Steven Trefz

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pablo López 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K (98 pitches, 58 strikes (59%)) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (2), Byron Buxton (8) Top 3 WPA: Lopez (.175), Buxton (.148), Correa (.131) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins started their homestand against a familiar face, in left-handed starter Cade Povich. Minnesota's 2021 third-round draft pick came into the game struggling to a 1-2 mark with a 5.16 ERA, after going 3-9 in his 2024 rookie campaign with the Baltimore Orioles. Sent away in the ill-fated trade for Jorge López in August of 2022, the southpaw never shared a team in the minor leagues with any of the Twins' current lineup, but he did share a mound with David Festa and Louis Varland in 2021 and 2022. Despite his struggles overall at the big-league level, Povich dominated the Twins in late September of last year, going five innings and surrendering only two hits and zero runs in an Orioles victory. Standing in opposition of Povich and the reeling Orioles was Twins veteran and ace Pablo López. Joining him in this kickoff to the homestand were hopeful superstar Royce Lewis and last year's All-Star Willi Castro, fresh off of the injured list. Lewis had yet to take an at-bat in 2025, and the Twins desperately hoped he could provide an instant spark to a woeful offense. Castro hadn't experienced a repeat of last year's success before he went down, but fans and leadership alike hoped for some ignition from him, too, as the homestand began. Lights-Out López and Lit Up Povich A casual observer of tonight's game into the third inning might argue that the starting pitching was excellent. López struck out seven Orioles in the first three innings alone, surrendering a meaningless single and zero runs across that span. Povich set the Twins down in order in the first and second innings, but ran into an unlikely obstacle in the bottom of the third inning named Trevor Larnach. With Harrison Bader out with illness, the lefty Larnach ended up getting the same-side start, and responded with a single up the middle to collect the first hit and baserunner of the game for the home team. Castro followed suit, and suddenly there were runners at first and second for Byron Buxton. Buxton had struck out in the first, but this time, he struck the fence in left field for a double to put the Twins up 1-0. Ryan Jeffers came up next with two runners in scoring position and a torpedo bat. One opposite-field single (with english) later, it was 3-0 good guys. Povich was obviously in trouble, and Ty France tried to officially ruin his evening. France's booming 105+ mph blast to center field traveled 410 feet... for an out. Carlos Correa came up next, altered the launch angle from 29 degrees to 26 degrees, and upped the exit velocity to 109 mph. The result was a 5-0 lead. Before we left the bottom of the third inning, Twins fans had one last opportunity to hold their collective breath. Lewis beat a slow grounder toward third base, and tested that hamstring with a full-out sprint down the line. He was safe, and smiling, and for now, everyone in Twins Territory could relax and enjoy the 5-0 lead. The Lights Flicker for López, and He Goes Out Early In the top of the fourth inning, Gunnar Henderson worked a leadoff walk, and advanced to third base on consecutive ground outs. As López attempted to escape the jam, Ryan Mountcastle attempted to raise his OPS. Mountcastle's double scored Henderson, and brought up the dangerous Jackson Holliday. López added yet another strikeout to his tally, and the rally stopped with only one run. López managed to go another inning, but with his pitch count mounting to 98 after only five innings, the bullpen was going to have to deliver to seal this series-opening victory. Povich Holds the Line, but the Orioles Bullpen Lets it Go Povich recovered and managed to complete six innings, five of which were outstanding. The Orioles bullpen entered in the bottom of the seventh, and immediately booted Jonah Bride to first base with an error. A Castro walk chased Cionel Pérez, and Buxton rudely welcomed lefty reliever Matt Bowman on the second pitch he saw. Buck Truck, engaged. It was 8-1 Twins. After a France opposite-field double, Correa continued his hot night with an RBI single to make it 9-1 Minnesota. The rout was on, and the Target Field faithful felt just fine. Turns the Lights Off on Your Way Out Danny Coulombe, Louis Varland, Cole Sands, and Jorge Alcala took the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively. The Orioles couldn't touch Coulombe, Varland, or Sands. Alcala couldn't touch the strike zone for most of the ninth, but neither of his two walks scored either to finalize a great way to open the homestand. What’s Next? Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson (2-2, 4.03 ERA) will take the mound in hopes of giving the home team a quality start, and not taxing the bullpen in the process. The Orioles have yet to name their starter for Wednesday night's game. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Alcalá 23 0 0 0 20 43 Stewart 0 13 16 0 0 29 Coulombe 18 0 0 0 11 29 Durán 0 16 9 0 0 25 Varland 5 0 7 0 12 24 Sands 0 12 0 0 10 22 Jax 0 7 14 0 0 21 Topa 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins have started 13-18 in their 2025 campaign, and their offensive struggles are the most to blame for this disappointing start. Minnesota ranks in the bottom third of most major offensive categories, and has averaged just under four runs per game across their first 31 contests. The fact that Matt Wallner only had three RBI, and Carlos Correa had a .579 OPS serves to illustrate just how poor the offense was functioning. When the team is slumping this badly, those who actually have been able to put the bat on the ball with any consistency have risen even higher above the heap. Here are the best hitters for the Twins in March & April. Honorable Mention: Luke Keaschall .368/.526/1.065, 5 SB, 4 R, 7 H, 5 BB In a desperate time, 26 at-bats served as hope against hope, a light in the darkness. Keaschall debuted with the Twins on April 18th in Atlanta, and over the next seven games he electrified the team and the fan base as much as one man could. As the only Twin with an OPS over 1.0, Keaschall provided hits in volume and magnitude in his brief week on the field before he took a fastball to the arm. When Keaschall returns in late June, all of Twins Territory will be ready for more of this. #3: Trevor Larnach .236/.368/.696, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 25 H, 14 BB Larnach started the season by getting platooned out against left-handed pitching, but by the end of April he was a regular regardless of mound opponent. A slow start became a torrid week, and he showed an eye at the plate that helped to lengthen innings and increase rallies. The OPS number needs to rise, along with the average, but when Larnach delivered the team seemed to win. His 0.4 WAR shows that he was a factor to start the season, and Twins fans are hoping for more deliveries in the clutch as the calendar turns to May. #2: Byron Buxton .239/.477/.751, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, 23 R, 26 H, 4 BB The lead here is that Buxton had 117 plate appearances through the end of April. That, in and of itself, is worthy of a spot on this list given his importance in the field and in the lineup. The power and the stolen bases give evidence that the Byron that heats up in the warmth of summer could indeed bloom into view. The 40 strikeouts with only four walks is ridiculous, and has squashed many a hopeful rally over the first five weeks. The Twins' problems with the bases loaded need look no further than this pressing issue. But, despite the K-rate, Buxton managed to score the most runs on the team and knocked in another 17 to boot. For a team struggling to score runs, no stats matter more. March/April Hitter of the Month: Ty France .266/.404/.745, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R, 29 H, 9 BB He's not Pete Alonso, and he's not Carlos Santana. But to say Ty France has been a disappointment at the plate would be a stretch. France leads the Twins in hits and RBI, and his OPS is trending up as the season progresses. Perhaps most shocking, daunting, or damning? France also leads the team (along with Larnach) with 123 plate appearances. The other plans at first base all fell by the wayside early and often, and France kept on taking his hacks and delivering at a pace that while not earth-shaking, stood high enough above the rest of an extremely anemic offensive squad in the opening months. France's best was even good enough to garner him player of the week honors, so perhaps the ceiling is higher than Twins fans originally thought? If its as high as this blast against the Guardians, maybe there is hope in Whoville after all. What do you think Twins Daily faithful? Who would get your award for Twins Hitter of the Month in March/April? Leave your own rankings below. View full article

