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CBS News
15 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
How Target Field is working to keep Twins fans cool amid this weekend's extreme heat
The Minnesota Twins will be taking on the Brewers in the extreme heat this weekend. With forecasted highs into the mid-90s both days, keeping cool will be top of mind for many. Early morning or late evening will be the best bet for any outdoor exercise. However, the Twins won't have that luxury, as they're set to play right in the middle of the afternoon. "It's going to be a hot one, but you know what, we're equipped for it. We're ready and we're going to keep our fans cool and comfortable throughout the weekend," said Matt Hodson, director of business communications with the Twins. Hodson says they'll have more than 10 refillable water stations in the park, along with four air conditioned restaurants, and several cooling stations. It's all in an effort to keep fans safe and hydrated. Fans can bring in a sealed 32-ounce container of water, or an empty plastic-style sport water bottle. "For this weekend only, we're gonna relax that a little bit," said Hodson. "If you wanna bring in a sealed Gatorade or Powerade, something to help you replenish, please feel free to do so." Since Target Field opened in 2010, they've only had 34 games with a first pitch temperatures at or above 90 degrees. The hottest game for the Twins at Target Field was on July 16, 2012 against the Orioles when it was 97 degrees at first pitch. "We'll also have our guest services staff, especially looking out for folks that may be looking like they're struggling with the heat, and be equipped to remove them and put them someplace to cool them down and get them the resources that they need," Hodson said. No matter what your plans are this weekend, if you'll be outside, wear loose, light clothing, and seek shade when possible. Be sure to also check on your elder family and neighbors. WCCO
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Byron Buxton's all-around effort leads Twins over Rangers; Jorge Alcala traded to Red Sox
MINNEAPOLIS — Byron Buxton achieved 'big boy' status in the third inning. In both halves of the inning, the dynamic Twins outfielder demonstrated his full capabilities when healthy, first with a run-saving, diving catch, then as he walloped a mammoth home run, the longest of his career and second furthest hit in the majors this season. Advertisement Buxton's outstanding all-around game, David Festa's recovery and a late offensive outburst highlighted by Willi Castro's two-run triple propelled the Twins to a 6-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in front of 18,904 at Target Field. Buxton, who blasted a three-run, go-ahead homer, which traveled 479 feet, finished 3-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base as the Twins improved to 36-31. Buxton, whose homer traveled to a part of the park previously reached by former Twins, the likes of Miguel Saño and Kennys Vargas, leads all major-league center fielders with an .857 OPS. BYRON BUXTON!!! 479 FEET!!!!! 🤯 (make him an All-Star: — (@twinstv) June 12, 2025 'I knew that was a good one,' Buxton laughed. 'I ain't going to lie. I knew that was a good one. It's weird. My last (long homer) was off a slider, too. I don't hit fastballs far, but I can hit a slider. … That's big boy status. That's exactly how far I can hit it right there.' Buxton was far happier with his catch, one which prevented Texas from taking a big early lead a night after it routed the Twins. Already ahead 2-0 with two on and two outs, Marcus Semien, who earlier hit a solo homer, ripped a 97 mph liner toward the gap in left-center off Festa. But as he's done so many times before, Buxton soared toward the ball, dove and hauled it in as he safely tumbled to the ground. 'It caught me by surprise when he caught that because I knew it was hit right between us,' Castro said. 'It was a hell of a play.' You know where we heard is a good place to spend the All-Star break for guys that make catches like this? ATLANTA Get him there: — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 12, 2025 Buxton matched the impact with his bat a few minutes later. Facing outstanding rookie Jack Leiter, the Twins finally got something going in the third. Brooks Lee extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games with a leadoff double and Christian Vázquez followed with a walk to bring up Buxton, who was walked in his first trip to the plate. Advertisement After fouling off a 2-2 fastball to stay alive, Buxton got all of a slider off the outside edge, hammering it off the stairs of the second deck in dead center field. Mike Trout's 484-foot blast hit in April is the only homer to travel further this season. 