If you were watching the Minnesota Twins play the San Diego Padres today without financial compensation for doing so, you are a baseball die hard. To quote John McClane: “Welcome to the party, pal!”. Fortunately, the home team rewarded your loyalty with a nice series-clinching victory—the first of that kind in these parts since August 10th.

After two innings of general malaise from both sides, the Twins got on the board first in B3 when an Austin Martin walk was paid off by Byron Buxton’s 29th HR of the season off Kyle “Not the Hitman” Hart. 2-0 MN.

The bats went right back on the attack in B4 with Luke Keaschall getting plunked and moved along by a Ryan Jeffers walk before James Outman sent Master Luke home with a solid single into RCF. 3-0 MN.

Continuing to put pedal to metal, Buxton led off B5 with a ringing double. An outburst of RBI knocks—from Keaschall, Jeffers, & Royce Lewis—blew this one open a bit. 6-0 MN.

Meanwhile, this was the Joe Ryan Twins fans had been used to seeing April-through-July. Seven scoreless innings punctuated by a punch-out of Fernando Tatis Jr.

A bit more action: A Lewis bloop single drove in Brooks Lee in B7. 7-0 MN.

Some Tonkin tomfoolery would tomahawk the shutout in T9, but ultimately far too little too late for the Friars.

Your Final: Minnesota Twins 7, San Diego Padres 2.

With the Twins fated to embark on another month of meaningless (at least in the standings) matters, it’s tough to attach much significance to any single nine innings of play. But for those who rode along this holiday weekend afternoon, it was just fun to see Ace Ryan deal again and Buxton bang the ball around the ballpark.

Up next: 4 vs. Chicago White Sox (M afternoon & T-W-H evenings)