As Deadline additions start rolling in, Twins just keep winning

SEATTLE -- When Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll declared his team a buyer on Tuesday, it was not necessarily aspirational, but it was at least somewhat optimistic. For one thing, you can call yourself a buyer, but somebody has to be willing to sell. There’s no guarantee deals are going to get done just because you want them to.

For another, a week’s worth of games still remained before the Trade Deadline for a team that at the time was under .500. If the Twins stumbled, necessity might yet force a change of direction.

In the three-plus days since Zoll talked the talk, however, the front office, ownership and players have all walked the walk. A hard-fought 5-3 win against the Mariners at T-Mobile park on Friday night was just the latest sign that the Twins are both acting and playing like contenders.

Zebby Matthews and the perpetually under-construction bullpen teamed up to stifle the Mariners after the second inning, Minnesota clubbed three home runs and played solid defense and the visitors won for the seventh time in nine games.

“Great team win,” Matthews said.

Meanwhile, Zoll and his crew made their second addition in as many days during the game, picking up veteran starter Dean Kremer from the Orioles for prospect Jhomnardo Reyes less than 24 hours after adding reliever AJ Minter from the Mets.

Minnesota came from behind twice against Bryce Miller and one of baseball’s best bullpens to pull out the win. The Twins moved into a tie with the Guardians for both the third American League Wild Card spot and second place in the AL Central, three games behind the division-leading White Sox.

They’re 56-55, getting over the .500 mark for the first time since they were 12-11 on April 21.

Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers all homered for a team that had been in a power drought, and the constantly evolving Minnesota bullpen twirled four hitless, shutout innings to secure the lead even before Minter arrives.

“This group is resilient,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We got behind and then I think… we hadn’t hit some balls out of the ballpark [recently] and today we hit some balls out of the ballpark.”

Matthews found himself in trouble early, allowing two walks, two doubles and a homer for three runs before he had six outs, but then locked in. He struck out 10 and held Seattle to four hits before handing it over to Kody Funderburk.

Following Cole Young’s two-out homer in the second, he didn’t allow another hit until the sixth.

That allowed his offense to come back, as they’ve done repeatedly in recent days. The comeback follows a pair of come-from-behind walk-off wins earlier this week.

“I don’t really feel like we’re ever out of the game with the way the guys swing it,” Matthews said. “It’s pretty special to have them hit behind you.”

Then they came back into the clubhouse, and found out that the front office had pulled off another deal -- likely not their last, either, as the Twins expect to continue pursuing upgrades through Monday’s 5 p.m. CT Deadline.

“This is my first time feeling this,” said Lewis. “I’m on cloud nine. We just got a really good win. I come in here, and I see another trade. It’s pretty impressive. It sounds like they’re still talking about more people. You never know what’s going to happen. [Twins chairman Tom Pohlad] has stuck to his word. We feel it in here, his presence here in the clubhouse whenever he’s around. It’s truly special, man.”