'We didn't add on': A hot four innings fizzles out in Twins' loss to Padres

SAN DIEGO -- With a legitimate shot at securing a postseason berth, the Twins can ill afford many down nights offensively -- or just in general -- with just over 30 games left to play.

There have been a few of those since the calendar turned to August. Saturday night at Petco Park wasn’t one of them … through the first four innings, at least.

Minnesota jumped all over Padres starter Casey Mize from the get-go, scoring in each of the first four frames and homering three times. Everything appeared to be clicking, but the bats stalled from the fifth inning onward, and a blown three-run lead in an ill-fated seventh led to a demoralizing 7-5 loss.

“We did a good job,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “We had a good approach, we came out, and we drove some balls out of the ballpark. But we’ve got to continue to add on, especially because of the fact that we do know what's at the back end of their bullpen, and you have to try to get as many runs as possible.”

The Twins took full advantage of an ailing Mize -- who Minnesota beat up on earlier this season when he was a member of the Tigers -- before he ended up departing in the third due to a right ankle sprain.

Luke Keaschall led off the game with a home run. Brooks Lee and Kaelen Culpepper went back to back an inning later.

“I feel like he was just leaving stuff up in the zone,” said Lee, who went 3-for-4 and finished a triple shy of the cycle. “We were doing a good job with the splitter. We were hammering the slider, and then getting a good swing off on the fastball, and those were the three pitches he was predominantly throwing. I felt like we had him.”

Two more runs scored on RBI singles by Kody Clemens and Keaschall off Padres left-hander Kyle Hart, who relieved Mize with two outs in the third inning.

After that, though? The Twins managed just three hits and failed to cash in on a bases-loaded opportunity with one out in the sixth. Josh Bell struck out and Ryan Jeffers grounded out to shortstop to end the threat empty-handed.

“We have to capitalize in that inning,” Shelton said. “We’ve got to push a run across. I think that was a big spot in the game.”

The defeat pushed the Twins (63-67) a full game behind the Rangers for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.

The product offensively has been inconsistent as of late, particularly on the road. Minnesota averaged 3.3 runs per game on its previous road trip, a nine-game stretch in Seattle, Kansas City and Milwaukee in which it went 3-6 and was walked off three times.

“We just didn’t finish games,” Shelton said.

The current road trip has gotten off to a similarly rough start, with Padres starter Randy Vásquez limiting the Twins to a mere two hits on Friday night before the promising early returns of Saturday spiraled into another series loss -- their fifth this month. But the offense was solely responsible for the latter’s outcome.

Holding on to a 5-2 lead, right-hander Andrew Morris came in to face the top of the Padres’ order to start the bottom of the seventh. After getting the first out, a catcher’s interference call on Jeffers put Freddy Fermin on first before a single by Fernando Tatis Jr. and a two-run double by Jake Cronenworth made it a one-run game.

Moments later, with Cronenworth on second, a ground ball from Manny Machado to Culpepper at shortstop led to the turning point.

With Cronenworth attempting to advance to third, Culpepper tried to get the out there instead of going to first. The throw got by Lee at third, who was charged with an error on the play, allowing Cronenworth to score and tie the game before San Diego took the lead shortly after a mound visit on a Ty France RBI single.

“I was just trying to make something happen; it was a split decision,” Culpepper said. “I thought maybe I could stop a run by getting the runner out. So I just chose to go over there and just try to give Brooks a nice feed. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way.”

Added Lee: “I called ‘three,’ and it was a good throw, just went to tag too quick. That would have been a pretty cool out, but didn't end up happening, and then as soon as we went to the mound, I said, ‘That was a good throw, it's not your fault.’”

The implosion did Minnesota no favors, but at the plate, there was plenty left on the table.

“We started out swinging the bats, and then we didn’t add on,” Shelton said. “We had an opportunity to add on, and then we just could not hold them at bay.”