RSS Twins Team Notes

[Minnesota Twins]

The Real MVP of 2005

In the year 2005, MLB’s Most Valuable Player awards went to Alex Rodriguez (AL) & Albert Pujols (NL). But any baseball fan under, say, 30 years old at the time knew the real MVP of the ‘05 season—the EA Sports sim that just might be the best baseball video game ever constructed.

A brief rewind…

I grew up playing various baseball sims in the 1990s and early 2000s—each with their pros and cons. Tony La Russa Baseball II was marvelous at simming stats and seasons—but this was often the gameplay experience. Triple Play 2000 for the PC had a great Home Run Derby mode—but not much else. All Star Baseball 2001 was okay for the Nintendo ‘64 (I once played an entire season with the Boston Red Sox simply because I loved Pedro Martinez & Nomar Garciaparra)—but sort of a one-trick pony.

Then the Sixth Generation of video game consoles dropped—Nintendo Gamecube (my brand of choice), Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, & Sega Dreamcast—and I wandered in the desert of baseball sims for a few years. All Star Baseball 2002 for the Gamecube was atrocious, EA’s MVP Baseball 2004 was just okay, and Madden NFL games were SO GOOD at the time that I found myself playing a lot more pixilated pigskin.

But on May 18, 2005, EA Sports changed the baseball gaming landscape—releasing MVP Baseball 2005 for the GCN, XBOX, PS2, & PC. There’s a strong case to be made that no sweet-swinging software has surpassed it since.

What made MVP ‘05 so iconic? Let us count the ways…

Gameplay​

Every solid gaming experience starts with, well, the gameplay engine. Baseball sims are notoriously terrible at this—usually on the “impossible to get a hit or even make contact” front. Somehow, EA developers hit the sweet spot (pardon the pun) of making pitching feel extremely smooth while also not overwhelming the batting experience. Having pitchers naturally wear down—and thus more difficult to execute Brad Radke-esque control—was a masterstroke, allowing for more action in the later innings. While playing MVP ‘05 against the CPU or friends/family, I had as many slugfests as pitcher’s duels.

Minigames & Unlockables​

Have you ever wanted to take batting practice where you could smash suspended trash cans or tattoo roving tractors? Well, MVP ‘05’s hitting mini game is for you! Endlessly addictive.

On the pitching side, the hit-the-colored-squares bullpen mode let players sharpen their pinpoint accuracy on the bump. I don’t care how small those squares got—I was bullseye-ing them with peak Johan Santana.

I can also say with absolutely no equivocation that I unlocked more items in MVP ‘05 than any other video game I ever booted up. From classic players to old stadiums (the Polo Grounds!) to retro-jerseys (some going back to the early 1900’s!), I was motivated to rack up in-game achievements to access the likes of Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, & Nolan Ryan (with whom I nearly spun a no-no) amongst many others.

Sox Synergy​

With Manny Ramirez on the cover and the intro video leaning heavily into the magical 2004 Boston Red Sox run, MVP ‘05 felt in tune with the cultural zeitgeist. Sure, the Twins were my preferred squad—but I certainly played my share of Red Sox-versus-Yankees contests just to stick it to the Bronx Bombers in the digital domain like the BoSox had done the previous October.

Mic-men & Music​

It was a genius decision to employee the vocal talents of San Francisco Giants broadcasters Duane Kuiper & Mike Krukow for the play-by-play and in-game banter. To this day when I hear them on the mic I think “those are the guys from the game!”.

EA Sports also had a knack for curating perfect sporting soundtracks—and MVP ’05 is no different. You haven’t lived if you never zoned out in mini games to Funny Little Feeling, Pressure Point, or The IROC Z Song.

The Little Things​

• A full minor league farm system for every MLB organization
• “John Dowd” hilariously being the replacement for Barry Bonds, who was—of course—not part of the MLBPA licensing agreement
• The ability to charge the mound (hahaha)!
• A modding community that continues to this day. I had to see this first-hand, so a few months ago I garnered updated 2025 rosters. The amount of time and meticulous player-crafting by folks in the gaming community shows how beloved MVP ‘05 really is.

Alas, MVP ‘05 was a one-hit wonder. In 2006, EA lost MLBPA/MLBAM exclusivity—with 2K Sports swooping in with a better offer. 2K baseball sims had a few good moments—2K10 with Evan Longoria on the cover was solid—but overall they were fairly buggy. One edition had the persistent glitch of first basemen pulling their feet off the bag before recording outs. Another absolutely would not allow tags at third base—so base running was chaos.

In 2014, MLB: The Show became the exclusive home of MLB name-and-likeness. I’ve largely been out of the “new gaming” scene for a number of years now, but the editions of The Show I did play (roughly 2015-2018) were fun—if lacking the same charm as EA’s efforts (adolescent nostalgia probably plays a not-insignificant role here).

Like I said, I’m not much of a gamer anymore—that hobby having largely been replaced by cinema, scripted TV drama, & blogging with a bunch of crazy Twins die-hards (looks around and chuckles). But I do have a 4-year old nephew now and Nintendo does have a new console (Switch 2) out, so there’s a real possibility I might be dipping back into the likes of Mario Kart World or Super Smash Bros Ultimate soon.

But at a time—two decades ago—when baseball was still perched atop the American sporting landscape (perhaps more than ever thanks to the Miracle Sox) and I had just graduated high school (perhaps the most fertile time for gaming), MVP 2005 will always represent the zenith of that realm to me.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...mvp-baseball-2005-ea-sports-nintendo-gamecube

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 140: White Sox at Twins

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy

Know thine enemy: South Side Sox

The Twins are back in action against the Southsiders, who are rapidly approaching them in the standings. Taj Bradley is looking to build off his excellent start last time out, where he apparently read a scouting report for the first time in his career. The White Sox will counter with a pitcher by the name of Fraser Ellard, who I’ve never heard of before, but does happen to throw with his left hand, meaning the Twins are in for a long night.

Lineups​

I’m including the Twins players’ season OPS vs lefties just for fun too. The lefty thing is truly not over-exaggerated.

Twins

P: Taj Bradley

1. Luke Keaschall, 2B (.471, yikes!)
2. Trevor Larnach, DH (.584, oofta!)
3. Ryan Jeffers, C (.869, yeehaw!)
4. Kody Clemens, 1B (.369, your cleanup hitter!)
5. Royce Lewis, 3B (.749, let’s hear it for being average!)
6. Matt Wallner, RF (.752, not as bad as I thought!)
7. Austin Martin, LF (1.008, historically reverse splits though!)
8. James Outman, CF (.178, yowza!)
9. Ryan Fitzgerald, SS (.143, yeehaw but negative this time!)

