News Twins Team Notes

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 12, Reds 5: One streak ends, another continues

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Byron Buxton hits another leadoff bomb, and the Twins are back at .500.

The Minnesota Twins finally snap a 6-game losing skid with a series-ending win over the Reds. Byron Buxton goes deep twice, the Brooks Lee hitting-streak continues, “Clutch” Kody Clemens comes through again and Jeffers returns with a bang as the Twins head home for what is going to be a toasty home series with Milwaukee.

After dropping the first two games of the series in frustrating fashion, the Minnesota Twins stormed into the Great American Ball Park on Thursday and delivered a thunderous response, hammering the Cincinnati Reds in the series finale with an all-out offensive explosion. The bats came alive, leading the Twins to a much-needed and morale-boosting win as they prepare to head back home for a high-stakes weekend against the Brewers.

For the Twins, this series star of the show has been: Byron Buxton. The centerfielder put on a clinic, launching two home runs — his 14th and 15th of the season — to spearhead the Twins’ offense. For the second straight game Buxton lead off the game with a home run.

Byron Buxton CRUSHES a leadoff home run for the second straight game pic.twitter.com/R4JIrRsuPF

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2025​

But Buxton wasn’t alone. Enter Kody “Clutch” Clemens, who knocked his 7th homer of the season. Ryan Jeffers returned to the lineup smashing his 5th home run of the season and contributing in a big way throughout the game. He was dealing with a bruised hand and missed Wednesday’s rainy contest. He seemed to be back in full form though. In top of the third, Jeffers and Ty France ripped doubles to drive in three runs.

Ryan Jeffers hits a two-run home run (5) in the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Cincinnati Reds 11-5 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.#MNTWINS
pic.twitter.com/aboyGCyFyJ

— Rockford Maverick (@RockfordMav) June 19, 2025​

MIN - Kody Clemens 2-run HR (7)

Distance: 403 ft
EV: 107.8 mph
LA: 31°
️ 89.7 mph cutter (CIN - RHP Nick Martinez)
️ Would be out in 30/30 MLB parks

MIN (3) @ CIN (2)
2nd#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/YVfkGY6iVD

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) June 19, 2025​

Speaking of consistency, Brooks Lee quietly kept doing his thing, extending his hitting streak to 18 games — now just four hits away from tying Bobby Witt Jr.’s league-best 22-game streak from earlier this season.

This was a complete team win, and it came at just the right time. After two frustrating losses to open the series, the Twins came out swinging, showed their resilience, and turned the momentum around heading into a big weekend series at Target Field.

Yes — it’s time for the Border Battle against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Twins are heading home with a jolt of confidence and a lineup that has that spark again, at least it felt that way after today. It will be fun to see Byron Buxton perform this weekend. I already have my tickets with a couple Brewers fans - it’s on!

Here’s the pitching stats from today:

W (3-6) Chris Paddack: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 SO 4.48 ERA

Varland, Sands, Coulombe, Jax and Topa all made appearances with Sands giving up the only run.

L (4-8) Nick Martinez: 2 2⁄3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 4.55 ERA

Go Twins!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/19/24452373/twins-12-reds-5-one-streak-ends-another-continues

 

[Minnesota Twins]

The Hitless Wonder 2025 Twins

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Not as bad as the 1906 White Sox or 2005 Twins—but also not great

Earlier this year, I teased Sports Journalist Zach Koenig’s role at the University of Minnesota-Morris campus newspaper previewing the 2005 Minnesota Twins with positive puff pieces and somber remembrances.

That same intrepid reporter crafted a story with a headline eerily prescient of our two-decades-later bunch. Per Mark Twain: “History doesn’t repeat itself—but it often rhymes”.

Written from my sophomore dorm, that article compared the ‘05 squad with the remarkable World Series champion 1906 Chicago White Sox. That year the South Siders had...

• .230 team BA, .588 OPS, & 87 OPS+
• No single player with more than 2 home runs

Granted, it helps to only need eight pitchers all year long and have four of them win 17+ games & pitch 220+ innings. But still—it was exceedingly improbable even in the Dead Ball Era to take home a title with such teeny offensive tabulations.

Probably good that pitcher Ed Walsh was featured on this ‘06 CWS promo postcard

Meanwhile, the 2005 Twins weren’t faring all that much better...

• .259 team BA, .714 OPS, & 88 OPS+
• No single batter over .274 BA
• Only Jacque Jones (23) & Justin Morneau (22) with 20+ HR
• No single batter recorded 30 doubles

This was a year in which Ron Gardenhire gave 159 PA to the .539 OPS Terry Tiffee.

Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
Terry Tiffee, anyone?

I won’t completely spoil the ending of ‘05 because more coverage is to come, but suffice it to say they didn’t weasel a trophy out of their offensive ineptitude like the ought-six Sox (an ironic statement for what did happen to close out 2005).

How does this all compare with our ‘25 compatriots? Departing the Cincinnati series...

• .243 team BA, .710 OPS, 97 OPS+
• Only Byron Buxton & Trevor Larnach on solid pace for 20+ HR
• Only Ryan Jeffers, Carlos Correa, & maybe Ty France on solid pace for 30+ 2B

In all honesty, those numbers were better than I anticipated—if still below league average overall. But hey—France also leads MLB in HBP. So that’s something.

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images
The Ty France speciality

This middle-of-the-pack offense certainly doesn’t pass the eye test. Perhaps this is due to unfortunate sequencing—when the offense shows life the starters/bullpen collapse; when the SP/RP buckle down the bats turn to brooms.

One interesting note: in 33 night games the Twins have a 113 OPS+. In 38 day games, that drops to 88 OPS+. Perhaps everyone needs velocity slaps & Red Bull, not just bullpeners...

Any way you slice it, this team will need to swing the bats with more swagger to jump back into the legitimate AL playoff picture. That is true now more than ever with Pablo Lopez & Zebby Matthews on the shelf & Bailey Ober working through a hip problem. Does the current roster have the talent to turn things around? We’ll find out over the next 3+ months.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...fee-chicago-white-sox-1906-punchless-whiffs-k

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Brewers 17, Twins 6, and it wasn’t even as close as that

If this guy stays healthy — always a question when you throw over 100 on a regular basis — you’re gonna be awfully glad Bud Selig moved the Brewers outta this division. | Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Oh, this game bites, a real beat, dear, and it blew with, all its might.

On a hopefully fun night when, for non-cable-ers, the Twins were on Fox9 in the metro, their bats got stymied by very promising Brew Crew rookie Jacob Misiorowski until it no longer mattered. Joe Ryan tried his best. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Nice pregame tribute to slain lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. And their dog, Gilbert. Some of Gilbert’s litter mates are on hand and there’s a message from the Hortmans’ children. Well done, Twins.

Ryan walks Jackson Chourio before Christian Yelich bats, and lives to tells the tale. The Twins need Ryan to be really good tonight, as Brewers mega-rookie Misiorowski throws a billion miles an hour and has been absolutely dominant in the minors of late. Willi Castro strikes out on a 95.5 slider and falls on his buttular area. This kid is NASTY.

2: Isaac Collins’s parents shoulda named him Bootsy. He draws the 2-out walk. Christian Vázquez nails him on the steal attempt. Before that, Harrison Bader shows why he has an Auric Goldfinger-licensed glove.

A super-fast fastball and almost-as-fast slider are a really potent combo. Randy Johnson had the same thing, and was also wild at the start of his career (Misiorowski’s had a high walk rate in the minors, and walked four in his five-inning, no-hit debut last week). The Twins do not walk a lot, though; 23rd in MLB. They haven’t walked yet tonight. Or hit.

3: Ryan has five Ks but the Brewers are really making him work for it, laying off and fouling off pitches. 57 through three innings. Misiorowski has 34 pitches, and is 33% of the way to a perfect game.

