MINNEAPOLIS _ Maybe another road trip is just what the Twins need.
Perhaps the weather this time of year in Seattle will cure for their scoring ills. Later on, there will be opportunities in Kansas City that could lead to run-scoring success against the Royals.
And, maybe, Miguel Sano will appear sometime over the next week or so, healthy and ready to feast on some meatballs _ the ones over the plate, not on them.
Because just when the pitching staff starts to find a groove, the Twins offense can't find ways to score. And their 4-1 loss to Detroit on Wednesday completed a homestand during which a lineup that is low on power could not bunch enough hits together to sustain offense.
So they failed in their attempt to sweep the Tigers. Instead, they took two of three and went 4-5 on the homestand. After going 7-3 on their last road trip, the Twins could use similar success when they open a three-game series in Seattle on Friday before playing three games in Kansas City.
"You know, it's a little disappointing to be honest," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "You have a chance to come out here and sweep a series, something that we've been looking to try to get one here. When you get the opportunities, you want to get greedy, we've talked about that a lot."
They were held to one run on five hits on Wednesday against right-hander Michael Fulmer and the Tigers bullpen. So the final numbers on the homestand are as follows: A team batting average of .225. Four home runs in the nine games. An average of 3.33 runs scored.
This coincides with pitching staff posting a tidy 3.11 ERA over those same nine games. Kyle Gibson went six innings on Wednesday, giving up three earned runs _ including a two-run homer to former Twin Niko Goodrum that broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth. Detroit added a run in the ninth on a RBI single by JaCoby Jones.
But it was the fourth straight outing a Twins starter has pitched at least six innings. The staff is grinding away without a true ace, without proper offensive support.
Maybe that's why the Twins sound more and more willing to activate Sano from the disabled list in time for Friday's game. Sano, on a rehabilitation assignment at Class AAA Rochester because of a left hamstring strain, was scheduled to start against Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night in what appeared to be a final tune up.
They missed Sano presence on Wednesday, as Fulmer held the Twins to one run over 5 2/3 innings. Eddie Rosario's RBI single in the first tied the game at 1, but that was it as Fulmer allowed just one base runner past first base the rest of his watch.
"I'm not a big tip my hat guy," Molitor said, "But you acknowledge guys who know what they are doing out on the mound. I thought our approach was decent but he made pitches when he had to."
Second baseman Brian Dozier, who was awarded a ground-rule double in the first when his drive stuck between seams in the padding on the center field wall, feels the quality of their at-bats will be rewarded soon.
"Everyone wishes everyone was healthy but that's never the case by any means," he said. "But I think for the most part it's been good and guys have been stepping up, especially the past few games. Let's not forget we won two out of three. It's hard to sweep at this level."
