Twins GM Thad Levine After 7th Straight Loss: They're Officially Pissed off Now

The Minnesota Twins got off to an 8-5 start this season but currently sit four games under .500 and are on a seven-game losing streak.

Their current struggles aren't sitting well with the team.

After Minnesota closer Fernando Rodney blew a two-run lead and allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees, Twins general manager Thad Levine made it clear his players are fed up with losing, via MLB.com's Rhett Bolinger:

"I think they're officially pissed off now. I'd expect they’re going to go home and be happy to play in front of the home crowd not wearing ski caps. I believe things are going to turn around in short order. I think it's going to add to the character of this team."

It's not the start Minnesota expected to get off to. This was a team that won 85 games and earned a berth in the American League Wild Card game a season ago. Adding veterans Michael Pineda, Zach Duke, Logan Morrison and Jake Odorizzi during the offseason was only supposed to help the team take the next step.

Instead, the Twins have struggled, both at the plate and on the mound.

Minnesota's hitters rank 20th with a .231 average and 25th in runs scored. Meanwhile, its pitching ranks 24th in ERA (4.90), with the bullpen ranking second-to-last (5.76 ERA) in all of baseball.

Going more than a week without a victory is unfamiliar territory for these Twins. Last season, their longest losing streak was four games. Despite the recent slide, though, they sit just four games back of the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central and five games back in the Wild Card race.

"These are moments of adversity that either galvanize the group or hamstring the group," Levine said, per Bollinger. "I’m very confident that with the talent we have in that room and the leadership, that this is going to be galvanizing.”

Fans may say April is too early to look at the standings, but if the streak goes much longer, Minnesota may dig itself a hole that is too deep to climb out of, even with five months to play. That said, players know it's a long season and there are still 142 games to play. There's no reason to panic at this point and press—the streak will end at some point.

The weather is finally heating up, and the Twins have to be hoping the team will follow suit.