4: Trying to figure out what company “uponor” is on the mound advertisement. One called Uponor sells “solutions for plumbing, radiant heating and cooling, and local heat distribution.” So, sure, baseball game ads, why not. Chourio walks again and steals, advancing to third on a groundout. A short fly and fairly-decent Bader throw would probably have gotten a slower player; not this one.

The Twins get closer to an actual hit but “close” only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, murder investigations, real-estate sales, and Carpenters songs. Brewers 1-0

5: Collins gets the game’s first hit but is doubled off on a tough liner catch by Kody Clemens; he continues moving right into the bag. Good thing he’s out because the Misiorowski finished this with another perfect inning. That’s ten hitless to start his career.

6: Ryan still in at 91 pitches. Sal Frelick singles, Chourio hits one that just escapes Matt Wallner’s diving glove, Frelick sees the ball scoot out of the glove and turns on Turbo Mode all the way home. This game is OVER, kiddos.

Danny “Electric Charge” Coulombe in, Yelich with the next RBI. A groundout moves Yelich over to second; a bunt base hit moves him to third. That bunt base hitter Brice Turang is caught in a pickoff rundown and is called out on a replay challenge. That’s still more than too many baseball touchdown goals for the Twins to overcome.

It’s Vázquez who almost breaks it up with a warning track fly in front of the bullpen. But I did say “almost.” World’s blandest cheese state 3-0

7: Justin Topa is in and I’m stopping taking notes. Everything has gone to poop in a poopbucket floating in an outhouse pooper. Don’t ask why a bucket’s in the pooper; it just IS, alright?

I’m gonna give you a GIF a got via email from the Internet Archive lately. I frequently use Internet Archive at my other site for research and video clip purposes. So I’m on their email list. I don’t know why they sent me a GIF but the GIF is cool:

Or, “Rocco’s Spreadsheet.”

Watch that while very high for awhile instead of thinking or reading more about this game.

The Twins get a Buxton walk to break up the perfecto and Wallner hits a homer to break up the no-hitter and A) I don’t fugging care plus B) I’d actually have liked to see a perfect game, they’re very rare. Once were Pilots 8-2

8: Recent Twins acquisition Joey Wentz now mounding. I greatly admire the actor Rachel Weisz. Actor George Wendt died this May, I didn't know that! He was 76. Wendt played Willy Loman on stage in Canada in 2017, what a neat thing that must have been for him. I am hoisting a beer for Norm right now.

More of this game happened, and Jonah Bride pitched in his fourth MLB hurling appearance (all this season), and I’m not bothering with any of it. Twins lose.

The formula aspect of situation comedy can sometimes mean lazy writing and acting; it can also mean very funny writing and acting. It takes skill to work WITHIN the tight formula and still do something very simple, but very funny. Here’s a terrific example:

Studs of the game: Ryan for sticking it out through as long as he did with a high pitch count, Brooks Lee for extending his hitting streak to 19. (Enemy stud: Yelich with 8 RBI; I could do better, but that’s still pretty good for a lesser being.) Duds: the Twins not taking ONE DANG walk off Misiorowski (who is prone to giving up walks at this early stage in his career) until he was gassed.

Comments of the GT: Nagurskiinnortheast with “Ryan’s pitch count tonight will probably make him break out a little extra talco en polvo!” BAD comment goes to Foley for “Hey, did you know this guy is throwing a perfect game?” because that JINXED it.

Thanks to all who join in these things! It was a fun gamethread despite not being a very fun game. You folks really make doing this worthwhile.

Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10, and features Simeon of the Long Name against much more experienced pitcher Jose Quintana.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...s-close-as-that-jacob-misiorowski-perfect-six

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 76: Brewers at Twins

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

What is up, party people.

First Pitch: 1:10 pm CDT​

TV: Twins.TV / ~ / Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM

This week, I found a 2014 Glen Perkins All-Star Game bobblehead, as well as a Phil Hughes Twins bobblehead that, judging by the uniforms and general design, was probably from the same year (or perhaps a year later, once he’d had his standout debut season with the team.)

They were at a shelf on the Goodwill in St. Paul; my sister had popped over with a friend that week and spotted them near the entrance. One trip and just ten bucks later, I had both in hand.

This was the highlight of the week for Minnesota Twins-related content.

The Twins have been on the most demoralizing skid of the year, worse (IMO) than the 7-15 start which plagued the early vibes. Minnesota is 3-11 since June 15th, and have only won two series since their 13-game winning streak from what now feels like a million years ago. They snapped a six-game skid on Thursday, only to lose 16-7 last night in a game that wasn’t remotely as close as even that abysmal score implies.

Injuries have obliterated the front lines, the depth isn’t performing, a handful of “core” pieces have already been demoted, and the Twins officially hold a losing record, sitting at 37-38, ten games back of first, fourth place in the division, and now seventh in the AL Wild Card.

(Other than that, Cole Escola, how was the play?)

The Twins will face off against an old friend — well, really, an old rival — in Jose Quintana. Quintana, of course, was well-familiar with Minnesota after debuting in Chicago and spending his first five-and-a-half seasons with the White Sox, including his only All-Star appearance in 2016. Since then, he’s spent time on the North Side, time in California, time on the Mets, and has now settled in Milwaukee. Through it all, he’s been wildly dependable; the 36-year-old lefty has had only one major-league season below replacement level, and has racked up 8.3 bWAR in his age 33-36 seasons.

Simeon Woods Richardson gets the ball for the Twins. At this point, the bar for success is pretty low for ol’ Sim. On June 5th, the Twins gave up 14; 16 on the 10th, 16 on the 12th, 10 on the 13th, and 17 last night. Rocco Baldelli will probably take anything in the single digits.

GO TWINS GO!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/21/24453244/game-76-brewers-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Brewers 9, Twins 0: Nothing to Say

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The on-field product is reaching critical mass.

At the moment, the Minnesota Twins could not be giving fans less to be interested in.

Not even 24 hours after a 16-7 drubbing, the Twins fell down 4-0 early to the Milwaukee Brewers and watched that lead slowly extend itself to a final score of 9-0. The team has now given up 25 more runs in less than a day, making for 82 runs allowed in just six select blowouts this month alone.

Simeon Woods Richardson gave up two in a sluggish first and two more in the second; throwing errors by Ryan Jeffers on attempted double steals, and two base hits from a red-hot Christian Yelich, contributed to a 4-0 Brewer lead before the Minnesota lineup really had an opportunity to settle in.

To his credit, SWR hung in to deliver 95 pitches’ worth of length in dire need of somebody to step up and soak innings. His effort ensured that Jonah Bride wouldn’t have to come back out and pitch in this one, although the lead was not quite as bad as nine until Cole Sands came into the eighth and allowed five runs on six hits and a walk in 1.2 innings.

Jose Quintana was borderline untouchable, as the Twin lineup once again failed to solve a softer-tossing left-hander. J.Q. would go six innings, striking out just one hitter and issuing four (!) free passes, but allowed only three hits and could not be reached for an earned run.

0-fers littered the lineup, with Byron Buxton, Harrison Bader, and Matt Wallner all singling; Carlos Correa added a double, and that was literally it. Fittingly, the game was punctuated with a strikeout of Brooks Lee, officially snapping his hitting streak.

COURTESY: Baseball Savant

It’s another Twins loss, and another defeat worthy of some side-eyes after the game. The team is far enough removed from its stunning 13-game winning streak that the questions from earlier this spring — maybe this team will be sellers? maybe somebody will be fired? maybe we’ll all be surprised by a fundamental organizational pivot? — are starting to creep back into play.

But for now, it’s another series loss to soak up, another 24 hours to wait until the next one, and another near-100-degree day to help keep the blood boilin’.

