RSS Twins Team Notes

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 8, Twins 0: The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing

I’m workshopping puns here but Taj Bradley is a surprisingly un-punnable name for one that feels like it should be easier. Let’s brainstorm a few more. No bad ideas! Alternative headline options:

• Taj got Mahal-ed
• Sabo-Taj
• Mon-Taj of Terribleness
• White Sux but Twins Sux More
• The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing

Please leave other suggestions in the comments. I’m sure we’ll need them over these last five weeks.

In the meantime, how about some Calvin and Hobbes that perfectly encapsulates the experience of watching the post-deadline 2025 Twins.

There was a baseball game played today, unfortunately. Newly acquired Taj Bradley was on the mound for the Twins, where his Minnesota career got off to a rocky start. The five of the first six White Sox batters reached base, not helped by the Twins’ newly shaky defense, and put the Southsiders up 3-0 before Bradley even got a chance to enjoy Chicago. The first actually could have gone much worse if it wasn’t for a timely strikeout from Andrew Benintendi (Bradley’s lone K on the day) and a scorched fly ball from Chase Meidroth that thankfully stayed in the park.

After another hard hit out to start the second, the White Sox again put together a rally, letting the next five Chicago batters reached base and capped it off with an absolute moonshot by rookie Colson Montgomery, putting the Sox up 7-0. With nothing to lose, Bradley got the chance to finish stronger, which he technically did. Bradley faced the minimum for his remaining three innings, but it was chock full of hard hit outs and didn’t include a single strikeout. He gave up 10 balls hit 95 MPH and his average exit velocity was 91 MPH. Obviously this was about as poorly as a start could go, but he’ll get every opportunity to work out the kinks over the final weeks of this season since with the Twins having nothing to lose.

Not to be outdone, the Twins’ bats were a complete no-show against a pitching staff that is as bad as any in the league. Facing a 25-year-old non-prospect on his third team already this season, the Minnesota bats had absolutely no fight in them. There is quite literally not a single offensive performance worth highlighting in this game.

STUDS

• LOL

DUDS

• Little Joey Pohlad and the oligarchs of America
• Taj Bradley: 5 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
• Luke Keaschall (sorry, pal): 2 errors (THOUGH I give him a little pass for barely playing the field at all the past two years due to his injuries)
• The entire lineup: 5-32

The series loss moves the Twins to 8-14 since the great deadline fire sale of 2025, and 3-10 over the past two weeks. They have the second-fewest wins in the AL, ahead of only the lowly White Sox who just took a series from them and are finally showing positive signs for the future. But hey, they have the third best MLB lottery odds, so that’s something!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...stence-weighed-against-the-horror-of-nonbeing

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “$5 Kirilloff T-Shirt” Edition

If you’re going to the fair this week, go check out the Twins booth, where there are a few severely discounted items, such as a $5 Kirilloff City Connect t-shirt, in case you want to support your favorite Fort Myers-based realtor.

In real baseball news, the Twins are awful and probably not worth talking about, so we appreciate your patronage. After getting swept by the A’s at home and then traveling to the South Side of Chicago to lose two out of three games, the Twins are 59-71 and are only 10.5 games back of the last wild card spot. To add to the pain, key trade deadline acquisitions Mick Abel and Taj Bradley failed to impress in their Twins debuts, although it’s still way too early to pass judgment on these moves.


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!

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• From Matthew Leach at MLB.com: While Pablo López has been unable to play for the last two months, he’s still been making an impact off the field.
• Dan Hayes and Matt Gelb at The Athletic are reporting that the Twins and the Phillies will face off in the “Field of Dreams” game next year. I, for one, can’t wait to see Jhoan Duran pitch to Byron Buxton in the ninth inning. ($)
• The lone bright spot from this past week was Friday’s game, where Royce Lewis hit a grand slam against Chicago. Afterwards, he had some interesting comments to Hayes at the Athletic on his struggles this season and his outlook moving forward. ($)
• Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage checks in on prospect Andrew Morris as he returns from a forearm injury.
• Top prospect Walker Jenkins is getting promoted to AAA-St. Paul, after a 52-game stint in AA, where he slashed .309/.426/.487 with seven homers and 11 stolen bases. Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune has more on the big move. ($)

In the World of Baseball:

• The Tigers have reclaimed first place in the American League and sit 1.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays. The Astros are somewhat still in contention at 5.5 games back. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Mariners round out the wild card spots.
• The Brewers continue to have a commanding lead atop the National League and are 4.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs have also rediscovered their winning ways and are 5.0 games back of their division rivals. The Dodgers lead the NL West, with the Padres and Mets in the last two wild-card spots.
• From Daniel Kramer at MLB.com: Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh put his name in the record books with his 49th homer on Sunday, passing Salvador Perez for the most homers in a single season by a catcher.
• Chinese Taipei shut out Nevada to win the Little League World Series for the first time since 1996. This is Chinese Taipei’s 18th title.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/48580/monday-morning-minnesota-the-5-kirilloff-t-shirt-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 131: Twins at Blue Jays

First Pitch: 6:07

TV:Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN

Opposing Team Page: Bluebird Banter

Twins Lineup

1. Buxton CF
2. Larnach DH
3. Lee SS
4. Wallner RF
5. Jeffers C
6. Clemens 2B
7. Lewis 3B
8. Julien 1B
9. Outman LF

P. Ryan (12-6, 2.96 ERA)

Blue Jays Lineup

1. Springer LF
2. Lukes RF
3. Guerrero Jr. DH
4. Bichette SS
5. Varsho CF
6. Kirk C
7. Clement 3B
8. France 1B
9. Gimenez 2B

P. Scherzer (4-2, 3.60)

The Minnesota Twins will take on Louie Varland, Ty France and the first place Toronto Blue Jays Monday night. The BJs lead the Red Sox by 5 games in the AL East. The Twins will likely be facing a nearly full-strength Toronto Blue Jays lineup when they open the three-game series— with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. expected to return to everyday action.

Guerrero, the Jays’ All-Star first baseman, has been sidelined since tweaking his left hamstring a week ago in Pittsburgh. He made a brief return as a pinch hitter Sunday in Miami but didn’t take the field, as Toronto continues to handle him cautiously.

Guerrero is slashing .298 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs this season.

For the Twins, the timing isn’t ideal — especially after a frustrating offensive showing in Sunday’s 8-0 loss to the White Sox, which dropped Minnesota to 8-14 in August. The team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine in the series finale.

