Twins Hit Eight Home Runs in Win Over Angels

The Minnesota Twins tied a club record set in 1963 by hitting eight home runs in a 16-7 rout of the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on May 23rd. It was the eighth victory in Minnesota’s last nine games.

Although this was a record tying performance, the Twins have been pounding the ball this year, with a major league leading 98 home runs through their first 49 games. They also lead the majors in runs scored , OPS, slugging percentage, and total bases, and are second in batting average. The home runs have been spread out among several players, making it difficult to pitch around anyone in particular. Through May 23rd, Eddie Rosario led the club with 14 homers, followed by C.J. Cron (13), Max Kepler and Jonathan Schoop (10 each), and Mitch Garver and Jorge Polanco with 9 each. Polanco is also hitting an A.L leading .344. The home run totals could be even higher; power hitting DH Nelson Cruz, who hit 37 homers for Seattle last season, is on the injured list and has been limited to 35 games (he’s hit seven so far).

All this offense has helped Minnesota to a 33-16 record going into the Memorial Day Weekend. The Twins lead the A.L. Central by eight games over Cleveland; their .673 winning percentage is the best in the league. After finishing in last place in 2016, the Twins made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card in ’17, but failed to make the post season in ’18, finishing at 78-84. They are off to a great start through the first third of the season, and could very well win their first A.L. Central title since 2010.