MINNEAPOLIS -- The Mets’ leaky defense and inconsistent bullpen could have paved the way for a strong start to a tough homestand at Target Field. Instead, the Twins themselves struggled with uncharacteristically rough defense that buried them for seven unearned runs -- including six in the eighth -- in a 14-4 loss at Target Field on Wednesday.

The pair of losses to the Mets marked the first time this season that the Twins suffered a series sweep. It was also the first time the Twins have lost three straight games in 2019, the latest in franchise history they have tallied their first three-game skid in a season.

The loss dropped the Twins’ lead over the Indians in the American League Central to 4 1/2 games pending Cleveland's outcome later Wednesday, their slimmest advantage since May 19.

• Box score

“It didn't look like us,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We're firmly in the middle of the season and moving toward the second half, and the fact we haven't seen many games like that, it's obviously a good sign. … We just didn't execute and do the things we needed to do to win in a few different ways.”

The Twins had entered the series with one of the top defenses in baseball, according to both traditional and advanced metrics, but both mental and physical mistakes afflicted the normally sound club in both of their losses.

An error and two passed balls led to a pair of unearned runs that made the difference in Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss. On Wednesday, a throwing error by Miguel Sanó snowballed into an unearned run that allowed the Mets to tie the game in the fourth despite an effective outing from Martin Perez, who allowed only two runs -- one earned -- in six innings, his fewest earned runs allowed since May 17.

But the toughest miscue of all was a dropped routine fly ball in left field by Eddie Rosario in the eighth inning, after the Mets had taken a 5-3 lead when Trevor May allowed a go-ahead, three-run homer to Dominic Smith. Rosario’s error opened the floodgates for six unearned runs off Matt Magill capped by a 474-foot blast from Pete Alonso into the third deck of the left-field bleachers at Target Field.

“I was concentrated on catching the ball, but when it was on its way down, I lost it in the sun,” Rosario said. “I just did my best there, and that was a difficult inning for us. It just happened that it dropped."

That error noticeably took the energy out of the Twins’ defense, which saw a missed dive by Jake Cave and a hard grounder get by Sano in the ninth inning when the Mets tacked on three more runs against Ehire Adrianza to cap their offensive performance.

“Obviously, a lot happened in the final three innings,” Baldelli said. “None of it looked really good. Occasionally, I think we're going to see situations like that. We were right in the game and competing very well. [Perez] threw the ball very well. I think we were in a good spot and then the wheels kind of fell off in a few different ways.”

The seven unearned runs were the most allowed by the Twins since May 6, 2017, an 11-1 loss to the Red Sox. Of the 26 runs allowed by the club since the All-Star break, 11 have been unearned.

“You're concerned in the fact that maybe we're not making all the plays or doing the things we want to do or need to do to win the game,” Baldelli said. “Of course we want to play better. We want to win. We want to execute is really where we want to be. It's not necessarily reacting to what we're doing and simply looking at the results. It's kind of digging into it a little bit and seeing why.”

The Twins’ record of avoiding three consecutive losses until this point in the season has been a testament to their ability to stay level-headed and resilient, even after difficult losses.

Faced with their sloppiest defeat of all and a more difficult stretch against the A’s and Yankees directly ahead of them, the Twins now have to regroup -- and quickly. Rosario and C.J. Cron being activated from the injured list on Tuesday could have been a spark, and they’re confident that the results will soon follow.

"It's just part of it,” Rosario said. “Now, I'm back [from the injured list]. Cron is back. Tomorrow is another series. We start from scratch. I think everybody here knows how to do their job. We're resilient. Tomorrow is another day."