On the mound tonight, the Twins will send Joe Ryan (12-6, 2.96 ERA) against Toronto’s Max Scherzer (4-2, 3.60). Ryan already beat the Jays earlier this season, allowing two earned runs over five innings in a 6-3 win on June 8. He’s 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.

Scherzer, meanwhile, has had past success against the Twins (9-2, 4.09 ERA in 18 starts), but hasn’t faced Minnesota since 2023.

Minnesota will also be facing two familiar faces: reliever Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France — both traded to Toronto in the deadline deal that brought outfielder Alan Roden and lefty prospect Kendry Rojas to the Twins. So far, the returns haven’t panned out much: Roden’s on the 60-day IL with a thumb sprain, while Rojas remains in the minors.

France, who has been filling in for Guerrero, is hitting .296 with five RBIs in 19 games for Toronto. Varland has struggled in relief, posting a 5.59 ERA in 10 outings.

Despite the rough road trip so far, there’s been a bright spot for Minnesota in rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall, who doubled and walked Sunday and is hitting .329 with two homers and 13 RBIs in August.

The Twins will need to turn things around quickly if they want to avoid another tough stretch against a Blue Jays team that took two of three from them earlier in June.

Go Twins!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48587/game-131-twins-at-blue-jays

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 4, Blue Jays 10: But Walker Jenkins eh?

The Minnesota Twins drop another game, losing 6 of their last 7 games and 11 of their last 14.

We will get to the game in a minute, but the good news of the night, Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins got the call up to AAA. He will be joining the Saints on the road in Toledo starting tomorrow. According to ESPN, Jenkins, an outfielder, is ranked #14 overall in the MLB.


As for the Twins Monday night in Toronto, the Blue Jays got to Twins pitcher Joe Ryan early. Bo Bichette singled on a ground ball to left, scoring George Springer. Nathan Lukes got to third on the hit and would later score in the inning. Also in the first, Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run shot, putting the Twins up early 4-0.

Here is a video of me telling the world (well southeastern Minnesota and north Iowa) the Twins gave up four runs in the first inning after just telling them it was 0-0.


To the second inning now, Joe Ryan gives up another home run, this time to Andres Gimenez. It feels like Gimenez always does well against the Twins, but a simple stat search tells me he is hitting .242 with 47 hits and 4 home runs and 18 RBI against the Twins.

Matt Wallner had some answers for the Twins hitting two home runs (18, 19) on the night and actually keeping Max Scherzer from achieving a quality start.

The Twins bullpen wouldn’t help the Twins much. Brooks Kriske pitched one inning, giving up 3 hits and 4 ER. Génesis Cabrera pitched two shutout innings.

Max Scherzer got the win. He’s now 5-2 after pitching 6 strong and giving up 4 hits, 1 BB and 5 SO. Joe Ryan landed his 7th loss of the season (12-7) giving up 7 hits, 6 ER, 7 SO and 1 BB. His ERA is now above 3 at 3.22. This is the second start in a row Ryan did not surpass 5 innings.

The Blue Jays are now 77-55 on the season. The Red Sox lost tonight, so the BJs remain 5 games up on their competition. The Twins are now 18.5 games back in the Central with a 59-72 record.

Game time tomorrow in Toronto is 6:07 Central.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...91/twins-4-blue-jays-10-but-walker-jenkins-eh

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 132: Twins at Blue Jays

First Pitch: 6:07 PM CDT

TV: Twins.tv

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy: Bluebird Banter

Today’s Lineups​

Trevor Larnach – DH	George Springer – LF
Brooks Lee – SS	Nathan Lukes – CF
Luke Keaschall – 2B	Vladimir Guerrero – DH
Matt Wallner – RF	Bo Bichette – SS
Edouard Julien – 1B	Addison Barger – RF
James Outman – CF	Alejandro Kirk – C
Royce Lewis – 3B	Ernie Clement – 3B
Mickey Gasper – C	Ty France – 1B
Austin Martin – LF	Andres Gimenez – 2B
Bailey Ober – RHP	Chris Bassitt – RHP

[th]

TWINS​

[/th]​

[th]

BLUE JAYS​

[/th]​

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48631/game-132-twins-at-blue-jays

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 133: Twins at Blue Jays

First Pitch: 6:07 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy
Know Yo’ Foe: Bluebird Banter


That’s who?!
(This is the new rotation.)
That’s who?!
(This is the new rotation.)

Sell, rotation guys: come on!
(Come acclimate.)
Jell, rotation guys: come on!
(Come captivate.)

There’s a muddle going on up here
With this rotation, a mess throughout the year.
We’ve had some good times and the crapper too,
Now can they demonstrate their arms for the crew?
Come on now,

(Sell, rotation…)
Throw and generate a ball in your prime.
(Jell, rotation…)
Come on, elevate; that radar’ll climb.

It’s time to work at leisure;
It’s up to you: be a treasure!
Everyone, that mound is yours:
Come on!

That’s who?!
(This is your rotation.)
That’s who?!

Sell, rotation guys: come on!
(No more hesitation.)
Jell, rotation guys: come on!
(Just detonate.)

Through the muddle going on up here,
A patched rotation to guess throughout the year,
We’ve had some good times and the crapper too;
Now can they germinate some charms for the crew?
Come on now,

(Sell, rotation…)
Throw and resonate stentorian chime, yeah, yeah!
(Jell, rotation…)
Come on, orchestrate a magical time!

It’s time to come to measure;
It’s up to you: now’s your pleasure!
Everyone, that mound is yours:
Come on!

That’s who?!
(This is your rotation.)
That’s who?!
(This is your rotation.)

Sell, rotation guys: come on!
(Be heavyweight, come on now.)
Jell, rotation guys: come on!
(Come cultivate.)

We’re gonna have a ballgame tonight,
So concentrate, it’s your fight.
We’re gonna throw it all game tonight,
So animate, it’s your fight; play it!
(Sell, rotation…)
We’re gonna have a ballgame tonight,
So illustrate, it’s your fight.
(Jell, rotation…)
We’re gonna throw it all game tonight,
So activate, it’s your fight!

That’s who?!
That’s who?!

Jell, rotation guys: come on!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...n-some-pitcher-claim-a-pitching-rotation-spot

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Blue Jays 9, Twins 8: The Bullpen of Despond

It was a won game. Then the eighth-inning relievers came in. It was a lost game. | Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images

1, 2, 3, score!
My team, we don’t mess around:
Despite the owners’ woes, we haven’t hit the floor.
This season might be goner,
But we’re still determined, and we’re back for more.
Though summer’s cribbed the ceiling,
It’s forever joy when hearing bats go POW.
So through the loss, I’m glad
We stand the stormy weather, staying anyhow.

Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!

We thought they’d got it: Byron came to swat it,
They’d knot it, lead it, get it: Lee and Keaschall came to maul….
Toronto’s Schneider’s knocked a couple riders;
The ‘pen was hanging sliders and they drove ’em to the wall….
If what you say is “money’s all the matter,”
Then what takes, what takes, what takes joy to the action?
So try-o, try-o, try-o, try-o, try-o,
Some STUDS have played with style, but we know what just happened here…

…y’all should know that the ‘pen and Pohlads are DUDS.
(Play ball… play ball!)
Don’t want to ponder queries, (play ball…)
Just want to take the series. (…play ball!)
Don’t want to be a bummer, (play ball…)
Just want to dig the summer. (…play ball!)
I’m, I’m, (play ball…)
I’m just seeing bombas,
I’m just seeing bombas! (…play ball!)

Hey, all right now,
All right now, bullpen? (Yeah?)
Who’s cooler than being cool? (I’m cold.)
I can’t hear you!
I said, what’s cooler than being cool? (I’m cold.)
All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right,
All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right,
Okay, now, batters? (Yeah!)
Now y’all tried to take this thing home in just a few seconds.
And you ought to see Zach get the Comment of Day here.
Cranked out some homers; you came to play here!
Yeah!
Here we go:

Shaken, sh-shaken, shaken, sh-shaken,
Shaken, sh-shaken, shaken:
Shaken, sh-shaken, shaken like a dolor-void pitcher.
Play ball!
Shaken, sh-shaken, shaken, sh-shaken, shaken,
Shaken, shaken hurlers,
Shaken like a dolor-void pitcher.

Now all the Tonkins and 92s
And lousy arms, get out the door.
We just know there is much to do;
We know what to do;
We know what to do!

Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!
Play ball… play ball!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-of-despond-byron-buxton-home-runs-blown-lead

 

[Minnesota Twins]

The Wheelchair Softball World Series at Mall of America was a testament to the sport’s immense growth

When my parents first signed me up for wheelchair softball in the summer of 2009, the Minnesota junior and adult Rolling Twins called the parking lot of the Brooklyn Park Library home. As you might imagine, this was not the most softball friendly location. Cracks in pavement made it dangerous for the players’ wheelchairs, and oncoming cars often got in the way of our practices and scrimmages. We eventually were able to move into our own facility three years later, but this year wheelchair softball would return to a Twin Cities parking lot, this time at the Mall of America for a historic Wheelchair Softball World Series. How did we get from playing in front of a library to hosting thousands at a venue that welcomes millions of visitors a year? To answer that, let’s take a trip through the last couple decades of Minnesota wheelchair softball history.

In my second summer playing wheelchair softball, Pepsi and Major League Baseball teamed up for the Pepsi Refresh Project, an initiative where 15 MLB teams competed to win a $200K grant for a charitable cause. The Twins partnered up with the Rolling Twins to help us try to get our own wheelchair accessible ballpark built. The winning team was determined by an online vote, so naturally my teammates and I got all of our friends and family to vote as much as they possibly could. I woke up one morning fifteen years ago this month to learn that the Rolling Twins campaign had won the grant. Michael Cuddyer will forever be one of my favorite Twins of all time for his work as our spokesperson.

Two years after we won the Pepsi grant, Todd Anderson Field was open for business. The grand opening of the field had a pretty significant Twins presence, with Cuddyer sending in a message from Colorado and TC Bear coming out to join the fun and even getting in a chair to play in the first scrimmage. I was terrified of mascots up to this point in my life, but then TC pitched to me at one point in the scrimmage and I hit a double off him. All of a sudden he didn’t scare me at all.

Todd Anderson Field has hosted multiple junior and adult Wheelchair Softball World Series since its opening. There are only 24 venues across the country dedicated specifically to wheelchair softball (partly due to the fact they typically cost over $400K to fund) and the Twin Cities now had a premier destination for major tournaments. Both the junior and adult Rolling Twins have won multiple national titles since Todd Anderson Field’s inaugural 2012 season.

Mall of America was built on the site of Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Twins (and Vikings and Kicks) until 1982. Ten years after the Twins and Vikings moved into the Metrodome, the mall opened its doors. There are a couple callbacks to the Old Met you can find in Nickelodeon Universe at MOA. The first is the exact spot of home plate, and the other is a single red seat that marks the location of the furthest home run (520 feet) that Harmon Killebrew hit at the stadium. (That seat overlooks the Log Chute ride now.) The Met hosted one World Series in 1965, when the Dodgers triumphed over the Twins in seven games. 60 years later, the same site would host another.

MOA’s North Lot holds events year round, and for the Wheelchair Softball World Series, five temporary wheelchair softball diamonds were constructed along with fences and bleachers for each field. I had signed up to volunteer with scorekeeping on championship Saturday, and I went into the day worried that the weather would play a factor. After all, the first few rounds on Thursday and Friday were played in the rain, with Friday’s later games being postponed because of severe storms. We got lucky, though, because the sun finally came out when it was time to play ball on Saturday. I was assigned to field 4, where I got to work the women’s game and a game between two teams from Nashville and Detroit. Both games were spectacular, with plenty of offensive firepower as well as some stellar plays in the field. I was sort of selfishly hoping I’d get to work the semifinal between the Rolling Twins and LWSRA, based out of Chicago, but the games I was assigned were a joy to watch too.

Aside from the play on the field, the main thing going through my mind while I was at the Mall of America on Saturday was how proud I was. Wheelchair softball has profoundly impacted my life and the lives of many others in Minnesota, and last weekend felt like a celebration of the profound growth this sport has made in this state and across the country even since I started playing it in 2009. From playing in a library parking lot, to the Twins helping us beat out 14 other MLB teams to secure funding for a field of our own, to that field opening and becoming one of the premier wheelchair softball venues in the nation. All of this led up to our program hosting the largest tournament in the sport’s history, at a site that has seen its fair share of historic sporting events. And while a huge part of the pride I felt last weekend at MOA was because I had seen the long road it had taken to get to this point, part of me was also looking towards the future. After all, if this sport can grow this much in such a short time, who knows where it’ll be headed next?

