The Twins' rally fell short in a 6-5 loss to the Mariners on June 25, as Jhoan Duran's 9th-inning collapse allowed Julio Rodríguez the game-winning sac fly.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the kind of game that gives you whiplash. For a few incredible innings, it felt like the Minnesota Twins were about to author a season-turning comeback, erasing a five-run deficit with grit and timely hitting. But in what's becoming a tragically familiar script, the hope evaporated in the ninth inning, leading to a crushing 6-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Target Field and extending the team's losing streak to a painful five games.
The Twins have now lost five straight and a staggering 15 of their last 18 games.
After fighting all the way back to tie the game at 5-5, the ball was handed to closer Jhoan Duran to keep the dream alive. Instead, the inning quickly unraveled. Duran's command abandoned him at the worst possible moment, as he plunked former Twin Jorge Polanco and then J.P. Crawford to load the bases. That set the stage for Mariners star Julio Rodríguez, who lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, easily scoring the go-ahead run. The damage was done, and another winnable game had slipped through their fingers, with Duran (4-3) ultimately taking the loss.
The late-game collapse was made all the more painful by the heroic effort that preceded it. The Twins looked dead in the water after starter Chris Paddack endured a brutal five-run third inning. But the offense, which has been stagnant for weeks, suddenly roared to life. Kody Clemens ignited the spark with a solo home run, and the rally culminated in a massive, two-out, two-run double from Ryan Jeffers that tied the game. For a moment, it felt like the old magic was back. Clemens and Jeffers provided the kind of clutch hitting the team has been desperately missing, but it wasn't enough to overcome the bullpen's final stumble.
This loss wasn't just a single bad game; it's a symptom of a larger problem. The Twins are now 37-42 and have lost 15 of their last 18 contests, a freefall that has sent them plummeting in the AL Central standings. Paddack's shaky outing, where he needed 36 pitches to get through one disastrous inning, highlights the recent inconsistency from the starting rotation. While the front office made a minor move to add depth by signing reliever Jose Urena to a minor league deal, it's clear that a more significant change in fortune is needed, and fast.
All eyes now turn to Thursday's series finale, a game that feels less like a regular-season contest and more like a must-win to stop the bleeding. The team will send its ace, Joe Ryan (7-3, 3.06 ERA), to the mound against Seattle's George Kirby. It's a favorable matchup on paper, but as fans have learned during this brutal stretch, nothing is guaranteed. The Twins desperately need a clean game and a victory to salvage a shred of momentum before this season spirals completely out of control.
