MINNEAPOLIS -- When things are going well for the Minnesota Twins' offense, everyone one through nine in the lineup contributes.
That didn't happen Monday against Kansas City, and the end result was a 3-1 loss for the Twins. The loss dropped Minnesota into a tie for first place with the visiting Royals as the two American League Central foes opened a three-game series.
Minnesota managed just a single run off Kansas City, and that came compliments of a solo homer by Eddie Rosario. Though the bottom third of the Twins' lineup combined for six hits, the remaining six hitters were a combined 2-for-18.
"There wasn't a lot of excitement offensively for us," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We need that balance. Offense isn't in high gear right now. Runs are a little bit tough to come by. The best way is to try to spread it out like we did earlier when we were rolling better."
The Twins' offense couldn't do much of anything against Royals starter Jason Vargas, who threw six scoreless innings and gave up just five hits while striking out two. Given the strength of Kansas City's bullpen, the Royals could afford to take Vargas out after six innings and just 70 pitches.
After a two-run homer by Kansas City's Kendrys Morales in the second inning, Minnesota's best chance to claw back came in the third. The Twins had the bases loaded with just one out, but right fielder Torii Hunter grounded into an inning-ending -- and rally-killing -- double play.
"If I could have gotten a ball to the outfield or hit it to the right or left of one of the best shortstops in the world, I think I probably would have gotten something better," Hunter said. "First pitch swinging, I've got a plan. I've been facing Vargas for a long time. . . . I know what he does. The reason why I swung at the first pitch, I had a plan. I knew he was going to throw offspeed. I was trying to shoot it to right field but it did something totally different."
Minnesota did manage eight hits, but the Twins' big bats struggled to come through in big situations. Hunter was 0-for-3, first baseman Joe Mauer was 0-for-4 with a double play, and Trevor Plouffe was also 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
The bottom of the lineup did the most damage for the Twins in Monday's loss. Rosario, Eduardo Escobar and Aaron Hicks all had two hits as the seventh, eighth and ninth batters in the lineup, respectively. Escobar and Hicks were both on base in the seventh inning following Rosario's two-out homer but were left on base after leadoff hitter Brian Dozier struck out to end the inning.
It was that kind of a day for a Twins offense that had otherwise been pretty good for most of the season. The lineup didn't give much of a boost to starting pitcher Phil Hughes, who was hit with the loss despite allowing just three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
"Vargas was really good tonight, keeping us off balance," Hughes said. "It seemed like everything he threw was a pitch we weren't looking for. He did a good job. With that bullpen they have, they can afford to take him out after six."
On a night when the offense was quiet, so too was the clubhouse after the game. A Twins victory at Target Field results in a postgame dance party with loud music, fog machines and strobe lights.
Monday's music of choice? Classical compositions by the likes of Mozart and Handel.
"When you lose, it kind of calms the beast in you," Hunter said. "Some of these guys are pissed off, so you put on the classical music and the strings."
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