The Twins held a players-only team discussion inside the visitors’ clubhouse after being blown out for the second time in three days, 12-3 by the Washington Nationals, their seventh consecutive loss.
Players declined to comment on what was said during the discussion, but the Twins had only won 17 of 20 games eight days prior. They are now on the franchise’s longest losing skid in six years.
“It’s not fun to be in this position,” Carlos Correa stated. “This isn’t where we want to be. It is not something we work or strive for. We just need to be better. “I believe everyone here is aware of this.”
The Twins offence has struggled this week, being outscored 45-12 during a seven-game losing streak. Manager Rocco Baldelli cited the Twins’ lack of adjustments against Nationals rookie lefthander Mitchell Parker.
After the Twins scored in the second inning on an RBI single by Kyle Farmer on a ground ball that deflected off the third base bag, Parker threw only 10 fastballs to the next 11 batters. The Twins recorded four strikeouts, one baserunner, and one ball that left the infield.
“The guy just stood out there and threw off-speed pitches for like four straight innings,” said Baldelli. “We did nothing about it. We continued to wave at them and look for fastballs, but they didn’t come today, especially in the first five or six innings. This has been a frequent theme in the games we’ve been battling with.
“You cannot wait three, four, or five innings to adjust to what the beginning pitcher is doing to you. That is not excellent professional baseball.”
During the losing skid, the Twins led in only four of the 63 innings. Pablo López’s one-run lead in the second inning Monday was short-lived as Luis García Jr. homered twice.
“We didn’t hold it for five minutes,” Baldelli explained.
It was a game that gone completely awry. López gave up seven runs in five innings, matching his career high in a start for the Twins. Catcher Christian Vázquez had a throwing mistake in the sixth inning, attempting to throw behind a runner at third base, hitting him in the back, and seeing the ball roll into left field.
Before the Twins scored their first run, Byron Buxton was forcefully waved home on Willi Castro’s double to the left field wall. Buxton was two steps past third base when Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who was positioned just outside the infield dirt, caught the ball from the outfield. Buxton, one of the fastest players in baseball, was thrown out by more than ten feet.
“I’ve seen a lot of streaky baseball,” Baldelli explained. “We all do. This is next-level material.”
Box score: Washington 12, Twins 3.
The Twins’ current offence makes winning games practically impossible. The only time they scored more than three runs throughout their losing streak was in the ninth inning, when they trailed by 11 runs.
“We have to play better baseball, period,” said Baldelli, “but we’re going to have to string together way more good at-bats to make it happen.”
After Correa blasted a two-run home run off Parker on a curveball in the sixth inning, the Twins did not have another baserunner reach third base, forcing a players-only chat.
“It’s easy to be fun guys, be around when things are going good, when everything you’re hitting is falling and you’re just winning games,” Correa stated. “When times are rough, you realize who people are. It’s critical to talk things over.
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