Twins Hold Off Athletics 11-8 to Win Series

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Minneapolis:

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

The Minnesota Twins found themselves on the right side of another important series Sunday afternoon.

After dropping the opener on Friday, the Twins responded by winning the final two games of the three-game series, defeating the Athletics 11-8 at Target Field to improve to 53-54 on the season.

Minnesota wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, plating three runs in the first inning before adding three more in the second to grab a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Twins also caught a break early when Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs was forced to leave the game after just 1.1 innings because of right hip discomfort. With Oakland going to its bullpen early, Minnesota continued to apply pressure and took advantage by building an eight-run lead through the first six innings.

The eventful early innings continued in the second when Athletics hitting coach Chris Cron was ejected by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild after arguing balls and strikes. The ejection added to a frustrating afternoon for Oakland after Springs had already exited the game because of injury.

Making his return to the rotation, Connor Prielipp was outstanding from the start. The left-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and kept the Athletics' offense off balance throughout the afternoon. Prielipp worked 5.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out five.

The Athletics finally broke through in the sixth inning and continued to chip away at the deficit. Oakland scored three runs in the sixth, added three more in the seventh, and made one final push in the ninth, but the Twins answered with key insurance runs to keep the Athletics from completing the comeback.

Offensively, the Twins received contributions throughout the lineup. Kody Clemens led the way with three hits, including a Little League home run in the first inning after an Athletics defensive miscue. Ryan Jeffers added three hits and three RBIs as Minnesota finished with 13 hits and capitalized on four Athletics errors.

Despite the late rally by Oakland, the Twins did what they needed to do by winning the series. As the American League playoff race continues to tighten, every series victory becomes more important, especially at home.

Minnesota after a day off Monday, opens a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Target Field.

Minneapolis:

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

The Minnesota Twins bounced back Saturday night, shutting out the Athletics 2-0 at Target Field to even the three-game series at one game apiece.

After being held to just two hits in Friday night's series opener, the Twins responded with another strong pitching performance while finally getting the timely hit they needed. Minnesota improves to 52-54, remaining 4.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Wild Card race. 

The Athletics fall to 44-60 as they continue to develop one of the youngest rosters in baseball.

Before the game, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told me the organization is beginning to see the growth and potential of its young team. Oakland also welcomed back another key piece, as All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz returned from the 10-day Injured List after missing two weeks with a thumb sprain.

The Twins gave the ball to rookie left-hander Kendry Rojas, who entered the night 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA. Rojas looked sharp from the opening pitch, striking out two in the first inning while allowing just a two-out single. Oakland countered with left-hander Brady Basso in a bullpen game, and he matched Rojas early by working around a two-out walk to Kody Clemens.

Rojas settled into a rhythm over the next three innings. He retired the Athletics in order in the second, struck out his third batter of the night, and worked around a leadoff walk in the third before recording his fourth strikeout. He finished his outing with four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five.

The Twins had an opportunity to score in the third inning when Ryan Kreidler led off with a double down the right-field line before stealing third base. Trevor Larnach and Byron Buxton both struck out, and Kody Clemens flew out to right field to end the threat.

Rojas continued to cruise in the fourth, retiring the Athletics in order while recording his fifth strikeout. It was another encouraging outing for the rookie as the Twins continue to rely on their young pitching staff down the stretch.

Taylor Rogers took over in the fifth and escaped Oakland's best scoring chance of the night. Jeff McNeil doubled before Lawrence Butler walked with two outs, but Rogers got Jacob Wilson to ground into a force out to end the inning.

The Twins finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth.

Josh Bell drew a one-out walk before Royce Lewis lined a double down the left-field line, putting runners on second and third. Victor Caratini, who already had two hits, popped out to shallow left, bringing Alan Roden to the plate with two outs.

Roden delivered the biggest hit of the night, lining a two-run single into right field to score Bell and Lewis, giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead and its first runs of the series.

From there, the Twins bullpen took over.

