Twins vs. Blue Jays: Unexpected Twist in Game 15 Leaves Fans Stunned!

So, this afternoon, the Twins aim to square the series and maybe sneak out a road victory in Toronto. Fingers crossed—Go Twins!

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First Pitch: 2:07 pm CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy

Not only did the Twins blow a 4-0 lead last night in what looked like a morale-boosting, streak-extending win against a top-tier opponent, but they also officially lost two players, as Royce Lewis and Cody Laweryson hit the IL.

It’s the kind of 12-hour implosion all too familiar to the Twins, which is part of the reason that having Joe Ryan on the bump today could serve as a nice stabilizer before the series gets away from Minnesota.

In a season that requires him to step up to the level of a true ace, Ryan has had a pair of nice starts (@BAL and vs. DET), as well as a four-inning clunker against the Kansas City Royals. Perhaps the most encouraging stat is his having avoided the long ball in 14 innings so far this season, even as his H/9 and BB/9 rise above their usual averages. Ryan is 2-1 against the Jays in his career, with a 4.70 ERA in four total starts.

Random sidebar. Did you know that Joe Ryan has never intentionally walked a hitter? This sent me on a dive, whereupon I learned that actually, Mick Abel is the only member of the starting rotation to have intentionally walked a hitter in his career. Upon reflection, I suppose the proper conditions usually leading to an intentional walk are rarely present early enough in a game for a starter to be the one tasked with issuing the free pass. But I wouldn’t have guessed that the full rotation had one career IBB between them, and that it belonged to the second-youngest guy on the club.

Anyway. The Blue Jays will be tossing Eric Lauer, who boasts a career 8.80 ERA against the Twins. This is Lauer’s second season in Toronto, having pitched for the Padres and Brewers for six years before exclusively pitching in the KBO and the minor leagues in 2024. He returned to the Jays after they selected Lauer’s minor-league contract last year, and ultimately threw 4.2 innings in the marathon World Series Game 3 last October.

Lauer’s another lefty. Who would have guessed, with the way things have matched up for the Twins so far in 2026? He features a four-seam well below league-average lefty velocity, and a change/cutter/slider mix bolstered by a very occassional curveball.

The Twins will try to even the series this afternoon and give them a chance for a road victory against the Blue Jays. GO TWINS GO!