(click on images once or twice to make them larger)
2023 – The Twins come from behind to tie the game at 5-5 in the ninth and go on to beat the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park by a score of 7-5 in 10 innings, making them 5-3 in extras this season. Royce Lewis, playing in his first game in exactly one year, had the game-tying RBI single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning as the Twins eventually earned their first victory this season when trailing after eight innings (1-23). Sonny Gray was the starter, allowing three runs (2 earned) on four hits in a 6-inning no-decision. Jhoan Duran (1-1) earned the win with 2 scoreless innings, pitching the ninth and 10th, throwing 29 pitches. The offense recorded 14 hits, as Lewis hit a three-run jimmy jack. Ryan Jeffers hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 10th, a ball that registered at 117.4 mph exit velocity, the hardest-hit ball by a Twin in the Statcast Era (since 2015). Box Score
2022 – The Twins turned the tables on the Royals today at Target Field and this time they came away winners by a score of 7-3, finishing the four-game series with a 2-2 split. Sonny Gray (3-1) was the starter and winner, allowing one run on two hits in 6 innings pitched, with no walks and four strikeouts. Gray exited in the seventh inning with right pectoral soreness. The offense recorded 11 hits, their fourth-straight game with double-digit hit totals. Trevor Larnach went 3-for-4 with his third home run and his 10th double. Royce Lewis made his return to the club and left after three innings, experiencing right knee pain after colliding with the centerfield wall while making a catch. He was replaced by Nick Gordon, who went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the season, fourth double and first career game with multiple extra-base hits. The Twins completed their seven-game homestand with a record of 4-3 and are off to Detroit to play five games in four days. Box Score
2021 – The Twins scored one run in the first inning on Josh Donaldson and Alex Kirilloff singles putting runners at first and second when Nelson Cruz doubled in Donaldson. It was no ordinary run, it was MLB’s 2 millionth run but there wasn’t much hoopla, not like the to-do made about run number 1 million back in 1975 scored by Bob Watson. The Twins had a 6-3 lead going into the ninth but the Royals scored twice to make it close before Taylor Rogers struck out the final two batters to close-out the Twins 6-5 win. Rob Refsnyder went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and Trevor Larnach hit his third long ball of the season. Twins starter J.A. Happ (3-2) got the win going five innings and allowing two runs on 3 hits. Box Score
2020 – The Twins are in the Windy City to take on the Chicago White Sox and that would be fun except that all the games this season had not been postponed/canceled due to COVID-19. We have now missed 58 games.
Twins Commit To Paying Minor Leaguers Through August, No Releases
On a more serious note. Protests, riots and looting continue in the Twins Cities area in the aftermath of the Minneapolis police killing George Floyd about a week ago when a police officer knelt on his throat. The protests have lasted for several days now and the Governor called out the National Guard to help protect lives and property. Many businesses including the Mall of America are closed and bus and light-rail travel has been suspended. Numerous business buildings as well as the Minneapolis third precinct police building have been burned down. President Trump is threatening to send in troops to restore order.
Dakota and Anoka counties and the cities of Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Edina, Maple Grove, Richfield and Roseville have joined the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in imposing a curfew starting 8 p.m. Friday (tonight). The curfews will last until 6 a.m. Saturday, and then go into effect again at 8 p.m. Saturday, expiring at 6 a.m. Sunday. Some may run into Monday.
