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2023 – The Twins beat the White Sox 10-2 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Kenta Maeda (5-7) was the starter and winner, allowing two runs on four hits in 7 innings pitched (tied season high), with one walk and eight strikeouts. The offense recorded 10 hits (5 XBH) while scoring eight runs in the final three innings. Edouard Julien (13), Royce Lewis (13) and Kyle Farmer (11) each homered for Minnesota. The Twins magic number to clinch now stands at eight. Box Score
2022 – The Twins shut out the Royals at Target Field by a score of 4-0, their 13th shutout this season (tied for 2nd most in AL) and fourth of Kansas City in 2022. Sonny Gray (8-4) was the starter and winner, pitching 7 shutout innings allowing three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. The offense recorded eight hits, two from Carlos Correa, who doubled for the 20th time this season. Gary Sánchez went 1-for-4 with two of the club’s three RBI and hit his 100th career double in the first inning. After Joe Ryan’s 7.0 no-hit innings last night, the Twins have now had consecutive scoreless starts of at least 7 innings each for the first time since May 6-7, 2019 at Toronto (Martín Pérez and José Berríos, both 7 IP). Box Score
2021 – The Twins return to Target Field to continue their homestand after a quick one day trip to New York for a make-up game. The Twins and visiting Cleveland Indians will play a DH today with one of the games a make-up for a June 26 rain out. Rookie Joe Ryan was the Twins game one starter, allowing one run on three hits in five innings pitched, walking one and striking out five. Ryan left the game in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied at 1-1 after getting struck in the right wrist by a Myles Straw line drive. After getting hit, the rookie right-hander stomped off the mound and headed for the dugout without even trying to pick up the ball that was near by and tossed his glove down in frustration. After x-rays were taken it turned out that he had a bone bruise and fortunately nothing more serious. Ryan apologized after the game for his actions saying that he had never been hit by a batted ball before. The offense recorded just three hits in the game, including doubles from Andrelton Simmons (200th of career) and Josh Donaldson (250th of career). Byron Buxton had a bad game going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. Danny Coulombe gave up two runs in the seventh and the Indians beat the Twins 3-1 in game one. With the loss the 63-82 Twins were officially eliminated from any postseason action this season. Game one box score
The Twins game two starter was 29th man Charlie Barnes, and he allowed three runs on four hits in four innings pitched. The bullpen combined for three scoreless innings as Kyle Barraclough (1-0) earned his first win as a Twin. The offense recorded nine hits in the second game, highlighted by Ryan Jeffers, who went 3-for-3 with his 13th home run of the season. The Twins prevailed over the Indians 6-3 splitting the DH and putting an end to a three game losing streak. Game two box score
2020 – The Twins travel to Chicago for their final road trip of the season where they will play the Central Division leading White Sox in a four game series and then go across town to play three with the Chicago Cubs. In game one the Twins sent Jose Berrios to the hill and the Chicago White Sox counter with Dylan Cease. The Twins dropped the opener of this four-game series between the top two teams in the AL Central, losing to the White Sox by a score of 3-1 last night in a contest that saw a combined 27 runners left on base (MIN – 15, CHI – 12). The Twins 15 LOB was a season high. Minnesota compiled seven hits, drew 10 walks and put the leadoff runner on in each of the first six innings, but went 2-for-16 with RISP (0-for-3 with the bases loaded). José Berríos started for the Twins and allowed one run on six hits over 5 innings. Taylor Rogers (1-4) suffered the loss in relief, as Chicago received a perfectly executed “Butcher Boy” (faked a bunt and slapped a single) play by Adam Engel and a RBI-double from Tim Anderson to plate two eighth-inning runs. Some of the statistical oddities from a unique night at the ballpark were Nelson Cruz, who entered batting .423 (11-for-26) with a 1.367 OPS with RISP, went 0-for-3 w/RISP (0-for-4 overall) and tied a career high by leaving nine runners on base. It was just the second time in Minnesota Twins history that the Twins walked at least 10 times and scored one or fewer runs, the first time was September 2, 1998 vs. Tampa Bay (11 walks in a 4-1 loss). Ehire Adrianza (1-for-1 with a double and 3 walks) became the first #9 batter in Twins/Senators history with three walks and one extra-base hit in a game. Berrios threw 35 pitches in the second inning and the White Sox scored one run. The game took 3 hours and 51 minutes to play and the loss dropped the Twins to two games behind the first place pale hose. Box Score
Apparent Buxton ISP HR denied credit StarTrib 091620
2019 – Game one. Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger goes eight innings allowing just two runs and strikes out ten Minnesota batters but finds himself on the short-end of a 2-0 shutout as the Twins go with a “bullpen” game and win their 90th game of the season. Clevinger (11-3) had a personal ten-game winning streak going when he lost the game. Devin Smeltzer started and was followed by Zack Littell, Tyler Duffey, Sergio Romo and Taylor Rogers. Each pitcher gave up one the the Indians hits and no pitcher threw more than 49 pitches. The was the first “all bullpen” shutout in Twins history and also the first Twins shutout when no pitcher went more than three innings. Jorge Polanco hit another home run to make up for the one taken away from him yesterday when the game was called and Max Kepler playing for the first time in just about a week had two hits. Polanco also flashed his glove and may have saved the game in the third inning when he grabbed a scorching line drive off the bat of Carlos Santana to end the third inning with the bases loaded. This was a huge win for the Twins, many Twins fans were concerned that the Twins would lose their division lead in this three game series. Box Score
Game two. The Twins were down 5-4 after seven innings but a Jorge Polanco double (his third hit of the game) plated Kepler who had forced Schoop out at second and the game was tied at 5-5. An IW to Cruz and a Rosario walk loaded the bases. Cleveland brought in Nick Goody (huge mistake) to face Miguel Sano and on the first pitch Sano sent the ball 420 feet to left, the first grand slam of his career. The Twins held on for a 9-5 victory and a sweep of the second place Indians. Rookie pitcher Brusdar Graterol who had thrown a pitch clocked at 101.9 mph the fastest ever recorded for a Twins pitcher was credited with his first big league win. The DH sweep does not clinch anything for Minnesota but it certainly put another nail in Cleveland’s coffin. Twins lead over the Indians went from 3.5 to 5.5 games. Box Score
2018 – The Twins get walked-off by the Kansas City Royals by a score of 8 to 4 at Kauffman Stadium. The Twins had a 4-3 lead heading into the 9th inning before the Royals tied it on a Whit Merrifield single and Salvador Perez hit a walk off grand slam to end it off Trevor Hildenberger (4-4), who blew his third save opportunity and took the loss. Jose Berrios was the starter but did not factor into the decision as he worked 6.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits and struck out nine. Robbie Grossman and Willians Astudillo each had three hits with an RBI. Joe Mauer added two hits including a double, his 598th career extra-base hit, passing Tony Oliva for 4th on the Twins all-time list. Box Score
The Minnesota Twins and the 2018 Florida State League Champion Fort Myers Miracle announced that they have agreed to a four-year extension of their Player Development Contract and a continuation of their relationship regarding Spring Training through the 2022 season. The Miracle are the Class-A Advanced Affiliate of the Twins and have been affiliated with Minnesota since 1992. Their 2018 FSL title was the second in five years for the franchise. Fort Myers plays its home games at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, the Spring Training home of the Twins.
2003 – The fact that the Twins beat the Indians 5-3 in Jacobs Field helps but rookie outfielder Mike Ryan had tough day in the field. In the seventh inning at Cleveland shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit a fly ball to right field, Twins outfielder Mike Ryan loses the ball in the sun and the ball hits him in the head, center fielder Dustan Mohr backing up the play caught the ball before it hit the ground for the out. Ryan was 1 for 2 with an RBI. Doug Mientkiewicz was 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base while A.J. Pierzynski had two doubles.
