Ober (4-7, 5.15 ERA) will attempt to right the ship. The Athletics will counter with RHP J.T. Ginn (2-5, 5.04 ERA) in an attempt to drive the Twins deeper down the standings. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Hatch 0 0 81 0 0 81 Ureña 76 0 0 0 0 76 Ohl 0 0 0 0 54 54 Ramírez 8 0 16 0 25 49 Tonkin 0 15 16 0 0 31 Kriske 0 29 0 0 0 29 Topa 0 27 0 0 0 27 Sands 0 0 14 0 0 14 Funderburk 0 10 0 0 0 10 Cabrera 0 0 9 0 0 9 View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K (92 pitches, 51 strikes (56%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Brooks Kriske (-.164), Austin Martin (-.163), Byron Buxton (-.158) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a crushing extra-inning loss to the Tigers on Thursday night, and a blowout loss to them again on Friday night, the new-look Twins were reeling to say the least. Young hurler Zebby Matthews continued his quest to become a part of Minnesota's future, and he faced off against former top pick Casey Mize in the Saturday night matchup. On a night in which several Twins greats had gathered in anticipation of Corey Koskie's induction into the Twins Hall of Fame on Sunday, the future and past collided into a memorable and stressful ballgame. 21 Innings Without a Run, and Danger All Around Matthews struggled out of the gate, walking Colt Keith to start the game and Kerry Carpenter with one out. Facing the first runner in scoring position, Matthews struck out Riley Greene but couldn't escape Spencer Torkelson. Tokelson's single plated Keith, and the Tigers had another early lead at 1-0. Matthews went on to walk another two batters, but his six total strikeouts got him out of jams. Carpenter's solo homerun to lead off the third inning was the only other damage to Matthew's night, but it took him 91 pitches to survive just four innings. Meanwhile, the Twins offense continued to give a new meaning to anemic. Mize struck out seven Twins over his first four innings of work, while only allowing a lead off Austin Martin single (who immediately erased himself on a caught stealing). The 21 consecutive innings without a run echoed off of the empty seats at Target Field. Travis Adams came in to replace the pitched-out Matthews for the top of the fifth, and he immediately started clogging the bases. After two walks and a single the Tigers had the bases loaded with nobody out and it looked like deja vu from Friday night. The Twins played the infield in, and against all odds...it worked! The Rocket's son caught a rocket of his own at first for an unassisted double-play! Adams retired Dillon Dingler to end the threat, and hope started bubbling up again in Twins Territory. Even announcer John Smoltz recognized that if he was in Mize's shoes, you never want to wait that long in the dugout without any runs to show for it. After five innings the Tigers were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and Mize went out to pitch the bottom of the fifth with only a two run lead. If You Give the Twins a Chance... Reigning hitter of the week Luke Keaschall put Smoltz's words into existence with a lead off walk. Ryan Jeffers "ripped" a 66 mph bloop to the outfield grass for the Twins' second hit of the night, and suddenly a rally was underway. Mize got Matt Wallner swinging and it looked as if another threat would go by the wayside, however Brooks Lee put a charge into a 2-0 slider with his pencil bat, and after the ball richocheted off the right field wall and back towards second base the Twins had tied the game and Lee was celebrating on third base. The rally didn't stop there, as Royce Lewis took the first pitch he saw deep enough to become a lead-taking sacrifice fly. 3-2 Twins! And the Twins' New Bullpen Still _____ Adams took his newfound lead and immediately wasted it. A leadoff double and two walks immediately filled the bases yet again for the Tigers, and after only achieving four outs on his 47 pitches, Adams night was over and newcomer Brooks Kriske came in to try to escape yet another threat. Kriske got Greene to fly out, but it was deep enough to score the tying run to make it 3-3. After the Twins went back to their struggling ways against Mize in the bottom of the sixth (apparently some starting pitchers go longer than four innings?), the Tigers went right back to work against Kriske in the top of the seventh and got a leadoff double from Wenceel Perez. Perez advanced on a groundout, and Kriske gifted the Tigers their ninth walk of the night to put runners on the corners with one out. Lewis booted a grounder while trying to make a play at the plate to surrender the lead, and then it was Kody Funderburk's turn to enter a pressure cooker of a situation. Jahmai Jones made Funderburk pay, and after another double it was 5-3 Tigers. To add injury to insult, Funderburk uncorked a wild pitch to make it 6-3. Make it stop... Ding Dong, Mize is Gone. But Can the Twins Rally Again? Well, the Twins do have Keaschall. As Twins fans prepared for Luke's eventual Twins Hall of Fame ceremony in their hearts, he just hit another single to put MIze on the ropes. After a Jeffers fly out, the Tigers went to their bullpen and lefty Tyler Holton. Wallner dealt out some lefty on lefty crime, and laced a double down the right field line to advance Keaschall to third. Lee hit a ground out, but it scored Keaschall and advanced Jeffers to make it 6-4. After a Lewis walk, James Outman looked to make his first hero moment in a Twins uniform but was robbed of an extra base hit by