White Sox

P: Fraser Ellard

1. Edgar Quero, DH
2. Kyle Teel, C
3. Lenyn Sosa, 1B
4. Colson Montgomery, SS
5. Curtis Mead, 3B
6. Andrew Benintendi, LF
7. Chase Meidroth, 2B
8. Brooks Baldwin, RF
9. Michael A. Taylor, CF

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48839/game-140-white-sox-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Royals 2, Twins 1: Our side can’t hit and our manager hates happiness

Pablo López returns pretty strong, all things considering. But the Twins can’t do much against Michael Wacha, and can’t do anything at all against the Royals’ bullpen, and Rocco ticks me off tonight. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Four pitches deliver two Twins outs. At least Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens make starter Wacha work a little before Austin Martin produces the final out on the second pitch he sees.

Apparently Royals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino’s nickname is the Pasquatch? OK. Like Bigfoot, he’s hard to capture, or at least the ball he hits is; Buxton makes a valiant effort, but it’s a double. He doesn’t score. Maybe later he will. During or following the game.

2: Royce Lewis takes a walk and steals. That’s cool! Unfortunately this is when backup backup catcher Jhonny “Crash Davis” Pereda is hitting, which is to say not hitting, so Lewis isn’t going anywhere. Unless he gets good again in the next few years and is about to become a star. Then the Twins will trade him for a Player To Be Conceived Later.

A two-out walk for Pablo but nothing comes of it. The hitter he walks, Jac Caglianone, was a two-way player in college. But a college pitcher with a 4.55 ERA probably isn’t gonna be encouraged to pitch in the majors. Still, talented guy. He doesn’t score. He might later — only during the game. He is Pure Of Groin.

3: The Twins do nothing. With two outs, the Pasquatch does. And then his less-furry teammate, Makiel Garcia, makes a homer. This game is over 0-2

4: Still over, but at least it’s “Moving Right Along.” This is a Muppet Movie reference. Fozzie Bear and Kermit sing that song, written by Paul Williams of Phantom of the Paradise. Fozzie Bear’s catch phrase is “wacha wacha wacha.” The Twins have one hit off Wacha. All things are connected.

Looking at the last week of Saints promotions… there’s Fighting Saints Night, Teacher Appreciation Night (with no free tickets or discounts for teachers), a Monster Food Truck Rally, and “Bluey and Bingo presented by Wanta Thome Law!”

Boy, things sure have changed. I remember when the Saints had things like The Death of Rasputin. Or Atheist Night, which featured two fans running the bases, to be first in the race to begin Evolution. When one dived first into a slip-and-slide at home, representing the “primordial ooze,” the fan looked around and the P.A. announcer said, “are you wondering what you win in the end? It’s an atheist race! There’s NOTHING at the end!”

That was pretty funny. I miss Midway. Speaking of which, I took this outside the library a few years ago:

Me too.

5: Ha-ha, now that I’ve ragged on the guy, who is it but Pereda to deliver the Twins’ first RBI after a Brooks Lee double? I take it back, Jhonny is the new Joe.

Despite a leadoff single by #9 hitter Kyle Isbel, Pablo comes back strong with two strikeouts and a Pasquatch flyout. I’d guess he’s done, his first game back from injury with 77 pitches? A strong outing in any case. Team from that Lorde song 2-1

6: It’s certainly the end of the night for Wacha after only 83 pitches, on a two-out Martin double. Unfortunately the Royals’ bullpen is pretty good. Or, for our purposes, “the Royals’ bullpen has three left-handers.” The Twins don’t do well against left-handers. Or right-handers. But they are worse against lefties. Zerpa is a lefty. Matt Wallner grounds out.

Uh-oh. Garcia singles, and Salvador Perez hits what MIGHT have been a double play, but Lee boots it, everybody’s safe. Then Pereda catches Garcia napping at second! He IS the new Joe. Then a strikeout and pop-out and Pablo gets out of it! Well, done, sir.

7: Twins still bad against lefties. Kody Funderburkerer forestalls the eventual Pen Meltdown.

8: Another Royals lefty pitching, Daniel Lynch IV. ‘Cause that’s such an amazing name, Lord forbid you break the generational tradition with a “Larry” or “David” or whatever. Trevor Larnach actually gets a lefty-on-lefty hit, and advances to second on a groundout. A righty gets Martin for the final out. Larnach doesn’t score. He never will. He’s a sworn Vestal Virgin and doesn’t want to get buried alive. (Yes, that’s what they did to Vestal Virgins who slipped up.)

Justin “Varies Up Who’s On” Topa keeps the score the same.

9: Rocco fail. Rocco HUGE FAIL. Let’s break this down…

Righthanded closer Carlos Estévez pitching. With two outs, Brooks Lee walks. Bringing up #9 hitter, Jhonny Pereda. Who’s had an RBI double, a walk, and a key pickoff! Let the man hit, Rocco! It would be a neat story if he was the hero! This game DOESN’T MATTER!

Nope, the spreadsheet says “pinch hit with switch-hitter in righty-on-righty situation.” So Mickey Gasper hits. And flies out.

I don’t mind decisions that backfire in key games, if the numbers say it’s the right decision. You can make a case for that, and it’s how almost every manager in baseball does things now.

But gawd da**it, Rocco, this game’s unimportant, you had the opportunity to give us something to enjoy, and you crapped all over it.

And if that ain’t the Twins this year, I dunno what is.

Studs of the game go to Pereda anyway, and Pablo López for some nice Houdini work later on. Duds go to Lee for two errors (both were kinda-tough plays), and Rocco for Hating Fun (as Zach pointed out).

COTG go to the Financial Sector discussion, nice Grandma discussion, and then a Teens Purchasing Things Teens Shouldn’t followed by Bad Bottom-Shelf Wine discussion. Plus BobbyDarwinFanClub for explaining the username:

“Bobby was my first favorite Twin for the silliest of reasons, his last name was the same as my much older sister’s husband’s first name. I was probably only 7 or 8 at the time. Didn’t hurt, though that he had a couple of pretty good years at the time. At the old Met, there were two seats high in the upper decks painted (red and yellow?) to mark the longest home runs hit by Twins players… Killebrew, and Darwin. Killebrew’s was the longest of the two, of course”

Really, thanks a ton everybody for keeping these gamethreads fun. You’re the best!

