Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 8.27.25

Aug 27

2026 MLB schedule is out. The Twins play 17 games outdoors in Minneapolis before May 1. That seems a glaring oversight for a place where it regularly snows throughout April. Baseball starting March 25 is a moneygrab.

The Gophers are 17.5-point favorites for Thursday’s season opener against Buffalo in Dinkytown. A couple cupcakes to begin the season before B10 play begins at Cal in week 3.

Lynx host Seattle on Thursday. They’re up six with seven games left, and their closest pursuer, Atlanta, plays tonight. New York, which celebrated a win over the Lynx last week like they’d won another WNBA title, is in danger of not having home court in the first round.

Adam Thielen IS a Minnesota Viking. Max Brosmer is one of seven undrafted rookies to make the Vikings.

Twins Score Four in Ninth to Beat Jays

Late inning magic has been few and far between for the Twins, and that made last night’s 7-5 win at Toronto even more exciting.

The Twins gave up the game’s first four runs, and still trailed 4-3 entering the ninth. Mickey Gasper led off the ninth inning with his first career home run, and Matt Wallner later put the Twins on top for good with a three-run shot against one of the game’s best closers in Jeff Hoffman.

Justin Topa gave up a run in the ninth but got Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., to fly out as the potentialtying run.

It’s not all good, of course.

After two really good seasons, Bailey Ober seemed poised to take on a crucial No. 3 starter role this season, but it hasn’t panned out. (Hey, I couldn’t let my original lede get deleted).

Ober gave up the game’s first four runs last night, keeping his ERA over 5. Things have gone especially poor on the road, where Ober has lasted just a shade more than five innings per game in 10 starts.

Royce Lewis should be glad everyone wrote off the Twins two months ago, so no one’s paying attention to his .223 batting average (.199 at home). He’s slid to seventh in the batting order, and told media over the weekend he’s hesitant to chance anything so as not to hurt his stats. What stats is he worried about hurting?

Series finale north of the border tonight. Looks like a bullpen game for the Twins, who hadn’t named a starter as of press time.

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