(click on images once or twice to make them larger)
2023 – The Twins lost to the Brewers again at American Family Field by a score of 8-7 in 10 innings, making them 10-6 in extras this season. 97 degrees at first pitch, the third-hottest in American Family Field history. It marked the fifth time the Twins have been swept in 2023, their first time in a two-game series. Kenta Maeda was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs on four hits in 5 innings pitched, with two walks and six strikeouts. The struggling bullpen combined to allow five runs in 4.2 innings of relief as Jhoan Duran was issued the loss after allowing a ground ball chopper to third base that plated the winning run. The offense recorded 10 hits, highlighted by homers from Royce Lewis (5), Kyle Farmer (7) and Michael A. Taylor (17). Box Score
2022 – STRANGE GAME ENDS WITH TWINS FALLING SHORT: The Twins lost to the Astros at Minute Maid Park by a score of 4-2, getting shut out for the first eight innings and getting no-hit by Justin Verlander for the first six innings. Verlander threw six dominant innings last night, with only one runner reaching base (on a strikeout / wild pitch). It’s only the eighth game in NL/AL history since 1901 where a pitcher threw 6+ innings without allowing a hit or a walk yet did not complete nine innings. Two of these outings came in planned 7-inning games. Carlos Correa returned to face his former club and broke-up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the seventh inning off Ryne Stanek. Manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing a mound visit that was counted by umpires during a bench-clearing incident, marking the fourth ejection for Baldelli on the season and ninth of his managerial career. Aaron Sanchez (0-1) was forced to exit early after controversy over mound visits, he allowing two runs on six hits in 4 innings pitched. Twins batters struck out a season-high 16 times, their most since getting fanning 17 times on Opening Day of 2021 at Milwaukee. Box Score
2021 – No game today, scheduled day off.
2020 – The 2020 season is not even half over but today’s game against the Royals ends their ten-game season series. The Twins jump out to a quick 4-0 lead with two runs in the first and third innings but then go 0-12 with runners in scoring position and have to hold on for a nail-biting 5-4 win as Taylor Rogers manages to close the door after the Royals score one in the ninth and have the tying run on base. Matt Wisler was the opener going two scoreless innings and was followed by six Twins relievers. Tyler Clippard (1-0) picked up his first win as a Twin but he paid for it with a line-drive off his right triceps in the eighth inning and Rogers notched save number 6. The Twins had 13 hits with Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario getting three each and Nelson Cruz had two hits but one was his tenth long ball of the season. Box Score
2019 – The Twins lost to the Tigers by a score of 9-6. José Berríos (10-7) was the starter and loser, allowing five runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings pitched – his fifth loss in his last seven decisions. After the game Berrios left the clubhouse before reporters were allowed in. After a little counseling the next day from the Twins FO, Berrios apologized. The offense recorded nine hits, including four home runs, two from Jake Cave (1st career multi-HR) and two from Miguel Sanó (7th career multi-HR). Fans are not happy to see their team lose to a team that is on pace to lose 112 games. This weekend was what MLB calls “Players’ Weekend,” when players can choose a nickname for their jersey backs, and MLB tried to spice things up further by making the uniforms nearly monochromatic in black or white. The Twins wore the “all white” uniforms making the names and numbers hard to see. I thought they were terrible when we attended one of the games and they were not much better on TV. Box Score
2018 – The Twins have a 5-2 lead over the visiting A’s after four innings and have to hold on the get a 6-4 victory. Rookie Kohl Stewart was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs on seven hits before being pulled by manager Molitor one out short of qualifying for the win. Alan Busenitz got his fourth win of the season and Trevor Hildenberger got his fourth save in spite of giving up a bases empty home run in the ninth. Everyone in the line-up got a hit except for catcher Bobby Wilson who left the game in the fourth inning after spraining his ankle by stepping on a bat. Wilson was put on the DL after the game. Max Kepler hit the Twins only home run. Box Score
