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2023 – The Twins lost to the Rangers at Globe Life Field by a score of 6-5 in walk-off fashion, as Adolis García homered (solo) off Josh Winder in the bottom of the ninth. Kenta Maeda was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs on nine hits in 5 innings pitched. The offense recorded 11 hits, three from both Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis. Lewis drove in four runs on the day, including the game-tying home run in the fifth inning and the game-tying RBI single in the eighth inning. Lewis is hitting .338 (44-for-130) with eight home runs, 26 RBI and a .948 OPS in his last 35 games, including eight three-plus-hit games. The Twins are now 71-66 with a five game lead over the Guardians. Box Score
2022 – The Twins were shut out and one-hit by Dylan Cease and the White Sox by a score of 13-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Tyler Mahle made his return from the Injured List (right shoulder inflammation) and allowed four runs on five hits in 2 innings pitched, averaging 88.4 mph on his fastball. Aaron Sanchez pitched 5 innings in relief of Mahle. The Twins were held hitless for 8.2 innings until Luis Arraez broke up Cease’s no-hitter with a single to right field. It marked their 13th time being shut out this season, tied for fourth-most in baseball. It marked the 35th time in club history the Twins have been one-hit (since 1961) and third time this season (also 4/13 vs. LAD & 7/17 vs. CWS). For the first time in their history the Twins used two position players (Nick Gordon & Jermaine Palacios) to pitch in the same game. Gordon was roughed up for 6 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks including giving up a grand slam home run in 2/3 of an inning and was replaced by Palacios. It was the four appearance by Gordon on the mound this year. The 13 runs were the most that the Twins allowed in a 2022 game. Box Score
2021 – The Twins lost to the Rays at Tropicana Field by a score of 5-3. Randy Dobnak (1-7) was the starter and loser, allowing five runs on six hits in a career-high 7 innings pitched. He allowed five runs in the second and third innings combined, but finished his night with 4 scoreless innings from the 4th-7th, retiring 15 straight batters at one point. This was Dobnak’s first appearance since he injured his pitching hand in a June 19 start in Texas. The Twins feeble offense of late recorded just five hits, two from Jorge Polanco who hit his 25th home run and recorded his 28th double (40th multi-hit game). Polanco’s blast moved him past Roy Smalley into sole possession of second-place on the Twins all-time single-season home run list for switch hitters. Ryan Jeffers added a solo home run, his 12th of the season. The Twins have now scored just nine total runs over their last five games. Box Score
2020 – Scheduled day off. The Twins are 22-16 and in third place 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians.
2019 – The Twins beat the Red Sox last at Fenway Park by a score of 6-5 after watching their 6-0 lead dwindle to just one run. Randy Dobnak was the scheduled starter but shortly after the game started it turned out he was the Opener, pitching 1.0 scoreless inning. It was the first time I think the Twins employed the strategy this season. Lewis Thorpe (2-1) earned his second career victory, allowing three runs on two hits in 3.1 innings pitched. The offense recorded eight hits, two from both Luis Arraez and Miguel Sanó. Sanó hit his 27th home run of the season, a monster of a blast to center and Nelson Cruz hit his 35th. Box Score
2018 – The Twins out hit the Houston Astros 8 to 4 at Minute Maid Park but still come out on the short end of a 4-1 game, two Twins errors did not help. Starter and loser Kyle Gibson allowed the four hits and four runs, two earned, over seven innings. unfortunately for Gibson two of the four hits were home runs. Box Score
2010 – With a number of pitchers unavailable following a 13-inning loss to Detroit, the Twins turn to 27-year old rookie Matt Fox to start a key game against the division leading Texas Rangers. Fox delivers in his major league debut, pitching 5 2/3 solid innings after being called up from AAA Rochester in the middle of the night. In his 5.2 innings Fox allows just 4 hits and 2 runs and walking one but he did not get the win and he would finish his big league career with a 0-0 record. Four relievers finished off the game allowing just one run and Alex Burnett was credited with the win. Denard Span had two hits including a double and a RBI and Danny Valencia had two hits with a stolen base. The Twins won the game 4-3 at Target Field. For Matt Fox it will be his only appearance for the Twins as they lose him to the Red Sox on a waiver claim where he appears in 3 games throwing just 1.2 innings and never appears in a big league game again. Box Score
2009 – No Game today, scheduled day off.
2006 – While taping what he thought was a pre-game show, Twins TV color analyst Bert Blyleven messed up something and muttered “We’re going to do this fucking thing over again, cuz I just fucked up”. When told that they were on the air and live, Bert said, “Oh, we’re live”, “I didn’t know that”. Bert apologized during the game profusely but after the game Twins management suspended Blyleven. While suspended, Twins fans chanted “free Bert” and very quickly Twins management relented and Bert was back on the air. Video clip can be seen here.
