StribSports Daily Delivery

Introduction: Host Michael Rand was hoping to bring you some of the sounds of a joyous Target Field on Wednesday, but instead the rowdy crowd was quickly silenced whenever it seemed like there was an occasion to cheer. The Twins managed just three hits in a 3-2 loss to Houston that ended their season -- one that, overall, provided plenty of highs and optimism for the future. 7:00: La Velle E. Neal...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand still had the Twins on his mind even after Tuesday's special bonus episode and Wednesday night's planned bonus episode off of their home playoff games at Target Field. Their flaws were exposed in Tuesday's 9-1 loss to Houston. Can they overcome them a day later, or will it take until 2024 to address them? 10:00: The Wild are pressed so tight against the salary cap t...

Introduction: On a bonus edition of Daily Delivery, host Michael Rand runs through all the disappointment from Tuesday's 9-1 Twins loss to the Astros in Game 3 of the ALDS. Fans picked apart the performance by starter Sonny Gray as well as the Twins' approach at the plate. It's all up to Joe Ryan in Game 4 on Wednesday, and you'll hear from the young Twins starter. 10:00: Columnist La Velle E. Nea...

Introduction: Game 3 Twins starter Sonny Gray has been everything the team could have wanted this season -- enough so that it's hard to imagine the Twins without him. Gray is a free agent at the end of this season, and his future with the Twins is an interesting subplot to a huge playoff game at Target Field. 7:00: Justin Jefferson's hamstring injury is bad enough that he's headed to injured reser...

On Part II of Monday's show, Patrick Reusse and Michael Rand pick apart the Vikings' outrageous misfortune -- much of it still self-inflicted -- during yet another one-score home loss on Sunday. The Chiefs were very beatable, but the Vikings are not up to the task. Are we even sure they're better than the Bears, next week's opponent? Plus Reusse rips Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck for not tryin...

On a Monday so jam-packed we had to make two shows, Patrick Reusse and Michael Rand talk exclusively about the Twins in Part I. After a Wild Card sweep followed by a Game 1 ALDS loss to the Astros, the Twins got dominant performances from starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and shortstop Carlos Correa in a 6-2 win Sunday that evened the series as it moves to Target Field on Tuesday. What are the keys to...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand dives right into a preview of the American League Division Series between the Twins and Astros. He and Star Tribune beat writer Phil Miller speculate on the Game 1 pitching matchup and what the Twins need to do to advance even deeper in the playoffs. 20:00: Get to know new Vikings running back Cam Akers, who gave the backfield immediate help in Sunday's win. 25:00:...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at three players who maybe didn't steal the show in the Twins' victories over Toronto but who played important roles all the same. And he looks ahead to the American League Division Series starting Saturday in Houston. 15:00: Chip Scoggins joins Rand to talk about the other big games this weekend -- namely Michigan at Gophers on Saturday and Chiefs at Vikings...

On another special edition of Daily Delivery, host Michael Rand dives into the key moments of the Twins' 2-0 victory over Toronto -- a Wild Card sweep that propels them to the next round against Houston. You'll hear fan reaction -- and Kirk Cousins' perspective -- as well as postgame insights from Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes that the roster construction of the Twins put them in a better spot to break their 18-game losing streak than in past seasons, while specific moves -- the Pablo Lopez trade and Royce Lewis draft pick -- led directly to their win Tuesday. It all adds up to a very good day for Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey. 7:00: An update on Diamond Sports and negotiation...

Introduction: The Twins' 18-game postseason losing streak, the longest in North American history, is now a thing of the past. After a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Wild Card series, the Twins are in the driver's seat in a series for a change. Star Tribune columnist La Velle E. Neal III, who witnessed all 18 losses, breaks it down with host Michael Rand -- everything from t...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand welcomes in Andrew Krammer from the Star Tribune to dissect film from the Vikings' first win of the season on Sunday. They improved to 1-3, but with questions still aplenty and Kansas City next on the schedule, did they really solve any of their problems on defense and offense? 18:00: Rand and Keith Richotte explore the idea of whether the Vikings are going to be ba...

