MINNEAPOLIS _ The Twins have endured some ugly streaks already this season. Eight consecutive losses last week was the worst, but the streak Jose Berrios is in the midst of may be the most mysterious.
Berrios lasted only three innings on Sunday, and all three were messy. The Puerto Rican right-hander walked at least one batter per inning, gave up a double in each, and worst of all, surrendered one, one and two runs before being lifted. That meant that Berrios had allowed a run to score in seven consecutive innings, or roughly double the damage that his first four opponents of the season had managed, combined.
The result was an 8-2 loss to the Reds that was never in doubt, and while Berrios wasn't the lone culprit as the Reds won a series in Minnesota for the first time in their history, he was the most unexpected. In six games this season, Berrios has cruised through at least seven scoreless innings, but in the other three starts, he's been terrible: 11 2/3 innings, 14 runs, a 10.80 ERA.
Berrios didn't get much help in this one, though, as Cincinnati won a series for the first time in 2018. The Twins' lineup produced only six hits and two runs, the bullpen allowed the Reds to pile on four more runs, and the defense couldn't covert double-play balls into double plays. Six times in the first six innings, the Twins got a force out at second base but failed to relay the ball to first base in time for a second out, extending one inning after the next.
The Twins' lone offensive breakthrough against Reds starter Tyler Mahle came in the sixth inning, when Jason Castro opened the inning with a double. With one out, Joe Mauer grounded a ball up the middle, scoring Castro from second. The hit snapped Mauer's streak of 11 straight games without an RBI, dating back to April 12, the third-longest such drought of his career.
But the Twins couldn't add to their run total until the ninth, when Castro doubled home Logan Morrison, despite plenty of chance. Minnesota was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, bringing their total in the series to 6-for-34 (.161).