Tomorrow’s game is at 6:15 on FOX, and features Joe Ryan for our gang against something called a Stephen Kolek for the Royals. Enjoy the weekend if ya got one!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...side-cant-hit-and-our-manager-hates-happiness

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Royals 11, Twins 2: Ah! Well. Nevertheless,

In the game thread, I mentioned that lately the Twins tend to either hit or pitch, never do both. Well, tonight they decided to neither.

All-Star Joe Ryan had his worst start of the season as he couldn’t find the strike zone in an out-of-character, walk-filled outing. After walking the first two batters of the game, an RBI double by Vinnie Pasquantino and three-run dong from Salvador Perez gave the Royals a 4-0 lead before Ryan recorded an out. KC made it a five run first when it was all said and done.

Ryan looked better in the second but was lifted after two innings and 62 pitches. He was apparently battling an illness and there’s no reason to put undue stress on your ace at this point of the season. Unfortunately, the Twins also only have 1.25 good relievers so this one was a wrap as soon as Ryan exited. Thomas Hatch and Brooks Kriske were on mop-up duty and both were bad, to varying degrees. Michael Tonkin pitched a clean ninth, so that’s something, I suppose.

Offensively, there just wasn’t much going on. The Twins added two runs in the third inning thanks to RBI knocks from their lone two good hitters (Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall), but Royals starter Stephen Kolek did a good job scattering singles and limiting damage. At the end of the day, Minnesota went 1-9 with runners in scoring position and had just two extra base hits and two walks all night. Bad at-bats, bad approaches, and boring offense. Even when the Twins were in the playoff hunt, this was how the lineup was looking more often than not.

Some final fun facts:

• Twins have the worst record in baseball since the trade deadline, a whopping four wins behind the St. Louis Cardinals who are second worst.
• They have the second worst record in baseball since June 1. For those of you counting at home, they still had all their good players for two of those three months!
• Don’t fact check me on this one, but I think James Outman might never get a hit again.

STUDS

• HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

DUDS

• Joe “Down with the Sickness” Ryan: 2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
• ThomBrooks Hatske: Why are we giving journeyman, mid-30s pitchers run when there’s a slew of AAA pitchers who could be getting experience
• Mick Abel, Marco Raya, Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Pierson Ohl, Kendry Rojas: apparently!
• All hitters not named Buxton or Keaschall

But hey! We get to watch Justin Jefferson play football on Monday. Skol!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/48887/royals-11-twins-2-ah-well-nevertheless

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 5, Royals 1: The minimum amount of my attention

The scene above is from one of my all-time favorite movies—2010’s The Social Network. It also accurately describes my interest in following the exploits of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club, LLC today.

You see, I’m also an NFL fanatic in addition to my hardball hankerings. So when the Twins are bad—especially 0-for-September bad heading into this game—my sporting proclivities pivot to the pigskin. But with the Vikings not kicking off until under the Monday Night lights, as Angelica from the Rugrats so eloquently states: “I got sponserbileries now”. Thus, the recap must go on.

But hey, guess what—the Twins bagged a win in September!!!

As has happened so many times this 2025 season, Byron Buxton lit up the board first—this time clocking bomb #30 off Michael Lorenzen! His career season continues.

The long ball contributed to the game’s next score, with Kody Clemens depositing a Lorenzen offering past the Kauffman Stadium confines, allowing Matt Wallner to trot home as well. 3-0 MIN.

The fourth run also went to the visitors in T6, though it certainly wasn’t of the power variety. It will go down in the books as a steal of home from Luke Keaschall, even if more of a “scamper home while Royce Lewis steals second on a pickoff attempt” sort of scenario. Either way, Keaschall contacted the irregular pentagon. 4-0 MIN.

Twins SP Bailey Ober did cough up a run on a Vinnie Pasquantino single in B6, but Big Bailey was mostly beautiful: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 1 BB. 4-1 MIN.

A bout of KC reliever wildness produced two consecutive BBs—the second a merry-go-round at every base including the home one occupied by Wallner. 5-1 MIN.

Bullpen of Doom (TM) you say? Not today. The Sands-Funderburk-Topa-Cabrera combo-platter was perfect (let’s all just collectively forget KC loading the bases in B8 & B9 and clenching some sphincters).

Your Final: Minnesota Twins 5, Kansas City Royals 1

A win. Enough said. SKOL Vikings in Chicago tomorrow night!

Up next: Twinkie Town After Dark (TM) in the O.C. (M night, T night, W late-afternoon)

Studs​

• Me: Committing to do this recap
• Buxton: HR #30
• Clemens: HR #16 (who would have ever anticipated that)
• Ober: He can pitch well in KC!

Duds​

• Me: Committing to do this recap
• Buxton having to leave the game with a knee contusion after being HBP
• The Pohlad Ownership Group (perma-dud)

Comment of the Game​

• BH-Baseball describing the play in which Keaschall scampered home.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...idnt-want-to-follow-this-game-but-im-reliable

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 143: Twins at Royals

FIRST PITCH: 1:10 PM CDT​

TV: Twins.TV​

RADIO: TREASURE ISLAND BASEBALL NETWORK​

KNOW THINE ENEMY: Royals Review​

One of my all-time favorite jokes to tell at parties goes like this:

A man walks into a bar with a dog. The man tells the bartender “I have the world’s only talking dog—try him”.

So, the bartender—about to kick the wise guy out—turns to the dog and asks “how’s the stock market?”. The dog says “ruff, ruff!”

“Impressive”, says the bartender, “but here’s a tougher one: who’s the greatest home run hitter of all-time?” The dog: “Roof, roof!”

The bartender immediately throws man & dog out onto the street. The dog turns to the man and says: “I guess I should have said Hank Aaron”.

I don’t get invited back to a ton of parties.

Anyway, that’s just one example of how Man’s Best Friend & baseball (definitely no trouble differentiating those two in 2025 Twins Territory) can intertwine.

Last Tuesday, I attended another Bark at the Park with two of my sisters. Considering the Twins got shellacked (12-3) by the Chicago White Sox, it was refreshing to do something with canines other than gnashing them.

The doggie tale of the tape…

First we have Maui—a golden retriever with monkey-&-cymbals between the ears but boundless enthusiasm. The Willi Castro of dogs. I’ve taken Maui on 12+ miles of walking in a single day and never does she lag a step.

