MILWAUKEE — In the run-up to his first big league start of the season, Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews admitted that he had struggled with walks in a few of his minor league starts in 2025, but felt that his stuff had been good.

On Sunday at American Family Field, Matthews’ stuff generally was good, with five strikeouts in just three innings of work, but ultimately a series of walks proved to be his undoing.

Three Brewers who had gotten free passes in the third inning came around to score as Milwaukee beat the Twins 5-2 in the finale of their Rivalry Series, snapping the second-best win streak in franchise history at 13.

“Couldn’t get it done today. An amazing run over the last two weeks. I had to tell the guys that after the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “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 of baseball, one of the best two-week spans of baseball I’ve ever been a part of in my life, and we want to get it going again tomorrow and start a new one.”

The Twins begin a three-game series against Cleveland on Monday at Target Field. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.

Royce Lewis hit a homer, and was inches from a second, but Minnesota ultimately could not overcome Milwaukee’s early lead.

“It goes back to the walks there. It’s hard to get away with three walks in an inning regardless of the pitcher,” said Matthews, who only walked three. “Ultimately, get the two quick outs, (I’ve) got to finish the inning there. Definitely got to be better there.”

Matthews ran the Twins’ team record scoreless innings streak to 34 in the first, striking out the side on 11 pitches. But Milwaukee finally made a mark on its massive, and malfunctioning, scoreboard in the second inning.

Christian Yelich and Rhys Hoskins both singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Isaac Collins. When Sal Frelick dropped a single into right field, Yelich came in from third for the first Brewers run of the series.

After getting two quick outs in the third, Matthews made more trouble for himself, walking the bases loaded, then surrendering a two-run single to Collins, and another RBI single to Frelick as Milwaukee opened up a 4-0 lead. Matthews, who fell to 0-1 with the loss, ended up throwing more than 40 of his 71 pitches in that inning, which prompted a pitching change.

“It started out really strong. The fastball and the breaking ball all looked good. He throws a good cutter, as well, and he mixed that in,” Baldelli said. “But that inning, I think what happened was he probably lost the command a little bit. He threw a couple of strikes that he didn’t get calls on, and that doesn’t necessarily mean he would have gotten through the inning clean or anything like that. But it’s tough.”

Minnesota finally had an offensive answer in the top of the fourth when Lewis hit a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for his first home run of the season. The Twins got a pair of walks and an error in the inning to load the bases with two outs, but Ryan Jeffers flew out to right to end the threat.

After reliever Cole Sands set the Brewers down in order in the fourth, Kody Clemens sent a ball to the wall in deep center with two outs in the fifth, but Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio gloved it at the top of the fence.

Minnesota got a run back in the seventh, and was inches from tying the game in the eighth when Clemens led off with a double, then Chourio produced a web gem, leaping to pull a potential Lewis home run off the top of the fence in left center.

“If he doesn’t catch that, I think we win the game, for sure. It changes the momentum,” said Lewis, who noted the Twins are a confident bunch, despite the winning streak’s conclusion. “When a pitcher is smiling because he knows he got away with one, you know you’re in a good spot. I think we’re riding high. I know we lost today, but we had a great two weeks there. That was really awesome, and for me to be a part of it with these guys is special. We’re just going to keep going. We’re just getting started.”

With two outs, towering outfielder Carson McCusker made his major league debut as a pinch hitter and grounded out. He played right field in the bottom of the eighth.

After Minnesota pitchers had retired 13 straight Brewers, Milwaukee manufactured an insurance run in the eighth when William Contreras walked, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced on a grounder and scored on a sacrifice fly.

Royce Lewis #23 of the Minnesota Twins runs the bases following a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at American Family Field on May 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Royce Lewis #23 of the Minnesota Twins is congratulated by teammates following a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at American Family Field on May 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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MILWAUKEE – When Twins newcomer Carson McCusker steps into the batter’s box, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli doesn’t look at the rookie outfielder. He likes to look at the umpires and the faces of the opponents when they see the 6-foot-8 giant prepare to swing the bat.

Carson McCusker #60 of the Minnesota Twins swings at bat during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on May 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

“I look forward to putting him out there, watching him hit and also the reaction of the other team when he steps on the field,” Baldelli said prior to Sunday’s game in Milwaukee, after McCusker joined the big league club for the first time. “I always look forward to the umpires and the opposing catchers looking at our dugout, like ‘Look at this guy.’ ”

Originally from Nevada, by way of college baseball at Oklahoma State, McCusker was on a St. Paul Saints road trip in Des Moines when he got word that he was needed in Milwaukee, and he made the five-hour drive to the shore of Lake Michigan.

“It’s been crazy,” said McCusker in the Twins’ clubhouse on Sunday morning. “Drove up here last night, got in pretty late. But pure excitement, and just ready to go.”

In addition to his imposing frame, the nearly 27-year-old is known for his bat. In 137 at-bats for St. Paul this season, he hit .350 with 10 home runs.

“I look forward to getting him out there, watching him go out there and swing the bat. He can obviously impact the baseball in a big way,” Baldelli said. “He has been doing that at AAA all season long for us. And another guy, I mean, we have a number of them on the roster right now, but another guy that’s really earned a tremendous opportunity to come here and do it. And I’m sure he’ll be twitching and sweating and waiting to get his name called and put out there.”

With the Twins recalling infielder Ryan Fitzgerald from the Saints on Friday, and pitcher Zebby Matthews joining the Twins from the Saints on Saturday, McCusker joked that he already feels right at home in the big league clubhouse.

