The Twins don’t have much margin for error anymore, and Sunday’s game in Milwaukee looks like one of those nights that can shape a week. Minnesota is still chasing ground in the American League playoff picture, and the task in front of it is a tough one: deal with Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski has been one of the most overpowering arms in baseball this season. The 24-year-old is 11-5 with a 1.63 ERA, and his fastball alone can tilt a game. Twins hitters could be seeing 100 mph all afternoon if he’s locked in.
Even his last outing, a loss to the Los Angeles Angels, hardly looked like a step back. Misiorowski worked seven innings, allowed two hits and two earned runs, struck out 10 and walked one. The Brewers didn’t get the win, but he was dominant.
For Minnesota, the assignment is bigger than simply surviving the matchup. The Twins need to get Misiorowski out of the game early and force Milwaukee to lean on its bullpen. That would give them a better shot at stealing the series as they try to steady themselves after going 2-3 since the trade deadline moves meant to strengthen their pitching staff.
The standings make the urgency obvious. Minnesota enters Sunday three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central, tied with the Cleveland Guardians for second in the division, and 1.5 games back of the Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot.
After Sunday, the schedule turns into a stretch that could matter just as much. The Twins head home for a nine-game homestand that starts with three games against Baltimore on Monday. Then comes a trip to Dyersville, Iowa, on Thursday, when Minnesota and the Philadelphia Phillies will meet in the MLB Field of Dreams game on a permanent field built near the set of the film “Field of Dreams.”
Following an off day on Friday, the Phillies and Twins will finish that three-game series at Target Field. After that, Minnesota stays home for three more against the Atlanta Braves starting next Monday, Aug. 17.
It’s a run that could end up carrying real weight in the race for the division and one of the American League’s three wild card spots.
In Other News...
Twins Just Showed How Far Theyd Go For This Playoff Push
The Twins spent the deadline acting like a club that believes the window is still open. They added reliever Jeff Hoffman, absorbed extra payroll and gave up a cluster of prospects, including Bruin Agbayani, Billy Amick, Jhomnardo Reyes, Dasan Hill and John Klein, in a clear push to deepen a roster that thinks it can matter in October.
Just as notable, Minnesota did not empty the cupboard to get there. The front office kept top names like Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper, signaling a willingness to chase the postseason without gutting the long-term plan. The overall message was pretty plain: the Twins were ready to spend a little more and part with real talent, but only up to the point where the future still looked intact. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Infielder Gets Another Shot With A Division Rival
Jonah Bride is getting another big-league look, this time with a division rival after the Rangers selected him from Triple-A Round Rock and brought him onto the 26-man roster. The move came as Texas optioned outfielder Alejandro Osuna back to Round Rock and cleared a 40-man spot by transferring right-hander Jack Leiter to the 60-day injured list, a roster shuffle that gives Bride an immediate path back into the lineup.
For the former Twins infielder, the opportunity appears to be a real one, with Bride expected to start at third base in the upcoming game. Texas is sorting through its infield depth while Leiter continues to work back after ankle surgery, and Bride now has a chance to show he can hold down a role against familiar American League Central competition. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Bet On Jeff Hoffman Despite One Lingering Concern
The Twins went into the trade deadline looking for a bullpen lift, and Jeff Hoffman gives them a reliever with real closing experience and a familiar face from a previous spring. He was in Minnesotas camp in 2023 before moving on without appearing in a regular-season game for the club, then rebuilt his value with strong stretches as a closer for the Phillies and Blue Jays. Even with his uneven numbers this year, he arrives as the kind of late-inning arm the Twins were clearly trying to add.
Minnesota also had to pay a meaningful price to get him, which only raises the stakes on how quickly Hoffman settles in. His recent track record suggests there is enough there to trust the fit, and the fact that he has started to trend better since June only adds to the appeal. The lingering question now is whether the Twins have landed the steadier version of Hoffman, or whether the rough patches from earlier this season are still part of the package. [Read more 🡒]