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The Minnesota Twins are ready for the playoffs and will kick off their action on October 3rd. Their opponent is not yet known, and while the rotation isn’t set, we have a good idea of the candidates. How will Rocco Baldelli use them though? Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports The Minnesota Twins are looking towards the playoffs and will kick off their action on October 3rd. Their opponent is unknown, and while the rotation isn't set, we have a good idea of the candidates. How will Rocco Baldelli use them? One of the most common refrains regarding complaints directed toward Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is that he pulls starters too early. That has never been the case and was exaggerated a year ago because he had poor starters like Dylan Bundy, Chris Archer, and others. Now, with an elite group of arms, no team in baseball has gotten more innings from their starters than Minnesota. Knowing that Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez will be the first two starters of the short three-game series, the only decision Baldelli has to make is who will be called upon in a winner-take-all Game 3. It would seem likely that the options come down to either Kenta Maeda or Joe Ryan, with the former being an ideal candidate to move into the bullpen. Considering Gray and Lopez, Minnesota should have a relatively reliable pair of arms to start against any opponent in a three, five, or seven-game series. Gray has looked the part of a Cy Young contender for most of the year and is challenging for the best ERA in the American League. Through his first 29 starts, Gray is averaging just shy of six innings per start. That reflects his performance against the opposition as he gets deeper in a game. He gave up a .574 OPS in the fifth inning, which jumped to .678 in the sixth inning, and while he hasn't pitched much in the seventh, his OPS balloons to .934 in that frame. He worked roughly 20 more innings than Gray, although, with an extra start to his credit, Lopez has averaged just over six innings per start. He has gone at least seven innings in eight starts and has a complete game to his credit. The sixth inning, allowing an .800 OPS, has been the worst this season for Lopez. If he makes it through, though, he owns just a .519 OPS against in the seventh and a .444 OPS in the game's final three frames. With every game taking on such a heightened importance in the playoffs, Baldelli will undoubtedly have someone constantly in mind to take over. Gray and Lopez should be expected to give the Twins five innings during their first starts. If either fails to make it that far, immediately going to someone like Maeda or Bailey Ober (should he make the roster) would make sense. The plan on paper should be for Gray and Lopez to be given six innings. Gray becomes much more touch-and-go from there, and it isn't worthwhile to push for individual accomplishment in the playoffs. Lopez could be stretched to seven innings, but his usage will likely reflect how Game 1 goes (assuming Gray makes that start). Although the Twins bullpen has a questionable underbelly, they should feel confident in arms needing to get outs from the sixth inning. Jhoan Duran is the closer but could be inserted as a fireman whenever the situation dictates that it is most necessary. Griffin Jax has been awful since the All-Star Break but still possesses the stuff to get big outs. Beyond the two notable leverage arms, Minnesota will give Brock Stewart back his late-inning role if he can continue to show he is healthy. Stewart was among the Twins best relievers in the first half, and facing his stuff late is no easy task for the opposition. Caleb Thielbar often comes in against lefties, but he's far more than the traditional LOOGY type. With the Wild Card round being just a three-game series, the first tilt should dictate many decisions. It isn't easy to assume that even your best relievers will be utilized in three straight games, as all the action happens on consecutive days. Baldelli will hope for his rotation, which has carried the team, to highlight why this group could be built for October. The last time Minnesota made the postseason, Maeda and Jose Berrios went five innings, with the bullpen picking up the rest. I can't see a scenario in which either Gray or Lopez are penciled in to throw that little, but the lineup providing breathing room will also help push the envelope. Baldelli had quick hooks with bad pitchers. He shouldn't have any bad pitchers throwing this postseason, and they'll be given ample opportunity to eat outs. View full article

With a three-run ninth, the Twins completed a memorable comeback against the Reds at Great American Ball Park with great baserunning from Willi Castro and a pair of clutch hits. They take two out of three against Cincinnati and finish their road trip with five wins in seven games, reducing their magic number to two. Image courtesy of David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (97 pitches, 60 strikes, 61.9%) Home Runs: Willi Castro (9) Top 3 WPA: Willi Castro (.353), Jorge Polanco (.207), Kyle Farmer (.172) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) In the first two games of this Cincinnati series, the Twins were dealt two significant blows on the injury front, with Carlos Correa departing Monday’s game after the first inning with an aggravated left foot plantar fasciitis and Royce Lewis limping out of Tuesday’s game in the eighth with an apparent hamstring injury. But news emerged earlier today that helped calm Twins fans down a bit. Shortly before today’s game, the Twins placed Correa on the 10-day Injured List and recalled Trevor Larnach from Triple-A St. Paul. However, as reported by MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park, Correa has a full-thickness tear to the central cortex of the area, and that tear might facilitate the healing process. Also, Bally Sports North's Audra Martin reported during the broadcast that Royce Lewis was able to ride the stationary bike in the clubhouse this morning and that his condition is "much better than expected." On to the game, and neither offense was able to bother their opposing starters much during the first two innings. Bailey Ober, the 346th pick in the 2017 Draft, and Hunter Greene, the 2nd overall pick the Twins passed on to select Royce Lewis, didn’t allow any hits in that span. But things changed in the third, as both of them pitched themselves into jams. Andrew Stevenson hit a leadoff double and was followed by a single from Christian Vázquez. Greene, however, managed to retire the next three batters and end the threat. Ober was also ambushed in the bottom of the inning and he couldn’t keep the zero on the board. Will Benson worked a leadoff walk, and a couple of at-bats later, Ober hit Jonathan India on the shoulder to put two men on with only one out. TJ Friedl stepped up to the plate and slapped a base hit to left to score Benson. Spencer Steer then hit a long flyball to center that, fortunately, was caught by Michael A. Taylor for the second out, but both runners moved into scoring position. After an eight-pitch at-bat, Ober struck out Jake Fraley, to end a 35-pitch inning for him. Greene dominated Minnesota’s offense throughout this game, including eight strikeouts through four innings. After a shaky third, Ober gave up a home run to former Twin Christian Encarnacion-Strand to lead off the bottom of the fourth, making it 2-0 Reds. This time, though, he was able to navigate through the inning without much risk. Ober settled in well and completed five innings on 96 pitches before Josh Winder took over in the sixth. Castro brings the Twins back… Twice! Greene struck out Max Kepler to lead off the top of the seventh, making it 13 punch outs for him in the afternoon – already a career-high for him. When it seemed like the Twins offense would get nothing