YOINKS!

STUDS:

I genuinely cannot find a stud here today

DUDS:

RP Cole Sands (1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, BB, 0 K)

RF Willi Castro (0-for-4)

1B Ty France (0-for-4)

2B/3B Brooks Lee (0-for-4, K)

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/21/24453390/brewers-9-twins-0-nothing-to-say

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Brewers 9, Twins 8: Absolutely Brew-tal

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Target Field brings no answers to struggling Twins

This weekend, the Minnesota Twins had hoped that a return to the cozy confines of Target Field would fix what plagued a 1-5 road trip to Houston & Cincinnati. Instead, the visiting Milwaukee Brewers played their best Thomas Wolfe card—You Can’t Go Home Again—in sweeping MIN in front of largely Cheesehead crowds.

Ol’ Tommy would have had a field day with this one

Rocco Baldelli decided to use Danny Coulombe as an opener against the Brew Crew today and that strategy backfired as it seemingly has every time this organization has tried it. Danny got the first two outs easy as pie, but Christian Yelich doubled and was quickly plated by a William Contreras single.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Has the opener EVER worked for the Twins?!

That lead lasted all of six Quinn Priester pitches, as Twins Superman Byron Buxton again wasn’t waiting until July 9 to fly! This leadoff launch surpassed Dan Gladden’s all-time MN one-hole HR honorific (still a ways to go to catch Brian Dozier’s top mark).

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Get this man to Georgia in July!

Not content to just lean on Buck (a phrase which could describe the entirety of the past week), the other MIN bats scraped together a crooked number when the Conga Line of Trevor Larnach—Ty France—Brooks Lee all singled and saw Trev complete the circuit.

Alas, as per the fates of the last two weeks, that 2-1 Twins lead itself lasted five okay-now-its-David-Festa hurls as Rhys Hoskins poked a solo shot directly down the LF line.

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Hoskins homer

The 2-2 tie lasted exactly one half inning, when Milwaukee absolutely abused 3B Brooks Lee in the top of the 3rd:

• Sal Frelick chopped one to Lee that put an E in his box score tally
• Jackson Chourio laid down a perfect bunt that Lee could only stuff in his pocket
• Yelich chopped one over Lee’s head

As Brooks licked his wounds/ego, Festa found further foolishness and the inning ended at 4-2 Suds-ers.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Can’t stop the bleeding

After Minnesota left two runners on sacks in B3, Festa’s off-target offering allowed Caleb Durbin to scamper home the next half-inning—and give the mostly-Wisconsonite crowd more to gloat over as their lead increased to 5-2.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Can’t stop the bleeding (x2)

This game would not allow me an opportunity to step away from this recap for even one moment, as Ryan Jeffers quickly jacked a moonshot he kept juuuuuuust fair down the LF line and pulled the Twins to within two (5-3).

Sadly, we now reach the point this afternoon where—much like a cat toying with its mousy prey—the Brewers decided the put our Twins away for good. In the top of the 5th, Hoskins whacked a ground-rule double literally off the body of Lee to put multiple runners in scoring position. Given that inch, the Brewers took the requisite mile as Brice Turang homered off Festa & then three consecutive MIL singles put a capper on the 9-3 lead.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Another Twins SP with a disastrous effort then left to the slaughter simply for innings coverage

Or was it the capper?

The Twins made a little noise in the later innings. Buxton hit ANOTHER home run and a 7th-inning rally loaded the bases to produce a single run.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Get those All-Star votes in, Twins Territory!

Then, a two-out, two-run France home run in B8 pulled the Twins to within one run (9-8)!

Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Frenchy!

Against former-Twin-turned-Brewers-closer Trevor Megill, the Twins put two men on with one out in B9. But a Matt Wallner pop-up & a Larnach caught-looking consummated the sweep for the Brewers.

Folks, this recap took it all out of me today. Your Final: Milwaukee Brewers 9, Minnesota Twins 8.

The Twins were outclassed by Pat Murphy’s squad all weekend. I wouldn’t necessarily say the hometown nine didn’t battle or that they rolled over—but the Brewers were just the better bunch in every aspect of the game.

Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Sweep

Up next: the Seattle Mariners arrive for a four-game set (M-T-W night; H afternoon).

Studs​

• Audra Martin: Giving a free beer to a clearly-flummoxed-by-the-presence-of-a-beautiful-woman-handing-him-an-alcoholic-beverage fan who had snared Buxton’s home run with one hand and given it to his father.
• Audra Martin again: Finding a random guy in the crowd with a Trevor Plouffe shirsey and interviewing him.
• Byron Buxton: Truly the only thing to be excited about on this roster right now.
• Late-inning battling.

Duds​

• Coulombe: unable to fulfill the main duty of the opener: keep the opposition off the board for one inning.
• Festa: 4.2 IP, 12 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR

Comment of the Game​

• This one is 100% for the user name.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...on-buxton-leadoff-hr-again-wasted-in-big-loss

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 2, Mariners 11: This hurts

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

A brutal stretch in front of a home crowd continues

On a beautiful summer evening in front of just under 18,000 at Target Field, including myself, the Minnesota Twins were once again outmatched, falling 11–2 to the Seattle Mariners. It’s a trend that’s grown all too familiar in recent weeks.

The loss marks the Twins’ 10th in their last 11 games, a stretch that has tested the patience and optimism of fans hoping to see this team turn the corner. Minnesota’s ongoing struggles with pitching and situational hitting were on full display Monday night.

Bailey Ober came out firing early, striking out JRod and The Big Dumper in the first. But it all unraveled in the third—giving up six runs that put the game firmly in Seattle’s control. It was Ober’s ninth consecutive start without recording a win, and concerns are mounting as his fastball velocity continues to dip and opposing hitters have been capitalizing on every mistake. That being said, he did pitch seven innings, throwing 102 pitches. Seven was the theme tonight for Ober: 7 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 7 K, 0 BB. He’s now 4-5 on the season with an ERA of 4.90.

Hip! Hip! Jorge!

The Mariners, meanwhile, flexed their offensive depth with four home runs on the night and power up and down the lineup. Polanco was in the four-hole, but he went Ofer. The rest jumped on every opportunity the Twins gave them, and once they seized momentum in the third, they never let go. Cal Raleigh hit his MLB-leading 32nd home run on the season in the 9th.

Cal Raleigh with his 32nd. #Mariners pic.twitter.com/dmvQMXXA9S

— Kamie Roesler (@KamieRoeslerTC) June 24, 2025​

Pardon my blurry camera. It’s not like I do this for a living or anything… (I do.)

Julio Rodriguez (11,) Luke Raley (3,) and Dominic Canzone (4) all went deep as well. Also a fan was able to bring a trident into the game. I get in trouble for bringing in a broom, but this guy can bring a trident? After further investigation it seemed as though he probably brought it collapsed in his bag and then was able to easily whip it out. Also a trident is significantly cooler than a broom.

They won’t let me bring my full-sized broom into the game, but this guy can bring a trident?! (and yes, I realize I haven’t needed the broom lately, no comments on that please) #GoTwins pic.twitter.com/u5daUMbi7M

— Kamie Roesler (@KamieRoeslerTC) June 24, 2025​

Minnesota managed just seven hits, with the lone bright spot coming in the form of back-to-back solo home runs by Trevor Larnach and Carlos Correa. Bryan Woo was able to take down the Twins tonight particularly with his fastball and sinker, at one point fanning four in a row. He pitched six innings, giving up six hits, striking out nine and giving up the two solo home runs. He is now 7-4 on the season with a 3.12 ERA.

Despite yet another loss, fans enjoyed a picture-perfect night at the ballpark. The Twins have three more games in this four-game series against Seattle, which could matter when it comes to any wildcard tiebreakers down the stretch. We will see. Regardless, some wins are needed for morale in the clubhouse and in the stands.

