Steven Trefz

I was trying to recall the other instances, because it does seem like this is an annual event. Any idea how to check for that stat?

Image courtesy of © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Box Score SP: David Festa 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K (81 pitches, 49 strikes (60%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (12), Harrison Bader (7) Bottom 3 WPA: Brock Stewart (-.341), Festa (-.244), Christian Vázquez (-.202) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins entered the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati reeling from a sweep in Houston, losers of eight of 10 overall. The Reds tamed the Tigers over the weekend, and looked to keep climbing the National League Central standings after getting back over the .500 mark. David Festa looked to build upon his outstanding start last time out against the Rangers, while the Reds turned to lefty Andrew Abbott and his sub-2.00 ERA. In a stadium built for offense, the Twins hoped that their sluggish bats could rise to the challenge. Buxton Makes His All-Star Plea The first inning and a half came and went without much fanfare, but the bottom of the second brought an odd injury that would eventually change the makeup of the umpiring crew and a defensive play that got Twins fans off their feet. While Tyler Stephenson was leading off the inning for the Reds, a foul tip caught the home plate umpire, Tony Randazzo, square, and led to a delay while trainers attended to him. While Festa recovered from the delay to strike out Stephenson and then former Twins prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Will Benson took a 1-1 changeup deep to right center field for what appeared to be a go-ahead homer. Byron Buxton made sure that all anybody saw was a web gem and a third out. Not to be outdone by himself, Buxton came up with one out in the top of the third inning and showed everyone what hitting a home run to that part of Great American Ballpark actually looks like for a 1-0 Twins lead. After Buxton's heroics, the previously wounded umpire Randazzo was forced to leave the game, leaving the crew a man short with most of the game to go. With a new strike zone appearing mid-start, how would the game be impacted? Errors Cost Festa and the Twins Turns out the strike zone was the least of the teams' worries in the middle innings. Sloppy defense has plagued the Twins over the past few weeks and on Tuesday night the miscues once again cost the Twins dearly. A leadoff walk to Gavin Lux in the bottom of the fourth didn't help Festa's cause, and once Elly De La Cruz switched places with him after a groundout things truly began to unravel for the young righty. De La Cruz distracted Festa, and eventually stole second, which led to a Stephenson walk and an official threat forming. The Twins thought they had escaped when Encarnacion-Strand popped up to Ryan Jeffers, but the aforementioned Benson kept his next blast lower in launch angle and plated two runs with a double. Festa did get out of the jam by striking out another former Twins prospect Spencer Steer, but Jeffers couldn't corral the pitch and Steer advanced to first on a passed ball as Benson took third. Steer stole second to gain scoring position, and Jake Fraley made the error hurt (remember that!) with a single that plated two more Reds, ended Festa's night early, and made it a 4-1 Cincinnati lead. Making Errors Hurt is the Name of the Game Abbott was cruising along with his newfound lead until the top of the sixth inning, when with two outs, Ty France grounded out to Encarnacion-Stand for the third out. But the former Twin helped out the club that drafted him by chucking the throw wide of first, and France was hustling and reached safely. This opened the gate, and Brooks Lee extended his hit streak to 15 with a single to get France into scoring position. Trevor Larnach appreciated that gesture, and scored France with a single of his own to close the gap to 4-2. Then with two out, and two on, Harrison Bader hit a long fly ball to deep right field. The previous hero Fraley helped the ball go just a bit farther, over the wall for a gift three-run home run. Seriously. It happened. Just watch the Twins take the lead at 5-4! Bullpens Determine the Outcome, Yet Again The good vibes didn't last long for Twins fans, as the Reds stormed right back in the bottom of the sixth. Brock Stewart mowed down the first two batters in short order, but Fraley redeemed himself slightly with a single to start the dominos and Matt McClain followed with a single of his own to push Fraley into scoring position. Turns out that McClain was also in scoring position, because TJ Friedl drifted a double just past a diving Matt Wallner, and with two outs, both runners scored easily to give the Reds a 6-5 advantage yet again. The Twins needed 81 pitches from five relievers to cover for Festa's short start, but they managed to keep it a one-run game into the top of the ninth. The Twins, however, couldn't match with a rally of their own against the Reds bullpen and long-lost closer (and yet another former Twin) Emilio Pagán. After replacing Jeffers due to injury mid-game, Christian Vazquez came up with the tying at second and two outs against the former most-hated reliever in Twins history, and he went back to the dugout after being the latest victim to fall to Pagan who now has 17 saves (Jhoan Duran has only 10 on the season). This sums up the past two weeks brilliantly, as the game ended in a fifth straight Twins loss and a slide back to .500 baseball. What’s Next? The Twins will attempt to break this losing streak once again on Wednesday night, and they'll be counting on Bailey Ober (4-3, 4.40 ERA) to recover from perhaps his worst start of the season. The Reds will counter with another lefty, Nick Lodolo (4-5, 3.76 ERA). Twins will be waiting to see if Jeffers can return to the lineup after bruising his hand at some point around the passed ball experience. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Stewart 0 0 10 0 33 43 Durán 0 20 21 0 0 41 Topa 16 0 0 0 17 33 Jax 17 13 0 0 0 30 Sands 0 0 12 0 16 28 Coulombe 19 0 0 0 4 23 Varland 0 0 22 0 0 22 Wentz 0 0 0 0 11 11 View full article

Image courtesy of © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images SP: Joe Ryan 7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (93 pitches, 59 strikes (63%) Home Runs: Brooks Lee (6) Bottom 3 WPA: Jhoan Duran (-.368), Matt Wallner (-.170), Willi Castro (-.148) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins have gone 1-3 over their past four games, surrendering an average of 13 runs in the three losses, while only allowing two runs in their lone victory. Joe Ryan took the hill as the current ace of the Minnesota staff, with a 7-2 record and an ERA creeping towards the land of "less than three." With the offense struggling, and the pitching staff reeling, Ryan needed to deliver another gem if the Twins were going to have any chance of winning in Houston. Unfortunately, the Astros also had their ace going in Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.76 ERA). Add in the fact that Royce Lewis was going to be spending his Saturday afternoon getting an MRI on his injured hamstring, and Twins fans' were in dire straits. Would the Twins be getting money for nothing, or would they surprise everyone and become sultans of swing? Brown Better than Advertised The silver lining in Brown's stat line over the past two games was that he averaged over four walks per outing. That didn't translate to runs, but again we are searching for any potential advantage here. After three innings, Brown hadn't walked a single Twin and he had struck out six without allowing a hit. Ryan Cruises Until He Doesn't Ryan matched Brown pitch for pitch in the first two innings, but the number nine man Brendan Rodgers poked a single to right in the bottom of the third. Carlos Correa almost turned a double play off of the man who usurped him in Houston, Jeremy Pena, but Pena beat out the relay and the two out danger zone once again reared