It was a middling week for the Twins, going 3-3, wrapping up a three-series run against AL Central rivals with a series loss in Detroit before finishing the week at home with a series win against the Cardinals. In that time, the Twins homered 14 times, with Byron Buxton making his return from running into the wall in the Royals series to hit four homers himself. Royce Lewis, who played five games at first base this week, looks like his Triple-A self with three homers as well. Starting pitching was the biggest
source of consternation, with the starters giving up 24 earned runs in 32 innings pitched. For the season, the starters have combined for a 4.61 ERA, eighth-worst in the league. The team goes on a week-long road trip, heading down to Dallas and then Phoenix.
The Past Week on Twinkie Town:
- Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
- We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
- Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
- Zach Koenig notes the Twins history that has already been made this season in the bullpen.
- Aidan O’Brien gives his case on why the Twins should call up Kaelen Culpepper.
Elsewhere in Twins Territory:
- Dan Hayes at The Athletic looks at how Royce Lewis has prepped for his new position.
- Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune checks in on the Twins’ top minor league prospects.
- With Royce Lewis making an immediate impact in his return, Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage writes on why Matt Wallner may be coming back to Minneapolis soon.
- Kyler Fedko is the newest call-up for the Twins. Greggory Masterson at Twins Daily looks at the rookie’s role on the major-league roster.
- Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan at Fangraphs update their list of the Twins’ top-50 prospects.
In the World of Baseball:
- The Yankees have weathered the Aaron Judge storm reasonably well, and now hold a one-game lead over the Rays. The White Sox and Guardians are now tied for the AL Central lead, while the Mariners hold a one-game advantage over the A’s. Incredibly, the Twins are still only three games out of the last wild-card spot.
- Nothing has really changed in the National League. It’s Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee in the top three spots. (Eagle-eyed readers will note this is the same exact thing I wrote last week). That being said, while Atlanta has a pretty large lead in the NL East standings, only two games separate the top three teams. The Cardinals, Phillies, and Padres round out the three wild card teams.
- Geraldo Perdomo of the Arizona Diamondbacks found himself in the middle of the mascot race on Sunday’s game.
- Jacob Misiorowski has been doing some crazy things this year. His start on Friday was probably the highlight, as he struck out 15 batters in a one-hit Maddux. David Schoenfield at ESPN has more on the historic night.
- Troy continued its incredible run through the Men’s College World Series, knocking off Ole Miss on Sunday. Elizabeth Merrill at ESPN profiles Trojan star John Boroff, more affectionately known as “Jabe Ruth,” who has been lights out this postseason.
