April 23 – This Day in Twins History

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2023 – The Twins beat the Nationals Sunday afternoon by a score of 3-1, earning Rocco Baldelli his 300th career managerial victory. Bailey Ober (1-0) made his 2023 debut, allowing one run on three hits in 5.2 innings pitched. Caleb Thielbar (1.1 IP) and Jorge López (1 IP) each recorded a hold, while Jhoan Duran (1.0 IP) earned his fifth save. The Twins offense was led by Jorge Polanco, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Ryan Jeffers and Jose Miranda each had two hits and Michael A. Taylor hit his fourth home run of the season, a 444-foot shot, the fourth longest of his career and longest for a Twin this season. The game-time temperature at first pitch was 40 degrees and the game was played in 2:13, the fifth-fastest game of the Twins this season thus far. A crowd of 14,763 attended the ball game. Box Score

Bailey Ober
Jorge Polanco
Michael A. Taylor

 

 

 

 

 

2022 – Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez had the hot bats today as the Twins scored early and often  and went on to beat the Chicago White Sox at Target Field by a score of 9-2, securing their first series win of the season (1-2-2). Dylan Bundy (3-0) was the starter and winner, pitching 5 shutout innings with four hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts. The offense set a season-high with 14 hits as both Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez (career-high) each recorded four. Buxton (4) and Ryan Jeffers (1) each homered. Dylan Bundy became the eighth pitcher since the current mound distance was set in 1893 to have one-or-fewer runs allowed and one-or-fewer walks allowed in his first three appearances (all starts) of the season (Elias). Also became the third pitcher in Twins/Senators history (1901-present) to toss at least 5 innings, allow one-or-fewer runs and walk one-or-fewer batters in each of his first three starts of the season, joining Johan Santana in 2003 and Bill Krueger in 1992 (Elias).  Box Score

Dylan Bundy
Byron Buxton
Luis Arraez

 

 

 

 

 

2021 – After going 0-4 on their last roadtrip (0-1 in Anaheim and 0-3 in Oakland), the
Twins began a weekend home series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Twins beat the Pirates by a score of 2-0 at Target Field, their second shutout of the season. J.A. Happ (1-0) was the starter and winner, carrying a no-hitter through 7.1 innings pitched. Happ was pulled after giving up a double to Jacob Stallings after 95 pitches. He combined with Tyler Duffey (1.0 IP) and Taylor Rogers (0.2 IP) to throw the 19th one-hitter in Twins history. Todays game was the second one-hitter for the Twins this season, the previous coming April 3 at Milwaukee (Berríos, Rogers, Duffey, Colomé). This is the second time in club history that the Twins have had two one-hitters in a season, the other coming in 1973 (Blyleven twice and Kaat once). The offense was provided by Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave, who each hit solo home runs. Byron Buxton has hit safely in 12 of 13 games played this season and has homered in six of those 13. He leads all of baseball in slugging percentage (.936), OPS (1.407) and isolated power (.511). Today’s win was only the Twins second win in their last eleven games and their record now stands at 7-11. Box Score

 J.A. Happ – Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Duffey with credit to MN Twins
Taylor Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020The Twins would have been home today playing the Seattle Mariners, but we all know the season thus far has been postponed due to COVID-19. Counting today it means we have missed 26 games so far. 

According to Twins President Dave St. Peter and the Star Tribune today:

The Twins expect to begin offering refunds, credits or other incentives to ticket-holders next week, too, St. Peter said. Major League Baseball, which is coordinating a refund policy for all 30 teams, plans to announce that policy next Monday or Tuesday, he said.
Nearly 13,000 season tickets have been sold by the Twins, and single-game ticket sales “were very strong” until the coronavirus crisis hit, St. Peter said. Opening Day was sold out, and “we were on a trajectory toward selling north of 2.5 million tickets” in 2020, he said, a level they have not reached since 2012.

2019 – The Twins just out to a quick 3-0 lead when Eddie Rosario takes Wade Miley deep for a 3 run home run (10) but it is Miley who gets the last laugh and the win when the Astros come back to end the Twins four game road winning streak. The Astros put up three crooked number innings and shellac the Twins 10 to 4 out-hitting them 12 to 6. Two Twins errors didn’t help their cause either. Jonathan Schoop chipped in with two hits, both doubles but that was far from enough. Trevor Hildenberger took his first loss of the year. After the loss the Twins find themselves with a 13-8 record and in first place by 1.5 games. Box Score

Eddie Rosario
Jonathan Schoop

 

 

 

 

 

2018 – The Twins lose to the Yankees in New York by a score of 14-1, their largest margin of defeat since losing by a score of 14-1 on July 19, 2015 at Oakland. Jake Odorizzi was the starter and loser. Things got out of hand and Twins skipper Paul Molitor was forced to bring in outfielder Ryan LaMarre to pitch. It was the second of his career (July 2, 2016 vs. LAA with Boston); it marked the 19th time in club history that a position player appeared on the mound. Brian Dozier extended his hitting streak to 24 games dating back to last September 22. Dozier has gotten at least one hit in each of the Twins 17 games this season. The Yankees hit four home runs in the game. Box Score

Ryan LaMarre Credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
Brian Dozier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 – No game today, scheduled day off.

