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On-site Twins coverage from Brandon Warne, Zone Coverage Twins beat reporter

Entries in this blog

8/4 GAME NOTES: Colon Overcomes Rocky Start to Toss Complete Game in 8-4 Win over Rangers

Like a young fighter perhaps half his age, Bartolo Colon was on the ropes and in danger just two pitches into Friday night’s game. The Minnesota Twins righty allowed a single to leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo and a double off the fence in right to shortstop Elvis Andrus, and the Rangers were immediately in business. One batter later, Adrian Beltre looped a single into center to bring home both runners, and the Rangers had an early 2-0 lead just 10 pitches into the game.   At this point, who knew i
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/31 GAME NOTES: Walk-Off Win in Ninth Gives Twins a Three-Game Sweep Over White Sox

Please click through to Zone Coverage here to read this entire story.   Thursday’s win was a strange one for the Minnesota Twins. They came from behind to tie the game in the fifth inning, only to have closer Matt Belisle give up the go-ahead home run in the ninth. They bunted -- oh, they bunted -- to no avail in both the eighth and ninth innings.   And yet despite all that -- they won. They won their 20th game of the month of August, wrapping up a sweep against a torpedoing White Sox club for t
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/30 PREGAME NOTES: Holland vs. Berrios, Injury Updates

Please click through to Zone Coverage here to read this in its entirety.   Greetings from Target Field, where it’s overcast and very warm as the Minnesota Twins prepare for game two of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. It’ll be righty Jose Berrios (4.04 ERA, 3.99 FIP in 111.1 innings) on the mound for the Twins, while the White Sox will counter with lefty Derek Holland (6.05 ERA, 6.40 FIP in 129.1 innings).   More on that in a bit.   Tuesday night’s win guaranteed the Twins vic
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/30 GAME NOTES: Berrios Buries White Sox with 11 Strikeouts, Pair of Rosario Bombs in 11-1 Win

Please go to Zone Coverage here to read this story in full.   The Minnesota Twins came into Wednesday night with a 68-63 record. It might not mean much, but the 1987 Twins also headed into Aug. 30 with an identical record, en route to the first World Series in the franchise’s post-Washington D.C. tenure.   That 1987 team also caught fire late in the season, including perhaps most notably going 16-11 in September. In an era where only two teams from each league made the postseason, that 85-win cl
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/29 PREGAME NOTES: Santana v. Shields Rematch, Injury Updates, AFL Assignments

It’s sunny and warm at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins prepare to open a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox. It’ll be a pair of righties doing battle, as the Twins send Ervin Santana (3.24 ERA, 4.66 FIP in 169.1 innings) to the mound to tangle with James Shields (5.63 ERA, 6.13 FIP in 80 innings) of the White Sox. This will be the second matchup in a row between the pitchers, with the White Sox beating the Twins 4-3 last Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.   More on that in a bit.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/29 GAME NOTES: Silky Santana, Polanco Power Guide Twins to 68th Win of the Season

Please click here to read this story in its entirety at Zone Coverage.   Players Weekend is over and it went by without Ervin Santana throwing a single pitch. He still stood true to his jersey nickname on Tuesday night at Target Field, however, as for five innings he performed Magic in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.   It was a nice bounce-back performance for Santana, if that’s what you’d like to call it. The Twins lost his last start 4-3 at Guaranteed Rate field on Wednesday -- also a Sa
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/18 PREGAME NOTES: Godley vs. Santana, Enns Injury Update, Gardy Back

It’s warm and overcast as the Minnesota Twins prepare to open a three-game interleague series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’ll be righty Zack Godley (2.95 ERA, 3.17 FIP in 106.2 innings) going for the Diamondbacks, with Ervin Santana (3.28 ERA, 4.71 FIP in 156.1 innings) taking the ball for the Twins.   More on that in a bit.   This will be the first regular-season meeting between the Twins and Diamondbacks since Sept. 22-24, 2014 — also at Target Field. The Twins the last two games of th
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/18 GAME NOTES: Twins Use Power, Speed for 10 Unanswered Runs in Comeback Win over Diamondbacks

The Twins were in a festive mood on Friday night. They honored Rod Carew by showing heart after being down 3-0 just two innings into the game. They also honored his offensive pedigree by pounding out 17 hits. The offense also provided some in-game fireworks prior to the customary postgame ones that happen every Friday at Target Field.   What it all added up to was 10 unanswered runs — including seven over the final three innings — in a 10-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Target Field on Fr
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/17 GAME NOTES: Twins Split Doubleheader, Break Home Losing Streak Against Indians

Robbie Grossman’s swinging strikeout against Nick Goody to end the first game of Thursday's doubleheader was the icing on a very frustrating cake for the Minnesota Twins. Not only did it cap a 9-3 loss to push the Twins back to .500, but also sealed a dubious team record as the 19th time a Twin had struck out against Indians pitching.   In fact, most of the game was emblematic of the Twins’ recent pursuit of the Indians in the standings. The Indians didn’t play particularly well all day, and let
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/15 PREGAME NOTES: Colon vs. Salazar, Perkins Lurking and Santiago Sidelined

It’s overcast and warm as the Minnesota Twins prepare to take on the Cleveland Indians in the first of three games to start a six-game homestand. It’ll be a pair of righties tangling on the mound, as the Indians will send Danny Salazar (4.15 ERA, 3.72 FIP in 80.1 innings) out while the Twins will counter with Bartolo Colon (6.77 ERA, 4.73 FIP in 94.1 innings).   More on that in a bit.   The Twins come into the series 59-57 -- five games behind first-place Cleveland and in search of their first w
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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8/15 GAME NOTES: Bombs over Bartolo in 8-1 Loss to Cleveland

For three innings Tuesday night at Target Field, Bartolo Colon was a veritable Harry Houdini.   The 44-year-old righty worked in and out of danger, and was staked to a 1-0 lead before allowing three solo home runs over a two-inning span on the way to an 8-1 loss to Danny Salazar and the Cleveland Indians in front of nearly 30,000 fans at Target Field.   The loss sent the Twins to a stunning 0-8 against the Indians at home this season. The Twins are 5-1 against Cleveland at Progressive Field this
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/6 PREGAME NOTES: Berrios vs. Bundy, Breslow Bullpen and Being Better

It’s steamy and for the most part sunny as the Minnesota Twins prepare to open a four-game series — their final one of the first half — against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. A pair of good righties will tangle in this one, as Jose Berrios takes the ball for the Twins and Dylan Bundy counters for the Orioles.   Felix Jorge was in the clubhouse chatting with teammates and learning about his new home stadium — since his MLB debut was in Kansas City — and manager Paul Molitor confirmed that he wou
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/6 GAME NOTES: Twins Put Up Crooked Number in Third, Hold Tight Rest of the Way in 6-4 Win over Orioles

A six-spot in the third inning gave the Minnesota Twins all the offense they needed -- or would get -- while Jose Berrios and three relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Orioles offense at bay in a 6-4 win at Target Field on a balmy Thursday night.   A poorly-conceived throw from Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini with one out in the third torpedoed much of the value he provided with the bat on a night where he hit a pair of doubles and scored a pair of runs. His throw extended the inning, bu
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/5 GAME NOTES: Ervin Santana Goes the Distance in Twins 2-1 Loss

Baseball is a game of inches. Of what-ifs. Of should haves, would haves and could haves. This is rarely more evident than in a 2-1 Twins loss Wednesday night at Target Field, when the go-ahead run scored on a steal of home -- as part of a double steal -- and a potential home run ball just missed going out by perhaps less than a foot.   Ervin Santana was brilliant for the Twins, as he tossed his fourth complete game of the season in a losing effort. He threw 117 pitches (80 strikes), and got his
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/4 GAME NOTES: Buxton, Gibson Let Freedom Ring in 5-4 Win over Angels

