MILWAUKEE — The streak may be over, but Royce Lewis appears to be locked in at the plate, or very close to it.
Had it not been for the heroics of Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio in the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon, the Twins might still be playing.
Chourio robbed Lewis of his second home run of the day, a drive that would have been a tying homer, and the Brewers rode it to a 5-2 win over the Twins, who saw their major-league-best 13-game winning streak come to an end.
Advertisement
Lewis earlier blasted a solo homer, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a poor start by Zebby Matthews, who allowed four earned runs in three innings, including one in the second inning that ended a Twins-record 34-inning scoreless streak.
“It’s a phenomenal play,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Chourio’s catch. “Changes everything going on in the game. … There’s a lot of work to be done and I told them we’re just kind of scratching the surface as far as what we’re capable of this year. That was just a great run, one of the best two-week spans of baseball I’ve ever been a part of in my life. We want to get it going again (Monday) and start a new one.”
Lewis looks as if he’s ready to start a new reign of terror against opposing pitchers.
Throughout the early part of his return after missing 34 games, the third baseman noted he’d been happy with his approach at the plate, but was still working on timing.
Slowly but surely, Lewis is finding his groove, one which started with a two-hit effort in a May 11 win against the San Francisco Giants after going hitless in his first 15 at-bats of the season. Lewis doubled in Saturday night’s victory over the Brewers and reached base three times.
Batting for the second time Sunday, he blasted a 417-foot homer off Freddy Peralta, the ball exiting his bat at 109.5 mph.
Four innings later, Lewis nearly got another one, though he didn’t get all of it. Facing reliever Nick Mears with a man on second, Lewis belted a low liner toward left-center. Once he reached the wall, Chourio leapt and pulled the drive back over the fence to keep Milwaukee in front 4-2.
“If he doesn’t catch that, I think we win the game, for sure,” Lewis said. “It changes the momentum. … I feel great. I feel like I just had my spring training. Those first 40 at-bats, I was just trying to get back, and I still have a long way to go. There is a lot of season, thank goodness for that.”
JACKSON CHOURIO BRINGS IT BACK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/g1VuHei4wt
— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2025
Over his last seven games, Lewis is hitting .308/.357/.462.
Here are more takeaways after a strong weekend in Milwaukee in which the Twins started the “Molitor Cup” with wins in two of three games.
Zebby Matthews allowed four runs in three innings with five strikeouts in his season debut for the Twins. (Michael McLoone / Imagn Images)
• Matthews’ outing featured a bit of everything, including a 43-pitch third inning in which he walked three batters and yielded three runs. Making his first big-league start of the season, Matthews struck out the side in the first inning, ending it by painting a 98 mph fastball on the outside corner to William Contreras.
Advertisement
He allowed a run in the second inning but wiggled out of more trouble with dominant stuff. Then in the third, Matthews lost the zone. After striking out the first two batters he faced, Matthews loaded the bases on three straight walks.
Milwaukee pounced on the opportunity with three runs on two singles.
“The first inning went pretty well,” Matthews said. “But then to not finish the start, definitely leaves a bad taste in the mouth. … I’ve just got to be better on my part there.”
• The first sign that Danny Coulombe was hurt arrived Friday night when Baldelli opted for Griffin Jax instead of the lefty during an inning in which two left-handed hitters were due. On Sunday, the Twins acknowledged that Coulombe, who has 19 strikeouts over 16 2/3 scoreless innings, is recovering more slowly than they’d prefer from forearm soreness.
The Twins placed Coulombe on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm extensor strain. Coulombe and Baldelli downplayed the move, which is retroactive to Thursday. Coulombe said the soreness isn’t near his elbow and has bugged him most of the season.
“It’s been something I’ve been kind of just dealing with all year,” Coulombe said. “When you’re 35, you’re not going to feel good all the time. But it’s just something that’s gotten progressively a little worse. We feel good about it’s the time to get it right. I feel pretty optimistic it’s going to be a short absence.”
Said Baldelli: “I’m not going to say it’s the minimum (length of time out), but I’m optimistic that it won’t be too long.”
• Before the grounds crew could prepare the infield Sunday, Lee asked for several minutes to take groundballs at shortstop. With Carlos Correa out of the lineup, Lee is expected to get the bulk of work at shortstop.
He’s played the position his entire career, so Lee understands the importance of daily preparation and readying himself for the different angles and throws required compared with second and third base.
Advertisement
Valued at 1 Defensive Runs Saved by FanGraphs entering Sunday, Lee feels comfortable, though he’d prefer to play at a lighter weight to better handle the rigors of the job.
“You have to do it repetitively to stay on top of it,” Lee said. “Just working the different angles of where you need to start the ball. … It’s different. If I lost five or 10 pounds, I’d be in better shape to play the position. I feel good, I just want to excel at it.”
