News Twins Team Notes

[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.

View Link

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.)

View Link

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.

View Link

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.

View Link

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.

View Link

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.

View Link

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

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 151: Yankees 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: Pinstripe Alley

Today’s Lineups​

Trent Grisham – CF	Byron Buxton – CF
Aaron Judge – RF	Austin Martin – 2B
Ben Rice – 1B	Trevor Larnach – DH
Cody Bellinger – LF	Kody Clemens – 1B
Giancarlo Stanton – DH	Royce Lewis – 3B
Jazz Chisholm – 2B	Matt Wallner – RF
Ryan McMahon – 3B	Mickey Gasper – C
Anthony Volpe – SS	Ryan Fitzgerald – SS
Austin Wells – C	James Outman – LF
Cam Schlittler – RHP	Zebby Matthews – RHP

[th]

YANKEES​

[/th]​

[th]

TWINS​

[/th]​

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads-2/49110/game-151-yankees-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Yankees 10, Twins 5: New York homers, Minnesota goes home

Another day, another individual Yankee trouncing among that set. | Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images

Mes chèrs fans-in-hell,
It is with psyche fried in greatest measure that we watch the Twins tonight.
And now, it’s unlikely we relax; we just boggle and stare
As this Target Field club shall present…
…no winner.

Failed the test, failed the test,
Fans were nervous, rightly guessed
That the Yankees landed spankies
On our bottoms all abscessed.
No one spurs, just demurs
To the pinstripe-donned monsieurs;
As the rout gets ever vicious,
Are they trying? Not auspicious!
Take a swing? Not a chance,
Just a swivel in the pants
While the stadium in unison gets stressed;
Though it’s a lovely venue,
There’s no joy here when you
Failed the test, failed the test, failed the test!

Looked like poo in their play:
Bradley rocked and sent away,
Larnach’s grounders mean he founders;
Back to rounders or croquet.
At their home unprepared,
And the Pohlads haven’t cared:
None are lower than the owners—
Need a kick in their cojoners.
Trade the best, sack the scouts,
Plug their ears to all our pouts
While they’re crowing in their suits that they’re the best;
(Yes, I’m a caustic critic—
Joe is parasitic.)
Failed the test,
(And the rest? Many DUDS devoid of zest.)
Failed the test, failed the test, failed the test!

Still are some uncurving,
Of the STUD mark too deserving;
Brooks and Royce and Austin, choice with bat and ball.
Someday, there’ll be days when this is fruitful;
Currently, we doubt they’ll show at all.
For years they’ve been losing
In a streak that’s most confusing;
It’s a great surprise if they should end our ills.
Most days leave us feeling like an ass’le…
Strings a-snapping daily
Like a broken ukulele!

It’s a test, it’s a test,
Just another sporting quest.
(Goose’s cunning with this punning
Gets the Comment Here Addressed.)
Does it hurt? Does it sting?
Every evening, hands we wring.
While the offense fumbles rallies,
I’ll be sadly watching tallies;
Will they boil, getting hot?
It’s a wish, but likely not.
Clean it up? We know that Joe ain’t acquiesced.
We might be loyal, true,
But this is Number Two:
They failed the test,
Failed the test, failed the test, failed the test…

Failed the test, failed the test;
Why this passion we invest?
We’ve been fearing life of jeering,
But this year we can’t digest.
We’ve been had, we’ve been fleeced
By the owners’ pockets greased.
Now the exit queues are growing;
Our enthusiasm’s going…

…Score by score, run by run,
Making outs? The Twins aren’t fun!
That’s the season’s awful truth that we’ve confessed.
Tonight the Twins are beaten
‘Cause that wealthy cretin
Failed the test, failed the test, failed the test:
He failed the test!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-minnesota-goes-home-brooks-lee-austin-martin

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Joe Pohlad & how to better market the 2026 Twins

On the Pohlad Companies website, it lists members of the leadership team. Those bearing the Pohlad surname:

• James Pohlad
• Robert Pohlad
• William Pohlad
• Tom Pohlad
• Chris Pohlad
• Charlie Pohlad
• Allie Pohlad
• Joe Pohlad

One of the most interesting developments from the Minnesota Twins sale saga was that the last Pohlad—Joe—on that list is the one who actually wants to keep the team in the family. This isn’t a “Joe Pohlad hates baseball” scenario—rather, the exact opposite.

