(click on images once or twice to make them larger)
2023 – The Twins beat the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field by a score of 7-6. Joe Ryan was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing six runs on eight hits in 5 innings pitched, with one walk and six strikeouts. Emilio Pagán earned his first save of the season and 32nd of his career with a scoreless ninth. Kody Funderburk (2-0) got the win. The offense recorded 13 hits, led by Ryan Jeffers, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run. For Jeffers, it marked his 14th homer, tying his single-season career high, previously done in 2021. The Twins are now 13-0 when Jeffers homers. Trevor Larnach (7) added a pinch-hit home run and Michael A. Taylor (21) also homered, hitting a 468-foot shot, the second longest of his career (493 ft – 8/20/15) and longest by a Twin this season. The announced crowd was 47,272 for the 102 loss Rockies on a fireworks Friday night. Box Score
2022 – The Twins lost their final home game of the season to the Chicago White Sox by a score of 4-3. Louie Varland made his fourth major league start, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 innings pitched. Caleb Thielbar allowed an unearned run in the eighth inning, which proved to be the game-winner for the Sox. The offense recorded just six hits, two from Luis Arraez, who also walked. Arraez improved his batting average to .315, re-claiming the lead for the American League batting title. T he Twins completed their final homestand of the season with a record of 3-3, losing a three-game series to the Angels last weekend, followed by a three-game series win over the White Sox this week. Reflective of their play the last few months, the Twins drew just 23,397 fans for their home season finale. The Twins will begin their final roadtrip of 2022 with three against the Tigers at Comerica Park this weekend, followed by three against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Twins have gone 46 35 at home, compared to 30-45 on the road. They have gone 1-7 in their last eight road games and 3-17 in their last 20 away from Target Field. Box Score
2021 – The Twins beat the Tigers at Target Field by a score of 5-2, securing the series victory, their 16th of the season (16-29-6). Michael Pineda (9-8) was the starter earning his fifth consecutive win in his final start of the season and maybe his final start as a Minnesota Twin, allowing one run on eight hits in 5.2 innings pitched with no walks and five strikeouts. The Twins were out-hit 10-7 but had more runs than the Tigers because they were 2 for 13 with RISP. Luis Arraez and Josh Donaldson each had two safeties and Jorge Polanco hit his team-leading 32nd home run and drove in three. Brent Rooker pinch hit in the seventh and was plunked for the ninth time this season, second most in a single season by a Twins rookie, only Marty Cordova was HBP’s more often as a rookie, 10 times in 1995. Box Score
2020 – The Twins are playing in the postseason for the 14th time in club history today. The Twins finished the regular season with a record of 24-7 (a .774 win %) at home, the best in the majors this season and a new franchise record. The previous franchise record was set by the 1930 Washington Senators at 56-21 and a .727 win %. The 1969 Twins held the previous best Twins record at 57-24 and a .704 win %. Kenta Maeda started for Minnesota and Zack Greinke did the honors for Houston at Target Field in a best 2 out of 3 series. The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Max Kepler drew a two-out walk and scored on a Nelson Cruz double to right field. With the Twins holding a 1-0 lead Astros skipper Dusty Baker took out Greinke after four innings and replaced him with Framber Valdez. The Twins followed suit and turned the game over to the bullpen after five innings and 91 pitches from Maeda. It remained 1-0 Twins until Houston pushed a run across in the seventh off Tyler Duffey. Duffey had retired the first two batters in the inning but then gave up three consecutive singles that scored the tying run before the Twins could get the third out of the inning on the bases on the run-scoring single. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 entering the ninth inning with Sergio Romo taking the mound for the Twins. The inning started poorly for the Twins with Romo giving up two singles putting runners on first and second but Romo retired the next two batters. Then George Springer hit a fielders choice to short but Jorge Polanco made a bad throw loading the bases. Romo walked Jose Altuve on six pitches forcing in a run. Romo became the first pitcher in post-season history to have walked in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning. Caleb Thielbar replaced Romo and gave up a two-run single to deep center to Michael Brantley and it was 3-1 for the Astros. Thielbar retired the next batter for the final out of the