A mostly rainless three-hour rain delay threatened to wreck the Minnesota Twins' momentum, and simultaneously turn the event into a Wednesday morning game. Here's how the latest heart-crushing defeat to the rival Guardians transpired. Image courtesy of © David Richard-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Chris Paddack 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (76 pitches, 47 strikes (62%) Home Runs: Ty France (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Louis Varland (-.367), Edouard Julien (-.165), Trevor Larnach (-.138) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Chris Paddack entered Tuesday night's divisional battle winless on the season, and unable to last beyond five innings in any of his first six starts. Paddack's opponent, Tanner Bibee, had achieved a 2-2 record on the season, but likewise often fails to complete six full innings. With the Twins bullpen fully rested and the Guardians bullpen completely taxed, the advantage for the evening seemed to lean in favor of Minnesota. Three Up, Three Down Bibee started the game by retiring the top of the Twins lineup in order, with Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa striking out in quick fashion. In fact, Bibee took down the first eleven men that he faced, with a Correa double with two out in the top of the fourth inning finally snapping the streak. Paddack also was rolling early, allowing only a single across the first two frames and keeping his pitch count under control compared to his previous outings. Paddack's run of success got turned around 108.8 mph to start the bottom of the third inning, however, when Bo Naylor took a gift fastball on a full count to the middle of the right field seats for a 1-0 early Guardians lead. Two batters later, Steven Kwan took Paddack deep into the right-field gap for what looked to be another extra-base hit. In case you didn't catch it on Saturday, though, Buxton plays out there, and he's Superman. Buxton's amazing grab got amplified when Paddack allowed a single to the following batter, Gabriel Arias, thereby making that essentially a run-saving catch. Paddack got out of the threat, and finished five innings of four-hit baseball. Ty France is Him When Paddack left the game, he knew he wasn't going to take the hard-luck loss, because in the top of the fifth inning, France decided that a Bibee fastball should become a souvenir for some lucky fan in the right-center bleachers. All square at one apiece, thanks to this moonshot by France. Bullpen Time... for the Twins, at Least Paddack finished the fifth inning having only thrown 76 pitches, but it didn't matter. He was never going to see the sixth inning. Instead, Brock Stewart took the hill and took care of business in the bottom of the sixth. While Bibee kept on cruising through the Twins lineup against anyone not named France (see top of the seventh for Kwan stealing a double away from the slugger and gunning him down at first in the process), the Twins' bullpen parade hit a brief hiccup in the bottom of the seventh when Griffin Jax got the early call yet again and surrendered a one-out double to Daniel Schneemann. What ensued were two filthy, filthy, filllllllllthy strikeouts of Naylor and Angel Martinez to end the threat and send us to the eighth still knotted up 1-1. Who Flinches? Cade Smith got the call for the top of the eighth, and he flinched a little. Christian Vázquez went the other way for a single with one out, and Buxton induced a two-out walk to put runners at first and second for Correa. Smith got Correa to fly out weakly on a 2-0 pitch, however, to put an end to the rally. Jhoan Duran got the call to face the top of the Guardians order in the bottom of the eighth, and Kwan led off with an opposite-field shot of his own that went directly to the only man on that side of the diamond, new Twins All-Star candidate Jonah Bride. Arias struck out swinging, which set up the latest edition of "José Ramírez vs. Duran." 100+ mph of Duran took this edition, and to the ninth we journeyed, still tied up All Good Games Must Come to an End The Twins and Guardians entered the ninth inning each with a 50/50 chance of winning the game according to FanGraphs. The twenty or so fans still in attendance, and the 44 fans still watching at home wondered if we were headed to a Wednesday morning finish. Emmanuel Clase took the mound for the top of the ninth, and he made quick work of Trevor Larnach. Clase couldn't solve France, however, and the hittin' machine stopped at first base this time. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. came in to steal a base, but Naylor's arm wouldn't allow it. Threat neutralized, advantage Cleveland. Louis Varland entered the bottom of the ninth inning with one goal: to make sure there would be a tenth inning. He failed. Kyle Manzardo took the third pitch that he saw out of the park for another Cleveland walk-off winner against the Twins. Ugh. What’s Next? The Twins look to bounce back and re-take the advantage in this four-game series on Wednesday evening. Twins righty Pablo Lopez (2-1, 2.08 ERA) will make his second start following his short IL stint, and he will face fellow righty Luis Ortiz (2-3, 5.96 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Topa 15 0 27 0 0 42 Varland 20 19 0 0 3 42 Jax 0 19 0 0 13 32 Stewart 0 6 0 0 17 23 Durán 0 7 0 0 13 20 Alcalá 0 0 0 19 0 19 Sands 13 0 0 0 0 13 Coulombe 12 0 0 0 0 12 View full article

After losing phenom Luke Keaschall to a broken arm Friday night, the Twins came into Saturday's tilt against the Angels victorious but deflated. Yusei Kikuchi got the start for the Halos, and he did his best to lift the Twins' spirits and batting averages. Here's how the latest Minnesota victory unfolded. Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: Simeon Woods Richardson 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (86 pitches, 53 strikes (62%)) Home Runs: N/A Top 3 WPA: Woods Richardson (.155), Jonah Bride (.074), Ryan Jeffers (.073) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Something had to give Saturday afternoon. The Twins got the bats going Friday night against the Angels, scoring one more run than they had their entire three game series against the White Sox. The Angels tried to bust this momentum with a left-handed starter in Yusei Kikuchi. Simeon Woods Richardson got the start after the opener experiment in his last game didn't deserve a re-try, in hopes that he could take the ball deeper into the game and keep the Angels offense at bay. That's a lot of hopes and dreams from two losing teams, so someone was bound to be disappointed. Death by Papercut Woods Richardson held serve in the top of the first inning, keeping a swiping Zach Neto stuck at third base without surrendering a run. Kikuchi didn't give up anything horrific in the bottom of the first inning, but he sure gave up a lot of little singles. Six to be precise! Ryan Jeffers led off the barrage with a single, then Byron Buxton followed suit to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Carlos Correa has the most hits of any human against Kikuchi in his career, and he added one more to make it 1-0 Twins. Ty France joined the party with a single to plate Buxton and make it 2-0. After a Trevor Larnach double-play grounder that didn't make it through the infield, Jonah Bride came up with hit number six to score Correa and stake Woods Richardson to an early 3-0 advantage. Kikuchi's woes continued into the bottom of the second, when control issues led to eventually another runner in scoring position for Correa with one out. You know who still owns Kikuchi? C4 does. 4-0 Twins. Missed Opportunities One of the April lowlights for the Twins has been their batting with the bases loaded. After Correa's RBI single, the Twins once again loaded the bases, only to see Brooks Lee ground out to end the threat. After Zach Neto laced a 3-1 slider into the seats to put the Angels on the board in the top of the third inning, the Twins found themselves right back at the doorstep of a blowout with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the third. Buxton got the first crack at putting the game away but struck out on three pitches against reliever Ryan Johnson. Correa watched strike three go by on a full count. France couldn't pick up his teammates as he ground out easily to end the threat. Kikuchi was on the ropes his entire start, surrendering nine hits and issuing four walks in only two innings completed. Yet the score was only 4-1 Twins heading into the middle innings. Would these missed bases loaded opportunities come back to haunt Minnesota? More of the Same. and Something New Woods Richardson entered the top of the sixth inning on cruise control and under 80 pitches, but a Neto single with Mike Trout up next was all it took to prevent Simeon from yet another chance at completing six innings. Brock Stewart came in and struck out Trout and induced Ward into a harmless flyball to end the threat. Trout is a fresh and new right fielder this season, and France took advantage of a rough route by Trout for a gift double to lead off the bottom of the sixth. After Larnach and Bride failed to cash in on the opportunity yet again, Lee aimed a line drive towards Trout again, and again the ball found the grass for a double and an RBI to stretch the lead to 5-1. Closing it Out The streaky Twins bullpen looked to close the door on the Angels and to earn the fourth victory in the last five outings. Griffin Jax once again got the call in the seventh inning, and he struck out three batters before and after a J.D. Davis single to silence the Angels. Louis Varland took the hill in the eighth, and he faced the minimum. Jhoan Duran came in for a non-save situation in the ninth, and seven pitches later three Angels were out and the Twins won a ho-hum easy victory just like it was drawn up. News and Notes Bride went 2-for-4 today for his first multi-hit game of the season. Harrison Bader snapped an 0-for-16 streak with two hits on Saturday. Newest Twin Kody Clemens was in the dugout but didn't get a chance to make his Twins debut. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series at home, and first since week one of the season by taking game three Wednesday afternoon. Twins righty Joe Ryan (1-2, 4.00 ERA) takes the hill in hopes of washing away the stain of Atlanta's home run debacle, while the Angels counter with righty Jose Soriano (2-3, 4.34 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 12:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Jax 13 14 0 0 19 46 Varland 7 0 0 20 19 46 Alcalá 0 0 41 0 0 41 Durán 32 0 0 0 7 39 Sands 0 17 0 13 0 30 Stewart 0 20 0 0 6 26 Coulombe 0 13 0 12 0 25 Topa 0 6 0 15 0 21 View full article

In a game that the Twins couldn't lose, they got help from their opponents' defense and some late-inning heroics from Trevor Larnach and Byron Buxton to deliver a much-needed victory. Here's how the game unfolded. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (87 pitches, 62 strikes (71%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (2) Top 3 WPA: Ober (.248), Larnach (.171), Louis Varland (.119) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Bailey Ober looked to build upon his first win of the season against the cellar-dwelling White Sox. The Sox put up a valiant fight, scattering eight hits across his six frames of work. The biggest threats came early, with a Luis Robert Jr. double in the first inning that Ober managed to wipe out with an Andrew Vaughn fly out. Then Chicago filled the bases with only one out in the top of the second inning. Again, Ober induced a fly out, but this sacrifice fly by Jacob Amaya plated the first run of the game and staked Chicago to a 1-0 lead. Unearned Runs Still Count Ober managed to limit the damage to that lone run, and the Twins immediately were able to capitalize on the first of two major defensive gaffes by the hapless White Sox. After Larnach worked a leadoff walk against White Sox starter Davis Martin, Carlos Correa bounced into what appeared to be a tailor-made 3-6-3 double play, but second baseman Lenyn Sosa snuck in and tried to snag the throw instead. Fortunately for the Twins, he failed, and the ball bounced away for an error. Now with runners on the corners, Ty France came through with an opposite-field single to plate Larnach and tie the game at one apiece. In the worst case of Groundhog Day possible for Martin, in the bottom of the third inning, Luke Keaschall worked a two-out walk. Keaschall then showed off his great speed, stealing his first of two bases on the evening. Larnach hit a two-strike changeup a whopping one, count 'em (...er, it?), one foot. Catcher Edgar Querro took that swinging bunt, and promptly chucked his throw into Larnach's back. Keaschall's speed was still speeding around third base, and he slid home while the Sox slept to stake the Twins to a lead that they would never relinquish. The play could very plausibly have been called interference by Larnach, who was inside the baseline when the ball struck him, but that's not reviewable, for good reason. Martin left the game having surrendered two unearned runs, and the Twins and their desperate fan base could care less how they got the lead. The only question now was could they keep it? Late-Inning Struggles The Twins failed to get a baserunner over the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings in Atlanta, and their season's OPS in the closing innings qualified them for dead last heading into this homestand. Griffin Jax got his chance at redemption after his shaky recent outings, and notably, he was sent into the seventh inning to face the bottom of the White Sox order. Jax survived, and so did Louis Varland in the eighth, to keep the score 2-1 Twins—thanks to some sweet defense from Edouard Julien. The Twins needed some insurance runs, and again it was a Keaschall walk that started the next rally in the bottom of the eighth, before Larnach earned all 434 feet of his next swing to make it a 4-1 ballgame. That's Why You Get Insurance With the Twins up three runs, Jhoan Duran had an opportunity to acquire only the second save of the season with some breathing room to spare. After an infield dribbling single and two straight walks, suddenly there was no margin for error because the bases were loaded and nobody was out. Larnach's homer allowed the situation to breathe, and Duran struck out Joshua Palacios and induced a groundout by Nick Maton. Now it was 4-2 Twins, with runners on second and third, and two out. What happened next ended the game. Words can't express what happened. Andrew Benintendi, meet Byron Buxton. He plays center field for the Minnesota Twins and he's been healthy this season. What’s Next? The Twins look to take the series against the White Sox with righty David Festa (0-0, 0.00 ERA) getting the call for the Twins. Chicago has yet to name their starting pitcher for game two of this series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Durán 0 0 11 0 32 43 Topa 17 24 0 0 0 41 Alcalá 0 39 0 0 0 39 Jax 26 0 0 0 13 39 Varland 18 0 6 0 7 31 Coulombe 17 0 8 0 0 25 Sands 13 0 0 0 0 13 Stewart 0 13 0 0 0 13 View full article

