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2023 – No Twins game today, scheduled day off.
2022 – TWINS CAN’T COMPLETE SWEEP ON SOX: The Twins lost to the Red Sox by a score of 6-5. Joe Ryan (10-7) was the starter and was dealt the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in 5 innings pitched, with one walk and eight strikeouts. Jovani Moran pitched a career-high 3 innings on 52 pitches. Nick Gordon led the offense, recording two of the club’s nine hits, including one double and two RBI. The Twins scored one run in the seventh inning and two runs in the eighth inning, but left two men on with nobody out in the ninth inning as the comeback just fell short. The Twins completed their six-game homestand with a record of 5-1. The Twins went 14-14 in August and now have a record of 67-62 and are in second place in the AL Central. After the game the team flew to Chicago where they will face the White Sox after a day off tomorrow. Box Score
2021 – The Twins began their two-game Interleague series against the Chicago Cubs last night with a 3-1 loss at Target Field hosting Chicago for the first time since June of 2015. John Gant (4-9) was the starter and loser, allowing two runs on three hits in five innings pitched with no walks and five strikeouts. Tyler Duffey entered in relief in the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs; recorded three-consecutive strikeouts to escape the jam with no runs allowed. The slumping offense recorded nine hits, two from Luis Arraez. The Twins went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. With the loss the Twins finished the month of August with a record of 14-13, registering their first winning month of the season and first overall since going 16-8 last September. Box Score
The Dodgers and the Twins hooked up in a minor trade with the Twins trading LHP Andrew Vasquez to the LA Dodgers and receiving catcher Stevie Berman in return.
2020 – Home again, the Twins with hopes of ending a five game skid take on the visiting first place Chicago White Sox and quickly take a 4-0 lead after just three innings against the might whitey’s Ace Lucas Giolito thanks to some sloppy play by the visitors in the field. However Twins starter Rich Hill didn’t have it and lasted just 3.1 innings giving up two runs on three hits and four walks. The game was tied at 5-5 going into the ninth and the Twins sent their closer Taylor Rogers to the mound. When the inning ended 33 pitches later the White Sox with a huge assist from Max Kepler’s first error of the season and three hits pushed across three runs making it 8-5 for the White Sox and extended the Twins losing streak to a season long six games. Since this is a 60-game season, each game is equivalent to 2.7 games in a 162 season so this six game losing streak would be like a 16 games losing streak in a regular season, ouch! The Twins who had just five hits against 11 for the visitors at least finally got two hits in seven chances with RISP, not great but an improvement. Miguel Sano was the hitting star with two hits including his seventh home run and he scored three times. The good news? The Twins get Michael Pineda back tomorrow after his 60-game suspension finally ended today. Box Score
2019 – The Twins suffer their first loss of their current 10-game road trip when the Detroit Tigers beat them 10-7 after a huge 7 run third inning. Martín Pérez (9-6) was the starter and loser, allowing eight runs (7 earned) on nine hits in 2.2 innings pitched. The offense recorded 10 hits, including six home runs with Mitch Garver hitting two of them, his 25th and 26th of the season. Garver’s 26th home run off Joe Jimenez in the ninth inning was the Twins 268th long ball of the season and broke the single-season record of home runs in a season by any MLB team. The record was previously held by the 2018 Yankees. Other Twins that hit home runs were Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz, CJ Cron and Max Kepler. Polanco’s homer was his 20th giving the Twins eight players with 20 or more which also sets a new MLB record. Despite hitting 6 home runs, the Twins lost to the Tigers. They had never in franchise history lost a game in which they had hit even 5 home runs, going 49-0 in such games. That was the most wins before a loss when homering 5+ times in a game by any MLB team according to Elias Sports. Starter Kyle Gibson was put on the IL with Ulcerative Colitis, a disease he apparently has battled all season. I have it myself so I know what it is like. With 27 games left the Twins have a 4.5 game lead on the second place Indians. Box Score
2018 – The Twins are down 6-0 after four innings but the visiting Twins storm back with the next 10 runs that include an eight run fifth inning and hold on to beat the Rangers 10-7 in spite of committing three errors. I missed the big inning because I turned the channel after seeing the Twins down 6-0. In their eight run inning the Twins hit two home runs (Tyler Austin and Jake Cave), two doubles, three singles, and drew a walk. Mitch Garver led the hit attack with 3 hits in 5 PA’s with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and 4 RBI. Stephen Gonsalves was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing six runs (3 earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Matt Magill picked up his third win. Box Score
2016 – The 49-83 Minnesota Twins who are on their way to a franchise record 103 losses in 2016 lose to the Cleveland Indians 8-5 at Progressive Field and in the process lose their 13th straight game. The good news first, Brian Dozier’s home run was his 24th extra-base hit since August 1. That is the highest total in a calendar month in Twins franchise history. He broke the mark set by shortstop Joe Cronin, who had 23 extra-base hits for the Washington Senators in July 1932 and again in June 1933. Max Kepler also hit a home run and Jorge Polanco had 3 hits including a double in 4 at bats. Twins starter Pat Dean lasted just 4.1 innings giving up 6 runs on 7 hits. Box Score
2015 – No game today, scheduled day off.
