Twins Fall to Cubs as Offense Goes Quiet at Wrigley Field

Kody Clemens gave Minnesota a spark, but Chicago’s lineup and Matthew Boyd controlled the middle game of the series.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Kody Clemens points after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Minnesota Twins had a chance to keep their momentum rolling Saturday at Wrigley Field, but the Chicago Cubs quickly turned the game into a reminder of how little margin Minnesota has when the lineup does not produce.

Chicago beat the Twins 6-2, evening the weekend series and snapping Minnesota’s three-game winning streak behind a strong start from Matthew Boyd, a four-hit day from Nico Hoerner and a solid offensive start that put pressure on Taj Bradley.

Clemens Stayed Hot, But Minnesota Needed More

Taj Bradley delivers the ball during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kody Clemens was the clear bright spot for the Twins. He hit two solo home runs, giving Minnesota all of its offense and continuing a recent power surge that has made him more valuable in the lineup. Over his last 12 games, Clemens is hitting .250/.294/.625 with five home runs, giving the Twins needed thump even when the rest of the order has been inconsistent.

But without traffic on the bases or much help from the rest of the lineup, both homers ended up being solo shots in a game where Minnesota needed more than individual dominance.

Epically bad base running blunder today by the #MNTwins.

Instead of bases loaded, no outs in the 9th.. they got doubled up here. pic.twitter.com/Jl760LO2V2

— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) July 18, 2026

The Twins had a chance to make things more interesting in the ninth, but a costly baserunning mistake erased it. Minnesota appeared positioned to load the bases after a late hit, only for the play to turn into a double play instead. It was a critical mistake that halted any momentum the team had started to build.

Losing because the lineup had a quiet day at the plate is one thing. Losing because of a self-inflicted mistake is far more frustrating. Against one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Twins could not afford to give away outs, and their ninth-inning baserunning blunder made an already difficult comeback nearly impossible.

That sequence captured the larger difference between the two teams Saturday. The Twins had one player delivering damage, but the Cubs executed in a far cleaner manner. Chicago got a nice start from Matthew Boyd, and solid production from the rest of their lineup.

Bradley also could not continue his recent run of strong starts. He entered the game at 9-3 with a 3.59 ERA, and he had allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his previous five starts. That run prevention streak came to an end at Wrigley Field.

Chicago attacked him early, with Michael Busch opening the scoring on his 12th home run before Miguel Amaya and Pedro Ramirez each drove in two runs. Bradley finished with five runs allowed on seven hits across five innings, ending a stretch that had helped Minnesota stabilize its rotation..

For the Cubs, the win continued a strong run of their own. Chicago has now won six of its last nine games, and Hoerner’s four-hit performance gave the lineup a steady table-setter throughout the afternoon.

The series now moves to Sunday’s rubber match, with Zebby Matthews expected to face Shota Imanaga. For Minnesota, things need to change quickly. They need to not fall behind early, have more than one hot bat, and cut back on mistakes such as the ninth inning baserunning blunder.

Minnesota can still leave Chicago with a series win, but Saturday showed what cannot happen again.