At Progressive Field, the Minnesota Twins found themselves dealing with yet another crushing defeat, blowing a three-run lead to ultimately fall 4-3 to the Cleveland Guardians. Griffin Jax surrendered a game-winning two-run homer to Kyle Manzardo in the bottom of the eighth inning, marking the latest setback in what has become a dismal stretch for the team.
Struggling to Keep Pace
In their last 27 games, the Twins have faced defeat 18 times, a pattern that highlights their ongoing struggles. Currently, the Twins are clinging to the third AL wild-card spot, but their lead has now dwindled to just 1 1/2 games. As of September 5, FanGraphs had estimated the Twins' postseason odds at a strong 95.4%, but these have since dropped dramatically to 76.4%.
The offensive woes have been a significant contributing factor to this downturn. In twelve of their last 27 games, the Twins failed to score more than three runs, hitting a mere .236 during this period. Their on-base percentage stands at .296, with a slugging percentage of .381. Surprisingly, when the bases are empty, the Twins have been hitting just .272, ranking them as the fourth worst in the game under such circumstances.
Quotes from the Locker Room
Pablo López reflected on the shrinking margin for error. "Our margin of error keeps shrinking and shrinking. Now it's to the point where you've got to take it one day at a time, one pitch at a time, one at-bat at a time. Today will be a tough pill to swallow," he said.
On the offensive struggles, manager Rocco Baldelli acknowledged, "If we're able to do what we need to do on the offensive end, we win, but we did not. We have to do better and we have to put nine innings together."
Griffin Jax echoed the sentiments of a team running on empty. "It's pretty heartbreaking. We're kind of running on fumes as a staff," he admitted.
Pitching Problems
The bullpen's performance has nosedived in recent games. Initially maintaining a respectable 3.84 ERA and ranked tenth in the league in win probability added (plus-3.41) during their first 123 games, the Twins' bullpen has since plummeted to an ERA of 5.47 and a league-worst minus-2.75 win probability added in the most recent 27-game stint.
The rest of the rotation hasn't fared much better, posting a 6.07 ERA and averaging just 4.38 innings per start during this period. This has left the team's core pitchers overstretched and underperforming.
Recent acquisition Cole Irvin, claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, offers a glimmer of hope, albeit with mixed results. Irvin has recorded a 4.86 ERA over 16 starts and nine relief appearances. Derek Falvey, in commenting on Irvin's role, indicated optimism. "We were thinking, how do we lengthen out what we already have? He could be your prototypical swingman who can pitch out of the bullpen. We don't have a left-handed starter in the mix right now either. He just adds another guy that we think can help," Falvey said.
Looking for a Turnaround
Despite the performance slump, some silver linings remain. Max Kepler’s expected return may bolster the offense, while Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have both shown signs of form, going a combined 5 for 15 with two doubles and a homer this month.
The Twins have also been a resilient team in critical moments. In their recent disappointing stretch, they held the lead in the seventh inning or later in five of their last 18 losses and were tied in two other games at similar junctures.
Moreover, the Twins hold crucial tiebreakers over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, teams just two games behind them. While the Tigers have been on a 23-10 surge over their last 33 games, the Twins' position isn't without its advantages.
Baldelli has emphasized the need for unity and self-discovery within the team. "We have to find ourselves as a team. We've been looking over the last month as far as who we are and how we're going to do this."
It is evident the Twins are aware of the challenges ahead. As Griffin Jax and Rocco Baldelli have suggested, getting through this stretch will take not just talent but tenacity and teamwork.