2010 – Four Texas Rangers pitchers and 149 pitches hold the Twins to 1 hit and beat the Twins 4-0 at the Ballpark in Arlington. Catcher Joe Mauer broke up the no-hitter with a single with one out in the top of the ninth. This was the second no-hitter that Mauer has broken up during his career. Nick Blackburn started and lasted seven innings for the Twins and gave up 3 runs. Box Score
2009 – Michael Cuddyer, who played first base on this day hit a pair of home runs (off different pitchers) during an eight-run seventh inning for the Twins in their 10-3 win at Kansas City. Cuddyer is the only player to homer twice in the same inning for Minnesota since the franchise left Washington, D.C. after the 1960 season. The only player to do that for the old Senators was Jim Lemon against the Red Sox at Griffith Stadium on Sept. 5, 1959. Cuddyer also becomes the first major leaguer in baseball history to hit for the cycle (May 22) and hit two home runs in one inning during the course of the same season. Every Twins in the line-up had at least one hit and only one Twins player failed to score at least once. Carl Pavano was the Twins starter and winner but he went mainly unnoticed after Cuddyer’s theatrics. Box Score
2005 – The Twins beat the White Sox at the Dome (we were there) 1 to 0 and the Twins only had 1 hit in the game, a 8th inning home run by Jacques Jones off tough luck loser Freddy Garcia. Johan Santana pitched 8 innings and gave up 3 hits was credited with the win. Joe Nathan pitched a hitless 9th for the save. This was only the second time in Twins history that they have won a game while only getting one hit. Box Score
‘Homerdome’ in Minnesota hosts a pitching duel for the ages by Sarah Johnson
1982 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1979 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1977 – Minnesota native Dave Goltz pitches a one hitter and the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 7-0 at Met Stadium. Jim Rice’s lead off single to left just over the glove of the leaping shortstop Roy Smalley in the top of the fourth inning was the only base hit off Goltz. Goltz walked 3 batters and struck out 10. The Twins hitters beat up on Fergie Jenkins and Bob Stanley for 14 hits including a home run by Rod Carew. Every hitter in the Twins line-up had at least one hit. Lyman Bostock and Glenn Adams each had three hits for the Twins. Box Score
1973 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1967 – After getting swept in a DH yesterday by the Tigers at Tiger Stadium they get to play the Tigers in another DH today. The Twins start slowly getting just 4 hits in game 1 and get shut out 10-0 by Joe Sparma who disposed of the Twins by allowing just four hits. Rod Carew had two of the Twins four hits. Twins starter Jim Merritt lasted just 2.1 innings after allowing 7 hits and 5 runs. Box Score game one
The Twins only score 4 runs in the nightcap but that was good enough for a 4-3 win and a split of the DH. Twins starter Jim Perry goes 6.1 innings for the win and helps himself by going 2 for 3 with the bat, scoring once and knocking in two. Back-up catcher Hank Izquierdo got two hits in 3 at bats and also had a sacrifice. Harmon Killebrew did what he often does, hit a home run, his 33rd of the season. Box Score game two
1966 – The Twins hit a milestone with win number 500 in Washington when Jim Kaat gets the victory and ups his record to 19-9 with a complete game five-hitter. Rich Rollins was the hitting star going 2 for 5 with a grand slam home run in the third inning at D. C. Stadium that put the Twins ahead 4-0. Harmon Killebrew also had two hits and two RBI. Box Score
1961 – Twins starter Camilo Pascual had it on autopilot in today’s 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on a rainy night at Comiskey Park as he pitched his team leading fifth shutout of the season. Pascual started the game with two walks in the first inning but escaped that jam. Twins bats got to White Sox starter Cal McLish in the second inning chasing him from the mound after just 1.1 innings with a walk, a double and three singles that scored three runs for the good guys (Twins). Pascual allowed s single to Al Smith in the second inning and then didn’t allow another hit until Sherm Lollar singled with two out in the ninth and Pascual followed that by retiring Al Smith on a flyball for the final out of the game. Twins bats kept getting hits but managed to push across only one more run on a total of 12 hits in the game. Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison and Bill Tuttle each had two hits in the game. Pascual allowed two hits and three walks while striking out six to earn victory number 11 against 13 losses. Box Score
1915 – Twins owner Carl Pohlad born on this day.