The Twins’ losing streak has reached five.

It wasn’t the offense this time — the main culprit early on this season — though MInnesota did manage just five hits on Friday night.

Instead, it was a ninth-inning error that helped do them in in a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on a chilly night at Target Field.

After Caleb Thielbar quickly racked up the first two outs of the ninth, a Mark Canha single sparked a Tigers rally. Canha would advance into scoring position when Thielbar threw the ball away trying to pick him off. Canha came around to score on a Kerry Carpenter single, his fourth hit of the night.

The Twins had an opportunity in the bottom of the inning after Willi Castro walked with a pair of outs and advanced on a stolen base. But Christian Vázquez flew out to end the game.

The Twins had gotten themselves back even in the sixth inning, taking advantage of some shaky Detroit outfield defense. An error on right fielder Wenceel Pérez allowed Ryan Jeffers to reach base. Later in the inning, Carpenter misplayed a ball hit by Byron Buxton in left field.

Buxton appeared to believe the ball to be out, getting out of the box slowly, but it ended up hitting the wall, allowing a pair of runs to score to tie the game up and Buxton to reach second.

The Twins’ other two runs came in the first inning, giving them a lead when the recently-called up Trevor Larnach clobbered a Jack Flaherty pitch that landed in the second deck in right field.

Starter Joe Ryan, who dominated the Tigers a week ago, permitted four runs in his 5 1/3-inning outing.

The St. Paul Saints have not enjoyed their trip to Indianapolis.

St. Paul allowed five runs in the eighth inning in losing 7-2 to the Indianapolis Indians, the fourth straight loss for the Saints.

Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson allowed two runs in five innings as the starter for St. Paul. He struck out four and gave up six hits and a walk. He left a 2-all tied game after five innings.

But reliever Hobie Harris surrendered five runs — four earned — while walking three, giving up two hits and getting just two outs.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr. had two hits for the Saints, who led 1-0 when newcomer and longtime MLB veteran Tony Kemp homered in the top of the second.

The Indians tied the game before Keirsey Jr. doubled to score Max Kepler, who went 0 for 2 with a walk on his rehab assignment from the Twins.

Nick Gonzales had an RBI double in the fifth off Woods Richardson to tie the game.

The eighth unraveled with one out as Indianapolis’ Jake Lamb plated a run with a sacrifice fly. Malcom Nunez had an RBI single and another run scored on catcher’s interference with the bases loaded. Matt Gorski finished the scoring with a two-run single.

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The beginning of the Twins’ season hasn’t gone according to plan. But the bullpen, despite missing three critical arms to begin the season, has been a bright spot.

Twins’ relievers had a collective 2.71 earned-run average entering Friday night, which was fifth in the major leagues. Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart have slid into the highest leverage roles, and Steven Okert has seen some late-inning work, as well.

And now, the group is close to welcoming back its top arm: closer Jhoan Duran.

“I think that it does a lot of good things for our team and our bullpen,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It pushes guys into some other roles and our bullpen gets even thicker at that point.”

Duran threw a 21-pitch live bullpen session on Friday at Target Field, facing teammates Jair Camargo and Jose Miranda. It was the first time he has thrown live as the Twins have built him back up from his oblique strain, which he suffered in March while throwing warm-up pitches in Fort Myers, Florida.

“I woke up today and I (had) a lot of energy today like my kid,” Duran said of his excitement to face hitters.

Duran said he feels good and strong and, most importantly, pain free.

The Twins will send him out on a rehab assignment in the coming days, but Baldelli was not sure yet of the timing specifics on Friday. The manager said he thought Duran would like get “a couple” rehab outings. That could put the closer on track to return sometime next week, a boost for the entire group.

“He was supposed to throw 20 and he wanted an extra one, so it tells you he is feeling good. His stuff was normal,” Baldelli said. “He threw the ball around the zone the way you would want him to. He looked like himself. He looked very comfortable and he looked like someone who is just about ready to go face some hitters in some real games.”

Kepler close to return

While the Twins are getting closer to Duran rejoining them, a return for Max Kepler is even more imminent.

Kepler, who is on the injured list with a knee contusion, began a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Saints on Thursday in Indianapolis. He started again on Saturday, playing the outfield for the first time. Baldelli said it’s possible that the right fielder, who was injured on Opening Day when he fouled a ball off his knee, could come back as soon as Sunday or Monday.

“We’ll make a determination after he gets through his game in the outfield just where he’s at and we’ll make a call,” Baldelli said. “I think it’s closle. I need him to tell us he’s ready before we can make any calls, though.”

Briefly

Reliever Josh Staumont, who was rehabbing from a left calf strain with the Triple-A Saints, has wrapped up his rehab assignment and been optioned to St. Paul. … Bailey Ober will get the start on Saturday against the Tigers. Ober threw six scoreless innings against the Tigers last weekend. …  David McCarty, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Twins in 1991 and went on to have an 11-year major league career, the first three seasons in Minnesota, died Friday at 54. The cause of death was a “cardiac event” according to the Boston Red Sox, with whom McCarty won a World Series title in 2004.

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes gives analysis of NHL games, but on Thursday he turned his attention to an assault in downtown St. Paul that involved a man being repeatedly whipped.

Weekes, who was in town for the Wild’s season finale at Xcel Energy Center, recorded the assault with his cellphone from his 16th-floor hotel room at the InterContinental Riverfront.

“Well, we’ve got a situation here in Minnesota,” Weekes says in a 2-minute video he posted on the social media app X, formerly Twitter, just after 1:30 p.m. “Breaking News Not Hockey,” reads the post, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times as of Friday night.

In the video, one man is seen striking the other man several times with the whip along the edge of the Kellogg Mall Park at Kellogg Boulevard and Wabasha Street. The victim tries to dodge the whips while screaming for help.

After he is whipped a third time, Weekes remarks how no one is helping.

“I’m up in the room. I’m on the 16th floor,” he says. “There’s not much I can do. That guy in the white shirt … that’s not nunchucks, that’s a whip! Damn!”

The video shows the man with the whip grabbing his bike before returning and continuing the assault.

“He’s coming back!” Weekes says. “Damn! This is crazy!”

**Breaking News Not Hockey**
Just minding my business up in the room on 16th floor, all of a sudden I hear screaming, here’s the scene live – from
St.Paul Minnesota folks . #HockeyTwitter #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/RShoboDVdI

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) April 18, 2024

After the final “lash,” as Weekes describes it, the man with the whip rides away on his bike. Weekes then asks, “What happened to Minnesota Nice? Wow!”

The video ends with the victim slumped over while sitting on the edge of a concrete planter. “Oh man,” Weekes says, as he zooms in on him.

St. Paul police spokeswoman Alyssa Arcand said Friday that officers were sent to the area just before 1:30 p.m. on a report of two men fighting, with the 911 caller reporting that one man was being whipped. The suspect was gone when officers arrived and the victim was uncooperative, Arcand said.

Police are aware of Weekes’ video and are “sharing the description of the suspect with our officers,” Arcand said.

“While this was a shocking and unusual incident for St. Paul, this was an isolated incident that we are actively investigating,” she said. “We encourage anyone with information about this incident to contact us at 651-291-1111.”

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