The Twins are trying to steady themselves at home as the Guardians arrive for a three-game set Friday night at Target Field, and the timing couldn’t be more important for a club that has spent the past month sliding hard in the wrong direction.
Minnesota is 69-77 after going 13-22 since Aug. 1, a stretch that has turned a team that was still in the mix into one that now has work to do just to keep the conversation alive. The Twins were 56-55 after beating Seattle on July 31, but they have fallen to six games behind the division lead and 4.5 back of the final wild-card spot. Toronto, Baltimore and Texas are also in front of them in the chase for that final berth.
Friday’s opener will feature Cleveland’s Parker Messick against Minnesota’s Taj Bradley. The Guardians come in at 74-73, sitting second in the AL Central, while the Twins are third.
Minnesota will also be watching the status and workload of Joe Ryan closely after he returned earlier this week with a start in Detroit following a month out because of a left glute strain. Ryan is scheduled to start again Sunday against Cleveland.
The Twins have actually been better at home, where they are 38-34, and they’ve gone 37-12 in games when they did not allow a home run. Cleveland is 38-34 on the road and has been especially dangerous when the long ball shows up, going 23-9 in games in which it hits two or more home runs.
This will be the 11th meeting between the teams this season, with Minnesota holding a 6-4 edge in the series so far.
At the plate, Kody Clemens leads the Twins with 26 home runs and a .473 slugging percentage, while Ryan Jeffers has been locked in over the past 10 games, going 9 for 34 with four home runs and 12 RBIs.
For Cleveland, Jo Adell leads the club with 20 home runs and a .397 slugging percentage. Brayan Rocchio has also been productive lately, hitting 8 for 34 with three home runs and eight RBIs over his last 10 games.
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Twins Have A Real Pre-Lockout Decision On Two Key Young Pieces
With the possibility of a lockout looming once the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1, the Twins have a timely front-office question sitting right in front of them. Any new labor rules could reshape how payroll flexibility works across the league, and Minnesota is among the clubs that may have to think carefully about how it allocates money if a salary floor eventually comes into play.
That is why the period before the freeze could matter so much for a team trying to balance present and future value. The Twins have two young pieces worth watching closely in Taj Bradley and Kaelen Culpepper, and the decision on whether to pursue long-term deals now is about more than just roster planning. It is also about locking in talent before the market, and the rules around it, potentially shift under their feet. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Are Suddenly Watching Kaelen Culpepper For One Injury Concern
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Still, the next few days matter because the Twins are keeping an eye on whether the soreness settles down as expected. Culpepper is slated to miss the following game while being checked daily, and the bigger question now is whether the discomfort is limited to the bruise or points to something more involving the nerves. [Read more 🡒]
Emmanuel Rodriguez Just Gave The Twins A Different Look
Emmanuel Rodriguez could not have asked for a louder introduction. In his first major-league at-bat, the young outfielder turned on a pitch and homered as part of a four-run third inning, giving the Twins the jolt they needed in a 4-3 win over the Guardians. It was the kind of debut moment that changes the feel of a night, especially with Rodriguezs family in the ballpark to see it unfold.
For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway was how the game kept opening new lanes for a club that has been looking for different ways to win. Rodriguez finished with a hit, a run, an RBI, a home run and an assist, while the bullpen did enough to protect the lead the offense had built. The debut was memorable on its own, but it also hinted at how quickly a new face can alter the look of a lineup when the Twins need one more spark. [Read more 🡒]