“Just familiar faces and knowing some of the guys,” he said, having gotten to know many of the current Twins in spring training. “And then having some of the guys from the Saints up here as well makes it a lot easier.”

Coulombe headed to IL

Left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe became the Twins’ latest addition to their ever-growing list of unavailable players on Sunday, as he was added to the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 15. Coulombe had made 19 consecutive scoreless appearances for the Twins prior to the injury, which is officially listed as a left forearm extensor strain.

“It’s been something I’ve been kind of just dealing with all year,” he said on Sunday. “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.”

Baldelli said he is not overly concerned about Coulombe, who last pitched when the Twins swept a doubleheader in Baltimore last week.

“Danny hasn’t been available now since the last time he pitched. We’ve been working around him, trying to see if we could give him a little time and get him where he needs to be,” said the manager. “He has shown good improvement, but he’s not ready to pitch quite yet. So he’s going to need a little bit more. I’m not going to put a timeline on it. I’m not going to say it’s the minimum, but I’m optimistic that it won’t be too long.”

Celebrating a decade for Correa

Although he was unavailable to play due to a concussion, there were balloons in his locker and hugs from teammates as Carlos Correa’s 10 years in the majors was celebrated by the team on Sunday. The 30-year-old infielder made his major league debut with the Houston Astros in 2015 and was named American League rookie of the year that season. He has been with the Twins since 2022.

“It’s something every player takes an immense amount of pride in. It’s a very special day in a major-league clubhouse,” Baldelli said of Correa’s milestone. “We’ve had a few guys over the last couple of years. You can go years and years and not have one guy get to 10 years, sometimes even get close to 10 years while they’re on your team. 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. It’ll be great. Regardless of being active or not, this goes beyond any of that.”

This season Correa has batted .236 with two home runs in 148 at-bats.

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On its final weekend to pass bills, the Minnesota Legislature appeared on course for a special session to finish work on the next two-year state budget, as questions remain on whether a bipartisan deal announced last week will hold.

On Friday and Saturday, lawmakers took up several less controversial bills, including a housing bill, the veterans budget, K-12 education policy and spending, and a pension bill.

But after backlash to a proposal to end state-funded health insurance for people without legal immigration status, and resistance to a plan to close the state prison in Stillwater, the health and public safety bills have yet to be passed.

The regular session ends Monday, and lawmakers have to pass a two-year budget by the end of June 30 or the state government shuts down. As of Sunday afternoon, the Legislature was all but guaranteed to enter overtime. Leaders admitted this was likely last week.

In the last decade, there has been a special session every time control of government is split between the parties. Legislative leaders agree it’s likely they’ll have to return to the Capitol in coming weeks to finish the budget. But how long that will take is still hard to say.

Budget deal

Democratic-Farmer Labor Gov. Tim Walz as well as leaders from the Senate DFL majority and the 67-67 tied House, announced the budget deal Thursday.

If it makes it through in its current form, the state would have a two-year budget of more than $66 billion. It aims to control spending growth in social services and education to address a projected $6 billion budget shortfall projected for later this decade. It’s down from the last budget, which topped $70 billion. There are small tweaks to state taxes.

Besides the continuing debate on immigrant health care, a few other budget and policy areas remain in flux. A group of Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican legislators is still trying to make changes to new employee benefits the DFL-controlled state government created in 2023.

Sen. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, and Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar, on Saturday told reporters they continue to push for more exemptions for small businesses from the paid family and medical leave system set to start in 2026.

Education

Another benefit targeted by Republicans this year appears to remain intact. As part of a deal on education spending, unemployment insurance for hourly school employees like bus drivers and cafeteria staff will remain funded through 2028.

Education budget bills headed to a conference committee to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions will preserve the benefit, which DFLers granted in 2023. Most of the $100 million in funding comes from a planned Duluth-Twin Cities passenger rail project that never got underway.

An impasse over that benefit initially hampered budget efforts, but as part of a broader budget deal announced Thursday, the issue appeared to have been resolved.

The education budget makes up around one-third of the current $71 billion two-year state budget. Under the deal, education spending will remain level for the next two years other than the required inflation-tied increases.

Other bills

The final version of the veterans affairs budget bill passed in the Senate and the House on Saturday and is headed to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz. Overall, the bill provides about $365 million in the next two years and increases spending by about $50 million in large part to help fund state veterans homes.

Money goes towards veteran suicide prevention and a pension credit for National Guard members deployed for state active duty, such as inn natural disasters. It also recognizes Southeast Asian special guerrilla units that fought for the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

On Sunday the House passed an agriculture budget, and a pensions bill that aims to boost funding for retirements for the State Patrol and other public employees.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office said Sunday.

Biden was seen by doctors last week after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule were found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

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Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive.

When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasized cancer is much harder to treat than localized cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumors and completely root out the disease.

However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden’s case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of hormones.

The health of Biden, 82, was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. After a calamitous debate performance in June while seeking reelection, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris became the nominee and lost to Republican Donald Trump, who returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus.

But in recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president.

In February 2023, Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. And in November 2021, he had a polyp removed from his colon that was a benign, but potentially pre-cancerous lesion.

In 2022, Biden made a “cancer moonshot” one of his administration’s priorities with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice president to address a disease that had killed his older son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015.

His father, when announcing the goal to halve the cancer death rate, said this could be an “American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things.”