ST. PETERSBURG -- Shortly after getting swept at Tropicana Field, Twins manager Derek Shelton stated the obvious on Sunday afternoon.
“We’re going through a tough funk," Shelton said.
Are they ever.
The Twins were defeated 4-2 by the Rays, capping a three-game series to forget for the visitors -- 22 runners left on base, a .100 (2-for-20) batting average with runners in scoring position and five runs produced overall.
“It feels like we’re taking our individual at-bats, but not producing [collectively], while the other team is doing the opposite," shortstop Brooks Lee said. “It’s just a real low point we’re going through right now."
The Twins (12-16) have lost five straight games -- and nine of their last 10 -- heading into a seven-game homestand that begins Monday night against the Mariners.
“It’s baseball, and it’s a long year," Lee said. “I think all of this stuff will continue to come in waves, but as long as we create the opportunities, we’ll be all right.
“Now we change the scenery, get back home, get a good night’s sleep, sleep in your own bed. Go from there. Work to make it better. Forget about this series."
Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4), who hasn’t won in eight consecutive starts dating to last season, was victimized by a four-run third inning.
Woods Richardson ranged far to the right of the mound and gloved a dribbler by Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia -- a slow roller by a slow runner -- but the pitcher wheeled and tossed it over the head of first baseman Kody Clemens. It was judged a single with Feduccia taking second on a throwing error.
“It was a challenging play," Shelton said. “[Woods Richardson] got a little aggressive on the throw and we wound up with a runner on second."
Chandler Simpson followed with a single, then stole second, putting two runners in scoring position. With one out, Woods Richardson’s 0-2 high fastball was punched to center by Jonathan Aranda for a two-run single. Yandy Díaz followed with a two-run homer – another high fastball on 3-1 -- and the score was 4-0.
“I left a couple of pitches up and didn’t execute," Woods Richardson said. “My job is to keep the game close. At some point, I didn’t do that. In some situations, I made the pitches, got the ground balls and pop-ups, but I can’t leave those pitches up and put us behind."
“I thought [Woods Richardson] threw it pretty well and our bullpen kept them off balance to give us a chance to win the game," Shelton said. “But those four runs were all they needed."
The Twins mounted a two-out rally in the seventh when James Outman doubled sharply, and Lee followed with a well-placed, 333-foot two-run homer just inside the right-field foul pole. Off the bat, Lee said he thought it was foul, maybe a double, anything but a homer. But replay confirmed that it dropped nicely into the right-field pocket.
“We needed more than that," Lee said.
The Twins have gone 35 consecutive innings without having the lead. On Thursday in New York, they scored a solo run in the top of the first inning, only to have the Mets hit a three-run homer in the bottom half-inning, taking away that advantage. It has been an uphill climb ever since.
The Twins managed just five hits off the Rays’ pitchers on Sunday – one off opener (and ex-Twin) Griffin Jax, three off Jesse Scholtens and one off Cole Sulser.
Do the Twins need some sort of jolt? A more aggressive approach?
“It’s a good question," Shelton said. “In deficit games, it’s hard because if you end up trying to be aggressive on the bases, you run the risk of [running yourself out of the inning] and going the other way. So I think we have to play to the situation of the game at the plate.
“We’ve got to stay the course. We’ve got to stay positive. It seemed like early in the season, we were capitalizing on everything. Right now, we’re not capitalizing and we need to flip the switch. I thought in the Mets series, we swung the bats pretty well. We came in here and we got pitched to a little bit. I think you’ve got to give the Rays credit."