Minnesota Update, 7.1.2023

The Twins and the Saints score some runs. Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! The celebration of the day that Canada became a country! Because, apparently, the British were mostly tired of them? I can’t say I understand; we Americans have spent so much time lionizing the American Revolution that it’s kind of hard to conceive that, a few decades later, the British would just decide that it’d be better for everyone if they left Canada alone.

Also I think that most Americans think of Canada, in general, as part of the United States. Not technically part of the United States, of course, but basically just the same thing with small differences. Like how Wisconsin has sideways stoplights for some reason.

Photo by HKTreks on Unsplash

Anyway, you didn’t come here for talk about Canada. You came here for talk about the Twins, who won 8-1 in Baltimore, on the heels of their players-only meeting in Atlanta after they scored three runs in three days in Georgia.

I have to admit, I’m rooting for this players’ only meeting to actually work, given that the outcome appears to be that the players vowed to no longer listen to their hitting coaches. Just in terms of hilarity, it would be wonderful if the Twins scored about 40 runs in Baltimore, as David Popkins slouched lower and lower on the bench.

That said… I’m watching you, Twins hitters. You still struck out eleven times on Friday night. You still were only 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position (admittedly an improvement on the Atlanta series, where you were 0-for-23). Six of the eight runs were still scored on home runs - from Bryon Buxton, Max Kepler, and Joey Gallo, maybe the three most all-or-nothing hitters on the roster.

Three big flies does not a hitting revolution make.

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The St. Paul Saints, meanwhile, are still just hammering the baseball. Three games into the second half of their season, they have three wins, and they’ve scored double-digit runs in every one of them, continuing the streak with a 10-3 win on Friday night.

Matt Wallner was once again the story, finishing 3-for-5, a home run short of a cycle. Jair Camargo also had three hits, and drove in two.

The other big story was on the mound, where Blayne Enlow made his third start at Triple-A, and held Gwinnett hitless through five innings. He also walked five guys, so it wasn’t exactly domination, but after getting hammered in his first appearance, he’s pitched 9.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits (and six walks).

Enlow, who’s 24, had a 3.17 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 54 innings as a starter for Wichita this year. It’d be nice to see him jump up a level and continue to have success, given the Twins’ inability to develop much for pitching recently.

TONIGHT’S SLATE

TWINS at Baltimore, 3:05pm
LOONS vs Portland, 7:30pm
LYNX at Phoenix, 9:00pm

AURORA vs Chicago City, 4pm
SAINTS vs Gwinnett, 6:07pm
CROWS at Bavarian United, 7pm

ON DECK

MNUFC2 vs Portland Timbers2, Sunday