Twins beat Royals 9-4 at Target Field on Aug 9, 2025. Clemens and Wallner homered, Jeffers had 3 hits, Keaschall hot; Wallner to paternity list, McCusker up.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Friday night felt like August baseball is supposed to feel at Target Field: loud, efficient, and a little bit ruthless. The Twins hammered the Royals 9-4 for their third straight win, riding homers from Kody Clemens and Matt Wallner, a three-hit night from Ryan Jeffers, and more rookie fireworks from Luke Keaschall. By Saturday morning, the momentum came with roster ripples—Wallner hit the paternity list, 6'8" outfielder Carson McCusker got the call, and the pitching staff took a couple of turns on the transaction carousel.
“Kody Clemens’ career-high 13th and Luke Keaschall’s 8 RBIs in three games say it all: the depth is delivering when it matters.”
Minnesota wasted zero time. Wallner launched his 16th of the season in the first to put the Twins on the board, and Clemens followed with a fourth-inning two-run shot—his career-high 13th—to break the game open. Jeffers kept the line moving with three hits and two RBIs, and Keaschall stayed scorching with two more singles and two RBIs. That makes six hits and eight RBIs in three games since the rookie returned from the IL. The Twins tagged Royals starter Seth Lugo for seven runs on nine hits in four innings, turning one of the AL’s craftier righties into damage control by the middle innings. Kansas City got solo shots from Mike Yastrzemski and Bobby Witt Jr., but Minnesota’s depth and traffic won the night.
Joe Ryan improved to 11-5, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts over five innings. It wasn’t a marathon, but it was exactly what the Twins needed: strike-throwing, tempo, and a handoff with a comfortable lead. When the offense is humming like this, five clean from Ryan is plenty to let the bullpen stack zeros and keep workload in check for a long August stretch.
A night after depositing No. 16, Matt Wallner steps away for the best possible reason. The Twins placed him on the paternity list Saturday morning and sent congratulations to the Wallner family. Wallner’s been a key thump source—even while batting .218, his 16 homers and 27 RBIs in 98 games have changed game scripts early and often. The Twins recalled Carson McCusker from Triple-A St. Paul to cover the outfield while Wallner is away. At 6'8", McCusker brings size, reachable power, and a target for pitchers to think twice about elevating. He gives Rocco Baldelli another right-handed corner option and a chance to keep the outfield defense and lineup balance intact.
Saturday also brought needed clarity on the mound. Simeon Woods Richardson hit the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 7), and Noah Davis was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. The immediate impact: expect some mixing and matching to cover innings while the rotation reshapes. Joe Ryan remains the tone-setter, but the bullpen could see a few higher-leverage looks spread around as the Twins navigate this stretch. The front office didn’t overcomplicate it—stability now, flexibility later—and the offense is doing enough heavy lifting to buy the staff time to reset.
Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez remains on the Triple-A IL with a right oblique strain (placed July 18), with a TBD return. That’s one reason McCusker is the next man up today—he’s healthy, he’s been in rhythm at St. Paul, and he fits a short-term need with Wallner out. The broader takeaway: the Twins have layers of outfield depth, even with their most ballyhooed bat on the shelf. If the big club keeps scoring like this, there’s no rush to force a rehab timeline for Rodriguez.
The Twins’ official X account kept it simple and celebratory: congrats to the Wallner family, welcome to Carson McCusker, and here are the roster moves. Fans responded in kind—well-wishes for Wallner, curiosity about McCusker’s frame and pop, and a lot of excitement about the team’s current run of form. Nothing like a Friday night rout to make Saturday morning transactions feel a little lighter.
What’s next: Minnesota continues the set against the Royals tonight at Target Field with a hot lineup and a few fresh faces. Keep an eye on McCusker’s potential debut, Jeffers’ mini-heater, and Keaschall’s runaway momentum. With Woods Richardson on the IL and Davis in St. Paul, the Twins will likely lean on matchup-driven bullpen usage behind their starters for a bit. If the bats keep landing early blows like they did against Lugo, the formula remains simple: score first, let the pitching play downhill, and stack wins while Wallner enjoys a different kind of home run trot—into dad life.