'There are a few homers that you remember,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'That one will stick.' Buxton nearly made more memories if not for a potential missed call at the plate by umpire Ryan Wills. With the Twins leading 3-2 in the fifth inning, Buxton doubled to left and advanced to third on a fly ball to deep right. Buxton then appeared to score on a grounder hit directly at first baseman Josh Smith, who was playing in and made a perfect throw home, only for Wills to call him out. The Twins immediately challenged the call, and replay officials determined the call stood and Buxton was out. Buxton joked he'd review the replay because he thought he was safe. But with the knowledge he shifted the game's momentum and, more importantly, a win secured, Buxton was in a good mood. 'Especially with saving the runs and immediately putting something on the board,' he said. 'That deflates you very quickly.' Jorge Alcala's Twins tenure ended after the team's victory. The team announced Alcala was traded to the Boston Red Sox for 21-year-old High-A outfielder Andy Lugo late Wednesday. A team source confirmed no cash was included in a deal which was set in motion earlier in the day when the Twins claimed left-hander Joey Wentz off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Though the Twins made space on the 40-man roster by transferring Pablo López to the 60-day injured list, they still needed to make space on the active roster for Wentz, who is expected to be activated for Thursday's game. '(Wentz has) got good ride on the heater,' Baldelli said. 'He's got an assortment of pitches that he works with. We're excited. … It gives you an opportunity to make good adjustments and maybe even help him go beyond even anything that he's been doing to this point.' Advertisement Acquired in a July 2018 trade that sent Ryan Pressly to Houston, Alcala never lived up to his prospect hype. A big arm capable of topping 100 mph, who debuted in 2019, Alcala struggled against left-handed hitters. Over the last 11 months, Alcala struggled against everyone, posting a 7.47 ERA with 13 home runs allowed in 47 innings. Adding Wentz gives the Twins a second lefty to split the load with Danny Coulombe. A former Detroit Tiger, Wentz posted a 4.15 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 26 innings this season for the Pirates. Baldelli also noted Wentz's ability to pitch multiple innings as intriguing. With the Twins clinging to a one-run lead after 4 1/2 innings, Festa's night appeared to be over. Then the Twins bats produced a three-spot as Castro laced a two-out, two-run triple and Carlos Correa followed with an RBI double. The bullpen went silent and Festa, who appeared to be on the verge of a quick exit in the second and third innings, needed only 10 pitches to retire the heart of the Texas lineup in order. Bailed out by Buxton's diving grab in the third after he narrowly avoided surrendering a two-run homer — Smith doubled high off the wall to bring in a run instead — Festa recovered nicely. Starting with Buxton's grab, Festa retired nine of the last 10 he faced. He even quickly erased the one batter who reached base, picking off Evan Carter after issuing a one-out walk in the fourth. Festa allowed two earned runs and three hits, and walked two with four strikeouts in six innings. 'I felt good to go back out there,' Festa said. 'Whatever the team needed in that situation. I didn't know what the plan was. But in my situation, you're just kind of putting your head (down) and focusing until Roc takes the ball from you.' Though he doesn't think it'll result in a trip to the injured list, Bailey Ober acknowledged knee and hip discomfort is playing a part in mechanical issues that have resulted in reduced fastball velocity. Advertisement Set to start Thursday, Ober thinks he's cleaned up the issues that led to his fastball averaging under 90 mph in two consecutive starts, his lowest of the season. Ober worked on mechanics during a bullpen session Tuesday and thinks he's in a good place, though he'd like to feel better physically. Ober first experienced the discomfort in spring training after a pickoff attempt and has received daily treatment to manage it, which he said is atypical. Ober's average fastball has peaked at 91 mph and is sitting at 90.4 mph for the season. 'I would like to be better, but it is what it is,' Ober said. 'It's nothing I haven't pitched through. … Felt good going into the season. I feel like my velo was OK. It was still a little down, up until two weeks ago in Seattle, but not as much as it is right now. But, yeah, it feels majority mechanical and battling the ups and downs of feeling good and not good during the season.' (Top photo of Byron Buxton celebrating his three-run homer: Jordan Johnson / Imagn Images)