The Twins came into Saturday night's tilt against the Braves with a chance to even up the series against a fellow bottom-dweller in the standings. They threw the kitchen sink at Atlanta from a strategy standpoint, but they left the field all washed up. Here's how the latest loss unfolded. Image courtesy of Brett Davis-Imagn Images Box Score Opener: Justin Topa 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (24 pitches, 18 strikes (75%) SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (98 pitches, 66 strikes (67%) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Harrison Bader (-.202), Woods Richardson (-.153), Christian Vazquez (-.122) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After a crushing defeat/implosion against the Braves Friday night, the Twins looked to even the series and the collective blood pressure of Twins Territory on Saturday night. The bad news? Last year's Cy Young winner and noted Twins' killer Chris Sale was taking the mound for the Braves. The good news? Sale has stunk so far this season. The Twins threw out Justin Topa as an opener, a new player Jonah Bride at third base, a rookie Luke Keaschall in the second spot in the order, and both catchers in the lineup, all in hopes of working out a win. Opening Highlights Byron Buxton got the call as leadoff man, and his game opening single traveled a whopping two feet. Keaschall came up next, and his run-scoring double went a lot further. Keaschall advanced to third base but was left stranded, and the game turned its eyes toward a rare "opener" experience from Topa and the Twins. The plan was for Topa to tear through the top of the Braves lineup, and thereby allow Woods Richardson the chance to extend longer into the ballgame. What transpired instead was two singles and a ringing Matt Olson double that tied the game at one apiece. The Twins went silently in the second inning, and Woods Richardson took out the Braves in similar fashion when he entered the game in the bottom of the second. Buxton took a ball 398 feet this time for a booming triple. But again, the Twins left a runner stranded at third with less than two outs. The heart of Atlanta's order repeated their offenses in the bottom of the third inning, this time against the "starter" for another double and two singles with Olson again driving home a run to put the Braves on top 2-1. Middling Highlights Luckily for Woods Richardson and the Twins, that lead was short-lived, and Carlos Correa was no longer "homer-less" in 2025. Correa's oppo taco tied the game, and instilled some hope back into the visiting dugout. The top of the fifth brought an even bigger chance for Correa to turn the tide of the series and perhaps the early season in general, as he came up with one out and the bases loaded to face the first man up out of the Atlanta bullpen. Rafael Montero looked to cut the rally short, and he succeeded by striking out Correa and Harrison Bader to leave the third runner at third base in only five innings. Would the failure to cash in these potential runs against Sale come back to haunt the Twins? Woods Richardson continued to take care of business on his end by getting out of the fifth unscathed. Brooks Lee replaced Bride in the top of the sixth inning, and drew a walk. A hit and run play helped Trevor Larnach's groundball find the outfield grass, and once again the Twins had a runner at third with only one out. This time, Buxton's rope to the center field warning track plated a tagging Lee easily to help the Twins regain the lead yet again at 3-2. The entire goal of the opener strategy was to get Woods Richardson deep into the game without facing the Braves' best hitters for a third time. Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours Michael Harris II qualifies as a "best hitter," and in his third at-bat against Woods Richardson he took a 2-0 fastball 446 feet to tie the game back up at three apiece. Nick Allen ripped a single immediately following to keep Woods Richardson on the ropes, and Jarred Kelenic was a few feet away from ruining the night for Twins fans. Luckily Larnach played the wall carom perfectly and threw out a trotting Kelenic as he tried to get to second base. Brock Stewart got the call to keep Allen stranded at third base, and in his first game back from the injured list Stewart made his 2025 debut and served up a go-ahead single to a red-hot Alex Verdugo on a full count. 4-3 Braves, and all's not well. Closing Highlights There weren't any highlights the rest of the game. None. The Twins couldn't muster a base runner in the final three innings and Twins fans were left wondering what might have been after failing to captialize on a rusty Sale early in the game. Game Notes Bride was able to notch his first hit as a Minnesota Twin with a single to right in the top of the fourth. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. left the game in the top of the fourth after taking a pitch off of his hand during a bunt attempt in what the team is calling a "left hand contusion." What’s Next? On Easter Sunday, Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.45 ERA) takes the hill for the Twins against fellow right-hander Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.78 ERA) in hopes of salvaging one victory on this one-town road trip. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Jax 12 22 0 26 0 60 Topa 0 0 0 17 24 41 Alcalá 0 0 0 0 39 39 Varland 0 19 0 18 0 37 Durán 16 19 0 0 0 35 Sands 15 7 0 13 0 35 Coulombe 0 9 0 17 0 26 Stewart 0 0 0 0 13 13 View full article

While Jackie Robinson Day reminded fans what truly matters in this world, the Twins managed to remind their fans what they are capable of when they play up to their potential. Here's how the Twins bested the Mets. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K ( 77 pitches, 57 strikes (74%) Home Runs: Brooks. Lee (1) Top 3 WPA: Ryan Jeffers (.177), Ty France (.141), Byron Buxton (.095) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Bailey Ober took the hill in search of his first victory of the 2025 season. He retired Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto on only five pitches, and then the red-hot Pete Alonso retired the baseball, sending it 416 feet to put the Mets up 1-0 before any sense of optimism could creep in. To add injury to insult, Matt Wallner managed to beat out an infield single in the bottom of the first inning, only to limp back to the dugout and out of the game with an apparent leg injury. Fighting Back in the Third In the bottom of the third inning, the Twins finally scratched across some offensive intrigue against Mets starter Tylor Megill. Megill came into tonight’s contest with a sub-1.00 ERA, but he wasn’t going to leave that way. Harrison Bader got the start in left field, and he also beat out an infield dribbler to start the third. After an Edouard Julien lineout to left and a Bader stolen base, Byron Buxton snuck a two-hopper into left to put runners on the corners with only one out. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. attempted to make the most of his opportunity of replacing Wallner by catching everyone off-guard with a bunt. That didn’t work; he popped up the bunt for an easy second out. Luckily for Keirsey and the Twins, Lindor proved that he, too, is human, as he booted an easy grounder to allow Ty France to reach safely, and to plate Bader to knot the game up at 1-1. The Twins then took the lead like only the Twins can. Carlos Correa found the grass in center for a single to plate Buxton, but France misunderstood that the 42 on his back doesn’t bring with it Jackie Robinson’s speed, and he was easily thrown out at third to snuff out any further rally. Long Ball Issues The Twins' lead lasted three pitches, as Juan Soto took an Ober changeup to the dock in right field for his second homer in as many days. Credit Ober for not letting the inning spiral as so many have already this season, as he was able to leave the top of the fourth still tied. Twins fans thought that Ryan Jeffers had finally broken free from his woes with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, but replay showed it bounced off the top of the padding, putting Jeffers at second and stopping Trevor Larnach at third. Larnach scored on a contact play grounder to third, and the Twins were right back on top. Buxton is 42 The speed that didn’t emerge in France’s legs flows through Buxton’s, and his single, stolen base, and advance on Keirsey’s grounder to the right side set up a Byron Buxton moment to make it a fitting 4-2 game. More Injury to Insult, and More Jeffers In the bottom of the fifth inning, Correa injured his wrist on a swing and had to leave the game immediately. Again, misfortune followed just behind the Twins’ glimpse of success, as yet another key starter went down. Jeffers took some of the sting of Correa’s away by proving that his swing is indeed back and healthy, smoking a double down the left-field line to start the bottom of the sixth against reliever Max Kranick. Willi Castro moved Jeffers to third with a grounder, but Bader struck out to leave the pressure squarely on the shoulders of young Julien. Pressure, what pressure? Single, score it. 5-2 Twins. The pitch count was low again, but Ober gave way to Cole Sands after surrendering a couple of hits against the bottom of the Mets lineup in the top of the seventh, leaving Sands with runners at second and third with only one out. Sands got two outs, only allowing one of the inherited runners to cross the plate, and exiting the inning with a 5-3 lead before Soto and Alonso could come to the plate. All's Well That Ends Well? They say when someone goes down, it's next man up. In the bottom of the seventh, that man was Brooks Lee, and then end of his at-bat found Lee wearing a Spartan helmet in the dugout and the Twins with a three-run advantage yet again. The Twins bullpen kept the game in order, barely, as Griffin Jax survived the heart of the Mets lineup in the eighth after allowing another Alonso extra-base hit. Jhoan Duran came into the bottom of the ninth throwing 102-mph heaters, but he ended up having to overcome an infield error by Castro, and then had Castro bail him out on yet another bad throw by a pitcher on the ensuing play. The missed double play, however, immediately stung, as Luisangel Acuña bled a single up the middle to put runners on the corners with two out. This brought Lindor to the plate, but on a full count, Duran showed that his speed was deserving of 42 as well tonight, rocketing another 102 mph heater by Lindor to notch the first Twins save of the season. What’s Next? The Twins look to take their first series at home, and first since week one of the season by taking game three Wednesday afternoon. Twins righty David Festa will get his second start of the season, after taking a no-decision without giving up a run earlier in the week. The Mets have yet to name their starter for the mid-day tilt. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Funderburk 0 43 0 36 0 79 Topa 37 0 0 21 0 58 Alcalá 23 10 0 18 0 51 Durán 0 12 10 0 16 38 Sands 0 0 17 0 15 32 Jax 0 0 17 0 12 29 Varland 0 0 12 0 0 12 Coulombe 6 0 0 0 0 6 View full article

They've been accused of being lifeless and sloppy, and they're not beating the allegations. Image courtesy of © William Purnell-Imagn Images On a night when the Twins had their ace on the mound and a sense of urgency in their dugout, fans were left with a worst-case scenario. By the end of the evening, Pablo López was getting evaluated for an injury and the Twins had lost a game to a division rival in which their pitchers had not surrendered an earned run. Here's how the farce unfolded. Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Pablo López: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K ( 78 Pitches, 50 Strikes, 64%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.219), Carlos Correa (-.167), Byron Buxton (-.141) Win Probability Chart (via Fangraphs) The Twins came into Tuesday night's matchup with the rival Royals in need of something positive. With their stopper on the mound, the opportunity to right the ship depended on the lineup's ability to figure out any semblance of an offense against a rare left-handed starter in Cole Ragans. Rocco Baldelli and Twins Territory both hoped that a change in the lineup would bring a change in the results, with only Trevor Larnach and Edouard Julien representing the Twins left-handed bats to start the game. Approaching a Lefty The first wave of Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, and Larnach proved to be no match for Ragans. Luckily, neither did the top of the Royals lineup against Ló. Carlos Correa did make his presence known in the clean-up spot, however, by blasting a leadoff double to the wall to start the second inning. Jose Miranda, Ty France, and Julien couldn't advance Correa any further, however, and the first threat of the game felt like more of the same from the Twins in April. López continued to match Ragans pitch for pitch, setting the Royals down in order in the second. After some continued chirping from Baldelli toward home plate umpire Nick Mahrley. Mahrley chirped back, had an odd call on a phantom foul ball, missed a ball four to Byron Buxton (which prevented a Twins baserunner)—and then it all mercifully ended, before anyone could embarass themselves any further. Paging Brooks Lee... Mickey Gasper got the call at second base again tonight, and in the bottom of the fourth inning, that proved to be problematic for Lopez's shutout. After surrendering a double to phenom Bobby Witt Jr. with one out, Lopez looked to escape trouble by inducing an easy grounder by Vinnie Pasquantino to Gasper. After what appeared to be four bobbles, Gasper couldn't get Pasquantino at first. Salvador Perez made the error count by exploiting the Twins' infield defense yet again, hitting a grounder that forced Miranda to dive at third and left Gasper unable to make the turn for a double play. While the play wasn't an error, it was Perez not getting doubled up on a ground ball. With Witt scoring the game's first run, López looked flustered, as he overthrew Ty France on what should have been out number three. Luckily, the Royals were only able to convert the one unearned run in the inning, but the continued struggles in the Twins infield were impossible to ignore. Striking Back, and Leaving Hurt France took his frustrations out on a Ragans changeup in the top of the fifth, crushing a double down the left field line with one out in the inning. Julien then took a first-pitch curveball off his name plate to put runners at first and second, and new Twins legend Harrison Bader found a way to hit a ball to the fence, off of Mark Canha's wrist, for a game-tying "single." Julien had to hold, so runners were still at first and second for Gasper. Then Buxton. Then the dugout. Another chance (largely) wasted. López returned for the bottom of the fifth, and things started innocently enough, with two quick outs. Kyle Isbel started the horrors to come with a single. Jonathan India walked. On the last pitch, which sailed inside to India, López grimaced. Pete Maki interpreted that as frustration and came to the mound to settle down the Twins ace. As Maki walked back to the dugout after a good pep talk, Correa motioned for the training staff, because López was hurt. How did Maki miss this? How bad is it? Stay tuned, Twins Territory, for what could be the story of the start of the 2025 season. (Spoiler alert: It's a tragedy, not a comedy, like we first assumed). As the Sands Through the Hourglass... Cole Sands came in with two outs, runners at first and second, and Witt at the plate. After a lengthy delay to warm up from scratch, Sands faced a daunting task. He got strike one without much of a