Video of Mike Ryan getting hit with the ball
2002 – The Twins AAA team the Edmonton Trappers win the PCL championship with a 3-1 win over the Salt Lake City Stingers and in the process become the first Twins AAA team to ever win a championship.
2001 – No Game Today. All MLB games postponed due to the 9/11 attacks. These games will be made up at the end of the season.
1994 – No Game Today – The baseball season, already shut down by a month-long labor dispute, was canceled along with the World Series in a vote of league owners.
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1989 – Twins starter Mark Guthrie goes 7.1 shutout innings and allows just 3 hits before giving way to Jeff Reardon who saves Minnesota’s 2-0 win over Toronto to become the first pitcher ever to record at least 30 saves in 5 consecutive seasons. Dan Gladden was 3 for 4 with a double and a stolen base and Greg Gagne was 2 for 4 with a double and RBI. Box Score
1987 – The Minnesota were never really in this game at Comiskey Park I as the White Sox built up a 8-0 lead before the Twins were finally able to push across two runs in the ninth inning off starter Dave LaPoint when he walked the bases full. Chicago brought in Bob James and the Twins sent up pinch hitter Randy Bush who delivered a single that plated two runs but then James retired Dan Gladden for the final out and a 8-2 loss. It was a day of fives for starter Frank Viola as he gave up 5 runs, struck out 5 and worked 5 innings for the loss. Just another bump in the road as the Twins march towards the World Series. Box Score
1978 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1972 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1971 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1970 – No game today. California Angels at Minnesota game rained out and rescheduled as game 1 of a DH tomorrow.
1967 – No Game Today. Walt Bond, who played for the Indians, Astros, and Twins, dies of leukemia at 29. This gigantic 6’7″ 235-lb Kansas City Monarch and minor-league slugger battled leukemia as a player. During a four-year remission, he put together one productive major-league season, for the 1964 Colt .45’s (20 HR, 85 RBI). Bond began the 1967 season with the Twins and played in ten games between April 11 and May 7. He was the tallest man to play centerfield in major league history until joined by Aaron Judge, also 6′ 7″, in 2018. When Bond played outfield in Minnesota he was in left field.
1961 – On a day originally scheduled to be an off day, the Twins and Angels played a twin-bill originally scheduled for September 12th. On a cool overcast evening with the temp at first pitch recorded at 51 degrees and winds blowing at 16 MPH the Met Stadium crowd was sparse even though owner Calvin Griffith deemed it Ladies Day. The local paper had the attendance at 1,856 while Baseball-Reference has it 1,605, either way, the crowd was small. In game one Twins starter Don Lee faced off against Angels starter Ted Bowsfield and the Angels took a quick 2-0 lead in the first and added one on in the second for a 3-0 lead. Bowsfield cruised along until the Twins finally scored a run, albeit unearned, in the sixth on Harmon Killebrew Sac Fly after Billy Martin doubled and moved to third on an error. That was all the Twins could muster against Bowsfield (10-6) and Jim Donohue who pitched the ninth to get the save. Lee dropped to 3-6 going 8 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned on 6 hits. Earl Battey had two of the Twins five hits and Martin’s double was the only extra-base hit be either team. The game was over in a expeditious 2 hours and 1 minute and I don’t think the crowd minded one bit. Box Score game one
Game two saw Twins starter Jim Kaat pitch a gem although it didn’t start out that way. Eddie Yost led off the game with a single and Joe Koppe followed with another single and the Angels had runners at the corners. Kaat proceeded to wild pitch Yost in for what would turn out to be the only run the Angels would see in this game. The 22-year old lefty would not allow another hit until the ninth inning and at one point retired 23 Angels in a row. Kaat finished the game with a flourish by striking out Ken Hunt and Steve Bilko and set a new personal best strikeout mark with 10. Kaat allowed the Angels just three hits and 2 walks as he won his eighth game of the season against fifteen losses in a hurried 2 hours and 23 minutes. Lenny Green had two of the Twins five hits including a triple which was the only extra-base hit be either team. Box Score game two