inning but it was too little and too late. The Twins mounted a one-out rally in the bottom of the ninth on singles by Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco. Willians Astudillo was brought in to hit for Alex Avila but Valdez got him to hit into a game-ending double-play grounder to third. The loss extended the Twins’ MLB record of 17-consecutive losses in the Postseason. Sergio Romo was issued the loss, allowing three unearned runs with two hits and one walk allowed in 0.2 innings pitched. Nelson Cruz who drove in the Twins’ lone run with a third-inning double, becoming the first 40-year-old in franchise Postseason history with an extra-base hit and an RBI. Twins who had just four hits went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Frambar Valdez got the win for Houston with five scoreless innings of relief allowing just two hits while striking out five. Box Score
2019 – Game number 162 ends up being a 5-4 walk-off loss (only their second walk-off defeat of the year sets a new team record) to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The Twins had a 4-3 lead after seven innings but the Royals scored one in the eighth to tie the game and then in the ninth inning the Twins brought in Brusdar Graterol to pitch and he gave up a double and a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Brett Phillips then hit a sac-fly deep to right that scored a run and the Royals had a 5-4 walk-off win in Ned Yost’s final game as the KC Royals manager. C.J Cron (25), along with Jake Cave (8) hit home runs but it was Jason Castro whose 13th round-tripper of the season was the Twins final home run of 2019, a MLB leading number 307 for the Minnesota Twins. Only three of twenty Twins position players (Ian Miller, Ronald Torreyes, and Tyler Austin) failed to hit a home run this season and they had a grand total of 39 PA’s between them. Graterol was the losing pitcher, suffering his first career loss. Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli asked Ehire Adrianza to be the Twins guest-manager for the game. The Twins ended their season with a 101-61 record and finished 8 games ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians. On to the ALDS to face the New York Yankees. Box Score
2018 – The Twins score eight times in the first two innings and hold on the beat the White Sox again by a score of 8-3 at Target Field. CWS starter Carlos Rodon went just one inning and gave up all 8 earned runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Twins starter Kyle Gibson went 6 innings allowing one run on 3 hits while striking out 7 for his 10th win of the season. Jorge Polanco had three hits including a double in five at bats with an RBI and run scored. Rookie Jake Cave had 3 RBI giving him 45 in just 309 plate appearances.
2017 – The Twins beat the Tigers at Target Field by a score of 6-3. Eduardo Escobar and Brian Dozier combined to go 5 for 8 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and three runs scored. Reliever Jose Berrios was the winner and Matt Boyd took the loss. Box Score
2016 – The Twins defeated the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, 7-6, ending their streak of 11 straight games scoring three or fewer runs. That was the longest streak of that kind for any major-league team this season, and it tied the longest within one season for the Twins since they moved to Minnesota in 1961. The Twins had another 11-game streak of that kind in August (8/6-8/15) 1970. The win did not come easy as the Twins had a 7-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth and KC scored twice to make it 7-6 and had Terrance Gore on first base pinch-running for Salvador Perez with two out. Brandon Kintzler threw to first in a pick-off attempt but the umpire called Gore safe. Twins skipper Paul Molitor appealed and the call was over turned and the Twins had their victory and avoided their 103rd loss with a game to play. Kennys Vargas had the Twins only long ball and a double in five at bats and Byron Buxton had a double and triple in three at bats. Max Kepler knocked in what turned out to be the winning run. Box Score
2015 – No game today. The Twins game versus the Indians in Cleveland is rained out today and will be played tomorrow as part of a twin bill.
2014 – The Minnesota Twins announced today, the day after the season ended that they will replace Ron Gardenhire as manager in 2015. Since joining the organization in 1987, Gardenhire held multiple coaching positions at the minor league and major league levels and was named the 12th Manager in club history in 2002. Gardenhire led the Twins to a record of 1068-1039 (.507) in 13 seasons and trails only Tom Kelly on the Twins all-time managerial wins list. He was named American League Manager of the Year in 2010 and guided the Twins to six American League Central Division titles However; in his last four seasons at the helm the Twins lost 90 or more game.