CBS News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Twins avoid series sweep with 6-3 victory over Blue Jays
Brooks Lee and Christian Vázquez hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Sunday to avoid a sweep and snap a three-game skid. Minnesota trailed 3-2 when Lee led off against Bowden Francis with his fifth homer. Vázquez followed with his second and the Twins were never behind again. Joe Ryan (7-2) allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in five innings to help the Twins end the Blue Jays' four-game winning streak. Brock Stewart, Cole Sands and Griffin Jax all followed with a scoreless inning. Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 opportunities. Alan Roden doubled in a run in the second inning to give Toronto the lead, but Minnesota answered in its half with an RBI groundout from Vázquez and Trevor Larnach's sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead. Alejandro Kirk had an RBI single and George Springer doubled in a run to put Toronto ahead 3-2 in the third. Mason Fluharty, who got the final two outs in the fourth, left with two on and one out in the fifth in favor of Erik Swanson. Ty France greeted Swanson with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead and Lee walked to load the bases. Swanson struck out Vázquez looking before Byron Buxton walked to set the final margin. Francis (2-8) allowed four runs and five hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Fluharty gave up two runs in an inning. Toronto (35-30) was trying for its first sweep against Minnesota (35-30) at Target Field since 2013. Vázquez's shot to left after Lee hit one out to right gave the Twins back-to-back home runs for the second time this season and the first time at home. The Twins have walked 164 batters — fewest in the majors and 31 less than the Blue Jays, who walked eight in the finale. The Blue Jays hadn't announced a starter for the first of three in St. Louis beginning Monday. The Cardinals will start RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.91). The Twins will host the Rangers for three games beginning Tuesday. Neither team announced a starter.
National Post
08-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Putrid pitching combined with lack of power deny Blue Jays series sweep of host Minnesota Twins
A series would be won, but a sweep denied as the Blue Jays leave the Land of 10,000 Lakes with their collective heads well above water, at least for the time being. Article content At the same time, the margin for error remains thin for a team whose pitching depth is getting tested and whose ability to stage comeback wins is not sustainable. Article content Article content The following are three takeaways from Sunday's series finale at Target Field where the Blue Jays were off target almost from the get-go, a day when Toronto's pitchers yielded a combined eight walks through the opening five innings en route to a 6-3 loss to the host Minnesota Twins. Article content Article content 1. Bowden bounced Article content An argument could be made that Sunday's start was the biggest for Bowden Francis, who wasn't able to make it out of the second inning in his most recent outing when the visiting Phillies lit up the beleaguered right-hander. Article content Against Philadelphia, he began the game by issuing a four-pitch walk. Article content Against the Twins, he once again yielded a leadoff walk, only this one came on a full count. Article content An additional free pass would ensue, but he survived the first inning by recording two strikeouts. Article content In the second, the Twins loaded the bases — twice. Article content When he faced Trevor Larnach with one out, Francis had recorded as many outs (4) as walks. Article content While it's true the Jays have been playing their best baseball of the season, some troublesome areas can't be overlooked, beginning with the lack of depth in the starting rotation. Article content Given the state of an overused bullpen, Francis needed to be much better. Article content He was fortunate to be facing a Twins lineup that was not opportunistic. Article content Article content Minny's overall game, in fact, was spotty. Article content Misfortune struck Francis when he gave up a leadoff homer in the fourth to move him into the inglorious category of league leader having yielded his 18th belt of the season. Article content One batter later, home run No. 19 was in the books. Article content Painful can best describe Francis' outing. Article content A pitch count violation only added more salt to the wound. Article content A great defensive play at third base by Addison Barger prevented Bowden from an even more embarrassing exit. Article content Once the out was recorded, Francis' day had ended.
