When the Nationals needed an outfielder to pinch hit with a runner on second, they sent for Alex Call.

It was only the second inning, and he was facing Twins ace Joe Ryan.

Call, who was born in Burnsville and grew up in River Falls, Wis., answered by drilling a single into left to plate Drew Millas with the first run of the game. In the seventh, Call, hit a solo home run off of Justin Topa in the seventh inning to keep Washington on track for a 9-3 victory in front of 26,928 on a muggy night at Target Field.

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) catches a fly out hit by Washington Nationals’ Luis García Jr. (2) during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

It was the Twins’ fifth loss since returning from the all-star break last week, and sixth loss in their past nine games. Three of those losses are to the two worst teams in baseball, Colorado — dead-last with 77 losses after being drilled, 18-0, at Baltimore — and Washington, which pulled back to 20 games under .500 with Saturday’s victory.

Royce Lewis was 2 for 4 with a run-scoring single, and Ty France doubled him in from first as the Twins pulled within 5-2 in the sixth inning. But Call squelched that momentum with his homer in the seventh, his third of the season, and the Nationals added three runs off of left-hander Kody Funderburk in the eighth for their sixth win in 13 games.

Left-hander Mitchell Parker (7-10) allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk in 5⅔ innings for the victory.

One of the Twins’ two all-stars with Byron Buxton, Ryan (10-5) wasn’t his usual self. During a scoreless first, he walked James Wood, then watched Buxton steal a double from Garcia Jr. when he leapt to catch a line drive before it hit the scoreboard in right-center.

Buxton left the game after the sixth inning with what the Twins called “left-side soreness.” He is day to day.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, on three middle infield groundouts, he allowed a leadoff single to No. 8 hitter Millas, who then stole second. Call, pinch-hitting for center fielder Jacob Young (right index finger contusion), laced a single into left to plate Millas and make it 1-0.

Garcia Jr. homered off Ryan to start the fourth for a 2-0 lead, and the Nationals broke it open in the fifth.

Washington Nationals’ Alex Call (17) slides to score off a two-run double by CJ Abrams during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Daylen Lile and Millas started the inning with sharp singles, bringing Call to the plate with runners at first and second. Call sliced a loping liner into shallow right, and right fielder Willi Castro, first baseman Ty France and second baseman Brooks Lee converged.

Lee got his glove on it, but it bounced out, loading the bases with Nationals. Leadoff hitter Abrams followed with a bases-clearing double into the right-field corner before the Twins had recorded an out.

Ryan got the next three batters on a strikeout and two long fly balls to center and never came back for the sixth.

Justin Topa threw a scoreless sixth before giving up Call’s third homer of the season, which landed a few rows into the home run porch in right field.

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Nobody should question J.J. McCarthy’s arm strength.

Not anymore.

Though it seemed to be a knock on him coming out of college — perhaps because the University Michigan boasted such a potent running attack — McCarthy has consistently shown the ability to let it rip since being drafted by the Vikings.

In fact, McCarthy actually might throw it too hard at times, which is something head coach Kevin O’Connell has been working on with him during the early stages of training camp. The next step in McCarthy’s progression is mastering the layered throws to different areas of the field.

“There might be a defender in front and a defender behind,” O’Connell said. “We’ve got to find a way to get that ball completed.”

As a way to work on some of those layered throws with McCarthy in real time, O’Connell opted to conduct more of a walkthrough earlier this week. The slower pace offered a chance to work on some of the fundamentals.

“I thought J.J. threw the ball really well,” O’Connell said. “He’s working on different trajectories. You’re still seeing the revolutions on the ball. Just not that heavy finish.”

Here are more takeaways from Day 4 of training camp:

How does J.J. McCarthy look?

Fittingly, McCarthy flashed his ability with layered throws early in practice on Saturday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. There was a well-placed ball to Jalen Nailor on the sideline, for example, as well as a pinpoint pass to T.J. Hockenson over the middle.

It got even better for McCarthy during some work in the red zone, as he fired a bullet to Nailor on a crossing route for a touchdown, followed by a laser to Hockenson in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

On a free play midway through practice after the defense jumped offside, McCarthy got to showcase his arm strength, launching a majestic deep ball downfield that narrowly escaped the grasp of Nailor.

That incomplete pass stood as arguably the most impressive play of the practice until McCarthy connected with Jordan Addison for a 60-yard touchdown pass that send the fans in attendance into a frenzy.

Who else stood out?

As practice wound to a close, Will Reichard got to kick some field goals for the first time in training camp.

In total, Reichard went 5 of 6 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 54 yards away at his peak.