2019 – No Game Today
2018 – Another day and another walk-off loss, that make eight for the season in the Twins first 50 games which ties the major league record. This time it was Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar who homered off Taylor Rogers with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Royals a 2-1 win over the visiting Twins. The loss dropped the Twins’ record to 3-11 in one-run games. The struggling Twins offense stranded 13 runners and left the bullpen with little margin for error. The Twins only had 7 hits in the 14th inning affair with Eddie Rosario getting three of them and Ehire Adrianza getting two hits. Starter Kyle Gibson went seven scoreless innings striking out eight Royals on 101 pitches. Box Score
2017 – The Astros picked a good time for their highest-scoring inning in more than 20 years. Houston overcame a six-run deficit by scoring 11 runs in the top of the eighth inning in its 16–8 victory over the Twins at Target Field. Prior to Monday, the Astros had never won a game in which they trailed by six or more runs in the eighth inning or later. Houston was 0–921 in games with a deficit of that kind prior to the comeback victory. Three Twins pitchers shared the misery in the Astros’ 11-run inning. Ryan Pressly, Craig Breslow, and Matt Belisle recorded one out apiece in the eighth inning with Pressly surrendering five runs and both Breslow and Belisle giving up three. Ervin Santana has started for the Twins and left after 7 innings with an 8-2 lead, OUCH! Box Score
Astros erupt with 11-run eighth inning to rout Twins, give Jankowski only big-league win by John Fredland
1982 – Sal Butera sets a Twins record when he throws out 4 base runners in a game against the Yankees. Ken Griffey Sr., Graig Nettles, Bobby Murcer, and Willie Randolph were the victims that day, Nettles and Murcer were thrown out as part of a Twins’ triple play, the first ever at the Metrodome. In the 6-4 loss to the Yankees at the Metrodome, Bobby Murcer and Graig Nettles were involved in a base running blunder so egregious that it prompted Murcer to say after the game, “We need a second base coach.” In the top of the 2nd, Murcer and Nettles singled, bringing Roy Smalley to the plate, but the hit-and-run was as the Yankee shortstop struck out. The Minnesota catcher, Sal Butera, fired the ball to Gary Gaetti at third base, prompting Murcer to immediately retreat to second base. Unfortunately, waiting for him at 2nd was Nettles, who was forced back to first and tagged out by Kent Hrbek after a throw from Gaetti. But, as Gaetti threw across the diamond to nab Nettles, Murcer broke for third. Hrbek threw back across the diamond, where pitcher Terry Felton was covering third base, to cut down Murcer in one of the most bizarre triple plays in baseball history. The official scoring of the play was K+CS3(25);CS2(31)/TP. With two out in the ninth inning the Yankees scored twice on a single, double, and another single and pinned the loss on Brad Havens and his teammates. Kent Hrbek went 3 for 4 with a triple, scored twice and knocked in one. Box Score
1981 – The visiting Kansas City Royals beat the Twins 3-1 at the Met in spite of getting out-hit 7 to 5 by Minnesota. Both starting pitchers, Rich Gale for KC and the Twins Fernando Arroyo go 7 innings and give up 4 hits but Arroyo gives up 2 runs and comes up the loser. Only 6,734 baseball fans showed up to watch this game as the Twins play their last season at the Met. Box Score
The Executive Board of the Players’ Association voted unanimously to strike on May 29th due to the unresolved issue of free-agent compensation. The major issue behind the strike was the issue of free agent compensation, or, in other words, what compensation teams would receive if one of their star players was signed as a free agent by another team. The owners wanted a system whereby teams would receive a player of similar value, while the players were opposed, seeing that this would void their newly acquired right to become free agents after playing out their contract. The resulting compromise was the Free agent compensation draft, which functioned for the next four years. The deadline was extended briefly, however, after the Players’ Association’s unfair labor complaint was heard by the National Labor Relations Board. At 12:30 A.M on June 12th, union chief Marvin Miller announced the player’s strike beginning the longest labor action to date in American sports history. By the time the season finally resumed on August 10th, seven-hundred six games (38 percent of the Major League schedule) had been canceled. Due to the two-month strike, Major League owners elected to split the 1981 season into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division meeting in a best-of-five divisional playoff series. The second half of the season began with the All Star Game on August 9.
1979 – No game today, scheduled game against the Oakland A’s at Met Stadium was rained out and rescheduled as part of a DH on August 10.
1975 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1972 – No game today, Twins versus Royals game at Met stadium rained out and rebooked for part of a DH on June 29.
1969 – No Game Today
1962 – The Red Sox beat up on the home-town Twins 8-5 behind four home runs, two by catcher Bob Tillman. Outfielder George Banks hits one hit for the Twins but it is not enough. Ted Sadowski takes the loss for Minnesota. Box Score. The Twins front office is busy as the Twins acquire pitcher Jim Donohue from the LA Angels and in turn the Twins give up pitcher Don Lee.
1961 – Scheduled day off
1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his White House staff attend a Washington Senators game. He gets slugger Harmon Killebrew’s autograph for his grandson David on a home run ball, as Washington defeats the Red Sox 7-6. Box Score
Discover the secret Minor League career of a young Dwight Eisenhower