What’s next?

On the mound for the Twins is Chris Paddack (3-6, 4.48) and Luis Castillo (4-5, 3.38) for Seattle. Game time is 6:40 pm.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/23/24454673/twins-2-mariners-11-this-hurts

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 2, Mariners 0: The Ryan over ancient Mariners

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

A two-run victory has the Twins back in the win column!

One bleedin’ run,
Need a run today.
My Twins, you need a run,
Run, a run, a run,
Need a run today!

That sweetest run
Has come today,
And now the team has won,
Won-a, won-a, won:
Needed one today!

Had a middling threat (just a middling threat)
Little less to fear (little less to fear)
But no one had a run,
Run, a run, a run:
Had a run to stay.
Yet soon we’d get
A tally here;
Oh yes, we got a run,
Run-a, run-a, run:
Got a run today.

There’s a great big Clemens going yard (one bleedin’ run!)
And a Ryan hurling very hard (one bleedin’ run)
Oh, a Castro single scored the first today,
Bullpen arms to make us thirst today,
Seattle looking cursed today:
One bleedin’ run!

One bleedin’ run,
(One bleedin’ run, one bleedin’ runnnnnnnnn)
Need a run today.
(Need a run today, need a run todayyyyyyyyy)
My Twins, you need a run,
Run, a run, a run,
Need a run today!
(Need a run today, need a run today, need a run todayyyyyyyyy!)

That sweetest run
(That sweetest run)
Has come todayyyy-yyyyy-yyyyyy,

And now the team has won;
(sandwich Comment won)
Needed one today.

One bleedin’ run,
Need a run today.
My Twins, you need a run,
Run, a run, a run,
Need a run today!

That sweetest run (sweetest run)
Has come today (sweetest day)
And now the team has won,
Won-a, won-a, won,
Won-a, won-a won:
Minnesota!

(Team has won!)
With a win in our hand, we love to see them scoring.
(Team has won!)
The team has won; we hope the season will not be boring!

I said we won...
I said we won...
I said we wonn-nnn-nnn-n-n-n,
We have won—

—today!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...-clemens-willi-castro-samuel-taylor-coleridge

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 81 (maybe): Mariners at Twins

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Getaway game + rain = likely postponement

First Pitch: TBD​

TV: Twins.TV​

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

The Twins will go for a record breaking second win in a row if the rain ever goes away, but that’s not looking likely at the moment. There’s currently rain scheduled until 10PM tonight and both teams have to catch flights out of town afterward, so I would categorize this game as “unlikely to be played” but they will try to squeeze in the necessary innings regardless.

If they get started, it will be a battle of struggling former top pitching prospects. Both Simeon Woods Richardson for the Twins and Emerson Hancock for the Mariners have appeared on various Top 100 prospect lists, but have struggled in their MLB appearances. They both have ERAs over five and WHIPs over 1.4, which is not exactly a recipe for success, though SWR has looked okay in his last two starts, a welcome upgrade for a struggling Twins starting staff.

Lineups​

Twins

P: Simeon Woods Richardson

1. Byron Buxton, CF
2. Trevor Larnach, DH
3. Willi Castro, LF
4. Carlos Correa, SS
5. Matt Wallner, RF
6. Brooks Lee, 3B
7. Ty France, 1B
8. Ryan Jeffers, C
9. Kody Clemens, 2B

Mariners

P: Emerson Hancock

1. JP Crawford, SS
2. Julio Rodriguez, CF
3. Cal Raleigh, DH
4. Randy Arozarena, LF
5. Dominic Canzone, RF
6. Donovan Solano, 1B
7. Mitch Garver, C
8. Cole Young, 2B
9. Ben Williamson, 3B

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/26/24456494/game-81-maybe-mariners-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Tigers 10, Twins 5: Running out of “Bailey Ober Bad” puns

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Another rough start from the Bearded Nightmare leads to an even series.

The Twins seem to think that sending a hipless Bailey Ober out to die every five days is a viable strategy for an organization attempting to return to .500. Once again, it didn’t work out, and Minnesota got shellacked to the tune of a 10-5 Tiger victory.

The Tigers got the scoring started today, with Spencer Torkelson doubling to lead off the second and scoring on a Matt Vierling sacrifice fly. Thankfully, it was the second inning and not the recently-troublesome third for starter Bailey Ober; it was also a single run and not the recently-troublesome seventy-gajillion.

But that’s okay. With a man on in the third, Byron Buxton elected to thumb his nose at the AL All-Star outfield finalists, by mashing a splitter in the zone for a go-ahead two-run shot, his 19th dinger of the year. Already enjoying a three-win season halfway through the set, Buxton is well on his way to smashing his career-high of 28 homers (in his 2022 All-Star season) and should also break his own single-season WAR best (5.0 bWAR, 2017) as long as he stays healthy.

The Tigers, it can be argued, have a couple of good players themselves. One of them is a guy named Kerry Carpenter, who evened the score in the home half of the third with a moonshot solo job into right field.

It risked becoming the recently-signature turning point for Bailey, who let the next two Tigers reach with two outs and found himself facing Wenceel Perez (and his then-.946 OPS) with runners at the corners. Ober would induce a swinging strikeout to keep the game tied, but Detroit would enter the fourth having already doubled Minnesota’s hits on the day.

The Kitties kept the pressure on in the fourth, getting their first two runners on and bunting them over so Colt Keith could take a crack at knocking in a pair with one swing. He’d get half that job done; another sacrifice fly would get the second out on the board for the Twins, but bring Detroit ahead by a run.

The bleeding, unfortunately, could not be stopped this time. Gleyber Torres rocked a two-run blast to deep left-center, and just like that, it was 5-2 Tigers.

The Twins did Bailey no favors in the fifth. After watching their starter labor through the fourth inning, they went down 1-2-3 on only a handful of pitches, requiring Ober to trot right back out onto the mound and cough up a leadoff two-strike homer to Riley Greene.

And then, more fuel for the “what the hell is Bailey Ober doing out here if him hips ain’t healthy” fire — another leadoff homer in the sixth, this time from Zach McKinstry. A game that the Twins had led early was now a 7-2 Detroit lead, and Ober’s final line included 5.2 innings, 11 hits, 7 earned runs, one walk, and four homers. I’m not sure what the justification is for the notion that we are currently sending our best and brightest.

On the contrary, Casey Mize settled well down after allowing the homer to Buck; he’d keep his pitch count under 100 through 6.2 innings in front of the Tiger faithful, and the Twins would not score off him outside of a single swing. He’d leave things up to the bullpen after walking Matt Wallner with two gone in the seventh.

The Tigers added a run with another sac fly, this time off Joey Wentz; while the Twins wouldn’t score again off Mize, they would claw back a bit with a two-run jolt from Carlos Correa, who made it an 8-4 game on an eighth-inning jack off Tommy Kahnle (his only hit of the afternoon.)

Detroit, meanwhile, would load up on a couple of those “who even cares?” runs and chase Wentz in favor of Cole Sands in the eighth. Their 10-4 lead was trimmed to 10-5 in the ninth (Brooks Lee doubled and scored) but at no point since Bailey had left the game did the Twins play as though they had a chance at this one.

COURTESY: Baseball Savant

It’s just one game, and it only ties the series, but it’s the latest in a string of horrendous starts for Bailey Ober, whose practicality as a major-league starter during his mysterious hip non-injury is being called into serious question.

The Twins and Tigers engage in a little Sunday Night Baseball tomorrow — the winner takes the series ahead of Minnesota’s Monday off-day. Hope to see you then!

