Dean Kremer gave the Twins exactly what they needed on Tuesday night, and the bullpen took it from there.
Minnesota rode five solid innings from Kremer and four more scoreless frames from a relief group that kept shutting the door, beating the Tigers 3-2 at Comerica Park and nudging its fading playoff chase forward. A.J. Minter and Jeff Hoffman were central to the effort, but this one was really a full staff performance: Andrew Morris and Yoendrys Gómez also got in on the act as the Twins finished off a game that never offered much margin for error.
The Deadline additions were supposed to help in nights like this. Kremer, Minter and Hoffman all arrived in the final days before the Deadline with the idea that they’d be difference-makers when the games got tight and the stakes got real. Minnesota’s August slide has made that path a lot more complicated, with the club still clinging to life in the AL Wild Card race, but Tuesday gave the Twins a version of the blueprint they were chasing.
Minter worked four outs after taking over for Kremer, Morris handled two more, and Hoffman was spotless in the eighth before Gómez closed things out for his 22nd save.
Morris’ work stood out in a tense seventh. Ben Malgeri opened the inning with a walk, then stole second and moved to third on an error, but Morris didn’t blink. He struck out Hao-Yu Lee and then got Zach McKinstry to fly out, wiping out the threat and keeping the Tigers off the board.
That mattered because Minnesota’s lineup didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard. Josh Bell supplied a sacrifice fly, and Kody Clemens added his 25th homer of the season, but that was the extent of the offense against Drew Anderson and Detroit’s bullpen.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Late Season Roster Decision Three Saints Are Forcing
As the minor league season winds down, the Twins are staring at one of those late-summer roster questions that can shape the final stretch of a year. Three St. Paul Saints players - Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cody Morissette and Aaron Rozek - have put themselves into the conversation with what they have done lately, giving Minnesota a few different ways to think about September help.
Rodriguez has come back from injury and shown the kind of offensive production that can force a closer look, while Morissette has taken a notable step forward at the plate since entering the organization. Rozek keeps giving the club useful pitching depth, which only adds to the calculus as the Twins sort through what kind of support the major league roster might need in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Made Their Thinking On Connor Prielipp Very Clear
Joe Ryans return from the injured list was the headline move for Minnesota, but Connor Prielipps usage against the Tigers may have said just as much about how the Twins are thinking down the stretch. The left-hander worked in relief behind Ryan, and the role change points to a team that is trying to manage his innings carefully while still keeping him in the mix as the season enters its final stretch.
For a club still weighing its playoff chances, that kind of decision makes sense. Prielipp has shown enough to stay on the mound, but the Twins appear to be prioritizing workload and flexibility over sticking rigidly to a traditional starters path. Moving him into a bulk relief role gives Minnesota another way to deploy a young arm without pushing him too hard, and it suggests the front office and coaching staff are looking at the bigger picture as much as the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision After His Breakout Season
Ryan Jeffers has quietly turned himself into one of the more important players on the Twins roster, and his latest stretch only reinforces why the club has a real winter decision to make. He has started eight straight games behind the plate, giving Minnesota stability at catcher while continuing to produce at the plate despite the time he has missed with injury. Among Twins position players, he leads the club in fWAR, and his overall value has put him among the better catchers in baseball this season.
The tricky part is what comes next, because Jeffers is nearing free agency and the Twins have to decide whether to extend a qualifying offer. That path could at least give Minnesota draft compensation if he ends up signing elsewhere, but it also comes with the possibility of putting the team in a hard spot with one of its most productive everyday players. Jeffers is expected to look for a long-term deal on the open market, which means the Twins may soon have to choose between trying to keep one of their best all-around hitters or preparing for life without him. [Read more 🡒]