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00:00The years against the Twins in fact he has currently a 17 game hitting streak against the Twins going back
00:08to May 2022 it's the longest hitting streak by an Oriole batter against the Twins in franchise history going back
00:16to 1954 with the signing of Pete Alonso and you have Colby Mayo and so many right handed hitting first
00:26baseman Mountcastle right now doesn't have a truly defined
00:29role on this team right the bench play do you think his manager knows that that streak is at risk
00:36right now I think he absolutely knows I think he asked PR during the inning he said hey I know
00:43we'd like to start him but hey he's got a 17 game hitting streak going against the Twins so batting
00:53in place of Couser
00:57the Twins dugout Mountcastle parts of six major league seasons is a 263 lifetime hitter and a former first round
01:10pick back in 2015 play some outfield to shallow center and the hit streak continues
01:23see I wonder if he even knew that that's kind of one of those numbers that somebody comes up and
01:32goes hey did you know and you're like I had no idea
01:34there's no way you could know that that's over multiple seasons
01:37yeah either way a good swing
01:42towards the end of the bat a little bit but
01:45Maury I wanted to ask you in relation to
01:46to Funderburg and trying easier how often did you have to remind yourself don't grip the bat so tight
01:53there's a fine line of
01:55you know being over overly loose overly relaxed and
02:00and squeezing the sawdust out of it where you're just
02:04but it's different for everybody I mean it's it's kind of
02:07whatever you feel like you need whatever spot you need to get to to feel ready
02:12because I felt like there was times where I went up there I'm like I'm just gonna see how easy
02:15and then you feel like you're gonna get the bat knocked out of your hand
02:19but sometimes it is the simplest thought it's like okay yes oh yeah I do feel that tension
02:23just really it is slowing me down yep the short and pass Brooks Lee got a piece of his glove
02:29and Trevor Roddy picks it up
02:31and the only Tabaris who came in a pitch run
02:35advances down to third
02:38so back to back two out hits
02:41from Mountcastle and Jackson
02:43and the tying run is on here in the sixth inning
02:54it's a good swing right there getting up on top of that ball
03:01Taylor Ward right handed hitter is due up and Derek Shelton
03:05as righty Eric Orsi ready the bullpen
03:08and the former Tampa Bay Ray
03:11will make his Twins debut when we come back
03:14couple of base runners here for Baltimore
03:16Twins by two
03:23everything never
03:24cut like a diamond
03:26shine under pressure
03:27oh it's time to fire
03:29hold up
03:30oh it's time to fire
03:32hold up
03:33oh it's time to fire
03:36hold up
03:38oh it's time to fire
03:42hold up
03:44oh it's time to fire
03:46Royce Lewis a two-run homer
03:48is the difference in this game right now
03:51Twins have a 3-1 lead but now Eric Orsi-Perk is on for his Twins debut
03:5733 games last year
04:00what about this
04:01split slider four seam
04:03in that order
04:07both lefties and righties
04:11split
04:13is the most used pitch
04:16it's the pitch and he's not shy about admitting that's the one that got him to the big leagues
04:21Taylor Ward
04:23home run power at the plate
04:25there's the splitter down low 2-0
04:27as Jeffers checks the ball he wants a new one
04:3040 strikeouts he had last year 30 of them came on that split
04:33that's a big swing and miss pitch for him
04:37if your best pitch is your fastball you throw your fastball if your best pitch is your split
04:41coming out of the pen you're coming out of the pen you want a situation like this he's trusting that
04:45that split is his pitch that he's going to go to see if he goes to it here in a
04:482-0 count
04:56you believe in that especially out of the pen you're going to get beat you get beat by your best
05:00absolutely
05:04jackson the tying run at first base
05:08Tavares at third the 2-1 high
05:16he came to the twins in an offseason trade with the rays in mid-november
05:23originally drafted by the Mets in the fifth round in 2020
05:303-1
05:32bases are loaded
05:33and glenner henderson is coming up
05:51henderson 0 for 2 today last time up wasn't happy got hit by a pitch
05:56here comes pete back
06:02any chance you can slow the game down
06:05there's a lot less opportunities to do it now with the restrictions on the mound visits
06:12the Twins only have one left at this point
06:16the Twins lost a challenge
06:19it was a defensive challenge while Colby Mayo was batting in the fourth inning Mayo eventually walked the Twins did
06:26challenge
06:27what was called the ball but it was a strike it was not
06:32since then that's why the Twins have one
