The Minnesota Twins got another win Thursday to make it five straight and a sweep over the Baltimore Orioles. They welcome the San Francisco Giants to Target Field for three this weekend and they're doing it with a renewed energy thanks to strong pitching, an offense that has finally woken up from early-season slumbers - and Byron Buxton.
Yes, Buxton is hitting the ball well, scoring runs and stealing a few bases as well. But as was on display again on Thursday, Buxton's defense is a part of his game that really separates him from most major leaguers and it's saving games.
Emmanuel Rivera and Ramón Laureano had RBI doubles in back-to-back innings off Twins starter Bailey Ober for a 2-1 lead in the third. Buxton threw out Rivera, who doubled and was trying to score on Gunnar Henderson's single in the sixth.
That may sound simple, but when you watch the play, you see the amazing arm talent the Twins have in Buxton. There are very few centerfielders in MLB that can throw Rivera out on that play and kept the Twins tied with Baltimore.
"It was another play for his reel is what it was," manager Rocco Baldelli said after the game. "I thought there was a chance, but again, it comes down to, you basically got to make a perfect throw. You got to make a perfect throw from 250-feet away as quickly as you can. He's the man. That's not something that you put past him. You're not shocked when he does it. I'll tell you that because on top of the things - on top of his legs and you know how those move, his arm moves like that too."
That set the stage for Brooks Lee to be the hero with a go-ahead, two-run double in the 8th inning and a Twins win.
But the game could have changed dramatically if Rivera scores and the Orioles take a 3-2 lead.
"It was a perfect, perfect throw," Twins catcher Christian Vázquez said. "It was a slow runner from 2nd base to home and he's got a great arm too. So it was perfect throw."
After a couple if injury-plagued seasons, the Twins decided to put Buxton in the designated hitter role for the 2023 season so they could keep his bat in the lineup. It was a struggle. Buxton hit only .207 and still only played 85 games. His knee was sore. Even going back to spring training. He tried to play but it didn't go well after some early-season success.
August 1, that was it. His hamstring tightened up and the Twins shut him down. That lasted two months. Buxton was activated for postseason game and got an at-bat in Game 4 of the ALDS against Houston, a moment Buxton called "one of the best moments of my career" when fans showered him with a huge ovation. He ended up popping out. That was it for 2023, and offseason knee surgery awaited.
For most fans, that was it for the promise of greatness in centerfield for Buxton. There's no way he would be healthy enough to play 100+ games in center anymore. But the team - and Buxton - surprised everyone by jumping back into the field in 2024.
It wasn't perfect. Buxton did accomplish two things he set out to do though. He played over 100 games (102) and he - perhaps most importantly - finished a season totally healthy. No offseason rehab. No surgery. A chance to get to spring training ready to play instead of waiting to see if he can run at 100%.
We're now seeing what a healthy Buxton can do. He leads the team in home runs, stolen bases, RBI's, slugging and OPS. But that defense? He's back to making amazing catches and showing off that rifle-right arm.
Add in new left field Harrison Bader who is just as good or maybe even better defensively.
"The addition of of Bader does a lot of things I think for an outfield," Baldelli added. "That strengthens you in a lot of ways and (he) takes an immense amount of pride in the way he plays. You complement that with Buck and the rest of our group and it it looks really good."
The Twins now have one of the best defensive outfields in MLB, a vast improvement over the weak defense they played out there last season. And it is finally showing off in the win column.
"I don't know what any of the numbers would say, but I think our outfield defense has been outstanding," Baldelli said Thursday. "And I think that not only is a strength of ours, I can't imagine there being an outfield defense that's helping their team win games the way that ours does."
SERIES PREVIEW
San Francisco Giants (24-14, third in the NL West) vs. Minnesota Twins (18-20, fourth in the AL Central)
Minneapolis; Friday, 7:10 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Pregame on 830 WCCO and the Audacy App (in-market restrictions apply). WCCO's Henry Lake will also be live for a special pregame show at 6:00 p.m. at Minneapolis' Inbound Brewing Friday.
PITCHING PROBABLES: Friday - Giants: Jordan Hicks (1-3, 6.03 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 34 strikeouts); Twins: Chris Paddack (0-3, 5.57 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 24 strikeouts)
Saturday - Giants: Webb, Twins: Ryan
Sunday - Giants: Roup, Twins: Lopez
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Twins -117, Giants -103; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Twins host the San Francisco Giants on Friday to begin a three-game series.
Minnesota has an 18-20 record overall and a 12-6 record at home. The Twins have a 9-16 record in games when they have allowed at least one home run.
San Francisco is 12-9 on the road and 24-14 overall. Giants hitters have a collective .387 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the NL.
Friday's game is the first time these teams square off this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Byron Buxton has five doubles, two triples and nine home runs for the Twins. Ryan Jeffers is 11 for 35 with three doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Wilmer Flores leads the Giants with seven home runs while slugging .429. Willy Adames is 11 for 36 with three home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Twins: 6-4, .265 batting average, 2.79 ERA, outscored opponents by 17 runs
Giants: 6-4, .252 batting average, 3.34 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs
INJURIES: Twins: Joe Ryan: day-to-day (illness), Luke Keaschall: 10-Day IL (forearm), Matt Wallner: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Michael Tonkin: 15-Day IL (shoulder)
Giants: Tyler Fitzgerald: 10-Day IL (ribs), Casey Schmitt: 10-Day IL (side), Jerar Encarnacion: 60-Day IL (finger), Thomas Murphy: 60-Day IL (back)