against him, Willi Castro went yard for a second consecutive game, the first time he’s done so this season. That was all the damage the Twins could inflict, as Greene picked up his 14th strikeout on the day on his way to complete seven innings. Winder had tossed a quick, easy sixth, before giving up a leadoff triple to Benson in the seventh. That’s when things got weird. Luke Maile made a bunt attempt, the ball went into play, and he was initially out. David Bell noticed the ball had hit Maile on the fingers and challenged the call, and a review showed the ball hit Maile in the box and was ruled dead, turning Maile’s failed bunt attempt into a strike, and allowing the at-bat to continue. On the very next pitch, Maile hit a bloop single to shallow left, driving in Benson from third and making it 3-1 Reds. Minnesota didn’t give up, and they made this a one-run game again in the eighth, once Greene was no longer in the game. Vázquez doubled to deep right to lead off the inning, and after Larnach flied out, Édouard Julien got his first hit of the day, a bloop single to center, deep enough to score Vázquez. After Jhoan Durán pitched around a leadoff walk to deliver a scoreless eighth, the Twins were ready to rally in the ninth. Castro was once again the headliner. Facing reliever Alexis Díaz, he hit a leadoff bunt single, then immediately tried stealing second. He succeeded, and more, as Maile made an awful throw to second, allowing Castro to advance to third. Kyle Farmer smacked a single to right to score Castro and tie the game. Vázquez drew a one-out walk, prompting a pitching change. But that was useless. After striking out Larnach for the second out, Sam Moll intentionally walked Ryan Jeffers to face Jorge Polanco next and load the bases. Polo wasted no time, and jumped on the very first pitch for a base hit down the middle, scoring Farmer and Vázquez and giving the Twins their first lead of the afternoon, 5-3. One week after giving up a game-winning home run to the Rays in the ninth, Griffin Jax was given another late high-leverage opportunity today. He came in to pitch the ninth, and despite giving up a leadoff walk, he was able to retire the side and record his third save of the season. Postgame interview What’s Next? The Twins head back to the Twin Cities, where they’ll have a day off on Thursday and kick off their final homestand of the season the next day. They host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-gamer over the weekend, with game one scheduled for 7:10 pm CDT on Friday. Pablo López (10-8, 3.58 ERA) takes the mound for Minnesota, while the Angels’ starter is yet to be determined. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Keuchel 0 0 58 0 0 58 Winder 25 0 0 0 29 54 Pagán 0 22 0 8 0 30 Durán 9 0 0 0 21 30 Jax 0 13 0 0 17 30 Funderburk 0 0 0 20 0 20 Thielbar 0 0 0 16 0 16 Floro 0 0 0 16 0 16 Varland 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

At this point of the regular season, it is worth declaring the Minnesota Twins as American League Central Division winners. Their playoff odds are 100% per Fangraphs, and they will play into October. Who they take with them remains to be seen, however. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Rocco Baldelli has been without some of his key players down the stretch this year, and yet Minnesota has continued to win. Byron Buxton has been shelved despite attempting to work towards playing centerfield. Brock Stewart has been out since the All-Star Break and other regulars have dealt with their nicks. When the Twins ultimately host a Wild Card opponent for three games at Target Field, the front office and coaching staff will be tasked with bringing 26 players along for the first round. It's not a traditional roster setup, as only three starters will be needed, so how they get creative with the spots remains in the air. Here are three players that should make the cut: A Runner Minnesota elevated Andrew Stevenson to the 26-man roster after spots expanded in September. He has arguably been the St. Paul Saints best player in 2023, and with more than 200 games at the big league level, he was hardly just a feel-good story. Stevenson posted a .916 OPS at Triple-A this season, and he did so with 46 extra-base hits to his credit. His 16 home runs matched a career-best output from last year at Triple-A with Washington, and his bat was an asset. There's enough major league track record to not believe in all of the offense, but he's a great defender and steals bases. With the Saints, Stevenson was successful on 44 of 49 stolen base attempts, and he is a perfect four-for-four with the Twins thus far. Even when opposing pitchers know he'll take off, his instincts are good enough to get the job done. Austin Martin may represent a better offensive or all-around profile, but he's not yet on the 40-man roster, and it doesn't seem that Minnesota would prefer to place him there just for the final few games. Giving Baldelli a security blanket from an outfield defender standpoint while providing someone who can grab an additional 90 feet is a no-brainer for a short series where every game matters. An Extra Starter Baldelli will only need three arms when dealing with his rotation in a short series, and two of those will unquestionably be Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez. Both Cy Young candidates in their own right, Minnesota's best one-two punch will go during the first two games. From there, it becomes a question of Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, and Bailey Ober. Maeda has already pitched in relief, and moving into the bullpen makes the most sense. Joe Ryan then would get the final starting spot. What happens to Ober then becomes the question, but as the Twins have begun to protect his innings, there is only a need to do that if he will be a vital part in October. Sure, Minnesota could opt to pitch Chris Paddack or Dallas Keuchel out of the pen, but if the goal is to build the best 26-man roster, then Ober has to be on it. No matter what Paddack looks like during his rehab assignment, he's still facing minor-league competition, and his first big-league showing in more than a year shouldn't come in the biggest games. Keuchel has had moments for Minnesota, but his stuff probably doesn't play up in relief. Enter Ober, who has been cast aside twice this year and responded well each time. It's not as though Ober should be expected to see a Louie Varland-like uptick out of the bullpen, but having his arm as an option is more comforting than Paddack and more reliable than Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands, Josh Winder, or someone from that rotating group. Much of the Twins' postseason roster projection should be straightforward, but if they want to field a team with the best options for a short series, both of these players should be among the group. View full article

