Jeffers hit a go-ahead three-run homer in Friday's 5-2 win at Wrigley Field as Minnesota reached .500 for the first time since April.
The Minnesota Twins spent almost three months digging out of the hole they fell into this spring, and on Friday night at Wrigley Field they finally reached level ground.
Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the third inning of a 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs, pushing Minnesota to 49-49 and back to .500 for the first time since the club sat at 12-12 on April 22.
Minnesota eventually lost on Saturday to get back to one game under .500, but this climb has been special.
The rally started small before it snowballed into the decisive inning of the night.
Luke Keaschall reached on an infield single, a potential double play ball turned into extra outs when the relay throw got away, and Trevor Larnach poked an RBI single to left to tie the game after the Cubs grabbed an early lead.
Two pitches later, Jeffers turned on a Colin Rea offering for his eighth homer of the season and a 4-1 lead that held the rest of the night.
Ryan Kreidler added an RBI single in the seventh for insurance, and Chicago never got the tying run to the plate until the final out settled onto the warning track in right center.
Afterward, the veteran catcher made it sound like the milestone mattered a lot more outside the clubhouse than inside it.
"I don't really think a lot of guys pay much attention," Jeffers said of the record. "We're playing good ball right now. I couldn't tell you what our record is over the last 10 games."
Three Months in the Making
The Twins bottomed out at 32-40 on June 13, a season-worst eight games under .500.
Since then they have won 17 of 27, including 10 of their last 15.
Bailey Ober kept it going Friday with two runs allowed over 5 1/3 innings and seven strikeouts in his second start since returning from the injured list, and Yoendrys Gomez worked a clean ninth for his 12th save.
The surge has Minnesota right in the middle of a crowded American League wild card picture heading into the weekend, with a brutal pre-deadline stretch against contenders still to come.
The Deadline Question
The August 3 deadline is close, Jeffers is a free agent in November, and his name keeps coming up as one of Minnesota's best trade chips even while he anchors the offense.
Joe Ryan, fresh off a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game, faces the same speculation.
Every win between now and then makes it harder for the front office to sell, and this group has given them plenty to think about.
Players like Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee already beat expectations in the first half, and the roster keeps finding contributions from unexpected places.
One more game at Wrigley this weekend will tell us whether that climb continues.
