In a game that had fans on the edge of their seats, the Twins managed to pull off a thrilling 9-8 victory over the Rockies in extra innings. The Twins, now sitting at 39-44, got off to a hot start with two-run homers in the first two innings, courtesy of Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee, setting the tone early against Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano.
The fireworks didn't stop there. In the fifth inning, the Twins put together a clutch two-out rally, stringing together three doubles to add three more runs to their tally.
But just when it seemed like the Twins were cruising, the Rockies, at 32-50, mounted a comeback for the ages. They scored eight unanswered runs, turning the game on its head and putting the Twins on the ropes.
Kody Funderburk, stepping in for Taj Bradley, couldn't stop the bleeding in the eighth, allowing inherited runners to score. Eric Orze faced a similar fate in the ninth, giving up a run on an Edouard Julien double, followed by a two-run homer from Jake McCarthy. The Rockies capped their surge with a towering 451-foot blast from Hunter Goodman off Anthony Banda, who had been solid since early May.
But the Twins weren't done yet. Byron Buxton's chopper in the bottom of the ninth, mishandled by former Twin Willi Castro, tied the game and breathed new life into the home crowd. Rookie Andrew Morris delivered a flawless top of the 10th, setting the stage for the Twins' heroics.
Kyler Fedko, the automatic runner, advanced to third on a wild pitch, putting the Twins in prime position. Manager Derek Shelton praised the savvy play, noting how Fedko's heads-up running changed the inning's complexion.
With the infield drawn in, Royce Lewis stepped up and delivered the decisive blow, a single up the middle that sealed the walk-off win for the Twins. It marked Lewis's first career walk-off hit, a moment to remember.
Reflecting on the chaotic final innings, Lewis summed it up perfectly: "The last couple innings were, I’d say, unique. It’s part of baseball.
The ebbs and flows, the rollercoaster. Just gotta play the game hard.
Every out, every at-bat matters."
Starting pitcher Taj Bradley had a strong outing, leaving to applause after seven scoreless innings. Despite allowing a pair of runners in the eighth that eventually scored, Bradley's performance was a highlight, striking out seven and reaching the 500-strikeout milestone in his career. Manager Derek Shelton couldn't have been more pleased, calling Bradley's outing "electric" and "elite."
Looking ahead, Mike Paredes is set to take the mound in the second game of the series, facing off against Michael Lorenzen. The Twins will aim to build on this dramatic win, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m.
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Seeing These Two Former Twins Back At Target Field Hit Hard
Seeing former Twins back at Target Field always carries a little extra weight, but it hit especially hard with Willi Castro and Edouard Julien in visiting uniforms. Both had been moved on from in separate transactions, and both were welcomed back warmly by former teammates and the organization, a reminder of how quickly the roster can turn even for players who felt like part of the fabric of the clubhouse not long ago.
Before first pitch, the Twins made sure the moment felt personal with tribute videos for each player, and the return visits gave both men a chance to reflect on how their paths changed. Castro talked about knowing a trade was coming and being surprised by where it sent him, while Julien had to process a crowded infield picture and the reality that his own role was slipping away, a familiar kind of business in a game that rarely pauses for sentiment. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Risky Decision They Cannot Afford To Botch
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Ryans appeal is obvious beyond this years standings. He is controlled through 2027 and does not have a no-trade clause, which puts Minnesota in a position every club says it wants and almost never gets around to using cleanly. The Twins have lived through the downside of waiting too long with valuable arms, and this is exactly the kind of decision that can shape not just a deadline, but the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Why Twins Fans Love Target Fields Celebrity Look-Alikes So Much
One of the more reliable ways Target Field gets a crowd buzzing has nothing to do with a big hit or a defensive gem. The Twins Celebrity Look-Alikes segment has become a favorite bit of in-game entertainment over the past five seasons, with fans scanned from the stands and shown on the videoboards when they happen to resemble a familiar face. It has earned a reputation as one of the loudest laugh-getters in the ballpark, which says plenty about how well it lands with a home crowd that likes a little harmless fun between the baseball.
What makes the feature work is that it feels earned rather than manufactured. There is no facial-recognition technology or AI shortcut behind it, just a manual search through the crowd by the Twins staff, who start looking after gates open and keep the hunt going until the right match pops up. When it hits, the reaction is immediate, because the joke is simple and the setup is clean: a familiar celebrity image, then a fan who looks close enough to make the whole section lean in and laugh. [Read more 🡒]