The Twins’ postseason outlook got a lot bleaker Sunday night, and they did it on a national stage.
In a 10-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on “Sunday Night Baseball,” Minnesota turned in one of its roughest performances of the year. The offense managed just four hits and struck out 15 times, while the pitching staff handed out nine unintentional walks and hit a batter.
The defeat left the Twins 4½ games out of a playoff spot with 19 games left, and they dropped two of three in their final series of the season against the division-leading White Sox. Their road woes have also dragged on; they haven’t won a road series in any of their last eight tries.
If Minnesota is going to finish above .500, it has a steep climb ahead. The Twins are 68-75 and need to go 14-5 over their final three weeks to secure a winning record. The path to the playoffs is even tighter, with four teams standing between them and a wild-card berth.
Brooks Lee provided the lone bright spot with a solo home run to open the seventh inning, and he was the only Twins player to reach second base.
Chicago’s bullpen, working in a bullpen game, kept Minnesota bottled up. Jordan Hicks and left-hander Hagen Smith combined to set down 13 straight Twins from the second through the sixth innings.
Bailey Ober took the loss after allowing one run on four hits and three walks in 4⅓ innings, striking out six. He was lifted after the White Sox strung together two hits in the fifth, including an RBI single by Munetaka Murakami.
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 🡒]