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2023 – The Twins beat the Cardinals at Busch Stadium by a score of 3-2. The win snapped their five game losing streak and marked their first win in eight days. Pablo López (6-6) was the starter and winner, allowing one run on four hits in 6 innings pitched, with no walks and five strikeouts. Emilio Pagán (4) and Griffin Jax (15) each earned a hold as Jhoan Duran earned his 18th save. The offense recorded seven hits, highlighted by a Donovan Solano pinch-hit go-ahead two-RBI single in the top of the seventh inning. Matt Wallner’s outfield assist in the sixth inning, throwing out Lars Nootbaar at third base (also assist from Polanco, the cut-off man), registered at 100.4 mph, the third-fasted outfield assist by a Twin in the Statcast Era (since 2015), trailing Aaron Hicks (101.9 mph on 6/12/15) and Eddie Rosario (100.6 mph on 8/23/18). Box Score
2022 – Twins get back on the winning track when they beat the Tigers by a score of 5-3 in 10 innings at Target Field, recording their seventh walk-off victory this season. Gio Urshela hit the two-run walk-off homer, his first career walk-off home run. Previous to that, Jose Miranda had done all the heaving lifting getting all three RBIs while tying the score twice. Aaron Sanchez was the starter, making his Twins debut, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 innings pitched, with two walks and eight strikeouts. Jharel Cotton (2.2), Joe Smith (0.1), Jhoan Duran (1.0) and Griffin Jax (1.0) combined to allow one unearned run in 5.0 innings of relief. The offense recorded 12 hits, including three from Nick Gordon. Miranda drove in three of the five runs and went 2-for-4. Urshela’s walk-off homer marked the fourth for the Twins this season (Buxton 2x and Miranda 1x), their most walk-off homers since recording four in 2018. The last time they had more than four in a season was 2004 (5), their record is six, done in 1987. The Twins out-hit the Tigers 12 to 5 but still made hard work of it getting the win. Box Score
2021 – The Twins lose to the Cardinals by a 7-3 score, dropping their 22nd series (8-22-5) of the season and making them 5-10 in rubber games in 2021. Michael Pineda (4-6) was the starter and loser, allowing three runs (2 earned) on five hits in four innings (68 pitches) pitched. The Twins had just six hits, three were for extra-bases including Jorge Polanco’s 16th home run of the season. Polanco has been on fire with a .416 on-base percentage and a 1.096 OPS in his last 18 games. The Twins have the day off tomorrow and move on to Cincinnati for two games and then Houston for four games on their longest road trip of the season. Box Score
2020 – Twins starter Kenta Maeda and three relievers kept the Cleveland Indians at bay limiting them to just two hits as the Twins shut out the visitors 3-0 behind three solo home runs, two by Miguel Sano (2) and one by Eddie Rosario (2). The win upped the Twins record to 6-2 in the 2 hour and 40 minute game. The Twins free agent prize this past offseason, Josh Donaldson sits out the game with a sore calf muscle and eventually ends up on the IL. Box Score
2019 – The Twins ended their seven-game road (5-2) trip on a shocking and very disappointing note with a 12-inning 5-4 walk-off loss to the Marlins. It was the first walk-off loss of the season for Minnesota who had ten such games at this point last season. The Twins had a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth when manager Rocco Baldelli brought in newly acquired reliever Sam Dyson who had arrived an hour after the game started to get the final 3 outs. Unfortunately Dyson allowed a walk, a single, a double (that scored a run) and another walk without retiring a batter before Baldelli pulled him and brought in Taylor Rogers with the bases loaded. Rogers gave up a game-tying two-run single and it was all knotted at 4-4 before Rogers got the Marlins out. The game came to an abrupt end in the 12th inning when Twins pitcher Cody Stashak who was starting his second inning of work gave up a game winning walk-off home run to Harold Ramirez who was leading off the inning to gave the Marlins a 5-4 win and avoid a Twins sweep. Max Kepler started the game on a positive note for the Twins when he led off with his 30th home run of the season. Kepler also had a double. Byron Buxton had two hits including his 30th double and a stolen base (14). Michael Pineda (7-5) has started for Minnesota going 6 innings and allowing just the one run on 7 hits. The Twins head home having ended their four consecutive road-trip with a loss and a 66-42 record with a three game lead in the division. Box Score
2018 – With Brian Dozier now a Dodger and Eduardo Escobar now a Diamondback and not in the line-up the Twins are only able to scrape together five hits and no runs and lose to the Cleveland Indians 2-0 at Target Field. The Indians take two of three from the Twins and leave town with a ten game lead. Jorge Polanco had two of the Twins five hits and Adalberto Mejia pitched five scoreless innings allowing just one hit but it went for naught. Mejia who threw 101 pitches needs to learn how to make better use of his pitches so he can stay in games longer. Matt Magill took the loss for Minnesota. Carlos Carrasco upped his record to 13-5 for Cleveland. Box Score
2017 – The down in the dumps Twins lose to the San Diego Padres 3-0 getting just 3 hits at Petco Park a day after the trading deadline when they traded closer Brandon Kintzler to Washington. Many Twins players felt the front office gave up on the team. Jose Berrios pitched a good game going 7 innings and allowing just the one run but it is difficult to win when your team only gets 3 hits and can’t get anyone to cross home plate. Box Score
2016 – A five run third inning helps propel the Minnesota Twins to a 12-5 victory in Cleveland. At Progressive Field, Twins outfielder Max Kepler hits three home runs and drives in 6 runs in Minnesota’s 12 – 6 win over the Indians; he also singles in the 9th. After starting the season in the minors, Kepler leads all American League rookies in homers (14) and RBI (44). Joe Mauer who was 4 for 5 and Eddie Rosario who was 2 for 4 also hit home runs for Minnesota. Starter Jose Berrios won his second big league game. Box Score
2011 – No game today, scheduled day off.
