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2023 – Despite being out hit by the White Sox 10 to 6, the Twins managed to beat the Chicago White Sox at Target Field by a score of 3-2, securing the series win, their 15th this season and ninth at home. Sonny Gray was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing two runs on seven hits in 6 innings pitched, with one walk and four strikeouts. Jordan Balazovic earned his first major league win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning. The offense recorded six hits and were led by Christian Vázquez, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a game-tying RBI. It was the first multi-extra base hit game for Vazquez since April 13. Carlos Correa also had two hits, one double and an RBI on the night. Minnesota finished 4-for-9 with RISP. Gray now has 14 consecutive starts without a win, his win was on the last day of April. Griffin Jax has allowed one run in his last 22 appearances. Box Score
2022 – No Twins game today, scheduled day off.
2021 – Prior to their game at Target Field against the Los Angeles Angels the Twins trade DH Nelson Cruz and minor league RHP Calvin Faucher to the Tampa Bay Rays for two minor league right-handed pitchers, Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman.
The Twins began a seven-game homestand with a loss to the Los Angeles Angels by a score of 3-2 in the Halos’ first visit to Target Field since May of 2019. Kenta Maeda (4-4) was the starter and loser, allowing three runs on seven hits in a season-high 7 innings pitched. The offense recorded six hits and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Gilberto Celestino and Willians Astudillo each drove in a run in the fourth inning. The game was over in a rather quick 2 hours and 38 minutes. Box Score
2020 – The Minnesota Twins were scheduled to be in Arizona to play the Diamondbacks if all the games this season would not have been postponed/cancelled due to COVID-19. 104 Twins games missed so far this season. The Twins played their only 2020 Summer Camp exhibition game at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs and lost 4-3.
2019 – Twins starter Martin Perez starts out the game by walking DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge but then gets Edwin Encarnacion to hit a ground ball to third baseman Luis Arraez who throws to second baseman Jonathan Schoop who then relays the ball to first baseman Miguel Sano for a Twins triple play, their 13th in team history. Nice way to start a ballgame. The Twins need five pitchers to keep the Yanks in check but the the final score was Twins 8 and Yankees 6. Perez only went four innings for Minnesota giving up 5 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. Pérez struck out four in this outing against the Yankees (game No. 99 of the season), and with his first one to Gary Sánchez in the second inning, he joined all four Twins starters with 90 strikeouts, making the 2019 Twins’ starting rotation the first five-man rotation in Twins history to record 90-plus strikeouts apiece through less than 100 games of any Twins season ever. The Twins bullpen did a great job, Lewis Thorpe (1-1) a rookie pitching in only his second big league game was credited with his first big league win. Thorpe pitched 2.2 innings allowing just one run on four hits. Taylor Rogers got the save. The Minnesota Twins tied a major league record when the tied the 1977 Red Sox with eight five-homer games in a season. The Twins pinned the loss on CC Sabathia who gave up four home runs. Mitch Garver hitting lead-off had 3 hits including two (19) home runs. Jorge Polanco, Nelson Cruz and Schoop also hit home runs. Box Score
2018 – The Twins find a way to lose their nine straight road game and in the process get swept by the 30-58 Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The big blow for KC came in the seventh inning with the scored tied at 2-2. Twins reliever Zach Duke allowed a single, retired the next two batters but walked the last batter he faced putting runners on first and second bringing up catcher and former Minnesota Twin Drew Butera who worked the at bat against Trevor Hildenberger to a 2-2 count before hitting a ball to short center that Twins center fielder Jake Cave dove for and missed, allowing the ball to roll to the fence while Butera flew around the bases for a 3-run inside the park home run and a 5-2 lead. Max Kepler hit a home run in the eighth but it was not enough and the Royals won 5-3. The Twins could only manage two other hits besides Kepler’s home run. Jake Odorizzi who started for the Twins pitched well for six innings allowing one earned run on 2 hits while striking out 8. Box Score
2008 – The Museum of Broadcasting today announced the 2008 inductees into the Hall of Fame including Twins radio broadcaster John Gordon.
The Twins had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning over the Yankees in the Big Apple but as often seems to happen to them there they ended up losing the game 8-2 when the Yankees scored three times in the sixth and four more times in the seventh. Box Score
2002 – The Twins top the White Sox, 11 – 6, as lead-off hitter and outfielder Jacque Jones gets five hits in six at bats, including a home run and two doubles. The Twins scored six times in the sixth inning to break open a close game at Comiskey Park II. Rick Reed got the win with five innings of work and allowed three runs.
