Seven times the Twins have gone to extra innings this season and they’ve lost them all, the latest in a 4-3 home loss to the Texas Rangers Thursday afternoon.
Minnesota had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 but the bullpen couldn’t hold it and the offense slumped the final seven innings to see the Twins lose for the 18th time in 30 games this season.
Tyler Duffey, who got the final two outs of the ninth inning, gave up an RBI single to Willie Calhoun in the top of the 10th to put the Rangers up 4-3. In the bottom of the 10th the Twins went 1-2-3, with Willians Astudillo, Josh Donaldson (pinch hitting) and Miguel Sano going down in order.
The offense waned after Max Kapler led off the game with a home run and Willians Astudillo drove in a pair of runs with a single in the third. Astudillo had three singles to lead the Twins, while Byron Buxton, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano combined to go 1-for-14 at the plate.
Even worse is that Buxton hobbled off the field after grounding out in the bottom of the ninth inning. He was replaced in center field by Jake Cave.
Texas tied the game 1-1 on a solo home run by Joey Gallo to start the second inning, and they tied it again 3-3 in the seventh on Jonah Heim’s opposite-field homer off Twins reliever Hansel Robles.
Robles surrendered the lead after Michael Pineda allowed two runs while striking out five over six innings. Taylor Rogers struck out all four batters he faced in the eight and ninth innings, and Duffey finished a clean ninth for the Twins.