2007 – Rather than send almost 25,000 fans back out onto crowded highways, the Twins decide to play the game against the Kansas City Royals after a moment of silence in memory of victims of the nearby 35W bridge collapse that had taken place just an hour or so earlier. The Kansas City Royals beat the Twins 5-3 in 10 innings at the Metrodome as first responder’s were working just a few blocks away at the site of the 35W bridge collapse. With two out in the 10th inning Royals third baseman Alex Gordon hit his eighth home run of the season with a runner on to beat Minnesota and Twins reliever Juan Rincon. Box Score
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2006 – The Texas Rangers shut out the Twins 9-0 at the Dome behind Ranger starter Adam Eaton who went six innings and allowed just four hits and no runs. The Rangers beat up on starter Scott Baker who lasted just 3.1 innings and allowed seven earned runs. The Twins had only five hits and no one had more than one. Box Score
The Minnesota Twins, in conjunction with Hubbard Broadcasting, today announced that AM 1500 KSTP will be the team’s new Twin Cities metropolitan area radio affiliate beginning in 2007. The Twins-Hubbard Broadcasting agreement, which runs through the 2010 season, calls for AM 1500 KSTP to broadcast all regular and post-season games and at least 25 spring training games. As part of the Twins-Hubbard Broadcasting agreement, the Twins will produce the game broadcasts including pre-game and post-game shows. The Twins will remain on WCCO AM 830 for the balance of the 2006 season, the final year of the team’s contract with the radio station that has served as the Twins’ radio home for 46 years. Twelve years later, the Twins returned to WCCO for the 2018 season.
1994 – Both teams got seven hits but on this day Arthur Rhodes pitched a complete game for the O’s and beat the Twins and Pat Mahomes who went 8 innings giving up six hits and 5 walks and gave up one unearned run but that was all that was needed by Baltimore. Baltimore’s shortstop Cal Ripken became only the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games as the Orioles beat Minnesota 1-0 in the land of 10,000 lakes. Ripken is hit-less in the game. Box Score
1986 – Bert Blyleven pitches a 2-hitter and strikes out a then club-record 15 Oakland A’s batters to become the 10th pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts as the Twins beat Oakland. Kirby Puckett hits for the cycle as the Twins romp 10-1 over the A’s and in the process becomes the first Minnesota Twin to accomplish this remarkable feat at the Metrodome. Gary Gaetti and Tom Brunansky also hit home runs for Minnesota. The one run that Bert gave up came on a home run by Alfredo Griffin. Box Score
Twins’ Bert Blyleven notches 3,000th strikeout, Kirby Puckett hits for cycle
1985 – No Game Today. The Indians trade veteran pitcher Bert Blyleven back to the Twins for outfielder Jim Weaver, pitchers Curt Wardle and Rich Yett, and shortstop Jay Bell.
1983 – The Twins play their first double-header at the Metrodome and come away with a split against the California Angels in front of 18,368 fans. In game one Angels starter Mike Witt pitches a complete game and the Twins come up on the short-end of a 12-6 game. Kent Hrbek hits the games only home run and John Castino and Gary Ward each get three hits. The Twins pitchers must have saved their good stuff for game two. Box Score game one
In the second game of the DH the Twins bounced back and won 7-0 on a 134 pitch complete game 11 hit shutout by Rick Lysander in his first start in the big leagues. This would be the only complete game and shutout of his career, but to be fair, Lysander was a relief pitcher and only started five times in 137 career games. Tom Brunansky hit a home run but center fielder Darrell Brown went 4 for 4 with a triple, scored twice, knocked in one and stole two bases. Box Score
1981 – The two sides reached an agreement on July 31 to end the 1981 MLB strike, and play resumed on August 9 with the All-Star Game, with regular season play resuming one day later.
