MINNEAPOLIS — Following a crushing loss Wednesday night to the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor made sure his club didn’t feel sorry for itself before opening a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
The Twins began the day two games ahead of the Angels in the race for the second wild card spot in the American League, 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros.
“There’s no time to sit and have any self-pity moments. You’ve got to find ways to regroup,” Molitor said. “We chatted just briefly after the game last night. The fact that it was a tough game that we had to put in the loss column. All you really have is your next game.”
Early in the game Thursday, it looked as though the Twins had successfully moved on from their heartbreaking 7-4 loss to Detroit, which took two-of-three from the Twins as they kicked off a critical 10-game homestand.
Minnesota scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and looked poised to move three games clear of the Angels and to within one-half game of Houston, which was swept in a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.
But a six-run top of the second followed by a two-run third and single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings meant another loss for the Twins, who have now lost three consecutive games — all at home, where the club 43-26 prior to the streak.
Meaningful games this time of year are a step forward for the Twins, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. Losses in September haven’t been painful here in some time, which doesn’t bring much solace to the current crew of Twins.
But it is a good way for the young players on the roster to learn and grow, even if a playoff run in 2015 isn’t in the cards.
“It’s a really bad thing when they don’t hurt,” Molitor said. “When you can just go out there and play and be somewhat indifferent to the game.”
“These losses do hurt these guys. I felt it in particular on (Wednesday). This is what you want them to feel and hopefully they win more than they lose going forward.”