• Kody Clemens’ increased bat speed isn’t a function of different offseason work, nor anything new imparted by the Twins’ hitting coaches.
Clemens, 29, thinks a 3 mph increase on competitive swings from a season ago is a combination of regular play, good mechanics and perhaps reaching his physical prime. According to Baseball Savant, Clemens, who doubled and flew out to the wall in Sunday’s loss, has a 73.4 mph average bat speed, up from 70.5 mph a year ago and better than the league average (71.6 mph).
“I try to keep it as simple as possible,” Clemens said. “Almost dumbing it down to: see ball, hit ball. Someone mentioned that to me and I didn’t even know. … Maybe I’m in my prime. I’ve never really tried to increase bat speed. It’s all about timing and rhythm and my swing.”
Clemens has appeared in 15 of 19 games (and started 11) since the Twins acquired him for cash from the Philadelphia Phillies on April 26. In his career, Clemens has only one other longer, consistent run of games, playing in 35 for Philadelphia from mid-May 2023 into July while Bryce Harper was out with an injury.
Son of legendary pitcher Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, Kody is taking advantage of his chances with the Twins, hitting .297/.381/.622 in 42 plate appearances.
• While Carson McCusker couldn’t catch a flight to Milwaukee, at least his family did. The latest Twins minor leaguer to deal with travel issues from Des Moines, Iowa, McCusker made the 5 1/2-hour drive to Milwaukee on Saturday evening to join the Twins for their series finale.
Advertisement
Whereas teammate Ryan Fitzgerald’s Thursday flight was delayed, which prompted him to drive, there were no available flights for McCusker to catch Saturday. Flying from out west, McCusker’s family was able to catch a red-eye flight Saturday to be in attendance for the 26-year-old’s first day in the big leagues.
“Pure excitement,” McCusker said. “Just ready to go. … It’s honestly kind of a lot to take in. It’s definitely a blessing. It’s kind of crazy, looking back where I was to where I am now, that I was able to get here and do it.”
McCusker pinch hit in the eighth inning Sunday, grounding out the pitcher in major-league debut.
• The Twins celebrated Correa reaching 10 years of big-league service time before Sunday’s game.
“It’s something every player takes an immense amount of pride in,” Baldelli said. “It’s something that elicits emotion, gets guys fired up and it’s one of those few times where a guy gets to be the center of attention not for just hitting a big homer or saving the game. But it’s a lifetime achievement you get to celebrate with your teammates, and that’s a special thing.”
(Top photo of Royce Lewis: Michael McLoone / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Rulík slaví postup Floridy. Jeho další zlatý hoch může na MS
Jako přes kopírák. V pátém utkání Panthers zvítězili v Kanadě 6:1 a v noci na pondělí našeho času si dominantní výhru v sedmém a rozhodujícím duelu ve Scotiabank Areně zopakovali. Tučným písmem se pod ní podepsal Eetu Luostarinen a radost svému bývalému spoluhráči z Bostonu Davidu Pastrňákovi udělal Brad Marchand. Oba si připsali gól a dvě asistence.V první třetině to na krasojízdu obhájce prvenství nevypadalo. Hosty výrazně podržel gólman Sergej Bobrovskij, který vyčapal šanci Scotta Laughtona a především zlikvidoval samostatný únik Stevena Lorentze.Prostřední část už patřila Floridě, v jejíž čtvrté lajně se znovu objevil pardubický odchovanec Tomáš Nosek. Soupeře srazila na kolena hned třemi góly. Skóre utkání otevřel po třiadvaceti minutách přesným zásahem z kruhu obránce Seth Jones, který pláchl po křídle. Na 2:0 zvýšil Anton Lundell, k němuž se odrazil puk po zákroku Josepha Wolla. Brankový účet druhé dvacetiminutovky uzavřel po Jonah Gadjovich po ukázkové přihrávce Anthony Johna Greera.Na začátku posledního dějství snížil […]
Rulík slaví postup Floridy. Jeho další zlatý hoch může na MS
Jako přes kopírák. V pátém utkání Panthers zvítězili v Kanadě 6:1 a v noci na pondělí našeho času si dominantní výhru v sedmém a rozhodujícím duelu ve Scotiabank Areně zopakovali. Tučným písmem se pod ní podepsal Eetu Luostarinen a radost svému bývalému spoluhráči z Bostonu Davidu Pastrňákovi udělal Brad Marchand. Oba si připsali gól a dvě asistence.V první třetině to na krasojízdu obhájce prvenství nevypadalo. Hosty výrazně podržel gólman Sergej Bobrovskij, který vyčapal šanci Scotta Laughtona a především zlikvidoval samostatný únik Stevena Lorentze.Prostřední část už patřila Floridě, v jejíž čtvrté lajně se znovu objevil pardubický odchovanec Tomáš Nosek. Soupeře srazila na kolena hned třemi góly. Skóre utkání otevřel po třiadvaceti minutách přesným zásahem z kruhu obránce Seth Jones, který pláchl po křídle. Na 2:0 zvýšil Anton Lundell, k němuž se odrazil puk po zákroku Josepha Wolla. Brankový účet druhé dvacetiminutovky uzavřel po Jonah Gadjovich po ukázkové přihrávce Anthony Johna Greera.Na začátku posledního dějství snížil […]