Next up is Miss Mia the golden doodle, the youngest of the bunch. Essentially a human being in shag carpet. Devoted chaser of rabbits—yet spooked by a rustling branch. Requires near-constant attention/affection at the ballpark. I’ve never seen Mia do one mean thing to human or animal. The Joe Mauer (circa 2004-2006) of dogs.

Finally there’s Kona—golden retriever #2 and the old, wisened “Shadow” of the group. She’s not my dog—but I could take her home and she’d never look back. She’s walked many miles at my side and curled up next to me during nights at the family cabin. Kona is extremely food-motivated (I’m fortunate the hot dog pic doesn’t include my finger down her gullet!) and incredibly loyal—which also makes her a little mean sometimes. Easily the most likely to snap at another dog who comes between her and her favorite people. The Kent Hrbek of dogs.

One could argue that Bark at the Park nights are just another in a long line of gimmicks to get paying admission to a ballpark—and in actual fact they are exactly that. But don’t tell that to Kona, Maui, & Mia—who got to spend a night hammering hot dogs, sniffing new scents, & sitting next to their favorite people.

Any bite in this lineup today—or will it be all bark:

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-dog-days-recap-goldendoodle-golden-retriever

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Fight for the Cellar” Edition

After finishing last week on a high note, the Twins decided to take that momentum and promptly lose six straight games, including four to the bottom-dwelling Chicago White Sox. Thankfully, it’s mathematically impossible for the Twins to have their first 100-loss season since 2016, but they are well on their way to their worst season since that year.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Need to vent about the Twins? Or provide some reasons to calm down? Check out our Game Threads and join the conversation!
• In case you forgot what happened this past weekend, our Game Recaps are back as well!
• With the new site change, we also now have The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Zach Koenig states the case for the best baseball video game ever.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Dan Hayes at The Athletic gives us a peek behind the curtain at one of the unsung heroes of the Twins’ staff, replay coordinator Joey Casey. ($)
• Phil Miller at the Star Tribune shares Joe Ryan’s thoughts on a pivotal transaction the Twins didn’t make in the 2024 offseason. ($)
• Lou Hennessey at Zone Coverage takes a good look at the Twins’ bullpen, post-trade deadline.

In the World of Baseball:

• The AL Standings have flipped, with the Toronto Blue Jays now holding a 0.5-game lead over the Tigers, although the Tigers do have a game in hand. The Astros sit atop the AL West, and the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners round out the wild card spots. The Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Guardians, and Tampa Bay Rays are all still within the hunt for the last wild card spot.
• Nothing has changed in the National League. The top three in the NL continue to be the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers are still leading the NL West, and the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets hold the last two wild card spots.
• Dan Szymborski at Fangraphs takes a look at the opt-out candidates for this offseason.
• Jorge Castillo at ESPN checks in on the Mets rotation – and the three rookies hoping to make an impact in October.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/48933/monday-morning-minnesota-the-fight-for-the-cellar-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 12, Angels 3: Royce shines in Orange County

The Twins win. The Vikings win. A good night for Minnesota. The Twins have now won six in a row against the Angels. In the four games this year, the Twins have outscored the Angels 33-8.

The Twins started this one out in the second inning with a Royce Lewis home run to center field, Larnach scored. Same inning though, Angels would take the lead with a Mike Trout RBI single. Royce would homer again in the fifth, this time to left, Larnach crosses home again. Lewis grew up in the area and had many family and friends at the game.

Royce Lewis grew up in Orange County

He homers in his first at-bat at Angel Stadium! pic.twitter.com/D9oSIuoeF6

— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2025

Royce Lewis, have a night! pic.twitter.com/IGew36QKvu

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 9, 2025

Then the wheels were off for the Angels. Yoan Moncada had two errors, James Outman hit a home run, Matt Wallner hit an RBI double and Luke Keaschall went 3-6 with 2 RBI. Overall a stellar hitting performance for the Twins without Buxton in the lineup as he is day-to-day after being HBP in the Royals series. The Angels had four errors in this game.

Simeon Woods Richardson got the win, striking out six in five innings. He gave up three runs and is now 6-4. Greek Mythology arms Travis Adams struck out four batters in 1 2/3 innings of relief, a good outing for him. The young Caden Dana struck out a career-high nine Twins, but the 21-year-old recorded his first loss.

This was Royce Lewis’ third multi-home run game. He did so earlier this year in Colorado and of course in his epic performance against the Blue Jays in the 2023 American League Wild Card Series Game 1 where his homers scored all three runs for the Twins.

Next up – Twins are back in action against the Angels tomorrow night, same time same place. RHP Zebby Matthews (4-4) gets the start for the Twins, Kyle Hendricks (6-9) for the Angels.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/48944/twins-12-angels-3

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 144: Twins at Angels

First Pitch: 8:38 p.m. Central

TV: Twins.tv

Radio: TI Baseball Network <— Click to find your station

Opposing Team: Halos Heaven

I feel like I start my Monday game threat posts with this often — times are tough. For anyone not watching the Vikings and J.J. McCarthy play MNF tonight, here is the Twins lineup against the Angels.

Twins Lineup

1. A. Martin LF
2. M. Wallner RF
3. L. Keaschall 2B
4. T. Larnach DH
5. R. Lewis 3B
6. K. Clemens 1B
7. B. Lee SS
8. M. Gasper C
9. J. Outman CF

P. SWR RHP

Angels Lineup

1. M. Trout DH
2. Y. Moncada 3B
3. Z. Neto SS
4. T. Ward LF
5. J. Adell RF
6. L. Rengifo 2B
7. O. Peraza 1B
8. S. Rivero C
9. B. Teodosio CF

P. C. Dana RHP

While most eyes may have shifted to football, the 4th placed Twins are taking on the 4th placed Angels in a three-game series in Los Angeles tonight. The Twins swept the Angels in their only other matchup this season, 3-0. Entering tonight’s game, the Twins are 18.5 games back from the Tigers. The Angels are 10.5 behind the Astros.

The Twins managed a win against the Royals Sunday to avoid a sweep, but it came at a cost. Twins star Byron Buxton suffered a left knee contusion after getting hit by pitch, exiting the game. He is currently listed as day-to-day by the team. Ryan Jeffers is on the 7-day concussion IL.

For the Twins Simeon Woods Richardson is looking to get his 6th win of the season. He’s 5-4 with a 4.53 ERA. He beat the Angels earlier in the year in his only appearance against the team. Twins won that game 5-1 on April 26. Richardson is going up against a 21-year-old righty in Caden Dana. This is his 5th career start in the MLB.

