Shining some light on bright spots for the Twins after getting embarrassed by Yankees

Nothing really went right for the Minnesota Twins over their last series against the New York Yankees, but expectations weren't necessarily high.

The Yankees had already swept Minnesota coming into the series, and polished off the season series with a second sweep this week. None of that was good for the Twins, and it exposed just how much further the team needs to go before they're able to hang with true contenders, but not everything was doom-and-gloom.

In an attempt to stay positive, though, let's weed through the disastrous series in the Bronx to find some silver lining to cling to as the Twins march into an otherwise easy portion of the schedule.

3 bright spots for the Twins after a brutal series loss to the Yankees

For most of the season, the Twins have struggled offensively, going 32 consecutive innings without scoring against the New York Yankees.

Enter Royce Lewis.

After a lengthy stay on the injured list, the 25-year-old star finally returned to the Twins lineup in New York. Before injuring his quad on opening day, Lewis started the year perfectly, going 2-for-2 in two at-bats.

For some, a long layoff might cause them to cool off, but not for Lewis. In his return Tuesday, Lewis walked twice and hit a home run getting the Twins on the board against the Yankees. Unfortunately, Lewis’ return didn’t lead to any victories in New York but there are still some positives fans can take away from being swept.

The first and most important is that Lewis is officially back. Going 2-for-5 with both hits being home runs, along with some incredible plays in the field, Lewis reminded fans just how exciting he can be.

On top of Lewis, some role players seemed to awaken in New York, especially Christian Vázquez. 

The veteran catcher had been struggling at the plate to start the season but had a nice series in New York. Vázquez went 2-for-6 with a double and a home run, which saw his average climb to .169 and hit his first home run since April. 

Vázquez is an important piece for the Twins, he provides a solid backup option behind the plate and hopefully this will help get him going.

Another veteran who had a solid series was Carlos Santana. Santana went 3-for-8 with a home run, double, and continued to drive in runs. Santana signed a one-year deal in the offseason in hopes of giving the Twins much-needed offensive production. He’s providing just that, as he sits second on the team in home runs (9) and RBIs (25).

Hopefully, Lewis, Vázquez, and Santana can build upon their recent performances as the Twins travel to Pittsburgh this weekend.

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