May 7 – This Day in Twins History
(click on images once or twice to make them larger)
2024 – The Twins lost to the Mariners at Target Field by a score of 10-6, suffering just their second loss in their last 16 days. Eight of the 10 runs allowed by Twins pitchers came after the sixth inning. Bailey Ober was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 innings pitched, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jay Jackson, Steven Okert and Jorge Alcala (1-1) who took the loss were roughed up allowing eight runs on seven hits and four walks in 3 innings of relief. The offense had nine hits, two from both Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler. Jeffers hit his seventh home run, a three-run shot in the third inning, while Kepler doubled twice. Box Score
2023 – The Twins are shut out 2-0 by the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field as Paul Quantrill (2-0) has a no-hitter into the seventh inning before recent call-up Alex Kirilloff gets the Twins lone hit of the game, a single. Two Guards relievers complete the one hitter. Twins starter and loser Joe Ryan (5-1) allowed 8 hits over 6 innings (100 pitches) allowing both Guardian runs. As the box score indicates and Twins writer Phil Miller said in his piece, it was a pretty “wimpy” offensive effort. The Twins were 0 for 5 with RISP. Box Score
2022 – The Twins beat the Oakland Athletics at Target Field by a score of 1-0, marking their sixth one-run victory (6-3) this season. A Jorge Polanco sixth inning solo home run was the difference in the game; it was the 24th time in club history (since 1961) that the Twins won a 1-0 game on a solo homer, first since August 11, 2021 versus Chicago-AL (Polanco off José Ruiz). Sonny Gray who was in St. Paul rehabbing from an injury talked his was into starting for the Twins versus the St. Paul Saints. Gray, returning from the 10-day Injured List (low grade right hamstring strain), pitched 4 shutout innings with a season-high seven strikeouts. Griffin Jax (2-0) was credited with the win and Jhoan Duran notched a 2 inning save. Polanco finished the day with three of the five Twins hits, adding a double and a single to his homer. Byron Buxton left the game in the eighth inning with Hip tightness. The Twins have won eight straight at Target Field, their longest home winning streak since July 21-August 18, 2010, when they won nine straight. Box Score
2021 – The Twins begin a two city six game road-trip with a 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park and snap a three-game losing streak. The Tigers have just 9 wins, the fewest in MLB but the Twins with 11 are not much better. Matt Shoemaker (2-3) was the starter and winner for the Twins, pitching 5 shutout innings allowing four hits, two walks and five strikeouts. The offense recorded nine hits, six of which were for extra-bases with three doubles and three home runs. The Twins long balls were hit but Kyle Garlick (1), Jorge Polanco (2), and Max Kepler (2). Box Score
2020 – The Twins are still home but take a scheduled day off in a season that thus far has been postponed/canceled due to COVID-19. We have missed 37 games so far.
2019 – Another day and another shutout for the Twins as the hold the Toronto Blue Jays off the Rogers Centre scoreboard 3-0. This was the Twins fourth shutout of the season and first time they have pitched consecutive shutouts since June of 2013. Jose Berrios (6-1) held Toronto scoreless for 7 innings on 4 hits while striking out five. Mitch Garver was 3 for 3 with a home run and two RBI and Max Kepler was 2 for 5 with a double. Box Score
In other news the Twins announced a $5 flash sale on some tickets in May to help boost sagging ticket sales.
Twins announce $5 tickets for remaining May home games
2018 – The Minnesota Twins visit the NL St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium III and shut out the home team 6-0 behind Fernando Romero’s 6 shutout innings extending their winning streak to five in a row. Romero, who earned the win, threw 97 pitches striking out 9 and allowing 3 hit and 3 walks. Romero now has pitched 11.2 scoreless innings in his first two big league starts with wins in both games. Trevor Hildenberger and Matt Magill combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Robbie Grossman was 3 for 4 with a double, Eddie Rosario was 2 for 5 with 2 doubles and Max Kepler was 2 for 5 with a double. Box Score
2017 – The Red Sox take a 7-6 lead into the top of the ninth inning at Target Field and proceed to score 10 runs before four Twins pitchers can retire the side. The Red Sox pummeled the Twins in the ninth by hitting for the cycle with 2 singles, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, not to mention 5 walks. The Twins lose the game 17-6. Oddly enough the game had been advertised as a great pitching duel between the Twins Ervin Santana and the Red Sox Chris Sale who were both off to fantastic starts in 2017. Box Score
2010 – It’s the first rain-out at the team’s new Target Field, and the first rain-out of a Twins home game since Sept. 20, 1980, at the old Metropolitan Stadium. The game with the Baltimore Orioles was made up the next day in a day-night doubleheader.
2008 – Outfielder Carlos Gomez hits for the cycle against the White Sox in Chicago. After a long rain delay (game doesn’t start until 8:55 pm), Gomez leads off the game with a home run and then follows that with a triple, double, and a single going 4 for 6 for the day in a Twins 13-1 romp over the mighty whities. The Carlos Gómez cycle was the first for the Twins since Kirby Puckett in 1986. Gomez homered off Mark Buehrle in the first, tripled in the fifth, doubled in the sixth and singled in the ninth Twins starter Livan Hernandez pitches a complete game (121 pitches) to up his mark to 5-1 for the season. Box Score
2007 – No game today, scheduled day off.
