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2023 – No Twins game today, they have a scheduled day off.
2022 – TWINS BULLPEN CAN’T GUARD LEAD IN CLEVELAND: The Twins lost to the Guardians at Progressive Field by a score of 6-5 in 10 innings, falling to 1-4 in extra innings this season and suffering their first walk-off loss of 2022. Dylan Bundy was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs (2 earned) on six hits in 5 innings pitched. Emilio Pagán and Jharel Cotton combined to allow four runs (3 earned) in 0.2 innings of relief as Cotton allowed a walk-off homer to Josh Naylor. The game was tied 3-3 after nine innings and the Twins scored three in the top of the tenth but the Guardians came back with four of their own. The offense recorded 11 hits, three from Alex Kirilloff, who fell a triple short of the cycle. Kirilloff hit his first home of the season, while Max Kepler hit his eighth and Gio Urshela hit his seventh. Box Score
2021 – The Twins began a road trip to Chicago and Kansas City by losing to the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field by a score of 7-6. Kenta Maeda (3-3) was the starter and loser, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Josh Donaldson hit his 12th home run of the season but continued his verbal vendetta against MLB pitchers cheating by using “sticky” substances to improve their grip and add spin to the ball. Microphones near home plate caught Donaldson yelling “It’s not sticky anymore,” as he wiped his hands as he crossed home plate. Lucas Giolito the White Sox starter heard it and stated after the game that Donaldson should have the guts to tell him that in person. After the game Donaldson waited for Giolito in the parking lot but apparently nothing was resolved. The Twins loss was their sixth this season to the division leading White Sox in seven games and the win increased their lead to 12.5 games over the third place Twins. Box Score
2020 – The Twins would have had the day off today before hitting the road for the Motor City but then you remember that nothing has changed, all the games this season have been postponed/cancelled due to COVID-19. 85 games missed so far.
The Twins share their “60 man” roster –
The Twins announce that CHS Field in St. Paul, home to the American Association’s St. Paul Saints, will be the Twins’ alternate training site for the 2020 season. How the field will be used and what players will work there is still to be determined. It is also unknown if CHS Field will be used all year or just during the second “spring training” phase that begins July 1. AAA manager Toby Gardenhire will “manage” the Twins taxi squad of players from the 60 man roster that are not on the active 30 man roster.
Twins also announce that coaches Bob McClure and Bill Evers will not be active as coaches this season due to age concerns with COVID-19 and will be replaced by Pete Maki and Nate Dammann.
The Twins radio broadcast team of Cory Provus and Dan Gladden will not travel to away games this season but will broadcast them from Minnesota with use of video.
2019 – After two consecutive losses the Twins pound the White Sox 10-3 in Chicago backed by five home runs. Two came off the bat of Nelson Cruz (15) who had four hits and five RBI, Max Kepler (21) chipped in two home runs breaking a ten game home run drought and Miguel Sano (12) hit one. Big Mike (Pineda) was tough striking out 8 and allowing just 4 hits and 1 run in 6 innings and earned the win (5-4). The win makes the Twins 7-0 after back-to-back losses, they have not lost three games in a row this season. Box Score
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2018 – The game lasted three hours and 27 minutes but according to Dan Hayes who writes for The Athletic :
“The conditions at Wrigley Field were so miserable Friday afternoon that many of the 41,492 attendees cheered wildly anytime a cloud passed over to provide a brief break from the sun. That’s the kind of day it was at the Friendly Confines, which hosted its warmest contest in seven seasons. The temperature at first pitch was 96 degrees and the heat index reached 106. Though they got off to a hot start early thanks to Joe Mauer’s five RBIs, José Berríos and the Twins couldn’t make it hold up as the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 10-6 victory. Berríos succumbed to the sweltering conditions and produced his worst outing of the season.”