Go Twins!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48937/game-144-twins-at-angels

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Angels 12, Twins 2: Pain

Zebby Matthews had a rough start tonight, and the bullpen wasn’t much better, in fact, they were even worse. Combine that with 0 hitting and it’s a recipe for a blowout.

In the 1st, a two-run single by Luis Rengifo and a steal of home made it a 3-0 game. A pair of 2-out singles in the 5th pushed the Angels lead to 5-0. Meanwhile, the Twins couldn’t get anything off of Kyle Hendricks, aside from a couple singles by Byron Buxton.

In the 6th, Chris Taylor hit his 2nd homer of the year, a 3-run shot that put the Angels up 9-0. In the 7th, another 3-run blast, this time by Yoan Moncada, made it 12-0. All of these runs were scored with 2 outs, by the way. Kyle Hendricks ends up going 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 6.

Ryan Fitzgerald came in to pitch in the 8th, gave up two hits, but got a scoreless inning. Then, he hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th. Sadly, no 10-run rally ensued, giving us our final score of 12-2. At least something fun happened.

Studs:

Ryan Fitzgerald: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R. 1-1, HR, 2 RBI

Byron Buxton: 2-3, SB

Austin Martin: 2-3, R

Duds:

Zebby Matthews: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Trevor Larnach: 0-3, 2K

Royce Lewis: 0-4, error

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/48969/angels-12-twins-2-pain

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Angels 4, Twins 3: Not quite alive enough

No puns on Outman’s surname today. | Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images

Hey!

They were up, they were down;
Had a smile, had a frown:
We ain’t asking for much:
Come on guys, now it’s gametime:
We’re just looking for some clutch.

Outman up, hit a jack.
Extra bases, brought one back
To break out of the hutch.
Come on guys, now it’s gametime:
We’re just looking for some clutch.

We had Taj on the mound,
He pitched a gem all around
With no need of a crutch.
Come on guys, now it’s gametime:
We’re just looking for some clutch.

…those are all the lyrics?

Play it again!

Had some skill, had some luck;
Tied it up thanks to Buck
With his masterful touch.
Come on guys, now it’s gametime:
We’re just looking for some clutch.

But alas, in the eighth,
Leadoff triple fell our faith,
Then came Jansen the Dutch.*
There were highs in this gametime,
But they couldn’t in the clutch.

There were hits but a miss,
And the Comment to my sis:
“He should sing about trucks!”**
Not a prize in this gametime
Because losing really sucks.

* Well, Curaçaoan. But he’s played for the Netherlands in international competition, and “Curaçaoan” doesn’t rhyme with “clutch.”

** When Angels reliever Andrew Chafin entered the game, my sister, who kept score, said, “That pitcher looks like he should be singing about his truck.”

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-enough-taj-bradley-james-outman-byron-buxton

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 146: Twins at Angels

First Pitch: 3:07 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, TheWolf 102.9 FM, Audacy
Know Yo’ Foe: Crashing the Pearly Gates

Are you gonna bring it home tonight?
Are you gonna try, but say, “not quite”?
Are you gonna swing and make an out,
Flat-batting Twins with owners mocking of this town.

(…yay.)
On the road or home locale,
It’s been bad for our morale
Observing quad-A guys whose roles have all increased.
And the quotes from Joe and Fa’vey
Draped in posh with nature chavvy;
Hey big dummy: we know the fanbase has been fleeced.
(…go ‘way.)

Far too many in our nine
Bat below Mendoza’s Line;
Oft befuddled in a doozy with the wood.
Yes, it’s baseball, and I smile,
But it’s been grating for awhile;
Why keep watching? Joe won’t try to make it good.
(…come on.)

Are you gonna bring it home tonight?
Are you gonna try, but say, “not quite”?
Go out and give it all you’ve got,
Flat-batting Twins with owners mocking of this town,
Flat-batting Twins with owners mocking of this town.

(Hey, listen here.)
Now at the Angels’ Cali home
In an everlasting gloam,
Lacking owners who might breathe humanity,
I tell you:
Since it feels our hope is stolen,
This prep that wrecks my colon
Feels much better than ‘25 has trend’t to be.

Are (oh no) you gonna bring it home tonight? (please?)
Are you gonna try, but say, “not quite”?
Are you gonna swing and make an out,
Flat-batting Twins with owners mocking of this town,
Flat-batting Twins with owners mocking of this town.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...j-bradley-rubber-game-butts-butts-butts-butts

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 145: Twins at Angels

First Pitch: 8:38 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy

Know thine enemy: Halos Heaven

Zebby gets the start tonight and has had a couple of good starts in a row, going 6 innings in both and allowing just 3 runs total. His mound opponent, Kyle Hendricks, also has had a couple good starts coming into this game.

Today’s Lineups​

Byron Buxton – CF	Mike Trout – DH
Austin Martin – LF	Yoan Moncada – 3B
Trevor Larnach – DH	Zach Neto – SS
Luke Keaschall – 2B	Taylor Ward – LF
Matt Wallner – RF	Jo Adell – RF
Royce Lewis – 3B	Luis Rengifo – 2B
Brooks Lee – SS	Oswald Peraza – 1B
Edouard Julien – 1B	Sebastian Rivero – C
Jhonny Pereda – C	Bryce Teodosio – CF
Zebby Matthews – RHP	Kyle Hendricks – RHP

[th]

TWINS​

[/th]​

[th]

ANGELS​

[/th]​

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48953/game-145-twins-at-angels

 

[Minnesota Twins]

The ‘05 Twins end up in the spin cycle

When we last looked at the 2005 Twins, they were wishing on Bret Boone to bolster a boondoggle offense. Yikes.

Though the failed Boone experiment foreshadowed the lack of a fourth consecutive AL Central pennant, Gardy’s ‘05 bunch didn’t collapse down the stretch—going 16-18 from August 27 to the finish line. But an 83-79 final tally wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with a 99-63 Chicago White Sox club that employed mashers like Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, & Carl Everett.

This was especially true when Minnesota bats recorded an 88 team OPS+. Of players eclipsing 350 PA, only Torii Hunter & Joe Mauer were >100 OPS+. It was the last season Scott Ullger had “hitting coach” in his job title.

Put simply: the 2005 Minnesota Twins absolutely could not hit a lick. A bit of a travesty, as this may have been the finest assemblage of arms Rick Anderson ever acquired.

