Twins win 13th in row behind 3rd straight shutout
MILWAUKEE — There’s no mystery regarding what has sparked the Minnesota Twins on their 13-game winning streak.
Their pitching staff is on a roll unlike any before in Twins history.
Minnesota recorded its third straight shutout in a 7-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night. The Twins allowed six runs in the third inning of an 8-6 win at Baltimore on Wednesday, but they haven’t given up any since.
That stretch of 33 straight shutout innings is the longest such streak in Twins history, which began in 1961. They had three longer shutout streaks when they were the Washington Senators, but the most recent of those took place in 1913.
That streak includes three straight shutout wins, a feat the Twins last accomplished in July 2004. Chris Paddack allowed three hits over seven innings in a 4-0 triumph at Baltimore on Thursday. Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez each gave up two hits over six innings the past two nights in Milwaukee.
“You want to follow suit,” Lopez said after Saturday’s game. “You want to be the guy that just keeps that momentum going. Joe did it after Paddack. I wanted to do it after Joe. I woke up today just feeling so motivated and feeling ready that I want to continue that. I want to be on the mound and just feel those energies just take over. We have such a good thing going with the pitching and the hitting.”
This represents the second-longest winning streak in Twins history. They won 15 straight in 1991, the year they won their last World Series championship.
It also is the second straight year that the Twins have produced a winning streak of at least 12 games.
They’re the first MLB team to win at least 12 straight games in consecutive seasons since Cleveland did it in 2016-17. The only other team from one of the men’s major sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) to accomplish that feat is the Golden State Warriors, who had streaks of that length in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Each of the past two years, the Twins have used a long winning streak to bounce back from a slow start.
Last year, the Twins got off to a 7-13 start before reeling off 12 straight victories, though, they eventually missed the playoffs after losing seven of their past eight games. This year, the Twins were 13-20 before winning 13 straight.
Pitching has keyed that turnaround.
“It’s been a pretty nice run the boys have been going on, but I’d prefer not to talk about it too much,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I’d prefer to just let them keep playing the way they’re playing and pitching the way they’re pitching.”
Minnesota starters went a combined 1-5 with a 6.90 ERA in the Twins’ first 10 games. They’re 15-4 with an MLB-leading 2.46 ERA in the 36 games since.
“Once you kind of get your feet wet to start the year, from spring, you’re able to get a good routine in, get the schedule kind of mapped out after those early off days and some rainouts,” said Bailey Ober, who has gone 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA. “I feel like we’re just kind of getting back on schedule and kind of doing our thing.”
The bullpen has been even better. Twins relievers have allowed one earned run over 38⅓ innings since May 6.
“The most important thing is we’re pounding the zone with strikes,” said Danny Coulombe, who has worked 16⅔ innings this season without allowing a run. “We have a lot of really good stuff in this bullpen, so when you pound the zone with good stuff, generally good things happen.”
That outstanding pitching has helped the Twins withstand injuries to key position players as they fight for position in the loaded AL Central. Minnesota is second in the division, four games behind the Detroit Tigers.
Shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton have both gone on the seven-day concussion injured list after colliding while chasing a shallow fly ball Thursday. Utility man Willi Castro also was out of the lineup Saturday after fouling a ball off his right knee in a 3-0 victory at Milwaukee on Friday.
Even with a few of its highest-profile hitters missing, the Twins managed to keep it rolling. It helps when the pitchers aren’t allowing any runs at all.
ATLANTA — Jordan Westburg didn’t have to be fully recovered from a finger injury to move back into Baltimore’s lineup and make an immediate impact.
Westburg had three hits, including a homer, in the Orioles‘ 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
The Orioles received another boost as Tyler O’Neill came off the injured list with a single and a walk.
“I think they gave us two of the three runs,” said Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino, referring to O’Neill scoring on Cedric Mullins‘ two-run homer off Spencer Strider.
“Those are two really good players,” Mansolino said. “We’re still short. We’re still missing Adley [Rutschman], but a lot of credit to the guys. They went out there and put up three runs against probably one of the great pitchers in the game.”
Rutschman, Baltimore’s primary catcher, has been out since June 20 with an oblique strain.
Westburg has tried to play through his sprained left index finger. He left a game at the New York Yankees on June 21 before returning four days later against Texas and then having to leave a game after aggravating the injury on June 27.
“Is he 100%? Probably not,” Mansolino said before the game. “But I think he’s probably close.”
Close was good enough. When asked how he feels after his three-hit game, Westburg said, “Pretty good.”
“I’m willing to play through whatever I have,” Westburg said. “It just was at a point where I wasn’t able to swing a bat. As soon as I’m able and can, I want to be on the field as much as they’ll let me.”
O’Neill was the Orioles’ designated hitter in his return from a left shoulder impingement. He was placed on the injured list for the second time this year on May 16 after missing time earlier in the season with neck inflammation.
The contributions from Westburg and O’Neill, who combined to reach base five times, helped support Charlie Morton, who allowed six hits and two runs in 5⅓ innings in his return to Atlanta, where he pitched the past four seasons. Morton also began his career with the Braves.
Morton (5-7) improved to 5-0 in 10 appearances, including seven starts, since May 10.
“I spent basically half my career here,” Morton said. “Being drafted here, I spent seven years in the system, went to the big leagues, made my debut, got to play for Bobby Cox, got to play with some of the pillars of this organization and … come back and win a World Series here. Yeah, it’s a special place for me.”
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Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO — Fireworks in Chicago began early on Independence Day as the Cubs set a franchise record for a single game, hitting eight home runs on Friday, including three from first baseman Michael Busch in a rout of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Especially to do it at Wrigley Field,” Busch said after the 11-3 win. “It’s really cool. I think that was my first three-homer game, ever. That’s one game I’ll never forget.”
Busch, 27, took Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas deep in the second and third innings then set a career mark with his third home run in the seventh off reliever John King. It was the first time a Cubs player hit three home runs in a game since Rafael Ortega on Aug. 1, 2021.
Busch wasn’t the only Cub to hit multiple home runs as Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two after making a diving catch in the first inning. Both Busch and Crow-Armstrong went 4-for-4 on the day, driving in seven of the team’s 11 runs. Busch drove in five.
The Cubs have been near the top of the league in most offensive rankings since early in the season as they extended their lead on the Cardinals to 6.5 games.
“It’s really easy to appreciate what we’re doing right now,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s also easy to just keep it going and not let that be something that we are dwelling on. It’s the best offense I’ve ever been a part of.”
Also homering for the Cubs on their record-setting day was designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, catcher Carson Kelly and shortstop Dansby Swanson. Manager Craig Counsell was asked to put the day in perspective considering the lengthy history of the franchise. It came a day after they beat the Cleveland Guardians 1-0.
“It’s the sport,” Counsell said with a smile. “It took us 10 innings to score one run yesterday. That’s what’s crazy about it. That’s why you turn the page every single day. We had a really good day, today.”
Mikolas set a Cardinals franchise record, giving up six of the eight home runs — all of which came in the first three innings. The Cardinals did break a scoreless streak on offense extending back to last Sunday when second baseman Brendan Donovan homered in the fourth inning. St. Louis scored two more times in the ninth off Cubs infielder Jon Berti, but by then the game was in hand.
Busch is the third Cubs player with a three-home run game against the Cardinals. In an odd twist, all three did it on Independence Day: Moises Alou on July 4, 2003, and Hank Leiber on July 4, 1939, according to ESPN Research.
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