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New York Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Big nights from Brooks Lee, David Festa, Byron Buxton pace Twins over Tigers
DETROIT — He always looks for a fastball to hit, but Brooks Lee really wanted this one. Batting with the schizophrenic Twins ahead by two runs in the sixth inning Friday night against the first-place Detroit Tigers, Lee hoped to provide his team and pitcher a little breathing room. Similar to his performance the past month, Lee achieved his goal. Rather than try to do too much with a four-seam fastball, Lee stayed up the middle with his approach and deposited a single in center field to drive in a crucial run. Advertisement Lee's two run-scoring hits, a sterling performance by David Festa, another big game from Byron Buxton and even a run-scoring bunt paced the Twins to a 4-1 victory in the series opener at Comerica Park, the team's third straight victory. Festa struck out six in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Buxton belted his 18th homer and stole a base and Lee stayed red hot. Despite losing 11 of 12 before their current win streak, the Twins are only two games back of the final spot in what remains a wide-open American League wild-card race. 'He's showing a lot of different tricks and different adjustments he can make,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Lee. 'He looks really comfortable. He always looks like he knows what to do next. You have to be on your toes because pitchers are going to make a lot of good adjustments. … When they've done that, he's done different things. He's come right back at them.' Lee has done many things over the past month for the Twins. Almost all could be described as wonderful. While the stretch hasn't been perfect — Lee recently had a rough defensive day, and there was the game-ending strikeout Sunday in which he didn't run out the play to first base — it's been pretty close. Since May 28, Lee has hit safely in 25 of 26 games, including a 20-game hitting streak which ended Sunday with the aforementioned strikeout. Over 26 games, Lee is batting .350/.375/.510 with four doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs. A day after he homered to stretch the lead to three runs in another tight game, which ended with a blowout victory over Seattle, Lee got the Twins going in the Motor City. Double double animal style! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 28, 2025 He broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the fourth inning, pulling a 1-0 cut fastball from ex-Twins farmhand Sawyer Gipson-Long down the first-base line to drive in Matt Wallner, who also doubled. Buxton extended the lead to two runs with a massive, two-out, solo homer in the fifth off Gipson-Long. Though the two-run cushion was nice, recently, no lead has been safe with the way the Twins have been pitching. Enter Lee, who spent the entire offseason gearing himself up to hit the fastball following a disappointing end to his rookie season. For his entire career, back to Little League, Lee said he's always punished fastballs. He didn't in 2024, finishing his rookie season batting .193 against four-seamers. His struggles forced Lee to refocus his efforts ahead of spring training, and the effort is paying off. Though back and shoulder injuries very likely played a part in last season's struggles, Lee spent the winter refining his swing to make it more compact. The adjustment has Lee in a better position to impact the ball, whether he's trying to pull it for power or line it back up the middle. Advertisement Facing reliever lefty reliever Brant Hurter with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth, Lee hoped for a fastball at the top of the zone. Though the 0-1 pitch was a little lower than he expected, Lee jumped on it and ripped it for a run-scoring single. Lee entered Friday hitting .375 on fastballs, according to Baseball Savant. 'I'm probably going to get a lot off-speed pitches, but when I do get a fastball that's there, it's a gift,' Lee said. 'It's the straightest ball in the game. I should hit it. It should be the easiest pitch to hit for me, and it all centers around my approach. I just want to be on the fastball for most of my at-bats. I really think it's been working, but I have to continue to stay on top of it because it can go away.' The Twins added a fourth run in the seventh when Buxton walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored to make it 4-0 on Willi Castro's sacrifice bunt. Despite a Jekyll and Hyde-type season, the Twins aren't going away yet. Following their 1-11 stretch, the Twins fell to five games under .500. Suddenly, they're 40-42 and only 2 1/2 back of Seattle, though they'd have to leapfrog four teams to earn a wild-card spot. One reason the Twins were so down and out