The operation looked smooth, as expected, with Andrew DePaola snapping, Ryan Wright holding, and Reichard kicking. That should be the battery this season barring unforeseen circumstances.

Elsewhere in practice, Lucky Jackson got a good amount of reps with the starters, which would suggest he’s being given a chance to separate himself from some of the other receivers on the roster.

The best quote of the day

At one point last year I counted, and in one game he lined up in seven different spots. His role is wildly dynamic.”

— Head coach Kevin O’Connell, on the versatility of safety Josh Metellus shortly after he agreed to a contract extension

The injury report

Never mind that Justin Jefferson is being held out of practice for the time being while he nurses a mild hamstring strain. He was still spotted alongside his teammates and seemed to be in good spirits. The plan is to have Jefferson re-evaluated next week to chart the best path forward.

Aside from that, Metellus sat out once again with a minor ankle injury, Harrison Smith did not participate, and Isaiah Rodgers stood on the sidelines for most of practice.

The good news for the Vikings is it sounds like Metellus is in the final stages of his recovery, and thus, he should be back at practice next week.

What’s coming up next?

There will be nothing on Sunday as players get some time to recover. The first practice with pads will come on Monday.

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On the injured list with a left hip impingement, Bailey Ober has made two sharp starts in a rehab assignment with Class AAA St. Paul.

Was it enough to get him ready for the majors again?

“I’m assuming probably, maybe, my next outing,” Ober said from Target Field, where the first 10,000 fans received Bailey Ober Series Connect jerseys. “I don’t know. I threw five innings yesterday. So, obviously it’s right around the corner.”

Bothered by pain in his left hip for several starts this season, Ober was finally sidelined on June 29. He said he took only a few days off before beginning his rehab, which might have concluded on Friday with five innings of two-hit, one-run baseball against the Boston Red Sox’s Triple-A team at CHS Field.

In all, Ober allowed one run in two starts that lasted a combined nine innings. He was struggling, for the first time, in the majors, going 4-6 with a 5.28 earned-run average. He has surrendered 108 hits in 92 major league innings, 21 of them home runs.

Friday’s start, Ober said, was the first time he had felt healthy “in a while. That’s always a positive sign. Step in the right direction.

Ober talked briefly with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli before Saturday night’s game against the Washington Nationals at Target Field, but no decision on his return was made.

The Twins don’t have a starter penciled in for Game 3 of their next series against the Red Sox, or for the first game of a three-game set Friday at Houston.

“We still have some conversations to be had,” Baldelli said.

Festa has shoulder impingement

It would be fortuitous timing for the Twins if Ober can make his next start with the big league club. His replacement, young right-hander David Festa, is on the injured list and learned this week he has a shoulder impingement.

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Festa had a magnetic resonance imaging exam on Monday that revealed inflammation in the front and back of his shoulder, resulting in two cortisone shots received Friday. The imaging found no structural damage, but Festa will be out for a while.

“I love to compete, so I’m pretty bummed right now. But I know I haven’t been 100 percent, even though I’ve been throwing the ball decently,” said Festa, who missed some starts at St. Paul this season because of a similar issue. In 11 starts with the Twins this season, Festa is 3-4 with a 5.40 ERA and has struck out 53 in 53⅓ innings.

“I know there’s still a little bit holding me back,” he said. “So, I knew I had to speak up.”

Briefly

Catcher Ryan Jeffers, expecting a baby with his wife Lexi, was placed on the paternity list. Infielder Mickey Gasper was recalled from St. Paul and was the backup catcher.

It’s difficult to remember six years later, but the finish of the inaugural 3M Open in 2019 was one of the best you’ll see in a golf tournament, with Matthew Wolff, Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa serving as the stallions racing full tilt down the backstretch toward the finish line.

Morikawa sputtered to start the day, only to birdie six of his final eight holes. That was just enough to catch DeChambeau, who hit a mythical approach shot on No. 18 for a short-range eagle putt that gave him the lead by one with Morikawa and Wolff still to play No. 18.

A playoff felt imminent. But Wolff had other plans, burying a 26-foot eagle putt from the fringe to seize the tournament title by one shot over his two closest competitors.

That’s what’s possible at TPC Twin Cities when the stars align on Sunday. With the potential for birdies or blowups lurking at every hole, things can change at a moment’s notice on the 3M Open leaderboard.

Look no further than Round 3 on Saturday, where Kurt Kitayama – who barely made the cut to even play the weekend – tied the tournament record that Adam Svensson just set Thursday with an 11-under round of 60 to move to 17-under on the tournament, now just one back of the lead and firmly entrenched in the title hunt.