If you filed into the Metrodome in ‘05, there’s a better-than-decent chance you saw Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Carlos Silva, Kyle Lohse, or Joe Mays—and no one else—take the mound in T1. They each contributed 25+ starts and all but Mays had an ERA+ over 100.

Somehow, the bullpen was even better: A pen primarily perpetuated by Joe Nathan, Jesse Crain, Juan Rincon, Terry Mulholland, J.C. Romero, & Matt Guerrier compiled an astounding 147 ERA+.

Despite the disappointing denouement, some fun was had even with the Vikings as co-Dome inhabitants:

• On September 3rd, the Twins turned a vs-Cleveland collapse (Coco Crisp—yes kids, this was a real ballplayer’s name!—sac fly off Nathan to tie the game in T9) into cheers when they walked off after bunts from Juan Castro & Nick Punto corresponding with two CLE errors.
• On September 30th, heralded pitching prospect Francisco Liriano dominated (7 IP, 2 ER, 8 K) Detroit. Kid might have a future.

Oh yeah—and Carl Pohlad was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame. No comment.

The odd thing about 2005: I don’t remember being devastated by the playoff-less punchcard. Perhaps the start of my sophomore session of undergrad studies stilled my sorrow. With a winning record and the outstanding pitching, it was more of a “we’ll get ‘em next year” feeling as opposed to “the sky is falling!”.

Plus, the Vikings were coming off a season where they beat the Cheeseheads in the playoffs—there was no way, say, the franchise QB would be lost (forever) to a knee injury and the team would be involved in a boating sex-scandal. No way.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...005-chicago-white-sox-all-pitching-no-hitting

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 9, Diamondbacks 8: Holy krap, Kody klobbers three klangers in krazy kontest

Pablo López continued his return from injury with a good-enough start, but the night belonged to Kody Clemens. Boy, did it ever. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Our man Pablo walks the leadoff guy, and Walks Will Haunt. So will crappy throws. Geraldo Perdomo steals, and Twins backstop Jhonny Pareda (almost last week’s hero, not quite) airmails the throw into RF. (It looks like the throw woulda beat him, too.) Perdomo scores on a single by 5’10” Corbin Carroll (no relation to former 5’10” Twins Jamey Carroll). Pablo throws a lotta pitches.

The Twins are radio pimpin’ a Buck Truck Night. Here’s the promo:

I mean, if this team didn’t totally bite and the front office didn’t completely hate us all, that might actually be kinda cool. Oh, wait, from the Twins’ website: “This ticket package is sold out.” So they’re pimping a promo on the radio you can’t even buy! Smooth, Twins, smooth. Diamondbacks 1-0

2: Jordan Lawlar doubles on a leadoff hit to left. He is fast. Many teams have fast players these days. The Twins are not one of these teams (except for Buxton). I guess this is Moneyball thinking — slow guys are the new market inefficiency. At least Xena: Warrior Runner doesn’t score. The Twins do not have a hit yet off vowellly thickk-named starter Brandon Pfaadt.

3: This time Pablo doesn’t walk Perdomo… he plunks him. That’s three leadoff hitters on in three innings. It’s not what you want. He gets as far as second. No further, but López at 57 pitches, which is also not what you want.

Radio very excited that the Twins have three Quodees now. Cody Lawerson is a new pitcher. I have no clue who this dude is. He is from Maine. They have lobsters and horror writers (who actually write deceptively profound books at times).

Kody Clemens hits a homer, his 17th! That puts him THIRD on the current roster (behind Buxton and Wallner). Pereda and Bux single, but Wallner GIDPs. Larnach strikes out, leaving this tied 1-1

4: Provus on radio doing an ad for some home security company (newsflash: they’re all ripoffs). About how he’s away from home often so he trusts the company to protect the house. Thing is, though, his wife’s on the ad, too. So why is she out when Cory’s on the road? I ain’t sayin’, I’m just sayin’.

Big Twins action! Kinda. Keaschall, Wallner and Lewis all single to start the inning. Lewis’s single looks quite catchable, so Keaschall has to hold up before advancing to third. Then Brooks Lee hits one just deep enough to score Keaschall tagging from third… but the throw in is cut off and zipped to second, where Wallner is caught napping. TOOTBLAN, Matty. Then Clemens homers again! Gimme a break, this be crazy. Twins 4-1 but left one out there.

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5: Pablo gets close to giving the lead back, assisted by a gunky throw. With two outs and the pitch count climbing, it’s single/walk/grounder to 2nd. Keaschall makes a nice stop to get the grounder, but then he Knoblauchs it into the stands.

A Martin leadoff double and Larnach grounds him to third. Keaschall does that Fundamental Baseball thing and gets him home (so, all forgiven, Luke. Or, most forgiven). Twins 5-2

6: Another Quodee (Funderburk) is pretty good here.

Kody Clemens is, like, the new Kirby. Or the new Lew Ford/Chris Colabello, your choice. (Probably somewhere in between.) He doubles home White Walker Brooks Lee. Twins 6-2

7: Thank goodness for Kody having a night, since Perdomo is, too. Michael “J.R.R.” Tonkin serves up the gopher ball after a leadoff walk. The Twins can’t hit Brandyn Garcia, whose name looks like how a 1980s Valley Girl would spell. Twins 6-4

8: Travis Adams pitches for the Twins. I have NO IDEA who this guy is. His bio says he was born in Palm Springs. A once had a friend who got married in Palm Springs. I was invited, as was Mrs. James. My friend sent a message “make sure she wears a dress.” The implication being that she was not the sort of woman who was feminine enough to own dresses. That was about the end of that friendship.

There’s also a movie, Palm Springs, where Andy Samberg is in kind of a Groundhog Day situation. I remember liking it a lot. I should watch that one again.

9: Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands gives up the leadoff double and plunks Perdomo. Why do the Twins pitchers keep plunking Perdomo? Is he an A.J. Pierzynski level of s**t-talker? I doubt it. NOBODY’s an A.J.-level of s**t-talker.

Ildemaro Vargas grounds into what could have been a DP, but he’s fast. (Again, other teams have fast players.) Carroll singles into RF and defensive replacement James Outman kinds misreads the ball. At least it doesn’t get past him. Gabriel Moreno homers, which means that run left on the board earlier and that Keaschall error came back to haunt. Good for the Dbacks, though, they’re trying for a playoff spot.