its ugly head. This time the villain was Yainer Diaz, and his victim was an elevated Ryan fastball that landed 339 feet to the right field homer zone for a 2-0 Astros lead. Brooks Lee Keeps On Streaking The top of the fifth inning looked like more of the same from Brown, as he sawed Correa's bat in half with a first pitch sinker. The new lumber served Carlos well, however, as he laced the next pitch 105.7 mph up the middle to put the lead-off man on base for the first time today. Before Twins Territory had a chance to get excited, Brooks Lee smashed the left-field version of "just enough" 345 feet and over the scoreboard to tie the game up at two apiece, and to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Brown Giveth in the sixth, and Then He Taketh Away Byron Buxton took a fastball off of his elbow pad and hand to start the top of the sixth inning, and he was able to not only stay in the game but to steal second base. Trevor Larnach followed with a quality at-bat, holding off several off-speed pitches for a walk to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Brown settled down and blew away Willi Castro before he could advance the runners. Matt Wallner came up next with a chance to pick up his teammate and to put the Twins in the lead, but he was unable to deliver on a 3-1 sinker and lined out to center. Correa was the last hope for the rally, and Brown greeted him with a fastball two millimeters from Correa's knuckles. Three pitches later Correa was walking back to the dugout after striking out, and Brown escaped the jam. The final line on Brown was 98 pitches, 12 strike outs, and one mistake. Ryan Giveth Nothing As stellar as Brown was on Saturday afternoon, Ryan matched him in the most important way that matters: the scoreboard. Ryan struck out seven, surrendered just two hits, and provided seven crucial innings for a rotation that entered the game desperate for success. A Bullpen Will Win This, and a Bullpen Will Lose This The Astros turned to Bryan Abreu for the top of the eighth inning, and Christian Vazquez couldn't hold off of ball four and struck out to lead off the inning. Harrison Bader came up next after replacing the wounded Buxton in the seventh, and he learned from Vazquez's at-bat and held off on a full count pitch to take the walk. Bader followed Buxton's lead also by swiping second base to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Larnach fanned, however, to put the pressure on Castro with two outs. Abreu stayed filthy, striking out Castro and the side to end yet another Twins threat. Griffin Jax took the ball in the bottom of the eighth, and he struck out two to keep Houston off the board as well. This set the stage for Josh Hader vs. Jhoan Duran in the ninth. Hader dominated Wallner, Correa and Lee in order. Duran got behind Jose Altuve to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and Altuve unloaded a rocket to the deepest part of left-center. Bader tracked it down, and blood pressures returned to normal. Except Duran's, apparently, as he lost control and walked Christian Walker on five pitches. Victor Caratini also didn't offer at Duran's off-speed pitches, and suddenly it was a 3-1 count and Duran was in danger of walking the winning run into scoring position. Jhoan never left the zone again, eventually buckling Caratini's knees with a knuckle curve. Jake Meyers took a pitch in the zone the other way just under a diving Kody Clemens to push Walker to third base and to bring up rookie Cam Smith with the game on the line. Advantage, rookie. A chopper up the middle plated Walker and wasted a stellar Ryan outing. What’s Next? The Twins look to salvage a win in Houston after dropping yet another series in June. The Twins send righty Simeon Woods Richardson (2-3, 5.74 ERA) out in hopes of erasing the taste of his last start from the collective mouths of Twins Territory. Opposing him will be young lefty Brandon Walter (0-0, 1.64 ERA) who is making his third start of the year. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT on Father's Day. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Topa 24 0 0 16 0 40 Wentz 0 0 38 0 0 38 Durán 0 13 0 0 20 33 Jax 0 0 0 17 13 30 Sands 0 0 26 0 0 26 Coulombe 2 0 1 19 0 22 Varland 0 16 0 0 0 16 Stewart 0 13 0 0 0 13 View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: Simeon Woods Richardson 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (98 pitches, 53 strikes (54%)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (5) Bottom 3 WPA: Woods Richardson (-.350), Justin Topa (-.138), Wallner (-.075) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) If a team makes noise in a mostly empty Target Field, does it make a sound? The Twins hoped to find out Tuesday night. After an off day, the Twins looked to build on the momentum of Sunday's victory against Toronto by making some noise against a former home-team twirler. Tyler Mahle has been dealing as the ace the Twins thought they traded for in 2022 for the Rangers, adding insult to the injury of seeing a pair of former Twins infield prospects contributing for the Reds over the past few seasons. Opposing Mahle was recently recalled Simeon Woods Richardson, who looked to remain in the Twins' rotation after a brief three-game stint at St. Paul. Early Traffic and Early Zeros Woods Richardson surrendered a leadoff single to Josh Smith, and a one-out walk to Corey Seager made for some cluttered bases early against the young righty. The crafty righty escaped the jam, however, and went on to put up nothing but zeros across the first three innings against a struggling Rangers lineup averaging roughly two runs per game over the past week and change. Mahle also surrendered a leadoff hit, this time a first-pitch double off of the right field wall to Byron Buxton. However, the Buck Truck stayed in park at second base as three straight fly ball outs failed to advance him, let alone score him. The Twins failed to do anything against Mahle until Buxton came up again in the bottom of the third, and again stroked a line drive for a single. Three innings, 28 pitches, and utter dominance with the fastball against Mahle's former squad. No More Zeros The top of the fourth inning saw Buxton's elite defense take a swerve, as a leadoff line drive to center by Jake Burger knuckled on him, and deflected off of his glove for a two-base error. Woods Richardson wobbled next, walking Evan Carter to fill first and second bases yet again, this time with nobody out. After a Josh Jung strikeout, the Twins thought escape might once again be in order. Adolis Garcia erased that thought with a double down the right field line to plate Burger and make it 1-0 Texas. Three pitches later, Kyle HIgashioka laced a single to score two more Ranger runs to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Minnesota hoped that Mahle's fastball would lose some of its mystery in the second trip through the lineup. Ryan Jeffers worked a walk, and Carlos Correa straightened out said fastball for a booming double off of the right-center wall to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Matt Wallner struck out swinging, but Ty France picked up his teammate... sort of. France rocketed another ball off of the wall in right, but Garcia deked Correa and France, as Correa could only make third and France got thrown out trying to advance to second. Suddenly, it was a 3-1 game, but the rally was at risk of being cut short before its time. Luckily, Royce Lewis is hitting the ball with authority again, and he had his teammates' proverbial backs with an RBI single to make it 3-2. A Baseball Game Unravels With the Twins right back in the ballgame, Woods Richardson took the hill in the top of the fifth inning aiming to get his team back in the dugout as quickly as possible. Instead, he would enter the dugout before any of his teammates were allowed to. With a full count, leadoff man Seager walked on what will be called a strike when the electronic ump comes into existence. The next two Rangers batters got out, but instead of a one-two-three inning, Seager was still at