a diving first baseman Torkelson. Torkelson's toss to Holton, however, got dropped and a hustling Jeffers came all the way home to pull the Twins within one at 6-5! After another pitching change, Will Vest got Martin to line out to right to end the rally before another tie could be found. After Michael Tonkin took care of business in the top of the eighth, the Twins relied on Clemens and Keaschall to once again spark the offense, and they did by hitting back to back singles off of Vest with one out. After Jeffers got froze looking for the second out, Wallner didn't get thrown much and he took his walk to load the bases. It was again Lee in the batters box with runners in scoring position, but this time Vest took advantage of the youngster with a three pitch "no contest" strike out to end the threat. With the Tigers being 60-0 when leading after the eighth inning in 2025, things looked dire for the home team. By the time Justin Topa yeeted a ball off of the netting behind first base allowing a runner from second to score and the batter to reach third base, 61-0 was inevitable. The only question was how bad could it get, and the answer was 8-5. What’s Next? The Twins look to salvage at least one game in this series, and due to a completely bunk roster they have yet to name a starter. The Tigers will send out former Twin and current "only hope for a Twins victory" RHP Chris Paddack (4-10, 4.76 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Hopefully the Corey Koskie extravaganza will light a fire under the team, but expect those events to potentially delay the start time as well. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Adams 70 0 0 0 47 117 Hatch 99 0 0 0 0 99 Ureña 0 0 0 76 0 76 Topa 0 26 0 0 27 53 Funderburk 13 6 13 0 10 42 Sands 16 0 25 0 0 41 Kriske 0 0 11 0 29 40 Tonkin 0 0 9 0 15 24 Ramírez 0 0 11 8 0 19 View full article

Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Travis Adams 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (70 pitches, 36 strikes (51%)) Home Runs: N/A Bottom 3 WPA: Adams (-.356), Luke Keaschall (-.101), Kody Clemens (-.061) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Travis Adams took the mound at Yankee Stadium for his second career start, and he hoped to keep the homer-happy home lineup under control so that the Twins could even up the series. Big lefty Carlos Rodón opposed Adams, and the Twins hoped that Tuesday wouldn't be yet another failure against left-handed pitching in 2025. With the Wild Card window closing more completely by the day, a win on Empire sod was in order. Could such an unlikely outcome actually transpire? Opening Hope Austin Martin led off the game with a bloop to right, and he stole second base to immediately put a runner in scoring position for the visiting Twins. That would be the only hit the Twins got all night. Byron Buxton took a walk, and Ryan Jeffers took a pitch off his kneecap, and suddenly, the Twins had their worst possible run-scoring scenario: bases loaded and nobody out. Minnesota's newest Cooperstown enshrinee, Luke Keaschall, stood at the plate with a chance to immediately get his statue at Target Field with one swing of the bat. Rodón took the rookie to the cleaners, however, with a high fastball for strike three. Royce Lewis looked to have hit into a heart-wrenching double play, but he beat out the relay throw and Martin scampered home to set the Twins up with an early 1-0 advantage. That was all the Twins could muster, however, and Twins fans knew that it was an opportunity missed. Yankees Go Yard Adams successfully got Trent Grisham to fly out to start his efforts for the evening, but Aaron Judge quickly introduced himself as a bad, bad man. Judge took a middle-middle (for a giant) fastball deep to center field to tie things up. In the bottom of the second inning, Adams literally lost control of his outing. He walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. to start the inning, and then walked Ryan McMahon with one out. This put the much-maligned Anthony Volpe at the plate, and by the time his 3-run homer landed in the right-center seats, Yankees fans celebrated the return of their young phenom and a new 4-1 lead. Adams' control continued to unravel in the bottom of the third inning. After Cody Bellinger reached on an Edouard Julien fielding mishap at first, Adams walked Ben Rice and Chisholm again to end his night before he could finish three innings for the second straight outing. New Twins twirler Thomas Hatch entered to take on the bases loaded, one-out scenario. Hatch struck out Paul Goldschmidt and induced a ground out from McMahon to (surprisingly) escape the threat. The Twins Can't Hit Left-Handed Pitching After Rodón escaped the first inning with minimal damage done after 31 pitches, however, he took out the Twins in order in the second, third, fourth, and fifth, with only 39 more pitches required. By comparison, Adams hurled 70 pitches to get just seven outs. Weak contact ruled the evening against the crafty Rodón, who mixed pitches between 80 and 94 mph in the way that has consistently quieted Twins bats this season. (Granted, he was facing the likes of Mickey Gasper, Julien, and Ryan Fitzgerald, instead of Goldschmidt, McMahon, and Volpe at the bottom of the lineup.) The Twins entered the sixth inning without a hit since Martin's bloop to start the game. Hatch stayed out to start the bottom of the fifth, and Giancarlo Stanton was sure glad that he did. Stanton blasted a hanging slider 