threat, but four straight balls loaded the bases for the dangerous Pasquantino. What ensued was a 10-pitch marathon that impacted blood pressures for a five-state region, but what Royals fans thought was a grand slam dropped harmlessly in Bader's glove for out number three. Breathe with me. The middle innings continued, and the ensuing hour of baseball left the scoreboard unscathed. Jorge Alcala and Danny Coulombe got the call for the sixth and seventh innings, and they did their jobs admirably. The Twins scattered some baserunners in each inning, but failed to push the go-ahead run across. Sombreros and Rally-Killers The eighth inning began with Buxton's putting on the Golden Sombrero for the first out. Then Jeffers and Larnach laced a couple of singles together and started a rally against Royals reliever John Schreiber. Unfortunately, the dreaded 6-4-3 came off of Correa's bat to end the threat. Griffin Jax got the bottom of the eighth for the Twins (see inverse of Sunday's usage), and he got the first out easily. He was about to get the daunting Witt just as easily after a comebacker to the mound, only to airmail the toss into right field foul territory. Seriously. You can't make this stuff up. Witt thus danced around at third base, with Pasquantino at the plate, and the slugging first baseman did just enough to plate the go-ahead run with a dribbler up the first base line. The Twins were the only team with an earned run, but they still found themselves down 2-1 heading into the ninth. The ninth brought nothing but more of the same for the Twins offense. An easy flyout from Matt Wallner and groundouts from France and Julien ended the night as quietly as it had begun. What’s Next: Joe Ryan (0-1, 4.50 ERA) looks to claim his first win of the season against fellow righty Seth Lugo (0-1, 3.27 ERA) in the series finale. Must-win games can't happen in April baseball, but whatever else rests one notch below that category is what Wednesday's contest should be. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Blewett 15 0 0 31 0 46 Alcalá 0 23 0 0 16 39 Sands 0 11 10 0 15 36 Varland 0 16 15 0 0 31 Jax 0 0 17 0 12 29 Topa 0 17 10 0 0 27 Durán 0 8 13 0 0 21 Coulombe 0 0 8 0 13 21 View full article

The Twins entered Tuesday night's contest against the division-rival White Sox amid a horrendous four-game losing streak to start the 2025 campaign. Could the bats find a way to light things up in the first night game of the season? Here's how the first Twins win of the season finally came to pass. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Simeon Woods Richardson: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (82 Pitches, 51 Strikes, 62%) Home Runs: Harrison Bader (2) Top 3 WPA: Ty France (.168), Jose Miranda (.165), Edouard Julien (.118) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins needed to get off to a hot start on a cold 42° evening on the South Side of Chicago. The wind was blowing fiercely "in," and the offenses were going to face an uphill battle against the conditions. With the Twins coming into the game unable to score in their last 14 innings, the incline seemed overwhelming. Rookie right-hander Shane Smith kicked off the tundra game with a walk to Matt Wallner, and a two-out Trevor Larnach bloop single put runners at the corners for Ryan Jeffers. The rookie caught Jeffers looking on a perfect down-and-away slider to end the threat, though, and he'd keep the Twins bats frozen in Smith's MLB debut. Simeon Woods Richardson came into Tuesday night's contest as the only Twins starter who hadn't gotten a chance in the 2025 season, and no one could have imagined just how much pressure he would be facing to get the Twins into the win column after a brutal opening week on the road. Nick Maton worked another lead-off walk on a full count, and Twins fans held their collective breath as the powerful Luis Robert strode to the plate. A strike-em-out, throw-em-out, later, Woods Richardson and fans could breathe easy again. Here We Go Again? The Twins went down in order with three feeble groundouts to start the second inning, The White Sox decided that one good inning by a Twins starting pitcher was enough, as Andrew Benintendi whiffle-balled a 75-mph floater to the outfield, and scampered to third on a single up the middle by Lenyn Sosa. Brooks Baldwin hit a pop fly toward the net in foul territory in left field, and Larnach had it bounce off his glove as he collided with the net. One pitch later, it was 1-0 White Sox on another single up the middle. Woods Richardson left the ducks on the pond from there, but once again, the Twins found themselves looking up at their opponent in the early innings. The Twins got another Wallner walk with one out in the top of the third inning, but Correa's subsequent chopper turned into a slick double play to end the threat before it could begin. That made it 17 consecutive Twins scoreless innings, and counting... Facemasks and Flailing Bats As Smith continued to stare down the Twins, he had easy targets. Most of the hitters were using full facemasks to battle the cold, but their eyes told the story. Searching, desperate, and disappointed. Byron Buxton's eyes thought that he had ended the futility streak with a blast to left, but the cruel wind brought the ball gently back into the field of play as a harmless fly ball. Four exit velocities of 100-110 mph in a row, with nothing to show for it as the fourth inning came and went as the previous 17 had gone. But was this a sign of joy to come as the game progressed? Turns out that it was a sign of White Sox exit velocities to come, as Sosa raked a double to right in the bottom of the fourth to advance Benintendi yet again to third base with only one out. Woods Richardson's pitch count climbed with each full-count offering to Baldwin, and the 78th pitch resulted in a sacrifice fly for his second RBI of the game, and a 2-0 White Sox lead. Bullpen Time! Any Relief for the Twins? Rocco Baldelli elected to pull Woods Richardson before the third time through the order. Maton greeted Louis Varland rudely, by crushing a solo home run straight through my "wind blowing in" argument to make it 3-0 after five innings. Meanwhile, Smith just kept his unorthodox dealing, mixing his curves, changeups, and fastballs to frustrate the top of the Twins lineup in the top of the sixth. A couple of two-out walks to Buxton and Larnach gave the Twins a brief glimpse of hope, however, and more importantly, they sent Smith to the bench. New pitcher Penn Murfee came in to face the tying run in Jeffers, This time, Jeffers delivered a line-drive single to the right-center gap to plate Buxton and keep the inning alive. Ty France was next man up, and after flailing pitifully on two sweepers, France swung mightily to line a single up the middle to plate Larnach and pull the Twins within a run on this two-out rally. Willi Castro did what Willi Castro does and took one for the team on the first pitch, and thus, Edouard Julien became the man of the season with the bases loaded and two out. Julien proved to be a worthy Canadian import, as he stone-cold tied the game with an opposite-field single to left. It was a 3-3 ballgame! The much-maligned Jose Miranda then came up with the bases still loaded, Murfee on the ropes, and Miranda delivered the knockout... bloop. 