Christian Vazquez hits walk-off homer as Twins take 2 of 3 from Astros

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Christian Vazquez drove in all three runs for the Twins, including a walk-off home run against Josh Hader, as Minnesota beat the Houston Astros, 3-2, in front of 28,056 at Target Field on Sunday.

Vazquez was facing the Astros’ left-handed closer when he spanked a high fly ball to left that just looped over the wall. It was his first career walk-off hit.

The Twins won 2 of 3 from Houston, which entered the series having won 13 of 15 games, and improved to a season-high 12 games over .500.

Simeon Woods Richards gave the Twins a quality start, allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Jhoan Duran earned the victory after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Woods Richardson struggled early, giving up two runs on a hit, two walks and a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Jon Singleton singled to left to start the inning and moved to third on consecutive walks before No. 9 hitter Cesar Salazar hit a fly ball to center to score Singleton and make it 1-0. Jose Altuve then singled to left to score Jake Meyers and make it 2-0.

But Woods Richardson settled down, throwing four 1-2-3 innings the rest of the way.

The Twins, meanwhile, manufactured a couple of runs to tie the game. Byron Buxton reached on a one-out single in the second, moved to second on Matt Wallner’s walk and scored on a soft single to left by Vazquez to cut Houston’s lead in half.

In the fourth inning, Brooks Lee opened with a single — initially an error charged to Altuve — and moved to third on Wallner’s hard single to right field. Vazquez then grounded to third, reaching on a fielder’s choice when Altuve — and forcing out Wallner at second — threw home to try and cut down Lee.

Lee was safe, tying the game 2-2, but Vazquez was thrown out 1-3 after rounding first for the second out, and after Trevor Larnach walked, Kyle Farmer struck out.

Farmer entered the game as a replacement for Carlos Correa, who was hit in the right hand by Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti in the first inning. Correa was diagnosed with a contusion on one of his fingers. Twins said initial scans were negative.

Jose Miranda, who tied a major league record with his 12th hit in 12 straight at-bats on Saturday, pinch hit for Farmer in the seventh and singled to left on the first pitch he saw. He was then cut down trying to steal second, 2-6.

The Twins had a golden opportunity to plate the go-ahead run in the eighth after Kepler drew a leadoff walk and Byron Buxton reached on a swinging bunt. But Brooks Lee, who extended his hitting streak to five games to start his major league career, hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Kepler was stranded at third when Manny Margot grounded out to short.

After 9 months of war, Israelis call for a cease-fire deal and elections

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JERUSALEM — Israelis on Sunday marked nine months since the devastating Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7 and the start of the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip with a nationwide day of anti-government protests at a time that many here view as a pivotal juncture in the conflict.

Primarily calling for a cease-fire deal with Hamas that would see hostages return from captivity and for new elections in Israel, protesters brought traffic to a standstill at several major intersections in cities and on highways across the country. Much of central Tel Aviv was blocked in one of the biggest protests in months.

Some progress has been made in recent days for a resumption of negotiations toward a tentative deal after weeks of an impasse, even as the fighting continues in Gaza, where an Israeli strike hit in the area of a U.N. school Saturday, and across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

But many Israelis, among them the families of some of the hostages, fear that the cease-fire efforts could be torpedoed not only by Hamas but also by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel who, they say, might prioritize the survival of his government over a deal that could topple it.

The leaders of two ultranationalist parties who are key elements of Netanyahu’s coalition have threatened to bring the government down if the prime minister agrees to a deal before Hamas is fully destroyed — a goal that many officials and experts consider unattainable.

The far-right parties in the governing coalition “don’t want a deal,” Shikma Bressler, a protest leader, said in a social media post early Sunday, adding, “They need Armageddon.

“And Bibi?” Bressler added, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “He needs war so there won’t be elections.”

Tensions over the potential deal also surfaced within Netanyahu’s own Likud party at the weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday. After the prime minister accused the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, a rival, of playing politics, Gallant retorted by warning Netanyahu against any “politically driven attempt” to tie a hostage deal to other contentious issues dividing the government, according to Gallant’s office.

“This is a delicate hour,” Gallant said. “We must strike an agreement to secure the release of the hostages.”

