Twins seeking ways to jump-start offense

DETROIT -- Considering the Twins finished seventh in the Majors in runs scored last season, the offense was expected to be the club's biggest strength in 2015.

But so far, it's hardly been the case in the early going, as the Twins were shut out in back-to-back games to open the season against the Tigers, including an 11-0 loss on Wednesday at Comerica Park. It marked the first time an American League team had been held scoreless in the first two games of a season since the 1977 expansion Seattle Mariners.

The 18-inning scoreless streak to open the year also eclipsed Minnesota's record of 11 straight innings without a run to open the 1988 season. The franchise record is 19 innings by the 1940 Washington Senators. The Major League record is 26 scoreless innings to open the year by the '43 St. Louis Cardinals, but that club went on to win 105 games.

"We've got a 160 to go," Twins right fielder Torii Hunter said. "That's positive. It's not time to panic. We need to make some adjustments. We need to do that as a team and we're going to do that starting tomorrow. All we can do tomorrow is come back, turn the page and have amnesia."

Twins manager Paul Molitor had a similar viewpoint to Hunter, as he still believes the offense will be the club's strong suit moving forward.

"We like our players, offensively," Molitor said. "We have a chance to be a productive offense. We believe in these guys. But you come out the first two days and you put up 18 zeroes, I'm sure that's frustrating. It's like an individual or a team, it's always magnified when you start. So I just want them to have fun and relax, and hopefully things will start to flow, but it's been rough the first couple games."

Hunter added it's still too early to hold a team meeting to address the concerns on offense. He pointed to the fact the Twins faced two top pitchers in David Price and Anibal Sanchez, but he also admitted it's not a good enough reason for the sluggish start offensively.

"We can make excuses like Sanchez is good," Hunter said. "But we do need to have a little more fight in us."