Just when you think it can't get any worse, the Twins took the field and found another way to blow a late lead and lose to the Cleveland Guardians in walk-off fashion.
Thursday's debacle featured Tyler Thornburg giving up the tying two-run single to meek-hitting Myles Straw in the eighth and then serving up a two-run homer to Andrés Giménez in the bottom of the ninth, giving Cleveland a 5-3 victory and their second walk-off over the Twins in as many days.
What's more is that it's now five times in the past eight games against Cleveland that Minnesota's bullpen has blown the lead in the eighth inning or later, all five resulting in losses.
Emilio Pagan and Jharel Cotton were to blame for the previous four meltdowns, but this time around it was all on Thornburg, who hit a batter and then walked the bases full before Straw's big single in the eighth, and then he walked another batter in the ninth before the walk-off dinger.
Had the Twins won each of those five games where they led in the eighth inning or later, their lead in the AL Central would be 11 games over the Guardians. Instead, they leave Cleveland Thursday with a measly one-game cushion atop the division – and a million questions about how they can possibly be considered a contender with a bullpen in shambles.
Meanwhile, Jose Miranda had a three-run double against Shane Bieber in the third inning, and that's all the offensive the Twins could muster. all the Twins got on the day.
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