was a heinous 17-game stretch by the pitching staff, which yielded nine runs eight times. But suddenly, the Twins look as if they might rediscover the form that made them one of baseball's top pitching staffs before the injury to Pablo López. Festa delivered the third straight gem by a Twins starting pitcher as he followed in the footsteps of Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods Richardson with a scoreless outing. Leaning heavily on his slider while mixing in a changeup and both fastballs, Festa cruised through all but one inning. He set down the side in order in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, retiring 12 in a row at one point. Advertisement '(The slider) felt good, it felt good getting ahead and putting away,' Festa said. 'They say hitting's contagious — I think pitching is as well. We're just trying to stack good outings on good outings.' Festa only slowed down in the second inning when he hit a batter and yielded a two-out single. But Festa, who generated nine swings-and-misses in 75 pitches, remained composed and induced an inning-ending comebacker off Dillon Dingler's bat. He wouldn't allow another base runner until two outs in the sixth inning. Along with his six strikeouts, Festa walked none and limited Detroit to two hits. After posting a 6.85 ERA over their previous 17 games, Twins starting pitchers have produced 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, including the final two from Chris Paddack's start on Tuesday. Lee, Buxton, Castro and the Twins' bullpen made sure it counted. That's a NO DOUBTER from Byron Buxton!!!! — (@twinstv) June 28, 2025 For Lee, it's another sign over the past month that his bat still has the potential that led the Twins to select him with the eighth pick of the 2022 amateur draft. 'It's been good,' Lee said. 'I can't complain. I'm still working as hard as I can to make sure both of my swings are on point. Try to come to the ballpark and try to get better every single day. It's all I can do. I can't control the wins and losses, but I can help.' (Top photo of Brooks Lee: Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch this weekend's Twins at Tigers series, with Tarik Skubal on ‘Sunday Night Baseball'
Entering Friday action, two teams are tied for the best record in baseball. The NL leader is not surprising to anyone — the Los Angeles Dodgers employ four former MVPs and an all-around stacked lineup. From the AL, though … we're all friends with Paws the Tiger now. The swaggering Detroit Tigers host an increasingly desperate Minnesota Twins squad for a three-game weekend tangle. Rocco Baldelli's club is scrambling to end its nightmare month with something positive, and the visitors will have to face reigning Triple Crown pitcher Tarik Skubal on 'Sunday Night Baseball.' 'Sunday Night Baseball' can also be streamed on ESPN+. Minnesota went 18-8 in May, yet the team starts this series just 8-16 in June. The Twins are also struggling on the road, arriving at 17-25 despite a mere minus-2 run differential. All this amid Byron Buxton's most active season since 2017. The slugging center fielder has never hit more than 28 home runs in a season, due to a terribly misfortunate injury history. But he's played in 64 of his team's first 81 games, and is on pace for 34 homers and 96 RBIs. Advertisement At the midway mark, the Twins have scored a solid 4.28 runs per game on a .314 OBP (league averages are 4.34 and .315, respectively). The bullpen has been an issue, though, and the rotation is stretched thin with ace Pablo López on ice until at least August. Saturday's starter Bailey Ober has been absolutely destroyed by the long ball — three homers allowed in last outing's implosion versus the Seattle Mariners, and four during a June 12 meltdown to the Texas Rangers. Both of those starts were at home. Yikes. Less than one year ago, Detroit looked thoroughly unremarkable as sub-.500 trade deadline sellers. Last year's exhilarating playoff push was an all-out stunner, yet it may be remembered as the prelude to this current stretch of Tigers dominance. Under A.J. Hinch, Detroit is in line for its best record of the 21st century and on pace to reach 100 wins — the high-water mark of the Miguel Cabrera era was 95-67. Javier Báez has magically fought back from the brink of career extinction. Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler are young hitters with big barrels. Zach McKinstry is electrifying around the bases and leads the AL with eight triples. Above all, Skubal is possessed by some flame-throwing baseball aeon, whittling his ERA down to 2.29 in 16 starts. He's in the 100 percentile for pitching run value, 99 for walk rate and 96 for exit velocity. The vibes are spectacular in a place we now know as 'Skubaltown' — less a physical municipality, more a state of being. Not for nothing, Saturday's probable Casey Mize has a sub-3 ERA and a strong 7-2 record. His slurve is downright filthy: Casey Mize, Knee Buckling 82mph Slurve. 🦵 — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2025 Fusion lineup (best players to wear both jerseys, since 2000): Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Tarik Skubal: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins first-half awards, including MVP Byron Buxton and ‘wonderful maniac' Louis Varland
MINNEAPOLIS — Having reached the midpoint of the season at 39-42, the Minnesota Twins are a tough team to figure out with 81 games down and 81 games to go. Their record suggests they're simply an average-ish team, hovering around the .500 mark to stay within the American League playoff picture as a wild-card hopeful. But the Twins have rarely played like an average team, instead looking either very good or very bad, with no middle ground. Advertisement On one hand, the Twins rode great pitching and timely hitting to a 13-game winning streak in May. On the other hand, they were 13-20 (.394) before the streak and are 13-22 (.371) since the streak ended, consistently struggling to score runs and, of late, consistently struggling to prevent them as well. Let's pause the Twins roller coaster at the halfway mark and hand out team awards for the first 50 percent of the season. MVP is an easy one. At age 31 and after a decade of constant injuries, Buxton looks as healthy as he's been in a very long time, and he's performed at an extremely high level at the plate, in the outfield and on the bases to produce immense all-around value for an otherwise punchless lineup. Buxton started 64 of 81 games, including 64 of 70 games aside from missing two weeks in May with a concussion. And he's been a fixture in center field, making just one start at designated hitter two years removed from playing exclusively DH because of chronic right knee problems. 'It means everything,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'We're always going to be a significantly better club when he's playing in the middle of the field for us. You also get the joy of watching him play. And from his end, the joy and energy he brings. He's one of the best players in the game.' 479 FEET! BYRON BUXTON LAUNCHES ONE WAY OUT! — MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2025 Buxton has batted .279/.345/.553 with 17 homers in 275 plate appearances, including an eye-popping .385/.419/.692 with runners in scoring position. He leads all center fielders in OPS and ranks in the AL's top 10 in homers, OPS, slugging percentage, runs (49), RBIs (48), fWAR (3.1) and WPA (+1.7). In the surest sign Buxton's knee is feeling good again, he's 13-for-13 swiping bases for his most steals since 2019, and he's also simply running faster than he has since 2019, posting MLB's second-best average sprint speed behind only Bobby Witt Jr. And there's been no shortage of highlight-reel catches. Advertisement This is one of the best and healthiest extended stretches of Buxton's career. And beyond lineup-leading fWAR and WPA totals, it's been so entertaining to watch, and so fun to see Buxton rediscover what he's capable of and the full scope of his game-changing ability when not held back by injuries. Ryan gets the nod as the Twins' most valuable pitcher over Jhoan Duran, because he's thrown nearly three times as many innings and he's remained consistently very good in a starting rotation that has crumbled around him since Pablo López's shoulder injury on June 3. Ryan hasn't missed a turn in the rotation despite a prolonged illness, logging 91 1/3 innings with a 2.86 ERA and a 104-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio while holding opponents to a .188 batting average that's third-best in the AL. He's also in the AL's top 10 for ERA, xERA, strikeout rate, walk rate and fWAR. Consistency has been key for Ryan, who completed at least five innings in all 16 outings and allowed three runs or fewer in 13 of them, including zero or one run nine times. After the Braves knocked him around for a season-high six runs in Atlanta on April 20, he has gone 7-1 with a 2.38 ERA in his last 11 games. 'In times of change and uncertainty, knowing you have a guy who is going to produce,' Baldelli said. 'Get a lot of outs, throw a lot of strikes, and you feel like you're going to win every time Joe pitches. He's proven it so much, so continuously, you definitely look forward to the days he's on the bump.' Joe Ryan, RIDICULOUS 80mph Sweeper. 