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-was-a-testament-to-the-sports-immense-growth

 

[Minnesota Twins]

MLB Pennant Fever 2025

As of today, there remain roughly 30 games of Major League Baseball yet to be played by each squad. So, with the Twins doing their best late-1990s impersonation, let’s take this opportunity to look around both leagues and see which playoff races might be worth keeping an eye on down the stretch run.

AL Central​

• We all know this one—the Detroit Tigers are running away from everyone. The only question is whether the Skubal Squad can squeeze out the best AL record and have all opponents enter under Panthera Tigris.

AL East​

• Every time the Toronto Blue Jays have lofty expectations, they falter. So in a predicted so-so ‘25 season, of course they find themselves out in front of the New York Yankees & Boston Red Sox. That could change, but the Blue Birds seem to be solidifying their grasp as opposed to letting it flit away.

AL West​

• Can the Big Dumper—Cal Raleigh—hit enough home runs to finally propel the sea-farers over the Houston Humidities? Those two clubs have been going back-and-forth all summer and it’s still anyone’s division.

AL Wild Card​

• The WC wafflers likely will winnow down to New York (eww), Boston (ehh), & whoever doesn’t win the West (please be the Astros, please be the Astros). Kansas City, Cleveland, Texas, & Anaheim still have outside shots at the final slot, but such opportunities are fading faster than Joe Pohlad’s Q score.

NL Central​

• So, uh, you know that squad to our east in a smaller market with less resources? Yeah—they have the best record in the NL. No word on if Milwaukee’s owners have leveraged the franchise for debt. Remarkably, the Brew Crew are just 5-or-so games clear of the Chicago Cubs in a dogfight division.

NL East​

• Unless the New York Mets make a late push—and their entire organizational history suggests otherwise—the Philadelphia Twins Phillies of Max Kepler, Harrison Bader, & Jhoan Duran vintage will raise another banner in Rockyland.

NL West​

• This has been the exact pattern of the NL West race the last few seasons: the San Diego Padres pull ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but then Dave Roberts & Co. realize “hey, we have all the good players!” and put their foot on the gas again. Is this the year the Friars finagle their first division title since 2006?

NL Wild Card​

• The first two berths are comfortably occupied by the Cubs and whoever doesn’t emerge victorious from LA/SD. This leaves the Mets and the Fightin’ Franconas (Cincinnati Reds) duking it out for the final ticket. The St. Louis Cardinals & Arizona Diamondbacks harbor only “Impossible Dream” hopes.

So, with the Twins playing at a level where a prospect promotion to AAA is exciting, those are some races you can keep an eye on if well-played baseball trumps the hometown variety for you down the stretch.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...5-playoffs-stretch-run-september-pennant-race

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 7, Padres 4: It’s a happy meal of a win

Daniel Zebulon Matthews has one of the better starts of his young career, and Nestor Coates not the best as he continues his recovery from injury. The Twins take advantage of a big Padres error. The bullpen doesn’t implode from having nobody left in it. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: As we begin the game, Matthews has a BAbip of .379, which is crazy unlucky. Or he’s the most hittable pitcher in baseball history. I doubt that.

sandwiches informs us that old friend Little Nicky Punto (LNP of Batgirl fame) is a Padres coach. Of what? Chest-baring? First-plate-headfirst-diving? One hopes not both. That would chafe. He’s simply listed as a “ML” coach, so Morale Leader or Man Lessons or Mole Licker. (He is a San Diego native, so that’s nice for him to work with the hometown team.)

Luis Arraez gets a single. Surprised? Ryan Jeffers also gets a single, and he IS surprised when he tries running to second and the throw beats him by 15 feet.

2: Gavin Sheets gets a hit. Is he related to former Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets? No. He is Son of Larry, Larry Sheets, who played a few years for the Orioles. Ben Sheets is cousin of Andy Sheets, who was an infielder for a few teams in a few years. I know, I know, you don’t give two sheets about the Sheets. Forget I brought it up, then.

3: Royce Lewis saying on radio he learned to “control his aggression” from playing roller hockey. Good thing he’s not into roller derby, where players have name like Hurtrude Stein and Stalker Channing.

It sounds like everyone at Target Field has been anesthetized, until Matthews makes an error trying to barehand a slow-rolling grounder. That gets some “ugggghhhh” from the fans. Jake Cronenworth scores on a tag-up from third. He is not related to respected cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth.

Kody Clemens and Trevor Larnach singles open the Twins’ half, Clemens to third.. Byron Buxton hits into what would would be a double play if it wasn’t Buxton running. He advances to second on a Jeffers walk.

THEN HE STEALS THIRD! Why am I excited? Because Buxton has never stolen third before. 112 SB, and none were of third. So of course Luke Keaschall strikes out and Brooks Lee pops out. Tied 1-1

4: Larry’s son Gavin has a two-out double and Jose Iglesias knocks him in. Matt Wallner’s throw sux and Iglesias reaches second. He is stranded there. As in, he will still be there when you read this, crying desperately for help to an empty, uncaring cosmos.

A Wallner single and Austin Martn walk and a slooooow catcher trip to the mound. Cortes sees the writing on the wall, knows he’s getting yanked, so he starts snarling at the ump about the walk and gets tossed. A “you can’t fire me because I quit” situation, I guess.

Wandy Peralta pitching. Lewis fills the bases with a single. Cronenwerth boots a perfect GIDP ball and two guys score. Larnach singles and two more score. Buxton beats out a DP and Peralta’s gone. I didn’t even have time to look up which Peraltas he’s related to. (None that played MLB baseball.)

David Morgan pitching. Actor David Warner was in a 1966 movie called Morgan. Close enough. Buxton steals second, and is 21 for 21 on the season. Morgan throws 21 pitches and the Twins score on none of them. Still, Twins 5-2

5: Fernando Tatis Jr. singles and Arraez goes GIDP. Radio has former radio guy Kris Atteberry doing an ad for a pest control service. Oddly it does not mention Atteberry’s previous colleague Dan Gladden.

Martin singles and Gladden mentions his speed and Martin promptly gets caught stealing. Lewis goes Homer! Pitcher Yuki Matsui in, not related to the other MLB Matsuis.

I always liked Hideki Matsui. On Yanquis teams full of massive egos, Matsui and Bernie Williams were the quiet, solid guys.

Anyhoo, walk, single, Buxton RBI. Minnesoters 7-2

6: Zebulon finishes six innings; the third time he’s done so this year in 12 starts. Improvement? We’ll say improvement. He had nine starts last year and never went six full in any of them.

Twins leave ’em loaded and another Friars pitcher is involved. Ok, whatever, have a nice day.

I mentioned last week that a website posted a bad list of Fall Movies To Watch. Fortunately, I found a better one this week in The Guardian. I mean I like artsy stuff and all, but even I wanna see a new Spinal Tap written by Chris Guest. Especially now that Guest/McKean/Shearer all have more acting experience. Plus The Guardian acknowledges that foreign films exist, which most American critics don’t, besides acknowledging Bong Joon Ho. (Who is good, but overrated.)

7: 89 pitches and Zebby still in! Until Son of Larry hits a single and Zebby is out. It’s Justin “I prefer on” Topa. Jose “To All The Girls I Loved Before” Iglesias singles. Cronenwerth walks, they’re full. Nobody out.

Pop-up, 2 RBI Tatis single. Then… a lineout to Keaschall and he doubles Tatis off, too far from first! Oops, Fernando. There was something in the air tonight, the stars were bright, you’re out now.

Deez Twinsers don’t do anything so it’s 612 7-4

8: Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands has no problems. Radio mentions that the Padres will be starting Nick Pivetta tomorrow, and that reminds me of NBA ref Dick Bavetta. In 2002, Dick Bavetta reffed a playoff game so horribly that the FBI investigated it to see if there was any Mob involvement or league pressure or anything like that. They didn’t find anything, but it was some really crappy reffing.

9: Your closer tonight is… Kody Funderburk? OK. Twims wim! (Yes, we spell it wrong here, it’s a site thing.)

Studs: Keaschall for good catch/double-off, Matthews for decent start, Buxton for 2 RBI, Larnach for going 3-4 with 2 RBI. And the Twins’ PA people for doing a tribute to the victims at Association Catholic School.

Duds: all of you for not marrying a Pohlad and getting handed the team yet, SpongeBob for a terrible first pitch.

COTG go to to BH-Baseball and nagurskiinsandpoint for liking the intro (it’s my favorite on the season and I can promise the best of the season ‘cause I always run out of gas in September), but especially sandwiches for keeping the thread alive. Thanks folks!

Tomorrow’s game is at 6:10 Central, featuring the aforementioned Pivetta and something called a Taj Bradley as your starters. (I guess Bradley has been a Rays starter for a year+ and started one game for the Twins since the Trade Deadline Sell-Off? Shows what I know.)

Enjoy your weekend if you’ve got one, and avoid the planet State Fair at all costs! Farewell…

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...87/twins-7-padres-4-its-a-happy-meal-of-a-win

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Padres 12, Twins 3: Seventh-Inning Wretch

Baseball. What is it?

Well, if it’s anything like the bowl of miso soup I had last night, it used to be pretty good! But, it’s over now.

Tonight, the Twins hung with the San Diego Padres for the first half of tonight’s Saturday evening contest. But after starter Mick Abel came in for a little piggyback relief, and immediately saw six runs charged to his ledger against only three outs recorded, what was once a promising tight-knit affair became a decisive San Diegan stomping.

Some credit is due to be dished out tonight, so let’s start there. Taj Bradley was much improved in his second start with Minnesota, making his way through five innings with just one hit allowed to a potent Padres lineup. While the usual control issues reared their head — Bradley walked three — the only real damage that the Dads were able to generate themselves came on one swing from Elias Diaz.

In the meantime, the Twins were at work scoring their three runs. James Outman would do a little manufacturing in the third inning, reaching on an infield single, stealing second, and taking the extra 90 feet to score on an RBI single from Trevor Larnach.

Then, after Diaz had tied the game in the top of the fifth, Minnesota would take the lead back on a two-run homer from — who else? — Byron Buxton, one of the last hearts still beating on the 2025 team. Buxton’s 28th homer was one of just two real impact swings against San Diego starter Nick Pivetta, who looked far more dominant tonight than his five-inning, six-strikeout pitching line would imply.

With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth, Rocco’s Magical Arm Barn kicked into gear, and the game completely fell apart. The plan was for Mick Abel to piggyback with Bradley and take this game most of the rest of the way. But a lengthy sixth — Luis Arraez reached on an error to lead things off, before three singles and a walk peppered across two more runs for the Friars — put those plans into jeopardy.

Then, the Twins switched off Jeopardy and threw on Wheel of Fortune, and baby, they went bankrupt.

Then, the Twins switched off Wheel of Fortune and threw on Family Feud, and baby, that big red “X” with the loud buzzer kept comin’ on the screen.

Then, the Twins switched off Family Feud and threw on Press Your Luck, and baby, let’s just say, “yes, whammies.“

It was a seventh inning so abysmal, it deserved three contrived metaphors. To accurately illustrate the pure drudgery of a frame in which the Padres scored seven runs against two completely downtrodden Twins relievers, you sort of need a play-by-play. Here’s how it all went down:

• Tatis Jr. singles
• Arraez singles
• Machado singles; Tatis Jr. scores SD 4 – MIN 3
• O’Hearn singles; Arraez scores SD 5 – MIN 3
• Brooks Kriske relieves Mick Abel
• Laureano pops out (1 out!)
• Sheets singles; Machado scores SD 6 – MIN 3
• Iglesias lines out (2 outs!)
• Cronenworth doubles; O’Hearn and Johnson score SD 8 – MIN 3
• Diaz homers; Cronenworth scores SD 10 – MIN 3
• Tatis Jr. walks
• Arraez walks
• Machado grounds out

It took Mick Abel and Brooks Kriske a combined 103 pitches to get through an inning of work each. Even when the run-scoring had finally ceased for San Diego, the continued walks and steady stream of completely uncompetitive at-bats killed the game as much as the sudden 10-3 score did.

And the Padres were by no means finished — Genesis Cabrera would surrender a two-run shot to Laureano in yet another laborious inning of relief work. But guess what? The lone shutout inning, a very breezy ninth, belonged to Ryan Fitzgerald.

That about sums it up.

Also, I think I have written “yup, that about sums it up!” in every single recap since July 5th (see the preview.)

So, it will not be an early victory for Minnesota this weekend. They still have a shot to upset the Padres tomorrow, but it will require the sort of bounceback performance that this assemblage is not particularly known for. But it’s Labor Day weekend! So, what else are you gonna do? Check that bad boy out. I’ll see ya tomorrow.

