The Twins’ 10-2 blowout victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday produced a number of storylines, but the one that interested me was the play of shortstop Andrelton Simmons, whose contributions were both obvious and subtle yet equally important. At the plate, Simmons doubled twice and singled in five at bats. I like his attacking... Continue Reading »

The starting pitching has been strong, the bullpen has shown improvement, but this Twins team is not hitting, and that was underscored Tuesday after they were shut out by the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0. The Twins had a grand total of three hits. After that loss, I crunched some numbers that showed the Twins have scored... Continue Reading »

Twins pitcher Jose Berrios appears to have started something. After a scintillating start to exhibition play, Berrios finally turned in a stinker on Tuesday and allowed four runs on eight hits for his first loss in Grapefruit League action. Perhaps “stinker” is not the right word because allowing four runs is certainly not the end... Continue Reading »

The ball isn’t flying into the outfield stands at a rate we’ve come to expect from the Twins, but it certainly is sailing well off the mound based on the low number of earned runs starters have allowed this spring. And it continued Friday after Michael Pineda gave up only one earned run over two-plus... Continue Reading »

The Twins fell to 2-1 on the young start to exhibition play after the Atlanta Braves shut out the club 6-0 on Tuesday. It appears that Twins manager, Rocco Baldelli, went with youth on the mound and they didn’t fare so well, allowing 11 hits, including four extra-base hits, over seven innings. Braves pitching, meanwhile,... Continue Reading »

The Twins knocked off the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, a 7-6 win in Game 1 of Grapefruit League action that means the club is well on its way to winning a World Series. Yes, it’s spring training. I will try to restrain myself. Best thing I’ve seen in a really long time – fans... Continue Reading »

Despite losing 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, the Twins still won the AL Central title because the Chicago White Sox lost again to the Chicago Cubs, 10-8. The Twins will now host the Houston Astros on Tuesday. I guess the Twins could be criticized for not winning the division outright on Sunday, but... Continue Reading »

The Twins are already in the playoffs, but if they want to win their second consecutive AL Central title, they need to win one more game on Sunday. A Twins loss, combined with a Chicago White Sox win, would mean a title for the South Siders because they hold the tiebreaker, according to MLB.com. The... Continue Reading »

The Twins rallied from an early deficit on Sunday, then watched as the Detroit Tigers scored eight runs late to beat the Twins, 10-8. The loss ended the Twins’ five-game winning streak and also dropped them lower in the standings after the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians both won on Sunday. The Twins are... Continue Reading »