Box Score
Taj Bradley: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Home Runs: Byron Buxton (28)
Bottom 3 WPA: Mick Abel (-0.613), Matt Wallner (-0.111), Brooks Kriske (-0.089)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
Heartened by yesterday’s exciting win against the very good San Diego Padres, the Twins sought to make it two in a row, and to take their first series in three weeks. They would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for those pesky Friars (and umps).
The Pitchers
Taj Bradley took the bump for his second start with the Twins. His first start was…not great. Looking to prove he belongs, he entered his second turn hoping it would go better than the first.
The Padres sent staff ace Nick Pivetta to the mound. He has been nails this season, the best year in his nine-year career. Striking out more than a batter per inning, he brought a shiny 13-4 record, and a sparkling 2.90 ERA with a FIP that backs it up.
The Game
The first six innings were enjoyable. The rest? Not so much. Here were the moments that mattered.
1st Inning
The first inning started exactly the way things have gone for the Twins of late. Bradley looked a bit wobbly, walking two of the first three batters he faced. With Fernando Tatis Jr on first, old fiend Luis Arraez hit a sacrifice bunt up out of the zone to advance Tatis to second. Manny Machado also walked, on six pitches. Of course, he should have struck out on pitch five, but the home plate umpire decided that the underdog Padres needed a helping hand. Luckily, Bradley escaped the inning without any damage on a groundout then line out.
In the bottom of the first, Luke Keaschall continued his outsized contributions, reaching on a fielder’s choice, then stealing second, but could not come around to score.
3rd Inning
In the top of the third, Taj Bradley started to round into form. He got both Tatis and Machado to strike out swinging, with James Outman flashing some leather, diving to catch an Arraez liner.
The Twins got on the board first in the bottom of the third, due to their new brand of aggressiveness on the basepaths, and it happened exactly as you would have expected: Outman singled on a curveball that caught the heart of the plate, then stole second. Byron Buxton walked on five pitches, four of which were non-competitive, then Trevor Larnach singled on a sharp dribbler the other way, allowing Outman to not, you know, be out, man. Luke Keaschall and Matt Wallner flew out harmlessly, but the good guys were the lead.
4th Inning
In the top half of the fourth, Bradley got both Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano to whiff out, and Buxton did Buxton things, laying out to catch a sharp liner off the batt of Gavin Sheets to end the inning.
5th Inning
In the top of the fifth, Elias Diaz decided he didn’t want the Padres to get shut out, so he hammered a first-pitch mistake that Bradley left center cut. The ball flew approximately to Saint Paul, and just like that, tie game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Outman had a nice six-pitch single, and then, Buxton happened. He went opposite field and just knew it was gone as it left his bat. He admired the bomb for a moment, and the Twins were up 3-1.
6th Inning
In the top of the sixth, Rocco Baldelli went to his bullpen, and Mick Abel came into the game. Arraez led off the inning and hit a routine grounder to Brooks Lee…except it wasn’t routine, as Lee bobbled the ball and couldn’t get the throw off in time. Machado grounded out, then Abel struck out O’Hearn. Unfortunately, that routine grounder came back to haunt the Twins as Laureano singled in Arraez, then Gavin Sheets singled in Machado to tie the game. Abel ultimately faced three more batters in the inning, throwing 39 pitches, but avoided any further damage.
7th Inning
Abel came back out for the seventh, and it didn’t go well. After Tatis and Arraez singled with nobody out, Abel battled back from a 3-0 count to Machado, and should have struck him out. Except, you know, the same happened that happened in the first: he should have struck out, but Alex Tosi called a pitch with six inches to spare a ball. He singled, O’Hearn singled, and Abel’s day was done with the Twins down 5-3. Did I mention there was still nobody out? That’s right. Abel needed 59 pitches to get four outs. Not great, folks. Brooks Kriske came in and promptly allowed another single, this time to Sheets to take the score to 6-3. Two batters later, the nightmare inning continued as James Cronenworth just missed a home run to left by about a foot. Outman misread the ball, and it was ruled a double, and the Twins were down by five. Diaz hit his second homer of the day, and it became a seven-run inning. Kriske then walked Tatis and Arraez, before finally getting Machado to ground out. Woof. Twins down 10-3.
Luckily, the Twins came back to score seven to tie it back up in the bottom of the seventh. Just kidding. They went down in order.
8th Inning
In the top of the eighth, Genesis Cabrera came in and the bleeding continued. O’Hearn singled, Laureano homered, and Bryce Johnson singled all with nobody out. Cabrera eventually got out of the inning without any further damage, but the game was truly out of hand with the Twins down 12-3.
9th Inning
Ryan Fitzgerald came in for the ninth, and retired the side in order. Turns out, a position player was the most effective reliever tonight. In the bottom of the ninth, Mickey Gasper popped out in foul territory, Kody Clemens flew out to the warning track, and Lewis popped out to end the game in just under three hours. Flush it!
Game Notes
Byron Buxton is now tied for his career-high in home runs, and has an outside chance at a 30-30 season. He will need to steal a base every third game or so the rest of the way. As long as he stays healthy, he’s a virtual lock to at least hit 30 bombs.
This game featured a piggyback of likely 2026 starters. Cory Provus clarified in the broadcast that this isn’t a sign that he’s being converted to relief, but rather, the Twins wanted to get him innings on a regular schedule.
Aside from his shaky first inning, Bradley looked nasty, and his pitches were working for him. He hit 99 with his heater, and sat 97. His offspeed stuff was working, and he got plenty of swing and miss with 14 whiffs. If this is the version we can see even most of the time, the Twins won the Griffin Jax trade.
It took 64 pitches to get through the seventh inning, and 12 batters took their turn. It felt like many, many more.
Speed on the base paths continued, with swiped bags by Keaschall and Outman. The Twins have stolen more this month than any other this year.
Post-Game Interview:
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Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
What’s Next?
The Twins wrap up their series against the Padres in a day game. Ace Joe Ryan will face the ever-mysterious TBD (likely rookie Kyle Hart) at 12:05, and the Twins are well-positioned to take the series on the pitching matchup alone.
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