The Twins scored five first-inning runs during an 11-3 rout of the Oakland A's at Target Field. Matt Wallner hit a grand slam in the inning, and Minnesota led for the rest of the game. Alex Kirilloff also went deep in the victory, while Donovan Solano collected four hits. Bailey Ober struck out eight and allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings to earn his eighth win. The Twins have won five of six to improve to 84-and-73. Pablo Lopez starts for Minnesota against the A's tonight. Tune in on KWNG & WBHA at 6 pm, 1st pitch at 6:40 pm.
The Timberwolves made one more addition to their roster before the start of training camp. The team signed forward Matt Ryan to a two-way contract yesterday. The Wolves acquired Ryan in the middle of last season, and he averaged three-and-a-half points in 22 appearances with the team. Training camp officially gets underway today.
The Minnesota Wild got crushed by the Dallas Stars in their second preseason game at American Airlines Center. Jujhar Khaira lit the lamp early to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. However, Minnesota surrendered three goals in the second and three in the third. The Wild are 1-1-and-0 in exhibition play, and they host the Avalanche tomorrow night.
The Vikings have opened up a spot on their 53-man roster. The team released running back Myles Gaskin yesterday. Gaskin had some solid seasons with the Dolphins earlier in his career, but he didn't see the field in three games with Minnesota this year. The team traded for Rams running back Cam Akers last week, while Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler were already ahead of Gaskin on the depth chart. The 0-and-3 Vikings visit the Panthers on Sunday.
The Packers are optimistic a pair of key offensive pieces will suit up for Thursday Night Football. Christian Watson told the media yesterday he plans to make his season debut against the Lions at Lambeau after missing the first three games of the season with a hamstring injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur said the team was also "cautiously optimistic" that Aaron Jones will play in the NFC North showdown. Green Bay and Detroit are tied for first place in the division at 2-and-1.
The Cardinals put the clamps on the Brewers and took the series opener 4-1 from Milwaukee. Miles Mikolas earned the win after giving up just one run while striking out five batters and allowing five hits over seven innings. Ryan Helsley tallied his 13th save of the season in the ninth as the bullpen held Milwaukee hitless over the final two frames. Carlos Santana drove in the lone run for Milwaukee, which still clinched the NL Central division title despite the loss. The series continues tonight.
The Phillies clinched a playoff berth following a 3-2, walk-off victory over the Pirates in extras from Citizens Bank Park. Johan Rojas stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 10th and laced an RBI single to end the game. Brandon Marsh ended Mitch Keller's no-hit bid with a solo homer in the sixth inning while Bryce Harper also drove in a run. The Phils improved to 88-and-69 and are leading the NL Wild Card standings. The Diamondbacks and Cubs currently hold the final two Wild Card spots in the National League.
The Baltimore Orioles are mourning the loss of Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson at age 86. The club and his family issued a joint statement saying, Robinson will continue to "leave a lasting impact on our club, our community and the sport of baseball." Robinson played his entire career with the Orioles from 1955 to 1977. An 18-time All-Star, Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and helped the Orioles win two World Series championships in 1966 and 1970. He is regarded as the best defensive third baseman in MLB history.