STUDS:

SP Taj Bradley (5 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K)

CF Byron Buxton (1-for-2, R, 2 RBI, BB, HR)

DH Trevor Larnach (2-for-3, RBI)

LF/CF James Outman (2-for-3, 2 R, SB)

DUDS:

RP Mick Abel (IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, K)

RP Brooks Kriske (IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR)

RP Genesis Cabrera (IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K, HR)

3B Royce Lewis (0-for-4, 2 K)

The Pohlads

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...48704/padres-12-twins-3-seventh-inning-wretch

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 136: Padres at Twins

FIRST PITCH: 12:05 PM CDT​

TV: Roku​

RADIO: TREASURE ISLAND BASEBALL NETWORK​

KNOW THINE ENEMY: Gaslamp Ball​

Without getting too glib about the point, we’re probably not going to have a huge audience this afternoon. It’s Labor Day weekend, the weather looks good, the State Fair is approaching crunch time, the game is on Roku, and the Twins stink.

So, I’m going to dedicate this thread intro to one specific thought. It may not even be the greatest of thoughts (hence me pulling it out for a sparse crowd—hahaha), but it’s one that has been kicking around in my brain since the trade deadline.

Upon being cash-dumped traded back to the Houston Astros, one of the first statements Carlos Correa made revealed that he had been asking the Twins organization (possibly for some time) to switch to third base duties (his new HOU position with Jeremy Pena ensconced at SS).

My first thought was “that seems dumb”, what with the way that C-4 handled SS in Minnesota (brilliantly) and how Brooks Lee (next man up for the captain of the infielders) struggled just at 3B. But then, an interesting thing happened: installed as the everyday shortstop, Lee immediately looked comfortable at the position upon Correa’s departure and routinely stated how much more he enjoyed it than 3B.

Some of the defensive numbers back this up…

Obviously, the first thing you’ll notice from Lee’s career defensive numbers are a lot of minus signs in the Total Zone & Defensive Runs Saved categories. Let’s just say that he is primarily in the Bigs for his bat. But interestingly, he has graded out better at SS than 3B or 2B this season.

Of course, I won’t get it twisted—Lee does not profile as an everyday shortstop prospect. Not by body type, metrics, or just general career trajectory (especially with Kaelen Culpepper waiting in the wings).

But in a season where no configuration seemed to have been working, would it really have been so bad to try out Correa at third and Lee at short? What if—just maybe—something would have clicked and instead of falling face-first after early-June the team would have hung around Wild Card contention. Is the bullpen still intact? Is Correa still in town? Is fan morale something other than non-existent?

Flip-flopping 4 & 72 probably doesn’t save the 2025 season. But if both players were up for it, I can’t help but at least cogitate on the notion that it could have been tried—and it wasn’t. As such, today’s contest versus the San Diego Padres will be meaningless all but for the entertainment and contractual paychecks value.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ld-labor-day-weekend-brooks-lee-carlos-correa

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 7, Padres 2: Labor of Love

If you were watching the Minnesota Twins play the San Diego Padres today without financial compensation for doing so, you are a baseball die hard. To quote John McClane: “Welcome to the party, pal!”. Fortunately, the home team rewarded your loyalty with a nice series-clinching victory—the first of that kind in these parts since August 10th.

After two innings of general malaise from both sides, the Twins got on the board first in B3 when an Austin Martin walk was paid off by Byron Buxton’s 29th HR of the season off Kyle “Not the Hitman” Hart. 2-0 MN.

The bats went right back on the attack in B4 with Luke Keaschall getting plunked and moved along by a Ryan Jeffers walk before James Outman sent Master Luke home with a solid single into RCF. 3-0 MN.

Continuing to put pedal to metal, Buxton led off B5 with a ringing double. An outburst of RBI knocks—from Keaschall, Jeffers, & Royce Lewis—blew this one open a bit. 6-0 MN.

Meanwhile, this was the Joe Ryan Twins fans had been used to seeing April-through-July. Seven scoreless innings punctuated by a punch-out of Fernando Tatis Jr.

A bit more action: A Lewis bloop single drove in Brooks Lee in B7. 7-0 MN.

Some Tonkin tomfoolery would tomahawk the shutout in T9, but ultimately far too little too late for the Friars.

Your Final: Minnesota Twins 7, San Diego Padres 2.

With the Twins fated to embark on another month of meaningless (at least in the standings) matters, it’s tough to attach much significance to any single nine innings of play. But for those who rode along this holiday weekend afternoon, it was just fun to see Ace Ryan deal again and Buxton bang the ball around the ballpark.

Up next: 4 vs. Chicago White Sox (M afternoon & T-W-H evenings)

Studs​

• Buck Truck: HR, 2B, more just general awesomeness from the franchise cornerstone
• Ryan: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K
• The Cory Provus & Mark “Mud” Grant pairing in the ROKU TV booth—very entertaining!

Duds​

• Pohlad Ownership Group (perma-dud)

Comment of the Game​

• nagurskiinnortheast identifying the player of the game.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ego-padres-target-field-joe-ryan-byron-buxton

 

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 6, Twins 5

These Chicago White Sox just have the Minnesota Twins number. The Twins have now dropped three in a row to the White Sox with the season series tied 5-5. The Twins and White Sox sit at the bottom of the American League Central.

It was a back-and-forth game. The Minnesota Twins ultimately fell 6-5 to the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. The game featured multiple lead changes and moments of excitement, but in the end, a late rally by the White Sox in the eighth inning sealed the Twins’ fate.

Bailey Ober was looking for his first win when getting the start – since May.

The White Sox jumped ahead early in the top of the second inning with home runs from Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth off Ober, putting the White Sox up 3-0.

The Twins responded quickly in the bottom half of the second. White Sox with many issues in the inning, an error from Mead and three walks. Byron Buxton walks with the bases loaded, and Royce Lewis crossed the plate, 3-1 the score.

In the bottom of the sixth, Royce Lewis stepped up and crushed his 10th home run of the season—a fly ball to left-center—to cut the White Sox lead to one, 4-3.

Covered the MLB and WNBA slates and answered some NFL questions on our longest stream yet (3.5 hours). Many more on the horizon and glad we got at least one bang while we were still live.

️ Royce Lewis home run (+550) pic.twitter.com/2n6hUGBpXf

— Ahaan Rungta (@AhaanRungta) September 1, 2025

Staying in the bottom of the sixth, Byron Buxton beneficial yet again. He hit a sacrifice fly that brought in September call-up DaShawn Kiersey Jr., who had walked earlier in the inning. The run tied the game at 4 a piece, and the Twins were back in it.

