That 5-4 loss to Detroit on Monday? Yeah, it stings for Minnesota. It all came down to an absolutely brutal second inning and a shocking string of twin killings that killed any chance of a comeback. This wasn’t some nail-biter where both teams played perfectly; it was a rough one where Minnesota repeatedly shot itself in the foot, ending the game unable to get the tying run home.
What Happened in That Second Inning?!
Seriously, what even happened in that second inning? Joe Ryan, back from the injured list, actually looked okay at first, only giving up a solo homer to Rookie of the Year favorite Kevin McGonigle in the first. But then the second inning hit, and it was pure chaos. Ryan gave up a triple, struck out a batter, and then his control just *vanished*. He walked Max Clark, then plunked John Peck and Colt Keith on back-to-back pitches, the second one loading the bases! Then McGonigle hit a grounder to Royce Lewis at first. A routine force out, right? Nope. Lewis’s throw home to catcher Ryan Jeffers forced Jeffers to stretch, his foot drifting an inch off the plate, letting the runner score. That’s how two runs scored on a walk, two hit batters, and an error. Disaster. Ryan struck out seven in four innings, which is good, but that second inning really made it tough.
Can’t Get ‘Em Home
Lefty Connor Prielipp came in after Ryan and pitched four innings, but he made one big mistake: a two-run homer to Riley Greene in the fifth. That made it 5-2, and you’re thinking, “Here we go again.” But wait! Walker Jenkins came up big in the sixth with a double that drove in two runs, cutting the lead to 5-4. You felt a spark, right? But then, the absolute frustration set in. Minnesota stranded the tying runner on base in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Four straight innings with a chance to tie or take the lead, and nothing. Kody Clemens struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the sixth. Royce Lewis grounded into a double play to end the seventh. Brooks Lee flied out with runners at the corners to end the eighth. And to add insult to injury, Josh Bell grounded into a double play to end the *game*. Minnesota grounded into four double plays in total, including one in each of the final three innings. Bell even grounded into a double play to end both the first and ninth innings. Oof.
At 68-76, Minnesota is now eight games under .500. They’re 4 1/2 games back from Cleveland (73-71), and gotta jump the Orioles (70-75), Rangers (71-73), and Blue Jays (72-72) too. Those are some serious teams to chase, and this kind of play just isn’t gonna cut it. They need to figure out how to score when it counts, period. Next up, it’s another shot at Detroit on Tuesday at 5:40 p.m. CT. Will they finally get the hits to fall and salvage something from this rough stretch?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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