Nationals starter Cade Cavalli was laboring in the fourth inning. He wasn’t missing bats or being aggressive in the zone.

Cavalli allowed a single and back-to-back walks to load the bases without recording an out. After inducing some weak contact against Brooks Lee, Cavalli failed to field the ball cleanly and it scooted into foul territory, allowing a run to score to give the Twins a two-run lead.

Royce Lewis extended the lead to three after connecting on a four-seamer just outside the strike zone for a sacrifice fly. Cavalli then induced a pop-up from Byron Buxton for the second out.

If Cavalli had escaped with a three-run deficit, then the Nationals would have had a better shot at a comeback. And they wouldn’t have needed to tax the bullpen. But Trevor Larnach rocketed a line-drive double that scored two runs and made it 6-1, essentially putting the game out of reach.

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Cavalli’s fourth-inning struggles were the main culprit for the Nationals’ 11-3 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night. He threw 40 pitches in that inning alone.

Right-hander Paxton Schultz threw two shutout innings in relief. Right-hander Andre Granillo allowed four runs in two innings of work, and Orlando Ribalta allowed one run on one hit with two walks in his inning of work.

The Twins weren’t biting on many of Cavalli’s offerings outside of the strike zone — he had a 37% chase rate — and they were making good swings on good pitches and fouling off pitches to lengthen at-bats.

The Nationals also struggled to capitalize on scoring chances early. In the first and second innings, the Nationals had runners on first and second with one or fewer outs and only scored a run. The Nationals continue to put pressure on opposing pitchers, but haven’t been able to deliver that final blow to have that big inning.

The Nationals were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. First baseman Curtis Mead was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

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But that four-run fourth inning sunk the Nationals. The organization wants its foundation to be built around stout defense and strong starting pitching. The Nationals didn’t pitch well enough, and their defense was far from a strength Tuesday.

But that was to be expected as the team embarks on another rebuild and fields one of the youngest teams in the majors with one of the lowest payrolls. There will be growing pains for the club, but the goal should be to ensure that errors aren’t repeated and that players learn from their mistakes and miscues. They have a long way to go.

Note: First baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is day-to-day with a minor right hand/wrist sprain. He left Sunday’s game after feeling some discomfort while swinging.

Garcia said the discomfort was off and on over the past two months.

• The Nationals on Tuesday agreed to terms with right-hander Max Kranick on a one-year contract with a club option for the 2027 season. He was also placed on the 15-day injured list while he recovers from elbow surgery. In a corresponding move, they designated Jackson Rutledge for assignment.

Kranick posted a 3.65 ERA over 24 relief appearances with the Mets.