The offense wasn’t done. In the bottom of the seventh, Brooks Lee slapped a ground ball to left field for a single, driving in Austin Martin to give the Twins a 5-4 lead, but it wouldn’t hold for long. As the game moved to the eighth, the Twins found themselves clinging to the slim one-run lead, something that isn’t always promising with the team’s current bullpen situation (if anyone was there Saturday night, you know….) In the top of the eighth, the White Sox responded with a two-out rally that would ultimately prove decisive. Brooks Baldwin hits a sharp double to center field, scoring Bryan Ramos from second base to tie the game 5-5.

And just like that, the momentum shifted. Mike Tauchman followed with another double, again to deep center, driving in Baldwin and giving the White Sox a 5-4 lead. The Twins couldn’t come up with any runs in the 9th, and that’s the ballgame.

The Twins play again tomorrow against the Sox. It’s a 6:40 p.m. start. The next three games against the White Sox start at that time. Then the team is off to KC.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/48769/white-sox-6-twins-5

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 137: White Sox at Twins

Game time: 1:10 p.m.

TV:Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN

Opposing Team Page: South Side Sox

After a fun weekend at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins are rolling into a four-game series against the White Sox that starts on Labor Day.

Game 1 Lineups

Twins

1. Buxton CF
2. Jeffers C
3. Wallner RF
4. Keaschall 2B
5. Larnach DH
6. Lee SS
7. Lewis 3B
8. Julien 1B
9. Outman LF

P. Ober (4-7, 5.14 ERA)

White Sox

1. Tauchman RF
2. Sosa 1B
3. Teel C
4. Quero DH
5. Montgomery SS
6. Mead 3B
7. Benintendi LF
8. Meidroth 2B
9. Baldwin CF

P. Ellard (0-2, 5.87 ERA)

This game against the White Sox could be a good one as we could possibly see Byron Buxton’s first 30-HR season. He hit his 29th over the weekend in the Twins series win over a good Padres team. The White Sox are also coming off a big Sunday win, topping the Yankees 3-2.

Bailey Ober is making his 23rd start of the season for the Twins. He is still looking to snap a winless streak in 15 games started. If he gets a win today, it would be his first win since May 3.

Go Twins!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48762/game-137-white-sox-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 138: White Sox at Twins

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy: South Side Sox

With the season firmly over, one reason to watch is for milestones. Byron Buxton is sitting at 29 homers on the year, already the most he’s hit in a season ever. But we all know round numbers are better. He’s leading off tonight, maybe we’ll see his 6th leadoff homer this season.

On the mound for the Twins tonight is Simeon Woods Richardson, who gave up 5 runs in less than 4 innings his last time out. He’s up against Davis Martin, who got a win against the Twins two starts ago.

Today’s Lineups​

Mike Tauchman – DH	Byron Buxton – CF
Kyle Teel – C	Trevor Larnach – DH
Lenyn Sosa – 2B	Brooks Lee – SS
Colson Montgomery – SS	Matt Wallner – RF
Curtis Mead – 1B	Kody Clemens – 1B
Andrew Benintendi – LF	Austin Martin – 2B
Brooks Baldwin – CF	James Outman – LF
Will Robertson – RF	Mickey Gasper – C
Bryan Ramos – 3B	Ryan Fitzgerald – 3B
Davis Martin – RHP	S. Woods Richardson – RHP

[th]

WHITE SOX​

[/th]​

[th]

TWINS​

[/th]​

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/48780/game-138-white-sox-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 12, Twins 3: Bullpen explodes

Going into the top of the 5th, the Twins led 3-1. Nothing good happened the rest of the game.

The game started out good, as Byron Buxton tripled and later scored on Trevor Larnach’s single in the bottom of the 1st. In the 2nd, Mickey Gasper walked, stole 2nd, and scored on Ryan Fitzgerald’s single.

In the 4th, the Twins loaded the bases with nobody out. Gasper hit a sac fly and Austin Martin was thrown out trying for 3rd, making it a double play. Fitzgerald then bunted a pop out to end the threat. If you believe in momentum, this is where it definitely flipped to the White Sox.

In the top of the 5th, after a walk, Will Robertson broke his bat grounding a ball to Richardson, who narrowly avoided a shard of the bat hitting him. In that mess, he overthrew 2nd base, allowing everyone to advance.

View Link

Hard to blame him for this one. The White Sox capitalized on the error, though, as Bryan Ramos doubled, scoring two and tying the game.

In the 6th, Thomas Hatch took over for Richardson and immediately gave up a walk. Curtis Mead then reached on an Austin Martin error, followed by RBI singles by Benintendi and Brooks Baldwin, giving the Sox the lead. From there, it was all downhill, as Kyle Teel and Lenyn Sosa homered in the 7th to make it 7-3. Four straight singles led to two more runs to make it 9-3.

In the 8th, Benintendi blasted a Noah Davis pitch out to right field for a 3-run homer to make it 12-3. That’s the final score, just an awful game.

Studs:

Mickey Gasper: 0-2, BB, SB, R

Byron Buxton: 1-4, 3B, R

Trevor Larnach: 2-4, 2B

Brooks Kriske, for this web gem:

View Link

Liminal space between Stud and Dud:

Simeon Woods Richardson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, HR

Duds:

Thomas Hatch: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, BB, 3 K, 2 HR

Austin Martin: 1-3, BB, base running error, fielding error

Matt Wallner: 0-4, 3 K

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/48784/white-sox-12-twins-3-bullpen-explodes

 

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 4, Twins 3: Why have good bullpen when bad bullpen cheaper

Watching the White Sox celebrate at Target is like watching your bully get a graduation award. Or something like that. | David Berding / Getty Images

These losses aren’t even funny anymore. They’re certainly not fun.

Not only have the Twins now lost the season series to Chicago, they snapped the White Sox’s 205-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings. Of course it’s THIS team.

On to the parody, and I don’t mean this pretend masquerading as a ballclub.

Man, it’s a late one,
The fall attendance in a downward run,
‘Cause we find the Minnesota Twins certainly done;
The owner’s a fool.
Been stuck in losing,
A self-made beggar trying choosing,
But now this evening’s an evening
To ramp up the joule.

And if you dread these guys, this Quad-A club,
Need a thrill unfurled to wish a dub?
Got a game tonight, but will boost your mood?
For we’re so screwed…

‘Cause we’ve all got a notion jointly accrued
That if the team has no emotion, then the game’s not viewed.
So grab your bat and glove and fighting attitude, yeah;
Play better ball: that’s the deal, or we’ll forget about it.