1978 – Met Stadium hosted a Eagles, Steve Miller and Pablo Cruise concert. 65,000 people endured a thunderstorm in a packed Met Stadium on August 1, 1978, as the Eagles brought their Hotel California Tour to Minnesota. Pablo Cruise and the Steve Miller Band served as the warm-up bands. It was a stadium record for attendance. Don’t forget to click on images to make them larger.
1976 – What just happened? The Twins beat the Oakland A’s 8-7 in the first game of a DH at the Met in 12 innings but it is a game that I think most everyone would like to forget. What is unusual about this game is that the A’s steal 12 bases against four Twins pitchers and Glenn Borgmann and Butch Wynegar behind the plate. Bert Campaneris steals 3, Claudell Washington steals 2, Billy North steals 2, and Matt Alexander, Larry Linz, Phil Garner, Gene Tenace and Don Baylor steal 1 each. But hey, Twins pitcher Pete Redfern did pick off two A’s runners. What a track meet! The Twins Jerry Terrell and Rod Carew did manage to steal one base each. Twins catcher Glenn Borgmann allows 11 of the 12 stolen bases. Did I mention that the Twins committed five errors? Jerry Terrell was 3 for 5 and Craig Kusick hit the Twins only home run. With the score tied 4-4 after 9 innings, each team scored one in the 10th and the game went on. In the 12th inning the A’s scored two runs and appeared to have the game in hand but the Twins came back with three runs to walk-off the A’s on a Stan Bahnsen bases loaded walk to Roy Smalley. Bill Campbell got the win, his 12th of the season but I am not sure he deserved it. Box Score
The Twins also won game 2 making it seven wins in a row. Larry Hisle went 3 for 4 with a run and a RBI and Tom Johnson pitched the last 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first win of the season. Box Score
1969 – Two first place teams went at it at Met Stadium and it took ten innings to resolve the issue but the Twins walked-off the visiting (72-32) Baltimore Orioles 5-4. In the final frame the Twins Cesar Tovar popped out for the first out of the inning but then Leo Cardenas hit a triple to put a runner on third with one out. O’s skipper Earl Weaver decided to intentionally walk Bob Allison and pinch-hitter Charlie Manual to face the 0 for 3 but league leading hitter Rod Carew, (what was he thinking?). Carew took a full swing and dubbed a ball half-way to first base for a hit while Cardenas scored the winning run and brought the Twins record to 65-40, extending their division lead to 3.5 games. In a tit-for-tat payback, Twins manager Billy Martin protested Orioles pitchers wearing under-shirts with holey sleeves and the umpires forced them to cut the sleeves off. Martin agreed it was a childish move but it was payback for a similar move that the O’s made against Dave Boswell earlier in the season. Baltimore protested the game but it was not up-held. Dean Chance started for Minnesota and pitched for the first time since May 30th getting a ND for his work of 5.1 innings pitched while allowing just 2 hits, 4 walks and 3 runs. Ron Perranoski got the win upping his record to 7-5 for his 4 innings of relief work. Bob Allison had the Twins lone home run. Box Score
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More than 3,000 campers (and over 1,000 vehicles) showed up in the Minnesota Twins parking lot at Met Stadium for the first annual Minnesota Twins Camp-in week-end. According to Twins PR man Don Cassidy the whole thing was the brainstorm of Twins pitching coach Early Wynn who himself was a fan of camping.
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1962 – The Twins who scored a run in the first inning off Robin Roberts of the Orioles at Memorial Stadium didn’t score again until the top of the 11th inning when Bernie Allen singled and Twins starter Jim Kaat tripled him home and Kaat later scored on a fielder’s choice. Kaat then kept the O’s off the scoreboard in the bottom of the 11th inning for a complete 11 inning win. Kaat allowed just the one run on 9 hits and he struck out 12. Roberts went 10.1 innings and took the loss in one of those old-time pitching duels. Bernie Allen went 3 for 4 and scored once. Box Score
1961 – No regular season game scheduled for today.
However, the Twins played an in-season exhibition game at Connie Mack Stadium (previously called Shibe Park) in Philadelphia against the Phillies and came up on the short end of a 9-1 game. Star Tribune write-up and box score of the game can be seen in the PDF below.
Twins lose 9-1 to Phillies in exhibition game