2014 – Almost 41,000 fans were in the stands at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the O’s beat up on Minnesota 12-8 with a four run third inning and a seven run sixth inning. The Twins had three crooked number innings themselves but it was not enough. Danny Santana and Trevor Plouffe hit home runs and Brian Dozier and Chris Parmelee each had three hits but it was all for naught. Twins starter Ricky Nolasco pitched for five innings but allowed 8 runs on 12 hits and took the defeat bringing his mark to 5-10. Relievers Anthony Swarzak and Caleb Thielbar didn’t do much better. LHP pitcher Aaron Thompson appears in relief for the Twins and in the process becomes the 750th player to put on a Minnesota Twins uniform. Box Score
2013 – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have traded former AL MVP and four-time all-star first baseman Justin Morneau to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later that turned out to be Duke Welker but five days later one or both of the teams changed their minds because the Twins sent Welker back to Pittsburgh and took pitcher Kris Johnson instead.
Later that day the Twins were walked-off by the Texas Rangers 2-1 in Arlington and struck out 11 times. The Twins finished August having struck out 291 times in 30 games, the highest total of strikeouts by any team in one month in major-league history. That comes out to 9.7 KO’s a game, sad, just plain sad. The Twins only had five hits and Brian Dozier had two of those including a home run that accounted for the Twins only score and Clete Thomas chipped in two more hits. The Rangers had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with two outs when Leonys Martin delivered a single to score the winning run off the Twins third pitcher of the inning, Brian Duensing. Twins starter Mike Pelfrey was not involved in the decision but pitched 7 good innings allowing the one run on six hits while striking out seven. Box Score
2012 – No Game Today. The Twins versus Kansas City Royals game at Kauffman Stadium was rained out and will be played tomorrow as part of a twin-bill.
2007 – The Twins and the Kansas City Royals played a day/night doubleheader at the Metrodome. The first game was a make-up of a game that had been postponed after the collapse of the 35W Bridge just a month or so earlier. The Royals won the first game 9-4 as the Twins only had 5 hits and the three errors did nothing to help starter and loser Matt Garza who went 5.1 innings and gave up 8 runs but only 4 were earned. Torii Hunter hit a home run but that was about all the offense the Twins had. Box Score
The nitecap however; was a different story. Twins pitcher Scott Baker had the Royals eating out of his hand, so much so as a matter of fact that after 8 innings the Twins had a 5-0 lead and Baker was pitching a perfect game. John Buck lead off the 9th inning for the Royals and coaxed a walk out of Baker but was quickly erased at second base on a ground out to the second baseman for the first out of the inning and that brought up pinch-hitter and Twins killer Mike Sweeney and sure enough, Sweeney looped a single to center and the no-hitter was gone. Sweeney had just come off the disabled list and it was his first at bat in more than 2 months, grrrrrr…… Baker then retired David DeJesus on a fly ball and Mark Grudzielanek on a line-out to wrap up the one hit 5-0 Twins win. Baker struck out 9 Royals in his complete 111 pitch victory. Michael Cuddyer was 3 for 4 and Jason Kubel and Mike Redmond each contributed two hits each. Box Score
2006 – The Twins host the Royals at the Metrodome and beat them 3-1 as starter Johan Santana goes 7 innings allowing one run and striking out 11 KC batters for his 16th win of the season. Catcher Mike Redmond had a big day going 3 for 4 while DH Rondell White hit a home run. Box Score
The Twins acquire 1B/DH Phil Nevin from the Chicago Cubs and give up pitcher Adam Harben. Harben never pitched in the big leagues.
