A week ago, the Minnesota Twins were on fire, winning 17 out of 20 games. However, after losing 12-3 to the Washington Nationals on Monday night, they found themselves in a rough spot, facing a seven-game losing streak that prompted a meeting among the players.
“It’s easy to be cheerful when everything is going well and you’re winning games,” said Twins shortstop and two-time All-Star Carlos Correa. “But when things get tough, that’s when you see people’s true colors. Talking it out can be helpful.”
Correa’s two-run homer was a highlight in an otherwise sluggish performance from an offense that has struggled, scoring only 12 runs during the Twins’ recent slide, bringing them dangerously close to a .500 record.
Manager Rocco Baldelli noted that the team struggled to adjust to the soft pitches thrown by Nationals starter Mitchell Parker.
“The guy just stood out there and threw off-speed pitches for four innings, and we didn’t do anything about it,” Baldelli said. “We continued to kind of wave at them and look for fastballs. Today, they weren’t coming. Especially for the first five, or six innings. And in this stretch of games where we’ve been struggling, that’s been a common theme.”
Baldelli mentioned that he’s already had two or three talks with the team this year, including during an earlier five-game losing streak. He’s cautious about having too many talks as they can lose their impact. However, he supported the players’ decision to hold their own meeting.
“I don’t know what was said. I have no idea,” Baldelli said. “I think it was the right thing to do at the right time. And hopefully, we get something out of it.” In his sixth season as manager, Baldelli is surprised by how quickly things have turned around, once again.
