Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe hasn’t given up hope on the winless Twins and he’s encouraging fans to stick with them as well.
I know you guys are frustrated. Trust me, we are too. But we will get through this. There's too much talent not to. Stay with us MN!!
— Coach Trev (@trevorplouffe) April 14, 2016
Plouffe and the Twins are are the first team since the 2003 Tigers to lose its first nine games of the season, according to ESPN. Those Tigers went on to finish 43-119, breaking the American League record for most losses in a season and coming within one loss of tying the 1962 Mets for the most losses in modern MLB history.
Benchmarks from that terrible Tigers team include:
- 0-9 start to the season
- 1-17 after 18 games
- 3-25 on May 3
- 18-61 on June 29
- 34-100 on Aug. 30
Despite some bullpen woes, the Twins’ pitching has been decent through nine games, with a team ERA of 3.61, which ranks 12th in MLB. The lineup has been the primary issue. The Twins rank:
- 30th in runs (14 total)
- 27th in hits (59 total)
- 24th in home runs (4 total)
- 28th in batting average (.201)
- 5th in strikeouts (94)
Among the everyday players, Joe Mauer is one of only two guys in the lineup batting above .185.
- Brian Dozier: .152
- Eddie Rosario: .167
- Joe Mauer: .387
- Trevor Plouffe: .161
- Miguel Sano: .143
- Eduardo Escobar: .324
- Byung Ho Park: .160
- Kurt Suzuki: .105
- Byron Buxton: .167
It won’t get any easier Friday when the Twins open a three-game series at Target Field against the Los Angeles Angels, who are sending staff ace Garrett Richards to the mound.