first, and all heck broke loose. A Carter single, a wild pitch, and a Jung single plated two and made it 5-2 just like that. Garcia doubled to put runners at second and third with two out, and that ended Woods Richardson's day at 98 pitches with only a 54% strike rate. Justin Topa came in to stop the bleeding, and one pitch later, we had a gusher, thanks to another Higashioka hit—this time a two-run double to make it 7-2. Tack on another Smith hit, this time plating HIgashioka, and it was 8-2 in a laugher. More Noise, Mostly in a Texas Accent The Twins attempted to crawl their way back toward making it a ballgame in the bottom of the fifth, when Trevor Larnach doubled and scored on a Jeffers single to make it 8-3. That momentum lasted all of four batters, as Topa gave up a two-run gopher ball to Carter in the top of the sixth inning to make it 10-3. Mahle was still dealing in the bottom of the sixth when Wallner did his best to keep the fans excited by launching his fifth home run of the year to change the score to 10-4. A couple of singles, with a Lewis double play ball in between, chased Mahle before he could complete six innings despite the insurmountable lead. The Rangers bullpen has been spotty, but it couldn't possibly be bad enough to give up this six-run lead... could it? All Ballgames Must Come to an End Jorge Alcala came in and took care of business in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, he got destroyed in the top of the eighth. Wyatt Langford led off with a home run, and four hits and a few sacrifices later, it was 16-4. I kid you not: 16-4. Unfortunately for Twins fans, this isn't Tuesday night beer league, and MLB makes the teams finish the game, mercy rule be darned. The good news was Jonah Bride made it into a game, but unfortunately, it was to pitch the ninth inning. Zero runs scored against Bride! But a 16-4 loss was definitely not what the home team needed to start this series. What’s Next? The Twins look to avenge this walloping on Wednesday night. Twins righty David Festa looks to redeem himself after laying a 3.2 inning/8 run egg against the Athletics on June 5th. The Rangers counter with righty Jack Leiter (4-2, 3.48 ERA, and yes, he's the son of Al Leiter). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT, hopefully after the rain has come and gone and left nothing but 70 degrees of beautiful baseball weather. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Alcalá 0 0 0 0 40 40 Topa 15 0 0 0 24 39 Durán 0 20 16 0 0 36 Jax 0 18 9 0 0 27 Sands 9 0 17 0 0 26 Varland 0 17 0 0 0 17 Stewart 0 0 14 0 0 14 Coulombe 9 0 0 0 2 11 View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Chris Paddack 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (86 pitches, 55 strikes (64%) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (4), Kody Clemens (6) Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.457), Willi Castro (-.114), Clemens (-.113) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Since his last win against the Orioles on May 15, Chris Paddack has continued to lower his ERA and to extend his innings past the fifth inning. Over that span, however, Paddack has an 0-2 record and a no-decision to show for it as the Twins run supply has been unable to match Paddack's success. With the Twins trying to break back into the win column against the streaking Blue Jays, Twins fans hoped that Paddack and the Twins bats could align together again to win the day on Saturday. Standing opposed to Paddack was Kevin Gausman who had fared better in the win department but had been unable to finish the fifth inning in his last two starts. Paddack Struggles Out the Gate It took 28 pitches for Paddack to complete the first inning, and a Nathan Lukes single with two outs plated Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the first run of the game. Tyler Heineman took a center-cut Paddack fastball deep in the top of the second inning to make it 2-0 Toronto. From there, however, The Sheriff settled down and began to set down Blue Jays at a more rapid rate, limiting his pitch count to 72 after five innings of work and only surrendering the two runs. Gausman Loses Control of the Fourth The Twins were unable to generate any offensive momentum over the first three innings against Gausman, but they began to accumulate base runners in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Jeffers and Carlos Correa delivered one-out singles and then Gausman literally lost control. He walked Matt Wallner on a full count to load the bases, slugged Ty France in the shoulder to push home the first Twins run of the game. Royce Lewis then worked a walk as well to plate the tying run to make it 2-2. With the bases loaded still and only one out, Twins Daily Hitter of the Month Kody Clemens came up with a chance to break the game wide open. Unfortuneately, Clemens got eaten up by a Gausman splitter and ground into a 5-2-3 double play to end the threat. Matt Wallner is a Big Bad Man Paddack successfully defended his home turf in the top of the sixth inning, which led to yet another chance for the Twins to copy Toronto's path to victory from the previous night by catching up and taking over in the middle innings. Correa struck out swinging for out number one, but four pitches later Wallner swung and did not miss with two strikes. 3-2 Twins. Bullpens Match Louis Varland got the call for the top of the seventh inning against the bottom of the Toronto order, and they treated him rather rudely. Andres Gimenez and Heineman singled to put runners at first and second with only one out to turn the line-up over to Bo Bichette and Guerrero Jr. in a game-tying scenaro. Varland stepped up and struck out Bichette, and sunk Guerrero Jr. with a sinker to keep Minnesota on top. Chad Green got the call to replace Gausman, and the bottom of the Twins lineup also treated him rudely. Willi Castro singled with one out, and Trevor Larnach singled with two out to slide Castro over to third base. Jeffers walked to bring up yet another bases loaded situation. Correa got a chance this time to break the game wide open, but once again the Twins failed to capitalize, and the game remained tied at 3-2. Bullpens Separate Griffin Jax entered in the top of the eighth to face the heart of the Blue Jays order, and he came in red hot having only surrendering one run over his last nine outings. Unfortunately for Jax, he got ambushed by Addison Barger for a double off of his second pitch. Five pitches later, George Springer ambushed him even more. Springer launched a fly ball that landed just past the left field wall to steal the lead back at 4-3. Now the Twins were back in catch-up mode, and the middle run of Wallner, France, and Lewis got their chance against reliever Braydon Fisher and his 0.91 WHIP. A strikeout and two groundouts later, Fisher's WHIP and the Twins' hopes for victory had been equally lowered. Jhoan Duran came in to try to keep the Twins within a run, and the equally red-hot Duran met an equally disappointing fate. Two singles led to one run, and suddenly the Twins found themselves two runs behind and facing the roller coaster that is Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman, who can allow two runs almost as often as he locks down a save. Clemens got the first crack at Hoffman, and after falling behind 1-2 in the count, Kody remembered his swing and launched a home run to right to make it a one-run affair again. Unfortunately, that ninth inning Toronto insurance run proved to be more than the Twins could overcome, and Twins fans were forced to listen to the cheers of the Blue Jay faithful at Target Field as they silently sulked from the stadium. What’s Next? The Twins look to avenge at least one win in this home series against the Blue Jays, and Joe Ryan (6-2, 2.91 ERA) will be the one in charge of controlling the Toronto offense. He will face Blue Jays RHP Bowden Francis (2-7 5.84 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Alcalá 28 0 26 0 0 54 Varland 0 22 0 0 17 39 Sands 25 0 0 9 0 34 Durán 0 12 0 0 20 32 Jax 0 13 0 0 18 31 Topa 10 0 0 15 