So that gives us our early Comment Of The Game: nagurskiinnortheast with “Yeah but that missed extra point almost always comes back to bite you in the a**.”

Oh… wait…

Someone called a Jake Woodford comes in to close it out… and Clemens hits ANOTHER home run? Are you kidding me?

Then PH Ed Julien singles. Then Bux HBP. Then Martin walks. New pitcher Andrew Saalfrank comes in. (Given that this game began with Arizona pitching a Pfaadt, it fits that we get another “aa.”)

Larnach takes the walk. Tie!

And Keaschall hits it far enough to score Bux! Plunking the fastest player on the team to keep him from getting a huge hit turns out not to have worked! (I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. Bux is no A.J. either.) Twims wim! (Yes, we sometimes spell it wrong on purpose here.)

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So now the COTG has to go to habitual Party Pooper falcolntimmy for “Our closer, Sands, blows the save and the game. Twins dutifully bow to a team in contention as losers so often do. The run lost on Clemens 2nd HR when Wallner lazily got doubled up on sac fly looks kind of important now.”

(I’m not saying Mr. timmy is wrong, he’s usually right, but generally on Fridays we’re just trying to enjoy ourselves around here, so I’d like it better if everyone got into “hey, let’s relax and enjoy the good/bad/great/dumb of baseball” vibe.)

Also of note is gintzer mentioning Odd Coaching Habits, BobbyDarwinFanClub giving the Bible scholarship, and a conversation about Kids Being Up To No Good. Thanks to everyone who’s participating in the gamethreads, you’re the reason I still work here!

Your Studs of The Game: holy duh, Clemens. Pablo for hanging on depite the mounting pitch count, and Funderburk for continuing to get better.

Tomorrow’s game is at 6:10, featuring Joe “Gonna Get Traded” Ryan against a Ryne “Not Half” Nelson at 6:10. Enjoy your weekend if you got one, folks!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...kody-klobbers-three-klangers-in-krazy-kontest

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Diamondbacks 5, Twins 2 – F/10: It Ain’t Zona Til It’s Zona

The Arizona Diamondbacks were met with the early-evening news that the New York Mets had just lost their eighth straight ballgame. Suddenly facing the opportunity to sit just two games back with a win tonight, the Diamondbacks gutted out a 10-inning victory in the kind of ballgame you might expect to see against an opponent with something to lose on every pitch of the game.

Joe Ryan, regrettably, is not doing much to resolve concerns about his full-season longevity. With a history of slowdown with a full season’s work, Ryan followed up his 2-inning start last time out with a 4-inning start tonight, including a 31-pitch second inning that NOBLETIGER’d the D-Backs, but led Ryan to issue a cursory expletive on his way off the mound.

In his four innings of work, he walked two hitters, struck out just four, and surrendered the two-run shot to Alek Thomas that was Arizona’s only score in regulation.

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Well, one good turn deserves another. So said the Diamondbacks in the fifth inning, when they returned Minnesota’s second-inning NOBLETIGER with a NOBLETIGER of their own. For a long while, it looked as though the Twins would be shut out, especially in a deflating 7th-inning sequence. With two men on for Minnesota, manager Rocco Baldelli went to pinch-hitter Carson McCusker.

Representing the go-ahead run, it was an opportunity for the biggest hit of McCusker’s limboic (limboic?) career. Baldelli agreed, because when McCusker reached a 3-0 count, he was given the green light and absolutely crushed one, sending a pitch 102.8 mph off the bat, 402 feet into right-center — a homer in 12 parks, and rocking a .560 xBA, the deep fly nestled securely into an Arizonian glove and counted for nothing more than a loud second out.

(The better rookie story in this game belonged to Cody Laweryson, who made his major-league debut in the middle innings and rocked two scoreless frames, including strikeouts of Gabriel Moreno and Adrian Del Castillo.)

The Twins, for their part, would remain a thorn in the side of the Diamondbacks. They would wind up tying the game in the home eighth, with last night’s hero Kody Clemens knocking in a pair with a bases-loaded single to right. But Minnesota couldn’t bring anyone else home, and after a scoreless ninth, it was a three-run 10th for Arizona off Cole Sands — who continues to deliver increasingly frustrating performances, given the expectation for his role in 2026 — that finally tilted this ballgame.

It’s been a great series so far, even if only half of the involved parties have something to play for. And it should be a fun conclusion to the series tomorrow afternoon, with Bailey Ober getting his chance to play spoiler to the hopeful Snakes.

See you then!

STUDS:

RP Cody Laweryson (2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 K)

LF Austin Martin (2-for-4, R, 2B, BB)

1B Kody Clemens (2-for-4, 2 RBI)

DUDS:

RP Cole Sands (IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

The Pohlad Family

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...acks-5-twins-2-f-10-it-aint-zona-til-its-zona

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Diamondbacks 6, Twins 4: Pulling Even; Pulling Teeth

Well, gang, it looks like the day of the week doesn’t have any effect on things. No matter when I cover the game, the Twins WILL lose. That’s the Twinkie Town guarantee. They did it again on Sunday afternoon, dropping the series finale to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a final of 6-4, handing Bailey Ober his 8th loss of the season and bringing the Snakes back even at 75-75.

For Ober, it was the home run bug yet again, with a 3-run, fourth-inning blast off the bat of James McCann swinging the score from a 2-1 Twins lead to a 4-2 Arizona advantage. The Minnesota runs had come in the home second, and featured an RBI single from Edouard Julien, a run-scoring reached-on-error from Byron Buxton grounder, and even a steal of second by Royce Lewis.

Ober still made it through six innings — his tenth time this year doing so — and struck out nine D-Backs without walking any.

On the flip side, Arizona used five pitchers to clean this game up; Minnesota would score off their first bullpen arm in the sixth (Matt Wallner’s 22nd homer of the year, called by Justin Morneau seconds before it happened), and a seventh-inning Mickey Gasper homer — his second ever.

But Arizona, hanging on the cliffside of postseason eligibility, kept winning on the margins today. They’d add insurance runs on a Tim Tawa RBI single and Alek Thomas sacrifice fly – runs charged to Genesis Cabrera and Michael Tonkin – to push their lead to 5-3 and eventually 6-4, the final.

Carson McCusker got another pinch-hitting opportunity, and grounded out.

Byron Buxton went 0-for-5 with a pair of Ks, and was largely quiet in the last two games of the series.

