Box Score
SP: Bailey Ober 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (89 pitches, 64 strikes (72%))
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (6
Top 3 WPA: Ober (0.45), Jeffers (0.10), Trevor Larnach (0.10)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Bailey Ober hasn’t lost at Target Field yet in 2026, and he hoped to keep the surprising winning ways rolling on home from Cleveland. Standing in his way was 6-foot-6 righty fireballer Eury Pérez, who came into Tuesday night with an ERA over 7.00 on the road in 2026, but who dominated the Twins over six innings of one-hit ball in their July 2025 matchup. Would any of this history matter, or would a new trend emerge in this interleague bout between two teams fighting to stay relevant before summer even starts?
Starting Pitchers Dominate Early
The first three innings of the ballgame saw the Twins put a runner in scoring position at second base with only one out via a wild pitch on a strikeout and an errant throw to first, two walks and two stolen bases. Ober matched Pérez goose egg for goose egg through five innings, scattering two singles with no walks and five strikeouts. While the “Bark at the Park” crowd found reasons to cheer in Ober’s performance, one couldn’t help but wonder if those missed early opportunities would come back to bite the home team.
Third Time’s the Charm for the Twins
Pérez looked to be heading toward a similarly masterful end to the bottom of the fifth, having surrendered no hits to that point and having retired Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis on only four pitches. As the lineup turned over for a third time, the mystery of Pérez’s elevated ERA on the road was solved, as Byron Buxton worked a five-pitch walk, and Trevor Larnach went the other way for a single to put runners at the corners. The Twins stayed aggressive on the base paths against the lanky Pérez, this time with Larnach bolting toward second base on a 1-0 count to Ryan Jeffers. Rookie catcher Joe Mack threw down to second base, Larnach hit the brakes, and Buxton stole the first run of the game.
Pérez looked visibly frustrated. After the next pitch that he threw to Jeffers landed in the second deck in left, that frustration was validated, and the dogs at Target Field had more to howl about. 3-0 Twins!
Ober and Systemic Change
The date was September 7, 2024. The date was also April 10, 2025. On both instances, Ober was pulled early from a shutout with a low pitch count by his former skipper, Rocco Baldelli, due to drops in velocity and general mistrust that Ober was actually that good. The Twins eventually lost both games to the Royals in gut-wrenching fashion. Tonight, Ober entered the eighth inning having only thrown 70 pitches, and new skipper Derek Shelton let the Bearded Nightmare feast. Ober struck out two in slamming shut the eighth, and needed only eight pitches to finish off the Marlins for his first career nine-inning complete game shutout! 89 pitches at 89 mph or under. Maddux mode activated.
What’s Next?
The Twins look to win their fourth in a row on Wednesday evening in another matchup with the Marlins. This time, the home team will face a hometown foe in the Woodbury native Max Meyer (2-0, 2.79 ERA). The Twins counter with their young righty Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 6.92 ERA). While Meyer is ascending toward greatness, Woods Richardson is desperately trying to stay in the rotation. Luckily for the Twins, they don’t play these games on stats alone. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT.
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
TOT
Rojas
0
0
60
0
0
60
Adams
0
0
43
0
0
43
Banda
22
0
19
0
0
41
Garcia
0
13
20
0
0
33
Orze
16
15
0
0
0
31
Rogers
0
17
0
0
0
17
Morris
0
11
6
0
0
17
Gómez
2
5
10
0
0
17
Topa
0
0
0
0
0
0