0 25 Stewart 0 15 0 0 0 15 Adams 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (72 pitches, 43 strikes (60%)) Home Runs: 2 Willi Castro (5,6), Trevor Larnach (9) Top 3 WPA: Castro (.277), Byron Buxton (.169), Larnach (.154) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins got their first taste of Sacramento baseball on Monday night and were left satisfied. Pablo Lopez looked to avenge his last loss and to feast against a struggling Athletics squad. The Twins bats looked to stay hot against an opener and bullpen situation. What could possibly go wrong? Pablo Continues to Struggle After the Twins flied out quietly into the night against Grant Holman in the top of the first inning, López immediately came under assault in the bottom half. After falling behind Lawrence Butler 3-0, he surrendered a lead-off double. Ex-Twin Brent Rooker battled until he finally flared a single to right to plate Butler and stake the A's to a 1-0 early advantage. López walked JJ Bleday, but managed to escape only giving up the lone run. ... Until the bottom of the third, that is, when Tyler Soderstrom ripped a triple just past Harrison Bader at the wall with one out. Shea Langeliers immediately cashed in run number two with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 for the "home" team. Stretching back to the Tampa game last Sunday, López had given up six runs over his last five innings pitched as the game headed into the fourth. Willi Castro Takes and Makes Offense Lefty Jacob Lopez officially entered in the middle of the second inning to make this a López v. Lopez situation, and he cruised through the Twins lineup relatively easily—until he faced Castro with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Castro got behind in the count 1-2, but by the time Lopez's cutter traveled deep over the left field wall, it was 2-1 on the scoreboard. López Settles Down, Lopez Gets Rocked, and Both Lopezes Forced Out of Game Pablo locked things down in the fourth and fifth, which set the stage for the inevitable A's bullpen implosion for the night. The A's bullpen had surrendered eight runs or more in five straight games, and after the top of the sixth inning, the streak looked probable to continue. Trevor Larnach started the rally with a 107-mph missile to the right field berm to tie up the game at 2-2. Two batters later, Castro went yard again for another solo shot to make it 3-2. Here are some videos to prove that these aerial displays took place. The Athletics stuck with Jacob Lopez, even though he was journeying further in this contest than he was used to being used. That decision came back to bite the A's when Brooks Lee dribbled a single to first, and the much-maligned Royce Lewis worked a walk. Osvaldo Bido got the call and immediately walked Bader on four pitches. With the bases loaded and two outs, Byron Buxton strode to the plate and kept the Buck Truck rolling with a single up the middle to score Lee and Lewis and make it a 5-2 ballgame. In typical Twins fashion, though, these good times were about to get squashed. Ló was taking his warm-up pitches in the bottom of the sixth. At only 72 pitches, the Twins hoped that López could take the lead and cruise through the seventh. But after the third warm-up pitch, Pablo motioned to the trainer and his night was over. Early conjectures pointed to a groin or leg injury, but it was later announced that tightness in López's right shoulder was to blame for the early exit. The Twins have tentatively diagnosed him with a lat strain, which would be very bad news. God Bless the A's Bullpen After the gut punch of losing López to injury, Cole Sands got the call to get ready quickly. He was immediately taxed with a double by Langeliers, who eventually scored on a groundout to close the gap to 5-3. Fortunately for the Twins, the A's bullpen streak was about to be extended in all of its glory in the top of the seventh. Larnach got the action started with another 108-mph missile, this time for a single. Carlos Correa walked, and Ty France hit a bloop single to load the bases with one out against new reliever Tyler Ferguson. Ferguson's control issues were on full display, as he plunked Lee to allow Larnach to score. With a 6-3 lead, and one out, Lewis got the best chance he was ever going to get to break his slide, and boy did he deliver. With the A's bullpen streak now officially at six straight games of surrendering eight runs or more, Ferguson yanked a slider to the backstop to score Lee to make it 9-3 Minnesota. With a six-run lead in the top of the eighth, Twins fans were content to have a nice and tidy wrap to a late-night victory. The Twins offense was not content. Ryan Jeffers led off the eighth with a double, and Larnach kept on raking with another single to put runners on the corners. Correa hit a chopper to third that a drawn-in Logan Davidson bobbled before settling for the out at first to make it 10-3. Justin Topa and Jorge Alcala put up spotless seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to preserve another lopsided victory for the Twins. What’s Next? The Twins look to keep the good vibes going in California Wednesday night in game three of this four-game set. Twins righty Zebby Matthews (0-1, 6.43 ERA) looks to build on the strong finish to his last start against the Mariners and hopes to avoid the four-run first inning this time around. The Athletics haven't named a starter for Wednesday night's game. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Rocco Baldelli Postgame Interview - 6/03/25"> FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Alcalá 0 28 0 0 28 56 Sands 21 6 0 0 25 52 Stewart 17 11 0 12 0 40 Jax 0 18 15 0 0 33 Varland 0 18 0 15 0 33 Topa 0 10 0 11 10 31 Durán 13 14 0 0 0 27 Funderburk 0 0 0 17 0 17 View full article

Just got out of baseball jail…it was glorious. Also added the OBP…not sure how I missed that. Will get my OPS addiction looked at before June. Also intrigued by a “Does OBP matter in today’s MLB?” rabbit trail that I went too far down today. Every opinion from “More important than batting average” to “Can’t quantify walks meaning nothing in run scoring at-bats.” Is the general consensus of our crew here that it’s a worthwhile metric? And of the four major slash line metrics…where would you rank it? Admittedly, I’ve already played my hand… Thanks for the comments

The Twins flipped the momentum of their 2025 campaign in May, by going 18-8. Interestingly enough, their run production barely ticked up, from 4.0 to 4.2 runs per game compared to the first month of the season. May featured the amazing 13-game winning streak, plus several walk-off winners and comebacks, showing glimpses of the late-game offense that fueled the 2024 Twins' early success (and was almost completely absent in March and April). Team OPS rose, along with a reduction in strikeout percentage, leading one to believe that the new hitting philosophy was beginning to take root across the lineup. Granted, there are some players who couldn't be hitting worse if they tried (see key 2023-24 hopefuls Edouard Julien's rough start to May and subsequent demotion, and Royce Lewis's .430 OPS). Ty France came back to Earth, while not imploding completely, and Matt Wallner missed the entire month with an injury. With multiple members of the Twins lineup struggling in May, how in the world did they find their way to 18 wins? Look no further than these four bats, who kept the offense alive just enough and at the right moments to (hopefully) save the season. Honorable Mention: Carlos Correa .313/.352/.522/.874, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 11 R, 21 H, 4 BB After a horrendously slow start, Correa began to regain his swing early in May, and was perhaps the hottest Twins hitter in the last week of the month after returning from his concussion IL stint. In a small sample size (67 AB), Correa managed to make consistent hard contact and saw the OPS climb as a result. His signature swing came in extra innings in the Twins' lone victory in Seattle, but he also got the Twins back into some games that eventually