The Twins fell to the Tigers 10-5 on June 28, 2025, as homers from Byron Buxton & Carlos Correa weren't enough to overcome Bailey Ober's rough start.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's a frustratingly familiar story for the Minnesota Twins. Flashes of individual brilliance, including long balls from Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, were once again overshadowed by a pitching collapse and a lack of timely hitting, leading to a 10-5 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. The loss ensures the Twins cannot win the series, continuing a miserable June that has seen the team's postseason hopes dwindle with each passing day.
The Twins are on pace to finish June with fewer than 10 wins for the first time since 1995, having gone just 3-12 over their last 15 games.
The Twins' power was on display Saturday, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with Detroit's barrage. Byron Buxton got things started with a two-run shot in the third, and Carlos Correa tried to spark a late rally with a mammoth 430-foot, two-run homer in the eighth. But for every Twins highlight, the Tigers had an answer and then some. Starter Bailey Ober had a night to forget, getting tagged for seven runs on 11 hits over five innings, including all four of Detroit's home runs. The game might have been different if not for a spectacular defensive play in the second inning, when Kerry Carpenter robbed Ryan Jeffers of a go-ahead home run, a moment that felt like a turning point in the lopsided affair.
Amidst the team's struggles, Byron Buxton continues to be a must-watch player. His third-inning homer was paired with a stolen base, marking the 15th time in his career he's accomplished the feat in a single game. That ties him with Twins legend Gary Gaetti for third on the franchise's all-time list. Buck is putting together an All-Star caliber season, ranking among the American League leaders in OPS (.929), home runs (17), and slugging percentage (.577). He's the engine that's trying to get this team going, but he can't do it alone.
Let's not sugarcoat it: this has been a brutal month. The loss drops the Twins to just 3-12 in their last 15 games, and the team has not won a single series since the beginning of June. The slide has put them on a grim pace to finish the month with fewer than 10 wins, a mark of futility the franchise hasn't seen since 1995. What started as a promising season is now on life support, with the team unable to string together consistent pitching, hitting, and defense.
There's no time to dwell on the loss, as the Twins face a monumental challenge in the series finale. They'll send Chris Paddack to the mound against Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal, who is a perfect 9-0 in his last 14 starts. The game, a rare Sunday night contest from Comerica Park, represents a final chance to salvage a win from the series and avoid ending a disastrous month on yet another low note. It's a tall order, but for a team desperate for any positive momentum, it's a necessary one.
