Bailey Ober admits he was a little surprised when Rocco Baldelli told him, after five innings and only 69 pitches, that his outing was over on Monday afternoon. But with “where their lineup was falling and the way our bullpen was set up, I thought it was the best thing for us to go out there and win the game,” the manager said.

And for a while, it looked like the early hook might pay off.

The Twins rallied in the sixth inning for a pair of runs and tacked on another one in the seventh inning, using a Brooks Lee single to left to break open a tied game.

But in the eighth, consecutive doubles from Brooks Baldwin and Mike Tauchman added up to a pair of runs for Chicago, sinking the Twins in their 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the series opener at Target Field.

“What else do we really want after a tough start, being able to come back and take the lead in the seventh inning?” Baldelli said. “We just couldn’t hold it off and finish it.”

The Twins (62-75) did come back after falling into a three-run hole early when Colson Montgomery hit a leadoff home run in the second inning to get the White Sox (50-88) on the board in the second inning. A few batters later, Chase Meidroth took Ober deep, as well.

The longball continued to bite Ober, who has now given up 29 of them in 23 starts this season.

“It’s frustrating,” Ober said. “Just mistakes right now are getting hit.”

All told, Ober gave up four runs, but the Twins had some good at-bats throughout the game, chipping away at that deficit.

Byron Buxton’s bases-loaded walk forced in a run in the second inning. He scored later on a wild pitch combined with a throwing error, which brought him home from second, and the center fielder drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

Royce Lewis hit another home run, and Lee’s single accounted for the team’s final run of the game.

And yet, the Twins couldn’t hang on, dropping another game to the team with the American League’s worst record after losing two of three to them in August.

“After all that, we had the lead in the seventh inning,” Baldelli said. “We expect to win that game.”

López ready

Pablo López walked into the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday fresh off a second trip to Toledo, Ohio, in less than a week.

The starter, out since early June with a teres major strain, admitted he initially was hoping he might just need two rehab outings. He described some disappointment when he was told to go back to Triple-A for one more rehab start.

But after how Sunday’s start went, he said he was glad he did it.

López threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday, giving up four hits and striking out seven against Triple-A Toledo. Now he expects his next start will be in the major leagues, likely next weekend against the Kansas City Royals.

“I spent so much time prepping for 75 feet, 90 feet, flat grounds, bullpens and now … hopefully in four or five days from now doing it on a big league mound, I’m excited,” López said.

Briefly

The Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound on Tuesday in the second game against the White Sox. … Tuesday will mark the Twins’ second Bark at the Park of the season.

Minnesota Twins’ DaShawn Keirsey Jr. leaps to scores on a sacrifice fly hit by Byron Buxton during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Edouard Julien #47 of the Minnesota Twins strikes out against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning of the game at Target Field on Sept. 1, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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There were three new faces in the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday morning, but even more interesting was who was not there.

Come September 1, teams are allowed to expand their rosters from 26 players to 28. The Twins did that, while also optioning top pitching prospect Mick Abel to Triple-A, which is why they had three new players — Noah Davis, Travis Adams and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. — on the roster Monday instead of just two.

The decision to option Abel, whom the Twins acquired as part of the trade for Jhoan Duran in July, comes after he has made two appearances in the big leagues and has been hit hard in both of them, giving up 12 runs (11 earned) in four-plus innings as a Twin.

The Twins had six starters at the major league level — Abel, along with Taj Bradley, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews and Simeon Woods Richardson — with Pablo López’s return on the horizon. Abel, 24, made one start and the second time through, he came on in relief of Bradley. Optioning him to Triple-A will instead allow him to keep on schedule as a starter for the Saints.

“I’d say that’s probably the most important part of it,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Obviously as the manager and Pete (Maki) as the pitching coach, we would love to continue to watch Mick pitch at the big league level. But keeping him in a rotation, keeping him getting regular work, keeping his in-between start work consistent, sending him down and allowing him to do all those things and work on a few key areas of focus I think makes the most sense right now.”

The Twins want him to work on his sweeper while in Triple-A, a relatively new pitch for him. Baldelli also said they want him to get his two-strike plan and execution “more where he wants them to be.”

“He’s got great stuff,” Baldelli said. “I think he’s got a good mind. I think he has talked about pitching and his objectives really well. I think Pete was exceptionally happy with those conversations that he had with him, and we’re going to let him go keep starting.”

As for the new faces in the clubhouse, Adams is in his third stint with the Twins this season. The rookie has a 7.40 earned-run average across 24 1/3 innings and threw a scoreless inning on Monday.

Davis, acquired in a July trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched in two games for the Twins this summer, giving up five runs across three innings. And Keirsey has spent much of the season with the Twins, serving in a late-game pinch-running and outfield defense role.

“The September call ups … I really like it because it gives you a little extra depth. And it allows you, on the pitching side, being able to add an extra arm just really helps out,” Baldelli said. “It allows you to complete games a little bit differently.”

