Two games in, Twins offense still hasn't gotten untracked

It's hard to ignore the crooked number the Detroit Tigers put up in Wednesday's 11-0 win over Minnesota at Comerica Field. It's also hard to look past the fact that, through two games in 2015, the Twins have yet to cross home plate.

Heck, the Twins haven't even gotten a runner to third base.

Minnesota was blanked 4-0 in the season opener Monday when the Twins' offense struggled against left-hander David Price. Two days later against right-hander Anibal Sanchez, the Twins' lineup didn't fare much better. Minnesota finished the game with just four hits and, of course, zero runs.

According to baseball-reference.com, it's the first time since Seattle in 1977 that an American League team was shut out in its first two games to start a season. Dating back to the end of last season, the Twins have now gone 28 innings without scoring a run. This is essentially the same Minnesota team that finished seventh overall in the majors in runs scored in 2014.

"We like our players offensively. I think that these guys have a chance to be a productive offense," said Minnesota's first year manager Paul Molitor. "We believe in these guys. You come out the first couple days and you get 18 zeroes, I'm sure it's a little frustrating. The longer something like that goes . . . it's always magnified when you start. I just try to remind them to relax, have fun, have good at-bats and hopefully things will start to flow."

It wasn't until the sixth inning of Wednesday's game that the Twins got their first extra-base hit of the season. That came courtesy of a leadoff double by Jordan Schafer, who was eventually stranded at second base as the next three batters couldn't do anything to advance Schafer.

Perhaps just as surprising is the fact that it took 16 innings in 2015 before the Twins drew their first walk. Designated hitter Kennys Vargas coaxed a one-out walk in the top of the seventh for Minnesota's first free pass of the year. Trevor Plouffe followed Vargas' walk with one of his own, but both runners were stranded on the bases. In two games, no Twins player has advanced past second base.

The Twins' pitching has struggled in the first two games, too, and starter Ricky Nolasco was charged with six earned runs in Wednesday's loss. However, neither he nor Opening Day starter Phil Hughes were spotted a single run of support.

Through 18 innings, several of Minnesota's key cogs in the offense are without a hit. That includes shortstop Danny Santana, right fielder Torii Hunter and third baseman Trevor Plouffe. Only two players -- Schafer and first baseman Joe Mauer -- have more than one hit in the first two games.

Of course, a two-game sample size is a small percentage of a 162-game season. But the fact that Minnesota's offense has been so sluggish out of the gates is a bit concerning, considering how productive this lineup that includes almost all the same players was in 2014. Still, Molitor is remaining patient in the early going of his managerial career.

"You hope that the guys with some experience are smart enough to realize that it's just a small sample size," Molitor said. "You get 500, 600 at-bats and you're talking seven or eight at-bats for some of these guys. You don't want to get too crazy too early. It's a couple of tough games. We haven't scored. . . . Every day we've talked about no matter what happens, win, lose, play well, play poorly, you've got to come back and be ready to have a fresh attitude the next day."

FOX Sports North's Jamie Hersch contributed to this report.

Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter