Twins on cusp of playoff elimination with 13-inning loss to lowly Marlins

Three down, three to go.

That's the sorry state of the Twins' season now, their faint final playoff hopes requiring unlikely weekend sweeps in two different cities. Hey, maybe the White Sox will take three in a row in Detroit, right?

Right?

That would require a miracle only slightly more shocking than the Twins sweeping the Orioles this weekend, at least if their play on Thursday night is any indication. The Twins went 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position, committed an error that cost them a critical run, managed only one hit in four extra innings and allowed the 100-loss Miami Marlins to shove them to the brink of elimination with an ugly 8-6, 13-inning loss at Target Field.

"We had baserunners galore. They were everywhere, all night. But to win, you have to bring them in," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Obviously a very disappointing outcome there — and a punch in the gut as well."

That's because the Twins rallied from a 4-0 fifth-inning deficit, and seemed on the verge of winning about six different times. Their bullpen — eight different relievers — gave up only two earned runs in 8⅔ total innings. For the second time in a week, the Twins pitchers struck out 20 batters, a number that had never before been reached in the franchise's 64-year history.

But all of that excitement was squandered by the flood of missed opportunities, especially in extra innings.

"We had every opportunity put in front of us to win that baseball game," catcher Ryan Jeffers said. "Our season is on the line, and we weren't able to execute and get that run across. It's a really, really [lousy] feeling."

BOXSCORE: Marlins 8, Twins 6

MLB standings

The Twins loaded the bases with nobody out without a hit in the 10th, and scored only once, tying the score at 5-5. They loaded them again in the 11th with one out, collecting their lone extra-inning hit — but didn't score. They had two on, nobody out, in the 12th and didn't even move a runner to third, with the side getting retired in four pitches. And having fallen behind by three runs, they scored again in the 13th despite going out in order, hearing boos from the handful of fans still remaining as Carlos Correa tapped back to the pitcher to end the game.

"To have that many baserunners, we did something right. But clearly, there's something missing when we get guys on base," Baldelli said. "We're really struggling. I cannot tell you exactly why."

The Twins finished 18-28 this season against National League teams, and now must sweep the Orioles at home while the Royals go 0-for-3 in Atlanta or the Tigers get swept at home by the White Sox. Those longshot scenarios would allow the Twins to claim a postseason slot for the fourth time in Baldelli's six-year tenure, and he hasn't given up.

"I know how we've played. But we are not eliminated right now. And I don't have the mindset that we are out of this," Baldelli said. "My intention is to win out, starting tomorrow with Pablo [López] out there, throwing a great game for us. Win our games and see what happens."

Correa hit his first home run since July 10, driving a belt-high sweeper 427 feet into the third deck in left field, and the Twins took advantage of misplays by the Marlins' poor defense — their 116 errors lead the majors — to score one run in the seventh, thanks to shortstop Xavier Edwards' throwing error, and two in the eighth, the latter on Brooks Lee's double off the right-field wall.

The game was especially tough for Jeffers, who with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, dropped a throw from Correa that turned a force out into a Miami run. He popped up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 10th with the Twins down a run. And with two runners on in the 12th inning, he attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt, but popped the ball up. First baseman Jonah Bride caught the ball and whipped it to second base in time to double off Carlos Santana for a rally-killing double play.

"I feel like I let a lot of guys down. I made a crucial error, dropping that ball on the play at the plate, not being able to get the bunt down," Jeffers said. "Personally, I just didn't do what I needed to do to help the team win. Probably hurt them more than I helped them.".

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