NEW YORK – The Twins spent most of the past week watching their hitters spray line drives around Target Field, their starters pitch deep into ballgames, their defense catch everything put in play and their relievers lock down victories.
But after winning six of seven games on their homestand, on Friday they arrived at Yankee Stadium — their pouch of ouch.
For evidence, look no further than the Yankees' first batter. Byron Buxton, the Platinum Glove-winning Twins center fielder, flat-out missed Brett Gardner's sinking liner, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach third and eventually score the first run of the game. That was the first of three unearned runs for New York in a 6-3 victory over the Twins, their ninth consecutive loss at Yankee Stadium.
"I probably went back and watched the thing 20 times, and I'm trying to still figure out what I did wrong," Buxton said after his 10th career error and first since Aug. 18, 2017. "It's just one of those things where it's probably something really, really small that I didn't do."
Buxton wasn't the only one at fault Friday. Kyle Gibson couldn't handle a patchwork Yankees lineup that has been decimated by injuries. The Twins offense got only one run out of two bases-loaded situations, then went five innings without a hit.
The Twins entered Friday with the best record in baseball but fired a dud in the opener of their six-game road trip. And this game looked all too familiar by this team in this ballpark.
Even with a roster fortified with veterans and a long-ball offense, and facing a team with 13 players on the injured list, the Twins lost for the 14th time in their past 15 games in the Bronx. That stretch includes a loss in the 2017 AL wild-card game. Including the postseason, the Twins are 9-30 at the new Yankee Stadium.
"Every now and then it just seems like a couple bounces seem like they don't go our way," said Gibson, winless in his past seven starts vs. the Yankees. "It's part of being here. They play well at home, and it is a fun place to play. Especially when they are winning. Just kind of how it goes sometimes."