5-3 Twins! What happened next might matter most in the grand scheme of the 2025 season. With runners on the corners and two outs, Baldelli left in Wallner to face the new left-handed reliever Fraser Ellard. After falling behind in a 1-2 count, Baldelli then sent the runners in an attempt to catch the White Sox off guard. Did they not trust Wallner to put the ball in play? Were they hoping to catch Ellard by surprise and induce a balk or wild pitch? At first glance, the joy that came with avoiding the pinch-hit move got swept away by a questionable strategy decision. Stay tuned to the post-game interview for more insight into the "why" behind both moves. Let's not dwell on it now, instead let's delight in A LEAD!!! Any Momentum Left? Cole Sands won the bottom of the sixth, and Wallner got his rematch with Ellard to start the seventh. Wallner walked yet again, albeit on a pitch that would have been strike three in spring training thanks to the electronic zone. Carlos Correa came up next and took strike one, about 6 inches off the plate, before flying out harmlessly for the first out. Buxton followed suit, which set up another early-season managerial litmus test. Larnach stayed in the game to face the lefty. In this sample size, Larnach's strikeout doesn't look great. The trend of sticking with the lefty-on-lefty match-up is worth watching as the first weeks continue, though. Jorge Alcalá got the bottom of the seventh, and he showed that his outing goes much better when he's not taking a rocket line drive off of his pitching arm. The Twins got the top of the eighth rolling with another Jeffers single and a France walk. After a Castro popout, left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert entered the game and the "we don't pinch hit anymore" streak ended at Julien, as Mickey Gasper entered the game as the new DH—and promptly struck out swinging. More managerial decision data to ponder as Julien isn't given a chance to repeat his RBI from earlier in the game, and the Twins looked to their bullpen stars to collect six more outs to preserve the first win of the season. This Ends Well...Right? Griffin Jax got the call in the eighth to face the heart of the White Sox order. In Jax's first outing since serving up a homer on Opening Day, he struck out Robert, surrendered a single to Andrew Vaughn on a full count, and gave up a 33.8 mph infield single against the shift to find himself with runners at first and second with only one out. With Miguel Vargas at the plate, and anxiety rising in hearts across Twins Territory, Correa reminded everyone why his glove has bits of gold AND platinum on it. Jax took those heroics and ran with it, striking out the previously red-hot Sosa to end the threat for good. Eisert stayed in to face Wallner in the top of the ninth, and Wallner stayed in to face Eisert. This time the confidence was rewarded with a bloop "double" down the left field line, thanks to the hustling lumberlack's effort. With a chance to build the lead against new reliever Jordan Leisure, Correa went down looking. Buxton, however, showed that Wallner wasn't the only speedster on the roster, as he hit a tailor-made grounder to Baldwin—who chose to look the runner back to second instead of throwing really hard and quickly because Buxton is fast. Harrison Bader, who replaced Larnach defensively in the bottom of the seventh inning, came to the plate for his first at-bat of the night with two on and one out. Four pitches later, it was nobody on, one baseball out in the bullpen, and an 8-3 Twins lead! Bader's blast turned a nail-biting ninth into a Danny Coulombe mop-up outing, and the White Sox were the ones left flailing as the last out was recorded for the first Twins win of 2025. What’s Next: Pablo Lopez (0-1, 3.60 ERA) looks to deliver the first series win of the season against righty Sean Burke (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in yet another day game. Can they snap this season's current mid-day curse and head home on a roll? After scoring six runs in the first 81 innings, the Twins closed out Tuesday's game with eight runs in four innings. What version of the Twins offense will take the field Wednesday? First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm CDT. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Coulombe 0 16 0 0 22 38 Varland 0 23 0 0 11 34 McCaughan 0 0 0 31 0 31 Topa 0 8 0 19 0 27 Alcalá 0 12 0 0 13 25 Durán 0 24 0 0 0 24 Jax 0 0 0 0 24 24 Sands 0 0 0 0 13 13 View full article

The Twins end the 2025 season by taking on the Rangers in Arlington and the Phillies in Philadelphia. Two strong fan bases, two strong teams, and no margin for error. How will this final road trip of the season test the Twins' faithful? Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Texas Rangers - September 23-25 Globe Life Field - Capacity 40,300 2024 Attendance - 2,651,553 (Averaged 32,735, fifth out of 15 AL parks and 12th overall) The Twins' August 2024 trip to Arlington, Texas, was one of few bright spots in a season of road trip failure. Minnesota was a Jorge Alcala five-run disaster away from completing a crucial four-game sweep of the reigning American League champions. But that inning happened, and what followed for the bullpen and the rest of the team was an encapsulation of the whole season. Globe Life Park has served as a home away from home for the Twins, as they have managed a 9-4 record there since it opened in 2020. While the record has been positive, the results are much closer than they appear, with 11 of the 13 games being decided by two or fewer runs. Success, yes. Stress, also yes. Texas exists as an outlier in the baseball universe. Even Moon Baseball Road Trips doesn’t know what to do with it. A trip to a Rangers game gets lumped in with a “heartland” road trip. The retractable roof at the new ballpark offers 71-degree days even when the outdoors is boiling in Arlington, which should be nice in case of any post-summer heat waves. Globe Life Field opened to empty seats in 2020 thanks to the Covid pandemic. The seats didn’t necessarily fill up for mediocre baseball in 2021 either, but a World Series championship can do wonders for the attendance figures. After a step back in 2024, the Rangers hope to recapture national attention in 2025. The trend towards “entertainment district” stadium usage continues here, as teams seek to maximize fan spending for blocks in all directions. While in the district, you can go to Six Flags, a water park, AT&T Stadium, and a mall. What you can’t find is a downtown vibe or accessible public transit. The Dallas metro area also has the usual big-city highlights, along with a JFK memorial and the iconic Reunion Tower. From Texas, the Twins head 1,487 miles northeast to the land of the Phanatic to face the loaded Phillies. Philadelphia Phillies - September 26-28 Citizens Bank Park - Capacity 42,901 2024 Attendance - 3,363,712 (Averaged 41,527, 2nd out of 15 AL parks and 3rd overall) In mid-August of 2023, the Twins entered Philadelphia in hopes of staying the course on their playoff run. The Philiies had just come off of a World Series appearance, and were trying to regain that elite form. The Phillies started the series with a 13-2 whooping against Dallas Keuchel's comeback bid, but Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray led the way to a series victory in games two and three. The Twins made one trip to Veterans Stadium in 2002, and came away with a series win. Citizens Bank Park has been a wash for the club, with the Twins winning two series and the Phillies taking the other with the Twins holding a 5-4 advantage overall at the park. I was surprised to discover that the Phillies have lost more games than any other American sports franchise. I only seem to remember the captivating squads of the 90’s, and the World Series attending teams of recent history. However, the giant former home of the Phillies, Veterans Stadium, often saw nothing but epic disappointment. At 67,000, Veterans Stadium had the capacity for greatness, and the vibe of concrete sterility. In 2004, the team began a new chapter with the more intimate and contemporary Citizens Bank Park. The seating at Citizens Bank is described as “sitting over the field,” and the unique wind tunnel alleyways and small left- and right-field corners set the stage for home runs and excitement. Opposing fans can get up close and personal with the visitor’s bullpen in left-center field, or just hang out and listen to the Phillies fans give them grief. Of all of the stadiums that I researched, this one seems to be the least hospitable to away team jerseys and presence in general. Attenders beware! The ballpark also seems to be set up for prime standing room only options, and its main food vendors exist in the open outfield concourse. There’s a kid’s wiffle ball field in right-field and a Wall of Fame in left. And, of course, keep your head on a swivel unless you want to get accosted by the Phillie Phanatic. Philadelphia itself oozes history and tourist destinations. The start of American democracy and government, the pursuit of freedom and liberty, and the origins of the great cheesesteak all find their home here. You can pretend you are Rocky as you run the steps of the Museum of Art, or just sit there and watch other people exhaust themselves trying. There you have it Twins fans, after 40,952 miles of road trips, Minnesota will be finished with the regular season. When the season ends on September 28th, where do you think all of these games and trips and memories will leave the Twins? With more games to play, or left wondering what might have been? Only time will tell, but I hope you get a chance to experience the story somewhere in person in 2025. View full article