STUDS:

DH Byron Buxton (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR)

DUDS:

SP Bailey Ober (5.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, BB, 5 K, 4 HR)

RP Joey Wentz (1.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 BB, K)

2B Willi Castro (0-for-4, 3 K)

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/28/24457878/tigers-10-twins-5-running-out-of-bailey-ober-bad-puns

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 83: Twins at Tigers

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Minnesota goes for four in a row as the ship-righting efforts recommence.

First Pitch: 12:10 pm CDT​

TV: Twins.TV / ~ / Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM

The Twins are being annoying again.

Winners of three straight, Minnesota seems to have snapped back to reality with back-to-back series-salvaging wins against the Seattle Mariners, then a series-opening victory over the American League-leading Detroit Tigers.

It takes a village with these Twinkies; last night, outstanding pitching from David Festa rolled over into the usage of Danny Coulombe, Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran, meaning that bullpen management of the staff’s top arms will be a key point for the remainder of the series.

This is especially true given starting pitcher Bailey Ober’s suspect June. In four starts this month, Ober has racked up an 8.51 ERA against a 7.97 FIP, ballooning those numbers from 3.48 / 3.71 at the end of March. In fact, the only reason those figures aren’t any worse is because he valiantly stretched out to seven innings while giving up seven runs (including three homers) to the Seattle Mariners on Monday.

Bailey hasn’t had what I’d consider a “good” start since May 25th against the Kansas City Royals; the Twins have lost his last six consecutive outings after winning seven in a row (and eight of ten total) prior to his hardcore June slump.

On Detroit’s side of things, starter Casey Mize — well familiar to Twins fans by this point — is enjoying his best season since 2021. Still only 28 years old, Mize is coming off three decent starts in a row; a lot of the former first-rounder’s Savant sliders are middle-of-the-pack in 2025, but a solid breaking arsenal and the lowest walk rate of his career have produced good numbers in the first half of the season.

The Detroit Tigers remain 10.5 games above the Twins, who are not likely to be in contention for the American League Central this season. However, at 40-42, the Twins are still just a game behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians, and two games better than the also-sub-.500 Kansas City Royals, both of whom probably expected to be better at this point in the season like the Twins did.

(The 2023 Twins also sported a losing record at the All-Star Break, before playing deeper into the postseason than any Twins team had since 2004. Food for thought!)

At this stage in the game, the Twins are also only 2.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot, which is probably going to be their destination for the rest of the year. The Seattle Mariners occupy the #6 seed at the moment, with only the Guards and the Los Angeles Angels the only clubs ahead of Minnesota.

As long as the team is able to hang around .500, the expanded (if we can still call it that) postseason bracket will offer them a chance for the rest of the year, and it may only take one or two solid stretches to move the needle.

With three wins in the pocket since Wednesday, we may already be in the middle of one such solid stretch.

GO TWINS GO!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/28/24457791/game-83-twins-at-tigers

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 84: Twins at Tigers

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Book Club: Earl Weaver—The Last Manager

First Pitch: 6:10 PM CT​

TV: Twins.TV​

Radio: TIBN​

Know Thine Enemy: Bless You Boys​

For the first time since 2020, we gather on a Sunday night to watch the Minnesota Twins battle the Detroit Tigers.

The Motor City denizens were also on the receiving end of one of the greatest managerial meltdowns of all time—a figure who I recently finished a biography of...

If you are looking for a solid baseball bio, check out Earl Weaver: Baseball’s Last Manager penned by John W. Miller.

I had always heard stories about the antics of the longtime Baltimore Orioles skipper, but they were all before my time as a fan (or mostly even on this Earth). As such, it was interesting to read about Weaver’s wondrous & wacky antics.

Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images
A common sight

What probably struck me the most in Miller’s text is how Weaver had to work his way up every rung of the Orioles managerial ladder—after flaming out as a once-touted playing prospect—to get to the dugout’s top perch (perhaps why he was so recalcitrant about giving an inch to umpires or the like).

Miller also reveals a dichotomy of how Weaver’s on-field tirades seemingly labeled him a malcontent, yet numerous players cite examples of how his off-the-diamond persona was quite different and far more supportive. I wouldn’t call him “relaxed”, but the between-the-lines stuff was as much a performance to fire up the troops as it was a glimpse into his soul.

Of course, Twins fans saw their share of managerial maelstroms in the Ron Gardenhire Era...

But even that was small potatoes compared to the Earl of Baltimore.

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Weaver histrionics

Will Rocco Baldelli or A.J. Hinch engage in any fisticuffs with the Men in Blue tonight? I’m seeing the new F-1 movie and then walking my sister’s golden retrievers this afternoon, so in case I don’t get to post the lineups before game time you can find them here.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...l-earl-weaver-book-john-miller-orioles-umpire

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Tigers 3, Twins 0: Skubal dubal doo—no chance off you

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Twins have got some work to do now

A few weeks ago, ESPN flexed Minnesota Twins versus Detroit Tigers into the prime time Sunday Night Baseball slot. It certainly wasn’t because of our crew. No—ESPN wanted to see the surprising AL-leading Tigers up close. They even got front-runner-to-start-the-All-Star-game-in-Atlanta Tarik Skubal on the mound under the Comerica Park fluorescents.

It played out exactly how The Walt Disney Company imagined—with the Tigers for all intents and purposes tossing the last handful of dirt on the Twins’ Central crown competitiveness.

After Skubal set the Twins down in order in the first half inning, Chris Paddack looked to do the same—until a 3-2 changeup to Kerry Carpenter was sent over the RCF wall for a 1-0 Detroit lead.

Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images
Bringing the solid-out Comerica crowd out of their seats

Thanks in large part to a tremendous leaping grab from Willi Castro in RF, Paddack settled down and kept further Detroit damage off the board through the third inning.

Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images
Willi!

The problem? Skubal was busy striking out 8 of the first 9 Twins batters. Yes, you read that correctly—Tarik whiffed everyone but Ryan Jeffers his first time through the order.

Yikes.

Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images
No chance

The yikes continued in the bottom of the fourth, when Riley Greene ruined Paddack’s run by sending one to the same general area as teammate Mr. Carpenter—2-0 Tigers.

Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images
Riley rakes

A teensy morsel of good news: Ty France broke up Skubal’s perfect game and no-hit bid with a clean single to right field in T5. At very least, no history would be made on this night.

But the DET lead grew another digit in B5 when Colt Keith was plunked by Paddack and proceeded to pound sand around the bases when Castro played Carpenter’s line drive down the RF line like a pinball plunking off a bumper.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
That was the end of Paddack

That’s all, folks. I’m serious. Other than an approximate metric ton of Skubal strikeouts, nothing changed on the line score the rest of the night.

Your Final: Detroit Tigers 3, Minnesota Twins 0

I’m not going to concede a playoff spot yet. MLB’s Wild Card setup is now forgiving enough that the Twins certainly have a chance to nab a berth if they can right the ship a bit. But in this final June contest for both clubs, the AL Central crown certainly seems decided.

Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Felt like a clincher tonight

Up next: a South Beach off day, then 3 (T night, W night, H 11 AM) with the Miami Marlins.

Studs​

• Gee—let me think: Skubal (7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K)

Shades of Hal Newhouser

Duds​

• Every Twins player who touched a bat, was in the general vicinity of a bat, or even dreamed about lugging some lumber against Skubal last night.

Comment of the Game​

• The Jake Cave & Fernando Rodney update from Kirillofffan19 was the highlight here.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...-sunday-night-baseball-tarik-skubal-dominates

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “3 out of 7 Ain’t Bad” Edition

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Trying to find silver linings is getting tough

For the first time since the beginning of the month (yikes!), the Twins managed to win more than one game in a week, taking two games from the Marines and one from the Tigers. That’s really where the good vibes end, though, as the team was clearly outclassed in the last two games of the Tigers series. The Twins now sit 3rd in the AL Central standards at 40-44 and barring a historic collapse from Detroit, the Twins are firmly only competing for a wild card spot at this point.