2013 – The Twins finished the season like they couldn’t wait for it to end. The lost their season final 5-1 to the Cleveland Indians at Target field in front of aa announced crowd of 30,935. Not sure how many people were really there to watch the game at the Twins finished the season in fourth place with a 66-96 record and 27 games out of first. The Twins quit playing some time ago and slogged through September with a 8-20 record losing their final six games and 16 of their last 19 games. In this game Scott Diamond (6-13) started for the Twins and took the loss when he allowed four runs but just two earned over six innings (93 pitches). Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez got the win going 6.2 innings and striking out 13. No Twin had more than one hit and catcher Eric Fryer got the lone Twins RBI. Box Score
2009 – In game one of a DH at Comerica Park both Nick Blackburn of the Twins and Rick Porcello of the Tigers hold the other team to one run but each runs out of bullets after throwing 111 pitches and both get a pat on the butt and a ND for the day. The Twins score two in the top of the tenth off Brandon Lyon and go up 3 to 1 but the Tigers fight back with one of their own on a Curtis Granderson home run but Joe Nathan settles down and retires the side for the Save and a 3-2 Twins win. Denard Span and Jason Kubel each had two hits for Minnesota. Box Score Game One
In the second game the Twins fall behind the Tigers 5-0 and fight back but end up losing 6 to 5. Justin Verlander wins his 18th game when he allows four runs in eight innings. Orlando Cabrera gets 3 hits in 4 at bats, Denard Span goes 2 for 4 and Brian Duensing takes the loss. Box Score Game Two
The Harris County, Texas District Attorney charged former Twins second baseman Chuck Knoblauch with assaulting a family member (common-law-wife) by choking, a third-degree felony in Texas. Knoblauch pled guilty to misdemeanor assault in connection with the case on March 16, 2010.
2008 – No game today, scheduled day off. The season was scheduled to end yesterday but game 163 is scheduled for tomorrow to break the tie between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox and it is considered a regular season game.
2002 – The Twins beat the Chicago White Sox at the Metrodome 3-1 when they score twice in the eighth inning on a two-run homer by Bobby Kielty. Jacque Jones was 3 for 3 with two doubles and a RBI and Todd Sears was 2 for 2 with a double. Reliever Bobby Wells got the win in the last regular season big league game that he would pitch in. J.C. Romero got his first major league Save. The Twins end their magical 2002 season with a 94-67 record and 13 ½ game bulge over the second place Chicago White Sox. For only the second time in their history (first accomplished in 1965), they win more games than they lose in each month of the season. Box Score
1996 – The Twins wrap up the 1996 season at the Metrodome with their second walk-off win in a row over the Chicago White Sox as they win 5-4 in ten innings. Frankie Rodriguez started and went the first six innings for the Twins allowing two runs on three hits and left the game with a 3-2 lead but the White Sox tied it up in the seventh inning. The players never like the last game of the season to be a long one but this game was headed for some bonus baseball. Eddie Guardado retired the first two White Sox in the tenth but them Greg Norton took him deep and all of a sudden Chicago was up 4-3 for the first time in the game. In the bottom of the tenth Roberto Hernandez who had 38 saves for the White Sox retired Chip Hale and Rich Becker but Greg Myers singled and Chuck Knoblauch tripled him home to knot the game at 4-4. Todd Walker walked and Paul Molitor followed with a single and the Twins were walk-off winners 5-4. Molitor’s RBI was his 113 of the season, a career high and his hit was number 225, also a career high. Molitor had 3 hits in the game including two doubles and Roberto Kelly hit his sixth home run of the season, a three-run blast. With the win the Twins finished the season at 78-84 and in fourth place in the AL Central. A crowd of 13,306 fans go home happy and hope for better things in 1997. Eddie Guardado (6-5) got the win and Roberto Hernandez (6-5) took the loss for Chicago. This was the first season that the Twins had to play without Kirby Puckett since 1984. Box Score
1991 – The Twins back in to the Central Division title when they lose 2-1 to the Blue Jays in Toronto at the Skydome while the White Sox lose to the Mariners 2-1. Scott Erickson allows two runs in the first inning but that is all it will take since the Twins can score just the one run on a Paul Sorrento pinch-hit single that scores Gene Larkin. Erickson pitches a complete game allowing just the two runs on five hits but takes the loss dropping his record to 19-8. Box Score
1986 – Minnesota’s starter Bert Blyleven broke Robin Roberts’ 1956 record of allowing 46 home runs in a season when he gave up a third-inning homer to Cleveland rookie Jay Bell. The Twins however; win the game 6-5 at the Dome. Blyleven goes eight innings and allows all five runs and strikes out nine and earns his 16th victory of the season. Alvaro Espinoza, Billy Beane and Gary Gaetti each had three hits. Rookie Mark Portugal got his first big league save. Box Score