This was not the same game as Thursday, I swear. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Bailey Ober: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Home Runs: Royce Lewis (14) Top 3 WPA: Royce Lewis (.340), Matt Wallner (.139), Bailey Ober (.100) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Across MLB on Friday, players and teams honored the great Roberto Clemente with special “21” patches on the jersey; some donned the number in favor of their typical digits. Two Minnesota Puerto Rican natives—Carlos Correa and Willi Castro —were amongst them. You may vaguely know of Clemente’s charity, especially as his unfortunate death came on New Year’s Eve during a plane ride to Nicaragua to deliver supplies to the country following a devastating earthquake. That story alone does not cover Clemente’s special altruism. He diverted funds from the opening of Three Rivers Stadium to Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, he befriend the reverend Martin Luther King Jr., using his unique place as an early black, Latino baseball star to speak out against American discrimination in his time, and he did much, much more than this puny post-game report could never fully cover. He was a great man taken from humanity far too early. -------------------------------------- Bailey Ober started for the Twins. The elongated righty was sent to St. Paul to marinate as his new career-high in innings appeared to wear down his performance; his ERA since the beginning of July was 4.58. Back in the majors, Ober looked to silence a lineup killed many days ago. The 1st inning was a typical baseball sparring, with each team simply looking to get their feet wet, but action began in the 2nd. A pair of singles and a walk set up Royce Lewis with the bases-loaded and two men out. White Sox starter Jesse Scholtens—surely aware of Lewis’ prowess with men on every base—pitched him daintily, missing in relative degrees of closeness to signal that it was far from his intention to become a statistic. It didn’t work. Needing to attack 3-1, Scholtens fired a heater directly down the heart of the plate. The ensuing jog around the bases was a mere formality. (Get ready for some stat drops.) The grand slam gave Lewis the Twins single-season record for salamis (he’s played 54 games); he’s also two more bases-loaded homers away from tying the MLB record shared by Travis Hafner and Don Mattingly. His four grand slams in 18 games is the shortest span for any player in MLB history. September aloofness set in a while ago for Chicago—but it reached inexcusable levels on Friday. In one inning, Tim Anderson booted a routine grounder, Elvis Andrus never looked to turn a possible double play despite Correa being the runner heading to second, and Anderson lackadaisically allowed a pop-up to drop, scoring a run in the process. Impressive effort from a man with a batting average, on-base-percentage, and slugging under .300. Max Kepler added another run with a single into center the following frame. Ober was cruising. He didn’t need the run support—the White Sox could only claim a scattering of singles against him—but his efficiency quickly turned. A soft single begat a two-run shot, and while that was the only damage he allowed, Ober’s now somewhat inflated pitch count made the 5th his final inning of work. That was essentially the game. Between the 5th and the 8th was the kind of mushy, sometimes-threaten-but-never-score baseball that often describes even the finest games. The action didn't end, though, as Minnesota's dormant bats woke up when the White Sox sent Michael Kopech to the mound; he labored through a frame with four earned runs, giving the Twins the same amount of runs they plated on Thursday. Kody Funderburk pitched a scoreless 9th to wrap up the win, lowering Minnesota's magic number to seven. Notes: Louie Varland has a 2.16 ERA since joining the bullpen in September; he's struck out 11 and walked just one. Royce Lewis walked three times to set a single-game high in his MLB career. Bailey Ober lowered his BB/9 to 1.83, the 9th-lowest total amongst MLB starters with at least 120 innings in 2023. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and White Sox will play the third game of their series on Saturday. Pablo López is set to start opposite Touki Toussaint with first pitch coming at 6:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The minor league season is quickly approaching the end. One more affiliate is done. But another will start their playoff push this week. The other two teams still have a chance to make the playoffs. Lots of drama yet to come. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Read all about the Twins week in Nick’s Week in Review. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 36-27 (4-2 last week) in the second half; In first place in the IL West by 1.5 games; tied for fourth place in the International League. Overview: The Saints made a little progress, but thanks to losing to last two games are running out of time if they want to make the playoffs. 🔥: Trevor Larnach . Again! Eight hits in 23 at-bats. Four doubles and two home runs. Seven strikeouts, but six walks. 🔥: Bailey Ober made his first AAA start after his demotion. He threw five one-run innings, allowing three hits and struck out three. 🔥: Simeon Woods Richardson has had quite a year. He's still young, but the shine has faded. This week, though, he was really good. He struck out five in six innings, allowing only one run on four hits and a walk. 🤔: Yunior Severino hit three more home runs this week and has 32 total home runs on the season. But struck out 10 times in 23 at-bats. 🥶: Jordan Balazovic walked five and allowed three hits in 2 1/3 innings. 🥶: Hernan Perez was the hitter of the week two weeks ago. This week he was 2-for-15 with six strikeouts. What's Next: A road-trip to Iowa (31-31) followed by a season-closing series hosting Toledo (32-31). Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 34-29 (2-4 last week) in the second half and have dropped behind Springfield in the division. Overview: A one-game deficit with six games to go. The Wind Surge have to play their best baseball to make the playoffs. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo led the team with seven hits, two triples and four walks. He also doubled twice and stole a base. 🔥: Marco Raya struck out three in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Curtis Taylor (5 1/3 IP, H, BB, 5 K) and Isaac Mattson (4 2/3, BB, 8 K) where great in multiple relief appearances. Pierson Ohl gave up a home run among four hits, and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings. 🔥: Seth Gray led the team with two home runs and five runs batted in. 🥶: Aaron Rozek was very good two weeks ago, but last week struggled. He only retired two batters and allowed three hits, including two home runs. 🥶: Patrick Winkel had one hit in 16 at-bats. Will Holland had one hit in eight at-bats. What's Next: A cold stretch has Wichita on the outside looking in on the playoffs. The Wind Surge will host Midland (34-29) while Springfield (35-28) goes to San Antonio (30-33). High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 42-24 (2-4 last week) in the second half, six games ahead of Peoria. Overview: The regular season concludes with the Kernels sporting the best full-season record in the Midwest League (82-50). 🔥: Not a lot of big weeks for the Kernels hitters. Luke Keaschall led the team with six hits (including two home runs). Kala'i Rosario also had two home runs (but struck out 10 times). 🔥: Cory Lewis went five innings, striking out three and walking two, allowing only one hit. 🤔: Jose Salas had five hits last week. He barely batted over .200, but five hits, including a home run and double, is at least worth mentioning. 🥶: C.J. Culpepper gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks in two innings. 🥶: Jorel Ortega (1-for-16), Keoni Cavaco (1-for-10), Carson McCusker (1-for-11) and Andrew Cossetti (0-for-9) combined to strike out 22 times this past week. What's Next: The Kernels will take their four-game losing streak to Peoria for Game 1 on Tuesday. They will host the remainder of the best-of-three series later in the week. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 33-32 (2-4 last week) in the second half, finishing 10.5 games behind Lakeland. 😍: Walker Jenkins may have completed his first professional season. He was 6-for-19 with two triples on the week. He drove in and scored four runs. 🔥: Jay Harry and Nate Baez had good weeks. Harry had seven hits and Baez led the team with eight hits and eight runs batted in. 🔥: Matt Gabbert made his first start at Low-A, and it went extremely well. He allowed one hit and two walks in five shutout innings. He struck out six. 😏: Chris Paddack and Jorge Alcala both made rehab appearances. 🥶: Ty Langenberg gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Develson Aria gave up two runs while recording only one out. Juan Mendez, Juan Mercedes and Jack Noble all gave up two home runs. 