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!
• Zach Koenig explains why Royce Lewis has not reached “Byron Buxton-esque savior” status yet.
• Ben Jones looks at the implications of the news that the Twins picked up manager Rocco Baldelli’s option for 2026.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Matthew Leach at MLB.com reports on Lewis’ return and the corresponding Twins move to DFA Jonah McBride.
• Dany Hayes at The Athletic looks at the Twins’ options after Bailey Ober’s historic month of giving up homers. ($)
• Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage checks in on Michael Tonkin and his return from the injured list.

In the World of Baseball:

• The 2025 All-Star Futures Game rosters were announced, with Kaelen Culpepper as the lone Twins representative this year.
• After taking two out of three from the Twins, Detroit is still on top of the AL with a 53-32 record, ahead of the Astros and Yankees, while the Rays, Jays, and Mariners round out the AL wild-card picture.
• The National League standings continue to be a revolving door at the top, with the Dodgers and their 53-32 record in first place, 3.5 games clear of both the Cubs and the Phillies. The Mets, Brewers, and Cardinals are currently the NL wild-card representatives.
• We’re still about a year and a half out from the CBA expiring, but that did not stop Rob Manfred from speaking on his hope to win players to see the owners’ viewpoint. Evan Drellich at The Athletic looks at Manfred’s comments, as well as responses from union head Tony Clark.
• All-Star Ballots are out now - vote for your favorite Twins!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...ing-minnesota-the-3-out-of-7-aint-bad-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 4, Tigers 1: It’s a Brooksly Festaval

Wait... THIS guy was really good? Yeah! This guy was really good! | Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images

Festa has one of his best-ever starts, while Brooks Lee gets it done on the O and on the D.

Young Mr. Festa, pitching in his 20th MLB start against a team with MLB's fifth-best OPS, gives up TWO measly hits and walks nobody with six Ks in 5.2 innings. Not bad at all, youngling! Brooks Lee continues improving his game, and Buxton (again) proves why he deserves to be an All-Star (and please only bat once and don’t play in the outfield). Inning-by-inning notes.

1: Oh, this started? I’d been listening to the rain delay material of the radio, which focused on some guy who just got promoted in the minors. Yeah, yeah, whatever. The interesting thing is that Brian Dinkelman is the team manager! BRIAN DINKELMAN, BABY! The Dink abides. He’s down there in Witchita helming the AA squad. I was still processing this when someone sang the anthem, which as always makes me wish it was just a high school band instead, and the Twins all made outs really quickly. I guess the Tigers did, too. This is gonna be Battle of the Network Stars Rookie Starters and I’m leaning toward giving Detroit the edge, but we’ll see.

2: I am jolted out of my Dinkelman reverie by Atteberry bringing up... The Electric Horseman. Huh? What? The 1979 Robert Redford / Jane Fonda movie that made pretty good money and nobody I know has ever seen it? Wiki summarizes the gist as such: “The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson, and then runs away on a $12 million electric-lit horse and costume he is given to promote it in Las Vegas after he finds that the horse has been abused.”

What does this have to do with the Twins? Who is the electric-lit horse in this scenario? Byron Buxton, stuck playing for a mediocre team? Twins fans, stuck following one? I missed the connection. I’m sure there WAS one. Festa plunks a guy and the guy goes first-to-third on a single by Dillon Dingler whose first name should be Bling, and Festa get out of it ‘cuz the Tigers have a guy in their lineup now batting .188.

3: The Twins have a guy batting .175, who comes up with Harrison Bader on second and one out. This gentleman walks, which is the ideal possible outcome. Buxton grounds into the FC, Bader to third. Trevor Larnach hits a ball hard and a fielder catches it easy. Well, at least the Twins have ONE hit now.

4: And one run now. Two two-out doubles, courtesy of the law partners at Wallner and Lee. Everything I said about David Festa wuz WRONG he is the next Randy Johnson and will explode many birds. Twins 1-0

5: Byron Buxton belts one to the back row. That’s a bad thing in a singing performance but a good thing in a swinging performance.

David Festa is the next Justin Verlander now and will pitch until he’s 50. Twins 2-0

6: Good news/bad news situation. Good news: Sawyer Gipson-Long gets one out, is replaced, the Twins chase the next guy from the game. Bad news: they only get one run. Brant Hurter certainly dd, going wild pitch, walk, RBI, HBP. But Carlos Hernández replaces Hurter and fans Harrison Bader with the bases loaded and one out, leaving Mr. .175 to save the day. Mr. .175 now Mr. .172. The RBI is courtesy of one “gotta RBI already” Brooks Lee.

Festa gives up his second hit and is yanked for Danny “Electric Charge” Coulombe. Festa only at 75 pitches, but he’s not used to going this deep into games so it was probably for the best. Coulombe does the job. There was a pretty nifty Brooks Lee play, too. The guy is having himself a NIGHT. Twins 3-0

7: Second Twins steal of the game! Willi Castro earlier, Buxton here. You love to see some running, the Twins are second-to-last in MLB in that category. (Last is Detroit, and they’re tied for MLB’s best record, so...) Buxton gets to third with one out, and... the Twins put on the squeeze? Right on! You SHOULD play to get that extra run in the later innings. Castro places the bunt correctly, “Ball in play, run(s) scored.” Amusingly, from the mlb.com “Film Room,” the clip is labeled this way:

Sorry, label-generating bot, that’s not correct.

Oop, we’ve got trouble right here in Motor City. Louis Varland goes strikeout, single, walk. A grounder to third is ALMOST a double play but Bling Dingler beats out the return throw. Varland still gets out of it, though. Good Guardadoing, Louis. Twins 4-0

8: Nothing for the Twins, so onto CAPT. Jax, USAF. He gets Javier Báez (having his best season in four years) but gives up a double to Colt “.45s” Keith; Willi Castro’s outfield adventures continue, he fall down and Keith goes to third. (Castro switched from second to right after Wallner was pulled in the sixth against a LHP.) Gleyber Torres singles Keith in. Zach McKinstry singles Torres to third. Hold onto your butts, as Sam Jackson said when stuffing Chris Tucker into the trunk in Jackie Brown.

A steal; a strikeout of Riley Greene. Spencer Torkelson, 17 HR on the year... strikes out. Whew! Our side still 4-1

9: Mr. .172 HBP; note to opponents, you should pitch TO guys not hitting well, not AT or AROUND them. That is all. Bux strikes out and there’s a GIDP.

Time for Jhoan “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” Duran. He creates massive drama and tension by... everything going just fine, good night Detroit on nine pitches, Twins win!

Studs: Brooks Lee for 2 RBI and terrific defense. Festa and Bombin’ Byron, too. Duds: raindrops for screwing up our top Kirilloff fan’s baseball night in Atlanta.

Comments of the game go to falcontimmy for “Willie with the proper safety squeeze technique and the important 4th run. Walk, SB, FC, and a safety squeeze bunt; now that is winning baseball!!!” and Foley for “Given the opponent, that’s probably the best start of David Festa’s career. Five scoreless with 9 strikeouts against the Cubs last year is maybe the top competition.” (Also for “Only 10.5 back!” because who are we fooling we’re not catching these guys.) Thanks to everybody on the gamethread as always!

Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10, featuring the very struggling Bailey Ober against a very good Casey Mize. But if Festa did it tonight, Bailey, so can you.

Also: now-bionic Royce Lewis made a rehab start for the Saints tonight, so that's what that is!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/6/...-festaval-david-festa-brooks-lee-byron-buxton

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 2, Marlins 1: One-Run Won

Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images

At last, Minnesota takes home a clutch win.