The Gopher football program’s recruit in the Oklahoma Sooners’ backyard has left the U’s 2026 recruiting class.

Offensive tackle Daniel McMorris of Norman, Okla., backed off his pledge to Minnesota on Monday, he said on X.

“After long talks with my family and God, I’m ready to announce that I will be de-committing from The University of Minnesota,” McMorris wrote. “I would like to personally thank Coach (Brian) Callahan and Coach (P.J.) Fleck for giving me the opportunity to be a Gopher and thank the whole Minnesota staff who recruited me through this process. I’m excited for what’s next. Let everything fall into God’s hands.”

The 3-star prospect will visit the Sooners campus this weekend and then Texas Tech in mid-September, per 247Sports.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, McMorris pledged to Minnesota on June 1, but then reportedly went on visits to Tulsa, Iowa State and Kansas State. He has offers from more than 20 programs.

The Gophers now have 23 commits for next year’s class.

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Koi Perich’s offensive role against Buffalo was a soft opening.

The Gophers standout played only seven snaps in the season-opening 23-10 win Thursday at Huntington Bank Stadium. On the second offensive play of the game, he caught a 12-yard out route along the sideline. That was the peak.

It was his only target of the game. On the second series, he lined up in a wildcat formation alongside tailback Darius Taylor, who kept the snap for a short gain.

“Offensively, we had a plan to play him more if we needed to,” head coach P.J. Fleck told the Pioneer Press on Monday.

The 17-point favorite Gophers led the Mid-American Conference opponent all game and pulled away with a one-sided, 10-point fourth quarter.

On defense, Perich played all 44 snaps, contributing two tackles.

KFAN sideline reporter Justin Gaard observed during the game that Perich “was itching” to contribute more, especially in the return game.

Buffalo had seven punts, but Perich was able to return only one, which he took back 18 yards.

Fleck previously said Perich’s contributions on offense will not be a gimmick this season, so fans can expect more snaps and touches in bigger games later on this season.

Catalyst?

Compared to Buffalo, the Gophers will be an even bigger betting favorite against Northwestern (La.) State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Minneapolis.

The Demons snapped a 20-game losing streak — the longest in FCS — with a 20-10 win over Alcorn State on Thursday. The skid started in November 2022.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team and a campus and a city as in need of a win as this football team, this university and Natchitoches did,” Northwestern State coach Blaine McCorkle said in the Vicksburg Post. “It allows everybody to take a sigh of relief and lets people know that this football program, this city and this campus loves so much is alive and well, and we’re going to be A-OK. A new day’s coming.”

Fleck compared Northwestern State’s win to what the Gophers did in snapping a 14-game losing streak to Wisconsin in 2018. “Those are program-defining wins that can really jumpstart a whole program,” he said.

“Horrible call”

Fleck doesn’t entertain hindsight very often, but was willing to do so Monday over the tush push play call in the first quarter on Thursday.

“That was a horrible call,” Fleck lamented. “That was bad. … When you are sitting there as a head coach saying, ‘I think I should call a timeout here. I really should call a timeout here.’ Ugh. Idiot.”

It was listed as fourth and inches, but it was more than a yard and 1/2, Fleck estimated.

“We call the tush push and we have 15 different ways to do it,” he said. “I’m not out on the tush push because of one play. That particular play, I didn’t like it.”

Instead of quarterback Drake Lindsey, tight end Jameson Geers lined up under center and was tackled for no gain by Bulls outstanding linebacker Red Murdock.

Driver’s status

Receiver Christian Driver remains with the Gophers football team, but he was sidelined during fall camp and the season opener.

“He’s dealing with some personal issues,” Fleck told the Pioneer Press, wanting to keep specifics private. “But we’re supporting him 100% and glad to have him on the team.”

It’s unclear if Driver will return to the field this season. The son of former Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, he had seven receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown in 11 games last season.

Closing statement

Nebraska tailback Emmett Johnson attended Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield and wanted to call attention to the mass shooting in Minneapolis last week. After rushing for a game-high 108 yards in the 20-17 win over Cincinnati on Thursday, Johnson called for prayers for the families affected in the tragedy when he was done with a press conference.

“It was right by my high school back home,” he told reporters in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. “I had it written on my wrist during the game.”

Briefly

Last year, the Gophers missed 22 tackles in season-opening loss to North Carolina. Fleck credited new defensive coordinator Danny Collins’ practice work on the fundamental for Minnesota not being docked even one missed tackle against Buffalo. Not having to tackle Omarion Hampton makes that easier; the former Tar Heels tailback was a first-round NFL draft pick by the Chargers last April. … The same five offensive lineman played all 80 snaps together on Thursday, with Fleck adding: “hopefully (we’ll) play even more people on the offensive line as we keep moving forward.” … Top in-state true freshman Emmanuel Karmo of Robbinsdale Cooper was on the opening kickoff coverage team Thursday, just like Perich was against the Tar Heels last year.

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