MINNEAPOLIS -- Evan Longoria ran hard, stretching a single into a double in the fifth inning Sunday knowing the Giants needed a few big hits and some positive momentum. Longoria slid into second safely, but he felt his right hamstring tighten up again.

One of San Francisco’s veteran leaders, Longoria was trying to spark his team. The 36-year-old had to be taken out after scoring a run, and his health is in question as the Giants end a 2-6 road trip with an 8-3 loss to the Twins at Target Field.

Longoria hopes to return quickly. He also hopes a return home for a series against the Padres can get his team back on track and he plans on speaking to his teammates.

“Hopefully, it gives us a boost,” Longoria said. “Hopefully, we can get back on track, win some games and make the push. It’s going to be a long September if we don’t. That will be my message to the guys.”

Sunday’s loss was deflating. It meant San Francisco was swept in a series for the seventh time this season. The Giants have lost eight of 10. They were outscored 20-5 by the Twins in the series.

They had 10 hits in Sunday’s game but were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They left 10 runners on base.

‘We’ve kind of gotten beaten down a little bit on this trip,” Longoria said.

San Francisco starts a three-game series with San Diego, which is directly ahead of the Giants in the National League West, on Monday. San Francisco also trails the Padres for the final wild card spot in the NL by 7 1/2 games.

In all, 17 of the next 20 games are against teams ahead of the Giants in the playoff picture (San Diego, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee and Atlanta).

“We’re not in a good position,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I think we all acknowledge that. But we’re still in the fight and that’s all we can ask for.”

It’s one reason Longoria believes it’s time for introspection.

“We’re coming into the last month of the season here, and it’s pretty easy to kind of just give up, and just wallow in your own sorrows and just be OK with kind of mailing it in the rest of the year,” Longoria said. “I think the point needs to be made that we need to continue to focus as a group the last month, whatever the outcome is, and continue to care and continue to go out there and play as hard as we can.”

The frustrating road trip appeared like it could end on a high note Sunday.

San Francisco twice took a lead but surrendered it the next half-inning. The Giants came back to tie the game on Longoria’s run in the fifth before Minnesota had a five-run fifth.

“Personally, my attitude is hopefully just flush this whole series, flush this game, and move on to getting back home to San Francisco and playing in front of our fans and hopefully putting up some good games,” starter Jakob Junis said. “Forget about this road trip, these last four or five games, and try to look ahead and get in front of our home crowd and put some stuff together.”

Junis (4-4) allowed six runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings Sunday. He had allowed more than three runs in just two of his previous starts this season.

“Not good enough, not up to anybody in this clubhouse’s standards,” Kapler said. “And I think we have to come back home and keep our heads down, keep grinding, keep working every day, and understand that there’s still time, and really fight, and scratch and claw to stay in this thing.”

Longoria’s injury came after Kapler revealed pregame that Joc Pederson is dealing with groin tightness, Mike Yastrzemski has a calf injury and Luis González has an illness.

Yastrzemski played through the injury Sunday. González had to come in when Longoria left. The injury is to the same hamstring that caused Longoria to miss 14 games earlier this season.

Longoria said he won’t be in the lineup Monday, which was already planned, and hopes to be back Tuesday.

“Health is definitely going to be a big part of it,” Longoria said of getting back in the playoff race. “If we can get everybody on the field at the same time, and get everybody clicking and kind of spark that belief. Again, it’s a mental challenge as much as it is a physical challenge. If we’re up for it, I think we have the group. If not, if we just cave, it’s going to be a long month, and we’ll be going home on Oct. 5.”