First baseman Joe Mauer had his best day at the plate in some time as he went 3 for 5 with a home run and a double, scored one and had 5 RBI. Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver each added two hits to the Twins total of 10. When the winds at Wrigley blow out, it can be a bad day for the pitchers as four Cubs home runs can attest. Box Score
2013 – Kyle Gibson wasn’t dominant in his major league debut which was also his first major league start, but he still pitched well enough to make a bit of Minnesota Twins history by becoming the first Minnesota’s first-round pick to win a start in his major league debut and give the team a reason to be optimistic about the future of its pitching staff. The Twins scored five in the first on four hits and three walks and went on to a 6-2 victory at Target Field. Justin Morneau was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI and Trevor Plouffe hit a home run and had three RBI. It took Royals starter Wade Davis 53 pitches to get through the first inning. It was the most first-inning pitches by a major-league starting pitcher since Wandy Rodriguez threw 55 on Aug. 1, 2007, at Atlanta for Houston. Davis threw 69 before being relieved by Will Smith in the second. Wade Davis went on to become a dominant closer. Box Score
2010 – Twins outfielder Denard Span ties a modern major league record when he hits three triples in a 11-4 win over the Detroit Tigers at Target Field. Span ended up going 4 for 4 (also walked) with 2 runs scored and 5 RBI’s. Starter Nick Blackburn goes 7 innings for the win. Denard becomes the second Twins player to accomplish this rare feat. Outfielder Ken Landreaux was the first to accomplish this feat for the Twins at Met Stadium on July 3, 1980. Box Score
2006 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1998 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1989 – The California Angels put a whipping on the Twins at the Metrodome by a 10-3 score. Twins starter Mike Dyer who was making his major league debut lasted just two innings for Minnesota giving up 6 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. Battery-mate Tim Laudner tried to help by going 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI. Box Score
The Twins acquire pitcher Greg Booker from the San Diego Padres and send pitcher Fred Tolliver to San Diego as payment.
1984 – Twins rookie outfielder Andre David hits a 2-run home run off Jack Morris at Tiger Stadium in his first ML at bat to spark Minnesota to a 5-3 win over Detroit in the first game of a DH. It is the only home run David will ever hit in the big leagues. David is the fourth Twin to homer in his first ML at bat. Albert Williams pitches 6 innings for the win which as it turns out will be his last win in a Twins uniform.
The Tigers blow a 4-0 lead but come from behind to walk-off the Twins in game two by a score of 7-5 on a two-run Kirk Gibson home run off Pete Filson. It was the second home run of the game for Gibson. Home runs by Twins Tom Brunansky and Tim Laudner were wasted.
1981 – MLB on strike.
1978 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1970 – At game time at Met Stadium the thermometer said it was 97 degrees when the Twins took the field to take on the Kansas City Royals. 14,600 fans did everything they could to stay cool. This game is supposedly the hottest game temperature at Met Stadium at the start of a Twins game. The Royals jumped on Jim Perry for four runs on five hits and a walk in their first at bats but Jim Perry got out of the inning and ended up pitching 8.2 innings for the win. The Twins bounced back with three of their own in the first and then added runs in the third and sixth innings for the 5-4 victory. Cesar Tovar was 4 for 5 with a run scored and a RBI. Box Score
1969 – The Twins and the Kansas City Royals play two at Municipal Stadium. The Royals win game one by a 7-2 score and the Twins win game two by a 12-2 score. The real story of the day is Tony Oliva who flies out to left in his first at bat and then gets three straight singles. In game two Oliva goes 5 for 5 with 2 home runs, a double and 2 singles while scoring twice and knocking in 5. That makes 8 hits in a row. In the first game the Royals jump on Jim Perry for three runs in the first inning and hold on for the win with starter Wally Bunker pitching a complete game. Tony Oliva had three hits and Graig Nettles was 2 for 4 with the Twins only long ball. In the second game Jim Kaat pitched a complete game for the win with plenty of run support in the 12-2 victory. Tony Oliva was 5 for 5 with 2 home runs, a double and 5 RBI. Frank Quilici was 3 for 4 and Cesar Tovar was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI.
June 29, 1969: Tony Oliva’s 5-for-5 and two home runs lead Twins to doubleheader split by Tim Odzer
1961 – Red Sox third baseman Frank Malzone who has been in a season long slump hitting just .236 with four home runs coming into the four game series at Met Stadium had a big day hitting two home runs making it three in the last two days and he plated four. Don Schwall started for Boston but was wild and lasted just 4.1 innings walking 7 and allowing 5 hits but he managed to escape with only 3 runs scored and one of those was unearned. Rookie Red Sox reliever Arnold Earley who was just called up from Seattle of the PCL had driven all night to get to Minnesota relieved Schwall and went the final 4.2 innings for his first major league win. Cuban rookie Bert Cueto started for Minnesota and according to the Star Tribune was tipping his pitches but was keeping the Red Sox in check until a Zoilo Versalles error in the fifth inning led to five unearned runs which led to Cueto’s departure after 4.2 innings and eventually to his third loss of the season. Earl Battey had the big stick for the Twins with a 3 for 4 day with a double and 2 RBI. When all was said and done the Red Sox had 9 runs and the Twins just 5. The Red Sox left town with a split in the four game series keeping the Twins in ninth place as they hit the road for a short three game series again the Athletics in Kansas City. Box Score
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1936 – Hall of Famer Harmon Clayton Killebrew is born on this day in Payette, Idaho. Harmon passes away at the age of 74 on May 17, 2011 in his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
