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2023 – The Twins lost to the Orioles by a score of 3-1 in 10 innings at Target Field, making them 8-4 in extras this season. Bailey Ober was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing one run on four hits in 6 innings (93 pitches) pitched, with three walks and five strikeouts. Jhoan Duran (2-4) was issued the loss, allowing two runs to cross in the top of the 10th inning. The offense recorded five hits and was led by Willi Castro, who went 1-for-3 with the only RBI on the night. The home town team had a chance to go up 3-0 in the fourth inning on a long blast to center by Byron Buxton but O’s center fielder Cedric Mullins leaped and caught the ball robbing Buxton and the Twins of three runs. The attendance was 32,724, the fourth highest at Target Field this season and highest since June 13 vs. Milwaukee (34,514). Box Score
2022 – No Twins game today. A scheduled day off.
2021 – The Twins lost to the White Sox by a score of 6-1 and lose the series two games to one and fell to 7-17-4 in series play this season, including 3-10-1 in home series. Michael Pineda (3-5) made his return from the Injured List (right elbow inflammation), allowing five runs on 12 hits in 5.1 innings pitched with no walks and four strikeouts. Not a who lot of offense off Lance Lynn and four White Sox relievers. Trevor Larnach drove in the Twins’ only run with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his seventh homer of the season. The Tigers come to Target Field to face the Twins in four games in the final series before the All-Star break. In a strange scheduling quirk the Twins will face the Tigers in a four game series in Detroit after the AS game. Box Score
The Twins also purchased RHP pitcher Joe Kuzia from the Texas Rangers.
2020 – The Twins would be taking on the visiting Kansas City Royals today but all the games this season have been postponed/cancelled due to COVID-19. 93 games missed so far. Twins Summer Camp 2020 is underway at Target Field and CHS Field.
2019 – The Twins limp into the All-Star break with a 56-33 record and a 5.5 game lead over second place Cleveland. The Twins have suffered a number of injuries in the last couple of weeks to players like Odorizzi, Rosario and Cron and have won just four of their last 10 games. In addition to the injuries, the Twins played a 17 inning game on June 18, a 10 inning game on June 22, an 18 inning affair on June 27, 12 innings on July 3, and the 11 innings in the 4-1 loss today. That is a lot of extra baseball in a relatively short period. The Twins lead that was 11 games as late as June 15 has been cut in half by the hot Cleveland Indians and guess where the Twins start play in the second half? In Cleveland of course. The game today was started by Kyle Gibson who went just one inning as kind of an opener and then Devin Smeltzer pitched 4.1 innings allowing just one run. Ryne Harper faced four hitters, struck out all four of them and still managed to record a total of … five outs — thanks to a little miracle we like to call the old strike-’em-out-throw-’em-out inherited-runner double play. Harper, Littell and May pitched scoreless baseball until the 11th inning when Adalberto Mejia gave up a 3-run homer to Rougned Odor to put the Rangers up 4-1 and in essence end the 4 hour and 15 minute game. It was a hot and humid game for the 35,495 fans and home plate umpire Gerry Davis who had to leave the game after seven innings due to heat issues. The game was played with three umpires the rest of the way. Only Miguel Sano and Mitch Garver had two hits and there were no Twins home runs. Jorge Polanco, Jake Odorizzi (injured) and Jose Berrios are off to play in the All-Star game in Cleveland and the rest of the team is looking for some rest. Box Score
2018 – Baltimore scores three in the top of the first inning off Twins starter Kyle Gibson but the Twins come back with three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to prevail 5-4 over the O’s. Gibson lasts 7 innings allowing just 4 hits and 3 runs while striking out 9 Orioles and gets victory number 3. Max Kepler hit another home run but catcher Bobby Wilson who has been struggling with the stick and hitting around .130 was 2 for 3 with a double and 3 RBI to support Gibson. It seems like Max always hits well when his parents are in town like they are now. Box Score
2016 – The Twins were at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas playing the Rangers when just 20 miles or so away in Dallas, Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed and shot a group of people, killing five police officers and injuring nine others. Two civilians were also hurt. The Twins won the game by a 10-1 score. Twins starter Tyler Duffey pitched six scoreless innings allowing but two hits and was the winning pitcher. All the bats were hot with every Twins player that had a plate appearance but Eduardo Escobar who entered the game late had at least one hit and Eduardo Nunez let the charge with three hits. Box Score