Introduction: In this special edition Twins playoff preview of Daily Delivery, host Michael Rand starts out with his three keys to the Wild Card series starting Tuesday against the Blue Jays. Among them: The health of Royce Lewis. 7:00: Star Tribune Twins writer Bobby Nightengale gives his breakdown of the projected roster and dissects how the Twins might match up against Toronto, a team that ulti...

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included a bit of a surprise: The Twins will face the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card round starting Tuesday. It's a winnable three-game matchup at Target Field, with the Twins starting out as slight favorites. But it will probably come down to pitching and the health of Royce Lewis. Reusse...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand spent part of Thursday at Timberwolves media day, where he was struck by several things: President Tim Connelly saying they need to win a playoff series this year, head coach Chris Finch saying the team's best identity will be built around defense and toughness, Anthony Edwards praising coaches who get the most out of him and Karl-Anthony Towns seeming rather subdue...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand had a different sort of Twins experience on Wednesday as he and his family attended a game. It was the first time his 3-year-old had been to a Twins game, and the first one his 6-year-old could remember. He watched how they and his 9-year-old interacted with the sights and sounds, gaining a different appreciation for the nine-inning process. It definitely helped tha...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand answered a few questions/rants from listeners, starting with one about the Twins' likely starting pitching plans in the Wild Card series. Should the Twins be starting Pablo Lopez or Sonny Gray in Game 1? And what about Joe Ryan vs. Kenta Maeda in Game 3? Rand gets into the rationale. 10:00: Star Tribune Gophers men's basketball writer Marcus Fuller joins Rand to tal...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand notes the implications of the week ahead for Bally Sports and parent company Diamond Sports. Negotiations with Comcast could shape the future of regional sports, while another deadline for restructuring debt also looms. All of it will impact how you watch the Wild and Wolves this season. 9:00: Andrew Krammer helps Rand understand why the Vikings have struggled in th...

Introduction: It was not a great weekend for Minnesota football fans, but it was a fantastic Monday for content, as host Michael Rand and Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse quickly concluded while breaking down Saturday's Gophers loss and Sunday's Vikings loss. They started with the Vikings, whose reality is calcifying around them after a 28-24 loss to the Chargers dropped them to 0-3. The Viki...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand asked Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins this week about the team's charmed existence in 2022 compared to their diminished fortune so far in 2023. Cousins' answer was illuminating, but it also sent Rand down a path of examining just how outrageous Minnesota's fortune was a year ago. 8:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand for a look at the Twins and trying to answer jus...

Introduction: In a jam-packed show, host Michael Rand starts out looking at the Vikings and Minnesota United, both of whom appear to be in desperation mode. The Vikings have made two roster moves this week -- signing guard Dalton Risner and trading for running back Cam Akers -- in hopes of jump-starting their running game and reversing their 0-2 start. To Rand, it's the sign that the plan was not...

Introduction: Host Michael Rand gets into the Royce Lewis injury scare from Tuesday and the potential impact on the Twins as they move closer to clinching a playoff berth. Lewis has been their best player down the stretch of the season, and they clearly need to hope that his hamstring tightness doesn't linger into the postseason. Plus a strong start from Kenta Maeda puts him firmly into the mix to...

On a jam-packed Tuesday show, host Michael Rand and Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse talk about their college football excursions over the weekend -- including Reusse's visit to Harvard to see the Crimson face St. Thomas. Reusse also gives his perspective on Minnesota hockey legend Henry Boucha, who died at age 72. The Vikings finally upgraded their offensive line it seems with a reported dea...

Host Michael Rand made a trip to North Carolina, where he and friends visited longtime podcast contributor Keith and they all took in Saturday's 31-13 Gophers loss to the Tar Heels. A stark difference in quarterback play underscored where the two programs are, and served as a reminder that P.J. Fleck's team still has a lot to prove this season. Plus the whole crew shares perspectives on the highs...

Introduction: There are a lot of ways to beat the 2023 Vikings, as we have seen already in just two games, but the best way for now might be to let them beat themselves. Seven turnovers, including six lost fumbles -- four of them in Thursday's not-that-close 34-28 loss to the Eagles -- have doomed them in an 0-2 start. Beyond turnovers, though, there are plenty of other deficiencies. Most notably,...