Twins 1, Marlins 4: Twins score three runs in three days

The offense continues to struggle for this Minnesota Twins team

Well, that wasn’t exactly how you want to start your July baseball schedule.

The Minnesota Twins dropped the series finale to the Miami Marlins early this afternoon, 4–1, in a game pushed up due to a Tampa scheduling shuffle. The game started at 11:10 a.m. Central time, so the team could get back to Minnesota to host the Rays on the Fourth of July, because nearly no one wants to play or watch baseball outside in the heat of the summer in Tampa.

David Festa took the mound for the Twins, but to put it bluntly, he didn’t have his “Besta” stuff. It wasn’t a complete meltdown, but it wasn’t sharp either. The Marlins wasted no time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first, Otto Lopez grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Xavier Edwards, and then next batter, Agustin Ramirez launched a two-run homer. That would ultimately be enough.

The Twins’ offense continued its recent trend of going missing. Matt Wallner provided the lone highlight, crushing a solo shot to deep center in the 7th. It was too little, too late. One run. Two hits through seven innings. Not much else to show.

The Twins scored just three runs across the entire series. They were shut out Tuesday, scratched together two yesterday in a rare one-run win, and managed just Wallner’s blast today. The Marlins, on the other hand, scored four today alone.

David Festa (2–3) was charged with the loss despite logging a respectable line—6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K—but he got no help from his bats. Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk came on in relief, keeping things relatively quiet the rest of the way. Unfortunately, Miami starter Eury Pérez (1–2) was simply better. The right-hander carved up the Twins lineup across six dominant innings, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. His ERA now sits at 4.50, but you wouldn’t know it from today’s outing.

So here we are. A bumpy start to July after an electric May and an I’m calling it, abysmal June. The offense has been inconsistent, and the momentum of early summer has hit a bit of a lull. It’s frustrating, no doubt. But what can you do? The season marches on.

Next up: the Tampa Bay Rays. They’re hot, hungry, and just half a game back in a competitive AL East. At 48–39, they’re no easy task. The last time these two teams met, the Rays took two out of three. And now, they’ll clash again—this time in the sticky Minneapolis heat—with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

Time to regroup, Twins. Fireworks are coming one way or another.