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2023 – The Twins shut out the Phillies on a Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park by a score of 3-0. Sonny Gray (6-5) was the starter and winner, allowing two hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in 6. shutout innings. It was Gray’s fifth consecutive quality start. Griffin Jax (17), Caleb Thielbar (8) and Emilio Pagán (6) each earned a hold, while Jhoan Duran earned his 21st save. The offense recorded 10 hits, three from Donovan Solano. The top five in the batting order (Solano, Jorge Polanco, Jordan Luplow, Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez) combined to go 9-for-22. Polanco drove in two of the club’s three runs while Luplow drove in the other with his first home run of the season. The Twins now have a 4.5 game lead over second place Cleveland. Box Score
2022 – I went to bed with the Twins up 3-0 going into the bottom of the eighth inning and woke up to find out the Twins lost to the Angels in Anaheim by a score of 5-3 in 11 innings, making them 4-7 in extra-innings this season. My goodness. Dylan Bundy was the starter but did not factor into the decision, pitching 5 shutout innings with two hits allowed and three walks against his former club. Jhoan Duran allowed a solo home run to Shohei Ohtani in the eighth inning and Jorge López allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth, suffering his sixth blown save of the season. Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th off Emilio Pagán, marking the fifth walk-off loss for the Twins this season. It was just the third loss for the Twins in 2022 when leading after eight innings (49-3). The offense recorded 10 hits, three from Luis Arraez, his AL-best 14th three-plus-hit game this season. The Twins stole three bases but that 0 for 14 with RISP is a killer. Box Score
2021 – Friday the 13th did not turn out to be a good day for the Twins. It was the first visit to Target Field by the Tampa Bay Rays and and former Twins DH Nelson Cruz since he was traded there a couple of weeks ago. The Rays who have not played the Twins since June 2019 made themselves right at home scoring in six of their nine innings and beat the Twins 10-4. The Rays hit four home runs including one by Cruz and an inside the park job by Kevin Kiermaier. Twins starter Mike Pineda (4-8) who took the loss left the game with an oblique injury in the third inning and could be out for some time. 35 year-old Nick Vincent made his Twins debut and first appearance at the major league level since September 26, 2020, entering the game in the third inning in relief of Michael Pineda and allowed just one run on three hits over 2.1 innings, with one walk and one strikeout. Brent Rooker swung the big bat going 4-for-5 with his fifth home run, marking his third career multi-hit game and set a single-game career-high in hits. Rooker hit a single in the first inning snapping his 0-for-19 streak, dating back to August 7. Mitch Garver and Miguel Sano also contributed two hits each. The Twins are celebrating their 1991 World Series team. Box Score
2020 – Scheduled day off for the Twins.
2019 – The Twins visit and beat the National League Milwaukee Brewers by a score
of 7-5 in an exciting game that moves Minnesota back into first place in the AL Central by a half-game over Cleveland. Martín Pérez was the starter but did not factor into the decision, despite allowing just one unearned run on six hits in 6 innings (88 pitches) pitched. Reliever Ryne Harper started the seventh and quickly gave up four runs to the Brewers without retiring a batter before Tyler Duffey (2-1) was brought in and he picked up the win with one scoreless inning of relief. Sam Dyson then recorded his first hold as a Twin and Sergio Romo earned his second save as a Twin. Mitch Garver hit his 22nd home run and Marwin Gonzalez hit his 14th, the decisive three-run shot off Josh Hader with two outs in the eighth inning to take the lead. 44,331 baseball fans were in attendance at Miller Park. The Twins record now stands at 72-47. Box Score
2018 – No Game Today
2002 – At the Dome the Twins’ Rick Reed needs little help in shutting out the Baltimore Orioles, 6 – 0. Doug Mientkiewicz hits two homers and David Ortiz adds a home run and two-run double. In the pre-game ceremonies celebrating Native American Heritage Day, golfer Notah Begay, a Navajo, chips the opening pitch. The losing pitcher is Scott Erickson, who had beaten his former team nine straight times over six seasons. Box Score
1995 – Twins starter Brad Radke goes 8.2 innings (133 pitches) allowing five hits and two runs but comes out on the short-end of a Twins 2-1 loss at the Metrodome to Jim Abbott and the California Angels. The Twins score first but the Angels score the last two runs for the win. Box Score
The Twins retire Kent Hrbek’s number 14. (video)
1986 – The visiting Twins beat the California Angels 6-2 at Anaheim Stadium as Frank Viola pitches a complete game allowing just five hits for his 13th win of the season. Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek each hit home runs and Gary Gaetti and Randy Bush each get three hits. Box Score
The best news of the day for many Twins fans is that the Twins parted ways with pitchers Ron Davis and Dewayne Coleman and receive shortstop Julius McDougal, and pitchers George Frazier and Ray Fontenot from the Cubs. Neither Coleman nor McDougal reached the big leagues.
1974 – No game today, scheduled day off. No rest for the wicked as the Twins find themselves in Jacksonville, Florida of all places where they play the Southern League All-Stars and come up on the short end of a 3-1 game.
1970 – The Twins lose for the sixth game in a row as a lead off bunt single in the top of the first inning by Cesar Tovar is the only hit the Twins will get on this day, as a matter of fact they only got 3 balls out of the infield. It is a record-tying 4th time, Cesar Tovar has the Twins’ only hit in a game. In addition, it is only the second time in MLB history (Dave Bancroft for the Giants on May 11, 1922) that the only hit was a bunt single by the first guy to bat. This time Washington Senators Dick Bosman is the pitcher, winning 1 – 0 at RFK Stadium. Jim Kaat who gave up the single unearned run in the bottom of the first inning is the tough luck loser as both pitchers pitch complete games. Box Score
1969 – One day after going AWOL, Joe Pepitone returns to the Yankees but does not play in their 5 – 2 loss to the Twins at Yankee Stadium I. Rich Reese is 4 for 4 with two homers and two singles to drive in four runs for the Twins as Tommy Hall pitches a complete game and is the winner over Mel Stottlemyre (16-9). Reese will have hits his first three at bats tomorrow before flying out. Box Score
1968 – Pitching 7 2/3 innings, Tom Hall gains his first major league win as the Twins beat the Senators, 8 – 4. Carew and Oliva had six hits in nine at bats between them with four RBI. Washington’s Jim Hannan (7-3) takes the loss at Met Stadium. Box Score
1967 – The Twins take over first place for the first time in 1967 with a 3-2 win over the White Sox at the Met in front of 42,418 baseball fans. At the end of the day, only 2.5 games separated the top five teams in the AL with the Twins, White Sox, Tigers, Angels, and Red Sox knotted in one of the tightest pennant race an MLB history. Rich Rollins knocked in all three runs and Jim Merritt pitched a complete game for his ninth win.
1966 – No Game Today
1961 – The Twins must have been a bit upset about yesterday’s thrashing by the Detroit Tigers because they jumped on Tiger starter Ron Kline for a double, 4 singles, 2 walks and scored 6 runs, although 3 were unearned, in the second inning and chased him to the showers after just 1.2 innings. The Twins added five more in the fourth inning and rolled to a 13-5 victory on 15 hits in spite of the fact that they committed three errors. Camilo Pascual started and went seven inning for the win but it wasn’t one of his better efforts. Ray Moore pitched two scoreless innings for his ninth Save of the year. The only Twins home run was a grand slam hit by Bill Tuttle in the fourth inning. Tuttle ended up the day 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and six RBI. Lenny Green was a home run short of the cycle and Earl Battey also had 3 hits including two doubles. Box Score
