Twins and Nationals meet in a clash of skid teams

Misery will have company when the visiting Minnesota Twins open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Monday. The Twins have lost a season-high six straight games after falling 5-2 to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, while the Nationals limp home after a 2-7 road trip ended by five consecutive defeats, including three against the Philadelphia Phillies. weekend. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli met with his team Sunday after the Twins tied the game in the top of the ninth, only to lose it on a three-run home run in the bottom half. “You can feel like you’re under something, and nothing you do will get you out of it,” Baldelli said. “There’s a lot of things we can do to get through this, and I want our guys to know that. We’re very close. We’re down to one or two at-bats. We’re just talking about one or two to – bats in a row after winning today…and it’s so close.” The Twins have scored just nine runs during their losing streak, and four of those runs came in the ninth inning Saturday in a game they lost 11-4. On Sunday, they only managed four hits. The Nationals were not close on Sunday. After blowing a ninth-inning lead Saturday and losing a heartbreaker 4-3 in 10 innings, the Nationals watched the Phillies pull away late for an 11-5 victory Sunday. Washington’s relievers entered the game with a 3.35 ERA, but allowed eight runs in the loss. “Our bullpen does a great job,” manager Dave Martinez said. “Today was one of those days where nothing happened.” Washington was held to three hits – including two homers by Eddie Rosario and Jesse Winker – over the first eight innings before adding cosmetic runs in the ninth. Minnesota right-hander Pablo Lopez (4-3, 3.93 ERA) pitches Monday against rookie left-hander Mitchell Parker (2-2, 3.09). After back-to-back starts in which he worked at least six innings and allowed one earned run, Lopez was hit harder last time. Against the Yankees on Wednesday, he allowed three runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out three with no walks. Seven of the 10 hits he gave up were two-strike counts, and three of them were 0-2 counts. “He put himself in charge,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “His execution of his two-strike pitches wasn’t where it normally is, and that led to baserunners, extended innings.” Lopez, who spent his first five seasons with the Marlins, is 4-3 with a 4.98 ERA in 13 starts against the Nationals. Parker, 24, will be making his seventh major league start and has yet to allow more than three earned runs in any of them. Against the White Sox on Tuesday, he allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked two. All three runs came on a third-inning home run by Andrew Vaughn. “It was a good pitch. But good pitching, good hitter,” Parker said. “A little disappointing, because it was a good match. I felt good. But it’s going to happen. We just have to move on.” –Field level media