06:34one remaining Orioles have both of their challenges Cody Funderburg began the inning
06:38struck out the first two batters
06:41Mountcastle single
06:43Jackson single
06:46Morse came in walked Ward and now
06:49has to deal with the
06:502024 all-star Gunnar Henderson
06:53what a great WBC with Team USA
06:55also
06:56want to be swinging here especially after getting hit last time
06:59showed some emotion on that
07:01love that opportunity to get him back
07:04it's a different guy on the mound
07:07it's a different guy on the mound
07:09a different situation in the game and
07:10obviously with Todd Bradley's fastball
07:14can be a difference maker but
07:15Gunnar Henderson his first two at bats
07:17was not picking up the split
07:19at all
07:22hitters
07:22hitters I'm sure are happy now
07:24even the batter's eye is starting to get that shadow on it
07:27it's going to be
07:28better to see
07:29it's amazing how well you see
07:31once the shadows go away
07:32and how you feel like you're able to
07:35it's a more comfortable feel at the plate
07:40it was low so a 2-1 count on Henderson
07:48big pitch coming up right now for Orsi
07:51bases loaded two run game
07:54two and two
07:57four pitches perk all splitters
08:00it's a good plan
08:02and I think Orsi's going to throw the split no matter what
08:04but there's got to be something to
08:07Connor Henderson trying to discern the difference between the fastball and the split
08:10and he hasn't been able to do it today
08:12the two-strike pitch is outside
08:16and it's full
08:25Alonzo would hit next
08:28here comes the crowd in Baltimore
08:31the 3-2
08:32a swing and a fly ball into right
08:34well they're back and now in
08:36he's got it
08:37and Henderson slams down the bat up the first baseline
08:41and the Orioles leave the maximum
08:50opening week is brought to you by Vanguard
08:53discipline that delivers
08:57Royce Lewis delivered a go-ahead swing
09:00back in the fifth inning a two-run homer
09:03following the nine strikeout performance from Taj Bradley
09:06and the twins maintain the lead out of the seventh inning
09:09and Dietrich ends back out ball one
09:11to Trevor Larnik
09:15ends work to one two three six then now Larnik
09:19at the plate
09:37Madley Rutschman behind the plate
09:38former teammates at
09:40Oregon State's
09:44in the eighth inning
09:45on a national championship together
09:49with the Beavers on that loaded
09:52collegiate team
09:55Steven Kwan and Nick Madrigal and a few others
10:00that have had plenty of big league success
10:03three and one
10:08different drafts
10:09Adley was the number one overall pick
10:14a year or so later after Trevor was drafted by the twins
10:17popped up in the left
10:20Orioles change their defense around a little bit
10:22still Ward going left
10:24it makes the play for the out
10:27so one away
10:28and here comes Royce Lewis
10:30and let's take a look at
10:31his swing of the fifth inning
10:33StatCast 3D morning
10:35is brought to you by Google Cloud
10:36101 off the bat
10:38378 feet into the corner
10:41part of the ballpark where it starts to get deep in a hurry
10:46Royce Lewis when he's
10:49challenged with a fastball in the inner part of the plate
10:51he has as much ability as anyone to turn on that ball
10:54and he turned on and he made him pay
10:59important for him to get off to a good start this year
11:01he's going to see him rolling
11:04and then I'm sure there's some desire for him to
11:07be hitting higher in the lineup
11:12and as we talked to Shelty earlier
11:13yeah he's got his spots he likes
11:15but if guys are swinging the bat well they're going to move up
11:17and if you earned it you're going to keep doing that
11:21this team's going to end up
11:23winning a lot of ball games this year
11:25he's going to have to be a big part of it
11:29if you look at the numbers overall fellas for Royce in spring training it was not a good spring
11:33statistically had a good first day and then went
11:36days if not weeks between hits
11:39Leary Taveras is now in center
11:41and Tyler O'Neill is in right battle of the sun
11:461-1 to Royce swing and a miss but
11:49you're looking for any positives when you don't have the spring you envision
11:53and Royce did feel better the last 4 or 5 days of camp with the quality of contact he was
11:58making
11:59and we saw that in the games that we did
12:02those last couple of days of camp
12:04numerous balls leaving his bat at over 100 miles an hour
12:08I think as a player the older you get in spring training
12:11all you really care about is that last week
12:13yes you want to get through it healthy
12:15yes you would enjoy it if your swing felt good for the entire 5 weeks of games
12:20but really the only thing that does truly matter is your feel that last week
12:24am I seeing the ball?
12:25am I barreling it up?
