[jksander]

August 22, 2025: Noah Schultz (6-3, 3.01 ERA, 71.2 IP, 67 K’s, 1.02 WHIP) started game one against Minnesota’s Chris Paddack (7-6, 3.94 ERA, 118.2 IP, 105 K’s, 1.21 WHIP). The Twins took the lead minutes into the game when Byron Buxton hit an RBI double that drove home Austin Meadows, and a wild pitch seconds later scored another for them as Schultz looked gutshot. By the time he got us out of the top half of the inning we were in a 3-0 hole and he’d thrown 27 pitches for three hits and three earned runs, an incredibly rough stretch of bad luck. Miguel Vargas got us on the board with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, and in the bottom of the second Yordys Valdes hit an RBI single to cut their lead to one. But they got one back in the top of the third with a solo blast out of center by Carlos Correa, and with two outs Matt Walker hit one of his own to make it a 5-2 lead. Schultz got us through the fifth inning, and Shane Smith took over in the sixth still trailing by three runs. But from there the game became a rout, as the Twins added on two more runs in the sixth and another pair in the eighth to crush us 9-2. Schultz fell to 6-4 with a 3.40 ERA, allowing five runs off five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five innings’ work. He has struggled since mid-July, with four of his last six games featuring at least four earned runs, with three starts in a row resulting in losses. They outhit us 12-6, our offense led by Brooks Lee who hit twice and scored one run.

August 23, 2025: Ryan Weber (6-8, 3.79 ERA, 121.0 IP, 71 K’s, 1.21 WHIP) started against Zach Elfin (8-13, 5.21 ERA, 131.1 IP, 88 K’s, 1.29 WHIP), who was traded from Baltimore to the Twins about a month ago. Two batters in, Minnesota had the lead thanks to an RBI triple by Austin Meadows, and they crushed us from there ... by the time Martin Perez took the ball from him in the top of the fifth, Weber had dug us a 7-0 hole to drown in. Chaise Meidroth strained a rib muscle in the bottom of the inning after hitting the RBI double that finally put us on the board ... he’s out at least two weeks, go figure ... but he sparked a rally that got us back within three runs, thanks to RBI singles by Austin Slater, Joey Gallo and Michael A. Taylor. And incredibly, we made the comeback complete in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to RBI singles by Slater, Gallo and Taylor as all three hitters have come to life out of nowhere! Perez got us into the stretch still knotted up 7-7, but with two outs in the eighth Merryweather gave up a fat pitch to Byron Buxton, who hammered it out of left for two runs. Syndergaard got us through the ninth with the score unchanged, and with one out Brandon Valenzuela walked the bases loaded, as we had a real shot to get back into this one! Kyle Teel pinch hit for Yordys Valdes, and with the count at 1-2 a wild pitch scored a run for us, getting us back within one! But with two outs, Cadyn Greniuer popped out harmlessly to center and we lost this one 9-8. Merryweather took the loss, falling to 0-2 with a 4.40 ERA in his 14th appearance for us, allowing two hits and two runs in his inning. They outhit us 17-12 in a true slugging game, and Austin Slater had a great night, hitting four times with a walk, two runs and two RBIs.

We put Meidroth on the IL, and will call up infielder Andre Lipcius, 27, from AAA Charlotte -- he can capably play second and third, and has hit .250 this year with four doubles, three homers and 15 RBIs coming off the bench. To make room for him on the 40-man we had to waive 27-year-old lefty SP Jared Shuster, who is already getting too old to be this mediocre in the minors. He’s definitely not worth a 40-man spot, and if he gets claimed (doubtful) it’ll be no big loss.

August 24, 2025: Sean Burke (5-12, 4.54 ERA, 117.0 IP, 123 K’s, 1.39 WHIP) got the start in our final game of this Twins series, facing Bailey Ober (8-7, 4.11 ERA, 122.2 IP, 131 K’s, 1.25 WHIP). Two outs into the first inning and Minnesota had their lead, thanks to a solo homer out of left by Buxton. Emmanuel Rodriguez hit one in the second to add on, and Austin Meadows made it a 3-0 lead in the top of the third with an RBI double. We trailed by four runs heading into the bottom of the third, and the rout was on by the end of the fourth with two more runs scoring for Minnesota as our team simply looked dead on arrival. Cannon took over in the fifth, and it took a total of six pitchers for us to get out of this one, losing 12-1 in a brutal beatdown. Burke took the loss with four innings of six hit, four walk, six run baseball ... though he did strike out eight. They outhit us 10-3, the new guy Lipcius getting a hit and a walk, batting in our only run of the game. Uuuuugly.

We’re at rock bottom at this point, riding a three-game losing streak into our series against the Royals as the offseason really can’t get here quickly enough.