Tommy Nance tossed a scoreless seventh inning, allowing only a two-out double before finishing the frame.

Andrew Morris worked himself into trouble in the eighth after a leadoff walk and a throwing error put runners on second and third with nobody out. He responded by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom before getting Jonah Heim to ground out, preserving the two-run lead.

Yoendrys Gomez handled the ninth inning with ease, retiring the Athletics in order to record his 13th save of the season. While Twins manager Derek Shelton hasn't officially named Gomez the closer, he continues to pitch like one.

Taylor Rogers earned the victory to improve to 6-3, while Mason Barnett took the loss, falling to 1-1.

The Twins will look to win the series Sunday afternoon at Target Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Oakland will send Jeffrey Springs (3-8, 5.96 ERA) to the mound, while the Twins have yet to announce a starter after Joe Ryan was scratched from his scheduled start because of arm fatigue.

Minneapolis:

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

The Minnesota Twins opened a crucial three-game series against the Athletics Friday night, their first series back at Target Field following the All-Star break.

Minnesota returned home after going 3-4 on a seven-game road trip against the Cubs and Guardians. With the Athletics and Royals in town, this homestand could go a long way in determining the Twins' direction ahead of the August 3rd trade deadline. Whether Minnesota buys, sells, or stands pat may very well depend on how they perform over the next 10 days.

The Twins handed the ball to right-hander Zebby Matthews (4-8, 5.34 ERA), looking to rebound after allowing a season-high 10 runs in his previous outing against the Cubs. Across the diamond, the Athletics countered with left-hander Jacob Lopez (5-4, 6.09 ERA), who had recently been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas and was making his third start since returning.

Matthews looked like a completely different pitcher from his last outing.

He retired the Athletics in order in both the first and second innings, striking out All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers in the opening frame while needing just 10 pitches to get through the second. Lopez matched him early, striking out the side in the second inning as both pitchers settled into a scoreless duel.

Minnesota threatened several times but couldn't capitalize.

Austin Martin drew leadoff walks in both the first and third innings, while Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch in the third to put two runners aboard with two outs. Ryan Jeffers worked the count full but struck out swinging on a slider to end the threat.

The Twins created another opportunity in the fourth despite still not recording a hit. Royce Lewis walked, then stole both second and third base. Luke Keaschall later walked and stole second, giving Minnesota runners on second and third with two outs. Lopez escaped once again by getting Brooks Lee to pop out to shortstop.

The Athletics finally broke through in the fifth.

After Matthews carried a no-hitter into the inning, Donovan Walton drew a one-out walk before Tommy White lined a double off the wall in left-center. Matthews then walked Jeff McNeil to load the bases, and Lawrence Butler lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. Matthews limited the damage when Victor Caratini threw out White attempting to advance to third following a wild pitch.

Minnesota collected its first hit in the bottom half of the inning when Martin doubled with one out, but Lopez retired Buxton and Jeffers to preserve the lead.

The Athletics added an insurance run in the sixth.

Henry Bolte led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Tyler Soderstrom lined an RBI single to left, extending the lead to 2-0.

The Twins had their best scoring opportunity immediately afterward.

Josh Bell and Lewis each walked before Keaschall loaded the bases with another free pass. With one out, Brooks Lee hit a sharp ground ball to third. Tommy White stepped on the bag himself before throwing across the diamond for an inning-ending 5-3 double play, ending another promising rally.

Minnesota's bullpen kept the game within reach.

Kody Funderburk worked around a leadoff single in the seventh, Travis Adams tossed a perfect eighth with two strikeouts and newly acquired Jack Anderson struck out two in the ninth after allowing a leadoff double.

The offense, however, never found an answer.

Jeffers singled to begin the eighth, but Bell grounded into a double play. In the ninth, Keaschall was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate before Brooks Lee grounded into another double play to end the game.

The Twins managed just two hits, went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, stranded seven runners, and grounded into three double plays in the 2-0 loss.