The Twins score first on a Torii Hunter home run off in the second inning at Yankee Stadium II but the New Yorkers score the last ten runs of the game and win 10-1 in a laugher. The Twins could only come up with five hits and shortstop Jason Bartlett had two of those. Twins starter Matt Garza was gone after 4.2 innings and 5 runs allowed. None of the Twins four pitchers on this day escaped being scored on. Box Score
1975 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1971 – The Twins and first place (88 wins) Oakland Athletics play two games at Met Stadium on a hot Fall day with the temp at 90 degrees when the first pitch was thrown. The first game of the twin bill was the makeup of a June 24 rainout. It preceded the scheduled Friday night game, which was designated Vida Blue Button Night. In a rare promotional event featuring a visiting team player, the Oakland phenom scheduled to pitch that night, the Twins handed out blue buttons that read “Roses are red, my clothes were blue, when I was there to see Vida Blue.”The Twins prevail in the first game 9-4 as Jim Perry beats Diego Segui. With the score 4-4 in the sixth inning and Segui in trouble Mudcat Grant was brought in by the A’s. The Twins decided to have Harmon Killebrew pinch-hit for Phil Roof and he hit a grand slam home run to put the Twins up to stay. It was Killebrew’s 10th grand slam of Killebrew’s career, the most among active major leaguers at the time. Tommy Hall Hall, making his first appearance in 24 days because of Marine Reserve duty, retired Oakland in order in the eighth and ninth innings, striking out Bando and Garrett to end the game. Hall was awarded his seventh save. Twins rookie Eric Soderholm hits a home run in his first game as a Twin when he hits one out off Diego Segui in his second at bat. Second baseman Rod Carew goes 3 for 4 including a triple and scores three times while shortstop Steve Braun goes 3 for 4 with a double and RBI. A crowd of 22,023 fans attended the doubleheader at the Met Box Score
Killebrew’s pinch-hit grand slam propels Twins to 9-4 win over A’s by Doug Skipper
The second game which appeared to be a mismatch turned out to be a pitchers duel between the A’s Vida Blue who was 23-6 and Twins rookie right-hander Ray Corbin who was 7-10 and hadn’t won a game since mid-July. The Twins scored first on a Steve Brye home run in the second inning and the A’s retaliated with a run in the third on a Reggie Jackson single. After that it was nothing but zero’s until catcher George Mitterwald hit a home run off Blue and the Twins walked-off the A’s 2 to 1 for a sweep of the doubleheader from the first place Athletics. Corbin did not get the win as he went 8 innings allowing one run on 8 hits. Hal Haydel who had pitched a scoreless ninth for the Twins pocketed the win, his third of the season. Brye and Mitterwald each had two hits with a home run, a stolen base, a run scored and a RBI, the other three hits the Twins had belonged to Rod Carew. Vida Blue would go on to win 24 games and post a league leading 1.82 ERA with 8 shutouts and win the AL Cy Young award as well as the AL MVP award that season. By the way, Blue struck out 12 Twins in his 8.2 innings. Box Score
Red roses, blue buttons, and a George Mitterwald walk-off for Twins by Gordon J. Gattie
1970 – On a what was a scheduled day off, the first place 78-54 Twins play the 51-84 Brewers in a game that was supposed to be played yesterday but was rained out. Bill Zepp starts for Minnesota but manager Bill Rigney asks him for the ball with two out in the fifth inning during which the Brewers put up a five spot to give them a 6-0 lead. The Twins score one in the sixth and two in the seventh on a Brant Alyea (12) home run but when the final score is posted on the County Stadium scoreboard it shows the Brew crew with 8 and the Twins with 3. Zepp (7-4) takes the loss and Marty Pattin notches his 11th win for the Brewers. The Twins only get 7 hits and lead-off hitter Cesar Tovar gets three of them. Box Score
1967 – The Tigers turn the table on the Twins at the Met and this time they win 5-0 behind 19 game winner Earl Wilson and reliever Fred Lasher (former Twins reliever) who pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Yesterday Dave Boswell shut out the Tigers 5-0. The Twins could only muster 5 hits and two of those came from pinch-hitters Rich Reese and Frank Kostro. Twins 17 game winner Dean Chance took his 11th loss. Box Score
1961 – The Boston Red Sox jump all over Minnesota at the Met in the rubber game of a three game series and take a 8-0 lead after five innings of play as Tracy Stallard holds the Twins to just two hits through five innings. But the worm turns quickly as the Twins send Stallard to the showers after he starts off the sixth with two walks and a single to load the bases. Reliever Mike Fornieles retires Jim Lemon on a sac fly but Harmon Killebrew follows with his first home run in about three weeks and suddenly the Twins have cut the deficit in half and trail 8-4. They score two more times in the eighth on solo blasts by Lemon and Earl Battey but the Red Sox hold on and take the win 8-6 and the series two games to one. Stallard gets the win and his record now stands at 2-4 with both wins coming against the Twins. Twins starter Camilo Pascual had one of “those days” when he went just four innings allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 3 hits and 5 walks. Box Score