113.9 mph for yet another Yankees home run to make it 5-1. Hatch surrendered another hit and a walk in the inning, and with two outs and runners on the corners, Rocco Baldelli elected to keep him pitching past his 50th pitch with the newly dangerous Volpe at the plate. Volpe walked on what looked to be strike two, and now the bases were loaded for Grisham. With crickets chirping in the bullpen, Hatch buckled down and got Grisham to weakly ground out to the mound to end this threat on Hatch's 59th pitch. More of the Same Rodón continued to obliterate Twins batters, surrendering only a walk to Jeffers on his way to completing seven innings of one-hit baseball. Meanwhile, the use of the pitching staff in Tuesday's game made it clear that winning wasn't really the concern, as Hatch was allowed to overcook and to walk most of the lineup while the bullpen stayed quiet. Hatch continued to throw pitch after pitch, regardless of results, escaping a threat in the sixth but walking in another run on his 99th pitch with a bases-loaded pass to Bellinger with two outs in the seventh. This was the 7th walk by Hatch tonight in 4 1/3 innings of work. With the bases still loaded, Kody Funderburk finally came on in relief to try to entice Stanton into a rare out in a seemingly unwinnable situation. It didn't work. Stanton ripped a full-count "single" off the wall in right to score two more Yankees runs and make the blowout official: 8-1. The Twins offense, meanwhile, got a look at a new pitcher in Tim Hill. Unfortunately, Hill is also a lefty, so the Twins didn't do anything against him. Three up, three down. With the game out of reach, Byron Buxton took a seat on the bench and Martin took his place in center field. With Cole Sands now on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, Chisholm ripped a rocket out to deep center field that Buxton probably would have hauled in, but Martin's lunging dive came up short and Chisholm ended up with a triple instead of an out. A groundout scored him to push the ninth Yankee run across. The Yankees finally brought in a right-handed pitcher in Yerry De los Santos in the ninth, but the Twins fared no better. Alan Roden, newly returned papa Matt Wallner, and Keaschall went down in order to complete the one-hitter by the Yankees staff. What’s Next? The Twins look to salvage the final game of this short road trip and to avoid going winless against the Yankees this season. They'll place their hopes in All-Star Joe Ryan (11-5, 2.79 ERA). The Yankees will send out rookie RHP Cam Schlittler (1-2, 4.38 ERA) for his sixth career start. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Hatch 0 0 0 0 99 99 Tonkin 0 18 38 0 0 56 Kriske 17 0 17 19 0 53 Ramírez 0 21 0 23 0 44 Adams 43 0 0 0 0 43 Ohl 0 0 36 0 0 36 Topa 0 15 20 0 0 35 Sands 9 0 9 0 16 34 Funderburk 0 0 9 0 13 22 View full article

Image courtesy of © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (86 pitches, 55 strikes (64%)) Home Runs: Luke Keaschall (1), Trevor Larnach (15) Top 3 WPA: Keaschall (.175), Matthews (.127), Larnach (.106) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After the new look Twins bullpen failed to hold another lead in its post-deadline journey, Zebby Matthews got the call to tame the AL Central Division leading Tigers. The Tigers countered with former Twin Chris Paddack, who looked to build upon a successful six-inning, one-run effort in his first win for Detroit. The Twins were playing a man down due to the late roster addition of Brooks Kriske. Luckily, one of the 25 guys that they did have ready for the game was rookie Luke Keaschall, who made his return to the lineup after a lengthy IL stint with a broken arm. Keaschall's arms were life-giving to the Twins offense for a week in April, could they bring healing to the current struggles as well? Kody Meet Luke, Luke...Kody It was Keaschall's injury on April 25th, that paved the way for the trade that acquired Kody Clemens from the Phillies on April 26. Tonight was the first time the two got to play together, and so far so good for Twins fans. In the top of the first, Paddack's old battery mate Ryan Jeffers laced a double with two out. Clemens came up next, and on a 0-1 count he ripped a double of his own down the right field line to score Jeffers for an early 1-0 Twins lead. With Clemens in scoring position, Keaschall got his long awaited first at-bat, and he told Kody that he didn't need to worry about running hard. First career home run. Check. Instant reminder of why we love Luke Keaschall. Check. 3-0 Twins! Paddack stopped the bleeding there, and the two pitchers kept their opponents quiet for the most part until the bottom of the third inning. Matthews got Jake Rogers to start the frame, but Colt Keith got to second on a double that bounced around the Twins outfielders a bit. Keith came home when Kerry Carpenter's line drive to center field went into and came out of Austin Martin's glove for another double. The lead was cut to 3-1 and the pressure began to swing towards Minnesota again. Matthews responded by striking out Spencer Torkelson to end the threat. Twins Bats Stay Alive Paddack took the mound in the top of the fourth inning in hopes of taking care of business and getting his new teammates back in the dugout as soon as possible. He only faced four batters, but the second batter, Mr. Trevor Larnach, took an 88-mph cutter 409 ft at 109.4 mph to stay red hot in August and to put the lead back up to 4-1 Minnesota. In the bottom of the