Minnesota Twins Join Frustrating Baseball History with Record Through June

The Minnesota Twins are in first place as we hit July 1, but it comes with some frustrating history attached.

The Minnesota Twins are in first place in the American League Central as we hit July 1.

However, with a record of 41-42, the Twins have joined some disappointing company in baseball history.

Per @OptaSTATS on Twitter:

The @Twins will finish June in first place in the AL Central with a sub-.500 record (currently 40-42). Minnesota is the third first-place team to enter July with a sub-.500 record all-time, joining the 1994 Rangers (35-41) and the 1997 Astros (40-42).

Being in first place is good, but that certainly isn't the way that the Twins wanted to do it, especially not after re-signing Carlos Correa this offseason and trading for Pablo Lopez. Luckily for them, they play in the most mediocre division in the sport, so they've had a chance to work through first-half issues to this point.

The Twins beat the Orioles on Friday night by a score of 8-1 as Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer and Joey Gallo and Max Kepler each connected on solo shots.

Lopez got the win on the mound, going six innings while allowing one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out six. His ERA is now 4.24 as he moved to 4-5 on the year.

The Twins and Orioles will open July on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yards. Right-hander Bailey Ober will pitch for the Twins (4-4, 2.97 ERA) while Kyle Bradish (4-3, 3.75 ERA) will pitch for Baltimore.

The Orioles are 48-31 on the season.

Minnesota leads Cleveland by 1.0 game in the Central.

Follow Fastball on FanNation in social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.