Box Score
Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (.303), Kody Clemens (.098), Trevor Larnach (.084)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
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12 games is the winning streak set by the 2024 squad. Indeed the (in)famous “rally sausage” carried the team from the bowels of terribleness to relevance, at least for a time. The ultimate fate last year was disappointing. We’re in the middle of discovering what 2025 holds for the present collection of players.
First, the Twins scored. Twice. Facing Chad Patrick—another in a seemingly endless supply of Milwaukee’s eclectic quality hurlers—Trevor Larnach wore an inside cutter, Ryan Jeffers smashed a single to right, and Ty France copied his teammate to score the game’s opening run. Genteel behavior would have to wait; Minnesota was ready to rumble early. Kody Clemens singled in the frame’s second score.
One inning later, Ryan Jeffers grounded himself and Christian Vázquez to plate the uniquely underwhelming baseball outcome: a run-scoring double play. Oh well. The Twins lead stood at three after just two innings.
Just as well, the plague of injuries cursing the Twins all season struck once more before this author could even reference the game’s starting pitcher: Willi Castro fouled a pitch off his knee in his first at-bat; he toughed out an inning before exiting the game to give 30-year-old Ryan Fitzgerald his first taste of the big leagues.
Joe Ryan was the man tasked with defending this lead. Known for his eccentricities and antics, Ryan’s pitching mound demeanor alone would render his starts critical viewing; in play to start the season, Ryan might just be one of the best hurlers in the AL. He entered Friday with just five walks, 54 strikeouts, and a 2.74 ERA across 46 innings—and he continued his excellence against the Brewers.
You’d be forgiven if his first inning churned skepticism regarding another great start; he tossed 30 pitches while allowing a hit and a walk, only finally exiting the inning when his last offering fell harmlessly into Larnach’s glove, about five feet in front of the outfield wall. His fastball command wasn’t where it needed to be.
Then, it was. The righty came out for the second with a renewed vigor. The heater found the spots he looked for; Milwaukee wilted as he struck out eight in a row. The frames melted into each other. An occasional lapse in control revealed that Ryan wasn’t in complete control of his arsenal—they’ll call it “effectively wild” when it works—yet he walked off the mound following six shutout innings with nine strikeouts. The sloppy first only proved to be a pitch count burden, perhaps the only thing that limited him from pitching further into the game.
Brock Stewart entered as Minnesota’s opening bullpen arm. Two men reached, but the other three went down on strikes. Griffin Jax followed. He struck out two. Then… Cole Sands? The closer? Sure. He struck out a pair with just 11 pitches. The streak extends to 12.
Notes:
After 684 minor league games, Ryan Fitzgerald made his MLB debut on Friday.
Joe Ryan’s nine strikeouts give him 588 in his Twins career, passing Rick Aguilera for the 17th-most Ks in team history. He’s 22 behind Eddie Guardado.
Griffin Jax earned his 13th hold on Friday, tying with him Lucas Erceg for the major league lead.
Post-Game Interview:
What’s Next?
The Twins and Brewers play again on Saturday, with Pablo López set to start against Tobias Myers. First pitch is at 6:15 PM.
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
