Twins return from the All-Star break, get back to a .500 record

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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There were no tears when the Twins scored four runs in the third inning Friday at Wrigley Field, but there was plenty of sweat and even some blood.

In the first game out of the All-Star break, an important time given the proximity to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, the Twins rode their early run support to a 5-2 victory in their series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

Even more symbolic, the Twins (49-49) reached a .500 record for the first time since they were 12-12 on April 22.

The Twins were a season-low eight games under .500 on June 13, with a 32-40 record, and they responded by winning 17 of their last 26 games. They sit three games back in the American League Central division standings, and they’re tied for the AL’s third wild-card spot.

Luke Keaschall, who reached base three times and made a highlight sliding catch in center field, started the decisive third-inning rally when he reached on an infield single, a slow roller to shortstop. Tristan Gray followed with a grounder to first base, a potential double play ball, but a throw to second base glanced off Keaschall’s hand as he slid, and the ball hit Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson in the face.

Swanson, who bloodied his lip and mouth, fell to the ground, and Keaschall advanced to third base. Swanson remained in the game, but the Twins offense pounced with an extra out and extra baserunner.

Trevor Larnach poked an RBI single through the left side of the infield, hitting a full-count changeup from Cubs starter Colin Rea that was located off the plate. Two pitches later, Ryan Jeffers drilled a three-run homer into the left field bleachers for his first home run since he underwent hamate surgery.

The Twins have the highest-scoring offense in the American League, and they were apparently intent on picking up where they left off. The Cubs own a 20-9 record since June 11, the best mark in the National League.

In the seventh inning, after the Cubs climbed within two runs, Austin Martin and Keaschall drew back-to-back walks against reliever Drew Pomeranz. Ryan Kreidler drove in Martin with a pinch-hit RBI single to left field.

Twins righthander Bailey Ober, making his second start since returning from a five-week stint on the injured list, allowed five hits and two runs over 5⅓ innings while striking out seven.

Ober walked the first two batters he faced Friday at Wrigley Field, and it felt like they were about to repeat history.

When the Twins came out of last year’s All-Star break, they stumbled against the lowly Colorado Rockies. The first four batters reached base against starter Chris Paddack — double, double, triple and homer — and the Twins trailed by four runs before recording their first out. It was the start of a tailspin that led to 11 players being dealt at the trade deadline.

Ober gave up one run before he recorded an out, yielding an RBI single to Inver Grove Heights native Michael Busch, before escaping with a strikeout against Alex Bregman and an inning-ending double play.

The Cubs opened the second inning with back-to-back singles from Nico Hoerner and Michael Conforto before Ober followed a similar formula. He struck out Carson Kelly before inducing an inning-ending double play.

Maybe this year is different after all.

Ober struck out five straight batters, beginning in the third inning, generating swings and misses with his 87-mph fastball, changeup and sweeper. After the two singles in the second inning, Ober retired 11 of his next 12 batters.

The Cubs scored a run in the sixth inning. Seiya Suzuki dropped a leadoff double down the left-field line against Ober before later scoring on a wild pitch from Twins reliever Tommy Nance. Acquired in a trade last week, Nance stranded two runners on base when Conforto flew out to the warning track in center.

In the eighth inning, Suzuki lined a 93-mph cutter from reliever Andrew Morris into the left-center gap, but Keaschall made a sliding catch at the front of the warning track. Keaschall smiled at Larnach, the left fielder, after he completed the grab while Morris mouthed, “Wow,” from the mound.

Wow, indeed. The Twins, with two weeks remaining before the All-Star break, are back to .500.