2010 – We happened to be in Toronto on one of our Twins road trips and were at the game at Rogers Centre when Twins first baseman Justin Morneau was accidentally kneed in the head by Toronto shortstop John McDonald during a takeout slide into second base trying to break up a double play in the eighth inning on a ball hit by Mike Cuddyer. Morneau sat there for a few minutes while he was tended to by team personnel and then he walked off the field shaking his head. The Blue Jays ended up beating the Twins 6-5. Second baseman Orlando Hudson was 3 for 4 for Minnesota with a homer and a triple, a run scored and 3 RBI but it was not enough. Morneau was put on the DL on July 16 retroactive to July 8. Morneau ended up with a concussion and was out for the rest of the season. On the day that he was injured, Morneau ranked second in the American League with a .345 batting average. His .437 on-base percentage led the league and his .618 slugging percentage was second behind Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera. Morneau’s next appearance in a game that counted was on Opening Day, April 1, 2011 in Toronto of all places. Box Score
2004 – Blanking the Royals, 12-0, Twins’ hurler Kyle Lohse helps to establish a club record throwing the team’s third consecutive shutout. Johan Santana (Royals, 4-0) and Brad Radke (Royals, 9-0) started the streak of 27 scoreless innings, also a franchise record. Lohse moved his record to 3-6 with the complete game win. Cristian Guzman and Joe Mauer each had four hits with a double for Minnesota at the Dome. Box Score
2003 – No game today, scheduled day off.
2001 – The Twins beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds in a inter-league game at the Metrodome when they score last in a 7-6 win. Bob Wells who pitches the eighth inning for Minnesota blows the save by giving up a game tying two run homer but gets the win when A. J. Pierzynski hits the game winning sac fly in the bottom of the inning. LaTroy Hawkins then gets the save. Box Score
Jim Kaat and Herb Carneal are inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame prior to the game.
1998 – No game today. This All_Star game was played at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, the home of the Colorado Rockies of the National League. The first All-Star contest played in the Mountain Time Zone, the game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 13-8. It remains the highest-scoring All-Star Game in MLB history. Brad Radke was the only Twins player selected for the big game and it was his first time. Radke appeared in the game pitching one inning. Box Score
1997 – No game today, All-Star break.
1995 – The Orioles break-up a 4-4 tie game when they score a run in the top of the ninth off Eddie Guardado at the Metrodome and hold of for the 5-4 win. Chuck Knoblauch and Chip Hale each had three hits for the Twins. The loss for Guardado made his record 0-7. Box Score
The Orioles send outfielder Kimera Bartee and pitcher Scott Klingenbeck to Minnesota and in turn receive pitcher Scott Erickson.
1981 – MLB on strike.
1980 – No game today, All-Star break.
1972 – The Twins were glad to be home at Met Stadium after going 1-5 on their last road trip to Chicago and Boston particularly after the Red Sox had shut them out 2-0 in the last two games. Granted the Twins had to face the New York Yankees who were just 33-35. Apparently Twins fans didn’t have much faith as only 19,514 were on hand to watch the Yanks Fritz Peterson face off against the Twins Dick Woodson with Frank Quilici managing his first game. The likable Quilici was greeted with a “standing ovation when he brought the lineup card to home plate at the start of the game.” With the Twins trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth, Woodson walked two Yankees and found himself headed for the showers. After retiring the first two batters in the seventh Peterson gave up a single to Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew (12) followed with a two run blast to left and the Twins were suddenly up 3-2. Two more singles off Peterson and he too was headed for an early shower. The Twins scored two more in the eighth making it 5-2 good guys and that would be the final score. Just to make this write-up a bit more interesting I will include the following short take by Stew Thornley wo went on to become a Twins official scorer in later years.