A part of me takes some hope in this—“hey, at least one Pohlad wants to keep the team!“. But another—larger—portion is worried that Joe may not have the chops to be Big Pohlad On Campus.

As such, I present to you the top five ways in which Joe needs to better market the 2026 Twins…

1: Be transparent about the TV situation​

It sounds like the Twins will be under the ESPN umbrella next season. This will almost certainly mean extra money spent by the MN consumer to view their favorite (still—hopefully) baseball squad. Argue amongst yourselves the ethics of that approach by MLB ownership groups.

But instead of obfuscating, the Twins need to be upfront. Tout how the new TV deal will raise revenue (and thus the ability to sign/spend)! Detail exact costs and how to watch/subscribe (don’t drop channel numbers hours before the opener). Some will balk, others will bite—but transparency is best.

2: Announce news as it happens​

One of the embarrassments of 2025 was having the news of manager Rocco Baldelli’s extension leak during the lackluster opening weeks. This could easily have been avoided by announcing the extension when it happened. Simple as that.

We live in a postmodern world. Everyone knows business-speak and can sniff out a rat from miles away. So just announce news as it happens and let the chips fall where they may. If anything, the Pohlads would gain respect for this approach rather than hiding news until it may be advantageous.

3: Lean into Twins history​

The Pohlads have done a remarkable job catering Target Field to general crowds with fun giveaways/promotions and trendy in-ballpark spots. Some might say this goes overboard at times—seemingly forgetting that a baseball game is actually being played. But a major opportunity exists to draw Twins history lovers back to the ballpark.

In 2025, what should have been a major franchise anniversary—the 1965 World Series appearance—was hastily thrown together and not even televised. Absolutely unacceptable. For ‘26, Owner Joe needs to lean into…

• The Twins HOF ceremony. I don’t care if it’s Denny Hocking & Mike Redmond being inducted—that needs to be on the promotional docket from Opening Day.
• The 35th anniversary of the 1991 World Championship team. Have starters go to their old positions in a pre-game ceremony—what a moment that would be (I don’t care how badly Herbie tears up the turf)!
• Perhaps a Paul Molitor Day, dedicated to his amazing age-39, .341 BA 1996 season in Twins pinstripes. He could split the game between TV/radio and tell late-90s Twins stories all night!
• Bring back as many of the 2006 Miracle Twins as possible—preferably in a game hosting the Detroit Tigers.

Also: make sure these events are highly publicized and fans know exactly what time they’ll begin pre-game. I guarantee higher-than-average crowds every time franchise history is feted.

4: Don’t get spooked by end-of-‘25 crowds​

One of the worst things that can happen to a baseball franchise is the downward spiral (see: Pittsburgh Pirates) of low ownership investment, which leads to sparse crowds, which leads to even less investment, which…well, you get the picture.

I’ll shout this from the rooftops (alas, I live in an apartment) if I have to: THE TWINS HAVE A DEVOTED FANBASE HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES!! The only caveat: Minnesota is a bastion for other outdoor activities—sporting or otherwise—during the summer. So if the paying cranks get wind of obsolescence at 1 Twins Way, other pastimes will fill the vacuum.

5: Don’t gut the roster (especially Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan)​

The absolute Minnesota Twins die-hards (looks around and smiles) will largely root for laundry—next man up—over favorites. But that isn’t the case for every rooter.

Obviously Byron Buxton is here to stay—if as much by personal choice (praise be!) as anything. But Pablo Days give fans a reason to spent a night under the North Loop stars. The same goes for the Joe Ryan Experience. To the average fan—hell, to most of us here on Twinkie Town—they mean so much more than just “the next guy”.

