{"id":60824,"date":"2023-08-18T10:52:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T14:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=60824"},"modified":"2023-08-18T10:52:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T14:52:37","slug":"twins-take-on-pirates-in-exciting-mlb-showdown-at-target-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/08\/18\/twins-take-on-pirates-in-exciting-mlb-showdown-at-target-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Twins Take on Pirates in Exciting MLB Showdown at Target Field"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/08\/16\/al-playoffs-race-wildcard\/\" target=\"_self\">Minnesota Twins<\/a> will face off against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/08\/11\/reynolds-hayes-break-out\/\" target=\"_self\">Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a> in an exciting MLB matchup at Target Field. Both teams are looking to make a push toward the playoffs, adding extra intensity to this game. The Twins currently hold a record of 63-59 and sit at the top of the American League Central division standings. On the other hand, the Pirates have a record of 54-67 and are sitting fourth in the National League Central division.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;34454&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2>Twins Take on Pirates in Exciting MLB Showdown at Target Field<\/h2>\n<p>The starting pitcher for the Twins will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lopezpa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pablo L\u00f3pez<\/a>, who holds a record of 8-6 with an ERA of 3.66. L\u00f3pez has been a reliable force on the mound for the Twins throughout the season, and they will be counting on him to deliver a strong performance in this crucial game. The Pirates will counter with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=jacksan01,jackso009and&amp;search=Andre+Jackson&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andre Jackson<\/a>, who is yet to earn a decision and has an ERA of 5.47. Both pitchers will be looking to shut down the opposing team&#8217;s offense and give their respective clubs a chance to win.<\/p>\n<p>[metabet_core_game_tile query=&#8221;530560&#8243; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; site_id=&#8221;lastwordonsports&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>The game is scheduled to take place at Target Field in Minneapolis. It will be broadcast on BSN. Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 18, with first pitch at 7:10 PM, US Central Time.<\/p>\n<h3>What to Watch For in This Exciting Matchup<\/h3>\n<p>&#8211; Keep an eye on Minnesota Twins catcher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=jeffery01,jeffer001rya&amp;search=Ryan+Jeffers&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Jeffers<\/a>, who has been having a phenomenal season at the plate. After struggling in previous years, Jeffers has made significant adjustments to his swing, resulting in an impressive .280 batting average and an .862 OPS. He will be a key player to watch in this game.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Despite their current record, the Pittsburgh Pirates have several young and promising players making their mark on the team. Pay attention to the performances of players like Andre Jackson, who will be making his second start, and see if they can provide a spark for the Pirates.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; As both teams aim to climb the standings in their respective divisions, this game holds extra significance. A win for the Twins would help solidify their position at the top of the AL Central, while the Pirates will be looking to gain ground and potentially move up in the NL Central rankings.<\/p>\n<h3>Injuries<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Minnesota Twins:<\/strong> RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/stewabr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brock Stewart<\/a> (Elbow, D60), 3B <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=miranjo01,mirand008jos&amp;search=Jose+Miranda&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Miranda<\/a> (Shoulder, D10), SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/ryanjo04.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Ryan<\/a> (Groin, D15), SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/paddach01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Paddack<\/a> (Elbow, D60), 1B <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kirilal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Kirilloff<\/a> (Shoulder, D10), 2B <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gordoni01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Gordon<\/a> (Shin, D60), RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alcaljo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jorge Alcala<\/a> (Forearm, D60), RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/deleojo03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jos\u00e9 De Le\u00f3n<\/a> (Elbow, D60), LF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/castrwi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Willi Castro<\/a> (Oblique, D10), SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mahlety01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Mahle<\/a> (Arm, D60), DH <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/buxtoby01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Byron Buxton<\/a> (Hamstring, D10).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pittsburgh Pirates:<\/strong> RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/garcija04.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jarl\u00edn Garc\u00eda<\/a> (Arm, D60), SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/velasvi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vince Velasquez<\/a> (Elbow, D60), RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kranima01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Kranick<\/a> (Elbow, D60), SS <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/marcatu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tucupita Marcano<\/a> (Knee, D60), RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mlodzca01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carmen Mlodzinski<\/a> (Elbow, D15), CF Joshua Palacios (Illness, Day-to-Day), RP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moretda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dauri Moreta<\/a> (Back, D15), SS <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cruzon01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oneil Cruz<\/a> (Ankle, D60), SP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brubajt01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JT Brubaker<\/a> (Elbow, D60), CF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/baeji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-08-18_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ji Hwan Bae<\/a> (Ankle, D10).<\/p>\n<p>Main photo credits:<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minnesota Twins will face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in an exciting MLB matchup at Target Field. Both teams are looking to make a push toward the playoffs, adding extra intensity to this game. The Twins currently hold a record of 63-59 and sit at the top of the American League Central division standings. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4389,"featured_media":60825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,26],"tags":[5886,660,3965,5630,6411,3434,1555,4265,1680,1255],"class_list":["post-60824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-twins","category-pirates","tag-alex-kiriloff","tag-byron-buxton","tag-chris-paddack","tag-joe-ryan","tag-max-kranick","tag-oneil-cruz","tag-pablo-lopez","tag-ryan-jeffers","tag-tyler-mahle","tag-vince-velasquez"],"modified_by":"Troy Brock","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4389"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}