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2023 – No Twins game today, scheduled day off.
2022 – DOUBLE TROUBLE IN THE BRONX: The Twins lost both games of their doubleheader with the Yankees in the Bronx, dropping game one by a score of 5-4 in 12 innings in walk-off fashion and game two by a score of 7-1. St. Paul native Louie Varland made his major league debut in a game one start, allowing two runs on three hits in 5.1 innings pitched, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jose Miranda hit his 14th home run in game one and drove in two runs as Minnesota fell to 5-9 in extra innings this season. Game one box score.
Joe Ryan (10-8) was the game two starter and loser, allowing four runs on three hits in 4.0 innings pitched, including a fourth inning grand slam to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Carlos Correa drove in the only run for the Twins in game two, hitting his 17th home run of the season and 150th of his career. The Twins lost 7-1 in spite of out-hitting the Yankees 8 to 6. The second place Twins have now lost 6 out of their last 7 games. Game two box score.
2021 – The Twins beat the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field by a score of 3-0, marking their seventh shutout of an opponent this season and second time in Cleveland in 2021. Twins starter John Gant (5-9) earned his first win as a Twin, pitching 5 shutout innings with three hits allowed, four walks and a career-high-tying seven strikeouts. The Twins used five pitchers to record the shutout. The Twins had just seven hits with Miguel Sano getting two, he was the only Twin with more than one hit. Brent Rooker hit his seventh home run of the season. Aaron Civale (10-3) was the starter and loser for Cleveland. Box Score
2020 – The Twins sent Tigers starter Michael Fulmer to an early shower scoring four times in the third inning and held on for a nice 6-2 win. In just his second start after being reinstated from his suspension in 2019, Big Mike went seven innings allowing two runs on three hits and was credited with the win. Pineda (1-0) threw 103 pitches striking out eight and walking two. Cody Stashak and Taylor Rogers pitched the final two scoreless innings. Byron Buxton (6) and Ryan Jeffers (1) each had two hits and a home run. Jeffers home run was his first in the bigs. LaMonte Wade Jr. also had a first, his first major league stolen base. The Twins took four of five from the Tigers completing their eight-game homestand with a record of 6-2. The team is now off to St. Louis for a one day road-trip where they will play their fourth doubleheader of the season with two games in St. Louis. After the game, they will travel back to Minneapolis and enjoy two off-days in a row, a rarity in MLB but 2020 has been a very strange year. Box Score
2019 – The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Minnesota Twins pitcher Michael Pineda has received a 60-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a Diuretic, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 60-game suspension of Pineda is effective immediately. This puts a serious blow in the Twins post-season hopes. Pineda has been the teams most effective starter since the All-Star break. Pineda’s response can be seen here.
Meanwhile, on the field the Twins score four times in the seventh inning and hold on for a 5-3 win over Cleveland and up their lead 6.5 games. Jake Odorizzi was the starter but received a ND for his work after allowing two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings pitched while striking out ten with his 99 pitches. Zack Littell got credit for the win giving him a 4-0 record for the year. The offense recorded seven hits as Mitch Garver went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI, his fifth multi-homer game of the season and second in his last eight days. Garver’s multi-homer game gave the Twins their 30th multi-homer game of the season, extending the major league record. Garver’s 27th and 28th home runs, all as a catcher, passed Earl Battey’s 1963 total of 26 and setting a new club record for catchers. The Twins magic number drops to 14. Box Score
2018 – The Twins beat the lowly 46 win Kansas City Royals by a score of 10-6, erasing a 6-2 deficit in the third inning and breaking their five game losing streak. Stephen Gonsalves was the starter but did not factor into the decision, allowing five runs on five hits in 2.1 innings pitched. The Twins had 12 hits with three coming off the bat of Ehire Adrianza who also had 3 RBI. Eddie Rosario hit the Twins only home run. The game was played at Target Field and dragged on and on for 3 hours and 36 minutes. Box Score
2016 – The Twins won their 52nd game by beating the Royals 6-5 at Target Field. Brian Dozier contributed a single, a stolen base and a run scored to the Twins’ victory over the Royals on Wednesday night, but his streak of five straight games with a home run ended. Dozier tied the major-league record for consecutive games with a home run, all as a second baseman. The other players who did that were Rogers Hornsby (1928), Ryne Sandberg (1989), Robby Thompson (1993), Jose Castillo (2006), and Chase Utley (twice in 2008). Robbie Grossman had three hits including a home run and double and Byron Buxton had two hits with a home run and a double. Kyle Gibson started for Minny but did not figure in the decision, Alex Wimmers, the Twins first round selection (21st overall) in 2010 who relieved Gibson was credited with his first major league win when he pitched one inning walking one and striking out two. It was his first and only win in a Twins uniform. Box Score
2011 – The Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 at Target Field as Danny Valencia and Chris Parmelee each get two RBI. Carl Pavano starts and gets the win for Minnesota but he only lasts 5.1 innings as he gives up 10 hits and 3 runs but only 1 is earned. Box Score
Twins pitching prospect (2009 first round pick) Kyle Gibson underwent successful Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. David Altchek in New York.