If you’d like to prove your ownership mettle to Twins fans, Joe Pohlad, I hope you were taking notes.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...d-better-marketing-2026-tv-espn-crowds-roster

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Guardians 6, Twins 2: Penning down a dream

On Pablo López Night, López gets hurt; a forearm strain from a dive to make a defensive play. The Twins’ bullpen ain’t great. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Stephen Kwan, who went to college in Oregon but attended high school at a place called Washington but is in California, so not confusing at all, any of that, breaks up the perfect game with his leadoff single. Which one of you started talking about it too early and JINXED EVERYTHING? Pablo walks José Ramírez, a flyout advances both runners, and both score on a single by .188-batting Bo Naylor. Hooray. Guardians 2-0

2: Radio going on about Joe Charboneau, who was originally drafted by Minnesota, but traded to Cleveland after getting into a barroom brawl in the minors. (Heck, I though that was almost REQUIRED of minor-leaguers back in the 1970s.) He got stabbed by a fan at an exhibition game in Mexico, won the Rookie of the Year award in 1980 (not exactly over stellar competition), and was out of MLB by 1983. Kris Atteberry says he was in The Natural, and yup, IMDb backs this up.

Is this worth discussing on radio? I guess so.

3: The Twins aren’t scoring and have six strikeouts already. I guess Parker Messick is the short Randy Johnson now. Pablo makes a slick defensive play.

View Link

4: Now Dan Gladden is discussing the unibrow of former Cardinals player Wally Moon. OK. He does have one.

5: Pablo is gone after throwing 61 pitches. Gladden says “we don’t want to speculate.” I will. It’s incurable Space Herpes. Cody Lawyerson is now pitching. I have no clue who this guy is. If he’s named for his father’s profession, as in Olde English, then his dad works for Meshbesher & Spence. Or is a civil rights attorney. You never know.

6: Austin Martin gets on the only way the Twins can against this guy; on a Messick error. So Martin gets to second. Luke Keaschall doubles, but Martin thought it was gonna be caught; he gets to third. And scores on a WP! Infield in, first batter, it works; for Royce Lewis, it doesn’t. This baby is all tied up. Lewis steals second; Trevor Larnach comes in to PH with two out. IBB; Ed Julien comes in. It doesn’t work; still 2-2

7: It’s All the Kodys, or at least another one. Funderburk pitching. He gives up the leadoff double to Gabriel Arias. Because Pareda was catching and pinch-hit for, Mickey Gasper is now doing that job. Gasper can’t corral a two-out WP and Arias gets to third, but Kody strikes the last guy out. Hooray for all Quodeez.

Jakob Junis now pitching for Cleveland; hey, a pitcher I’ve actually heard of! He is better than the Twins hitters here.

8: Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands in for the Twinsers. I thought he was the closer now? I guess not. With two outs, Ramírez doubles, and Atteberry thinks he’s gonna steal third’ Gladden doubts it with two outs. But he does. Here’s why:

The Twins IBBed Kyle Manzardo after Ramírez’s steal. And that means Manzardo can steal second against a guy who’s not usually a catcher. (He can’t throw to second, or Ramírez might take home.) And then Naylor singles both guys in. Oh, well. Former Spiders 4-2

9: Michael Tonkin, he of the three teams last year, gives up the leadoff single and WPs the guy to second. Brayan Rocchio doubles him in. Kwan doubles him in. The Guardians are the lowest-scoring team in baseball; not tonight. Cade Smith shuts the proverbial door. Twims lose (yes, we spell it wrong here sometimes).

Studs of the game? Um, Lewis, I guess. López for the great play, but alas, it messed him up. Duds of the game? The bullpenners not named Lawyeryson and Funderburk.

COTG go to Matt for explaining that the OK Computer album cover is a freeway interchange in Connecticut, BobbyDarwinFanClub for relating how Joe Charboneau crapped all over the city of Cleveland, and nagurskiinnortheast for identifying the true nature of our existential reality. Thanks to everyone on the gamethread, you folks are fun!

Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10 (weather permitting) and features something called a Slade Cecconi against our own Deadhead, Joe Ryan. Enjoy the weekend if ya got one, folks!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...9183/guardians-6-twins-2-penning-down-a-dream

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 153: Guardians at Twins

“I appreciate all the hard work you’ve done to be worth the three low-level prospects I will trade you for in December.” (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty.)

First pitch: 7:10 Central​

Weather: National Weather Service somewhat still gutted, 50% chance of sky water​

Opponent’s SB site: Covering The Corner​

TV: Twins TV. Radio: Today, we escape, we escape​

Plane Guy Pablo López will be facing off against Cleveland’s Parker Messick, who was just promoted to MLB in August, so no stats for youuuuu. Is there anything particularly interesting about Messick? Not until he gets charged with illegally dealing in cocaine squirrels. Which are like regular squirrels, except their fur is entirely made of cocaine. Whenever you see what looks like an albino squirrel, it’s a cocaine squirrel. Since this blog is family friendly, I’ll advise against inhaling one.

