The Twins got an early jolt at PETCO Park, then spent the rest of the night chasing the Padres’ first-inning punch and never quite caught up in a 6-2 San Diego win.
Minnesota starter Connor Prielipp was tagged right away. Manny Machado opened the game with a single into left field, and Ty France followed by launching a 421-foot shot over the left-center field fence. That put San Diego up 2-0 before the Twins could settle in.
Prielipp’s second inning looked cleaner, though it ended with Byron Buxton making a Superman-dive catch while charging in hard. Buxton got up slowly and grimaced, which briefly put a scare into Twins Territory. He did return to center field in the third inning.
The Twins finally answered in the fourth. Buxton reached on a fielder’s choice after Luke Keaschall had opened the inning with a walk, then Josh Bell was hit by a pitch to keep things moving. Kody Clemens came through with a triple off the right-center field wall, driving in Buxton and Bell to tie the game at 2-2.
That was as good as it got for Minnesota. In the fifth, Austin Hayes singled and Jake Cronenworth walked, and the Padres went back to work against Prielipp. When the dust settled, San Diego had broken the game open and taken a 6-2 lead.
From there, the Twins’ offense shut down completely. Mason Miller, working in a non-save situation, carved through Keaschall, Buxton, and Bell and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
The winning streak is over. The American League isn’t getting any easier, so the Twins will have to move on quickly and try to find the answer at the plate tomorrow.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Should Be Careful Before Regretting This Pitching Move
Simeon Woods Richardsons path has become one of those small roster decisions that can linger around a season. The Twins designated him in late May and later sent him to Toronto for cash, and he has looked sharp enough since then to catch the eye, turning in a 0.55 ERA over six games for the Blue Jays. But the underlying picture is less tidy, with a high walk rate and a low BABIP hinting that the results may not be quite as stable as they first appear.
Minnesota also had a chance to circle back when Toronto designated him for assignment, and it passed. That call looks a little less dramatic now because the Twins have since bolstered their bullpen with other additions, giving them more relief depth without needing to revisit the old move. It is the kind of transaction that can tempt second-guessing in the moment, but the broader roster context makes the regret a bit harder to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
The Twins pitching depth took another hit this week when Kendry Rojas was placed on the minor league injured list with an oblique strain. Rojas had to leave his start for Triple-A St. Paul after just one inning, adding another layer of concern to a pitching group that has already been stretched by injuries and roster shuffling as Minnesota tries to stay in the playoff race.
Rojas setback matters because the Twins have been leaning on every bit of organizational depth they can find, and this is the kind of injury that can linger and complicate a pitchers timeline. With the season now in jeopardy for one of their upper-level arms, Minnesota is left trying to patch together innings while the bigger-picture pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twin Is Making Minnesota's Trade Look Worse By The Week
Ty France has quietly turned into one of the better value stories in the National League, and his latest stretch is only making Minnesotas decision look rougher. After a down offensive season sent him to San Diego on a minor-league deal, he has become one of the Padres most productive players and has even climbed to the top of the clubs offensive leaderboard in several key categories.
For the Twins, the hard part is how directly Frances resurgence ties back to their own trade chain. Minnesota dealt him to Toronto in 2025 before the Padres landed him, and now San Diego is getting strong production from a player making just $1.35 million this year. In a game where roster decisions are judged almost immediately, France is becoming the kind of former Twin who keeps the second-guessing alive. [Read more 🡒]