A surprising Nuggets run ended with a fatal flaw exposed. Fixing it might be tricky
OKLAHOMA CITY — The handshakes and hugs among the Denver Nuggets rolled through a silent locker room one by one Sunday evening, as a group pushed to the brink so many times this season acknowledged that an almost improbable playoff run was finished. In the coming weeks and months, Denver as an organization will look to tackle a pivotal offseason. The Nuggets need to hire a head coach. They need to settle on a general manager. They need to figure out what has to happen to get an NBA championship-level core to another NBA championship.AdvertisementBut, at some point, the lack of depth, the lack of able bodies, was going to catch up to this Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray-led group. It was almost a certainty. You simply can’t keep playing six or seven guys 40 or more minutes a night […]
A surprising Nuggets run ended with a fatal flaw exposed. Fixing it might be tricky
OKLAHOMA CITY — The handshakes and hugs among the Denver Nuggets rolled through a silent locker room one by one Sunday evening, as a group pushed to the brink so many times this season acknowledged that an almost improbable playoff run was finished. In the coming weeks and months, Denver as an organization will look to tackle a pivotal offseason. The Nuggets need to hire a head coach. They need to settle on a general manager. They need to figure out what has to happen to get an NBA championship-level core to another NBA championship.AdvertisementBut, at some point, the lack of depth, the lack of able bodies, was going to catch up to this Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray-led group. It was almost a certainty. You simply can’t keep playing six or seven guys 40 or more minutes a night […]
NHL Playoffs 2025: Seth Jones’ big game powers Panthers past Maple Leafs, leads 3 Stars of the Night
Getty Images The Florida Panthers are advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for the third consecutive season. The Panthers mauled the Maple Leafs, 6-1, in front of the Toronto faithful on Sunday night.The biggest thorn in Toronto's side in this one was Florida defenseman Seth Jones, who played one of the best games of his career. Jones was active offensively, scoring a goal and adding an assist. He was also brilliant defensively, dominating his five-on-five minutes and quickly transitioning from defense to offense after turnovers.Additionally, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov once again showed how much he means to his team. While absorbing the toughest matchups, he still managed to make an impact on the scoreboard without giving up an inch.For the fourth straight game, Sergei Bobrovsky was almost unbeatable in goal for the Cats. To Florida's credit, Bobrovsky didn't see too […]
Lionel Messi, in rare interview, says reeling Inter Miami will ‘come through this’
<!--> Lionel Messi isn't happy right now. After Inter Miami was routed 3-0 by Orlando on Sunday night and fell to 1-5-1 in its last seven matches across all competitions, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion — who rarely gives interviews after matches — told Apple TV that it's imperative for the team to stick together."It’s a difficult time, but we’re going to come through this," Messi said in Spanish. "Now we’ll really see if we’re a team. These are difficult times. When everything is going well it’s very easy, but when difficult times come — like now — we have to be more united than ever, be a real team, and get through it."Inter Miami fell to 6-3-4 in Major League Soccer this season, sixth in the Eastern Conference. Messi's team set an MLS record […]
Related
Rulík slaví postup Floridy. Jeho další zlatý hoch může na MS
Jako přes kopírák. V pátém utkání Panthers zvítězili v Kanadě 6:1 a v noci na pondělí našeho času si dominantní výhru v sedmém a rozhodujícím duelu ve Scotiabank Areně zopakovali. Tučným písmem se pod ní podepsal Eetu Luostarinen a radost svému bývalému spoluhráči z Bostonu Davidu Pastrňákovi udělal Brad Marchand. Oba si připsali gól a dvě asistence.V první třetině to na krasojízdu obhájce prvenství nevypadalo. Hosty výrazně podržel gólman Sergej Bobrovskij, který vyčapal šanci Scotta Laughtona a především zlikvidoval samostatný únik Stevena Lorentze.Prostřední část už patřila Floridě, v jejíž čtvrté lajně se znovu objevil pardubický odchovanec Tomáš Nosek. Soupeře srazila na kolena hned třemi góly. Skóre utkání otevřel po třiadvaceti minutách přesným zásahem z kruhu obránce Seth Jones, který pláchl po křídle. Na 2:0 zvýšil Anton Lundell, k němuž se odrazil puk po zákroku Josepha Wolla. Brankový účet druhé dvacetiminutovky uzavřel po Jonah Gadjovich po ukázkové přihrávce Anthony Johna Greera.Na začátku posledního dějství snížil […]