The Twins are back at it tomorrow, and more playoff hopefuls are coming into town. There may yet be more on the line for the New York Yankees, who have three games at Target Field with their own Wild Card spot hanging in the balance.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

STUDS:

C Mickey Gasper (1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, HR)

DUDS:

CF Byron Buxton (0-for-5, 2 K)

The Pohlad Family

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ondbacks-6-twins-4-pulling-even-pulling-teeth

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 7, Yankees 0: Sim Shoves, Brooks Bangs

While the Twins have little left to play for, they can certainly make things interesting over the final two weeks of the season. Tonight, they put a small dent in the Yankees’ playoff hopes while taking advantage of their shaky bullpen. Plus, a few key Minnesota players made strong cases for the 2026 roster.

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The story of this one starts with Simeon Woods Richardson, who delivered his best start of the season against New York’s high-powered, star-studded roster. Simeon diced up the Yankees lineup over six innings, allowing just two hits and three walks over six innings while striking out 11. He only allowed a single runner to reach second base (a fifth inning double off the bat of Jose Caballero) and instantly rectified that by picking off Caballero as he was trying to reach third.

New York’s only other threat came in the 8th inning when Travis Adams walked Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge (understandable) with two outs in the inning. Luckily, Austin Martin bailed the Twins out with a nifty catch tumbling over the wall in foul territory, putting an end to any hopes of a comeback from the Evil Empire.

Woods Richardson cranked up his splitter usage tonight, throwing it 36% of the time, making it his most used pitch and marked increase over his 7% usage on the season. When SWR was optioned to AAA earlier this year, the Twins told him to focus on developing his splitter and we may have just seen the payoff. The shuffled pitch mix led to a 40% whiff rate overall, up from 22.8% on the season, and a 56% whiff rate on the splitter alone. For context, likely back-to-back AL Cy Young winner and strikeout artist Tarik Skubal has a 32.5% whiff rate on the season. Not every start will be this good, but I didn’t think SWR was capable of a performance of this caliber before tonight.

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Offensively, the Twins needed that elite SWR outing. Minnesota was unable to string anything together off NY ace Carlos Rodon, largely thanks to the fact that he throws with his left hand. The Twins had a chance for a big inning early in the third inning thanks to a Jhonny Pereda double and Edouard Julien infield single, but were only able to bring home one run. They added one more in the fifth on a line-drive solo dong from Brooks Lee.

Then, thankfully, the Twins piled on a few runs. The Yankees pulled their lefty after six strong and gave way to Luke Weaver, 2024’s postseason hero who continued his rough 2025. Pinch hitter Trevor Larnach hit a soft double to right fielder Aaron Judge, who currently can’t throw the ball. Brooks Lee liked Larnach’s approach so he did the same, scoring Larnach. A Pereda sac bunt and walks by Julien and Buxton loaded the bases for new lineup fixture Austin Martin, who cleared the bases with the first hard hit ball of the inning and a double of his own.

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If the Twins can’t make the playoffs, I will happily settle for ruining the evenings of Yankees fans.

STUDS

• Simeon Woods Richardson: 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 11 K
• Brooks Lee: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B
• Edouard Julien: 2-2, 1 R, 1 BB
• Austin Martin: 1-4, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, continued great hair

DUDS

• No duds, Twins win and probably more importantly at this point, Yankees lose!!!

We’ll see you again tomorrow night as Zebby Matthews and his home run troubles will face the Yankees and their league-leading (by a WIDE margin) 254 home runs. The Yankees will send out Cam Schlittler, and I am imploring you to take note of both L’s in his last name.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...105/twins-7-yankees-0-sim-shoves-brooks-bangs

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 150: Yankees at Twins

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy

I regret to inform you that the Minnesota Twins do, in fact, play another game this evening. However, the good news is that they get to face the Yankees with a chance to play spoiler for a team still trying to find its footing 95% of the way into the season. The Yankees currently hold the top Wild Card in the AL with a 4.5 game lead over the Texas Rangers and surging Cleveland Guardians.

Seems like a good time to play spoiler to tie a bow on an ugly season.

Lineups​

Twins

P: Simeon Woods Richardson

1. Byron Buxton, CF
2. Austin Martin, LF
3. Luke Keaschall, 2B
4. Royce Lewis, 3B
5. Matt Wallner, RF
6. Carson McCusker, DH
7. Brooks Lee, SS
8. Jhonny Pereda, C
9. Edouard Julien, 1B

Yankees

P: Carlos Rodon

1. Trent Grisham, CF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Cody Bellinger, LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
5. Jazz Chizholm Jr., 2B
6. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
7. Ryan McMahon, 3B
8. Jose Caballero, SS
9. Austin Wells, C

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/49091/game-150-yankees-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Yankees 10, Twins 9: Comeback falls short

Zebby Matthews had a rough start, to say the least. In the 1st, 3 singles and a sac fly put the Yankees up 2-0. In the 2nd, an RBI double by Austin Wells and a 2-run homer by Trent Grisham made it 5-1. A Giancarlo Stanton single then made it 6-1. In the 3rd, two sacrifice flies and a Ben Rice RBI double made it 9-1. That ended Zebby’s night at 3 innings, 11 hits, 9 runs (all earned), 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.

By the 5th inning, it was 10-1 Yankees and the game was pretty much over. That’s when the Twins started clawing back. James Outman hit a 2-run homer, scoring his doppelganger, Ryan Fitzgerald. Byron Buxton followed with a walk, stole 2nd, then stole 3rd, and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 10-4 game.

In the bottom of the 6th, Matt Wallner doubled, then Mickey Gasper drove him in with a single. Then Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 2-run blast to right center to make it a 10-7 game. Suddenly, we have a ballgame. Later in that inning, Buxton doubled, then Austin Martin hit a bunt single. Trevor Larnach hit a deep fly ball to right, but it was unfortunately just a sac-fly RBI and not a game tying 3-run homer. Nevertheless, it still put the Twins down only 2 runs with 9 outs to go.

The Twins weren’t able to muster any baserunners in the 7th or 8th innings, while their bullpen did a great job keeping the game within reach. In the 9th, Larnach would hit a homer with 1 out, a solo shot to make it a 1-run game. But Kody Clemens then grounded out, and Royce Lewis struck out to end the epic comeback dream. Oh well.

Studs:

Trevor Larnach: 1-2, HR (17), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R

Ryan Fitzgerald: 2-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 R

The Bullpen: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 K

Duds:

Zebby Matthews: 3 IP, 11 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HR

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...49125/yankees-10-twins-9-comeback-falls-short