Jax threw two quick strikes to Freeman, too, but couldn’t finish him off. The 2024 World Series MVP eventually put the ball in play, just a step out of Bader’s reach, and the Twins, on the verge of winning a series at Dodger Stadium for the first time in their history, instead have now lost six consecutive road series.
“It’s frustrating. I just feel like that’s kind of a representation of my season so far,” said Jax, now 1-5 on the season. “It’s so close, but I’m just not putting all the pieces together to get that consistency day in, day out.”
Walking Ruiz, who had entered the game as a pinch-runner and was forced to bat because the Dodgers had used their entire bench, was the glaring mistake, one borne of “me trying to be too careful,” Jax said.
Baldelli said his confidence in the reliever wasn’t shaken by the Dodgers’ sudden rally, and he was grateful that the team has continued to compete despite its up-and-down results.