New York Times
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Twins' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in Minnesota since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Postseason success has been maddeningly elusive, but the Minnesota Twins have the 12th-best record in MLB since 2000, going 2,015-1,991 (.503) while finishing with a winning record in 15 of 25 completed seasons and reaching the playoffs in 10 of them. Advertisement That includes the final two years of Tom Kelly's managerial career, followed by 13 seasons of Ron Gardenhire (.507), four seasons of Paul Molitor (.471) and Rocco Baldelli (.526) for the past seven years. And, of course, there was a venue change in 2010, with the move from the Metrodome to Target Field. Today we're selecting a Twins All-Quarter Century Team consisting of 10 hitters (nine lineup regulars and one utility player) and six pitchers (five starters and one closer) who were Minnesota's best players from 2000 to 2025. Longevity matters and pre-2000 performances aren't factored in. Here are the highest WAR totals by a Twins catcher since 2000, according to FanGraphs: 8.3 — Joe Mauer, 2009 6.5 — Joe Mauer, 2008 5.8 — Joe Mauer, 2006 5.7 — Joe Mauer, 2010 5.0 — Joe Mauer, 2013 4.6 — Joe Mauer, 2012 No other Twins catcher reached 4.0 WAR in any season from 2000 to 2025. Mauer was the Twins' starting catcher for 10 years, from 2004 to 2013, when a concussion ended a spectacular decade behind the plate in which the first-ballot Hall of Famer hit .323/.405/.468 for a 134 wRC+ and 46.3 WAR, with three batting titles, three Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, six All-Star appearances and the 2009 American League MVP. In the 11 seasons since Mauer ceased catching (2014 to 2025), all Twins catchers have combined to hit .236/.308/.389 for a 91 wRC+ and 18.1 WAR. This was a pretty easy one. — Aaron Gleeman The catcher who has always called Minnesota home gets the call of a lifetime. Joe Mauer, you've made it to Cooperstown. 🎥 Emily Meisinger/@Twins — National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) January 24, 2024 Another shoe-in. Following the departure of Torii Hunter to the Los Angeles Angels in 2008, Mauer and Morneau made the Twins relevant again. They ushered in a new era at Target Field, one which held so much promise until both sustained career-altering concussions. Morneau's run from 2006-10 included the AL MVP in 2006 and a runner-up AL MVP finish in 2008. And he potentially had an AL MVP award robbed in 2010 when he took a knee to the head while sliding into second base, thus ending the best season of his career with a .345/.437/.645 line in 81 games. Advertisement Even though injuries slowed the back half of his career and eventually led to a trade, Morneau produced 19.9 WAR for the Twins, more than doubling their next-best first baseman (Doug Mientkiewicz, 8.2). — Dan Hayes Perhaps three-time batting champion Luis Arraez would have at least made an argument for this spot if he hadn't moved more to first base and been traded for Pablo López. But nobody comes close to Dozier's production, including the 167 homers he belted between 2012-18. Dozier was one of the few bright spots during a 99-loss campaign in 2016, setting the AL record for round-trippers by a second baseman with 42. He was an All-Star in 2015, won a Gold Glove Award in 2017 and was a key leader in the clubhouse for a young wave of talent arriving in the latter part of his Twins tenure. — Hayes Koskie improved from borderline unplayable at third base — to the point Kelly would use him in left field — to become one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball, while posting an OPS at least 10 percent better than the league average in all six of his full seasons with the Twins. Koskie is one of the most underrated position players in team history, ranking 12th in WAR among Twins hitters, ahead of many far bigger names. But he was very good every season, occasionally great, and his combination of left-handed power and plate discipline with above-average defense never goes out of style. — Gleeman Jorge Polanco is the Twins' WAR leader at shortstop for the 2000s, but he holds only a slight lead over Correa in nearly double the number of games played. While Correa's tenure has been hampered by bouts of plantar fasciitis in each foot, he's simply been a great addition to the franchise. No matter how he seems to be feeling physically, Correa's sure-handed, strong-armed defense is a sight to behold. His potent bat has carried the lineup in two of his first three seasons in town, the other being slowed by his first foot injury. Advertisement But Correa's biggest impact could be felt late in 2023 when he finally had a chance to rest his foot and balled out in the postseason, going 9-for-22 (.409), providing heady defense and helping the team end its two-decade postseason losing streak. — Hayes The only negative about Hunter's Twins tenure was that it ended. Hunter's arrival in 1999 with several other young core members marked the start of a turnaround after several years of struggle in the wake of Kirby Puckett's early retirement. The Twins flourished with Hunter, averaging 83 wins in his 10 full seasons, winning at least 90 games and the division four times. Hunter's defense was excellent, as demonstrated by the seven Gold Glove Awards he won with the Twins, and he was a major presence in the lineup, averaging 25 homers and 90 RBIs from 1999-2007. Hunter also managed to be a big postseason performer, hitting .300/.337/.538 in 21 games. — Hayes An epic moment in @AllStarGame history. 19 years ago, @toriihunter48 robbed @BarryBonds. 😱 — MLB Vault (@MLBVault) July 9, 2021 We avoided the difficult decision of leaving Hunter (23.0 WAR) or Buxton (24.2 WAR) off the 2000s team by going with three positionless outfielders rather than choosing one in left, center and right. Copout? Maybe, but Hunter and Buxton are clearly both deserving of places on this team. Plus, who wouldn't want to watch them playing alongside each other and robbing hits in the same outfield? (Other than opposing batters, of course.) — Gleeman Cuddyer gets the slight nod over Max Kepler for the third outfield spot. Kepler has a big edge defensively, although Cuddyer's great arm and ability to play caroms off the Metrodome baggy were plenty valuable as well. And Cuddyer (110 wRC+) was simply a better hitter than Kepler (102 wRC+) while also playing longer for the Twins. In fact, only Mauer, Morneau and Hunter have more games in a Twins uniform in the 2000s. — Gleeman Advertisement The Twins hoped for but never could have imagined what they'd receive from Cruz when he agreed to a one-year deal with a second-year team option ahead of the 2019 season. Cruz was a monster at the plate, the captain of 2019 Bomba's Squad, but also a leader through and through. Cruz immediately had everyone's respect when he entered the clubhouse, a standard bearer for how to work and act who provided Baldelli, a rookie manager, with a captain. He held that role for two-plus seasons in a Twins uniform. Beyond his leadership, Cruz redefined the DH position for the franchise. He blasted 41 homers in his first season, was on 43-homer pace during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and continued with absurd production in his age-40 season in 2021. As if all that weren't enough, Cruz's trade to Tampa Bay produced starting pitcher Joe Ryan. — Hayes Polanco started by far the most games at shortstop for the Twins since 2000, but we went with Correa there and instead fit Polanco onto the team by taking advantage of his versatility in the utility role. Polanco is the only Twins player with at least 275 career games at both shortstop and second base, and he also volunteered to play third base when it helped the team. His flexibility, switch-hitting ability and 111 wRC+ across 832 games with the Twins make him an ideal 10th man. — Gleeman From the moment Santana returned to the majors with a new changeup in mid-2002 through the day the Twins traded him on Feb. 2, 2008, he was the best pitcher in the league. It just took the Twins a while to realize it, keeping him in the bullpen an infuriating long time. Santana spent only four seasons as a full-time member of the Twins' rotation, but it was the most dominant four-year run by any pitcher in team history. He went 70-32 with a 2.89 ERA and 983 strikeouts in 912 innings, winning two Cy Young Awards and deserving a third. Advertisement Santana played six total seasons in Minnesota after returning from the minors, and the Twins won 69 percent of his starts, playing like a 112-win team with Johan on the mound. When anyone else started during that span, the Twins won 52 percent of the time, equivalent to an 84-win team. Twins fans are all too aware of their 2-18 postseason record versus the New York Yankees. Both wins came in Santana starts. With any other pitcher on the mound versus New York in the playoffs, the Twins are 0-16. There's a decent chance that my last words — hopefully many years from now — will be 'Johan should have three straight Cy Youngs.' — Gleeman #OTD in 2007, @johansantana struck out 17 batters in a #TwinsWin over the Rangers! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 19, 2021 Radke tends to be underrated in discussions about the best starters in Twins history because he pitched in such a hitter-friendly era. And this 2000s-only exercise also ignores several of his best seasons, including an All-Star nod in 1998. But the strike-throwing machine's ERA was 12 percent better than league average from 2000 to 2006 while averaging 195 innings per season, including topping 200 innings in five of seven years. Santana (29.0 WAR) and Radke (22.3) are the only Twins starters to produce more than 16 WAR in the 2000s, and Radke also stepped up with a 3.60 ERA in six playoff starts. His first innings weren't always pretty, and he gave up some tape-measure homers, but Radke logged the most innings of any Twins pitcher in the 2000s and his 112 ERA+ is comparable to the current rotation trio of López (114), Bailey Ober (113) and Ryan (111). — Gleeman Santana's inclusion on this list speaks volumes to how well the rest of his time in the Twin Cities went considering it all began with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use in 2015, before he ever threw a pitch for the Twins. Signed to a four-year, $55 million deal in December 2014, Santana lived up to the hype once he got going. Advertisement Santana returned from the suspension and provided 6 1/3 innings per start in 2015 with a 4.00 ERA, demonstrating the type of workhorse he'd be. From 2016-17, he produced a 3.32 ERA in nearly 400 innings, leading an upstart 2017 group to the Wild Card Game. Though Santana suffered a finger injury late in 2017 that limited him to five starts in 2018, few Twins pitchers made the type of impact he had over the first 2 1/2 seasons. — Hayes A consensus top-50 prospect who was supposed to be The One, Berríos' career got off to an inauspicious start with an 8.02 ERA in 58 1/3 innings as a 22-year-old in 2016. But for the next 4 1/2 seasons, Berríos was a very good pitcher, going 52-36 with a 3.76 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings before the Twins traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. Berríos topped 200 strikeouts in 2018 and 200 innings in 2019. He was the team's most consistent starter after returning to the Twins in May 2017 after more seasoning in the minors, making 121 starts. And he pitched well in the postseason in '19 and '20, allowing a combined two earned runs (four overall) in nine innings in losses to the Yankees and Houston Astros. — Hayes While flush with position players, the Twins have always struggled to land front-line starting pitchers. But the team's January 2023 trade to acquire López for fan-favorite Arraez has more than delivered. In two-plus seasons with the Twins, López has proven to be a strikeout machine and a pitcher capable of handling the big moments. López tops all Twins starting pitchers this century with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings, racking up 234 and 198 whiffs in his first two seasons. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is the team's third-best over the past 25 years, behind only Phil Hughes and Ryan. What gives López the edge over Ryan or Ober for the final rotation spot is his outstanding performance during the 2023 postseason. Calling the pressure of ending the 18-game losing streak a privilege, López led the Twins to a 3-1 victory in the wild-card opener against Toronto and followed it with a dominant seven innings in Houston for a second-round win. — Hayes Glen Perkins (three times), Eddie Guardado (twice), Taylor Rogers and Brandon Kintzler were All-Stars for the Twins in the 2000s, but Nathan is still an easy choice for the closer spot on this team. Advertisement Acquired from the San Francisco Giants in 2004 as part of the A.J. Pierzynski trade, Nathan was a four-time All-Star in his seven seasons in Minnesota, racking up a franchise-record 260 saves with a 2.16 ERA and .186 opponents batting average. Nathan struggled in limited playoff action, but few closers in MLB history have been as consistently dominant in the regular season. Not only does Nathan lead all Twins pitchers in Win Probability Added since 2000, his 24.6 WPA is more than the No. 2 and No. 3 relievers combined. — Gleeman (Photo of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau: Charles Krupa / Associated Press)
