Could we see a Return of the Bats this week?
The Twins have firmly put the hot bats of May and struggled to match the offensive output of their opponents this past week, with only four out of six games finishing with the Twins scoring more than two runs. Two series losses to the Rays and the Mariners put a damper to a great month in Twins Territory, and after going 2-4 on the week, the team is now 31-27, 7.0 games behind the Tigers. The Seattle series also featured an absolute gem from Chris Paddack, who pitched eight solid innings, giving up only four hits and striking out 10 batters. The only blemish in his performance was a seventh-inning solo homer from Cal Raleigh. If you remove Paddack’s first two starts of the season, he’s started 10 games with a 2.17 ERA and 0.95 WHIP.
The Past Week on Twinkie Town:
- Need to vent about the Twins? Or provide some reasons to calm down? Check out our Game Threads and join the conversation!
- In case you forgot what happened this past weekend, our Game Recaps are back as well!
- Zach Koenig takes us back to Games 3 through 5 of the 1965 World Series.
- John Foley provides a few Off Day Observations on playoff odds, Kody Clemens, and much more.
Elsewhere in Twins Territory:
- Chris Schad at Zone Coverage tracks how Louis Varland has become an integral part of the bullpen.
- Dan Hayes at The Athletic looks at how Kody Clemens has found a home in Twins Territory. ($)
- Brooks Johnson at the Star Tribune highlights an interesting snafu that could affect the timing of the Twins sale. ($)
In the World of Baseball:
- Detroit is still atop the AL with a 39-21 record, 2.0 games clear of the 2nd place Yankees, but the AL Central no longer dominates the wild card race, with Houston sneaking in as the 2nd wild card ahead of the Twins.
- We have another change in the NL Pennant race, with the Cubs and Mets now tied for first with 37-22 records. However, the Dodgers and Phillies are only a game back so the race is still very tight one-third of the way through the season.
- 2024 1st-round draft pick Jac Caglianone was called up by the Royals today. He will make his major-league debut tomorrow. He may be playing for an AL Central rival, but I will always enjoy watching prospects get the news that they’ll be playing in the Show.
- Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has put out his June update for his team-by-team prospect lists. There has not been much shuffling in the Twins organization, which McDaniel has ranked as 6th among all MLB teams.