Israel’s northern border remained volatile Sunday, with the Lebanese Hezbollah organization firing salvos of rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into Israeli territory. In an unusual incident, a private U.S. citizen was injured in one of the strikes from Lebanon, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

The spokesperson said the person does not work for the U.S. government but could provide no further details, citing privacy concerns. An Israeli soldier was also lightly injured, according to the Israeli military.

The rockets from Lebanon came a day after Israeli aircraft carried out a deadly strike against a Hezbollah operative in the area of Baalbek, deep inside Lebanese territory, about 40 miles northeast of Beirut.

Israel identified the target as Meitham Mustafa Altaar, describing him as a key operative in Hezbollah’s Aerial Defense Unit who had taken part in several attacks against Israel.

Another man believed to be an Israeli was seriously injured in a strike from Lebanon on Sunday that reached deeper into Israel than most of the previous attacks in months of tit-for-tat cross-border clashes.

In central Gaza on Saturday, Israeli aircraft struck in the area of a U.N. school in Nuseirat, where the Israeli military said Palestinian militants had been operating out of a number of structures. At least 16 people were killed and dozens wounded in the strike, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in Gaza, according to local health officials.

The school had become a shelter for displaced people seeking safety, the ministry added. Hamas, in a statement, called the strike a “massacre.” The Israeli military said it had taken measures to avoid civilian casualties in the strike and blamed Hamas for operating from areas crowded with civilians.

On Sunday, the Israeli military said its air force struck another complex in the vicinity of a school building in Gaza City where fighters were operating, as well as a Hamas weapons manufacturing facility in the same area.

The military said it was continuing its operations in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, and in Shajaiye, an area east of Gaza City, in the north. The air force also carried out a strike against the municipality building in Khan Younis, a large southern city from which Israeli ground forces withdrew in April.

Hamas was using the building, the military said, for military activities. Before the strike, the military said, the civilian population was evacuated from the area.

At a protest calling for the release of the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, a weekly occurrence, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage in Gaza, said of the renewed talks for a cease-fire, “For the first time in many months, we feel hope.”

But she added: “Netanyahu, we’ve seen how time and again you’ve torpedoed deals at the moment of truth. Our heart was shattered each time. Don’t dare break our heart again! It is your duty to return all of the citizens you forsook.”

Many Israelis are enraged over Netanyahu’s refusal so far to take any personal responsibility for the Israeli intelligence and policy failures leading up to the Oct. 7 terrorist assault, in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli authorities, and about 250 more were taken into Gaza. Of the 120 hostages remaining in Gaza, at least a third are presumed dead, officials say.

The protests Sunday, which the organizers called a national “Day of Disturbance,” began at 6.29 a.m. — the time the Hamas-led attack began Oct. 7 — with “wake-up calls” outside the homes of several lawmakers and ministers, including Gallant.

Several tech companies allowed their staff time off to participate in the protests, which were expected to culminate in large rallies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem later in the day. Sunday is a workday for most Israelis.

Despite recent progress in indirect contacts between Israel and Hamas, via U.S. and Arab mediators, sticking points remain, and a cease-fire deal is not considered imminent.

The talks are based on a three-stage framework first publicized by President Joe Biden in late May and later endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.

Both sides agree on the broad outlines of a deal that would include an initial six-week cease-fire and the release of the most vulnerable civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. But Hamas is seeking assurances that Israel won’t restart the war after some hostages come home. Israel says it needs the option of resuming hostilities and will not effectively commit to a permanent cease-fire from the outset.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Sunday evening saying the prime minister remains “steadfastly committed” to the principles already agreed upon by Israel and endorsed by Biden, including that any deal must allow Israel to resume fighting until it has achieved “all of the war’s goals.”

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Now former Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin signs with Kings

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Timberwolves basketball boss Tim Connelly said at the outset of free agency that Minnesota’s intended plan was to retain its free agents, of which there were few.

That didn’t come to fruition. The Timberwolves did re-sign Luka Garza, and that was it

Jordan McLaughlin reportedly has agreed to a one-year deal with Sacramento, meaning three of Minnesota’s top 10 players from last season will not return for the 2024-25 season. Previously, Kyle Anderson went to Golden State via a sign-and-trade and Monte Morris signed with Phoenix.