ended in losses. Since one never can tell how a game will go until it's all said and done, Correa's improved at-bats from the first inning to extras helped to make the Twins' winning May a possibility. His glove also can't be overlooked as a function of his offensive value, as he continues to save runs on the defensive side. That adds to his value. #3: Trevor Larnach .269/.309/.462/.771, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R, 21 H, 4 BB Larnach stays in the third spot in our monthly awards lineup, due to his consistency both in availability and results. Larnach outpaced the other players on this list by 40 at-bats in May (104 total), and his numbers didn't climb from month to month, but they didn't decrease, either (except for runs, which are beyond his control, and a whopping 10 fewer walks). As the final weekend of the month proved, Larnach found a way to hit the ball hard when the game was on the line, and more often than not, that helped lead the Twins to victory. A case could have been made for Harrison Bader to remain on the list, but Larnach delivered more runs and RBIs in May, and since the game's outcome most relies on those two metrics Trevor gets the nod. #2: Byron Buxton .317/.382/.567/.949, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 2 SB, 13 R, 19 H, 7 BB The magic carpet ride of 117 plate appearances in March/April came to a literal crashing halt in May, with Buxton's collision with Correa limiting him to 60 plate appearances in May. On the positive side, Buxton's production held steady both before and after the incident, with stolen bases taking the steepest dip. As evidenced in the Seattle series, when Buxton is healthy and in the lineup, he is an offensive weapon that has the ability to change games. As evidenced in the offensive drought of the prior week, when Buxton is absent the Twins lack ways of making up for that absence. All signs from Buxton's return point to him operating on all cylinders in June. So expect plenty more of the Buck Truck! May Hitter of the Month: Kody Clemens .279/.362/.623/.985, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 17 H, 6 BB When the Twins acquired Kody Clemens in late April in the wake of Luke Keaschall's injury, most Twins fans were more curious about Clemen's pedigree than his potential for actual production with the club. Clemens came to Minnesota batting .000 for the Phillies in only four at-bats. He started his tenure with the Twins going 2-for-12, but that "2" was a loud number. On May 3 at Fenway Park, Clemens launched the game-winning homer and started a string of success that is quickly gaining legend status amongst the Twins faithful. Due to injuries and demotions, Clemens found himself roaming the outfield and infield at a full-time frequency starting with the Baltimore series in mid-May, and the victories at the end of the streak draw a direct correlation to Kody. His bat cooled down in the Tampa heat and stayed cold into the last game of the month in Seattle, so it will be interesting to see if Clemens can make the adjustments necessary now that there is a book on how to pitch him. Buxton's return also potentially limits Clemens' opportunity for playing time, but as he got a look at first base recently, his left-handed bat will seemingly find its way into the Twins lineup as long as this level of production can be sustained. Twins fans are definitely hoping that these beautiful swings weren't just mirages as the season progresses. What do you think, Twins Daily faithful? Who would get your award for Twins Hitter of the Month in May 2025? Do you think Clemens has was it takes to stay in the lineup come July? Leave your own rankings below. View full article

Image courtesy of © Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (97 pitches, 64 strikes (66%)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (2) Bottom 3 WPA: Kody Clemens (-.468), Jorge Alcala (-.438), Bailey Ober (-.214) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins looked to follow up Friday night's miraculous comeback with another victory in the Pacific Northwest in a simulated night game on Saturday afternoon (time zones are weird). Bailey Ober took the hill for the Twins in search of win number five, while Bryce Miller looked to put the Mariners back in the win column after a short IL stint. Matt Wallner rejoined the lineup after destroying Triple-A pitching for the past week, and with the Mariners' bullpen being depleted, things pointed towards a Twins victory on paper. That's why they play the games. Welcome Back Wallner! Both pitchers took care of business in the first inning, but Miller's night began to unravel in the top of the second. Carlos Correa led off the inning with a walk, and Wallner strode to the plate and worked the count into his favor at 3-1. On the next pitch, Wallner did what he's been doing for St. Paul, and suddenly it was 2-0 Twins. The Twins weren't done yet, as Willi Castro worked his way around the bases to get to third base, and with two outs, Byron Buxton delivered run number three with a single to make it 3-0. Cal Raleigh is Really Good Ober's outing started to unravel in the bottom of the third, just as many pitchers who have faced the Mariners this month have similarly unraveled. He had to face Cal Raleigh, and Raleigh's 22 home run of the season (you read that right) plated Ben Williamson to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Ober's night ended after only four innings due to pitch count, and this stands in stark contrast to what Zebby Matthews was able to provide after his initial struggles Friday night. Ober tried to go in the fifth, but gave up two baserunners to put men on the corners with nobody out and Raleigh back up at the plate. Louis Varland got the unenviable call in relief, and he pitched perhaps his best outing of the 2025 campaign by striking out Raleigh and Jose Rodriguez, and working out of the jam. Missed Opportunities Doom the Twins After cashing in every possible run at the end of Friday night's game, the Twins looked to have solved their issues with runners in scoring position. In the third, fourth, and sixth innings, however, the Twins squandered one-out doubles in each inning, failing to build on their lead and giving the Mariners hope for a comeback of their own. That opportunity came with Jorge Alcala on the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alcala again got burned by a leadoff walk, because as everyone was wondering about what to do with Raleigh in the on-deck circle, JP Crawford stole the show with a two-run homer to swing the game back in Seattle's favor at 4-3. In the top of the eighth, the Twins once again had a man at second base, with Wallner leading off by getting hit by a pitch and then advancing to second base on a Castro single to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Kody Clemens almost got another hero turn, but his line drive was caught by Rodriguez and Wallner was caught off second base in no-man's land for a double play in the worst kind of way for Minnesota. Don't Write that Obituary Just Yet...Again Reliever Carlos Vargas came into the game to try to get the save thanks to the aforementioned depleted bullpen. He got Ryan Jeffers easily enough, and looked like he was on his way to victory when Buxton hit a comebacker right to him. Vargas rushed the throw, chucked the ball into the outfield, and all of a sudden the Twins had Buxton at third base with only one out. Trevor Larnach was next up, and two pitches later Larnach was on first base with a single and the game was all square at four apiece! How's it Going to End? Griffin Jax got the ball to face the bottom of the Mariners' lineup in the bottom of the ninth. Cole Young welcomed him with his first Major League hit with a lead-off single. With two outs, Crawford blooped a double into left field to put runners at second and third. Raleigh got the intentional walk to set up Rodriguez for a bases-loaded duel with Jax. After a nasty strikeout, Jax was pumped, and we were headed back to bonus baseball. Unfortunately, in the