2005 – The Twins beat Tampa Bay 8-1 at Tropicana Field for team win number 3,500 and Kyle Lohse picks up the victory. Torii Hunter, Mike Redmond and Jason Bartlett each have 2 hits. Box Score
2004 – The Minnesota Twins and Victory Sports announced today that they have agreed to a new telecast agreement with Fox Sports Net North (FSNN) returning Twins games to the cable and satellite subscribers on FSNN. The Twins vs. Oakland game scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, May 8) at 3 pm central is the first game that FSNN will carry. FSNN will then carry all games scheduled on Victory Sports One for the remaining 2004 season.
“All of us with the Twins organization are pleased to announce this agreement which returns Twins baseball to cable and satellite systems across the region,” the Twins Jim Pohlad said. “In recent weeks it became clear that our fans concerns with the lack of game coverage outweighed the long-term business opportunities surrounding the Victory Sports initiative. Our fans deserve to have the opportunity to watch games as they always have.”
2000 – Twins starter Joe Mays goes the distance (119 pitches) as he pitches a 5-hit shutout at the Dome and the Twins win a 4-0 game. The Twins only had 6 hits themselves but scored three in the first inning on two hits, two walks, a HBP and a wild pitch by Tiger pitcher Mark Johnson. Tom Kelly became the 46th manager and first ever Twins manager to win 1,000 games as the Minnesota Twins beat the visiting Detroit Tigers. Box Score
1998 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1995 – The Minnesota Twins lose to the Cleveland Indians 10-9 in 17 innings at Jacobs Field. The Twins get 18 hits but the Indians have 26 hits and the game lasts 6 hours and 36 minutes, that is a lot of baseball action. The Twins burn through 9 pitchers and the Indians use 8. It is kind of a crazy game as it is tied a nine runs apiece after 8 innings but it takes until the bottom of the seventeenth inning for another runner to cross the plate. Kenny Lofton’s single to center off Twins pitcher Mark Guthrie scores Manny Ramirez who singled to lead off the inning and the Indians have a walk-off win. Jim Poole who pitched the final four scoreless innings for the Indians earned the win. Marty Cordova was 4 for 8 on the day with a double and a home run. Box Score
Indians, Twins both make team history in 17-inning marathon
1989 – The Twins play two in Cleveland Stadium and lose the first game 5-4 when the Indians bring in pinch-hitter Dave Clark to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and he proceeds to hit a home run off Francisco Oliveras. Tim Laudner hit two home runs in the game and Kent Hrbek adds a pinch-hit home run but it was not enough. Box score game 1
In the second game the boys from Minnesota get blown out 12-1 as Joel Skinner leads the attack with a 4 for 5 game with two doubles. Manager Tom Kelly calls on Twins outfielder Dan Gladden to pitch in relief and he makes his second mound appearance for the Twins. Gladden pitches one inning giving up a walk, two hits and one run. This is the fourth time that a Twins position player has toed the pitching rubber. Box score game 2
1981 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1978 – Roy Smalley sets a team mark when he walks 5 times in a 15-9 Twins win over the Orioles in Memorial Stadium. He hit a double in his other plate appearance and scored 3 runs. Twins third baseman Mike Cubbage has a pretty good game himself with 4 hits in 5 at bats including a double and triple plus he scores three times and has four RBI. Catcher Butch Wynegar also has 4 hits in the game. Smalley is the only Twins batter to ever get 5 walks in a game. Box Score
1973 – No game today. Twins versus New York Yankees game at the Met called on account of rain and rescheduled as part of a twin-bill on July 17.
1969 – The Twins get back in the “W” column when they put a 10-3 beating on the Indians at Cleveland Stadium. Jim Kaat who had not pitched since April 23 due to a groin injury pitched a complete game for the win but it was not easy as he needed 129 pitches. Kaat also had two hits and two RBI. Harmon Killebrew was the hitting star with two home runs off Luis Tiant and he had three RBI. The Killer now has seven home run on the season. After the game the Twins left for Milwaukee to play an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants. Box Score
1965 – The Twins lose to the White Sox at the Met by a 13-5 score. But it is how they lose that hurts when they commit seven errors, two by Versalles and Rollins and one each by Kindall, Killebrew and Battey. In addition; Twins pitchers give up 13 hits and two walks while Twins batters can only conger up 5 hits. Bad hitting, fielding, and pitching makes for a bad day at the ballpark. White Sox reliever Eddie Fisher pitched three scoreless innings for the win. Box Score
1962 – No Twins game, scheduled day off.
1961 – The Twins out-hit the Red Sox 11-10 but lost 11-9 where it counted, in the run column at Met Stadium. Neither starter lasted more than four innings. Red Sox reliever Mike Fornieles pitched 4.2 innings of relief allowing 4 hits and 4 walks and gave up 5 runs but still notched his first win of the season. Red Sox lead-off hitter Chuck Shilling had 2 hits, a double and a grand slam home run and drove in six runs. Harmon Killebrew had a big day going 2 for 5 with 2 home runs, 3 runs and 3 RBI while Zoilo Versalles chipped in two hits and two stolen bases but it was not enough. Elmer Valo had a pinch-hit single breaking the teams 0 for 28 pinch-hitting drought. Box Score.