I am, just a bit, pretty burnt-out on everything (writing, all of existence), and so I decided to try this Chat GPT thing that everybody’s talking about (since it’s so great, and A.I. is not a massive drain on electricity and cooling water and everything else). I for one welcome our new robot overlords.

So, Chat GPT, what can you give me for “preview of Minnesota Twins against Cleveland Guardians”?

The Minnesota Twins are set to face off against the Cleveland Guardians in what promises to be an exciting matchup. Here’s a preview of what to expect from this series:

Minnesota Twins (AL Central Leaders)​

• Record: As of now, the Twins have been holding steady atop the AL Central, thanks in large part to their solid pitching staff and offensive consistency. They’ve got some pop in the lineup, and their pitching rotation has been strong throughout the season.
• Key Players:
  • Carlos Correa: The former World Series champion continues to lead the offense with his clutch hitting and leadership in the field. He’s crucial in driving the Twins’ offense and could play a key role in this series.
  • Byron Buxton: When healthy, Buxton is one of the most dynamic players in baseball. His speed and power make him a potential game-changer every time he steps on the field.
  • Sonny Gray: The veteran starter has been stellar for the Twins and could be a key factor if he takes the mound during this series. His ability to limit hard contact has been a big part of Minnesota’s success.
• Strengths: The Twins have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, particularly their bullpen, which can close out tight games. Their lineup has power, but it’s the pitching that has carried them throughout the season.
• Weaknesses: At times, their offense can be streaky. If they’re not hitting consistently, they could struggle to put up runs against Cleveland’s pitchers. The Twins will need to stay disciplined at the plate.

There’s more along these lines. You get the gist.

In a way, I’m almost offended. The machine doesn’t care about baseball writing! Sonny Gray hasn’t been a Twins pitcher since 2023! Clearly, the wizards training A.I. to replace every office worker on Earth doesn’t think baseball writing is important enough to steal. They’ll steal from Sarah Silverman, but not us baseball writers? Granted, Silverman is funnier than most baseball writers (this link is NSFW), but still, I’m insulted.

I did like this disclaimer at the end of the A.I. preview: “ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.”

And this sentence shows that the bot has learned the basics of sports broadcasting: “Both teams have players who can rise to the occasion in late-inning situations” … “This series could come down to who can execute in pressure moments.”

That’s good enough to be on TV or radio, right there. Don’t get sentimental, it always end up drivel.

Speaking of stealing from writers, I’ll take a break from my usual stealing Neil deMause, and instead swipe some links from Craig Calcaterra. First off, the Twins have cut their five-person pro scouting staff down to one. Although some other teams are doing this, too, like the Cubs.

Next, a fellow named Tony Forbes has put together a site explaining baseball’s byzantine rules to newcomers, called Baseball by the Rules. Have you even tried explaining the game to someone who doesn’t know it? It can be frustrating for both parties. I had a job at a group home where one of the residents was a huge baseball fan, and we had a new co-worker from Somalia who was very bright and very eager to learn more about the residents. So, one night, when things were slow, we tried explaining it to her. And you’d be surprised how complex that can be! Like, strike three means you’re out… but not if it’s fouled off. But it is if it’s a foul tip and the catcher catches it. But if the catcher drops strike three, you can try running to first — but not if you fouled it into the dirt and then the ball got away.

And so on. The co-worker eventually gave up, saying “soccer is much easier to understand.” Um, sure… until you have to explain to a non-soccer fan how “offsides” works, and what kind of foul results in a yellow card or red card or free kick or penalty kick… all sports have crazy rules, when you come down to it. (That co-worker did enjoy the Abbott & Costello “Who’s on First” routine, though. Some things cross almost every cultural barrier.)

So good luck to Mr. Forbes, and hopefully his site will be helpful to people.

