BOSTON — As he assessed the first 20% of the Twins’ season, one which has seen them start the year 14-20, Derek Falvey kept coming back to two words.
“Frustrating” and “disappointing” were the two most commonly used descriptors from the Twins’ president of baseball and business operations as he addressed the team’s performance.
Even still, Falvey projected confidence in the team’s core — one which the front office did not deal from, despite a 12-27 collapse to finish last season.
“Where we are right now is incredibly disappointing,” Falvey said before the team’s 4-3 win in Boston on Saturday. “Everyone in that room is disappointed. Staff’s disappointed. (Manager Rocco Baldelli’s) disappointed. I am, too. Ultimately, it’s my responsibility for us to be where we need to be.”
What’s particularly frustrating, Falvey said, is everything the Twins did this spring to get guys prepared, to make sure they were ready to hit the ground running right when the season started.
While they’ve gotten good performances from their pitching — particularly the starting staff, which rebounded after a tough first go through the rotation — but they haven’t had the offense to match.
Entering Saturday’s game, the Twins’ offense in the bottom third of the majors in many offensive categories (21st in average, 22nd in on-base percentage, 23rd in OPS, 26th in home runs).
“We feel by and large that that group has pitched well,” Falvey said. “To not match it up with the offense that we know that we know this capable of is incredibly frustrating. … We feel like we need to have those things match for us to be successful this year. There is some urgency because it’s May now.”
Shortstop Carlos Correa has had a particularly tough go of it, hitting .207 with a .546 OPS, one home run and just nine runs driven in. Jose Miranda hit so poorly that he was optioned to Triple-A. Edouard Julien is hitting under .200.
Injuries to Matt Wallner, who had been the Twins’ most productive hitter at the time of his hamstring strain, Willi Castro and Luke Keaschall, who debuted, jolted the team for a week, and then suffered a fractured forearm when he got hit by a pitch, haven’t helped.
And Royce Lewis has yet to play in a major league game because of a hamstring injury suffered in spring training. Castro and Lewis are expected back soon, perhaps as soon as Tuesday when the team returns home.
“Getting everything going at the same time has been really hard for us,” Falvey said. “I can’t figure it out. I just know that our group, I know the work they’re putting in every day and I believe in that part of the process and I know the players do, too.”
The Twins left their core intact, supplementing the position-player groups with veteran free agents Ty France and Harrison Bader, who have been among the bright spots early.
Instead, they dismissed their three hitting coaches, and they’ve wound up with similar results.
“At the end of the day, we still believe that the core of that team in there has the ability to be successful,” Falvey said. “It just hasn’t been for an extended period of time to start the year.”
Briefly
The Triple-A St. Paul Saints were rained out for the 11th time in 37 games on Saturday. That means that Royce Lewis (hamstring), whom the Twins hoped to have play consecutive rehab games in the field, will now play Sunday instead. Tuesday still appears to be the target date for his return. … Chris Paddack will take the ball for the final game of the Twins’ series in Boston opposed by Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. … Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in Friday’s game.
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