2011 – The Twins beat the visiting Cleveland Indians 10-3 at Target Field and in the process score more than 5 runs in a game for the first time in 2011. The Twins have not scored more than five runs in any game this season (19 games), according to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the longest such streak to start a season in Twins history, and the longest streak in franchise history (the 1909 Washington Senators failed to score more than five runs in their first 18 games).The Twins were the only team in Major League Baseball that hasn’t scored six-or-more runs in a game in 2011. Brian Duensing who was a starter back then goes 7 innings allowing just one run and gets the victory and third baseman Danny Valencia chips in with a home run to support the cause. Box Score

Brian Duensing Credit: (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)
Danny Valencia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 – No Game today, scheduled day off.

2005No game today, the Twins game in Detroit was rained out and rescheduled for an open date April 25.

2003No game today. The Twins and Royals game in Kansas City was rained out and will be played on June 23 which was originally scheduled to be a day off.

2001No game today, scheduled day off. On their way to Boston from Chicago the Twins stopped off in New Britain, Connecticut and played their Rock Cats farm team. The Twins came up on the losing end of a 4-2 seven-inning game.

Star_Tribune_Tue__Apr_24__2001_

1998 – No game today, scheduled day off.

1982 – The Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 12-4 at the Kingdome. Twins pitcher Roger Erickson recovers after a rough first inning where he gives up 3 runs on 5 hits and proceeds to pitch a complete game. Erickson strikes out no one and gives up 13 hits and walks two more in this unusual game. It marks the only time that Erickson pitched a complete game with no strikeouts. Twins hitters were no slouches themselves as they had 18 hits and drew 6 walks. Shortstop Ron Washington who was the number nine hitter had 4 hits and Bobby Mitchell and Gary Ward had 3 hits apiece. Box Score

Roger Erickson
Ron Washington

 

 

 

 

 

1981 – No game today, scheduled day off.

1980 – Angels pitcher Bruce Kison settles for a one-hitter when Minnesota’s Ken Landreaux rips a double with one out in the 9th inning of California’s 17-0 romp. For Landreaux, the hit marks the beginning of a 31-game hitting streak. The Twins are out hit 18 to 1 in the game. Box Score

Bruce Kison 1983
Ken Landreaux

 

 

 

 

 

1979 – No game today, scheduled day off.

1978No game today, Twins versus California Angels at the Met rained out and rescheduled for June 22.

1976 No game today, scheduled day off. Actually the Twins have three days off in a row in what is described as a scheduling oddity, no other reason provided.

1973No game today, scheduled day off.

1972 – The Minnesota Twins finally opened their twelfth home season against the Oakland A’s today. Governor Wendell Anderson threw out the first ball. In spite of the rainy 44 degree temperature at game time, 17,876 fans turned out to watch baseball again at Met Stadium and witness the Twins beat Oakland 8-4. The Twins who are playing just their fifth game of the season went with Bert Blyleven as their starter (his third start of the season) and and he is starting back-to-back games for the Twins since the Twins have had three days off in a row, two scheduled days off and one snow out. Oakland scored first on a Reggie Jackson home run but the Twins scored the next 8 runs before Oakland pushed three across in the eighth inning and Bert Blyleven hung on for a complete game 8-4 win and only gave up 3 hits while striking out 3. The Twins had 13 hits including Bobby Darwin’s fourth home run of the season. The Twins also had 4 doubles and a triple in the game. The game had a 22 minute rain delay in the third inning. Box Score

Bert Blyleven
Bobby Darwin
Danny Thompson

 

 

 

 

 

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1969 – The thirteenth game of the season turned out to be a lucky one for Minnesota as they beat Oakland at the Met 7-6 in spite of committing four errors in the game. Twins starter Jim Kaat gave up 8 hits and was gone after just 3.2 innings. Jim Perry got the win in relief and Perranoski notched the save. Ted Uhlaender was 4 for 5 with a double, Rod Carew was 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBI and John Roseboro also added a home run. Ron Perranoski who is in his second season with the Twins got his first Twins hit and scored what turned out to be the winning run. After the game it was determined that Kaat had pulled a groin muscle.  Box Score

Ted Uhlaender
Rod Carew
John Roseboro
Jim Perry
Ron Perranoski (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1965 – The Twins take on the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium but it was not a pleasant welcome as the Tigers beat up Twins starter Mudcat Grant. The Tigers get four singles, a walk and a wild pitch  in the first inning scoring five and send Grant to an early shower after he retires just one batter. But the Twins fight back with two in the second, two more in the third and find themselves back in the game after three innings trailing 5-4. The Tigers score another in the seventh to make it 6 to 4 but the Twins tie the game 6-6 in the eighth on RBI by Bob Allison and Earl Battey. The game goes into extra’s and the Twins score twice to take their first lead of the game in the top of the tenth. Al Worthington (1-0) retires the Tigers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning for a Twins 8-6 win with thanks to four Detroit errors on a 43 degree day with 12,038 fans in the stands. Dave Boswell pitched 4 innings of scoreless one hit relief to keep the Twins in the game. In an oddity, Bob Allison was 0 for 5 with no sacrifices but had two RBI.  Box Score

Dave Boswell
Bob Allison
Jerry Zimmerman

 

 

 

 

 

1962No Twins game, scheduled day off. 

1961 – The Twins play their first 1-0 game in their short history and come up winners at Met Stadium when Jack Kralick pitches a complete game 4 hit shutout of the Washington Senators and up their record to 7-2. Kralick also knocks in the Twins lone run of the game with a fifth inning single.  Box Score

Jack Kralick

 

 

 

 

 

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