McLaughlin and Morris, both point guards, likely didn’t see much opportunity for playing time after the Wolves traded up to No. 8 overall in the draft to land Kentucky scoring guard Rob Dillingham, who is expected to back up veteran Mike Conley at point guard.

In Phoenix, Morris could be a candidate to play big minutes. McLaughlin will have an opportunity to cement a spot in Sacramento’s rotation.

Minnesota did sign other veterans to replace its lost pieces in Joe Ingles, a 37-year-old shooter and playmaker, and PJ Dozier, a potential two-way wing who has experience playing under Connelly in Denver and spent time two seasons ago suiting up for the Iowa Wolves in the G-League.

So while the core of Minnesota’s rotation, barring any unexpected changes, will look identical next season — the top seven players are all set to return — the edges of the roster will provide a different look.

Summer League roster set

Minnesota set its Summer League roster for the upcoming developmental, exhibition summer “season.” Featured on it are a number of guys who spent time bouncing between Iowa and the NBA club a year ago, such as Daishen Nix, Leonard Miller and Josh Minott.

First-round draft picks Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. will draw the most interest from fans. Locally, DeLaSalle grad Gabe Kalscheur will be on the team for the second straight year, while Lakeville’s Tyler Wahl joins the roster after recently wrapping his collegiate career at Wisconsin.

The Timberwolves’ first game is July 12 against New Orleans.

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Don’t call Twins outfielder Matt Wallner hot, call him comfortable

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Playing baseball is always fun, Matt Wallner said, but the Twins outfielder acknowledged Sunday that it’s more fun when you’re hitting.

“Wasn’t as fun at the beginning of the year,” he said.

That’s because after making the big leagues out of training camp this spring, the slugger from Forest Lake went cold — two hits, three walks and 17 strikeouts in 13 games before he was sent back to Class AAA St. Paul.

Wallner, 26, was back in the Twins’ clubhouse and lineup for Sunday’s afternoon start against the Houston Astros, batting eighth and playing left field in his first major-league game since April 15. He was recalled after the Twins placed Austin Martin on the injured list with an oblique strain suffered during a pinch-hit appearance on Friday.

And while Wallner says he didn’t change much with his swing, something certainly clicked in St. Paul, where he has been nearly as hot as Jose Miranda, the Twins infielder who tied the major-league record with his 12th hit in 12 at-bats in Saturday’s 9-3 victory over the Astros.

“It’s been fun, that’s for sure,” Wallner said, “and that’s been a nice relief.”

Wallner was the International League’s player of the month for June after hitting .324 with 12 home runs, 28 RBIs and 27 runs scored. In three games with the Saints in July, he was 6 for 12 with three doubles, an RBI and run scored.

“All of the things he was challenged to do, he took it to heart and he went to work,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He looks good right now and he’s earned his opportunity to come back to the big leagues and play.”

Asked if he had made many changes to his swing, Wallner said, “Nothing crazy.” Mostly it was simplifying what he already was doing. He finished the regular season strong with the Twins in 2023, hitting .284 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in September before making the postseason roster.

“Honestly, I just feel like I did the second half of last year, versus the beginning of the year, (when) I did not — at all, for whatever reason,” he said. “I didn’t even necessarily feel like I was hot (in St. Paul); I just felt comfortable at the plate, and felt like I was hitting pitches that I had been missing.”

Pinch pinch

Martin said he was injured during a pinch-hitting appearance in Friday’s 13-12 loss to Houston, a single that was part of a seven-run, ninth-inning rally.

A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a mild oblique strain, something new for the outfielder, and he was shut down. Martin said he doesn’t anticipate being out long.

“I just felt some tightness and some pain,” he said. “It wasn’t anything initially that was alarming to me, but it was something that I’ve never felt before. I just wanted to go in and bring attention to it. That was it.”

Acquired with Simeon Woods Richardson in the 2021 deadline trade that sent Jose Berrios to Toronto, Martin, 25, is hitting .265 with a home run, nine RBIs and 27 runs scored in 47 games this season.

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