The Twins were 6-for-35 with runners in scoring position through a 1-4 West Coast road trip that started two weeks ago, and the playoff prospects seemed dire with the team no longer leading the division.
But then they returned to Target Field and went 10-for-31 in a three-game sweep of the Royals earlier this week — ratcheting up 17 runs to Kansas City's two — and renewed hope that all was not lost for the postseason.
Now with just one game remaining in a four-game series against the Rangers, the optimism has again plummeted, with the same problems making it clear they are far from resolved.
In Sunday's 7-0 loss in front of an announced 24,802 fans at Target Field, the Twins were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, making them 1-for-19 in the series, which they trail 1-2. The Rangers (55-66) are a distant third in the American League West. The Twins (62-57) trail 1 ½ games behind Cleveland in the Central and have just a one-game lead on the White Sox in third.
As for the wild-card race, the Twins are 2 ½ games out with Seattle, Tampa Bay and Toronto all bunched together above them.
"We expected more from our offense. And will expect more going forward, a lot more," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It was a day where there wasn't much to even talk about. I think we rolled over on a lot of pitches. And it's something I think we could have and should have been ready for. And I think we prepared for the type of pitcher we were facing ... The execution in the batter's box has to be better."
Kohei Arihara, in just his second start for the Rangers this season and 12th overall, pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just four hits with three strikeouts. The Rangers turned to just one reliever, Taylor Hearn, who also put up zeros and had five strikeouts the rest of the way.
Twins starter Joe Ryan gave up just one hit — a home run to Marcus Semien to start the fourth inning — until he left the game in the seventh. There, he allowed an Adolis Garcia single to lead off but nabbed one out before Trevor Megill relieved him. Megill immediately hit a batter to put two on base before striking out his next hitter.
He then gave up three consecutive hits, including a two-run single from Brad Miller and another RBI base hit from Semien. Semien initially drove in two runs but the Twins successfully challenged the call at home plate and Jake Cave and Sandy Leon earned credit for the out.
Emilio Pagan pitched the eighth inning and surrendered a solo homer to Nathaniel Lowe. In the ninth, he allowed five more hits and two runs, including another RBI apiece for Miller and Semien.
But Ryan — who took the loss for a 9-6 record while Arihara improved to 1-1 and Hearn earned his first save — said he can't place too much blame on the bullpen or the offense for the result. "I've seen our offense do some pretty special things this year, so I really don't look at it as they're struggling at all," Ryan said. "I know they're really good. [Arihara] was throwing the ball really well."
Carlos Correa, though, did shoulder the responsibility for the hitters. He said the failure to drive in runs is more mental than physical, as he feels all the batters are putting in the appropriate work during practice to generate production. But when that doesn't materialize in games — especially with the season dwindling and the schedule only increasing in difficulty — the pressure is heightened.
"I've been here before where you're making a playoff push, and you're still in August," said Correa, who won the World Series with Houston in 2017. "And the most important thing is not to hit the panic button. It's not like it's the last week of the season. There's still time to figure it out. There's still time to make progress. There's still time to get better and make adjustments.
"It's time to go."
