One hundred and one wins with a game (against the Royals, even) to go and the Twins are right back where they were in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2017. It makes a Twins fan nostalgic for the 2006 sweep at the hands at Oakland, which now stands out like the second season of The Wire or the one Friday the 13th movie that was set in space.

It's a different team, to be sure. They trail the Yankees for the league lead in homeruns (305 to 304) heading into the final day of the season, and whoever wins that race will establish a new MLB record for homers in a season, with both teams having blown by the previous mark weeks ago. That's been kind of weird to watch, though it hasn't really compromised anything about the Twins identity (to the degree that such a thing can really exist) over the past several decades as they haven't really given themselves over to big, plodding sluggers. Except Nelson Cruz. Or Miguel Sano. And maybe CJ Cron. And it's not like Mitch Garver is a fast, athletic guy.

But they've done this while still staying around the bottom third of the league in strikeouts, arriving at a kind of charming theory that if you hit the ball really, really hard in fewer than three pitches than you can't strike out because math.

The dumb thing about this stupid playoff matchup for the dozenth or so time, I actually think the Twins match up a bit better with New York than with Houston. The Yankees staff is more vulnerable to the longball and the Twins had some delightfully silly games with New York where they looked unafraid, but also not as good. BBRef is telling me they had a better record against Houston, though, so what the hell do I know?

No pitching matchups yet, as both these teams have been hurting hard this season and the series doesn't begin until Friday. Twins are out Michael Pineda (suspension), Byron Buxton (shoulder), and probably Luis Arraez (ankle), with numerous other "day to day" guys like Cruz, Kepler, Odorizzi, etc.

Get your picks in, jerks

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"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

The Yankees' pitching is ridiculously suspect. The Yankees were good at beating up lesser competition this season but not so much against the playoff teams.

Though it's also true of the Twins rotation, which took the reasonable strategy of assuming a rotation of 3/4's would work over a 162 game season when backed with a strong lineup. It's a time tested bet, but it's less sucessful in the postseason. An honest-to-god ace would look really nice right now.

Twins bullpen has been a lot better lately, so that should ease some of the burden.

Looks like we may see a bunch of 11-12 games in here.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

>Looks like we may see a bunch of 11-12 games in here.

Definitely rooting for the Twins. There are many reasons why including being a more likeable team from a more rootable city, but the sports talk radio take that this really means something for the Yankees because it's their last chance to win a World Series this decade and they have won one every decade (except the 80s) is so moronic that it deserves all the scorn I can muster for the entire fate of the franchise.

I also really wish Byron Buxton were out there and healthy.

This Twins team has been a joy to watch, and there's been a few games like that (though it stands out, to be sure). It's upended a bunch of stuff that I thought I knew about baseball, which has meant less time gabbing about it in here. But I'm old enough that I'm prepared and pleased to have my previously concrete understanding destroyed by youth.

That's the most Yankees reason for urgency ever. Gross. I'd be thrilled to have the Twins piss on it.

>I also really wish Byron Buxton were out there and healthy.

He is the fun, to me. It'd be a great opportunity for every fan to see that he's different by kind, not degree, from other athletic centerfielders. Any flyball is in play for him, it seems. And any ball hit at (not even necessarily "into") the gap makes me stand up, ready for something amazing to happen. The only thing that keeps him from being a prime candidate to break the MLB record for doubles one of these years is:

a)health
b)how frequently he can turn doubles into triples

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

Sensible choices for game one starters, though they've been trending in opposite directions for the last couple months. Paxton has been finishing the season hot while Berrios has seen some velocity decline and an consequent (I mean, probably) rise in well-struck gap doubles. Twins hope here is that as good as Paxton's been he's been very touchable when it comes to right-handed power. The Twins will address this potential loophole the same way they've approached every pitcher all season: Sano, Cruz, Garver, Cron, Schoop.

Kepler is back. Arraez seems to have made the playoff roster. So minus Buxton, the bats are there.

But if Berrios comes out cold it may not matter.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

Letting him face 8-9-1 worked out alright. Shows what I know.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

As a Yankees fan, I'm of course hoping they win. However, I feel like I've been lurking around Twins posts on here for a long time and they're always so pleasant to read.

Should be a fun series where a ton of baseballs are demolished.

>Should be a fun series where a ton of baseballs are
>demolished.

I was hoping that it remains one-sided, but Berrios (though his velocity seems fine, which was a concern over the past couple weeks) isn't his best self and this Yankees lineup has too many baseball-demolishers.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

This sucks already.

I genuinely don't enjoy watching Tanaka pitch. Seems just so, so hittable. Twins have had gotten some traction in the past looking dumb against pitchers like him for the first time through the order and then mashing, but typically they don't do that whilst in a 0-7 hole.

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad

but the Twins have really lost 15 straight postseason...*games*? 90 percent of those to the Yankees?

fuck. me. sorry Walleye.

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I assume that the frequency with which they draw the Yankees (2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2017 play-in, and 2019) defies probability even outside of the outcome. But yeah, they've lost a whole ton of playoff games in a row. I think the streak started with the final two games in 2004 (feel like they went 1-1 in New York in both 2003 and 2004, but I don't feel like checking right now because it's a bummer) then got swept by Oakland in 2006, which feels novel now, and swept in 2009 and 2010, lost the play-in in 2017, and are 0-2 in this series.

I don't feel like doing the math, but it feels like watching a really long, boring movie over and over again. s

______________________________

"Walleye, a lot of things are going to go wrong in your life that technically aren't your fault. Always remember that this doesn't make you any less of an idiot"

--Walleye's Dad