tenth and eleventh innings, the Twins continued to leave runners in scoring position, and in the bottom of the eleventh, Young followed up his first hit with his second, this time a walk-off dribbler to first to plate the winning run. In a game that the Twins should have won by five, the Mariners finally exercised their extra-inning demons for a 5-4 victory. A Surprise Ejection Neither Carlo Correa nor Rocco Baldelli had to watch the painful ending of this game from the dugout - because they were not allowed to. Both were tossed by home plate umpire Austin Jones in the top of the seventh inning in a bizarre exchange where details were still unclear as the game ended. Correa was on-deck, had some words for ... someone around home plate. Jones tossed Correa immediately and Baldelli rushed out to save his player and seemed to be irate at Jones quick trigger, especially because Correa seemed to be protesting that he hadn't directed his comment at Jones. What’s Next? The Twins look to find a way to win the series in a Sunday afternoon contest. Twins righty Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.92 ERA) will look to start June the way he finished May. Righty Luis Castillo (4-3, 3.32 ERA) gets the start for the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon? Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Sands 0 15 0 21 6 36 Durán 20 0 0 13 14 33 Stewart 0 0 0 17 11 28 Funderburk 0 19 0 0 0 19 Jax 14 0 0 0 18 14 Alcalá 0 11 0 0 28 11 Varland 11 0 0 0 18 11 Topa 0 0 0 0 10 0 View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (81 pitches, 57 strikes (70%)) Home Runs: Harrison Bader (5), Kody Clemens (4) Top 3 WPA: Brooks Lee (.406), Clemens (.156), Jhoan Duran (.134) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins looked to take another game against their division rivals and they sent young Zebby Matthews to the mound to get the job done. The Royals countered with Twins nemesis Michael "Offspeed" Wacha. What ensued was an odd mix of a pitchers' duel, opportunistic small ball, and bomba squad heroics. Zebby Strikes Them Out, but Takes Too Long to Do So Matthews struck out five Royals in the first two innings alone, but his pitch count began to climb in the process. By the time the third inning rolled around, the warning signs were mounting for the Twins youngster, and with two outs in the third Vinnie Pasquantino laced a single and the immortal Salvador Perez walked to load the bases. The red hot Maikel Garcia came to the plate, and by the time his single landed out in right field it was 2-0 Kansas City. Even more importantly for Matthews and the Twins, he had thrown 72 pitches in just three innings. This led to early bullpen usage and eclipsed the fact that Zebby had notched a career-high nine strikeouts in only four innings. This meant that Justin Topa needed to enter the game in the top of the fifth inning, and he walked the lead-off man Jonathan India. Bobby Witt Jr. struck out for the third time in the game, but Pasquantino did not miss, crushing an RBI double to left to make it 3-0 Royals. Before a packed Target Field could even get angsty, Perez singled in Pasquantino to make a laugher potentially appear. Two more singles loaded the bases with two outs, but Topa managed to recover enough to close out the inning and leave the ballgame at a reachable 4-0 score. Rally on Wacha The Twins looked to ride that momentum into the run column in the bottom of the fifth, and Harrison Bader went first-pitch hunting to do just that, crushing a solo home run off the second deck in left to get the crowd on their feet and the Twins back in the game at 4-1. Wacha followed up by hitting Willi Castro and giving up a single to Christian Vazquez. Trevor Larnach moved the runners over with a grounder to first, and with two outs and two strikes, Ty France made Wacha and the Royals pay with a two-run single to make it a 4-3 ballgame Kody Clemens is Him Jorge Alcala wiggled his way out of a jam in the top of the sixth inning to keep it a one-run game. Kody Clemens led off the bottom of the sixth against Wacha and sent the Target Field faithful into a frenzy with another moon shot to the seats in right. All tied, 4-4. More Walk-Off Magic? After the bullpens traded scoreless innings with mixed levels of drama, the ninth inning brought drama enough for an entire game. Jhoan Duran faced Witt Jr. to start the inning, and the superstar Royal finally delivered, and then took a couple of bases to make the go-ahead run a threat right from the get-go. Strikeouts kept Duran and the Twins alive, and with the bases loaded and two outs, Drew Waters weakly grounded out to Duran to end the threat and to set up another walk-off scenario. Carlos Correa pinch-hit for DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to start the bottom of the ninth, and he worked a seven-pitch walk off of lefty reliever Daniel Lynch IV. Vazquez flared a ball into the outfield, and it looked like a potential hit until Witt Jr. did his best Correa impression for the out. Ryan Jeffers came in to bat for Larnach with the lefty on the mound and he fought his way to another seven-pitch walk to put the winning run at second with only one out. This sent the Royals to reach back into the bullpen for righty Steven Cruz to face last night's hero France. One pitch later, there were runners at second and third, but two out as France grounded out to the pitcher. Brooks Lee finally broke an 0-12 slump in the bottom of the eighth with a single, and now he looked to be the hero of the afternoon. Lee worked the count full, and then he sent 30,000 plus home happy by hitting it where they weren't for a 5-4 victory! What’s Next? The Twins look to sweep another series at home on Sunday against the rival Royals. Twins righty Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.68 ERA) looks to continue to re-write his script against the Royals, and he will face Kansas City ace lefty Kris Bubic (5-2, 1.47 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Durán 0 23 0 0 23 46 Jax 0 20 0 11 12 43 Sands 0 20 0 14 0 34 Topa 0 0 0 0 34 34 Alcalá 0 0 0 0 26 26 Varland 0 14 0 9 0 23 Funderburk 0 11 0 0 0 17 Stewart 0 0 0 3 7 10 View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Chris Paddack 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (91 pitches, 61 strikes (67%) Home Runs: N/A Top 3 WPA: Louis Varland (-.117), Jonah Bride (-.093), Cole Sands (-.091) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins finally returned to their previously scheduled program in the second game of Wednesday's odd doubleheader. Chris Paddack looked to continue his recent two-game run of dominance, in which he racked up 14 1/3 innings with the only blemish being a solo home run. Paddack immediately faced some pressure, however, after Steven Kwan led off the game with a double off of the wall in right. Thanks to some defensive effort from Game 1 hero Kody Clemens on a pop fly to no-man's land, Kwan stayed put and Paddack put another zero on the board. Grinding Out Some Runs Gavin Williams was dealing through the opening innings, until the piranhas returned to Target Field. Willi Castro worked a lead-off walk, and Rocco Baldelli thought runners would be at first and second after DaShawn Keirsey Jr. looked to be hit by a pitch. The Twins and Baldelli lost the challenge, however, and Williams got Keirsey out on a fly ball to center. Christian Vázquez then grounded out, but with Castro in motion, he avoided the double play. This meant that Castro was in scoring position with two outs, and Ryan Jeffers clubbed the first hit of the inning to plate the first run of the game with a 105-mph single up the middle to make it 1-0 Twins. Paddack Rolls Until the Sixth With Jelly Roll in attendance, neither offense was able to generate much of a "roll" through the first half of the game—probably because frozen jelly isn't very pliable. It also might have been because Paddack and Williams were mixing their pitches effectively and the defenses were making the appropriate alignments and plays behind them. Paddack entered the top of the