Finally, in Millburn, NJ, the Paper Mill Playhouse is going to be staging Bull Durham: The Musical. Hopefully with less awkward bathtub sex scenes than the 1988 movie. Before snickering at the idea of theatrical art coming from New Jersey, be aware that the theater was founded in 1934 and over the years has featured performers like Cab Calloway, Jane Fonda, Lillian Gish, Anthony Perkins, Bernadette Peters, William Shatner, Betty White, and Gene Wilder.

Although, honestly? If you’re gonna make a musical based on a famous baseball story? (One that doesn’t have Ray Walston as the Devil, that is.) I’d almost go with Major League, instead. But, an advantage of this one is that the film’s original screenwriter, Ron Shelton, did the adaptation himself. So, if you’re gonna be in Jersey and have $50 to drop on somebody singing “We need a live rooster to uncurse the glove / plus gift suggestions for our teammate in love,” you know what to do!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/49167/game-153-guardians-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 155: Guardians at Twins

First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy

KNOW THINE ENEMY: Covering the Corner

We’re back for a little evening baseball!

The Twins and Guardians are pulling double duty today, Radcliffe-style. When last we left our heroes, the Guardians had just won their ninth straight, which means they’re not just 1.5 GB of the division title, they’re only a game out of the Wild Card, as well. All of a sudden, Cleveland has a bevy of options at the table, and the soup spoon in their hand. It’s up to Detroit to swat away the plates. (Huh?)

If you like David vs. Goliath matchups — where David has no money, no players, no talent, and no motivation, and Goliath is on a 9-game winning streak and also just beats David in direct combat — you’ll probably love tonight’s game, which ought to promise much of the same that could be seen this afternoon.

Logan Allen and Bailey Ober are the scheduled starters.

Bailey is hoping that Joe Ryan was possessed with his homer-happy spirit this afternoon, which would mean he has a chance to break out of his own unenergized stretch of outings and find something more positive to end his season on.

GO TWINS GO!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-threads/49197/game-155-guardians-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Guardians 8, Twins 0: Second Verse

I don’t know what to write anymore about this godforsaken team, who lost 6-0 in the matinee and then rolled it back with a 8-0 loss in the nightcap. Like, what are we doin’ here.

I debated a copy-paste job for the second recap, in a bit of fist-shaking performance art at this Pohlad-assembled monstrosity. After all, the song remains the same, for the most part — minor variations in Game Two included six earned runs charged to tonight’s starter, Bailey Ober, but none on the long ball (in a welcome change of pace from Joe Ryan’s effort earlier today.)

Instead, a crooked outburst from Cleveland in the fifth inning set the table:

• Bryan Rocchio singles
• Petey Halpin singles
• Austin Hedges bunts, 1 out
• Steven Kwan singles 2-0 CLE
• Daniel Schneeman 4-6 FC, 2out
• Jose Ramirez singles
• Kyle Manzardo singles 3-0 CLE
• Gabriel Arias doubles 5-0 CLE
• C.J. Kayfus singles 6-0 CLE

Kayfus would single and steal before Rocchio grounded out to end the inning with the damage done. They’d add insurance, if it can be called that, after Mick Abel walked the bases loaded in relief and gave up a two-run eighth-inning single to Kwan.

Abel piggybacked to completion with Ober (he what?), meaning that Rocco Baldelli got away with a four-pitcher doubleheader. You might expect the results to be a little better given those metrics, but the 2025 Minnesota Twins are no longer playing baseball games with results in mind.

After Logan Allen dominated with eight shutout innings in a heroic effort, it was a DaShawn Keirsey Jr. grounder that would end the game, and leave Clevelanders uproarious in celebration. For with this win tonight, the Guardians are on the doorstep of the division — literally a nigh-impossible one game back — with one more game against these doormats tomorrow, and then three head-to-head with the Detroit Tigers at home.

At the very least, you can’t say the Twins aren’t contributing something to the greater narrative of the game. Where would these teams be without all the free wins in Minnesota?

STUDS:

?!?!?!?!

DUDS:

SP Bailey Ober (5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, K)

The Offense (4-for-28, BB, 9 K)

The Pohlad Family

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/49204/guardians-8-twins-0-second-verse

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 6, Guardians 2: Playing Spoiler

The Cleveland Guardians have been doing their best 2024 Detroit Tigers impression, going on a late-season heater to push themselves squarely into the playoff picture. The Guardians had just a 10% chance to make the playoffs on August 31. Now with an MLB-best 16 wins in September, combined with the Tigers tying the Twins for the second-fewest wins this month, the Guardians sit just one game out of the AL Central title and half a game out of the Wild Card before their head-to-head matchup on Tuesday to decide the division.