12:27yeah you like to get hits but it's more
12:31having that confidence
12:32just knowing that it's there
12:34you struggle through the entire spring
12:36there are questions that kind of linger
12:37in the back of your mind when that season starts
12:39but
12:42and there's ball 4
12:44so Lewis draws a walk
12:46as he reaches for the second time today
12:50switch hitting Brooks Lee is coming up next
12:52hey my twins members the home opener countdown begins now
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13:13slash my twins
13:16morning how often would either a good spring or a bad spring
13:20statistically connect to what you did in the regular season
13:24zero correlation whatsoever
13:27didn't some of the worst springs ever as I got older
13:30and then once the season started it's funny
13:33the adrenaline kicks in when you're young you're trying to make a team
13:36so you're going and every at bat you're locked in and you're trying to prove that you belong
13:41and then once you kind of know your spots there you don't want it to be that way
13:44but it is kind of the way it seems like it happens
13:51I think you know sometimes you're concerned you're going home I only have a couple extra base hits this spring
13:55and I've got 50 60 at bats
13:57plate appearances
14:00like I said the only thing that truly matters is that last week you want to feel like you're on
14:04time heading into the season
14:06runner goes the pitch is fouled back so Royce was on the move something he is hoping to do more
14:12of
14:12the season stole 12 bases last year
14:16it's a 1-1 pitch Lee swinging and Royce running but it was fouled back
14:20not sure if that was a
14:27potential hit and run or was with the contact ability of Brooks at the plate or was that just he
14:32took off
14:34Brooks got a pitch up in the zone he thought he could handle
14:38under stays
14:40down low
14:58Royce saw that coming
15:00Reed on the move there
15:03ends
15:17ends
15:18takes off 2-2 swing and a miss throw to second base and Royce slides in safely
15:25Lee strikes out
15:27stolen base number one for Lewis
15:30and he's in scoring position for Cody Clements
15:33yeah not an easy pitch to throw on that
15:36breaking ball down and into the right-handed hitter
15:39Royce had a good jump
15:43but now you got a chance to score on a single I think it's going to be significant as the
15:47year goes along how often they're able to do that
15:50Cody will bat for himself in a lefty lefty matchup
16:07Clemens 0 for 3 today at his first start of the season
16:13Twins left hand hitters are not
16:14all going to face all of the
16:16lefties but ends first splits
16:19guy so he's been better that
16:20change ups a big pitch for him
16:21to better last recent memory
16:25against right handed hitters
16:27Cody and at bat here.
16:33Yeah, Romeo.
16:35Geraldo the Orioles bullpen.
16:37He is up for Buxton.
16:39If he comes up next Justin
16:40Topo.
16:43Looks like he will come in
16:45in the bottom half of the
16:46inning.
16:47The 2-1.
17:03Lewis at second base.
17:08The 2-2 from ends lined up the
17:10middle over the head of
17:11Henderson into center field.
17:13Here comes Lewis heading home to
17:14throw to the plate is cut off.
17:16And Cody Clemens a two out run
17:18scoring single and the twins add
17:21on and now lead for one.
17:23That's that stolen base right there
17:24coming into play.
17:26Take the extra 90 feet get yourself
17:28in a scoring position then you're
17:29able to score on a single year but
17:30you're able to manufacture one
17:31scratch that lead.
17:33It's a big run big at bat.
17:35Nice job by Clemens right here
17:37staying through the big part of
17:39the field.
17:42Henderson was favoring up the
17:44middle and just passed his
17:45glove.
17:47Throw is cut.
17:49And Cody Clemens with his first
17:51hit first RBI of the year the
17:53the twins add on pitching change
17:54twins still batting Buxton bats
17:56will be come back.
18:05Royce Lewis.
18:07He's had a great day.
18:09A couple of runs a home run.
18:11And this stolen base was
18:13significant.
18:16Ended up leading to a run.
18:18A little two out two strike.
18:20Got himself a fastball in the
18:21middle part of the play.
18:22And then you saw Cody what he
18:25was doing going up the line
18:26there.
18:26He was seeing if if they were
18:28going to send the runner to
18:29home and then he was looking
18:31for an opportunity to get
18:32himself to second base.
18:33So the awareness as he running
18:34the base first base is given
18:36how am I going to get myself to
18:37second base just like Royce
18:39did for him.
18:39He was looking for a spot there
18:40to take an extra base.
18:44Also making sure that they were
18:45sending Royce home on a hard
18:47hit ball like that.
