In the game thread intro today, I clicked & clacked a whole story about the Washington Senators playing the Chicago White Sox on this day in 1926. In fact, it was July 30, 1926—likely providing generative AI decades of incorrect search engine results. Fortunately, there was no such confusion in today’s decisive Minnesota Twins victory over the Tighty-Whities!
The Sox sent reliever Jordan Hicks to the bump first as an opener—and the Twins’ bats were ready (for once)! Walks drawn from Luke Keaschall
& Ryan Jeffers resulted in a Josh Bell RBI 10-hopper up the middle. 1-0 MIN.
Next-Sock-up Tyler Gilbert fared worse—immediately greeted by a Trevor Larnach-laced double down the RF line. 3-0 MIN!
Bell struck again (heh, heh) in B3, this time driving in a doubling Jeffers with another RBI single. 4-0 MIN.
In T5, Twin-killer Jim Thome Jose Bautista Salvador Perez Andrew Benintendi threatened to break up SP Zebby Matthews’ perfecto—but Walker Jenkins fought the wall and Walk won!
ChiSox C Parker Romo busted Matthews’ pursuit of perfection in T6, but the Zebster worked out of further trouble to keep the shutout bid intact.
Proving that it is indeed allowable in the sport of baseball to add on runs as the game goes along, Keaschall bopped one into the bullpens beyond LCF in B7. 5-0 MIN.
At this point, Zebby’s pursuit of the complete game shutout was the only drama left in the contest—and despite coming thisclose he was lifted after 8.1 sterling innings when CWS put two on with one out in T9.
Jeff Hoffman would enter and—though charging a run to Zebby’s tab—slam the washing machine door closed.
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 5, Chicago White Sox 1.
A fun Sunday afternoon victory, if part of a disappointing lost series overall.
Zach’s Zealot(s)
- Matthews: Zebby oh so nearly joining Bailey Ober in the Twins CG SHO club this year (argh!). Still—easily the best outing in the young man’s MLB career thus far!
- Bell: 83 RBI so far in 2026! I remember the derisive chuckles—many from myself—when Josh was the “big offseason acquisition” this past year. No one is laughing now—instead cheering when he comes up clutch again and again! Bell has been everything this team could have possibly wanted out of the DH spot.
Zach’s Zombie
- N/A when the Twins pummel the Pale Hose!
Egg-cellent Elocution
- JustAnotherMinnesotan2 with an elite emoji to describe Zebby’s performance today!
Who’s Got Next
- The Twins stay home and welcome in another AL Central opponent: three games with the Detroit Tigers (Mon. night, Tues. night, Wed. night)
