Twins' season on the brink after disastrous extra-innings loss to Miami

While the Twins have slumped with an 12-24 record since Aug. 18, the Tigers have gone 25-10.

Sep 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second base Willi Castro (50) catches the second out of the first inning hit by Miami Marlins second base Otto Lopez (61) at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

In the longest, most painful and putridly played game of the season, the Minnesota Twins fell 8-6 in 13 innings to the Miami Marlins Thursday night. The loss means the Twins' only path to the playoffs is by sweeping the Orioles Friday-Sunday and getting the Tigers or Royals to be swept as well.

The Twins had numerous chances to win and failed.

In the bottom of the ninth with Byron Buxton at second base and only one out, Trevor Larnach reached on a fielder's choice and then with Buxton at third Royce Lewis dribbled a ball in front of the plate and was thrown out at first base to end the inning. Lewis's nubber left his bat at 46.3 mph and traveled three feet.

He was not done failing in a big moment.

Lewis came up with the bases loaded and one out in the 11th and he hit a tapper in the infield that was fielded by the center fielder (Miami was playing a five-man infield) and the lead runner was thrown out at home.

Minnesota had Brooks Lee at second base with one out in the eighth and left him there. They had runners at first and second with one out in the ninth and they failed to score. They had the bases loaded with nobody out in the 10th and they scored only one. They had the bases loaded with one out in the 11th and they didn't score. They had runners at first and second with nobody out in the 12th and they didn't score.

The highlight of the putrid play was in the 12th when Ryan Jeffers bunted into a double play.

this team is so aggravating, you cannot get doubled on a popup bunt pic.twitter.com/fkaTtM3pmI

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 27, 2024

The awfulness in the ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th innings was somewhat surprising considering the Twins rallied to tie the game 4-4 in the eighth inning after trailing 4-0 most of the night.

Carlos Correa homered in the sixth to make it a 4-1 game, and a run on a Miami error in the seventh cut the deficit to twin runs. Then in the eighth inning the Twins got back-to-back doubles off the right field wall by Carlos Santana and Brooks Lee — Lee's double drove in Lewis and Santana — to tie the game.

Minnesota will finish the regular season with three games at home against the Baltimore Orioles, who are one win or a Detroit loss from clinching the top wild-card spot in the American League. The Tigers host the White Sox, who are suddenly hot as they try to avoid an MLB record 121st loss, and the Royals are in Atlanta to face a Braves team that is fighting for its playoff life in the National League.

Minnesota was 70-53 entering play Aug. 18 and they've gone 12-24 since. The Tigers were 60-64 and have gone 25-10 since Aug. 18, turning a 9.5-game deficit into a three-game lead over the Twins.

The Twins and Orioles play at 7:10 p.m. CT Friday.