18:48Two outs are going to send
18:49them.
18:5099.9 percent of the time.
18:54Yaramil Peraldo takes over for
18:56the Orioles Byron Buxton has
18:58been on twice two singles and
18:59a run.
19:04Lewis's base running that led to
19:06a run and also Byron goes
19:08right back in the fourth inning
19:09tagging on the fly ball.
19:11The key shawl hit that was
19:14significant that the Byron
19:15score.
19:15Infield single.
19:19Tag up on a routine ball to
19:20center.
19:21Tag up on a flight of all the
19:22center.
19:23Go to third on an overthrow
19:25score on the shallowest sack
19:27fly you'll ever see.
19:35but it just it goes to show you the
19:37days you're not hitting homers the
19:38day you're not putting the ball in
19:39the seats you still can't have an
19:40impact and.
19:44It's part of the game I feel like we've
19:45been we were kind of missing over the
19:47last couple of years and to see him
19:49get back to it it makes it more
19:50entertaining first of all.
19:53Buxton on a slider strikes out to end
19:56the inning we stretch for the twins
19:58and one Lewis a walk a stolen base
20:00to the Cody Clemens RBI single 4-1.
20:08Orzee back out for another inning and
20:10Orzee is a guy with an incredibly
20:12inspiring story.
20:14Back in 2018 he was playing baseball
20:16for the University of New Orleans
20:18when he got the news.
20:19He had testicular cancer at just 20
20:22years old.
20:23He had one surgery to remove the tumor
20:25and later a second to remove a lymph
20:27node out of concern that it had
20:29spread.
20:30Luckily it had not but during that
20:32surgery his doctor noticed a mole
20:34that was concerning.
20:36And a few weeks later more shocking
20:38news.
20:38It was melanoma and it wasn't just one
20:40he had two melanomas on his back.
20:42In all he has had five surgeries for
20:45skin cancer and two for the
20:46testicular cancer but since then he's
20:49had a clean bill of health as you can
20:51imagine it was not an easy recovery
20:52not an easy journey back to baseball
20:54but he said he appreciates every
20:56second of it.
20:57He would not be here today if not
21:00for experiencing everything that he
21:01had to deal with.
21:02He said it put everything in
21:03perspective.
21:03It motivated him and it made him
21:05appreciate everything that there
21:07is to enjoy in life especially the
21:09game that he loves guys.
21:10Andre great report right there as
21:13Eric Orzee inspiring story and
21:16cancer survivor back in the big
21:20leagues here in his twins debut in
21:22twenty twenty six got the last out
21:24of the sixth and facing Alonzo now
21:26two and two.
21:33So Alonzo Rutschman and Basayo for the
21:37Orioles here in the seventh.
21:44This one golf to left and that is no
21:49longer Lardick that is James
21:53Altman now playing left field.
21:55So Albert takes over and left and
21:58makes the play on Alonzo one away.
22:02Paul find you.
22:04Paul will find you as soon as you
22:06come in the game making his first
22:07appearance of the year.
22:09Not an easy play running over
22:10there.
22:11Towards foul territory but.
22:15Good athlete.
22:17Be interested to see how much
22:19opportunity he's given as the
22:21year goes along.
22:24James Altman.
22:26Out of options made the twins out
22:29of camp.
22:29He is the primary backup to Byron
22:32Buxton in center.
22:34It takes over for Larnick in left.
22:36So it's Altman Buxton and Waldo in
22:39the outfield.
22:39Rutschman rolls it over and Keishaw
22:42makes the play and quickly two down
22:44for Orzee here in the seventh.
22:49There was so much unknown.
22:51We knew the faces.
22:52We knew the bodies the names and
22:54all that.
22:54But in a game like this late
22:56stages.
22:58Mixing and matching how
22:59Shelty and the staff were going
23:01to piece it together both from a
23:03defensive positional standpoint
23:04but also bullpen.
23:05I and he has more of an idea how
23:07he's going to do that than we do
23:09up here.
23:10But I don't think there's anything
23:11set in stone and I asked him that
23:13today.
23:14Do you want to get these guys in
23:15there's relievers that haven't
23:16pitched the off days.
23:17We've touched on that with some of
23:18the position player things that
23:19that both sides are doing trying
23:21to get guys in but.
23:21He wants to balance using the
23:26guys that he can trust the guy
23:27the things that he knows with
23:29with making sure that these guys
23:31stay sharp and he said as much
23:33as any these these first couple
23:34of games it's going to be a
23:35wait-and-see approach and the
23:37guys that pitch well they're going
23:38to get another chance.