fifth, Paddack's night was finished, and Rafael Montero came in to hold the line. Matt Wallner worked a one-out walk, and then Jeffers blasted yet another ball deep over the head of center fielder Matt Vierling. It glanced off of the tip of Vierling's glove which gave third base coach Tommy Watkins a notion to send Wallner all the way home. He was dead to rights at the plate, but the throw took Rogers the wrong direction and Wallner somehow scored to make it 5-1 with Jeffers standing on second with only one out. Clemens lined out weakly to third base, but Keaschall had his new teammate's back. He shot the ball through the left side of the infield, and Jeffers hustled around to add another RBI to the rookie's tally and to add on for a 6-1 lead. How Will the Twins Bullpen Fare Tonight? With a literal bullpen game looming on Wednesday, how far Matthews could take his team and who was needed to hold the lead both carried extra weight. After seeing his pitch count climb early, Matthews managed to complete five strong innings, and former closer Michael Tonkin came in for the sixth and set the Tigers down in order. In the top of the seventh, Martin literally ran himself and his team into and out of a scoring opportunity. A pair of walks and a stolen base by Martin after a fielder's choice eventually led to runners at first (Wallner) and second (Martin) with one out, and Jeffers at the plate against Troy Melton. After falling behind 3-0, Melton fought back to struck out Jeffers. Clemens stepped into the box and took a mighty swing. The result was a foul tip that caught home plate umpire Chad Fairchild square in the face, causing a lengthy delay while his replacement got padded up. When the game resumed, Clemens fell behind 0-2, and on the third pitch Martin for some reason tried to steal third base and was thrown out easily to end the threat and to leave some more reminders of what can happen in a youth movement. Tonkin returned for the bottom of the seventh, and the Twins' other Kody, Kody Funderburk, came in to finish it off. Cole Sands came into the bottom of the eighth inning in hopes of locking down the rest of the ballgame. Instead Vierling and Spencer Torkelson scratched singles off of Sands, and with two outs Jahmai Jones hit a tailing liner to right-center that Martin dove for but could not come up with. After the ball had finished rolling, Jones was celebrating on third base, and the score had tightened up to 6-3. Sands kept Jones stranded, but the Twins left more runners in scoring position in the top of the ninth, meaning that the Justin Topa experience in the ninth was going to be a save situation. Time will tell if Topa ever gets another save in a Twins uniform, but tonight he got the job done in non-stressful fashion to get his first save for Minnesota, What's Next? On Wednesday afternoon the Twins look to take an improbable series against the Tigers before they head back to reclaim Target Field for the first time since the trade deadline, The Twins will push Joe Ryan back to the Royals weekend series and put together a bullpen game. With an off day on Thursday, for better or for worse, most of the bullpen crew should be available. The Tigers send RHP Jack Flaherty (6-10, 4.38 ERA) out in search of the series for the home team. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Ureña 0 0 69 0 0 69 Sands 20 0 21 0 25 66 Adams 0 0 0 63 0 63 Ohl 0 52 0 0 0 52 Tonkin 11 0 14 0 27 52 Funderburk 11 0 35 0 1 47 Topa 13 0 15 0 15 43 Ramírez 0 0 9 19 0 28 Kriske 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hatch 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images For the second month in a row, the minor league starter of the month got called up to fill the post-Paddack trade void in the rotation. While Pierson Ohl ’s first go-round in the bigs only lasted three innings, it begs the question of “Whose performance in July made him the ‘Next Man Up’ in August? These are the arms worth watching after their June 2025 performances across the affiliates. Honorable Mentions LHP Christian MacLeod (Wichita/St. Paul): 3.50 ERA, 4 G, 18 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 17 K, 1.17 WHIP, .200 BA RHP Joel Garcia (FCL Twins): 1.20 ERA, 3 G, 15 IP, 15 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K, 1.27 WHIP, .254 BA RHP Christian Becerra (Fort Myers): 0.95 ERA, 4 G, 19.0 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 7 BB, 10 K, 0.89 WHIP, .156 BA LHP Kendry Rojas (New Hampshire AA/Buffalo AAA): 5.32 ERA, 5 G, 23.2 IP, 28 H, 14 ER, 4 BB, 36 K, 1.35 WHIP, .292 BA #5 – RHP Adrian Bohorquez – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 0.90 ERA, 5 G, 20.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 20 K, 0.65 WHIP, .118 BA Remaining at the number five spot for the second consecutive month is the 20-year-old hurler. The Twins signed Adrian Bohorquez to a minor league contract in 2023 out of his native Venezuela, and Adrian has bounced between the FCL Twins and the Mighty Mussels ever since. His June inclusion was based on fast improvement, but his July selection is based on domination. Bohorquez continues to climb up the prospect rankings, and I still wouldn’t be surprised if the 6’1”, 190 lb., 20-year-old pitches his way into some innings in Cedar Rapids before the year ends. #4 - RHP Pierson Ohl, St. Paul Saints/Minnesota Twins 2.87 ERA, 5 G, 14.1 IP, 14 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 16 K, 1.19 WHIP, .245 BA Last month’s starter of the month made it