The Twins played their last home game of the year Wednesday afternoon. To reward one of the smallest crowds in Target Field history, they hired a band to play on one of the left field balconies.

Makes sense. What Twins fan couldn't use a jolt of adrenaline from a loud band after four wretched seasons?

Here's the thing: In a move befitting their season, the Twins didn't bring in Prince or the Replacements to shoot adrenaline directly into eardrums. They hired a local band named Fathom Lane.

Now, Fathom Lane is wonderful, in a haunting and melodic way. But if categorized, the group would be listed under "Midwestern Melancholy." They produce the kind of music you listen to in the winter when you wonder why we live here. The band didn't so much improve the mood as sing appropriate dirges.

Before the game, Fathom Lane sang "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" evoking Bob Dylan's death scene.

And then things got really gloomy.

Phil Hughes picked up his 16th victory with eight sharp innings against the Diamondbacks.

Trevor Plouffe broke his left forearm making a tag at third base. To repeat: While making a tag.

As Twins officials were announcing the news about Plouffe, it began to rain, and then it began to rain harder.

It was the bottom of the eighth. Phil Hughes had pitched eight innings. He had thrown just 96 pitches. He stood one out shy of earning a bonus of $500,000 for pitching 210 innings.

After a rain delay of more than an hour, the game resumed, but Hughes didn't. He missed the bonus, and manager Ron Gardenhire said Hughes won't pitch even a third of an inning this weekend in Detroit.

"I was aware of it," Hughes said. "Some things just weren't meant to be."

Nobody needs to weep for Hughes. He won't miss any meals. Missing the bonus merely added a melancholic twist to his day.

Hughes, along with displaced shortstop Danny Santana, has been the best thing to happen to the Twins this season, which was otherwise the fourth sequel in a series of badly scripted disaster films.

They lost 90 games for the fourth consecutive season. They didn't see any of their top three prospects — Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano or Alex Meyer — stay healthy or make it to the big leagues. They again didn't look any more fundamentally sound. They again failed to be moderately interesting after the All-Star break.

They rank last in the league in ERA, starter's ERA and strikeouts, even with Hughes setting a major league record with 11.63 strikeouts for every one walk.

"It wasn't 209 ⅔," Hughes said of the bonus trigger. "It was 210. I have a lot of other things to hang my hat on."

Hughes turned in his most impressive year in the big leagues one season after New Yorkers chased him out of Yankee Stadium with pitchforks. If you were looking for a break in the clouds Wednesday, you need only look toward the mound.

Hughes proved that the Twins can indeed sign worthwhile starting pitching, even though their other free-agent starter, Ricky Nolasco, flopped.

Hughes proved that a pitcher who relies on strikeouts and fly balls can thrive at Target Field.

Most of all, he proved that in baseball, individual players are responsible for their own performances. Hughes didn't need to be surrounded by great fielders. He didn't need to play for a good team or ride a wave of positive emotion.

Hughes performed well because he set his mind to performing well all winter. Because he found a formula that worked — pitching off of his fastball, and throwing strikes — and stuck with it.

Wednesday, Hughes went eight innings, allowing one run, striking out five and walking none. He improved to 16-10 on a team that, when he doesn't get a decision, is 52-80.

The Twins should be thrilled to hand Hughes the $500,000 bonus after the way he pitched this season.

Better yet, they should claw back a half-mil from Nolasco, and transfer it to the rare recent Twins starter with the gumption to rise above his circumstances.

Jim Souhan can be heard weekdays at noon and Sundays from 10 to noon on 1500 ESPN. His Twitter name is @SouhanStrib • jsouhan@startribune.com