23:40And we saw Funderburg.
23:41He's been in both games but this
23:43is Orzee's first appearance and
23:44so he's going to navigate this on
23:46a day-by-day basis this early
23:49part of the season.
23:50He's popped up to right and Matt
23:53Walner makes the play.
23:54Nice job.
23:55Eric Orzee three up three down a
23:57scoreless seven.
24:03Time to take a look at our Toyota
24:05game summary big day for Royce
24:08Lewis.
24:08The first home run of the season
24:09for the twins goes to number 23
24:11and two run blast there in the
24:13fifth inning.
24:14Byron Buxton also with a good day
24:15a couple of singles and using that
24:16speed to score a very important
24:19run and how about Taj Bradley solid
24:21debut this afternoon.
24:22Four and a thirds innings of work
24:23just one run on the board three
24:25hits and nine strikeouts 63% of
24:28those 92 pitches he tossed were
24:30four strikes this afternoon all
24:32around adding up to a 4-1 lead here
24:34for Minnesota guys.
24:35All right Audra thank you and now
24:36we're going to see the major league
24:38debut of right-handed reliever
24:40Anthony Nunez a one-time infielder
24:42now pitcher his big league debut
24:45happening here in the eighth
24:46inning and Luke Kishol takes a
24:49strike on a fastball at 97.
24:51Kishol 0 for 3 today 1 for 6 to
24:54start his season.
24:57Facing Nunez who was drafted in the
24:5929th round back in 2019 line to
25:03left will hang up and is caught by
25:06Ward route number one spent two
25:09seasons as an infielder in the Padres
25:12system before being released and
25:14then how about this Nunez an odd
25:16NCAA loophole he was granted
25:19eligibility to play at Division 2
25:22University of Tampa despite already
25:24playing some pro ball he then
25:27transitioned to the mound as a
25:28two-way player and became a top
25:30pitching prospect and he won a
25:32national championship in 2024 and
25:36inside with the Mets as a free
25:37agent that summer and was a
25:39acquired by the Orioles in the
25:41Cedric Mullins deal at the deadline
25:43last year and only 58 games crazy
25:47pitch in the minor leagues.
25:51That's some quick adjustments he
25:53had to make.
25:58Velocity we've seen that upper 90s
26:02sweeper in the mid 80s mid to
26:04upper 80s and a changeup.
26:101 1 to Walder check swing no
26:13swings his last DS big league
26:23debut and the fifth Orioles
26:26pitcher here today power against
26:34his power big cut from Walder 97
26:36beat him.
26:40It's just feeling maybe that's
26:42surprising to me is that the
26:43Padres didn't recognize maybe the
26:44arm they had because a lot of
26:45times before you release the guy
26:46you'll you see an arm like that.
26:48Hey you have any interest in
26:49pitching maybe you'll try him on
26:50the mound but your typical path
26:53to the big leagues but
26:54incredible that he's made it back
26:57to the big leagues but back into
26:59pro ball full count to Walder for
27:13two with a walk today.
27:17Speaking of you know two way players
27:19you know Simeon was Richardson you
27:21know coming out of high school he
27:24was going to go to play college
27:25ball in Texas and he's going to
27:27play third base he was going to
27:28pitch in terms of where he landed
27:30as a pro he was all dependent on
27:33which team drafted him.
27:34Some teams liked him as a hitter
27:36some teams liked him as a pitcher
27:37and the Mets selected him as a
27:40pitcher and hence that's why his
27:41career began and has since been as
27:45a pitcher.
27:46Walder cannot hold back the
27:47strikeout and there is the first
27:49big league strikeout for Nunez and
27:51that ball is flipped towards the
27:52Orioles first base dugout.
27:54Don't miss a pitch this season with
27:55Twins TV stream all games throughout
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27:59blackouts live or on demand for
28:01the entire 2026 regular season.
28:04Subscribe right now at twins dot TV.
28:11Here's Josh Bell.
28:13Alonzo.
28:14He's Nunez and Nunez three up three
28:17down here in the eighth inning.
28:20Twins by three bottom eight for
28:22Baltimore coming up.
28:26Let's take a look at our upcoming
28:28schedule brought to you by
28:29Progressive.
28:30One more game here to go in
28:32Baltimore.
28:33Then we're headed to Kansas City.
28:35Three games in a four games four
28:37day stretch against the Royals.
28:39Then a stretch of blue.
28:40Love seeing those home games on the
28:42docket.
