Box score
SP: Joe Ryan: 5 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. 85 pitches, 58 strikes (68.2%)
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Justin Topa (-.023), Ryan Jeffers (-.015), Royce Lewis (-.014)
We’re back.
Opening Day has arrived, and within a few innings, it already felt familiar. Not just because baseball was back — but because of how the game actually unfolded.
For the Minnesota Twins, it looked a lot like a version of last season: good pitching, missed opportunities, and a game that felt like it was waiting to be taken. But it never was.
RYAN LOOK ACE-LIKE
Joe Ryan got the ball to open the season, and there wasn’t much more the Twins could have asked from him. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and two walks, and didn’t give up a run while striking out seven. More importantly, he controlled the game. From the first inning on, the Orioles never really looked comfortable.
His fastball was working, he got ahead consistently, and he piled up 16 whiffs, keeping Baltimore’s hitters off balance the entire way. This wasn’t one of those outings where the line looks good after the fact — it looked good the whole way through.
And it should have been enough, but it wasn’t. On the other side, Trevor Rogers matched Ryan pitch-for-pitch through seven innings, allowing just three hits and four walks while striking out five. Minnesota’s hitters made some contact, but nothing came of their baserunners until later.
RISP-Y BUSINESS
The Twins finished the afternoon 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and that doesn’t even fully capture how the game felt in real time. There were chances early, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the second inning that went nowhere. Traffic in the middle innings never turned into anything.
And then there were the double plays; all three of them. It wasn’t just frustrating, it was historic. The Twins tied a franchise Opening Day record that had stood since 1963. It wasn’t one rally that died, it was multiple. Every time something started to build, it disappeared just as quickly. That’s just baseball sometimes.
Once Ryan exited, the Twins turned to the bullpen. Kody Funderburk came in and recorded two outs while allowing one hit, one walk, and the go-ahead run. Justin Topa followed with one inning, giving up two hits and one earned run. Between them, both Orioles runs were scored, putting Baltimore ahead 2‑0 but keeping Minnesota within striking distance.
The Twins got one back in the eighth. After a Byron Buxton triple, Luke Keaschall hit a sac fly, cutting the deficit to 2‑1 and giving them a glimmer of life late in the game.
There were a few moments that stood out as the game unfolded. Kody Clemens pinch-hit for Austin Martin as soon as a right-handed pitcher entered and stayed in left field. Early in the season, getting players into games matters, but it was still a noticeable move given the other options available.
Then in the ninth, Royce Lewis was lifted for Trevor Larnach with two outs, and Larnach ended the game with a strikeout on a slider that caught the plate. That sequence will get talked about, and on Opening Day, every decision feels a little louder.
But it’s worth remembering what this actually is: Game 1 of 162. Early in the season, part of the process is getting guys into games, seeing what things look like, and figuring out what might work over time. Not every decision is about maximizing that one moment, even if it feels that way when it doesn’t work.
Byron Buxton tripled and scored for the first time in a season opener in his career, providing Minnesota’s only run.
Opening Day
Eight Twins players enjoyed their first Opening Day in the big leagues.
Kody Clemens made his first career Opening Day appearance. He entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth and stayed in left field.
Kody Funderburk made his first career Opening Day appearance on the mound for the Twins.
What’s Next?
The Twins and Orioles will enjoy a day off on Friday before returning to the diamond Saturday. Taj Bradley will take the hill for Minnesota, with Kyle Bradish on the mound for Baltimore. First pitch is set for 3:05 PM.
Postgame Interviews
Twins manager Derek Shelton – “Yeah, Rogers did a good job. I mean, we were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, we have to be better than that. When he needed to put the ball on the ground, he did, and then we had two innings where [Coby] Mayo made a really nice play and Gunnar [Henderson] made a really nice play. You know, those two balls and then the fact that, give them credit; they hit two balls where we were not standing and it ended up being the determining factor in the game.”
Bullpen Availability Chart
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
TOT
Topa
0
0
0
0
18
18
Funderburk
0
0
0
0
17
17
Rogers
0
0
0
0
10
10
Orze
0
0
0
0
0
0
Sands
0
0
0
0
0
0
Laweryson
0
0
0
0
0
0
Kent
0
0
0
0
0
0
Banda
0
0
0
0
0
0