One of the co-leaders, Akshay Bhatia, is in this position because he shot an 8-under round of 63 on Saturday.

That type of score is always out there in Blaine. How far back of co-leaders Bhatia and Thorbjorn Olesen, the 36-hold leader who made an ace on the eighth hole Saturday, is the cutoff line for who could potentially lift the trophy on the 18th green on Sunday?

Nine guys are within two shots of the lead, 15 are within three and 21 are within four.

Sam Burns is seven shots back. Who’s to say he can’t go nuclear on Sunday to win from out of nowhere? Everything is in play at the 3M Open.

Yes, Jhonnatan Vegas won from the front of the pack a year ago. But he held on for dear life to do so. Vegas, Matt Kuchar and Maverick McNealy all were in prime position heading into the final round, but largely stalled out on Sunday.

It was Max Greyserman, who began the final round six shots back, who nearly stole the championship with an 8-under 63 on Sunday, only to be clipped by one after Vegas birdied the final hole.

Sunday is different from every other day of a PGA Tour event. Pressure heightens to unthinkable levels. That’s often reflected in the play of those in contention. Rory McIlroy may have ultimately won The Masters, but after blitzing Augusta National on Friday and Saturday this spring, he was one of four players who finished in the tournament’s top 20 to shoot over par in the final round.

Two of the other three? DeChambeau and Corey Conners, who were second and third on the leaderboard heading into the final round.

Pressure can indeed make diamonds. But it can also reduce even the game’s best to rubble. McIlroy was brilliant for much of the week, but he hit a baffling pitch shot on No. 14 into the creek and, needing just a par to win the tournament, bogey the 18th hole from the middle of the fairway before finally claiming victory in a playoff.

Golf is the ultimate game of mental concentration. Twitch at the wrong moment, and a brilliant iron shot is in the water or a short putt is rolling off the lip of the cup.

No, this isn’t The Masters. No one will complete the career grand slam on Sunday. But, for many, a victory would be a box checked on a lifelong dream. Winning the 3M Open not only nets you north of $1.5 million, but also likely secures your trip to the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs, gives you a shot to cinch your spot in next year’s elevated events, earns you a trip to next year’s Masters and, perhaps most importantly to some of the names near the top of the leaderboard, secures your spot on the PGA Tour through the 2027 campaign.

Life changing.

It will be difficult for the likes of Pierceson Coody, who’s a Korn Ferry Tour member playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption after he lost his PGA Tour card after his rookie year in 2024, to not think about that as he sits just two shots off the lead.

Because you don’t know how many chances like this you will get. Journeyman Scott Piercy led by five shots in the final round of the 2022 3M Open before imploding over the final 11 holes, lowlighted by a triple bogey on No. 14 in which he found the water on his approach out of a difficult lie from a fairway bunker.

Piercy hasn’t had full-time status on the PGA Tour since 2013.

Sunday matters.

“Yeah, it’s obviously different and it’s a big opportunity,” Olesen said. “I’m not going to lie, there’s going to be a lot of pressure.”

The challenge is to hold up to the stress. To execute every shot in the final round – many of which feature water coming down the homestretch at TPC Twin Cities – to the best of your abilities. Because you cannot play it safe. Not with this crowded of a leaderboard at a place where if you’re not going low, someone else is.

“Yeah, it’s going to be exciting,” Olesen said. “I’m happy to be in this position going into tomorrow. It’s going to take a lot, there’s a lot of guys up there. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of birdies. It will be difficult for sure.”

You have to hit the ball over large bodies of water on each of the final two closing holes to stuff it close, knowing bogey, or worse, is in play if you take on the risk.

That even reared its head Saturday, as Alex Noren stepped onto the 17th tee in a tie for the lead. He hit his first shot way off line and made double bogey. Coody and Chris Gotterup were among contenders who found the water on 18 in Round 3.

TPC Twin Cities is capable of producing three things in spades – dominance, destruction and drama. That’s all you can ask for in the final round of a golf tournament.

The stage is set for perhaps the best final round in 3M Open history on Sunday – which, given the event’s brief history, is saying something special.

Said Noren: “It will be a fun day.”

Akshay Bhatia of the United States reacts to his putt on the 16th green during the third round of the 3M Open 2025 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2025 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Kurt Kitayama of the United States reacts with his caddie Daniel Kitayama on the 18th green during the third round of the 3M Open 2025 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2025 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Tom Kim of South Korea plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of the 3M Open 2025 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2025 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Amateur Michael La Sasso of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the third round of the 3M Open 2025 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2025 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)