28:42Of course Friday the home opener at
28:44Target Field to kick off a three
28:45game series against the Rays and
28:47four against the Detroit Tigers.
28:49Going to be a busy stretch of
28:50baseball but hopefully a lot of
28:52wins coming up for the Twins guys.
28:54Roger thank you.
28:56I think these guys are looking
28:57forward to just getting into a
28:59routine.
29:01Playing often Justin Topo is on for
29:04the second time this young season
29:05he will face O'Neal Mayo and
29:08Tavares.
29:09Spotted part of the Orioles order
29:11with a three run lead.
29:14Ninety four for strike one on O'Neal.
29:22O'Neal came out a pinch hit in the
29:25sixth inning and struck out.
29:28Sweeper misses outside one ball one
29:30strike.
29:31Orioles put the ball in play against
29:32Topo on Thursday Perkin.
29:34You know Topo was looking to get the
29:36ball on the ground.
29:36He did a couple of times just the
29:39ball was put into play in spots
29:40where the Twins were not defending.
29:43It was a ground ball.
29:45Topo is defending off the mound
29:47makes the play.
29:48Just do it yourself.
29:50Oh the Orioles in that inning they
29:51scored a couple of seeing eye base
29:54hits through the infield.
29:58That one there just a one hop back
30:00to Topo easy play.
30:01Not going to get a ton of strikeout
30:03swing and misses but he's got that
30:04low three-quarter almost sidearm
30:06delivery with heavy sink.
30:08Velocity was up in spring training.
30:11Still got some funkiness too the way
30:12he strides.
30:15And so he's going to be a guy that
30:16is in there trying to get ground
30:18balls and I want to say hope that
30:21they're hit to the infielders but you
30:22hope that they're hitting their
30:23general direction they can make a
30:24play behind you.
30:27Pitch to contact, weak contact on the
30:29ground is is kind of his game.
30:400-1 count to Kobe Mayo.
30:43And now nothing and two.
30:49Topo grew up in Binghamton New York.
30:52Time that was a double a affiliate of
30:55the Mets and when Topo was a kid he
30:57was a bad boy with some of those
30:59double a Binghamton Mets games.
31:04More often for the visiting team but
31:06the Mets players during that era
31:08talking about guys like David Wright,
31:10Jose Reyes.
31:11Justin Morneau and Glenn Perkins.
31:13He was probably a bad boy for if he was
31:15a visitor as I went through there
31:17played against those guys.
31:18That's I'm just looking.
31:18I was there in 2005.
31:20Justin Topo.
31:23He was a teenager at that point.
31:25You were there a little before me.
31:27A little.
31:29A little bit.
31:30Just a little bit.
31:33High chopper right side.
31:34Keyshaw.
31:36Two down.
31:39I'll celebrate opening day with a
31:42pregame party at Target Field.
31:43Arrive before first pitch and
31:45enjoy happy hour deals like $2
31:47beers, live music, and receive a
31:49Twins beanie.
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31:58tickets.
31:58What year were you there, Marty?
32:01Bingo.
32:02Double A.
32:04Parts of three seasons.
32:05That's kind of a trick question.
32:09A 1-0-2-0-3.
32:11All of 0-2 I was there.
32:12I remember going to Bingham to the
32:14plate.
32:14Reyes was on those teams.
32:15You're probably too old for Topo.
32:17He wasn't quite a teenager yet.
32:19Neither had to be something to that
32:21question.
32:24Yeah, but that was back when you had
32:25like six-year-olds being bad boys.
32:27That's true.
32:28Rules didn't come in until after.
32:30You go to Trenton and there's a dog
32:32doing the bad boy job.
32:33So, yeah, you never know.
32:35Yeah.
32:35I was always that crusty guy.
32:37I'm like, I don't want the dog drool on the bat.
32:39Leave my bat alone.
32:40I don't want your teeth marks on there.
32:45To left and Altman gives it a look, but that's
32:47going to be out of play.
32:51Another Met that was on those teams.
32:54A former teammate of yours, Glenn Perkins.
32:59Pelf.
32:59Mike Pelf.
33:00Mm-hmm.
33:01Mike Pelf.
33:01A teammate of mine, dude.
33:02Yeah.
33:02So, see, this is what I'm saying.
33:04He was a bad boy when I was in Binghamton.
33:07There's almost...
33:10No way.
33:11Pelf and I...
33:11I think Pelf might have been drafted the year after me.
33:17Just outside.