In the meantime, the Twins were able to put a damper on Cleveland’s postseason hopes with a resilient win, avoiding a four game sweep. Simeon Woods Richardson took the mound and wasn’t quite as sharp as his last start against the Yankees. SWR allowed a homer to Steven Kwan to start the game and one more run came in later in the inning to put the Guardians up 2-0 in the first. That would, however, be the only runs Cleveland scratched across all afternoon.

The Guardians still hit the ball hard, but conveniently did it directly in the direction of Twins fielders more often than not. The offense, meanwhile, was a bit of a no-show for the first half of the game. The Twins’ first hit came off the bat of Byron Buxton, a bloop double into right field in the third inning, eventually scoring on a Kody Clemens RBI single.

The Twins had a chance in the fifth with the bases loaded and just one out, but Clemens and Austin Martin saw a total of five combined pitches and both popped out, a fitting metaphor for these Twins hitters in 2025. Luckily, Brooks Lee came up with a man on in the fifth and crushed his 16th homer of the season to put the Twins up 3-2.

Minnesota also had a two-out rally in the seventh. Clemens and Martin both reached base on infield hits to put two men on for pinch-hitter Royce Lewis, who decided to show us he still has a little magic left in the tank. His three-run dong gave a struggling Twins bullpen the breathing room they needed to close out the win and keep hope alive for the Detroit Tigers.

In a season full of disappointment and struggle, it’s nice to give fans a W on their final home game of the season.

STUDS

• Bullpen (Funderburk, Ohl, Sands, Adams): 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K
• Royce Lewis: 1-1, 1 HR, 3 RBI
• Brooks Lee: 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI

DUDS

• No duds Twins win!!!

Two series to go before we shift into offseason mode. First up, the Rangers on Tuesday who are all but eliminated from postseason contention despite their own second half surge.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-game-recaps/49236/twins-6-guardians-2-playing-spoiler

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Merciful End” Edition

The Twins wrapped up their home schedule for the 2025 season, dropping series to the Yankees and Guardians, bringing a merciful end to the hometown Twins fans who had to sit through this entire season. To add injury to insult, Pablo Lopez was placed on the injured list with a mild right forearm strain after fielding a ground ball, ending his season. Joe Ryan didn’t look great in his start on Saturday, giving up three solo homers. Maybe the silver lining here is that our two aces played so poorly that they are no longer trade assets in the offseason. Yay us?

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 has some suggestions for Joe Pohlad in the 2026 season.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Matthew Leach at MLB.com recaps Royce Lewis’ season and his outlook for next year.
• Phil Miller at the Star Tribune highlights one of the few remaining reliable arms in the bullpen, Kody Funderburk.
• Theo Tollefson profiles the “grandpa” of the clubhouse, infielder Ryan Fitzgerald, and what he’s doing to keep morale up in the Twins dugout.

In the World of Baseball:

• The Toronto Blue Jays clinched a spot in the playoffs and maintain a 2.0 game lead over the Yankees in the race for the top spot in the AL and the AL East, while the Tigers have been free-falling the past few weeks, going 1-9 in their last 10 games, and now only sit one game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians. The Mariners now have a pretty good three-game cushion over the Houston Astros, after going 9-1 in their last 10. Currently, the Yankees and Red Sox are in the #1 and #2 wild card spots, while the Guardians and Astros are tied for the last spot.
• The Milwaukee Brewers now have a three-game lead over the Phillies and look poised to finish as the best team in the National League. The Dodgers clinched their spot in the playoffs and also have a three-game lead in the NL West over the Padres. The Chicago Cubs also punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and the floundering New York Mets are now tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild card spot, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants still lurking.
• Jacob Young of the Washington Nationals had a ridiculous highlight catch yesterday to help send the Mets to an eventual defeat and a tie with the Reds for the last spot in the playoffs.
• Clayton Kershaw made his last regular-season start at Dodger Stadium last weekend, as he plans on retiring after the season. Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic has more on the historic night for the future hall-of-famer.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/49259/monday-morning-minnesota-the-merciful-end-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 156: Guardians at Twins