2005 – At Kauffman Stadium against the Royals the Twins get 13 hits, 2 walks and a hit batsman and still manage to lose the game 1-0 on a walk-off hit by Emil Brown off Twins reliever Terry Mulholland. Matt Guerrier was the loser in relief of Kyle Lohse and Mike MacDougal picked up the win. Lohse allowed just 3 hits in 7 scoreless innings but all he had to show for it at the end of the day was an “atta boy”. This was one hit short of a ML record for hits in a 9 innings shutout loss. Every Twins batter in the starting line-up had at least one hit and four of the Twins players had two hits but none of them crossed home plate. RISP you ask? That would be 0 for 10. Box Score
2003 – Twins pitchers give up 18 hits and 4 walks while just striking out just three Texas batters and get walked off by the Rangers 11-10 at the Ballpark in Arlington on a hit by Einar Diaz off Eddie Guardado in the bottom of the ninth. Brad Radke lasts just 2.1 innings and gives up six runs but avoids getting the loss. Twins shortstop and first baseman Denny Hocking did all he could with a 4 for 4 day that included a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored while Torii Hunter added 3 hits in 5 at bats. Box Score
The Twins and New York Yankees swap pitchers and the Twins get Jesse Orosco and part ways with Juan Padilla. Baseball is a strange game. The Twins made Jesse Orosco their second round pick in the January 1978 draft but traded him to the New York Mets after just one season and Orosco went on to pitch in the big leagues for 23 seasons but he did not pull on a Twins jersey until the Twins acquired him in this trade in 2003 which ironically turned out to be his last season in pro ball.
2000 – No Game Today. The Twins send outfielder Midre Cummings to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Hector De Los Santos. De Los Santos played just one season in Minnesota’s minor league system and never reached the big leagues.
1995 – No Game Today
1994 – No Game Today, on strike. The Twins sell future HOF outfielder Dave Winfield to the Cleveland Indians. Because of the strike, Winfield won’t play for his new team until 1995.
1993 – The Twins finally win when Pedro Munoz hits a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the 22nd inning to beat Jason Grimsley and the Cleveland Indians 5-4 in 22 innings after playing ball for 6 hours and 17 minutes and 22 innings at the Metrodome. Brett Merriman picks up the win by allowing just one hit in his 3 innings on the mound. As it turns out, it was his first and only major league victory. Catcher Brian Harper was 4 for 8. Willie Banks started for the Twins going seven innings but he took a no decision on the day. The Twins bullpen was magnificent as they threw 15 scoreless innings allowing just six hits. There were only about 1,500 fans in the stands when Munoz crossed the plate at 1:22 AM on 9/1. This game is one of two games the Twins have played that lasted 22 innings, the other one took place on May 12, 1972. I remember staying up and watching that game on TV. Box Score
1992 – The Twins and Tigers have each scored 3 times after 9 innings at Tiger Stadium. In the top of the 10th inning the Twins get two runners on with one out and first baseman Gene Larkin delivers a double that scores both and the Twins hold on for a 5-3 win. Chili Davis goes 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBI and scores once. Chuck Knoblauch was 3 for 4 and scored three times. John Smiley goes 8 innings allowing 3 runs and striking out 10. Rick Aguilera gets the save when he retires former Twins outfielder Dan Gladden for the final out of the game on a line-out to the shortstop. Box Score
The Twins send pitcher Bill Krueger to the Montreal Expos for outfielder Darren Reed.