to his MLB debut and is currently still in line to do some bulk work in the newest iteration of the Twins rotation. His innings per “start” actually declined in July, so it looks like he’s being groomed for a one-time through-the-rotation role. Ohl still brought it in St. Paul, and that’s why he achieved not one but two call-ups. The K/BB rate is still positive, and he performed consistently for the Saints. His first run at major league competition didn’t translate as well, but the raw materials are there for whatever role you want to call it. For now, I still keep him in the starter category, but the hope is that he succeeds and never needs to make this list again. #3 - LHP Connor Prielipp, Wichita Wind Surge 1.20 ERA, 4 G, 15 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 17 K, 1.13 WHIP, .245 BA When the Twins drafted Connor Prielipp at pick number 48 in the second round in the 2022 draft out of Alabama, they hoped that they had found a rotation stalwart for the next decade. At 6’2”, 210 lbs, Prielipp is beginning to back up the hype at AA Wichita. After only entering 11 games in 2023 and 2024 combined, he is finally healthy and able to show his potential in actual games. The numbers that matter all improved in July, and while 2026 might start in St. Paul, there is hope that adding this lefty to the Twins rotation isn’t too far away. The trades of this deadline might bump Prielipp down in the team’s prospect rankings, but that’s more “Good on Falvey” than “Bad on Connor.” #2 – RHP Ryan Gallagher – Wichita Wind Surge (stats from South Bend/Knoxville) 3.65 ERA, 4 G, 24.2 IP, 19 H, 10 ER, 5 BB 21 K, 0.97 WHIP, .209 BA Ryan Gallagher came to the Twins organization from the Cubs in the Willi Castro trade, and he immediately jumped to the top of the prospect charts for his July performance at South Bend High-A and Knoxville AA. The 6’3”, 195 lb. pitcher was a sixth-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara by the Cubs in 2024, and at 22, he is on the fast track up a new organizational ladder now. He wasn’t phased by his last promotion, improving across his stat board in Knoxville in a short sample size. Here’s to hoping that production continues in Wichita! Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month – RHP Mick Abel – St. Paul Saints (stats from Lehigh Valley) 2.64 ERA, 3 G, 17 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 14 K, 0.94 WHIP, .163 BA The pitching prize of the 2025 trade deadline for the Minnesota Twins comes in the right arm of Mick Abel. The former 2020 first round (15th overall) selection of the Philadelphia Phillies was part of the bounty received for Jhoan Duran . The Phillies got immediate fire in their bullpen, and the Twins hope they received a rotation linchpin for years to come. Abel is a lanky 6’5”, 190 lb., righty who is only 24 years old and already has six games of major league experience under his belt. Both Abel and Taj Bradley (fresh off of one excellent AAA start with the Rays) will spend the start of August in St. Paul, but don’t be surprised to see both of them off this list for good and in a Twins uniform soon. Welcome to Minnesota Mick, feel free to strike out as many people as possible while you're here! July has come and gone, but several starting pitchers in the Twins organization made their mark and hope to continue that success into the dog days of summer. Three of the starters on this list just became Twins at the end of July through trades that rocked the organization, but hopefully left the starting rotation depth in a much healthier and happier place for 2026 and beyond. How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Samuel Perez) The Twins' major league bullpen came out of the All-Star Break looking to right the ship, and instead ended up shipwrecked and scattered across other teams. The 2025 trade deadline saw a direct reduction of 26-man roster arms and an infusion of minor league pitching prospects. The majority of the new prospects came into the Twins' affiliates with a “starter” label, so it will take some time before any of them make the relievers list. Several of June's prospects took a step back as the summer heated up, while others took leaps forward. Welcome to a post-deadline version of “What Twins minor league relievers now in the organization had the best July 2025?” Honorable Mentions - John Stankiewicz (Wichita/St.Paul): 3.38 ERA, 9 G, 13.1 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1.2 WHIP, .260 BA - Rey Pecheco (DSL Twins): 2.57 ERA, 7 G, 14.0 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 15 K, 1.07 WHIP, .259 BA - Brennen Oxford (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids): 1.64 ERA, 8 G, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K, 1.18 WHIP, .216 BA #5 – RHP Xander Hamilton – FCL Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels 1.46 ERA, 8 G (7 FCL/1 Cedar Rapids), 12.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 0.65 WHIP, .125 BA Xander Hamilton started July with a rehab stint in the FCL, and his performance there was utterly dominant. 10.1 innings of two-hit, no-run baseball for this 14th-round pick from the 2023 draft catapulted him up to Cedar Rapids for his last July outing. While that was a debut to forget, his trajectory is still aiming high. At 6’3”, 223 lbs, this big right-hander looks to keep climbing the ladder. His strikeout numbers jump off the page, so hopefully, further development will help him bring the whiffs up with him as the competition stiffens. #4 - RHP Anderson Ramos, FCL Twins 0.00 ERA, 6 G, 9.