At 0-7, the Twins have the worst record in extra innings in Major League Baseball this season. They are also tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the most extra innings games played this season, but the Reds have found much greater success at 5-2 overall.
Ten innings the hard way: A guide to the Twins' extra-inning ineptitude
Here's a breakdown in all areas of the game that has led to the Twins' string of failures and 0-7 record when play lasts longer than nine innings.
May 7, 2021 at 12:24PM
The Twins have hit just .130 in the 10th inning of those games, producing two RBI on a Byron Buxton home run against Oakland, a game the Twins lost in the bottom of the 10th. They have struck out 10 times while accumulating six total bases. The pitching staff has just three strikeouts while allowing eight hits and three walks in 41⁄3 innings.
Here is a recap of the Twins extra innings games this season.
Loss 1: Brewers 6, Twins 5 (10 innings)
An omen foretold? The Twins season opener in Milwaukee started on a high note with the team holding a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning before Alex Colome took the mound, hit Kolten Wong, committed a throwing error and allowed RBI hits by Christian Yelich (on a dropped flyball by Max Kepler) and Travis Shaw, which tied the game, 5-5. The Twins struck out three times on 11 pitches in the top of the 10th, then Randy Dobnak allowed a single and a walk-off fielder's choice by Oswaldo Arcia.
Loss 2: Detroit 4, Twins 3 (10 innings)
Nelson Cruz opened the top of the 10th inning in Detroit with one of the Twins few hits in extra innings this season, sending Jorge Polanco to third with nobody out. Then Max Kepler struck out, Polanco was thrown out at home trying to score on a Buxton grounder and Andrelton Simmons struck out. The Twins then had Hansel Robles intentionally walk Robbie Grossman with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to pitch to Akil Baddoo, who promptly ended the game.
Loss 3: Seattle 4, Twins 3 (10 innings)
One of the more routine extra inning losses this season. A bunt single off Taylor Rogers in the top of the 10th setup a sacrifice fly for Mitch Haniger. Then Willians Astudillo, Jake Cave and Byron Buxton went popout, popout, groundout to end the game.
Loss 4: Oakland 13, Twins 12 (10 innings)
No one likes to pick least favorites, but this has to be the worst walk-off loss of the season (so far). The Twins took a 10-9 lead into the ninth, but Colome hit leadoff batter Ramon Laureano and he came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Matt Chapman. Buxton would respond with a two-run homer — the Twins only runs scored in extra innings this season — before a nightmare unfolded. Colome was brought back out, got two quick outs, then walked two batters and watched as the infield made two errors, with the A's celebrating as Luis Arraez' throw from third sailed 10 feet past Willians Astudillo at first.
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Loss 5: Cleveland 5, Twins 3 (10 innings)
After the Twins went groundout, strikeout, groundout in the top of the 10th, Colome was once again asked to pitch in extras. He saw just one hitter for Cleveland in the bottom half of the inning: Jordan Luplow.
Loss 6: Texas 6, Twins 3 (10 innings)
The first of two losses in extra innings at Target Field this week saw reliever Brandon Waddell come on and allow a two-run homer to Adolis Garcia, and a RBI double to Charlie Culberson before being pulled for Jorge Alcala. Mitch Garver got a hit for the Twins in the bottom of the 10th to bring the tying run to the plate, but Astudillo grounded into a double play.
Loss 7: Rangers 4, Twins 3 (10 innings)
After Taylor Rogers allowed a RBI single to Willie Calhoun in the top of the 10th on Thursday, the Twins had three chances to tie the Rangers and potentially break their season long 10th inning hex. And Miguel Sano came this close ...
While this stretch defies logic and the odds, the team still has a long way to go to set any extra inning records. The most extra innings games played in a Twins season was 23 in 2005 — when the team went 15-8. But they are halfway to an ignominious stat ... the most losses in extra innings in one season by a Twins team was the 1978 squad under Gene Mauch which went 8-14. Still, the worst winning percentage in extra innings games will likely be hard to match, as the 1982 Twins went just 1-13 in extra innings for an almost impossible .071 winning percentage during a 60-102 season overall.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the Twins' batting average in extra-inning games.
Dave St. Peter, who has been with the team for 35 years, moves to an advisory role as the Twins prepare for an offseason sale.