Rulík slaví postup Floridy. Jeho další zlatý hoch může na MS
Jako přes kopírák. V pátém utkání Panthers zvítězili v Kanadě 6:1 a v noci na pondělí našeho času si dominantní výhru v sedmém a rozhodujícím duelu ve Scotiabank Areně zopakovali. Tučným písmem se pod ní podepsal Eetu Luostarinen a radost svému bývalému spoluhráči z Bostonu Davidu Pastrňákovi udělal Brad Marchand. Oba si připsali gól a dvě asistence.V první třetině to na krasojízdu obhájce prvenství nevypadalo. Hosty výrazně podržel gólman Sergej Bobrovskij, který vyčapal šanci Scotta Laughtona a především zlikvidoval samostatný únik Stevena Lorentze.Prostřední část už patřila Floridě, v jejíž čtvrté lajně se znovu objevil pardubický odchovanec Tomáš Nosek. Soupeře srazila na kolena hned třemi góly. Skóre utkání otevřel po třiadvaceti minutách přesným zásahem z kruhu obránce Seth Jones, který pláchl po křídle. Na 2:0 zvýšil Anton Lundell, k němuž se odrazil puk po zákroku Josepha Wolla. Brankový účet druhé dvacetiminutovky uzavřel po Jonah Gadjovich po ukázkové přihrávce Anthony Johna Greera.Na začátku posledního dějství snížil […]
A surprising Nuggets run ended with a fatal flaw exposed. Fixing it might be tricky
OKLAHOMA CITY — The handshakes and hugs among the Denver Nuggets rolled through a silent locker room one by one Sunday evening, as a group pushed to the brink so many times this season acknowledged that an almost improbable playoff run was finished. In the coming weeks and months, Denver as an organization will look to tackle a pivotal offseason. The Nuggets need to hire a head coach. They need to settle on a general manager. They need to figure out what has to happen to get an NBA championship-level core to another NBA championship.AdvertisementBut, at some point, the lack of depth, the lack of able bodies, was going to catch up to this Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray-led group. It was almost a certainty. You simply can’t keep playing six or seven guys 40 or more minutes a night […]
A surprising Nuggets run ended with a fatal flaw exposed. Fixing it might be tricky
OKLAHOMA CITY — The handshakes and hugs among the Denver Nuggets rolled through a silent locker room one by one Sunday evening, as a group pushed to the brink so many times this season acknowledged that an almost improbable playoff run was finished. In the coming weeks and months, Denver as an organization will look to tackle a pivotal offseason. The Nuggets need to hire a head coach. They need to settle on a general manager. They need to figure out what has to happen to get an NBA championship-level core to another NBA championship.AdvertisementBut, at some point, the lack of depth, the lack of able bodies, was going to catch up to this Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray-led group. It was almost a certainty. You simply can’t keep playing six or seven guys 40 or more minutes a night […]
NHL Playoffs 2025: Seth Jones’ big game powers Panthers past Maple Leafs, leads 3 Stars of the Night
Getty Images The Florida Panthers are advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for the third consecutive season. The Panthers mauled the Maple Leafs, 6-1, in front of the Toronto faithful on Sunday night.The biggest thorn in Toronto's side in this one was Florida defenseman Seth Jones, who played one of the best games of his career. Jones was active offensively, scoring a goal and adding an assist. He was also brilliant defensively, dominating his five-on-five minutes and quickly transitioning from defense to offense after turnovers.Additionally, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov once again showed how much he means to his team. While absorbing the toughest matchups, he still managed to make an impact on the scoreboard without giving up an inch.For the fourth straight game, Sergei Bobrovsky was almost unbeatable in goal for the Cats. To Florida's credit, Bobrovsky didn't see too […]
Lionel Messi, in rare interview, says reeling Inter Miami will ‘come through this’
<!--> Lionel Messi isn't happy right now. After Inter Miami was routed 3-0 by Orlando on Sunday night and fell to 1-5-1 in its last seven matches across all competitions, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion — who rarely gives interviews after matches — told Apple TV that it's imperative for the team to stick together."It’s a difficult time, but we’re going to come through this," Messi said in Spanish. "Now we’ll really see if we’re a team. These are difficult times. When everything is going well it’s very easy, but when difficult times come — like now — we have to be more united than ever, be a real team, and get through it."Inter Miami fell to 6-3-4 in Major League Soccer this season, sixth in the Eastern Conference. Messi's team set an MLS record […]
Be the first to leave a comment