🥶: The Kyle Schmidt hitless streak has reached a third week. Seven more hitless at-bats with one strikeout. (But his pitching!!) PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. 20. Brent Headrick, LHP, Minnesota: Recalled to the Twins bullpen. (1.43 WHIP, .256 BAA ), St. Paul: (1.36 WHIP, .263 BAA). 19. Cory Lewis, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K (1.06 WHIP, .198 BAA). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: (.262/.325/.412. .737 OPS) 17. Danny De Andrade, SS, Fort Myers: 4-17, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, K, SB, CS. (.244/.354/.396. .750 OPS), played five games (90 total games) at shortstop and committed two errors in 18 chances (15 errors in 326 total chances). Previously played one game at third base and had no errors in four chances. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 2.1 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 BB. (1.75 WHIP, .270 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 15. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 4 H, ER, HRA, BB, 5 K (1.50 WHIP, .253 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 14. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 5-23, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 10 K. (AA/AAA combined .277/.353/.550. .903 OPS). 13. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-22, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K. (.252/.364/.467. .831 OPS). 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 10. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 6-24, 2B,, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, K. (rookie/l-A/h-A combined .288/.414/.477. .891 OPS), played four games (24 total) at second base and committed two errors in 22 chances (three errors in 83 total chances), played one game in centerfield (four games total) and committed no errors in no chances (no errors in two total chances), and played one game at third base (two total) and committed no errors in one chance (one error in three total chances). 9. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: (.288/.338/.545. .883 OPS), played nine games at shortstop and committed two errors in 34 chances and played seven games at centerfield and committed no errors in 19 chances. 8. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 5-18, RBI, 2 BB, 3 K. (high-A/AA combined .267/.357/.433. .790 OPS), played four games (54 total) at second base and committed no errors in 12 chances (9 errors in 212 total chances), played one game (58 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (four errors in 115 total chances), played two games (five total) at shortstop and committed no errors in six chances (no errors in 14 total chances). 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF, St. Paul: 6-19, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (rehab/AAA combined .266/.376/.409. .785 OPS), played one game (11 total) in centerfield and committed one error in four chances (one error in 28 total chances), played three games (36 total) at second base and committed no errors in 9 chances (four errors in 144 total chances), played two games (11 total) in left field and committed no errors in six chance (no errors in 27 total chances). 6. David Festa, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 BB 6 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.37 WHIP, .244 BAA) 5. Charlee Soto, RHP: Did not pitch. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.1 IP, 2 H, 3 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.11 WHIP, .205 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-13, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 7 BB, 6 K. (.240/.400/.463. .863 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Fort Myers: 6-19, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K, SB, CS. (FCL/low-A combined .362/.417/.571. .988 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 4-19, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, 3 K. (AA/AAA combined .282/.357/.470. .827 OPS), played four games (103 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 20 chances (18 errors in 430 total chances) and played one game (six total) at third base and committed no errors in three chances (one error in 14 chances total chances). DESTINATION: The Show In this week's episode, Jeremy and JD chat with Carlos Collazo, prospect guru at Baseball America. Lots of Twins talk, especially regarding their 2023 draft class. Below is a quick out-take from the show. Click here to watch the full episode. You can find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to Youtube. PLAYERS OF THE WEEKHITTER - Trevor Larnach, St. Paul CO-PITCHERS - Isaac Mattson, Wichita and Cory Lewis, Cedar Rapids View full article

A good thing, too, because it was not a great day on the farm. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS RHP Jorge Alcala assigned to Low-A Fort Myers on MLB Rehab. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Louisville 4 Box Score Bailey Ober: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (2-for-4, RBI, K) The Saints blew up late, falling to the Bats after an excellent start by Bailey Ober. Ober was magnificent; the tall righty allowed just three measly singles, slicing through the Bats with his typical efficient style (he only needed 65 pitches). He also struck out three. You couldn’t draw up a more “Bailey Ober” start if you tried. St. Paul’s offense was occasionally patient, taking six walks on the day, but their issue was glaring, standing out like a neon light cutting through the night sky: 17 strikeouts. Three separate hitters whiffed at least three times, with Anthony Prato catching the worst of it; he punched out four times. They did score, though—three times in fact—as DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Austin Martin both knocked in a run with 1st inning singles. Jair Camargo added another with an infield hit in the 3rd inning. Old friend Alan Busenitz (he’s back!) saved the game for Louisville, striking out one in a perfect inning. Both Jonathan India and Joey Votto played for the Bats; the rehabbing big-leaguers may be seen wearing Reds uniforms when the Twins soon come to town, but for now, the duo is based in Louisville. Votto singled. Reliever Levi Stoudt is Cincinnati's only top-30 prospect at AAA; he pitched a scoreless frame. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, Corpus Christi 7 Box Score Travis Adams: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Tanner Schobel (2-for-4, RBI, K), Alex Isola (2-for-4, RBI) A dreadful 2nd inning cursed the Wind Surge to lose on Saturday. Travis Adams did recover to eventually finish the 5th inning, but the 2nd inning dragged him down, limiting the greatness of his pitching line. It’s a shame; the rest of his start was pretty good, with each other frame only once seeing a runner reach second base. The bats were productive, with all but two batters earning a hit. Few were damaging. Just two of the knocks went for extra-bases. Coordination proved to be the problem; Wichita never scored in an inning more than once, leaving their rallies short and unthreatening. Carlos Correa’s little brother, J.C. Correa, singled in three at-bats. Houston’s best prospect, however, is centerfielder Jacob Melton, and he walked and struck out twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 3 Box Score John Klein: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Misael Urbina (3-for-4, R, K) The Kernels lost a squeaker on Saturday. John Klein—the pride of Brooklyn Park—made his Kernels debut. The Iowa Central Community College product was excellent, whiffing four while only allowing two runs, giving up six hits in the process. He’s had quite the season, moving from the FCL to A+ ball, and he could see himself start to appear on prospect lists in the offseason. Cedar Rapids’ offense couldn’t support him, unfortunately, as a two-run Kala’i Rosario single represented the lone run-scoring hit of the night. The two RBIs pushed his season total to 94; he easily leads the Midwest League in RBIs; Jimmy Crooks is second with 73. The Kernels struck out 14 times, taking seven walks, while accruing six hits—all singles. Misael Urbina collected three singles and stole his sixth base of the season. Milwaukee’s 1st-round pick in 2023—Brock Wilken—struck out once in four at-bats. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 4, Bradenton 5 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None Despite a four-run 2nd inning, the Mighty Mussels fell to the Marauders on Saturday. Not even a rain delay could stop them; Fort Myers weathered a break in the middle of their rally, returning to plate four runs off a variety of Piranha-esque outcomes—singles, walks, and sacrifice flies. That was it, though, as the Mighty Mussels only had four total bases on the game. They did reach base often, taking an astounding 13 walks, but finding the critical knock proved elusive, and they scored no runs after their early outburst. They should have. The Marauders struck back with a four-run frame of their own, knotting the game in the middle innings. Though they sat dormant for a while as well, a 9th inning sacrifice fly broke the tie. Danny De Andrade’s lead-off double went nowhere. Alec Sayre’s groundout to the pitcher ended the game. Rehabbing big-leaguer, Jorge Alcala, struck out two in a perfect inning. He maxed out at 98.4 MPH. Second baseman Mitch Jebb is Pittsburgh’s 9th-ranked prospect, and he walked while driving in a pair off two sacrifice flies. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Bailey Ober Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Misael Urbina PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Ft. Myers) - 1-5, RBI, 2 K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, 4 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-3, RBI, K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, RBI, K #12 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K #18 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05 PM) - RHP Blayne Enlow Wichita @ Corpus Christi (1:05 PM) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Bradenton @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Ben Ethridge View full article

The Minnesota Twins and Kenta Maeda overcame a shaky top of the first inning to outlast the Mets Saturday at Target Field. The offense once again featured a well-balanced effort from the lineup — and bench. Max Kepler delivered a huge pinch hit bases-clearing triple. Down in the minors, Kala’i Rosario added to his system-leading RBI total and both Bailey Ober (for the Saints) and Jorge Alcala (for the Mussels) pitched. All that plus a couple of phenomenal diving catches by Michael Helman and Alerick Soularie. View full video

Bailey Ober has been sent down to Triple-A two times this year, and now he is shut down while the Twins are playing some of the team's most important games. So, did the Twins mishandle Ober this season? Image courtesy of David Richard-USA TODAY Sports Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was clear with Bailey Ober as spring training began. He was the sixth arm in the starting rotation and was only making the Opening Day roster if one of the arms in front of him was not ready. The Twins had been plagued by injuries in 2022, so it seemed likely for the injury bug to bite one of the starters. However, that wouldn't be the case. Ober pitched well in the spring by allowing three earned runs on four hits with a 0.70 WHIP and batters posting a .121 BA. On the depth chart, there were veterans ahead of him, so the Twins sent him to Triple-A. Ober said all the appropriate things when he was demoted, but it had to be frustrating for a pitcher with a proven track record at the big-league level. From 2021-22, he posted a 3.82 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and a 147-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 148 1/3 innings. Injuries had been the biggest hindrance to Ober's performance, as he had never pitched more than 108 innings in any professional season. The Twins needed to monitor Ober's innings, especially if he stayed healthy for the entire season. Ober's time with the Saints got off to a poor start. In his first two starts, he didn't make it out of the fourth inning and allowed five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. Mentally, the demotion had to impacted his performance, but he turned it around from there. Over his next two starts, he pitched 11 shutout innings while limiting batters to five hits and striking out 12. Tyler Mahle suffered a season-ending injury at the big-league level, and Ober was the next man up. After the call-up, Ober became one of the team's most consistent and effective starting pitchers. In his first 16 starts (94 2/3 IP), he posted a 2.76 ERA with a 90-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Batters hit .215/.262/.366 (.628) against him, and it looked like Ober was lining up to be one of the team's starting pitchers in October. Unfortunately, Ober hit a wall as the calendar turned to August while he also passed a new career-high in innings pitched. Over his subsequent six appearances, Ober's performance struggled mightily. He allowed 21 earned runs in 28 innings with opponents hitting .328/.377/.588 (.965) against him, including eight home runs. The Twins decided it was time for Ober to get a breather, and the only way to make that happen was to demote him to Triple-A for the second time. "Bailey is as professional a young man as you're ever going to find in this game," Baldelli said. "The way he conducts himself every day of his life is very impressive, and I've had several conversations with him over the last couple of years that were not easy. Today was not an easy conversation, but I think long term, this setup, this move that we're making right now, is going to benefit him." Throughout the season's second half, the Twins had talked about finding subtle ways to limit Ober's innings. Some options included using piggybacking, a six-man rotation, or skipping starts to push back his spot in the order. During the 2021 season, he pitched 108 1/3 innings, a career high. Previously, he had never surpassed 80 innings in any of his seven professional seasons. Between Triple-A and the Majors, he has combined for 140 1/3 innings while also staying relatively healthy. He might be out of gas, but it's a critical time of the year to miss one of the team's best starters. Seeing how the Twins handle Ober for the season's remaining games will be interesting. He will get a few extra days to rest before he starts throwing again for the Saints. It also remains to be seen if the team will continue to use him as a starter. Minnesota already transitioned Louie Varland from a starter to a relief role for the stretch run, but Ober might not be the best candidate to move to the bullpen. The best strategy might be to give him shorter starts with someone ready to piggyback him so he can stay stretched out. Ober has proven himself at the big-league level and is part of the team's long-term plan for the starting rotation. It's tough not to think he's gotten the short end of the stick on multiple occasions this year. The team demoted him two times even though he had a proven track record at the big-league level. Also, the club talked about limiting his innings during the year, but that never came to fruition. Instead, he finds himself at Triple-A while the Twins fight for the division title. Perhaps the Twins followed the appropriate strategy with Ober by running him out there regularly until his performance started to suffer. However, the optics of the entire situation are not great from Ober's point of view. He lost service time at both ends of the season because of decisions made by the front office. The team will stress that it is the best thing for his health, but there were other ways to handle him during the season so he could be part of the team for the stretch run. Do you feel the Twins have handled Ober appropriately this season? Should veterans be treated differently by the front office? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are doing everything they can to hang onto the AL Central division and make a postseason appearance. Attempting to end the playoff losing streak at 18 games, it seems they may do so with a bullpen featuring plenty of starters. Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports This offseason Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to do absolutely nothing for the bullpen. They doubled down on that decision by making no moves at the trade deadline. Brock Stewart had emerged as among the best arms in Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen, but he’s now been hurt for weeks, and both Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax have done all of the heavy lifting. Despite a desire to add either Matt Moore or Reynaldo Lopez after the Los Angeles Angels parted out their active roster, the Cleveland Guardians scooped up the pair along with Lucas Giolito. Relying now on only internal options, Minnesota’s supplementing the relief corps will likely be done unconventionally. In the postseason you often don’t need the traditional five-man starting rotation. For a first round series against a wild card team, the Twins will have need for only three starting arms. Given how good Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray have been this season, Baldelli may opt to use them as much as possible in a five or seven game series as well. Right now the back of Minnesota’s bullpen is set. Duran and Jax are the late-inning guys, with Caleb Thielbar and Emilio Pagan on the fringes of that group. Stewart would be there if he were to return healthy, but that’s where the falloff comes. Josh Winder has shown flashes, and while Cole Sands has largely gone unused, he has pitched well at Triple-A. Needing to extend the available arms though, expect starters to make the trot behind the outfield wall. The Twins have already begun this transition with Louie Varland at Triple-A. He worked four innings in relief during his most recent outing, and the new role allowed his fastball an opportunity to jump all the way to triple digits. He’s not all of a sudden going to be Duran-esque, but allowing starters to shove for a shorter period can have positive effects. Minnesota gets an immediate look at his efforts after he was recalled on Monday to replace Cole Sands. It remains to be seen how Bailey Ober is brought back to Minnesota, and while the home run has still gotten him, Joe Ryan has responded nicely after coming off the injured list. Both may find themselves coming out of the bullpen in the postseason, and although neither are flamethrowers, their stuff could play up slightly when asked to work in shorter stretches. Kenta Maeda has been on a bit of a slide for Minnesota of late, and Dallas Keuchel doesn’t necessarily have a defined starting role for the postseason either. The former has worked out of the bullpen plenty during his career, and while it is new for the latter, Keuchel dominated a good Texas team in relief a couple of appearances ago. For the Twins, they’ll hope to avoid mop up or long relief situations when games matter the most, but stretching the overall amount of arms capable from the bullpen is a must. Brent Headrick is getting a look again as a September call-up, and Kody Funderburk was finally called upon to make his debut as well. There isn’t going to be an opportunity for the Twins to infuse the bullpen with another lockdown arm at this point, and by building a pitching staff capable of simply getting outs, they’ll look at every option possible. It could be weird to see how many current or former starters head to the bullpen during the postseason, but piecing games together behind workhouse starters is a must. If the Twins are going to make a deep run in the postseason, it will most likely be because of their pitching prowess. Finding a way for that to all contribute, while not utilizing a five-man rotation, is something the coaching staff has a month to dissect. View full article

If the Twins want to end their playoff losing streak, there will be a lot of pressure put on the starting rotation’s performance. Here’s how the rotation stacks up as the season enters the final month. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports FanGraphs projects the Twins to have more than a 95% chance to win the AL Central with only weeks remaining in the season. Last year, Minnesota fell apart in September and saw Cleveland take the AL Central title. It seems unlikely that will happen again in 2023, but Minnesota sports fans have suffered enough heartbreak to know anything is possible. The team has suffered a record 18-straight playoff losses, but this team has the frontline starting pitching to help a team win in October. Before laying out the rotation, it’s important to note that a lot can happen in the season’s final weeks. That’s one of the reasons the Twins are considering shifting to a six-man rotation as Joe Ryan returns from the IL. This shift allows the team to give starters more rest during the stretch run and to set up the rotation for better success in the playoffs. If the postseason started today, here’s how the Twins would ideally set up their starting rotation. Game 1 Starter: Pablo Lopez Lopez was the Twins’ Opening Day starter and was a first-time All-Star this season. His performance has had some ups and downs throughout the season, but he’s been one of the team’s best starters since the All-Star break. In his last seven starts (42 IP), he has posted a 2.14 ERA with a 46-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Lopez pitched a career-high 180 innings during the 2022 season, but there were signs of him tiring down the stretch. The Twins will look to avoid that problem this season, with him already approaching 160 innings. Game 2 Starter: Sonny Gray Like Lopez, Gray was an All-Star and the team’s best-starting pitcher in the first half. He posted a 2.89 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in just under 100 innings pitched before the All-Star break. In July, Gray seemed to tire, with his ERA rising to 4.85 with a 7.9 K/9. He turned it back around in August with a 2.81 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in his first four appearances. For the playoffs, the Twins must monitor how Gray is utilized. He has struggled when facing a line-up for the third time, so the team might need to limit his appearance to five innings or less. Game 3 Starter: Kenta Maeda Entering the season, few would have predicted that Maeda would be lining up to start a playoff game for the Twins. He is in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery and started the season at the back of the team’s rotation. Earlier in the season, Maeda missed time with a right forearm strain, which made his recent performance even more improbable. Over the last 11 games, he has posted a 2.91 ERA while holding opponents to a .654 OPS. His recent performance should stack up nicely compared to other team’s number three starters. Game 4 Starter*: Bailey Ober MLB’s playoff structure means the Twins only need three starters for the opening-round Wild Card series. Things can get a little more intriguing if the Twins win a playoff series for the first time since 2002. Ober has been one of the team’s most consistent starting pitchers, but he has already pitched a career-high in innings. If he tires down the stretch, the Twins will need to move a different starter into the playoff rotation, and there are a few options on the table. Other Options: Joe Ryan, Dallas Keuchel, Louie Varland Joe Ryan was a borderline All-Star in the first half and would have easily made the team’s postseason rotation. He became home run prone while hiding a groin injury, so the Twins hope his performance will improve as he returns from the IL. Twins fans might be slightly scared about the possibility of Keuchel starting a playoff game in October. For him to get a postseason start, there would need to be multiple injuries or poor performance from those ahead of Keuchel on the team’s depth chart. Varland hasn’t started a big-league game since the middle of June, but he still figures into the team’s long-term plans. It’s also possible for some of these starters to move to a bullpen role over the season’s final weeks. What will change with the rotation in the season’s final weeks? How would you line up the team’s starters for October? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins announced shortly before Monday’s game Bailey Ober has been optioned to the minor leagues. The corresponding move is left-hander Kody Funderburk is heading up to the Twins. To make room on the 40-man roster, Oliver Ortega was moved to the 60-day IL. Here is my reaction to the news. View full video