Bell and Blyleven…Linked in MLB History
1980 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1977 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1970 – It was a wild and wooly affair that the first place Twins hosted at the Met against the Kansas City Royals and sadly only 5,473 fans were around to see the 4 hour and 05 minute twelve inning game. At least that was how many fans were there for first pitch, for the final out? Who knows. The Twins sent Jim Perry out to win his 25th game and the Royals announced starter was Al Fitzmorris but he hurt his shoulder warming up and was relieved by Paul Splittorff before he could throw a single pitch. The Twins jumped all over Splittorff who lasted just 1.2 innings giving up 6 hits and 4 runs and the Twins scored 2 in the first, 2 more in the second and a single run in the third and had a 5-0 lead until Kansas City scored 5 times in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5 but the Twins bounced back with 2 more in the fourth and 2 more in the fifth and Perry was sitting good as he departed after five innings innings with a 7-5 lead. Stan Williams put up three scoreless innings and manager Bill Rigney called for Ron Perranoski to mop up the easy win. But sometimes the best laid plans go awry as Perranoski faced 5 batters, retiring just one, allowing 4 runs but just 2 earned on 4 singles and he was sent to an early shower. Before Bill Zepp could get out of the inning the Royals had scored 6 runs and taken an 11-9 lead. The Twins didn’t give up, scoring two runs of their own and the fans that were still there were treated to some bonus baseball. The tenth inning was scoreless but the Royals scored twice in the eleventh and of course the Twins had to match that scoring two runs in an inning for the sixth time in this game and it was a 13 all ballgame. The twelfth inning saw Kansas City score a single run on a RBI single by Royals reliever Ted Abernathy putting Kansas City up by a 14-13 score. Abernathy (10-3) who blew the save got the win when he retired Jim Nettles, Rick Dempsey and Frank Quilici after allowing a single to Jim Holt to lead off the inning. What an amazing game, more records broken then we can list here. Each team had 20 hits, a total of 27 runs were scored, there were six double plays and six errors. The Royals were 9 for 19 with RISP and the Twins were 9 for 20 with RISP. 49 players were used by the two teams with the Twins using 27 players in the game. Leo Cardenas was 5 for 6 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored for Minnesota. Tony Oliva and Jim Holt each had 3 hits. Only one pitcher on either team had more than two strikeouts and that was Abernathy who had seven and as I said earlier but he also pitched 4 innings giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. As I said, it was a crazy game. Oh, Pete Hamm (0-2) took the loss and Perry did not get win number 25. Box Score
Royals’ 6-run ninth ruins Jim Perry’s chance for 25-win season by Bob Webster
1969 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1961 – Camilo Pascual makes his 33rd start of the season for Minnesota in his quest for win number 16 as the Twins host the high-flying Detroit Tigers and starter Jim Bunning who have nothing to play for anymore (since the Yankees clinched the pennant) other than to try to get to 100 wins. Billy Martin takes Bunning deep in the first for a quick 1-0 lead and the Twins add on three more runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Tigers get two back in the fifth inning and it appears that Pascual has things under control. Then the ninth inning happens, Pascual gives up a single to Norm Cash, retires Steve Boros on a fly to left, Jake Wood draws a walk and Dick Brown singles to load the bases. Charlie Maxwell pinch-hits for Hank Aguirre and hits one back at Pascual who can’t handle it cleanly and a run scores as Maxwell reaches first safely. Al Kaline is brought in to hit for Dick McAuliffe and he too hits one back at Pascual that hits his glove but Pascual recovers to thrown out Kaline for out number two but the tying run crosses the plate. Pascual retires Bill Bruton for the final out but the damage is done. Terry Fox retires the Twins 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and it is time for bonus baseball. Not sure why Twins manager Sam Mele allows Pascual to go out for the tenth other than trying to do him a favor and allow him to win the game. But Pascual gives Bubba Morton a free pass, retires Rocky Colavito on a fly to right and Cash singles again putting runners at first and third. Boros draws a walk bringing up Jake Wood who singles in two runs putting the Tigers out front for the first time in the ballgame. Ray Moore is finally brought in and he retires the next two batters but again too little and too late and the Tigers win game 99 as they beat the Twins 6-4 handing the Twins their second straight loss in front of a small Friday afternoon crowd of 3,151 at Met Stadium. The Tigers committed two errors but out hit the Twins 12-6. Martin who had a home run, triple and a single had half of the Twins six hits and two RBI. Bob Allison had the other two. Instead of getting win number 16, Pascual got loss number 16 in a year in which he led the AL in strikeouts with 221 and tied for the league lead in shutouts with eight. Box Score