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 0.41 WHIP, .034 BA This month’s edition of gold panning for prospects takes us to Anderson Ramos . His one-hit July at the FCL complex mirrored Hamilton’s success, but at 6’1”, 182 lbs, and only 19 years old, Ramos is starting his success five years earlier and with an encouraging ceiling. Look for Ramos to begin making waves in Fort Myers come 2026. #3 - RHP Michael Tonkin, St. Paul Saints 1.97 ERA, 7 G, 9.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K, 0.40 WHIP, .067 BA Michael Tonkin might not seem like a prospect, but when your entire bullpen gets traded, you have to go searching for rays of positivity. Drafted in the 30th round of the 2008 by the Twins, Tonkin thought his last Twins memory was going to be how he successfully stayed Jason Kubel’s brother-in-law, until he found his way back to the club at the end of 2024. Shoulder issues thwarted the start of his 2025 campaign, but July saw minor-league rehab assignments and the Twins were ecstatic with what they saw. Tonkin will be featured in high-leverage situations for the Twins the rest of this season, and as he focuses in on his new role at the ripe old age of 35 it is right to acknowledge that he had a great July at St. Paul. It’s not his fault that there was a crater that formed in the development of the franchise; he was just willing to come try to fill a portion of it before he retires. So, thank you, Michael, for putting up with all of us as we weep that you aren’t Jhoan Duran. #2 – RHP Hunter Hoopes – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge 3.48 ERA, 8 G, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, 0.48 WHIP, .139 BA Hunter Hoopes fits the more prototypical bill for high-leverage reliever. The 25-year-old Alabama product signed with the Twins on a minor league deal in July of 2024. Since then, he has climbed three levels to the Wichita club, thanks to his 6’1”, 200 lb frame and his rocket arm. The Twins literally signed Hoopes after seeing him clock 100+ in a YouTube video. Let that sink in a bit as a commentary on our current organizational issues but then give thanks that someone in the organization didn’t hesitate to sign him up! Hoopes would have snagged the number one spot in July, if his Wichita debut hadn’t been so rocky (3 runs over 1.2 innings). He struck out 13 while walking nobody at Cedar Rapids this month, and if the Twins can develop him into a “pitcher” without losing the heat, there is no reason to think that St. Paul or even Target Field might not welcome him in 2026. Twins Minor League Reliever of the Month – LHP Samuel Perez – Cedar Rapids Kernels 1.00 ERA, 6 G, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0.89 WHIP, .194 BA June’s #2 is now the Reliever of the Month! At 5’11”, 205 lb., Samuel Perez continued to dominate the competition at High-A. Perez has been climbing the organizational ladder since 2021. His reverse splits bode well for the future, and it appears he’s getting honed in for a high-leverage future despite a fastball that doesn’t crack the 90’s. The speed at which the 25-year-old prospect from Venezuela can climb, however, is now expedited given the trade deadline’s aftermath. July has come and gone, but several relief pitchers in the Twins organization stood out above the crowd, and they hope to continue that success as summer leagues head into playoff time. How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Relievers of the Month? Who are you most excited to see enter the organization from these trades? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Richard-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (91 pitches, 62 strikes (68%)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (14) Bottom 3 WPA: Ober (-.251), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (-.211), Brooks Lee (-.179) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins undertook a complete reshuffling of the deck chairs at the trade deadline, and the remaining and new passengers suffered yet another heart-wrenching walk-off loss to the Guardians in Cleveland on Friday night. Saturday brought a new chance to navigate towards destination "championship-caliber baseball" and Bailey Ober returned from his rehab assignment just in time to captain the ship. Standing in the way was iceberg extraordinaire Tanner Bibee and the curse of Progressive Field. New Look Opportunities, Same Old Results New Twins outfielder Alan Roden went hitless on Friday night so, of course, he got penciled in as the lead-off man on Saturday. He struck out on four pitches to start the offense for the visiting Twinkies. After the Guardians wasted an opportunity to score in the bottom of the first, Kody Clemens led off the second inning with a ringing double, and he pirated an extra base on an errant throw back to the infield. With Clemens on third and nobody out, Matt Wallner walked and suddenly the Twins were in business. Then Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien popped up, struck out, and weakly bounced out to leave Clemens right where they found him, and the score still 0-0. As has usually been the case, the opposing team immediately makes the Twins pay for this woeful offensive routine. In the bottom of the second, the Guardians started off with two singles, and then plated the first run of the game on a double play ball. The second run of the came came much faster