The Twins’ dream of building some buyer’s momentum ahead of the trade deadline likely died on Sunday.
With a 7-2 loss to the Washington Nationals at Target Field, the Twins fell to 3-6 since returning from the all-star break on July 18, with only a three-game series with Boston between them and the deadline at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Four of those six losses have been to the two worst teams in baseball, Colorado and Washington. The Twins won’t be adding players for a postseason run, but they might move assets — they have six veterans playing on the last years of their deals — to bolster the organization’s talent pool.
Minnesota Twins’ Harrison Bader reacts after hitting a double against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
Outfielder Harrison Bader, playing on a one-year free agent deal, went 2 for 3 with a double and run scored on Sunday.
“You focus on the things you can control. That’s really all there is to it,” he said. “I think the best version of a baseball player at this level is one who doesn’t take into account anything besides preparation and just playing hard, intentional baseball regardless of the uniform and regardless of the situation.
“With that said, it just shows guys you’re always showcasing. This is a business.”
After winning the first game of this series 1-0, on just three hits, the Twins were outscored 16-5 in the two losses. They had seven hits on Sunday and left five on base.
“I think we hit a lot of hard balls at some guys and it just didn’t fall,” Bader said. “It happens. I think, in general, every day you just go out there and put your best foot forward. Sometimes it doesn’t shake out, but … if we continue on that process, those swings and that approach will produce.”
Alex Call, who drove in a pair of runs in the Nationals’ 9-3 victory on Saturday, hit a two-run single against a drawn-in infield as Washington broke open a tight game with four runs against Travis Adams in the fifth inning.
That made it 6-2, and sent Nathaniel Lowe to third base. Daylen Lile followed with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 7-2 lead. In the fourth inning, Lile hit a one-out triple off Adams and scored on a sac fly by Paul DeJong.
Adams (1-1) was charged with five earned runs on five hits and two walks in 3⅓ innings. He fanned three.
With Bailey Ober (hip) and David Festa (shoulder) both on the injured list, Cole Sands pitched the first two innings of a bullpen game. CJ Abrams hit his first pitch for a home run for a quick 1-0 lead.
Matt Wallner’s 11th home run of the season tied the game 1-1 in the second inning, and Trevor Larnach tied it 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third that scored Harrison Bader, who was stealing second and went first to third on a groundout.
That was all the Twins could muster against starter Jake Irvin (8-5). The right-hander was charged with two earned runs on five hits in seven innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out two.
“It was a very tough offensive series,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
It might get more difficult if the Twins trade away hitters such as Bader, first baseman Ty France or Willi Castro by Thursday. If they do, it’s highly unlikely they’ll net major league-ready players in return.
It’s hard to ignore.
“There are emotions that guys feel,” Baldelli said. “Guys see their names, see their names (in) different places, and they starting thinking — probably too many things. But it is a week where there’s change in the game, and there is movement in the game. We all know that.
“Whether you’ve been in the big leagues for a month or 15 years, you know that it’s a significant week.”
Originally Published: July 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM CDT