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2023 – So much for the Twins bats coming to life as the Twins lose to the Orioles in Baltimore by a score of 2-1. All-Star Sonny Gray was the starter but took a ND, pitching 6 shutout innings with two hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. Jhoan Duran (2-3) was dealt the loss, allowing two runs to score in the eighth inning on three hits and one walk. The offense recorded six hits, including doubles from Willi Castro and Michael A. Taylor. Despite the defeat, the Twins won the series 2-1, giving them 12 series wins on the season. The Twins have now completed their nine-game, 10-day roadtrip with a record of 4-5 and remain tied for first place with a 42-43 record. Seems like no one wants to win the AL Central title this year. The Twins head home and will begin the pre-ASG portion of their schedule with a six-game, seven-day homestand. Box Score
In off the field news we have Sonny Gray being named to represent the Minnesota Twins in the All-Star game.
2022 – FIREWORKS WEEKEND CONTINUES: The Twins beat the Orioles at Target Field by a score of 4-3 in walk-off fashion, their second consecutive walk-off victory and fifth this season. Sonny Gray was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs on six hits in 5 innings pitched with three walks. Emilio Pagan (2-3) got the win. The offense recorded 10 hits, including a game-tying home run by Jorge Polanco to lead-off the ninth inning. Jose Miranda, who entered the game as a defensive replacement, had the walk-off single in the ninth, marking his first career walk-off plate appearance. Miranda is the first rookie to get a walk-off hit since Willians Astudillo did it on 9/9/2018. Four consecutive walk-off finishes for the Twins, with two victories following two losses in Cleveland is the first time a AL team has done so in a single season. Box Score
2021 – The Twins squander an early 3-0 lead and end up losing to the Royals in Kansas City by a 7-4 score. J.A. Happ (4-4) was the starter and loser, allowing six runs (5 earned) on nine hits in 4.1 innings pitched. The offense had just 8 hits with rookies Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach each having two hits with an RBI. The Twins find themselves 0-4 on this road-trip. Box Score
2020 – The Twins would be taking on the Tigers in Detroit today but all the games this season have been postponed/cancelled due to COVID-19. 88 games missed so far.
2019 – The Twins open a three game series in Oakland with a 8-6 loss in spite of out-hitting the A’s 10 to 8 and hitting three home runs. All-Star selectee Jake Odorizzi had a blister issue and left the game after three innings and 82 pitches allowing five runs on eight hits and dropped his record to 10-4. Odorizzi who had the league’s lowest ERA a couple of starts ago is now at 3.15. Jason Castro had 3 hits including two home runs (10) and Miguel Sano (13) hit one. The Twins now have nine players with 10 or more home runs. After the game Odorizzi was placed on the IL. Former Twins and now A’s had a good game with Chris Herrmann hitting a grand slam home run, the second of his career and both hit against Minnesota. Robbie Grossman had two hits and Liam Hendriks got the save. Box Score
2018 – The Twins take a 5-1 lead at Miller Park over the Milwaukee Brewers but the Brew Crew come back and walk-off the Twins 6-5 in 10 innings giving the Twins a MLB leading ninth walk-off defeat. Fernando Rodney blew his second save in a row in the ninth and then Zack Littell who was just recalled from Rochester walked in the winning run in the 10th inning. The Twins now find themselves 4-15 on one-run games, 3-6 in extra-inning games and have lost four in a row and 9 of their last 11 games putting them in third place 10 full games behind the league-leading Cleveland Indians. Kyle Gibson started and got his ninth no decision in 17 starts. Most of the Twins offense came off the bat of Robbie Grossman who was 2 for 5 with his first career grand slam home run and four RBI. On the plus side, Joe Mauer appeared in game 1,784 making him number two on the all-time games played list by a Twins player behind Harmon Killebrew and shortstop Jorge Polanco was reinstated from his 80 game suspension. There was also an unusual DP in the bottom of the first with the Twins in the field. A routine grounder to second base by Travis Shaw turned into quite the adventure and Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar was at the center of the madness. Instead of tagging Aguilar, the lead runner, Brian Dozier went to first base to retire Travis Shaw. Joe Mauer’s throw to second base then bounced off Aguilar and ricocheted into left field, where it was mishandled by Eddie Rosario. Aguilar was waved home as Rosario retrieved the ball, but the slugger never made it, getting thrown out at the plate on a strong through by Minnesota’s left fielder. Box Score
2016 – The Twins pound the Rangers 17-5 at Target field. The Twins hitting star was rookie right fielder Max Kepler who hit two home runs and set a team rookie record for RBI in a game with 7. Eduardo Nunez went 4 for 5 with two double and two RBI while starter Tyler Duffy went six innings for the win. We were at the game courtesy of Max and we really enjoyed it. It was kind of a strange game in a way because the Twins only out-hit the Rangers 13 to 10. Box Score
2012 – The Twins jumped out to a 6-1 lead and then held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 at Comerica Park and give manager Ron Gardenhire win number 900. Catcher Ryan Doumit and shortstop Brian Dozier each had three hits for the Twins and reliever Anthony Swarzak picked up the win in relief of Liam Hendriks. Box Score
2009 – No Game today, scheduled day off.
