The Minnesota Twins survived a 13-inning war at Target Field on Wednesday, September 16, topping the New York Yankees 5-4 on a walk-off to close out an exhausting, back-and-forth regular season contest. Zebby Matthews was electric, Kreidler delivered the big swing, and Tommy Nance picked up the win in relief. Minnesota erased a deficit to get here, and when it was finally over, the Twins had earned every last run of it.

Zebby Matthews Dominates, Twins Bullpen Holds the Line

The Twins could not have asked for a better start from Matthews. The right-hander went a full six innings, struck out eight Yankees batters, allowed just two hits and two walks, and did not give up a single earned run. Against a lineup that came in capable of doing damage, that kind of performance set the tone and gave Minnesota's bullpen a realistic path to a win.

Jeff Hoffman followed with a clean inning — two strikeouts, no hits, no runs. A.J. Minter worked a frame, fanning two despite allowing a pair of hits. The game stretched deep into extra innings, and Travis Adams was the anchor in the late going, covering three full innings while allowing just two hits and one walk with no runs scored. Tommy Nance closed it out in the 13th with two strikeouts and a perfect inning to earn the win.

The one rough patch came from Yoendrys Gómez, who gave up three hits and two earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning — the kind of frame that can unravel a bullpen game. Kody Funderburk came on and got Minnesota out of the jam, stranding the damage at two runs.

Kreidler Homers, Keaschall Stays Busy at the Plate

Ryan Kreidler provided the most important swing of the night, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. In a game this tight, that solo shot was exactly the kind of punch Minnesota needed to keep pace with the Yankees.

Luke Keaschall was the Twins' most active hitter, going 3-for-5 with an RBI. He put the ball in play consistently and gave the Minnesota offense a reliable presence in the lineup throughout a long night at Target Field.

Yankees Couldn't Finish the Job Despite Bellinger, Volpe Contributions

New York had their chances. Cody Bellinger went 3-for-5 for the Yankees, and Anthony Volpe was 2-for-5 with two RBI — the primary source of New York's offense. Carlos Rodón started for the Yankees and went six innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks. The Yankees bullpen kept Minnesota off the board through the middle and late innings, but David Bednar allowed three hits over two frames and ultimately couldn't prevent the walk-off. John Schreiber took the loss after the Twins pushed the winning run across in the 13th.

Turning Point: Surviving the Gómez Frame and Pushing to 13

The game turned on Minnesota's ability to absorb adversity. When Gómez ran into trouble and the Yankees scratched back to tie or take the lead, Funderburk and the rest of the bullpen kept the deficit manageable. The Twins had trailed by one at some point, making this a genuine comeback win. That resilience — and Adams' ability to eat three scoreless innings late — is what kept Target Field buzzing long enough for the walk-off to happen.

What's Next for the Twins

  • Minnesota continues its regular season schedule with the next series coming up at Target Field.
  • The bullpen logged significant innings Wednesday — seven pitchers combined for seven frames — so roster management will be a consideration in the days ahead.
  • Zebby Matthews' eight-strikeout, zero-run outing gives the Twins a strong foothold heading into the next stretch of games.