“It was Friday, July 7, 1972. My cousin Mike and I were at Met Stadium, watching Frank Quilici’s managerial debut against my beloved Yankees. The Yankees held a 2-1 lead until the seventh when Killebrew hit a two-run homer. The score was 3-2 Twins in the last of the eighth. The Twins had Jorge Mitterwald on third and Cesar Tovar on third with two out. Rod Carew was up next and then Killebrew. My cousin thought I was nutz when I suggested that walking Carew to get to Killebrew was the preferred move. Perhaps it was because Killebrew had just homered. But, as I pointed out, a single would increase the lead to three runs, putting the Yankees in about as much as a hole as a grand slam would. And Carew was a lot likelier to single than Killebrew. Killebrew, still walked a lot, which would be damaging, but I still thought walking Carew was the best news. Alas, my voice wasn’t loud enough to reach Ralph Houk, a manager I liked a lot. And it wouldn’t have made any difference. The result? Carew beat out an infield single, scoring Mitterwald and, as Felipe Alou argued with first-base umpire Bill Kunkel, Tovar snuck home, too. Measuring by outcome, this didn’t work – not that it mattered. Killebrew followed with a single, anyway, and the Yankees didn’t score in the ninth. As for process, I still maintain walking Carew made more sense.”
In spite of the relatively close score, the Twins out hit the Yankees 16 to 7. Rod Carew and Bobby Darwin each had three hits and five other Twins batters had two hits each. Wayne Granger who pitched the last three scoreless innings got the win to up his record to 3-0. Box Score
Killebrew’s homer wins it for Quilici in debut as Twins manager by Dana Yost
1971 – The California Angels scored two runs on three hits off Jim Kaat in the top of the eighth at the Met and hold on to beat the Twins 3 to 1. Eddie Fischer pitched five innings of scoreless relief for the Angels to get the win. Outfielder Jim Holt had two of the Twins six hits and their only run scored on a Angels error. Box Score
Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces that players from the Negro Leagues elected to the Hall of Fame will be given full membership in the museum. It had been previously announced that they would be honored in a separate wing.
1969 – The home-town Twins score three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come back and beat the KC Royals 6-5 at the Met. Twins starter Jim Kaat gives up two home runs to Royals starter Jim Rooker who becomes the second opposing pitcher to hit two home runs against the Twins. O’s starter Milt Pappas did it against Pedro Ramos in 1961. This time the Twins come away winners with Dick Woodson getting the win in relief. Charlie Manual who pinch-hits for Allison in the bottom of the eighth gets a single and plates two runs for Minnesota. Box Score
1967 – The Twins eight game winning streak came to an abrupt end at White Sox Park when the Mighty Whities walked off the Twins 2-1. The Twins scored one run in the first inning when Cesar Tovar led off the game with a double and Tony Oliva doubled him home with two out. These would be the only hits the Twins would get. Starters Gary Peters and the Twins Dean Chance dueled and after 8 innings it was still one to nothing Twins. But here the game seemed to take a turn in favor of the White Sox. In the 8th inning Sox coach Kerby Farrell seemed to notice “a black substance on Dean Chance’s pitching hand” and Eddie Stanky complained to umpire Al Salerno who told Chance to wipe his hands clean. Chance stated that it was just resin build-up but all of a sudden Chance seemed to lose his control. After walking none through 7 innings Chance walked one in the 8th and 2 in the ninth before being lifted for reliever Al Worthington who inherited a bases-loaded one out situation. Worthington retired Don Buford on a foul pop-up to third but then Ron Hansen hit a ground ball to the left of second base but shortstop Zoilo Versalles was playing deep in the hole and the ball bounced off of Versalles glove and bounced into right field allowing two unearned runs to score. Box Score
1964 – The NL prevails over the AL in the MLB All-Star game at Shea Stadium in New York. The AL had a 4-3 lead going in to the bottom of the ninth inning. Dick Radatz issued a leadoff walk to Willie Mays, who stole second. Orlando Cepeda singled him home with the tying run and took second on an error. With Curt Flood pinch-running for Cepeda and Johnny Edwards on first with an intentional walk, Johnny Callison‘s three-run homer to deep right field ended the game. The following Twins started in the game, Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison and Jimmie Hall and Camilo Pascual entered the game later. A couple of minutes of action highlites. Box Score
1961 – The Twins can only mange three hits at Griffith Stadium off Joe McClain and lose to the expansion Washington Senators 3-0. Second baseman Billy Martin got two of the hits and Lenny Green got the other. Pedro Ramos also goes the distance for Minnesota but he gets the defeat. Twins Cuban scout Joe Cambria stated that he talked with Zoilo Versalles and he said he would be back next week. Box Score