2000 – The Twins score four times in the first inning at the Metrodome but still have to come from behind to beat the Cleveland Indians 10-6. First baseman Ron Coomer has a big day going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Twins starter Mike Lincoln gives up 6 runs in just 3.1 innings and rookie Johan Santana picks up the win in relief. Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel makes an error, snapping his American League record 95-game errorless streak. Box Score
1993 – The Twins over power the Orioles at the Dome in spite of the fact that Kirby Puckett hit a ball just to the left of the end of the “baggy” that hung over the Metrodome’s right field fence. It was ruled in play, even though replays showed that it was an obvious home run. Puckett was still 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Twins starter Willie Banks who was their 1987 first round selection in the June draft went five innings and got the win. Box Score
1991 – No Game Today, scheduled day off. The Twins instead played the San Francisco Giants in Cooperstown in the HOF game and won 6-4. It is the fourth time the Twins have had the honor of playing in this game. Though it was just an exhibition game, something that had never been done in the history of the National League occurred in the 46th Hall of Fame Game on July 22, 1991, at Doubleday Field: San Francisco utility infielder Greg Litton played all nine positions as the Giants dropped the 6-4 decision to the Minnesota Twins.
Twins_beat_Giants_6_4 in Cooperstown
1990 – Boy, what a day. The Twins lose to the Yankees at the Metrodome 10-6. But what a strange game, all of the Yankees 10 runs are unearned due to 5 Twins errors (Gagne, Newman, Gaetti, Hrbek, and Mack), every member of the infield had an error. At the end of 8 innings the Twins actually were beating the Yankees 6-5 in spite of 3 errors. In the ninth however, the roof caved in on Rick Aguilera who had come in to get the save. Leyritz led off with a single, Kelly reached on an error by Gaetti, Tolleson reached on a Hrbek throwing error and Leyritz and Kelly scored, putting the Yankees up 7-6. Aguilera retired Sanders for the first out but Sax doubled in Tolleson. Mattingly was intentionally walked and Aguilera was replaced by Jack Savage who got Barfield to ground out for out number 2 but then Savage gave up a single to Geren and Sax and Mattingly scored and the Twins threw Geren out at second finally retiring the side. The Twins went down meekly in the bottom of the 9th and when the smoke had cleared, the Yankees beat the Twins 10-6 with all the runs being unearned. In spite of all of this, the Yankees threw 148 pitches and the Twins just 121. Kirby Puckett was 3 for 5 and catcher Junior Ortiz was 3 for 3. Box Score
1982 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1981 – MLB on strike.
1974 – No game today, All-Star break.
1969 – No All-Star game today. The game in Washington D.C. was originally scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, July 22, but heavy rains forced its postponement to the following afternoon.
1967 – Jim Merritt had a good start for the Twins allowing just 2 runs in 7.1 innings but Angel starter Jim McGlothin did better allowing just 1 run in 8 innings and the Twins lost at Anaheim Stadium 2-1. The Twins had just six hits and Cesar Tovar had 3 of them along with an RBI. The Twins fifth consecutive defeat dropped them into a tie for 4th place with the Tigers and 2 games behind the first place White Sox who are a half game up on the Red Sox and 1 and 1/2 games up on the third place Angels. A note in the Minneapolis paper said that “Rod Carew continued his atrocious base running. After doubling in the first inning he attempted to take third on Tovar’s tap to the mound and was easy prey”. Box Score
1963 – No Twins game today, scheduled day off. Ah, but there was a Twins game but it was an in-season exhibition game against the Milwaukee Braves in Milwaukee. The Twins beat the Braves 5-2 in front of 9,114 fans. Harmon Killebrew and Earl Battey hit home runs for Minnesota. Jim Roland the Twins $50,000 bonus baby bested Dan Schneider Milwaukee’s $100,000 bonus baby.
Twins_versus_Braves_in_season_exhibition_game_on_072263
1961 – Jim “Mudcat” Grant (9-4) loves pitching against the Twins/Senators, heck, half of his career wins in his relatively short career are against this organization. Grant, 25, who barnstormed with Satchell Paige had the Twins under total control as he pitched a complete game six hit shutout allowing 3 walks and striking out just two Twins batters. Twins starter Jim Kaat whose record dropped to 3-11 with the loss also pitched a complete game six hitter and he walked no one and struck out four but he gave up 4 runs, 3 earned as the Twins committed four errors behind him. Harmon Killebrew had two of the Twins six hits. Where is Zoilo Versalles you ask? No where to be seen now that his wife has arrived from Cuba. There was a report in the paper a few days ago that Versalles was being treated for “worms”, really? Versalles last played on July 4. Box Score