FIRST PITCH: 1:10 PM CDT​

TV: Twins.TV​

RADIO: TREASURE ISLAND BASEBALL NETWORK​

KNOW THINE ENEMY: Covering the Corner​

A lot of things have gone wrong during this 2025 Minnesota Twins season—but the TV broadcast crew has not been one of them! The television denizens have posted a surprisingly solid showing for essentially being a self-run organization (freed from the bonds of Bally/Fanduel Sports Network and its near-constant bankruptcy).

For so long here in Twins Territory it was Dick-&-Bert calling 75%+ of the action, but that has shifted to a more rotating cast by region—which I like. The same voices day after day lead to stale commentary and repeated aphorisms (“downward plane”, anyone?) even if the overall pairing is solid.

A few thoughts on each member of the new crew:

Cory Provus​

• Remains a really solid play-by-play voice. His slightly goofy, unassuming presence sometimes is the antithesis of Dick Bremer’s booming baritone and “one of us” MN lineage, but his move from dial to tube has been seamless and even gotten him some FOX Game of the Week opportunities on national TV.

Justin Morneau​

• Remains a solid, comforting presence next to Cory. Really strong at diagnosing the X’s & O’s of any given on-field situation and he’s from that era of Twins baseball we all love. Sometimes overly stoic on the mic, but his personality really comes out when former playing buddies join the broadcast.

Glen Perkins​

• Perk may just be the rising star of this group. Whether on the radio or on TV, he seems a natural at commentary. As I’ve said on numerous occasions, when he’s in the booth it’s like watching the game with your quirky MN uncle—who in this case happens to be an ex-Major Leaguer. Extremely smooth in any medium. If he desires, I could easily see him carving out more air time going forward.

LaTroy Hawkins​

• Hawk has really built himself into an ambassador of the game—especially amongst the African American community where MLB is sagging at the moment. The guy played practically everywhere and in every pitching role imaginable, so his insights are never lacking. Needs to refine his on-air mannerisms—perhaps not loudly clapping upon each Twins success—but seems to get a little more polished each year.

Denard Span​

• Like Hawk, the Span Man needs “reps”. Stepping on Provus’ words and clearing his nose on-mic have been issues. He still seems to be finding his own style, meaning his analysis can sometimes be a bit stilted or overly articulated. But when he’s able to relax and let the personality shine through, he can be really fun to listen to. Remember when Torii Hunter used to do sporadic series? That’s sort of Span right now—he’ll either fade away (boo) or continue to improve and thrive (yay!).

Trevor Plouffe​

• Plouffe is one of those guys who is simply the coolest dude in the room without having to try too hard to arrive at that point. His madcap energy can be contagious and his insights on how current players think about the game—especially hitting approaches—can truly be enlightening. When Twins TV did the all-analyst booth, he stole the show! His self-deprecating, “I know I was good-not-great but it doesn’t matter because I’m California Cool” persona is often hilarious!

Paul Molitor​

• Molly can be found more frequently replacing Dazzle next to Atteberry on 830, but I think he does a little TV. The Ignitor doesn’t quite bring the cool-factor of the young guys, but his insights largely make up for it.

Audra Martin​

• Truth be told, I probably should have put Audra up top—she has been a show-stealer at times this year! Freed from the constraints of Bankruptcy Bally, the Twins have been able to utilize Audra for more than just a few in-game checkins and the postgame interview. She usually has a devoted player segment each game—which always seems to highlight a great interview/story she has cultivated—and sometimes even her off-field antics are shown, like hanging off the CN Tower in Toronto! As a ballpark quest-er, I love when Audra highlights a fun food or place to go in the area of an opposing ballpark.

It sounds like ESPN will be the new home of Twins TV in 2026. I hope they retain the services of all these fine individuals and continue to allow their roles to grow.

I’ll be back for the final 162 recap next Sunday, but today I again have Purple Pride commitments to attend to so someone else will be recapping the action. A lefty starter on the mound against MN bats—so I’m sure nothing can possibly go wrong.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...tor-latroy-hawkins-trevor-plouffe-denard-span