Sure, the Twins have been in a horrible slump, even though they did shut out the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Wednesday behind an impressive debut from top pitching prospect Fernando Romero.
But if you want to be positive in any way, you have to understand the Twins have been playing without their No. 1 starter in Ervin Santana (finger surgery), their No. 1 defender in center fielder Byron Buxton (migraines, broken toe), their best power hitter in third baseman Miguel Sano (strained hamstring) and starting shortstop Jorge Polanco (80-game suspension for steroid use). They were bound to struggle some.
Manager Paul Molitor has been critical of the team, and after they blew a 4-3 lead Tuesday and lost 7-4 in 10 innings of ugly baseball, he said: "We're kind of getting what we deserve in some ways. We're not finding ways to play clean baseball. And it's been biting us big time."
But after Wednesday's victory, Molitor acknowledged how tough it has been missing so many key components from last season's playoff team.
"It does make a difference," he said. "You have to find a way. That's where your depth plays an important role in how well your team can maneuver through adversity. We just played Toronto and they don't have [shortstop Troy] Tulowitzki or [third baseman Josh] Donaldson and they're finding a way to win their share of games. No one is going to feel sorry for you. We'd love to have people healthy and contributing but some days, you just have to go with what you've got."
While Sano missed most of the final weeks of last season because of a stress reaction in his left shin, Santana, Buxton and Polanco all played key roles in the team's surge into the playoffs.
This year's Twins have had pitching and defensive problems, and Buxton is perhaps the most important player on the team because of his defense.
"I think you love it when he's swinging the bat well, but the defensive component of what he can bring to a team is game-changing," Molitor said. "Obviously being the best defensive player in the league last year, when he's out of there, it makes a difference on how we can play the game."