The good, the bad, and the ugly: Twins have losing record for the 1st time this season
By Christian Veninga, WCCO Intern
There is no shame in losing to the best. Getting swept by the best, on the other hand ... there may be a little shame in that.
The Minnesota Twins went into Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay with a 31-29 record and on top of the AL Central Division. They then proceeded to lose -- 7-0, 2-1, and then 4-2 -- to the Rays, who currently possess a league-best 46-19 record following this series.
Now the Twins sit at 31-32, below .500 for the first time this season, and on a five-game losing streak.
With nearly 100 games left in the season, the Twins have the tools to be successful as long as the team stays healthy.
Byron Buxton was recently put on the IL with a rib contusion, and Nick Gordon has been on the 60-day IL. The Twins have a second-best 3.46 ERA, led by Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan.
But batting could be much improved, as the team currently sits 26th overall in batting average (.229). According to ESPN's Bradford Doolittle, the team has had pull-heavy and high-strikeout sluggers, which has made the offense "[head] in the wrong direction for about three weeks."
However, the Twins are still in first place in the AL Central, which may also be a testament to how dismal the division has been, not only this year but for the better part of the 21st century, other than a few good runs here and there.
Minnesota will face Toronto in an upcoming three-game series. The Blue Jays are currently in fourth place in the AL East, a much better division than the AL Central, judging by how the last-place team – the Red Sox – have the exact same record as the division-leading Twins.
The Twins will now try to maintain or grow their 1.5-game lead over Cleveland, who will play a tough Astros team starting Friday night.