Matthews deserved a better fate, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings, striking out three while battling through traffic after his dominant start.

Minnesota has now dropped the opener of a series that could have major implications for its postseason hopes and trade deadline plans.

The Twins will look to even the series Saturday night at Target Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m., with both starting pitchers still to be announced.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

Minneapolis:

The Minnesota Twins opened their final series before the All-Star break Friday night with a hard-fought 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field. Despite outhitting the Angels for much of the night and making things interesting late, Minnesota was unable to overcome a pair of costly innings.

The Twins struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Trevor Larnach led off the game with a double and later came around to score, giving Minnesota an early 1-0 lead. Zebby Matthews matched the fast start on the mound, retiring the Angels in order through the first three innings while keeping the Los Angeles lineup off balance.

The game turned in the fourth inning. The Angels strung together timely hits to score two runs and take their first lead of the night. They added two more in the fifth, extending the advantage to 4-1 and putting the Twins in comeback mode.

Minnesota refused to go away. The Twins answered in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to 4-3. Josh Bell and Trevor Larnach each collected two hits on the evening, while Kody Clemens drove in a run as the offense chipped away at the Angels' lead.

The Twins continued to put runners on base throughout the game, finishing with nine hits compared to the Angels' 10. Minnesota left nine runners stranded, while Los Angeles left five. The inability to come through with a timely hit proved to be the difference.

Matthews (4-6) was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs over five innings while striking out five. Grayson Rodriguez (3-2) earned the victory for Los Angeles despite allowing three runs, and veteran closer Kirby Yates worked a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save of the season.

Trevor Larnach finished 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Josh Bell also had a two-hit night, while Royce Lewis reached base and scored during the Twins' sixth-inning rally.

The loss drops Minnesota to 46-49 on the season and 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. The Twins will look to even the series Saturday as they continue their push toward the All-Star break, hoping to avoid losing ground in the American League playoff race.

Twins will start Joe Ryan 6-5, 2.85 ERA, while the Angels counter with Ryan Johnson 1-4, 6.99 ERA.

Long time Twins Broadcaster Dick Bremer will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame prior to the game. Game time is 1:10pm.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network 

MINNEAPOLIS :

The Minnesota Twins continue to find ways to win.

After battling back from multiple deficits, the Twins completed a dramatic comeback Wednesday night at Target Field, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 6-5 on a walk-off hit from Alan Roden in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The victory extended Minnesota’s winning streak to four games and gave the Twins another momentum-building win as they continue their push through the second half of the season.

Roden, making his season debut after being promoted from Triple-A St. Paul, became the hero in his first game back with the Twins. With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Roden delivered a clutch two-run single to bring home the winning run and send Target Field into celebration.

“It’s a moment you dream about,” Roden said after the game.

The Guardians struck first in the fourth inning when Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run home run and Rhys Hoskins followed with a solo shot, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

The Twins answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs to tie the game. Minnesota’s offense continued to battle all night, refusing to let Cleveland pull away.

Cleveland regained the lead in the seventh inning, but Minnesota once again responded. 

The Twins tied the game at 5-5 after forcing in runs with bases-loaded walks, setting up the dramatic finish in the ninth.

Kody Clemens continued his strong stretch at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, providing key production throughout the game.

The Twins bullpen kept the game within reach, and Yoendrys Gómez earned the win after recording a scoreless ninth inning. Cleveland’s Matt Festa took the loss.

For Minnesota, the win showed the team’s resilience. The Twins have continued to play aggressive baseball, getting contributions throughout the lineup and finding clutch hits when they need them most.

With the win, Minnesota improves its record to 46-47, just 2 games back now of the Chicago White Sox, and continues building confidence heading toward the All-Star break.

The Twins look to go for the Sweep Thursday, as Bailey Ober (6-4, 4.59 ERA) returns from the injured list. Cleveland counters with Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.89 ERA.) Game time is 12:40PM.