Minnesota Twins beat Cubs 5-2; Ryan Jeffers hits three-run homer

On July 17, 2026, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Chicago Cubs 5‑2 at Wrigley Field. Ryan Jeffers provided the decisive offense with a go‑ahead three‑run home run, his eighth of the season, giving the Twins a 5‑2 lead. Starting pitcher Bailey Ober struck out seven batters over 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, and earned his first start against every MLB team except the Twins. Yoendrys Gómez secured his 12th save by retiring the side in a hitless ninth. For Chicago, Colin Rea worked six strikeouts over six innings, yielding five hits and four runs (three earned). The victory moved the Twins back above the .500 mark for the first time since April 22 and marked their third consecutive win, improving to 10‑14 overall. Following the game, Twins right‑hander Taj Bradley (9‑3, 3.59 ERA) was slated to start the next game against Cubs left‑hander Matthew Boyd (5‑1, 4.50 ERA). Jeffers, who will be a free agent after the season, noted his quick return from injury: "I'm really happy, I feel like I picked up not missing a beat from where I was early in the year."