Bullpen woes continue for Twins as they drop series with 7-5 loss to Nationals

Bobby Nightengale, Star Tribune on May 7, 2026

Published in Baseball

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Before the Twins bullpen gave up two go-ahead runs in the seventh inning, another subpar performance from their relievers, their series finale against the rebuilding Washington Nationals on Thursday was defined by their mistakes.

The Twins ran into two outs at the plate. They gave up three runs in the fifth inning on only one hit. And a bad bullpen had another bad day in a 7-5 loss at Nationals Park, as the Twins dropped two of three games in the interleague series.

Sitting in last place in the American League Central, the Twins have lost 15 of their past 20 games. They haven’t won a series in almost a month, since April 13-15 against Boston. Next up is a three-game series at Cleveland, the only team in the division with a winning record.

The Twins tied the score in the seventh inning, which started with a two-out double that Ryan Jeffers poked off the end of his bat down the first-base line. Josh Bell, who entered as a pinch hitter for Matt Wallner, followed with a tying RBI double to the left-field wall.

The tie didn’t even last one batter into the bottom half of the inning. Right-handed reliever John Klein, making his second career appearance, surrendered a go-ahead solo homer to Keibert Ruiz on a 92-mph fastball he left over the middle of the plate. Curtis Mead added an RBI single off lefty Taylor Rogers later in the inning.

The Twins carried a one-run lead into the fifth inning. Starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson walked a batter and hit a batter before giving up a two-run double to Ruiz, the No. 8 batter in the Nationals lineup, who went 3-for-3 with four RBI and three runs.

Woods Richardson exited after a sacrifice bunt. Lefty reliever Anthony Banda walked a batter and hit a batter to load the bases with one out. A run scored when a fly ball dropped between Luke Keaschall and Wallner in shallow right field, a miscommunication when they were worried about throwing home in a sacrifice fly situation, though they salvaged a force out at second base.

All three runs in the fifth inning were charged to Woods Richardson, who yielded four hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Woods Richardson owns a 6.92 ERA through eight starts this season, and the Twins have a 1-7 record in games he’s started.

The Twins need Woods Richardson to pitch better, but there might not be any immediate changes to their rotation. Mick Abel had a setback after throwing a bullpen session on Saturday, reporting soreness on the back of his right triceps. He received a cortisone shot and will be evaluated again May 12, which will delay his return, assistant General Manager Alex Hassan told reporters in Washington.

Connor Prielipp, who was called up after Abel’s injury, has pitched well through his first three big league starts. He has given up eight hits and six runs in 14 innings (3.86 ERA) with 15 strikeouts and five walks.

The Twins offense produced 11 hits and went 5 for 11 with runners in scoring position. A couple of outs on the basepaths spoiled a chance for more.

Brooks Lee, batting with the bases loaded in the second inning, saw back-to-back curveballs from Nationals starter Jake Irvin. Lee bounced the second one through the left side of the infield for a two-run single.

A chance to add more runs in the inning fizzled when Tristan Gray flew out to shallow center field and Kody Clemens was tossed out at the plate by a couple of steps on a strong throw from Jacob Young, an excellent defender.

There was another out at the plate in the third inning after Austin Martin reached on a two-out infield single and Jeffers followed with a double to the right-field corner. Martin made an aggressive turn around third base, despite third-base coach Ramon Borrego holding up a stop sign, and he was caught in a rundown when Nationals second baseman Nasim Nuñez threw behind Martin at third base.

The Nationals erased the Twins’ early two-run lead in the third inning with an RBI double from Ruiz and a sacrifice fly.

Lee created another run in the fifth inning when he opened with a leadoff double to right field. Lee scored when Gray hit a single that deflected off Nuñez’s glove at second base.

Jeffers added a solo homer to begin the sixth inning, but Gray and Byron Buxton struck out with the bases loaded.

Gus Varland, the older brother of former Twins pitcher Louis Varland, recorded a four-out save with two strikeouts.