Twins and Marlins fans alike endured a tight-lipped 2-1 ballgame on Wednesday evening; to the delight of Twinkie Town readers everywhere, this tilt tipped in favor of the Twins.

The scoreless streak was squelched early, with Byron Buxton working a leadoff single and coming around to score in the first inning, with special thanks due to Brooks Lee and his one-out sacrifice fly. It was another hit and another trip around the bases for Byron, who was confirmed mid-game to not be the starting center fielder for the American League (due entirely to Javier Baez’s aura points.)

The Marlins tied it quickly; with Cory Provus mid-sentence regarding his active hitting streak, Kyle Stowers launched a solo shot to right and evened things up, 1-1.

That’s where the Marlins would be held for a while. Simeon Woods Richardson may have spent time in the dugout lobbying for a little more length, but after Rocco Baldelli pulled him after five complete innings, SWR’s line had limited Miami to just two hits and the single run. Sim walked two and struck out just three, and was removed before the heart of the order could come back around to deal with him.

So, it was not Sim who would be asked to protect Minnesota’s 2-1 lead (established after a string of hits in the fourth inning scored Willi Castro’s leadoff double.) That task instead was left up to Brock Stewart, who surrendered a leadoff double, then caught an insane break when a would-be game-tying liner struck the second-base umpire and rendered the lead runner stuck at third. He’d be stranded when Beef Stew struck out Eric Wagaman in the next plate appearance.

More trouble met the Twins relief corps in the seventh. Louis Varland gave up three straight singles, the last of which would have scored the tying run had Harrison Bader not unleashed a dart from left field and cut down Connor Norby trying to score at the plate.

Always the pranksters, the Marlins would then load the bases off Danny Coulombe and hit a near-granny warning track flyout to finally end the inning.

Things were, mercifully, much quieter for the rest of the night. Griffin Jax worked a clean eighth, and Jhoan Duran induced a game-ending double-play grounder to put this one on ice.

So, the Twins finally win another one-run game, after much speculation that such a thing would never, ever happen again. The micro-losing streak is broken for Minny, and the Marlins finally draw a loss after a solid week of games.

The Twins now have a chance to win the series tomorrow, as they attempt to enter the impending All-Star Break with a record somewhat resembling respectability. See you tomorrow for the finale!

STUDS:

2B Willi Castro (3-for-4, R, 2B)

SS Carlos Correa (2-for-4, RBI)

DUDS:

NO DUDS! TWINS WIN! TWINS WIN!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/2/24460744/twins-2-marlins-1-one-run-won

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 1, Marlins 4: Twins score three runs in three days

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The offense continues to struggle for this Minnesota Twins team

Well, that wasn’t exactly how you want to start your July baseball schedule.

The Minnesota Twins dropped the series finale to the Miami Marlins early this afternoon, 4–1, in a game pushed up due to a Tampa scheduling shuffle. The game started at 11:10 a.m. Central time, so the team could get back to Minnesota to host the Rays on the Fourth of July, because nearly no one wants to play or watch baseball outside in the heat of the summer in Tampa.

David Festa took the mound for the Twins, but to put it bluntly, he didn’t have his “Besta” stuff. It wasn’t a complete meltdown, but it wasn’t sharp either. The Marlins wasted no time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first, Otto Lopez grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Xavier Edwards, and then next batter, Agustin Ramirez launched a two-run homer. That would ultimately be enough.

The Twins’ offense continued its recent trend of going missing. Matt Wallner provided the lone highlight, crushing a solo shot to deep center in the 7th. It was too little, too late. One run. Two hits through seven innings. Not much else to show.

MIN - Matt Wallner Solo HR (8)

Distance: 430 ft
EV: 108.3 mph
LA: 33°
️ 78.5 mph curveball (MIA - LHP Cade Gibson)
️ Would be out in 29/30 MLB parks

MIN (1) @ MIA (4)
7th#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/vgScWYAvw9

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) July 3, 2025​

The Twins scored just three runs across the entire series. They were shut out Tuesday, scratched together two yesterday in a rare one-run win, and managed just Wallner’s blast today. The Marlins, on the other hand, scored four today alone.

David Festa (2–3) was charged with the loss despite logging a respectable line—6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K—but he got no help from his bats. Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk came on in relief, keeping things relatively quiet the rest of the way. Unfortunately, Miami starter Eury Pérez (1–2) was simply better. The right-hander carved up the Twins lineup across six dominant innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. His ERA now sits at 4.50, but you wouldn’t know it from today’s outing.

So here we are. A bumpy start to July after an electric May and an I’m calling it, abysmal June. The offense has been inconsistent, and the momentum of early summer has hit a bit of a lull. It’s frustrating, no doubt. But what can you do? The season marches on.

Next up: the Tampa Bay Rays. They’re hot, hungry, and just half a game back in a competitive AL East. At 48–39, they’re no easy task. The last time these two teams met, the Rays took two out of three. And now, they’ll clash again—this time in the sticky Minneapolis heat—with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

Time to regroup, Twins. Fireworks are coming one way or another.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/3/24461216/twins-1-marlins-4-twins-score-three-runs-in-three-days

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 87: Twins vs Marlins

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Rubber match against the Miami Marlins starts at 11:10 CST.

Game time: 11:10 a.m.

Where to watch? MLB Network, Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN

Marlins site: Fish Stripes

Twins Lineup:

Buxton CF

Larnach DH

Castro 2B

Lee SS

France 1B

Wallner RF

Lewis 3B

Bader LF

Vazquez C

Festa P

Marlins Lineup

Edwards 2B

Sanchez RF

Lopez SS

Ramirez DH

Stowers LF

Wagaman 1B

Hicks C

Norby 3B

Hill CF

Perez P

The Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins square off this morning in the rubber match of their three-game series, with both teams looking to head into the weekend on a high note. Last night, the Twins broke two streaks in one go—finally winning a one-run game after losing nine straight such contests, and in the process, snapping the Marlins’ eight-game winning streak.

Minnesota will hand the ball to David Festa. The Twins are 4-4 in his previous outings, but Festa has recorded just one quality start so far this year. Meanwhile, the Marlins counter with Eury Pérez, aiming to get the series win and keep Miami’s hot streak going.

There’s encouraging news for the Twins: Royce Lewis reports he is feeling good.

In the standings, the Twins are tied for second in the AL Central with the Guardians, both sitting 12.5 games behind the first-place Tigers. In the Wild Card chase, Minnesota trails by four games. Over in the National League, the Marlins hold a 38–46 record and sit 11.5 games back in the NL East, with a lot of ground to cover in the second half of the season.

First pitch is scheduled for this morning, with plenty on the line for two teams trying to stay relevant in their respective playoff races.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/3/24461039/game-87-twins-vs-marlins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 86: Twins at Marlins

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

EXPERIENCE TWINS BASEBALL

First Pitch: 5:40 pm CDT​

TV: Twins.TV / ~ / Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM

YIPPITY DOO, YIPPITY DAY! MORE TWINS BASEBALL IS COMING YOUR WAY!

Here on July 2nd, the Twins have a solidly losing record, but I’d ask you not to fret. Here are some other teams with losing records at this point in the season:

• Cleveland Guardians!
• Kansas City Royals!
• Texas Rangers!
• Atlanta Braves!
• Boston Red Sox!
• Baltimore Orioles!

Finding solace and solidarity in these four compatriots, we can remind ourselves that the Twins are not the only underperforming team in 2025, and those ranks include the entire rest of the non-White Sox division after the first-place Detroit Tigers. Of course, it’s possible none of these teams are truly underperforming — maybe they’re just performing!

Either way you slice it, the Minnesota Twins are now 40-45 and have been held to just two hits, two games in a row. All season long (and through solid parts of last season), the practically-nonexistent offense has generated almost no confidence from fans and looks eerily similar to the product engineered by a since-fired hitting coach coalition last season.