The game started innocently enough, but then two grand slams and 13 innings later the contest was no longer for the weak at heart. The Twins finally brought home the victory on a walk-off Michael A. Taylor walk, and redeemed what could have been a disasterous loss as they look ahead to a key Guardians series. Here's how it all went down. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker, USA Today Box Score Starting Pitcher: Bailey Ober - 4 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K ( 73 Pitches, 52 Strikes, 71% Strikes) Piggy-Backer: Dallas Keuchel - 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K ( 76 Pitches, 45 Strikes, 59% Strikes) Home Runs: Royce Lewis (7) Top WPA: Donovan Solano (.732), Michael A. Taylor (.612), Royce Lewis (.184) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins went from seeking a four-game sweep of the Rangers to hoping to salvage a series win after a disasterous ninth inning Saturday night. Sunday's matchup involved Bailey Ober looking to maximize his pitch count on a short leash, versus Jordan Montgomery and his amazing left-handedness. Ober Allows a Magical Moment...for the Rangers The Rangers started the offensive action in the top of the second inning, when J.P. Martinez crushed a 2-2 fastball deep onto the right field concourse for his first career home run. Ober completed three innings with only that run tacked against him, but the Twins offense failed to garner a single hit against Montgomery. So the middle innings would transpire with the Rangers leading 1-0. Ober Allows a Deflating Moment...for the Twins In the top of the fourth inning, the Rangers started to string together some baserunners. A double, single, and walk loaded up the bases for the aforementioned Martinez. After witnessing the orbit of the last pitch he had thrown to Martinez, Ober was able to alter the plan and the outcome, striking Martinez out with a changeup. It turns out that he should have put that changeup in his pocket and never threw it again, because the next pitch was the same exact pitch, and Jonah Heim was more than ready for it. Let Me Piggy-Back on That Last Comment Not only did that grand slam ruin the afternoon for Ober, it also made the impending "piggy-back" usage of Ober and Dallas Keuchel less interesting. Keuchel started warming up during the implosion during the fourth, but as the announcers continuously pointed out: "He's a starter, so he isn't stretched out in a way that let's him come right into the game. He needs 20 minutes." This information made it clear that the fourth inning was Ober's mess to clean up, and luckily he regained his footing and held the Rangers to their 5-0 lead. Keuchel came in to pitch the fifth, and thanks to a double-play he was able to escape facing the minimum three batters. The sixth inning also went silently for the Rangers offense, as Keuchel continued to scatter weak contact and flumox the hitters. Twins Can't Hit Lefties Again Montgomery stymied the Twins offense for five innings. The third time through the lineup, the Twins scraped a single, single, and walk to load the bases with one out. Montgomery gave way to the Rangers bullpen, scattering four hits and staying clean in the run column. Fellow trade buddy Chris Stratton came into the game looking to clean up the mess. Unfortuneately for Stratton, he's a right-handed pitcher. And Royce Lewis is awesome. Now That We Have a Ballgame, Back to That Piggy-Back Thing... All of a sudden, Keuchel found himself rolling along in a 5-4 ballgame, and his ability to succeed in this new role gained a new level of pressure and importance. The seventh and eighth innings brought some minimal drama, but at the end of the day Keuchel had pitched four scoreless innings, and kept the Twins in the game. The Rangers relied on a more typical bullpen approach, mixing in relievers for an inning at a time. The bottom of the seventh saw Michael A. Taylor and Jorge Polanco flirt with the fence, but ultimately flying out. The bottom of the eighth saw Max Kepler come through with a pinch-hit lead-off rocket single to right against Jose Leclerc. Carlos Correa followed with a walk on a full count, and Lewis found himself up to the plate again with runners on the pond, and a hero's moment waiting to be seized. Lewis took a hack at the first pitch, and popped up softly to the second baseman. That brought Ryan Jeffers up for his crack at the defining moment of the game. With two strikes, Jeffers crushed a ball to left field limestone just left of the left-field foul pole. My heart rate did not go down, and yet the pitch clock waits for no one and Declerc kept dealing to strike out Jeffers. Two on, two out, and Rocco Baldelli brought in Edouard Julien to be the hero as a pinch hitter for Kyle Farmer. Bruce Bochy responded in kind by bringing in the left-handed and generally lights-out reliever Will Smith. Smith gave up the Jeffers blast on Thursday, and he would try to get the final out against not Julien, but Christian Vazquez in the third move of the at-bat. Vazquez struck out swinging, and the game of manager roulette ended "advantage Rangers." Last Hope? Keuchel surprisingly came out in the top of the ninth for his fifth inning of work, and while the inning started easily enough, it ended stressfully. Most importantly, the inning ended without any more Rangers runs, and the Twins just needed one to tie in the bottom of the ninth against Rangers closer Aroldis Chapman. Matt Wallner led off the inning with what he thought was a walk, but a close call kept him at home plate for an eventual strike out. Taylor followed with an actual walk, and then Chapman started throwing the ball around in ways that helped the Twins greatly. First, he lost track of his "engagements" to first, and Taylor was awarded second base. This set the stage for Donovan Solano to keep on raking in August, as he laced a single to center to tie the game! A wild pitch put Solano at second base with one out. Polanco struck out, Kepler walked, and Correa came up in yet another potential hero's moment. A swinging strikeout later, and it was time for the hero to emerge in extra innings. Who Will Prevail? Keuchel's ability to last through five innings set the Twins up with a mostly clean bullpen to utilize in extra innings, whereas the Rangers had used up their biggest weapons. Jhoan Duran came in to take the 10th inning, and Correa immediately booted a ground ball that would have either caught the ghost runner Lowe napping at second or the batter Mitch Garver at first. Neither event occurred, and suddently Duran was in trouble. A harmless fly ball and a 5-4-3 double play later, and the trouble tables had turned. Josh Sborz got the call for the Rangers, and the first man he faced was Lewis with Correa occupying second base as the winning run. Royce got fans exited