MINNEAPOLIS -- Though the Twins’ bullpen played a significant role in dictating the course of Minnesota’s downward trajectory this season, its much-improved performance following the Trade Deadline also helped the team to its first winning month of the season in August.

But when the offense struggles to consistently put runs on the board, the margin for error in that bullpen becomes quite slim and every slip is magnified. That’s what bit the Twins for the second time in three games in a 5-3 loss to the Royals at Target Field on Sunday afternoon, when a run against Jorge Alcala in the eighth inning proved decisive in the rubber match of the series.

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“We could have pitched better, but we really didn't put the runs on the board to really make it more of a discussion,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We battled all the way, and at the end, still had a chance to come back and make something of it.”

Alcala entered to preserve a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning, but a leadoff single by Andrew Benintendi and a walk by Carlos Santana immediately created a threat. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners over before the Twins cut down a runner at the plate on a fielder’s choice, but Kyle Isbel’s two-out RBI knock put the Royals on top, charging Alcala with his second run allowed since the start of August. Kansas City tacked on one more run against Juan Minaya in the ninth.

Minnesota’s new-look bullpen entered the game with an American League-leading 1.09 ERA in its last 15 games (since Aug. 27) with a .198 opponents’ batting average in the span that also marked the best in the Junior Circuit. But the two runs allowed by Minaya in the 10th inning of Friday’s series-opening loss and the one charged to Alcala on Sunday loomed particularly large with Minnesota’s lineup going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“I think we could have been more sharp on the mound from top to bottom,” Baldelli said. “The truth of the matter is, I think everyone we had on the mound kind of battled a little bit, and they weren't really locating or making the pitches that they wanted to.”

It’s still been a mostly successful run from the bullpen in what might amount to an open audition for several openings in the 2022 relief corps, with the Twins looking at a near-complete rebuild of their pitching staff from their Opening Day group this season.

In this opportunity created by injuries to Taylor Rogers, Cody Stashak and Edwar Colina and the trade of Hansel Robles, the Twins have indeed seen a handful of candidates emerge, from Minaya (who had been scoreless in 13 of his last 14 outings entering this series) to Danny Coulombe (who has 27 strikeouts and six walks in 27 2/3 innings).

Minnesota has also benefited from a so-far successful pickup of Ralph Garza Jr. from the Astros, who threw 1 1/3 perfect frames on Sunday to lower his ERA with the Twins to 1.84, and they’ll see what they have in left-handed prospect Jovani Moran, who debuted with his wipeout changeup and picked up two strikeouts while allowing two hits and two walks.

“He’s got pretty good stuff,” Baldelli said of Moran. “He’s missed tons of bats. That usually is something that’s going to translate one way or another, even against better hitters.”

There certainly could be the basis for some bullpen depth there alongside Rogers, Tyler Duffey, Alcala and Caleb Thielbar -- though there’s not much in the way of high-leverage experience or Major League track record in that mix without external help.

The Twins’ bats were mostly silent throughout the game against Royals left-hander Kris Bubic until the sixth inning, when Minnesota snapped a streak of eight in a row retired by loading the bases on singles by Byron Buxton and Rob Refsnyder and a walk to Josh Donaldson before Brent Rooker delivered with a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line to knot the game at 3.

“That was an at-bat that could have played out to be a really important at-bat for us,” Baldelli said. “We didn't get a ton going today, of course. That was probably our biggest swing of the game in a moment where we really needed something.”

Minnesota had a chance to rally back in the bottom of the eighth against Royals reliever Josh Staumont, but Miguel Sanó grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play with runners on first and second to end the threat.