2007 – The Twins and White Sox find themselves tied at 4 runs apiece after 8 innings at U.S. Cellular Field when the Twins explode for six runs in the top of the 9th inning fueled by a big 3-run home run by Rondell White. Not to be out done, the White Sox bounce back with six of their own in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game once again as Jim Thome hits the big 3 run home run for Chicago. The score remains tied until the bottom of the 13th inning when White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski knocks in the winning run off the Twins sixth reliever, Juan Rincon and the Mighty Whities walk-off the Twins 11-10. The Twins get 20 hits and Jason Bartlett, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer each have three hits. As you would expect, it was a long game, 4 hours and 29 minutes. Box Score
1984 – Carl Pohlad assumes control of the Minnesota Twins after purchasing the team earlier this year from Calvin Griffith.
On the Metrodome field the Twins beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 in spite of being out hit 11 to 7. Frank Viola started for Minnesota and allowed 3 runs, 11 hits while striking out 11 but needed help from Rick Lysander to get the final out of the game. Second baseman Tim Teufel was the Twins hitting star going 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI while hitting a home run and a triple. Tom Brunansky also hit a home run and drove in three runs. Box Score
1978 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1970 – In the first game of a double-header at Met Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers, outfielder Brant Alyea hits a grand slam home run in the first inning and follows that up with a 3-run homer run in the third inning to put the Twins out to a 7-1 lead. The Twins don’t score again and have to hold on for a 7-6 victory as the Brewers out hit the Twins 14-9. Alyea goes 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 home runs and knocks in all 7 Twins runs. Alyea sets a Twins team RBI record in the process that has since been broken. Cesar Tovar had three hits in five at bats in the game. Bill Zepp starts for Minnesota but can’t keep the Brewers off the board and goes just 4.2 innings allowing 9 hits and 4 runs. Stan Williams relieves Zepp and doesn’t pitch all that well either but he muddles through 2.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and gets credit for the win, his ninth of the season bringing his record to 9-0. Ron Perranoski goes the final 1.2 innings for his 28th save of the season. Box Score game one
What a major league debut! In the second game of the day the Twins score one run in each of the first four innings and then score 4 in the seventh inning for a 8-3 win and a sweep of the DH. Twins rookie pitcher Hal Haydel hits a home run in his first major league game when he hits one out against Milwaukee Brewers hurler Al Downing at Met Stadium in his second at bat. Haydel had doubled in his first at bat and the Twins won the game 8-3. Haydel remains the only Twins pitcher in history to hit a home run in his first major league game. Haydel had relieved Luis Tiant who was taken out of the game with a sore arm after one inning, and pitched 5 innings to get his first major league victory. Ron Perranoski who notched his 28th save in the first game with 1.2 innings pitched also appeared in this game throwing 3 innings for his 29th save. Brant Alyea had two more RBI’s in the second game, not a bad days work for Alyea. Box Score
1965 – No game today, scheduled day off.
1963 – A small crowd of 7,730 showed up at White Sox Park to watch two also-rans play out the season. The White Sox started knuckle-baller and future Hall of Fame reliever Hoyt Wilhelm in what would be his final start in year 12 of his 21 year big league career and Minnesota sent Lee Stange to the mound. It was a low scoring affair and the Twins scored first in the fourth inning when with two out Wilhelm walked Bob Allison and Earl Battey followed with a double allowing Allison to score when the Sox catcher mishandled the ball for an error and the unearned run. The Twins added another in the seventh when Rich Rollins singled Battey in and the Twins were sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead. But with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Stange walked Nellie Fox and Dave Nicholson hit one out to deep left for a two-run homer and the game ended up tied at two apiece after nine innings. The tenth and eleventh innings were scoreless. Bruce Howard had relieved Wilhelm after eight innings and started his fourth inning of work allowing a double to Zoilo Versalles and then walked Bernie Allen. John Goryl hit a nice sac bunt that moved the runners up to second and third with one out. Rollins delivered with a single to right with his fourth hit of the game and both runners scored making the score 4-2 for Minnesota. Dwight Siebler came in for the save but he himself needed help when he retired the first batter but then walked Camilo Carreon. Sam Mele brought in Jim Perry to face Floyd Robinson and Robinson hit into a ground ball double play to end the game and give the Twins the win. Stange went 8.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 6 walks. Bill Pleis (5-2) picked up the win and Jim Perry picked up his first Twins save, he had previously saved five games for the Indians. Box Score
1961 – No game today, scheduled day off.