1991 – Twins’ second baseman Chuck Knoblauch hits his first major league homer, off the Orioles’ Mike Mussina, and it puts the Twins ahead in the 6th. It is Knoblauch’s only homer this year. The Twins win 5 – 2 at the Metrodome, with the win going to Kevin Tapani. DH Chili Davis goes 2 for 2 with a double and scores a run. Box Score
1987 – No Game Today. However; the Twins acquire outfielder Don Baylor from the Red Sox for a PTBNL that is pitcher Enrique Rios. Rios never reaches the majors.
1972 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1970 – No game today, scheduled day off
1967 – The Twins had an 8-6 lead on the Orioles at the Met after 8 innings and hoping to split the 4 game series. Ron Kline came in to close out the Birds but gave up a double to Boog Powell and Davey Johnson followed with another double and suddenly it was just 8-7 for the Twins. Kline retired Larry Haney and Vic Roznovsky and the Twins were just an out away from victory. But first Kline had to face Curt Blefary who was 0-4 for the day. Blefary jerked one over the right field fence and Johnson scored ahead of him and suddenly Baltimore was up 9-8. Kline retired Aparicio for the final out but the Twins hitters had work to do. Frank Kostro led off the inning for Minny and made the first out bringing up Cesar Tovar who delivered a single and the Twins had hope with Jerry Zimmerman due up but manager Ermer decided he wanted rookie Rich Reese to pinch-hit for Zimmerman. A good decision because the rookie pulled a 1-2 fastball that was over the plate to right-center field and when it landed 420 feet away the Twins had a 10-9 walk-off win and Reese had his second pinch-hit ninth inning game winning home run in two weeks. Kline was credited with the win upping his record to 7-0 in spite of pitching one inning and blowing the save by allowing 3 runs on 3 hits. Moe Drabowsky took the defeat. The Twins dodged a bullet here. Tovar was 3 for 5 and scored three times. Box Score
1963 – The last Saturday in August of 1963 brought an afternoon match at the Met between the Minnesota Twins and the visiting Chicago White Sox. An announced crowd of 23,415 came out to the ballpark for this, the second of a three-game series. Minnesota, at 75-58, had won three in a row and six of its last seven games. The Twins starter was Dick Stigman and the White Sox went with right-hander Joe Horlen. The game was a classic pitchers duel with no score but after pitching seven innings Horlen told hs manager that he hurt his index finger trying to grab a ball with his bare hand and could not continue and was replaced by Hoyt Wilhelm. The pitchers’ duel now entered the ninth inning with the game still scoreless. That changed in a hurry when on back-to-back pitches, the White Sox won the game with the long ball. Jim Landis, coming into the game batting .234, led off the ninth inning and sent a Stigman fastball deep into the left-center-field seats. It was his 12th home run of the season. On the next pitch, Floyd Robinson pulled the ball into the right-field stands; it was his ninth of the year and the 26th homer allowed by Stigman. Stigman retired the next two batters but walked Pete Ward and manager Sam Mele brought in Bill Dailey to get the final out. But the damage was done and Wilhelm nailed down the win with a 3-up and 3-down inning for a White Sox 2-0 win over the Twins. The Twins out hit Chicago 6 to 5 but their 0 for 5 with RISP kept them off the board where it counted. Stigman (13-14) took the loss with 8.2 innings pitched allowing just 5 hits and the 2 runs. Jimmie Hall who had 3 hits hits including a double was the only Twins batter with more than one hit. Box Score
Landis, Robinson hit back-to-back homers in 9th as Wilhelm shuts down Twins in relief by Mike Huber
1961 – The Minnesota Twins scored five runs in the third inning, an inning which was topped off by a two-run home run by Jim Lemon (13) greeting reliever Jim Coates who had just takes over for Yankee starter Rollie Sheldon. The Yankees fought back with home runs from Mantle (48), Skowron (23) and Hector Lopez (4) breaking the AL home run record they set in 1960 but they came up a run short. Twins starter Jack Kralick (12-9) battled through 11 Yankee hits and pitched a complete game for the win. The win was only the fourth against 14 losses versus the Yankees this season. The Twins had 10 hits but only Billy Martin managed more then one with a 3 for 3 day including a sacrifice and a stolen base. The Yankees are now heading home to take on the second place Tigers as the Twins await the arrival of the Boston Red Sox. The Twins finish August with a 12-18 record. Box Score
