Another day, another win for the red-hot Minnesota Twins. The Twins notched their 12th consecutive win Saturday afternoon, thanks to six marvelous innings from Pablo López, timely hitting from Carlos Correa and a left-on-left homer from Max Kepler. They beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 (box score). Minnesota is 19-13 after starting the season 7-13.
“It’s not something I’ve really spent much time thinking about,” manager Rocco Baldelli said about the winning streak following Saturday’s win. “I just want to focus on playing good baseball, pitching well, and that’s what we’re really doing. It really starts with Pablo, just like it started with (Chris) Paddack (on Friday). To really bunch a bunch of good games together, you need guys to just take the mound and lead the way.”
Twins starters have a 3.49 ERA and are averaging 5.6 innings per start during the 12-game winning streak, and seven times in the 12 games the starter went at least six innings. Minnesota’s rotation was a bit of a question coming into the season — it lost AL Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray to free agency, remember — but the group has stepped up big time these last two weeks.
The 12-game winning streak is the longest in baseball this season — no other team won more than seven games in a row — and it is tied for the fourth longest in franchise history when you include the Washington Senators years (1901-60). Limit it to the Twins era, and it is their second longest winning streak ever.
- 15 games: June 1-16, 1991
- 12 games: April 22, 2024 to present (active)
- 12 games: Sept. 19 to Oct. 3, 1980
- 11 games: June 22 to July 3, 2006
- 11 games: Sept. 13-24, 2004
Minnesota has outscored its opponents 84-39 in the 12 games, or by 3.75 runs per game. Seven of the 12 wins have come against the lowly Chicago White Sox, but you can only play who the schedule says you have to play, and you’re supposed to beat bad teams. The Twins deserve credit for taking care of business against the ChiSox.
The Twins will send Joe Ryan (1-1, 3.38 ERA) to the mound in their series finale with the Red Sox on Sunday. Boston will counter with Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.65 ERA).
