At Progressive Field, the Minnesota Twins' recent struggles continued as they squandered a three-run lead, ultimately succumbing to a 4-3 defeat against the Cleveland Guardians. The decisive moment came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Griffin Jax surrendered a two-run homer to Kyle Manzardo, sealing the Twins' fate.
This latest loss adds to a worrying trend for the Twins, who have now lost 18 of their last 27 games. During this rough patch, they have frequently faltered late in games, holding leads in the seventh inning or later in five of those 18 losses and being tied in two additional instances.
As their slump deepened, the Twins' grip on the third AL wild-card spot has loosened. Once boasting playoff odds of 95.4% according to FanGraphs, their chances have dwindled to 76.4%, with their lead now reduced to a precarious 1.5 games. The Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, both hot on their heels, trail by just two games each in the standings. Fortunately for the Twins, they do hold crucial tiebreakers over both teams.
Offensive Struggles and Pitching Woes
The Twins' offensive woes are glaring. In 12 of their last 27 games, they've failed to score more than three runs. During this grueling stretch, the team is batting a meager .236 with a .296 on-base percentage and a .381 slugging percentage. Even worse, when the bases are empty, they hit just .272, ranking them among the worst in the league.
"If we're able to do what we need to do on the offensive end, we win, but we did not," manager Rocco Baldelli acknowledged. "We have to do better and we have to put nine innings together."
Compounding their offensive issues are the pitching struggles. The Twins' bullpen, which once showcased a respectable 3.84 ERA and was ranked tenth in the league in win probability added (plus-3.41) over their first 123 games, has plummeted to a 5.47 ERA with a league-worst minus-2.75 win probability added over the last 27 games. The rest of the rotation has also been subpar, posting a 6.07 ERA and averaging just 4.38 innings per start during this stretch.
Griffin Jax expressed the collective frustration: "It's pretty heartbreaking. We're kind of running on fumes as a staff."
Searching for Solutions
In an effort to bolster their pitching options, the Twins recently claimed left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Irvin has struggled with a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts and nine relief appearances this season.
Twins' President of Baseball Operations, Derek Falvey, explained the move: "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."
Key Players and Challenges Ahead
On an optimistic note, Max Kepler is expected to make a return, which should provide a boost to a sagging lineup. Plus, star players Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have shown flashes of their brilliance, going a combined 5 for 15 with two doubles and a homer this month.
Baldelli's outlook remains cautious yet focused: "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."
As their margin of error continues to shrink, the team's mental fortitude will be tested. "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," said pitcher Pablo López.
The road ahead remains challenging for the Twins, having played 17 games in the last 18 days. They must dig deep and leverage every bit of their remaining strength and resilience if they hope to secure their spot in the postseason. With fierce competition from the Tigers and Mariners, every game from here on out carries monumental importance.