MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins are wobbling from a four-game sweep over the weekend by Cleveland that pushed them out of first place, their thin pitching staff exposed by another doubleheader and the surging defending American League champions.
The Twins wouldn’t have been in the position to play such a pivotal midseason series toward the AL Central race, though, without the vast improvement they’ve made this year on defense.
For the numerous pitching problems that remain in need of resolution, there was no more critical step in the reconstruction of this franchise than the reestablishment of an everyday lineup that can not only survive defensively but thrive.