in the bottom of the third inning, as Daniel Schneemann launched his 10th homer of the year on the third pitch of the inning to make it 2-0 Guardians. Same Old Opportunities, New Look Results After a slick catch by Lewis up against the tarp to help keep the damage to a minimum in the third, the Twins' new leader Clemens indeed got on base again to start the fourth, this time with a walk after working a full count. Wallner came up again, and again he started walking. Luckily for Twins fans, it was after he hit a 419-foot majestic blast to tie the game at two apiece! Ober took care of the Guardians in order to finish the fourth, and the aforementioned Roden decided to get me off his back with a double to start the fifth. Trevor Larnach also knows a thing about criticism, and he singled in Roden to put the Twins up 3-2. Ryan Jeffers singled, and suddenly the offensive ship was beginning to pick up steam again. When Clemens and Wallner failed to advance the runners, the good vibes were starting to fade yet again until the vibe-master himself, Royce "the new man" Lewis doubled down the left field line to plate Larnach and to double up the score on the home team at 4-2. Lee was unable to add to the lead, however, and the tension between coming through and failing miserably was palpable as the Guardians got their turn in the bottom of the fifth. Wouldn't you know it, Schneemann singled for his third hit of the afternoon, and our old friend Jose Ramirez showed why we should always intentionally walk him by crushing a two-out, game-tying home run to immediately remind the Twins fans yet again of how wasted scoring opportunities got us to this point in the season. Bulk Pitchers and Deja Vu Pierson Ohl got the call to take over for Ober in the bottom of the sixth with the score knotted at four apiece. Ohl spent July attempting to perfect the "one time through the order" bulk role in St. Paul, and today he successfully navigated the sixth and seventh innings. Unfortunately the Twins bats couldn't muster a base runner in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings against the Cleveland bullpen. When Ohl started the eighth he matched upon against Twin-killer Ramirez, and he flipped a ball off off the dirt and into the outfield for a lead-off single. Ohl struck out Kyle Manzardo, but surrendered a bloop single to Carlos Santana to put Ramirez in scoring position with only one out. What happened next was a mound visit that failed miserably, as a first pitch fastball got sent to the corner by Bo Naylor to score Ramirez and to put the Guardians in position to win yet another one-run game against their divisional foe. After walking Gabriel Arias, Ohl struck out C.J. Kayfus with the bases loaded. Then the rookie bulked up and popped up Brayan Rocchio to keep the deficit at 5-4. The top of the ninth was too much like the rest of 2025 to be funny. Julien crushed what he thought was a game-tying homer to dead center, but it hit the wall, and because Julien was watching it a bit too long, he could only get two bases out of the blast. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. tried to pick up his teammate by bunting him to third. He couldn't. After the third attempt bounced foul for a strikeout, Roden struck out while swinging hard. Larnach was the last man standing between a tie game and another wasted opportunity with runners in scoring position. Hunter Gaddis took care of Larnach just like he did the others, and the Guardians celebrated the 14th straight one-run win against the Twins and left the team to ponder their next deck chair move. What’s Next? The Twins look to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon in their thankfully final game at Cleveland on this fateful voyage called 2025. The Twins announced that Simeon Woods Richardson's next start will be pushed back and "new-to-us" righty Jose Urena (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his first Twins start. The Guardians will counter with lefty Joey Cantillo (2-1, 4.14 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:40pm CDT. Notes The Twins struck out 15 times. That ties their second-highest game total of the year. They also struck out 14 times last night. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Ohl 0 0 0 0 52 52 Funderburk 38 0 0 11 0 49 Tonkin 36 0 0 11 0 47 Sands 8 13 0 20 0 41 Topa 0 22 0 13 0 35 Davis 0 31 0 0 0 31 Adams 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ramírez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ureña 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pierson Ohl 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (72 pitches, 45 strikes (63%)) Home Runs: Brooks Lee 2 (9, 10) Bottom 3 WPA: Ohl (-.246), Willi Castro (-.136), Royce Lewis (-.074) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a late-night walk-off winner against the Boston Red Sox, the Twins turned to a rookie to keep the momentum rolling. With Chris Paddack now a Tiger, a spot in the rotation was open, and young Pierson Ohl completed his meteoric rise from Single-A all the way to Target Field with his first MLB start. The young righty matched up against the wily veteran Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.94 ERA), who was marking his 196th career MLB game. Who would get the upper hand in the battle of these two right-handers: The rookie or the veteran? First Start, Great Start Ohl started out with equal parts brilliance and stress. He registered strikeouts of his first two batters, before surrendering a double to Jarren Duran. With his first runner in scoring position, Ohl then collected a huge strikeout of Trevor Story to retire the side. After the Twins couldn't cash in on a two-on, none-out scenario yet again, Ohl returned to face Wilyer Abreu to start the second inning. Abreu sent one deep to center field in an attempt to put the Sox up 1-0, but Harrison Bader said no. Twins Miss Opporunities, While Boston Cashes In The news of Byron Buxton going on the IL before tonight's game was frustrating. The news that Carlos Correa had to exit the game after feeling light-headed following his first-inning single added angst to injury. As the rookie continued to deal, his revolving defense (and offense) continued to flail. Ty France and Christian Vázquez stranded Matt Wallner at second base in the second inning. After yet another scoring opportunity got thwarted by the Red Sox, Boston speedster Ceddanne Rafaela crushed a triple off of the left field wall to start off the action in the top of the third. As Ohl now journeyed through the second turn through the lineup, the Boston batters were able to lay off the breaking balls and crush strikes in the zone. Roman Anthony quickly delivered a single to officially notch the first earned run against Ohl. Alex Bregman's double scored Anthony, and it was 2-0 Red Sox; Ohl was in trouble. The rookie thought he had fixed the glitch when he struck out Duran for the second out, but a center-cut changeup on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to Story ended up in the bullpen to make it a 4-0 Boston advantage. Ohl's night ended after three innings, and Michael Tonkin took over to start the fourth. He celebrated his return to Target Field by plunking the first batter he faced in Abraham Toro, Tonkin settled down and took care of business in the fourth, but in the top of the fifth, Duran took Tonkin deep to increase the lead to 5-0. In the bottom of the fifth, the Twins once again got a runner in scoring position with only one out, only to see Trevor Larnach strike out. Luckily for the Twins, last night's hero, Brooks Lee, was now in the game, and he was more than willing to deliver the first run of the day for the home team with a two-out, two-strike single to plate Bader. Vázquez and Lee advanced to third and second base, respectively, giving Willi Castro a chance to make this a ballgame again. Castro almost found the hole on the left side, but Bregman lunged and threw on a dime to keep the game at 5-1. No Relief in Sight Kody Funderburk came on to face the bottom of the Boston lineup in the bottom of the sixth inning. It hasn't been going well for Funderburk since his call-up (10.57 ERA over his last seven outings), and tonight was no different. A lead-off single to Carlos Narvaez was followed by a ground-rule double to Toro. The good news is that Funderburk's ERA actually went down, while the bad news is that he did surrender a run back to the Red Sox on a sac fly to make it a five-run deficit at 6-1 again. Giolito, meanwhile, escaped another clogged bases situation in the bottom of the sixth to leave the game having scattered only four hits and allowing only one run, keeping the Twins to just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Brooks Lee Continues to Be Him In the bottom of the seventh inning, the new proud poppa Ryan Jeffers pinch-hit for Larnach with a lefty reliver on the mound. Jeffers laced a single into center field easily enough to make you wish he had started the game, and this put Lee in position to bat from the right side of the box. A Wilson fastball came in, and it went out even faster—104.7 mph and 415 feet to be precise—to close the deficit to 6-3. Cole Sands held serve in the eighth, and Louis Varland got the ninth inning. A Royce Lewis error, however, gave the Red Sox an extra out, and Story and Abreu hit back-to-back doubles to plate two unearned runs to make it 8-3 Boston. This extension in the lead put Aroldis Chapman back on the bullpen bench and gave the Red Sox enough breathing room to bring Jorge Alcala in instead. Those unearned runs immediately began to sting, because even though Lee started the night on the bench, he was going to end the night in the Twins record books by hitting a home run from both sides of the plate and knocking in all five runs on the night. After a Lewis single, the Red Sox ended the fun and brought in Chapman. The Twins countered with Mickey Gasper instead of Kody Clemens. Three pitches later, no contest. Strike out, ball game. 8-5 Boston. What’s Next? The Twins look to rebound to take the series against the Red Sox in a Wednesday matinee. The Twins have yet to name their starting pitcher, while it was assumed that Bailey Ober (4-6, 5.28 ERA) would be called up from his rehab stint at St. Paul to take the hill, Zebby Matthews (2-2, 4.97 ERA) will instead get the task. The Red Sox send righty Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) out to play the role of spoiler of all Twins Territory trade deadline hope. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Funderburk 0 39 0 0 38 77 Durán 6 0 17 27 0 50 Topa 0 27 0 16 0 43 Jax 25 0 0 13 0 38 Tonkin 0 0 0 0 36 36 Sands 0 0 27 0 8 35 Varland 0 0 11 0 22 33 Coulombe 11 0 20 0 0 31 Stewart 0 0 9 16 0 25 View full article

I'm stealing that possum line for next winter's road trip series... absolutely stealing it. Like other teams steal bases I've been told.

oof...that is a copy and paste masterpiece on my part...nice catch