Even the cold weather couldn't cool off the Twins' bats in Week 8, with the squad picking up a crucial sweep in electrifying fashion. Game 1 featured another down to the wire finish and Game 2 showcased an all-around dominant performance to cap off an exciting morning at Spirit Park.

Game 1 vs Shaw/Hathcock's Braves: The Braves opened the game with authority, taking a quick 5-0 lead going into the home half of the inning. Rookie Taylor Phillips set the tone in the bottom of the first with a leadoff inside-the-park HR to start the scoring for the Twins. Following a Joe Calvano double, Dustin Bone laced an RBI single to make it 5-2 after one. The Braves added two in the second, but the Twins were poised to answer back. Super-Sub Roy White led off with a walk, then Karlos Rodriguez, Ray Darragh and Pedro Reyes all added singles to make it 7-5. The Braves continued to stroke the ball and would add six in the top of the third, but the Twins had zero intention of lying down. Calvano opened the third with a double and would score on another Bone RBI single. Tae Lee and Junior Nieves reached base to set the table for an RBI single from White. Later in the inning, Darragh would plate a pair on a base hit, Reyes and Dwayne Henson added singles (Henson's an RBI knock), and two runs would come around to score thanks to a Drew Waggoner 2-RBI double. Following the 9-run third inning: Twins 14, Braves 13. The Brave added 3 in the top of the fourth, but the Twins rallied for two more in the bottom of the inning thanks to doubles from Lee, Bone and White to send it to one-pitch extras all knotted up at 16. The Braves scratched across one in the top of the 5th, but the Twins were ready to deliver the final knockout blow. Reyes continued his clutch hitting by opening the inning with a single, then Phillips added a double to make it second and third with one out. Following a Waggoner walk, the table was set for Captain Calvano to play the hero. Calvano laced a single and Phillips raced around the base paths to score the winning run and seal the 18-17 Twins walk off win in an instant classic of a game. Full Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mubXfjWqYg

Game 2 vs Cova's Mets: Quickly re-grouping and needing to lock back in following an intense game one, the Twins scored two in the second thanks to an RBI single from Rodriguez and a sacrifice fly from Darragh. The third inning saw the Twins plate two more, as Phillips started things off with a double and would score on a Waggoner RBI double. Calvano joined the party with an RBI double of his own to make it 4-0 Twins after three. Fast forward to the fifth, with Darragh and "line drive machine" Pedro Reyes lacing singles to set the table for Dwayne Henson who scorched an RBI single to plate a run. Phillips followed Henson's clutch knock with an RBI double to cap off a three-run fifth. Tae Lee and Junior Nieves opened the sixth with laser singles, and Karlos Rodriguez blasted an opposite field triple to plate two. Darragh would bring Rodriguez home on an RBI single to put the game on ice and seal an 11-0 shutout for the Twins. Full Game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS5ZWEreQIY

Captain Calvano's Players of the Week:
1-4/ROW Taylor Phillips: 5-8, HR, 3 2B's, 4 RBI's, 3 Runs, OF assist.
Ray Darragh: 4-5, 5 RBI's, 4 Runs and is locking in at the plate.
Pedro Reyes: 5-6, 2 RBI's, 3 Runs. On FIRE at the plate and was hitting line drives all morning. Also added a nice catch on a pop up behind home plate to preserve the shutout in Game 2.
Honorable mention to Roy White: 2-4, 2B, 2 BB's, 2 RBI's, 4 Runs. Fantastic pitching in cross winds on two different fields and delivered a shutout in Game 2.

Week 8 Twins Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5PDUGTPNjY

Preview YouTube video Week 8: Twins vs Mets (W, 11-0) 4/6/2025

Week 8: Twins vs Mets (W, 11-0) 4/6/2025