33:18I found out Ernie Clement, being from Rochester, New York,
33:21also occasionally was a bad boy in Rochester.
33:27I didn't say anything stupid, did I?
33:32Probably, if you spoke, you probably did.
33:33But...
33:352-2.
33:36And Jeffers will challenge.
33:38It was called a ball.
33:42Twins have one challenge remaining.
33:44Lost a defensive challenge in the fourth inning,
33:47and Jeffers was right.
33:49Look at that.
33:50Top of the zone strikes again.
33:52And Jeffers with a good call, and Taveras strikes out.
33:55And a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
33:58For Topher.
34:02Let's go back to the final outs,
34:04and Ryan Jeffers with a really good challenge on Leote Tavares.
34:09And sure enough, Perk, the call went the Twins' way.
34:12Well, you see right there on the screen,
34:13the oval strike zone and the actual strike zone.
34:16That was the one that the umpires called previously in.
34:19That pitch that Ryan Jeffers challenged,
34:22right in that spot that the umpires don't call.
34:25High outside corner to a left-handed hitter.
34:28So a really good challenge by Ryan Jeffers there.
34:33Did that get you a steak dinner from the pitcher right there?
34:37Strike on looking on a challenge for your guy?
34:40It's got to be 20 bucks at the minimum.
34:43I don't know about a steak dinner.
34:46And Jeffers would not hold back 1-2.
34:50Enough your wallet, Perk. Come on.
34:53Now, check swings, by the way.
34:55You cannot challenge check swings at the big league level,
34:58but this was news that came out, fellas, during spring training.
35:01And check swings were a play you could challenge in A ball last year.
35:08And this year in AAA, not where the Saints played.
35:12They're in the International League, but in the Pacific Coast League,
35:15I believe in the second half, you are going to be able to challenge the check swing.
35:22And if nothing else, at least they're starting to define what a check swing is.
35:26Jeffers strikes out, second strikeout for Nunez, one down here in the ninth.
35:33Let's take a look at how the challenge system is playing out across the game through Friday.
35:4158% overall overturns.
35:46Fielders have been more.
35:48So, meaning pitchers, catchers, they have been more successful than the batters.
35:56And there's only been two pitchers challenge.
36:00Shocker, they got them both wrong.
36:03Pitchers are not allowed, not allowed to challenge.
36:06Twins, Chelsea's been pretty adamant.
36:08He does not want his pitchers challenged.
36:10Catchers, yes.
36:11Pitchers, no.
36:15James Elman.
36:18Made some modifications with his swing this year, but he'll pop out to Henderson.
36:22And there are two down.
36:32So, two down for Royce Lewis, who's had a very good day, batting eighth for the second straight game.
36:38One for two, a home run, a walk, a stolen base.
36:41He's knocked two runs and scored twice.
36:48He gets off to a good start in that part of the batting order.
36:51You wonder, it's almost, do you leave him for a little bit?
36:57Is he getting pitched too differently down in the bottom part?
37:02I think that the way Scunner reports and all of that works nowadays, guys are going to get pitched.
37:07I mean, it may be who's hitting in front of you or after you or the situation, guys on base.
37:11Those things are going to change.
37:13Guys are going to get pitched how they get pitched.
37:15I think Royce, though, just feeds off of confidence.
37:17And I think him getting off to a good start, that momentum can kind of build for Royce.
37:26He's an emotional type player, a lot of confidence.
37:35One and two on Lewis and Nunez.
37:39Do it again.
37:42Baltimore, in the bottom half of the ninth, will have hitters nine, one, and two.
37:46Jackson, Ward, and Henderson.
37:48Saw Cole Sands warming up.
37:50So, right now, a save situation, and Sands will have the first crack at it.
37:58With two righties and a lefty.
38:01Due up.
38:05Once again, the one-two to Royce.
38:08And Nunez, with a changeup, strikes out Lewis to end the inning.
38:13Cole Sands saved three last year, eight in his career.
38:17He'll have a chance to wrap things up for Baltimore.
38:19Twins by three.
38:21Back in a moment.
38:31Twins up 4-1, heading to the bottom of the ninth.
38:33This copyright telecast is presented by authority of Minnesota Twins.
38:35It may not be reproduced or retransmitted in any form in the accounts and descriptions of this game.
38:39It may not be disseminated without the express written consent.
38:42Minnesota Twins.
38:44You meant for that to make it on air, right?
38:47I don't care!
38:51Jeremiah Jackson against Cole Sands.
38:57Eight career saves, three a year ago.