sixth inning having only thrown 71 pitches, and a lead-off single by the suddenly red-hot José Ramírez threatened to derail his outing. A one-out walk to ex-Twins gold glover Carlos Santana (suddenly red-hot, as well) added to the threat. Paddack's walk of Daniel Schneemann on a full count filled the bases and ended his afternoon earlier than hoped or expected. Louis Varland got the call and the jam to pitch out of, and Gabriel Arias stood at the frozen plate with rain steadily falling upon the hundreds (dozens?) of fans in attendance. With the game slowed to a snail's pace, and the count run full on Arias, Varland's knuckle-curve dropped out of the zone, and suddenly it was a tie game—with three straight walks threatening to further unravel what had been another well-pitched outing for the Twins staff. A Nolan Jones sacrifice fly plated Santana to make it 2-1 Guardians, before Varland could finally get the third out and end Cleveland's roll in the deteriorating conditions. Williams Rolls Through the Sixth, and Carlos Santana Keeps Rolling After losing the lead, the Twins hoped to regain the advantage immediately against Williams who remained in the game for the bottom of the sixth, but found no traction against the righty. Lefty Tim Herrin came in to face the middle of the lineup in the bottom of the seventh, and Harrison Bader's walk with one out turned into a caught stealing and the second out before any rally could ensue. Cole Sands got the call to pitch the top of the eighth, and he recorded the first out with ease. Unfortunately, Santana plays for the enemy now, and he deposited the ball into the right-field plaza to stretch the Guardians' lead to 3-1. No More Home Field Advantage With the Twins running out of time and at-bats, they turned to their bench to face righty Hunter Gaddis in the bottom of the eighth. Trevor Larnach got the call, but went down swinging on three pitches. The catching duo of Vazquez and Jeffers came up next, and Jeffers managed to get plunked with two down to get the tying run to the plate in Brooks Lee. Lee flew out, and again the Twins came up empty. The Twins bullpen, however, continued to leak runs as Kody Funderburk allowed three hits and two runs in the top of the ninth to blow the game open at 5-1. The final swings and attempt at extending their amazing 10-game home winning streak washed away with zero fanfare and soaked actual fans. What's Next? After an off day on Thursday, the Twins will once again attempt to put some separation between division foes on Friday, as the Kansas City Royals come to Target Field for a weekend series. Twins righty Pablo López (4-2, 2.40 ERA) will get his second start of the season against the Royals, after acquiring a no-decision in early April in Kansas City. Kansas City will counter with rookie lefty Noah Cameron (1-1, 0.71 ERA) who is off to a strong start. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Sands 0 21 0 0 20 41 Topa 23 5 0 0 0 28 Alcalá 15 12 0 0 0 27 Durán 0 0 0 0 23 23 Jax 0 0 0 0 20 20 Funderburk 10 0 0 0 11 17 Stewart 0 15 0 0 0 15 Varland 0 0 0 0 14 14 View full article

Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pablo López 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K – 95 pitches, 66 strikes (69%) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (3), Kody Clemens (3) Top 3 WPA: Lopez (.232), Jeffers (.152), Brooks Lee (.106) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins entered Saturday night's border battle in Milwaukee on the heels of a 12-game winning streak, but with significant injuries still impacting their day-to-day ability to compete. Byron Buxton joined Carlos Correa on the 7-day concussion list, and Willi Castro stayed out of the lineup after taking a foul ball to the leg Friday night. Would this uncanny squad of youngsters and castaways find a way to extend the streak to a baker's dozen? Pablo Day One advantage that the depleted Twins had was that their ace Pablo López was on the mound. Before López could even throw a pitch, Ryan Jeffers showed everyone at American Family Field what his torpedo bat advantage looked like. Jeffers staked the Twins to a 1-0 lead, and López made sure that was enough as he cruised through the first four innings with ease. Just in case, his teammates added lone runs in each of the first four innings to help pad the cushion. In the top of the second, Royce Lewis got things started with a lead-off double. Just as Twins fans were about to lament his being stranded in scoring position, Christian Vázquez stayed hot and singled home Lewis with two outs. Jeffers again delivered in the top of the third, leading off with a double of his own. This time it was Ty France who delivered the RBI for the Twins, but not without an almost superhuman play by Sal Frelick. When the dust settled on that play it was 3-0 Twins. Kody Clemens immediately tried to make it 4-0 with a single to Frelick, but this time Sal gunned down Brooks Lee at home and the out counted to keep the lead at three. Piranhas and Spartans While López was embarassing the Brewers in their half of the innings, the Minnesota bats kept on keeping the zeros off the board. In the top of the fourth, it was Trevor Larnach's turn to start the offense, and Jeffers advanced Larnach with his third hit of the game. Lee stepped to the plate with a chance to get that rogue run back, and he laced a single off of Brice Turang's glove to expand the lead to 4-0. When the fifth inning rolled around, it was time to break out the Spartan helmet once again, because Clemens loves yanking sweeepers into bullpens. López is Him, and So is Everyone Else Pitching in a Twins Jersey Now staked to a 5-0 lead, Lopez entered the bottom of the fifth inning having thrown 63 pitches and accumulating two strike outs. 17 pitches later Lopez had struck out the bottom of the Brewers order, and delivered the 29th straight scoreless inning for the Twins. The major league record is 48 consecutive scoreless innings by the 1968 Chicago Cubs and the 1906 Philadelphia Athletics. Would the Twins streak continue until Monday night? Did I Mention the Twins Offense is Relentless? Larnach got the top of the sixth started with yet another lead-off extra-base hit, this time a bloop of a triple. The Brewers finally got Jeffers out on a hard shot to third that kept Larnach from scoring, but Lee again knocked in the run to make it 6-0 and to keep the run-per-inning streak alive at six! That streak stopped in the seventh, as the Twins were blanked by Rob Zastryzny. But Justin Topa kept the scoreless streak alive at 30 innings by keeping two early baserunners right where they were by eliciting weak contact for the final two outs. It only took Jorge Alcalá 15 pitches to keep the streak alive. The Twins wasted time by scoring again in the top of the ninth with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. plating Clemens to make it 7-0, but after that nonsense was finished Kody Funderburk came in and locked down the 33rd scoreless inning, and the 13th consecutive victory. What's Next? The Twins go for their 14th win in a row Sunday afternoon with "TBD" (Zebby Matthews) getting the start for Minnesota against veteran righty Freddy Peralta (4-3, 2.66 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Stewart 0 29 0 17 0 46 Varland 0 24 17 0 0 41 Durán 0 11 27 0 0 38 Alcalá 0 22 0 0 15 37 Topa 0 11 0 0 23 34 Jax 0 20 0 13 0 33 Sands 0 8 0 11 0 19 Funderburk 0 17 0 0 10 17 Coulombe 0 11 0 0 0 11 View full article

