The Twins lost their 90th game of the season, and if they continue to play like they did on Sunday, then they most definitely will lose 100 or more games before it all comes to an end. In short, the Twins played like crap. They scored one run on five measly hits and committed four more errors to give them 114 on the season. How bad is that? The next worst fielding team in the American League, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has 88 errors.
On the mound it didn’t get any better. Starter Jose Berrios, who has displayed all the talent in the world at the minor league level, just can’t get it together in the bigs. Berrios lasted all of two-plus innings. Meanwhile, Hans Kluber of the Cleveland Indians, also known as Corey, mowed ’em down by striking out 10 over seven innings to pick up his 16th win of the year. Berrios fell to 2-6 with an ERA of 9.27. The final score? 7-1, Tribe.
Extra innings…
-I know it can’t be easy to be the manager of a team as bad as the Twins, and I know at this point of the season, it makes sense to call up minor league players and let them and other youngsters play. But if Paul Molitor continues to field the team he did on Sunday, then look out: Not only are the Twins going to lose 100 or more games, but I also smell a no-hitter or perfect game around the corner — and that would be against the Twins, not by them.
-If the Twins lose 100 games, it would be for only the second time in franchise history. The Twins lost 102 games in 1982. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Well, guess how many times the Twins have lost 90 or more games? By my count, 12 times. Ugh.
-Sunday’s game marked the last time the Twins play the Tribe this season. They finished 9-10 versus the Indians.
-Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Twins now face the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, the Tigers again, followed by the Seattle Mariners, the Kansas City Royals and then the Chicago White Sox to end the season. Perhaps with the exception of the Chisox, every other team is in contention for a playoff spot. If the Twins want to play spoiler, it won’t be easy.
During and after Sunday’s loss, the Twitterati piled on (it wasn’t hard to do):
My baseball team is terrible & I just don’t understand.
— Laurel Krahn (@wintwins) September 11, 2016
Twins must go 10-9 the rest of the way in order to avoid 100 losses. Record in last 19 games: 4-15.
— Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN) September 11, 2016
Errant pickoff throw by Berrios marks 111th #MNTwins error. Only one season with more since 1986. They made 119 errors in 2011.
— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) September 11, 2016
Twins vs. AL's three division leaders: 17-15
Twins vs. everybody else: 36-74— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) September 11, 2016
Napoli just hit a high pop-up right in front of the mound and it drops in for an error charged to Escobar …
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) September 11, 2016
Ervin Santana gets the ball on Monday.