The Twins finally got Byron Buxton, Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson in a starting lineup together for the first time this season on Tuesday, but the presence of their three big right-handed bats wasn’t enough of a lift amid a tough stretch on and off the field as the Twins lost to the A’s, 7-0, in their return to the field following three postponements due to COVID-19.

The loss was Minnesota’s seventh in its last eight games amid the continued presence of off-field challenges like the COVID-19 issues that have been an everyday consideration in the clubhouse since last Wednesday, and last Monday’s postponed game due to the shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn.

• Box score

Though the Twins hadn’t played since Friday, those extra days away from the field did give both Buxton and Donaldson extra rest after both had dealt with right hamstring strains that caused them to miss time early in the season.

Both stayed hot, with Donaldson reaching base in his first two appearances and Buxton cracking an opposite-field single in his first at-bat to stretch his hitting streak to 10 games, two shy of his career high. Spurred by the presence of both near the top of the lineup, the Twins put runners in scoring position in both the first and third innings, but couldn’t capitalize in either frame.

Buxton is the only hitter in baseball to play at least 10 games this season with at least one hit in each of his games played. Donaldson is now 4-for-8 with a pair of walks since he was activated off the injured list.

But beyond Minnesota’s stack of right-handed bats atop the lineup, the Twins’ Nos. 5-9 hitters combined to go 3-for-15 against Oakland left-hander Sean Manaea, who collected seven strikeouts in a seven-inning complete game. The A’s pulled ahead on a pair of homers by Mitch Moreland off Minnesota starter Matt Shoemaker before a fourth-inning grand slam by Matt Olson busted the game open.