September begins with a 3,982 mile trip to Anaheim and back. The catch for Twins fans is that a stop in Kansas City’s ballpark starts that journey. What awaits the Twins in their return trip to Kauffman and their only adventure at Disney? Image courtesy of © Jay Biggerstaff -Imagn Images Kansas City Royals - September 5-7 Kauffman Stadium - Capacity 37,903 2024 Attendance - 1,658,337 (Averaged 20,473, ranked 12th out of 15 AL parks, 26th overall MLB) When the Twins travel to Kauffman on Road Trip #2 in early April, they face chilly temperatures and a poised and ready Royals squad. With warmer weather and a season mostly behind them in early September, what kind of reception awaits the Twins? Weekend September games in Kansas City also potentially involve Chiefs games for those football-inclined. But will this series involve a pair of playoff contenders, or two AL Central pretenders? Regardless of what happens agains the Royals, there is a 1,600 miles flight to California (with no off-day in-between) to make. You can see our full write-up of Kauffman Stadium here. Los Angeles Angels - September 8-10 Angel Stadium: Capacity 45,517 2024 Attendance - 2,577,597 (Averaged 31,822, sixth in AL, 13th overall) The Angels had to watch Shohei Ohtani hoist the World Series trophy last season across town, while watching Mike Trout ride out most of the season on the bench with injuries once again. Trout was in the lineup when the Twins came to town in April 2024, but it didn't matter as the Twins swept the Angels convincingly. Last year's successful trip to Angel Stadium was an outlier for the Twins this decade. Minnesota had lost the previous three series to Ohtani and friends. In fact, since the stadium opened in 1966, the Twins have played 328 road games against the variously named Angels, and have come away with 157 wins compared to 171 losses. It's a long flight, and the Twins have traditionally played jet-lagged in Anaheim. To say that Angel Stadium exists because Disney exists isn’t an overstatement. The birth of Disneyland in 1955 led to the pursuit of community development in the Anaheim area. In 1966, that pursuit involved building a baseball stadium, then known as Anaheim Stadium. The 1980s brought a change in architecture as the NFL's Rams filled in the outfield seating area to increase capacity. 1998 brought a return to the open-concept outfield, as the Disney corporation placed its imprint upon the setting and installed the “Outfield Extravaganza” rock pile in left-center field. Trout still hits baseballs there for a living. Attendance remains high in Anaheim despite the loss of Ohtani and the general losing ways of the club. Angel Stadium seats less than Dodger Stadium, but I wonder what might happen if the Angels could get on a roll again. Beautiful September weather, late summer on the beach, and sun for miles highlight this trip. Having a car is the name of the game when traveling to Angel Stadium. There is a bus option from downtown LA, but that doesn’t scream “relaxing road trip” to me. Also, with Disneyland right around the corner, there is no shortage of affordable hotel options in Anaheim. At only 2.5 miles southeast of Disneyland, a person has to go, right? From here, the Twins head home for their last homestand of the season, but it's a doozy. Three teams, nine games, 11 days. The Diamondbacks, Yankees and Guardians pose a threat to end the home schedule — will the Twins have enough left in the tank after this road trip to face it? View full article

As the Twins look to close August on a roll, they return to Chicago to take on the White Sox and sneak up into Canada to tussle with Toronto. From this vantage point, the road trip looks winnable, but that’s why they play the games. Image courtesy of © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Chicago White Sox - August 22-24 Rate Field - Capacity 40,615 2024 Attendance - 1,976,344 (ranked 8th out of 15 AL teams, 19th overall MLB) The Twins travel to Rate Field to close out Road Trip #1 to start the season, but when the heat of August comes to call, the environment will feel completely different. From temperature to temperament, the Twins will most likely face a completely different Sox team on this trip. Win, lose, or draw, there is no rest to be found. It’s time to head to Toronto to see what’s left of the Jays. You can check out our full write-up of [Guaranteed] Rate Field here. Toronto Blue Jays - August 25-27 Rogers Centre – Capacity 39,150 2024 Attendance - 2,681,236 (Averaged 33,101, ranked 3rd out of 15 AL parks, 9th overall MLB) In mid-May of 2024, the Twins steamed into Canada with some energy and hope, and they left with a two games to one series victory. The middle game of the series, however, is the one that sticks out in the memories as an ominous foreshadowing of the Twins' 2024 season. The Twins mounted a 7-1 lead in the third inning against Kevin Gausman, only to have the young Simeon Woods Richardson falter against his former team. Cole Sands got touched up for three runs, and the end of the Steven Okert/Jay Jackson reclamation projects surrendered the rest of the damage in a 10-8 loss. The Twins have been traveling to the Rogers Centre with their passports since 1989, and they've been leaving with their tail between their legs since then also. A combined 56-81 record speaks to the difficulty of international road trips in the middle of the baseball season. Surprisingly, the Twins have gone 15-6 in Toronto since the 2017 season, so recent trends offer hope for the 2025 journey. When Toronto got their MLB franchise in 1977, they started out in a retro-fitted football field called Exhibition Stadium. In 1989, the SkyDome was introduced (renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), soon to gain classic replay status for Joe Carter’s World Series winner and back-to-back championships. In the 2010’s, the Blue Jays even boasted the highest attendance in the American League! The SkyDome/Rogers Centre boasts about being the first stadium in the world with a fully retractable motorized roof, hosts a hotel with rooms that look out onto the field, and rests within the Old Downtown neighborhood of the 4th largest city in North America. The field itself? A bit cookie-cutter in form, with excellent food and tourist vibes throughout the concourses. The sounds, tastes, and sights of Toronto are pretty epic. The CN Tower observation deck, Lake Ontario beaches and waterfront, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and an actual “distillery district,” all exist within a few blocks of the ballpark. If you don't have your passport yet, now's the time to get your paperwork rolling if you want to catch the first of this year's annual trips. From here, the Twins head home to welcome wayward travelers from San Diego and then a rematch with the White Sox. Will Minnesota be traveling into September in style? Or will the playoff hopes of 2025 be in the rear view mirror already? View full article