Image courtesy of © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (87 pitches, 58 strikes (67%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (7), Willi Castro (2), Kody Clemens (2) Top 3 WPA: Castro (.403), Clemens (.279), Justin Topa (.093) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The second game of Tuesday's doubleheader featured Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson against recently called-up Orioles righty Chayce McDermott. Woods Richardson hadn't gone five full innings in a start since April, and McDermott hadn't gone five full innings in a start in his whole life (in the majors, anyway). Runs were bound to be scored, and with Game 1 taxing the bullpens of both squads, striking first and holding on was going to be essential if the Twins were to extend their winning streak to double-digits. Twins Strike First, but Leave Ducks on the Pond McDermott showed little control in the opening frame, walking designated hitter Byron Buxton to start the game and eventually Willi Castro with two outs to load the bases after Ryan Jeffers singled up the middle. This brought up Harrison Bader, who managed to beat out an infield single to plate Buxton and the first Minnesota run. Kody Clemens almost took the first pitch he saw into grand slam land, but after that hope went foul, he struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded. Would this failure to cash in come back to haunt the Twins? Larnach Continues to Rip the Cover Off the Ball Thanks to Trevor Larnach, these initial fears only lasted an inning. In the top of the second, Jonah Bride got hit by a pitch. Then, with two outs, Larnach made it 3-0 Twins with his seventh homer of the year. Kody Clemens added an RBI single in the top of the third, plating another McDermott walk recipient, Brooks Lee. It looked like the Twins were cruising to a lopsided victory. Alas, that was not to be. Woods Richardson Implodes in the Third With a four-run lead, Woods Richardson looked to lengthen his start and put the game on lockdown. Three singles later, though, it was a 4-1 ballgame with only one out. The Twins thought they had a double play grounder to end the inning, but the new tandem of Clemens and Lee couldn't convert. Woods Richardson walked Ramón Laureano on a full count, and then Cedric Mullins turned a slider into a grand slam. Just like that, it was 5-4 Orioles. To add insult to injury, Heston Kjerstad followed suit two pitches later, with a long solo shot to make it 6-4 Baltimore. Woods Richardson managed to come back to pitch a scoreless fourth, but the damage was done and the Twins bullpen's version of the Thunderbolts was going to have to come in to save the day. Willi Castro Thunders... and Bolts! Charlie Morton was cruising along for the Orioles in his relief of McDermott, until Castro stepped up to the plate with two outs in the top of the fifth. First-pitch fastball, 105.8 mph exit velocity, and suddenly, it's only a one-run deficit. The top of the eighth saw the Twins still trailing, but not having slipped any further back, and ex-Twin Yennier Canó was called into action to face Castro and the bottom of the Twins lineup. Castro stayed hot, lacing a single to left. He then stole second, and advanced to third on a Canó balk to put the tying run on third with nobody out. Royce Lewis worked a quality walk, and then Clemens got another chance to make his mark on this game. By the time Canó's first-pitch changeup landed in the right-field stands, the broken and duct-taped spartan helmet was getting prepared in the dugout. The Twins were up 8-6, and the Clemens redemption trip around the bases had sent Twins Territory into a tizzy. Does the Twins Bullpen Have What it Takes to Close it Out? The 27th man, Kody Funderburk, got the first out of the eighth but then he allowed an infield hit to Mullins. With Rocco Baldelli absent from the dugout, acting manager Jayce Tingler made the call to the bullpen for the rarely-used Justin Topa. Topa served up a rocket to Tyler O'Neill, but Castro saved the day yet again, with a racing, galloping catch in left field. An Emmanuel Rivera single put the tying run on base with two outs, and brought superstar-in-waiting Adley Rutschman off the bench to serve as the potential go-ahead run. Rutschman took a mighty swing, but the ball fell harmlessly into DaShawn Keirsey Jr.'s glove in center for out number three. Cole Sands was the last man standing (literally) in the bullpen to get the call for the bottom of the ninth to face the top of the Orioles order. He navigated it smoothly, securing a 10th straight W. What’s Next? The red-hot Minnesota Twins look for their third straight sweep and 11th victory in a row on Thursday afternoon. Righty Chris Paddack (1-3, 4.76 ERA) looks to repeat his excellent outing from last Friday against the Giants, and he will face the surprise ace of the Baltimore staff, righty Tomoyuki Sugano (4-2, 2.72 ERA). Worth watching is whether Harrison Bader, Ty France, or Baldelli compete in the contest. First pitch is scheduled for 11:35 am CDT. Postgame Interviews TBD Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Jax 14 29 0 0 20 63 Durán 10 14 0 0 11 35 Varland 0 8 0 0 24 32 Coulombe 0 20 0 0 11 31 Stewart 0 0 0 0 29 29 Sands 15 0 0 0 8 23 Alcalá 0 0 0 0 22 22 Funderburk 0 0 0 0 17 17 Topa 0 0 0 0 11 11 View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (76 pitches, 46 strikes (60.5%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (6) Top 3 WPA: Ryan (.240), Larnach (.230), Cole Sands (.118) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Joe Ryan looked to give a repeat of Chris Paddack's performance from Friday night, but was fighting illness and unsure of how long he could go into the outing. Logan Webb came into Saturday night's tilt with a 4-2 record and a stellar 2.70 ERA based on elicting ground balls and strike outs early and often. Giants Strike First, but Twins Strike Better After the Twins couldn't knock in Trevor Larnach from second base after a first inning double, the Giants drew first blood when Heliot Ramos clobbered a home run off a Ryan fastball with two out and two strikes. Ryan recovered and limited the damage until Larnach could come back to the plate. This time Trevor had Christian Vazquez on first base, and by the time Webb's first pitch sweeper landed in the right field seats Target Field and Paddack were all smiles, and up 2-1. Pitchers Duel, and Rocco's Rage A Ramos single was the only other baserunner that the Giants could muster off of Ryan through six innings, who looked to be at the top of his game despite the rough week. Webb also set down the Twins mostly in order, but Rocco Baldelli believed that the home plate umpire might have had something to do with that success, and during a Carlos Correa at bat in the bottom of the sixth inning he let all of the radio audience know just how he felt about things. Baldelli was ejected, Correa struck out, and it was still 2-1 Twins heading into the seventh. Bullpens and Boneheads Ryan was taxed after six, so Griffin Jax came in to face the heart of the Giants lineup, and he took them down in order. Webb kept on rolling into the seventh inning, and Willi Castro led off with a blast to the right field corner. Unfortunately, Castro posed too long, and got himself thrown out second base on what would have been an easy double. This mental miscue came back to immediately haunt the home team as Harrison Bader doubled later in the inning. Bader was stranded, and the Twins missed a golden chance to add to their lead. Would Castro's gaffe come back to bite the Twins? Immediately, Ramos unleashed a double in the top of the eighth off of Cole Sands, and Target Field started to collectively wince. A fly out saw Ramos tagging up and on third base with only one out. Unfortunately for Ramos and the Giants, bonehead plays weren't just limited to the home team. Vazquez and Royce Lewis exectued a brilliant pick off play, and Ramos and the threat were eliminated. Closing it Out The Giants bunted their way to a baserunner to start the ninth against Jhoan Duran, but a Mike Yastrzemski grounder to Duran started a 1-6-3 double play. Three strikes later, Willy Adames was heading back to the dugout, and the Twins were celebrating their seventh straight victory! What’s Next? Pablo Lopez (3-2, 2.18 ERA) looks to pitch the Twins to the sweep in Sunday's series finale. His mound opponent will be righty Landen Roupp (2-3, 4.89 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Coulombe 11 17 0 9 0 37 Jax 0 17 16 0 14 33 Varland 12 10 0 7 0 29 Sands 10 0 13 0 15 23 Durán 0 14 6 0 10 20 Alcalá 20 0 0 0 0 20 Stewart 0 17 0 0 0 17 Topa 0 0 7 0 0 7 View full article