Well, there was a STUD thing
When Zebby made ‘em miss near every swing,
And in the lineup, Lewis heard his lumber sing,
Ready to clout.
Way out in the audience,
The spectant few became applaud-y; hence,
It fell to later inning arms ready to go,
Hearts fell in thuds,
Just DUDS.

‘Cause we all dread these guys, this Quad-A club;
They can kill our world, a fatal flub.
Had a game tonight, it never boosts your mood.
Yes, we’re so screwed…

‘Cause we’ve all got a notion jointly accrued
That if the team has no emotion, then the game’s not viewed.
(The Comment That We Love was from Nagurski’s brood, yeah.)
Play better ball: that’s the deal, or we’ll forget about it.

Yes, we’ve all got a notion jointly accrued
That if the team has no emotion, then the game’s not viewed.
They have a bat and glove? Not with that attitude, yeah;
Play better ball: that’s the deal, or we’ll forget about it.
Let’s all forget about it…

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-when-bad-cheaper-justin-topa-kody-funderburk

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 139: White Sox at Twins

A consequence of a rubbish bullpen. | Stephen Maturen / Getty Images

First Pitch: 6:40 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy
Know Yo’ Foe: South Side Sox

Well, he said, “there’s ball outside,” and he’s letting his brain float;
It’s far too early to think like that.
Well, he said, “they’re not gonna win, but the losing streak just might halt.”
And he doesn’t sleep, mind is racing;
If he dreams, there’s a fear that’s bracing,

So he says, “Maybe,
It’s 3 AM, I should be writing.“
And he says, “Maybe,
Now I can type up the thread, get it done on time,
And my brain’s gonna stay awake, I believe it.“

Well, he’s got a little bit of wonder of how the Twinkies’ll blunder
‘Cause with the Pohlad pocketbook, he’s a fear the team’s growing mold.
He knows the team can’t play near as well as it wants to.
But he doesn’t sleep, mind is racing;
Will he dream, or will fear come chasing?

So he says, “Maybe,
If it’s 3 AM, I should be writing.“
And aching, he says, “Maybe,
Now I can type up the thread, get it done on time,
And my brain’s gonna stay awake, I believe, yes.“

Will we believe the Twins ever make up the joy that we’re used to?
Will the pocketbooks always be stuck at cheap and laze and laze?
To think our happiness is a matter, it’s coming our way? (Yeah?)
But downslide we’re now facing…

Yeah, so he says, “Maybe,
If it’s 3 AM, I should be writing.“
And waking, he says, “Maybe,
Now I can type up the thread, get it done on time,
And my brain’s gonna want a break, I believe, yes;
Now it’s 3 AM, I should be writing.“
And waking, he says, “Maybe,
Now I can type up the thread, and it’s done on time.“

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-matthews-the-series-is-lost-but-not-the-game

 

[Minnesota Twins]

White Sox 11, Twins 8: Are We Worse than the White Sox?

A sweep at the hands of the White Sox would have been a disaster a few weeks ago. Nowadays, it’s just another Thursday.

After a delay of over two hours, Taj Bradley took the mound for the Twins and had himself a decent start when it was all said and done. Bradley’s stuff was down a bit from his last start when he was regularly hitting 99 MPH with his fastball, but he battled through some tough at-bats and gave Minnesota five solid innings.

The White Sox were able to get to Taj in the third inning. New Twins nemesis Edgar Quero smoked a double over James Outman’s head, while Kyle Teel followed with a RBI single to break the seal. After a five pitch walk to Colson Montgomery, Curtis Mead drilled a double of his own to plate two more runs and give the Southsiders a 3-0 lead.

The Twins bats fought back in the fourth, plating five runs of their own thanks to some timely hitting. Walks to Matt Wallner and Austin Martin put two on with two out, but the Twins scraped together four straight two-out hits to put them up 5-3. The go-ahead hit came off the bat of Mickey Gasper, who pinch hit for Ryan Jeffers after he had to leave the game with a head injury.

The two teams then exchanged runs in the fifth, with Minnesota’s run coming from a Wallner 108 MPH rocket dong off a lefty. It’s his fourth homer run off a left-handed pitcher this season, easily a career high. Unfortunately, things came unraveled for the Twins from there.

With little Joey Pohlad sending their best bullpen arms elsewhere, the Twins were left with scraps to piece together the game after Bradley left. Travis Adams was first up and threw a great sixth inning with his stuff playing up in a shorter role. Adams came back out for the seventh and was not nearly as sharp, allowing three straight batters to reach with a Teel three-run homer to top it off and bring the score even at 7 a piece.

Genesis Cabrera relieved Adams and continued to unimpress. Cabrera hit the first batter he faced, got the next two out (with a run coming in on a sac fly), balked in another run, threw a wild pitch, and then finally put us all out of our misery. 9-7 White Sox.

Noah Davis, the walking earned run machine, the living white flag himself, came in for the ninth inning and gave up runs as he is wont to do. Royce Lewis didn’t help him out, but this dude just has no business being on a major league roster. In 62 MLB innings, Davis has now allowed 71 runs, 99 hits, 30 walks, 17 home runs, and hit 11 batters to top everything off. Of the over 11,000 pitchers in MLB history, Davis has the second-worst ERA among players with at least 50 innings. He’s rapidly closing in on the top spot, just a few runs behind fan-favorite Charlie Stecher of the 1890 Philadelphia Athletics.

The White Sox added more runs in the ninth, unsurprisingly.

STUDS

• Luke Keaschall: 4-5, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
• Austin Martin: 2-3, 1 BB, 3 scorched balls
• Trevor Larnach: 3-5, 1 SB
• Matt Wallner: 1-2, 1 HR, 2 BB

DUDS

• Second inning Travis Adams: 0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 HBP, 1 HR (his first inning was legitimately very good!)
• Genesis Cabrera: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 HBP, 1 balk, 1 wild pitch
• Noah Davis: Worst pitcher in modern baseball history. Here’s a list of things that happened the same year there was a pitcher as bad as Noah Davis
  • Van Gogh painted Starry Night
  • Van Gogh died
  • The cardboard box was invented
  • Mercedes-Benz was founded
  • The first American Football game was played
  • NDSU was founded
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published
  • Idaho and Wyoming were made US States
  • The Minnesota Sea Wing Disaster
  • Agatha Christie was born
  • We were closer in history to the CIVIL WAR than World War 1.

These Twins may be bad, but I suppose they’re not boring.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ox-11-twins-8-are-we-worse-than-the-white-sox