Gray did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over four innings against Oakland while striking out four.
Gray allowed three hits over the first two innings, with the last one driving home JJ Bleday to give the Athletics their first run of the game. However, the right-hander would not allow another hit over his next two innings of work before being relieved by Kenta Maeda to start the fifth. Gray now finishes the month of September with a sparkling 2.00 ERA and 27:4 K:BB as the Twins prepare for the postseason.
Maeda is not scheduled for another start this season, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Maeda last pitched on Sept. 19, when he struck out eight over five scoreless innings in Cincinnati. He projects to be used as a reliever in the postseason, and the Twins look to be shifting him to that role now. Maeda figures to see some bullpen work this weekend in Colorado so he doesn't go into the playoffs following such a long layoff. A scheduled bullpen game Saturday would seem to be a prime opportunity.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Starting Game 1 for Twins
Rotowire
Lopez will start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series for the Twins, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
It comes as no surprise since it's the way the pitchers have been lined up, but it will be Lopez in the first game and Sonny Gray in Game 2 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Lopez is certainly deserving of the honor, as he finished the regular season with a 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 234:48 K:BB over 194 innings in his first year in Minnesota.
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Twins' Carlos Correa: Won't return this weekend
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Correa (foot) will not rejoin the Twins before the end of the regular season, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
The original plan had been for Correa to travel with the Twins to Colorado for their final series of the regular season. However, the decision has been made for him to stay back and participate in simulated games instead. It is not being viewed as a setback, as Correa still appears in line to play in Game 1 of the Wild Card round next week. The veteran shortstop has been plagued by plantar fasciitis and will finish the 2023 season having slashed a disappointing .230/.312/.399 with 18 home runs over 135 games.
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Twins' Max Kepler: Sitting out Thursday
Rotowire
Kepler is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Kepler had started the previous three contests but will begin Thursday's afternoon tilt on the bench. Trevor Larnach is in right field for the Twins.
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Twins' Jorge Polanco: Absent from lineup
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Polanco is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Athletics.
Polanco will take a seat for the afternoon game after starting the previous three contests. Donovan Solano is at second base and Willi Castro is at third.
Twins' Ryan Jeffers: Knocks in three runs in victory
Rotowire
Jeffers went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI against Oakland in a 6-4 win on Wednesday.
Jeffers brought Minnesota even at 4-4 with his two-run blast to left field in the sixth inning and added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The backstop went 14 contests without a long ball between Aug. 25 and Sept. 17 but has now gone deep twice in his past four games. Jeffers already has a career-best 42 RBI this season, and he needs one more homer before the end of the campaign to tie his career-high mark of 14.
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Twins' Edouard Julien: Belts 15th homer
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Julien went 2-for-4 with a solo home run against the A's in Wednesday's 6-4 victory.
Julien began the Twins' half of the first inning with a bang, smacking a solo shot to right field. The long ball snapped an 0-for-11 stretch over his past four games and was his first extra-base hit since Sept. 17. Though he's somewhat faded down the stretch, Julien has still produced a solid .262/.380/.452 slash line with 15 homers, 33 RBI, 58 runs and three stolen bases through 393 plate appearances in his first season in the majors.
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Twins' Max Kepler: Perfect at plate Wednesday
Rotowire
Kepler went 4-for-4 and scored a run in Wednesday's 6-4 victory versus Oakland.
Kepler knocked four singles in the win, giving him his first four-hit performance of the season. He's been hitting well of late, collecting five multi-hit efforts over his past 13 games and batting .340 (17-for-50) with two homers, six RBI, 13 runs and a stolen base over that span. The late-season surge has lifted his batting average to .258 on the campaign, which is on pace to be a career-best mark.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Secures fourth save
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Jax picked up a save against the Athletics on Wednesday by striking out the only batter he faced.
Jhoan Duran worked the seventh inning Wednesday, giving Dallas Keuchel and Jax an opportunity to cover the final two frames. Keuchel pitched a scoreless eighth but put two runners on base in the ninth to bring the winning run to the plate, prompting Jax's entrance. Jax answered the call, striking out rookie phenom Zack Gelof to end the threat and notch his fourth save of the season. Two of those saves have come over his past three outings, but Duran's closer role is secure, so Jax should work primarily as a high-leverage setup option in the playoffs.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Takes no-decision Wednesday
Rotowire
Lopez allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against Oakland on Wednesday.
Lopez was handed an early two-run lead before giving up his first run in the third frame. The right-hander responded with a scoreless fourth but was lifted after giving up consecutive one-out hits in the fifth. Both of those runners came around to score after Lopez's departure, resulting his his mediocre final line. On a positive note, Lopez stuck out six batters to end up with 234 on the campaign, the most by a Twins pitcher since Johan Santana struck out 235 in 2007. Assuming this was his final regular-season appearance, Lopez complemented the punchout total with a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 194 frames covering 32 starts. HIs next trip to the mound should come in the AL Wild Card round, which begins next Tuesday.
Lewis (hamstring) played in a simulated game Wednesday at Target Field, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
He even hit a homer, per Park. Lewis has made a swift recovery from the mild left hamstring strain he suffered last Tuesday and could be activated from the injured list when first eligible this Sunday, the final day of the regular season. The 24-year-old is a key potential run producer for the Twins as they head into the playoffs.
Wallner went 1-for-3 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Athletics.
Wallner spearheaded the Twins' five-run first inning, launching a grand slam after Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff and Kyle Farmer were walked in back-to-back-to-back at-bats. Though the long ball was his only hit on the day, Wallner came around to score in the seventh inning after being intentionally walked. Over his last 13 contests, Wallner is 14-for-36 (.389) with two homers, 10 RBI and eight runs scored.
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Twins' Donovan Solano: Perfect at plate
Rotowire
Solano went 4-for-4 with one double and three runs scored in Tuesday's victory over the Athletics.
Solano broke out of his slump Tuesday, scoring thrice and reaching safely in all five plate appearances after entering the contest with one hit across his last eight games (24 at-bats). Through 129 games thsi season, Solano is slashing .286/.371/.401 with 41 runs scored, 38 RBI and a 22.3 percent strikeout rate.
