Pennant races are supposed to be fun, aren't they? Because the ones that have passed through Target Field this week have been no different than the spirit-dampening rain that came and went Saturday night: They just make life miserable for the Twins.
Minnesota lost its fourth consecutive game, waiting out a two-hour rain delay to do it, and as has happened throughout much of this homestand, the game never seemed particularly competitive. The final score was 7-0, meaning the Twins have yet to score a run on the Rays in the series.
Oh, and reigning Cy Young winner David Price pitches Sunday.
"Same old story," said a disgusted-sounding manager Ron Gardenhire. "Those guys are playing for something over there — they're into the games. We didn't look like we are really getting after it too much, and I guess the weather really bothered us more. Which is disappointing."
One suspects it's infuriating, too, but Gardenhire kept his emotions in check. He pointed out that the Twins, who have lost 11 in a row to Tampa Bay, were competitive when the teams met in St. Petersburg in July; the Rays swept those four games by a cumulative score of 19-11.
The Twins beat Oakland 4-3 on Tuesday, but in the four games since then, they have been outscored 36-5 by playoff contenders from Oakland and Tampa Bay. The only bright side of Saturday's loss: Fewer than 2,000 fans were around at the end to witness it, chased off by a steady rain that delayed play midway through the fourth inning, and by a Twins offense that rarely even threatens to score. Only one Twin reached third base on Saturday, but that's one more than managed it on Friday.
The Twins have gone 36 innings without scoring more than one run, which actually understates the offensive stupor: They've gone 19 innings without scoring any.
"It's not easy. But they've got to play in the same thing we do," Gardenhire said of the chilly, wet conditions. "We have no excuse. We didn't play worth a flip, and they did."