with a flare to right, but it was caught easily enough. Jeffers and Vazquez (remember that Julien substitution?) both went down quietly to send everyone to another inning of free baseball. Caleb Thielbar redeemed himself nicely from his recent homer happy relieving, and set down the Rangers quietly in the 11th. Sborz again trotted out to the mound to pitch. He induced a pop fly from Wallner, which should have been harmless enough. Unfortunately and shockingly for Twins fans, we got to witness what happens when pinch runner Joey Gallo bluffs a tag to third and then falls down. I kid you not. Suddenly the bases were empty with two out, and Taylor's fly out to center field sent the defense back onto the field. Emilio Pagan got three straight outs in the top of the 12th, but unfortunately the first two were deep fly balls, and Leody Taveras didn't fall down at any point during his tagging up en route to scoring the go-ahead run. In order for the Twins to avoid hanging the loss on a guy who only recorded outs, they needed to bring in Taylor from second base after not having even advanced a ghost runner so far this game. Solano battled lefty Brock Burke into a walk on a full count. Polanco stepped up looking to tie the game, and Burke sent a bouncing pitch through the legs of both catcher and umpire, moving Solano and Polanco both into scoring position with nobody out. Polanco battled off pitch after pitch, until he won the battle and tied the game with a ground ball that scored Taylor but caught Solano in no-man's land and unexplicably out at third in the second baserunning gaffe in as many innings. This error on the paths stung immediately, as Kepler laced a "should-have-been-game-winning" single to center. Instead of enjoying a team gatorade bath, the Twins were left hoping that Correa would come up big. He didn't. He hit into his 26th double-play of the season, and to the 13th we headed. Dylan Floro was forced to come out of the pen. Odds are that many, many, many people lost prop bets on whether or not the Rangers would score against Floro, because he struck out two and left the ghost runner right where he belonged to give the offense yet another golden opportunity to salvage this game. With Correa on second, Lewis came up empty, striking out swinging at ball four a foot out of the zone from new Ranger Jonathan Hernandez. The announcers claimed the shadows were to blame...but its not a new facet of the Twins offense to strike out repeatedly. Gallo redeemed himself a bit by avoiding swinging altogether to take the walk that Lewis and Jeffers should have taken, bringing up Wallner yet again with the chance to send Twins fans home happy. He didn't get out, as he worked another walk to load the bases with two outs. Hernandez was throwing airbenders, the shadows were hiding the pitches, and yet the Twins just needed one more thing to go their way. Turns out that one more thing was Michael A. Taylor standing at home plate with the bat on his shoulder. And every single fan in Twins Territory will be enjoying that walk-off walk for the next 24 hours! Twins win! Twins win! The Minnesota Twins...win! Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins square off against the Guardians in an attempt to wipe any lingering threat away from their division lead. RHP Kenta Maeda (3-7, 4.22 ERA) will face Cleveland RHP Xzavion Curry (3-2, 3.51 ERA) in the first of six games in ten days versus the Guardians. Bullpen usage might necessitate a roster move, or another piggy-backer? First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Jax 14 15 0 28 0 57 Durán 33 0 0 12 9 54 Winder 0 46 0 0 0 46 Pagán 21 0 0 14 11 46 Thielbar 22 0 0 10 11 43 Sands 0 0 32 0 0 32 Floro 0 0 0 12 19 31 Balazovic 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

The Twins have talked about a six-man rotation since spring training. In the season's final weeks, the timing might be suitable for the team to execute this strategy and put the team in a better position for the playoffs. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports After an injury-plagued 2022 season, the Twins front office has prioritized depth at multiple positions when building the 2023 roster. That included trading fan favorite Luis Arraez for Pablo Lopez last winter. With the move, the Twins pushed Bailey Ober, an established big-league starter, to the sixth spot on the rotational depth chart behind Lopez, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda. Mahle and Maeda were returning from injuries, so there was some question as to whether or not injuries would impact the rotation before the team headed north from Fort Myers. Minnesota stayed healthy this spring and decided against a six-man rotation to begin the year. Ober headed to Triple-A, and Mahle and Maeda occupied the rotation's final two spots. Teams can never have too much pitching, and that adage has shown to be true during the 2023 campaign. Mahle was limited to five starts before needing Tommy John surgery. Maeda headed to the injured list with a right triceps strain and missed 51 games. Minnesota's rotation continued to thrive, but the rigors of a 162-game season might mean the timing is right to revisit the idea of a six-man rotation. Joe Ryan's imminent return from the IL is just one of the reasons the Twins are considering a six-man rotation. Ryan was a borderline All-Star in the first half before becoming home run-prone in the second half. Eventually, he admitted to the team that he was dealing with a groin injury. Dallas Keuchel filled his roster spot and has seen mixed results during his Twins tenure. Keuchel's performance will play a prominent role in the team's plan for a six-man rotation, but more on that later. Other pitchers' performances are pushing the Twins toward considering a six-man rotation. Bailey Ober has already passed his career high in innings pitched and hasn't looked nearly as sharp in recent outings. Over his last five starts (24 IP), he has allowed 16 earned runs in 24 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and seven walks. Home runs have been one of the most significant issues, as he has surrendered six home runs, and opponents have posted a .953 OPS against him. To manage his workload, the Twins can shift to a six-man rotation, giving him fewer starts during the stretch run. Kenta Maeda has been one of the Twins' best pitchers in the second half, with a 3.46 ERA and a 53-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just under 42 second-half innings pitched. However, he is the oldest pitcher in the rotation and is in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. If the Twins want Maeda to be 100% in October, it might be best to give him time to recuperate between starts the rest of the way. Sonny Gray was an All-Star in the first half and compiled some video game numbers in the process. He hasn't looked as sharp in recent outings, especially in the third time through a line-up. Gray's ERA is 1.7 runs higher in innings 4-6 than innings 1-3 and jumps to a 12.60 ERA in innings 7-9. Batters have a .507 OPS against Gray during their first plate appearance and a .670 OPS in the second and third time facing him. In the playoffs, starters are usually pulled after five innings or fewer, so this might work in Gray's favor down the stretch. So, who is available to fill the sixth rotation spot? The Dallas Keuchel experiment has seen some positive results, with the Twins winning two of his first three starts. He took a perfect game into the seventh inning against a lowly Pirates line-up after getting blown up by the Phillies in his previous start. Minnesota's leash with Keuchel is likely short, but Louie Varland has also performed well at Triple-A. If neither fits into the rotation, they are both options to move to a bullpen role for the stretch run. Will a six-man rotation benefit the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and join the discussion. View full article