And if the offense wasn’t enough of a bummer, the entire starting rotation are dropping like flies, with Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews now joined on the injured list by Bailey Ober, weeks after the team insisted his hip injury wasn’t a hip injury.

The Twins are also placing RHP Bailey Ober on the 15-day injured list with a left hip impingement. LHP Kody Funderburk has been recalled to replace him. Not sure yet who takes Ober’s start Friday vs. Rays.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) July 2, 2025​

But hey, I guess Friday is a future Twins problem. Tonight, they have a guaranteed starter in Simeon Woods Richardson, and a guy whose last name is literally Junk to throw another nine innings of two-hit ball against them.

Royce Lewis is still back, but he and his .597 OPS are absent from the lineup after an appearance on Tuesday night.

GO TWINS GO?

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/2/24460530/game-86-twins-at-marlins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game LXXXVIII: Devil Rays at Twins

Mad Max: Beyond Metrodome | Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Look at the Rays' run differential and look at the Twins’. There’s a big difference.

First pitch: 3:10 Central​

Weather: National Weather Service still gutted, NASTY humid, 94°​

Opponent’s SB site: DRays Bay​

TV: Twins TV. Radio: Maybe Gladden might say “junkballer,” could be​

Rays starter Zack Littell was, for a few years, a Twin, or (mostly) in the Twins' minors. He came to the team in 2017, during a weird stretch where the Twins decided they wanted starting pitching help, and traded for Jaime Garcia, who pitched in one game. Then the Twins decided they were sellers and traded Garcia, all in the space of a week. The verifiable genius of the Falvine at its far-seeing best. Littell’s played for seven different teams, now, at age 29; he is married and the Littells have two kids. I dunno if the fam goes with him to every new team, but it can’t be easy in any case.

Littell leads with his slider and splitter; his low-90s fastball and sinker are his secondary pitches. What they used to call a junkballer, although you don’t hear that phrase much, anymore. 2025 digits:

What’s up with the Rays? Well, they are better than the Twins. That’s one thing. Their former shortstop, Wander Franco, was recently convicted of a hideous crime in the Dominican Republic, that’s another thing. Two years’ suspended sentence. He’s under contract through 2032, for an additional $160 million, although he may not be able to get a US work visa at this point, and is currently on MLB’s restricted list, meaning he isn’t being paid a dime right now. (Good.)

If the Rays make the playoffs, and advance far enough, they may have to play in a different location than the single-A George Steinbrenner Field. That’s quite a few ifs.

Supposedly, the Rays are “in advanced talks” with a potential buyer, a Florida real-estate swindler developer. That was two weeks ago, and there hasn’t been much news about this since. The site I linked to wrote that 2024’s Hurricane Milton “took the roof off the St. Petersburg, Fla. ballpark and stalled local government plans to fund a new building,” which is half true. The roof half. The new stadium deal fell through because owner Stu Sternberg backed out of getting $1 billion in free money for unknown reasons, perhaps because he wants MORE, perhaps because he’s worried about rising construction costs, perhaps because MLB wants him gone. (Although they don’t mind John Fisher being an even bigger idiot in Sacramento. Here is an excellent article about how much of an idiot Fisher is being. Quantity: max idiot.)

In any case, Hurricane Milton had little to do with the new stadium deal going sour.

When the “talks” were announced, some folks were wondering around here if the possible sale price of the Rays — rather more than Forbes has the team valued at — could mean a higher selling price for the Twins. (It’s thought, by some, that the Pohlads’ asking price is too high, and that’s driving away potential buyers.)

That’s a reasonable question/speculation. My guess though, is that the Rays’ sale price (whatever it is and whenever it happens) won’t affect the Twins’ price at all. I would imagine that if the Rays are going for more than expected, it’s because the potential buyer(s) think they can get a sweeter stadium deal than Sternberg can. Which is possible — but the Twins cannot start blackmailing Minnesota for a new stadium for another few years, at least. (Their lease is up in 2040; the Rays’ is through 2028.)

I must say, that with massive federal cuts to social services happening right now, and getting far worse in years to come, it is not just a foolish waste of taxpayer money to spend it on stadiums. It is immoral. It is a great wrong. But, it’s not like Florida gives a crap what happens to their most vulnerable citizens, anyways. After a hospital company executive was golden-parachuted for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from Medicare, he was elected governor of Florida. Twice. And then Senator. Twice.

I’m personally at the point where I hate any baseball team that’s demanded and gotten public money. So I hate them all. Including the Twins. However, every team can’t lose EVERY game, so I guess I want the Twins to suffer less than whatever other team they’re playing. I like hanging on these gamethreads with you folks, at any rate.

Just a few more odds and ends... the Rays changed their name from the “Devil Rays” back in 2007, when Sternberg said they wanted to break from the past. When they announced the name change and the accompanying new uniforms, actor Kevin Costner was there, performing country music with his band, Modern West. OK.

Some people had always disliked the name “Devil Rays” since it had the word “devil” in it, and they thought this was Satanic, because Florida has a large number of idiots. Originally, the team had wanted to be the Stingrays, but found out a winter-league team in Hawaii owned that trademark, and were too cheap to buy it from them. So they went with Devil Rays instead.

Both animals can be found in local ocean waters, and both are non-aggressive towards humans. (They couldn’t eat a human, unless the human was chopped into minnow-sized pieces.) Stingrays, as their name implies, do have a venomous stinger. Do not step on one. A stingray killed “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, only the second death-by-stingray on record in Australia.

Tropicana Field, assuming the team ever plays there again, has a tank in the outfield stands with several types of rays in it, and Florida Aquarium employees to provide educational Fish Facts. Before 2021, it was possible for home run balls to land in the tank, needlessly terrifying the poor fish (it has netting on top now). Among the fish-frighteners was then-Tiger Nelson Cruz, and then-Twin Robbie Grossman. Who tries hard, gets on base, and scares fish, plus he’s a free agent right now. So hey, Twins, next time you need to fill out that roster...

Final note: BH-Baseball brought to our attention that Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on paid leave, pending MLB investigation into some “suspicious” pitches he threw in two June games. In both cases, there had been an unusually large amount of gambling money placed on those particular pitches to have a particular outcome.

(The information came from a company called “IC360,” which MLB has contracted to keep an eye on these things. IC360 provides services to the other major sports, too. The company’s website has a .io domain name, and .io means your domain name is registered in the British Indian Ocean territories, such as the island of Diego Garcia. When I knew shipping people, which was a long time ago, Diego Garcia was pretty famed as a place where sailors on ships could REALLY go to town with various shore-time indulgences. So that’s what that is.)

It saddens me that this instance involves Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz, and not 52-year-old former Twins pitcher Ramón Ortiz (no relation). Because Ramón Ortiz was in one of my favorite baseball stories. I’ll share it again, anyways. It’s from Bengie Molina’s fine autobiography, Molina. That book’s largely about Bengie Molina’s difficult-yet-loving relationship with his dad, Bengie Sr. And that stuff’s heartbreakingly good. But it also has Silly Baseball Stories in it.

When Ramón Ortiz was with the Angels, Mike Scioscia was the manager, and enjoyed doing silly things to keep the mood fun. One time, Scioscia brought an ostrich into the locker room. Ortiz freaked, and started screaming “el pollo grande!”

You see, when Ortiz was little, his parents owned a chicken farm. So he thought the ostrich was a giant chicken, there to extract revenge for all its fallen brethren.

You are now hereby required to shout “el pollo grande!” every time you see an ostrich in real life or in a movie/TV show, and DO NOT EXPLAIN WHY. Keep it mysterious!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...n-buxton-zack-littell-stadium-deal-fish-facts