Here’s a blanket statement that on the surface probably won’t surprise anyone: History is not on Kyle Gibson’s side. We aren’t talking about his ERA coming into the game, though that could have doubled as the prefix of a Twin Cities-area phone number.   We aren’t even talking about his numbers since coming back from Rochester, though his ERA was approaching 5.00 with an OPS against of over .900 since returning from his exile.   Rather, we’re talking about Gibson pitching on July 4 — something he
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/23 PREGAME NOTES: Mejia vs. Boyd, Armed Forces Appreciation and Granite Growth

It’s overcast and warm -- but a bit cooler than the last two nights -- as the Minnesota Twins prepare for the rubber game of a three-game weekend set with the Detroit Tigers. It’ll be a pair of lefties doing battle in this one, as Adalberto Mejia (4.22 ERA/5.07 FIP in 70.1 innings) will toe the rubber for the Twins against Matt Boyd (5.58 ERA/4.60 FIP in 61.1 innings) of the Tigers.   More on that in a bit.   It’s Armed Forces Appreciation Day at Target Field, and in addition to some pregame stu
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/23 GAME NOTES: Twins Drop Longest Nine-Inning Game in Team History, Series to Tigers

The Minnesota Twins had an answer for almost everything the Detroit Tigers did on Sunday afternoon — at least until the ninth inning. The Twins threatened late and closed to within a run in both the seventh and eighth innings, but ultimately fell 9-6 to drop not only the game, but the series to the Tigers.   The loss dropped the Twins to 49-48 — and third place in the American League Central.   It was clear early that the game did not have a good pace, and that stood the test of time with a fina
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/22 GAME NOTES: Twins Withstand Late Rally to Even Series with Tigers

Kyle Gibson set a season-high with 7.1 strong innings and the bullpen held on for dear life as the Minnesota Twins prevailed with a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night at Target Field. What started out as a 6-0 lead in the eighth inning quickly snowballed into a one-run win, but the Twins managed to even the series with the rubber game looming on Sunday afternoon to wrap up the 1987 World Series reunion weekend.   “Gibby was really good,” manager Paul Molitor said. “I don’t know if
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/21 PREGAME NOTES: Santana vs. Sanchez, TK Statue, ’87 Reunion and Injury Updates

The Detroit Tigers are in town, and it’s fitting because the Minnesota Twins are in a celebrating mood. They’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1987 World Series team — a team which toppled the Tigers to get there — and they also unveiled the eighth statue in Target Field history.   https://twitter.com/Brandon_Warne/status/888521345608417284   That is, that of manager Tom Kelly, who led the team not only to the ‘87 crown but another in 1991. He’s the winningest manager in Twins history,
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/17 PREGAME NOTES: Mitchell vs. Mejia, Steamy Night at Target Field, Injury Updates

It’s sunny and steamy as the Twins prepare to open a three-game set at Target Field against the New York Yankees. The Twins come in 46-45, with losses in four of their last five games including dropping two of three in Houston coming out of the All-Star break. The Yankees come in to open the season series against the Twins with a 47-43 record after splitting a four-game set against the Red Sox at Fenway Park to open the second half.   The Yankees figure to be a bit taxed coming into the series,
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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7/17 GAME NOTES: Twins Duck Rain in 4-2 Win Over Yankees

Pinch hitter Eduardo Escobar singled home Joe Mauer in the bottom of the eighth as the Minnesota Twins dodged the oncoming downtown deluge to beat the Yankees 4-2 at Target Field on Monday night. Escobar came off the bench to hit for Kennys Vargas, and delivered the key hit against Yankees left-handed reliever Caleb Smith, who was making his big-league debut in relief of Bryan Mitchell.   Vargas was sent back to Triple-A Rochester after the game to make room for Tuesday’s starter, Bartolo Colon.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Matt Belisle

This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s official MLB.com roster. That means we’ll wrap it up with Kennys Vargas sometime before the season star
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Jose Berrios

This is an excerpt from an article which appears in full at Zone Coverage here.   This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s official MLB.com rost
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Buddy Boshers

This is an excerpt of an article that appears in full on Zone Coverage here. Please click through.   This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s of
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Alan Busenitz

This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s official MLB.com roster. That means we’ll wrap it up with Kennys Vargas sometime before the season star
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

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