2007 – With skipper Joe Torre watching from his Yankee Stadium dugout, Roger Clemens, throws eight innings of two-hit ball in a 5-1 win over the Twins and becomes the eighth pitcher to record 350 career victories. The New York manager was the catcher for Warren Spahn’s 350th win making him a participant of the only two occasions that a pitcher has reached the milestone since 1928. Joe Mauer had two of the Twins four hits and Boof Bonser took the loss. Box Score
1987 – The Twins lose to the Kansas City Royals when the Royals jump out to a 8-0 lead and win the game 10-3. Twins starter Joe Niekro lasts just 3.2 innings and takes the loss allowing 7 hits, 5 runs but only 3 are earned. Tim Laudner hit a home run for Minnesota and Dan Gladden and Kirby Puckett each get two hits. Brett Saberhagen pitches a complete game for the Royals and ups his record to 14-2. Minnesota native and former Minnesota Twins outfielder Jim Eisenreich, making a comeback into the major leagues after sitting out 1985 and 1986, hits his first major league home run since 1982. Box Score
1982 – The Blue Jays turned a close game at the Metrodome into a 9-4 win over the Twins with 4 runs in the ninth inning of Twins reliever Ron Davis. Gary Ward and Randy Johnson each hit home runs for the Twins. Box Score
I will give you my Larry for your Larry. The Twins trade second baseman Larry Milbourne to the Indians and in turn the Indians send outfielder Larry Littleton to the Twins. Littleton never played for the Minnesota Twins but he actually had an impact on Bert Blyleven’s career while both were with the Indians, you can see how that happened here.
1981 – MLB on strike.
1972 – The Twins split a twin-bill at White Sox Park winning the first game 6-4 and losing the second game 2-1. The big story here was in game one. Jim Kaat (9-2) and the AL leader in ERA was facing knuckleballer Wilbur Wood (12-7). The Twins were leading 5-2 after 5 innings. In the top of the 6th inning Kaat reached based on a fielder’s choice and was forced at second base on Tovar’s ground ball to the shortstop. Sliding into second base, Kaat jammed his left wrist but stayed in the game and pitched into the 8th inning before his swollen hand prevented him from going any further. After the game it was determined that Jim had broken a bone in his pitching wrist and he was out for the rest of the season. Wow, pitchers were tough in those days. When I asked Jim about it, his response was “Adrenalin is an amazing hormone”! Outfielder Danny Darwin was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and shortstop Danny Thompson had 3 hits in 5 AB’s with a RBI. Game one box score.
The White Sox took game two when they scored both of their runs in the third inning on four hits off starter Dick Woodson and held on for the 2-1 win. The Twins only run came via a Rich Reese home run.
1969 – In a very unusual 3 game series against the Chicago White Sox, the Twins play the first and last game against the White Sox in White Sox Park but play the middle game in County Stadium in Milwaukee. This is the second year in a row that the Twins have played a game against the mighty whitey’s in Milwaukee and the Twins win the game again, this time by a 4-2 score. The game started at 10:02 PM due to a 1 hour 39 minute rain delay and the game was called in the middle of the ninth inning due to rain. In 1969, Bud Selig again arranged with White Sox ownership for them to play some home games in Milwaukee County Stadium. The league had expanded from 10 teams to 12 that season and the White Sox schedule in Milwaukee was likewise expanded to include 11 home games (again, one against every opponent) as part of an attempt to attract an expansion franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cesar Tovar, Tony Oliva and George Mitterwald each had two hits apiece and Dave Boswell won his 10th game of the season beating Tommy John. Box Score
1961 – In a see-saw game that saw a comedy of errors, misplays and errors not called, the home-town Kansas City A’s walked off the Minnesota Twins by a score of 8-7. KC’s winning ninth inning started with a single to center by Gene Stephens, Haywood Sullivan bunted but beat it out for a hit when the Twins makeshift infield with catcher Ron Henry playing first could not make the play and KC ended up with runners on first and second. Wayne Causey sacrificed to move the runners up to second and third and the Twins reliever Chuck Stobbs then gave a free pass to Joe Pignatano which loaded the bases with one out. Sam Mele moved his infielders and outfielders in but Dick Howser hit a ball over Allison in right field scoring the winning run. Stobbs (1-3) the Twins fifth pitcher of the day took the loss while KC reliever Ed Rakow (1-2) who blew the save in the top of the ninth got the win. Pedro Ramos started for Minnesota but left after five ineffective innings in which he allowed 10 hits, 1 walk and 4 runs. Harmon Killebrew remained hot with three hits including his 24th home run and Jim Lemon also contributed three hits. Outfielder Dan Dobbek ran into the fence in the eighth inning and hurt his shoulder and cut his head and after the game it was announced he would be out at least ten days. The loss dropped the Twins record to 30-46 still gave them the series win two games to one. The Twins now return home to take on the White Sox at Met Stadium. Box Score