39:00Sands has the ball in ninth inning, up three.
39:02Been a workhorse for the Twins the last couple of years.
39:05Twenty-twenty-four, sixty-two games last year, sixty-nine games.
39:14Will that strikeout rate bounce back, Burke?
39:16It was great back in 2024.
39:19Twenty-nine percent, just twenty-one percent last year.
39:22Lost a little bit of velocity last year.
39:27See if he can get that back.
39:29That kind of sets up everything else.
39:33He's got the good cutter, good split.
39:35And the split was a really good pitch for him last year as well.
39:39One-two, fouled back.
39:41Jackson's had a good day.
39:42Two for three with an RBI.
39:44Starting at second base.
39:55Bradley, Bonda, Fundy, Orzee, Topa, and now Sands.
40:14He struck him out with a curveball.
40:19The curveball is the popular pitch for the Twins here now, two games in.
40:23We're seeing guys spin that breaking ball, hitter after hitter.
40:31It's working.
40:32Why not?
40:35I'm always interested to see the trends in pitching as they go
40:38and how quickly now year-to-year things change.
40:42And as hitters adjust to different styles,
40:46it was all of the sinkers in the 2000s and early 2010s
40:50leads guys swing pass to change, so then that opens up.
40:55That fastball at the top of the zone, there's a hole there.
40:58Guys start to try to close that up.
40:59We're starting to see sinkers come back into the game.
41:02North, south, east, west just keep moving.
41:05The game evolves, hitters evolve,
41:07so then pitchers are evolving at the same time.
41:09And that's kind of what I was thinking with that curveball.
41:13If that's a plan, if that's something that they're trying to do,
41:17or if that's just a matter of Joe Ryan worked on that in the offseason,
41:20it was good for him yesterday.
41:21Todd Bradley's been a curveball guy.
41:24So we'll see as the season unfolds.
41:27By three, he walks, but Sands walks Ward on four straight.
41:34Not what you want to do with this part of the order coming up.
41:39Henderson, then Alonzo.
41:44Henderson 0 for 3 today, 0 for 7 to begin his season.
41:47Did reach, was hit by a pitch.
41:49Anthony Bondi got him in the fifth.
41:55Ball one.
42:01Twins had a 3-1 lead entering the bottom half of the fifth inning.
42:06And then in the sixth inning, Henderson was batting with the bases loaded
42:09against Eric Orsi and flied out to right.
42:12And the Orioles did not score left three.
42:17The only run for Baltimore came back in the second.
42:27The 1-1 from Sands.
42:301-2.
42:3287 on a cutter.
42:37That was the go-to pitch for Sands in 2024.
42:40More cutters than anything else.
42:43A year ago, slightly more foreseen than cutter.
43:02Sands, former starter.
43:04Now on the pin.
43:08Alonzo on deck.
43:17Back-to-back splits.
43:21With two strikes.
43:26Hunter Henderson has swung and missed at six split-finger fastballs today.
43:30See if he goes back to it for a third time.
43:33He struck him out.
43:34It was a cutter.
43:383-2.
43:40Big pitch.
43:40And Sands strikes out Henderson.
43:42Two down.
43:49Well, that add-on run they were able to get makes this at-bat a lot less stressful.
43:54The Alonzo in the box.
43:57Now not a chance to tie this thing up.
43:59You still have that comfort level is the right word.
44:04But knowing that one swing doesn't tie the game in this situation, you know that you can go right at
44:11them.
44:11And by no means did Cole Sands want to walk Taylor Ward.
44:15But you do have that little bit of a buffer.
44:19And the same thing applies right here.
44:22You should have no worries about trying to attack Pete Alonzo in the way that you want to.
44:30Twins pitchers have combined a strikeout 16.
44:34Baltimore batters today.
44:36Alonzo, two strikeouts.
44:39Twins not holding Ward on anymore.
44:44Chopped to Keyshaw.
44:45Takes it to second.
44:46And the Twins are in the win count for the first time in 2026.
44:51Final score.
44:52Twins four.
44:53Baltimore one.
44:55Royce Lewis.
44:56All smiles for good reason.
44:58Had a heck of a day.
44:59A two run homer.
45:01A walk and a run.
45:03Taj Bradley struck out nine of the Twins.
45:05Victorious 4-1 the final.
45:07Royce will join.
45:09Audra Martin next.
45:10Twins postgame.
45:11Live from Baltimore is coming up.
45:12Twins victorious.
45:14Twins baseball is powered by MLB.
45:20T
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