😳 — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 27, 2025 Varland's potential upside as a reliever was an annual topic while he mostly struggled as a starter, and Baldelli frequently insisted he'd be a late-inning bullpen asset immediately. Sure enough, Varland moved to the bullpen full time this spring at 27 and was working a high-leverage role within weeks. Advertisement He's been reliably excellent with a 2.02 ERA and a 39-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 35 2/3 innings, raising his average fastball velocity from 94.9 to 98.0 mph and turning his curveball into a swing-and-miss weapon. Varland has been used in the bullpen's No. 3 leverage role behind Duran and Griffin Jax. He's also been used a ton, period. Varland pitched in a team-leading 38 of 81 games, a 76-appearance pace surpassed only twice by Twins right-handers — Matt Guerrier in 2009 and Juan Rincon in 2004 — since 1980. It's a lot to ask for a first-year reliever, but Varland has been up to the task and then some. 'You have maniacs like Lou Varland, who want to pitch every single game,' Baldelli said. 'A good maniac. A wonderful maniac. Who has been throwing incredibly for us in a ton of different spots. Turned himself into a dominant bullpen arm. And he's of the mentality that he's ready to pitch every game.' Louis Varland, K'ing the Side. — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 13, 2025 This is a tougher one. Buxton has been very good in center field, as usual. And despite struggling mightily in a career-worst season at the plate, Carlos Correa has played his best defense in a Twins uniform, ranking among MLB's top shortstops. But no one has made more hit-robbing, run-saving, hair-flipping plays than Bader. It's no surprise that a Gold Glove-winning center fielder looks very good in left field, but the extent to which Bader's range and max-effort pursuit have clicked in a corner spot is remarkable. And in the rare instances when he's been needed in center field, he's impressed there as well. Bader has mastered what Baldelli calls 'the double-knee slide catch' on sinking liners, and he fearlessly turns foul balls into outs. He's one of the AL's top 10 outfielders, regardless of position, with five Outs Above Average and seven Defensive Runs Saved despite starting only 58 of 81 games. HARRISON BADER MAKES AN INCREDIBLE CATCH (this should not be shocking) — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 13, 2025 Really slim pickings for this one, as no Twins rookie has had more than 70 plate appearances or 20 innings through 81 games. It's not uncommon for rookies to collectively have a larger role in the second half of seasons, and I'd expect that to be the case for the Twins over the final 81 games. Keaschall played just seven games before breaking his forearm on April 25, but he's the default choice because it was an amazing seven games, and the only rookies to see more first-half action were Zebby Matthews (5.21 ERA), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (.292 OPS) and Mickey Gasper (.488 OPS). Advertisement Keaschall is still recovering, and there isn't a timeline established yet for his return to game action, but he recently began participating in baseball activities. Twins officials have expressed confidence about the 22-year-old speedster being a factor in the second half. (Photo of Byron Buxton: Matt Krohn / Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Joe Ryan is pitching like the ace the struggling Twins badly need
With their pitching at the core of a damaging slump, the Minnesota Twins held a special meeting to address the failures, frustrations, and path forward. Joe Ryan followed it up with a stellar start they badly needed. With Pablo López shelved because of a shoulder injury until perhaps September, Ryan has unquestionably become the staff ace. 'You feel like you're going to win every time he pitches,' manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday, a day after Ryan threw a three-hitter over six scoreless innings to beat Seattle 2–0 and stop Minnesota's five-game losing streak. 'You definitely look forward to the days where he's on the bump and you get a chance to watch him throw because you feel like anything's possible.' For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. The 29-year-old right-hander is well on track for his first All-Star selection with a career-best 2.86 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 91 innings. Ryan, who struck out major league home run and RBI leader Cal Raleigh three times on Wednesday, has an 0.887 WHIP that's the third best in baseball among pitchers with a qualified amount of innings. After the game, he delivered a sermon of sorts on the value of the art of pitching over the data-driven revolution that has defined the approach for about every team in the sport. 'At the end of the day, it's a competition, and you can't really put numbers to everything that goes into that,' Ryan said. That competitive edge is an ace-like attribute that Ryan clearly has. 'I think he likes being the man, and I think he likes having the ball in his hands,' Baldelli said. Over the three-week stretch entering their game on Wednesday, the Twins had a 7.67 ERA that was by far the worst in MLB, according to Sportradar. Their 1.62 WHIP was the worst during that span from June 5–24, while they lost 15 of 18 games and tumbled into fourth place in the AL Central. 'We're the ones to blame, including myself,' said starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who took the lead along with pitching coach Pete Maki during the pregame meeting on Wednesday. 'It's just tough, a lot of crooked numbers the last couple of weeks, but it's going to change.' Before López and fellow starter Zebby Matthews were sidelined by shoulder injuries earlier this month, the Twins were in a groove on the mound. Their 13-game winning streak in May was fueled by the starting pitching, which ranked fifth in MLB with a 3.40 ERA and third with a 1.16 WHIP through June 4. 'The meeting was something that really stemmed from the following idea: There are things you can control and that you should attack, and there are things that you have less control over,' Baldelli said. 'Not that those things aren't going to be on your mind, but focus on the things that you can clearly control and do those things exceptionally well and start there. That was a good reminder, I think, for everyone in the room.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Ryan is pitching like the ace the struggling Twins badly need
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) stands on the mound after issuing a walk to Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena (56) during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan throws to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) stands on the mound after issuing a walk to Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena (56) during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan throws to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With their pitching at the core of a damaging slump, the Minnesota Twins held a special meeting to address the failures, frustrations and path forward. Joe Ryan followed it up with a stellar start they badly needed. With Pablo López shelved because of a shoulder injury until perhaps September, Ryan has unquestionably become the staff ace. Advertisement 'You feel like you're going to win every time he pitches,' manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday, a day after Ryan threw a three-hitter over six scoreless innings to beat Seattle 2-0 and stop Minnesota's five-game losing streak. 'You definitely look forward to the days where he's on the bump and you get a chance to watch him throw, because you feel like anything's possible.' The 29-year-old right-hander is well on track for his first All-Star selection, with a career-best 2.86 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 91 innings. Ryan, who struck out major league home run and RBI leader Cal Raleigh three times on Wednesday, has an 0.887 WHIP that's the third best in baseball among pitchers with a qualified amount of innings. After the game, he delivered a sermon of sorts on the value of the art of pitching over the data-driven revolution that has defined the approach for about every team in the sport. 'At the end of the day, it's a competition and you can't really put numbers to everything that goes into that,' Ryan said. Advertisement That competitive edge is an ace-like attribute that Ryan clearly has. 'I think he likes being the man, and I think he likes having the ball in his hands,' Baldelli said. Over the three-week stretch entering their game on Wednesday, the Twins had a 7.67 ERA that was by far the worst in MLB, according to Sportradar. Their 1.62 WHIP was the worst during that span from June 5-24 while they lost 15 of 18 games and tumbled into fourth place in the AL Central. 'We're the ones to blame, including myself,' said starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who took the lead along with pitching coach Pete Maki during the pregame meeting on Wednesday. 'It's just tough, a lot of crooked numbers the last couple of weeks, but it's going to change.' Advertisement Before López and fellow starter Zebby Matthews were sidelined by shoulder injuries earlier this month, the Twins were in a groove on the mound. Their 13-game winning streak in May was fueled by the starting pitching, which ranked fifth in MLB with a 3.40 ERA and third with a 1.16 WHIP through June 4. 'The meeting was something that really stemmed from the following idea: There are things you can control and that you should attack and there are things that you have less control over,' Baldelli said. 'Not that those things aren't going to be on your mind, but focus on the things that you can clearly control and do those things exceptionally well and start there. That was a good reminder, I think, for everyone in the room.' ___ AP MLB:
