There’s been a way all season that whoever wins the AL Central would be the weak hyperlink within the American League playoffs.
The Minnesota Twins would in all probability take problem with that.
The Twins have opened a little bit of distance between themselves and the mediocrity that’s the remainder of their division. After 4 straight victories, they lead Cleveland by 4 1/2 video games. Their run differential – a decent plus-47 – is healthier than Philadelphia and San Francisco, two groups which might be in postseason place within the NL.
Yes, Minnesota trails even Toronto – the present final wild card within the AL – by 4 video games. The Twins can thank their weak division for enhancing their playoff possibilities. And the AL Central champ will in all probability be the worst division winner within the league, that means a best-of-three sequence towards one of many wild playing cards would await.
But if the Twins are in that sequence, underestimate their beginning pitching at your peril. Sonny Gray is fifth within the AL with a 3.18 ERA. Pablo Lopez is second with 165 strikeouts and Joe Ryan is sixth with 152. Bailey Ober’s 3.21 ERA could be close to the league lead as properly if he had sufficient innings to qualify.
Of course, any postseason look for the Twins features a honest quantity of luggage at this level. Minnesota has misplaced a staggering 18 consecutive postseason video games, a skid that features best-of-threes, best-of-fives and a one-game playoff. It doesn’t embody best-of-sevens as a result of the Twins haven’t made it to the AL Championship Series since 2002.
It could be ironic if that is the Minnesota staff that lastly produces one thing worthwhile within the playoffs. It’s wanting more and more just like the Twins will get that likelihood.
RISING
It was a reasonably quiet commerce deadline for the Seattle Mariners, however they’ve responded with 5 straight victories to tug inside 2 1/2 video games of the ultimate wild card within the AL. Seattle nonetheless has seven video games remaining towards Kansas City and 6 left towards Oakland – and the Mariners are 7-0 towards the Athletics thus far.
FALLING
At the opposite finish of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Angels stored celebrity Shohei Ohtani and have become consumers, however lower than per week after the deadline, that’s gone about as badly as attainable. The Angels had been swept by Seattle and have misplaced six in a row to fall seven video games behind a playoff spot. Lucas Giolito has allowed 12 runs in 9 innings in his first two begins since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox.
TRIVIA TIME
Minnesota’s 18-game postseason shedding streak contains 13 losses to the New York Yankees. Who are the opposite two groups which have swept the Twins throughout this era?
LINE OF THE WEEK
On the day Houston introduced again Justin Verlander in a commerce, Framber Valdez offered a reminder that the Astros have not less than one different ace on their workers, throwing a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Cleveland on Tuesday evening. Valdez threw solely 93 pitches and walked one hitter. He confronted the minimal due to a double play.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
Miami trailed Philadelphia 5-0 on Wednesday evening earlier than the Marlins started chipping away. Back-to-back homers by Josh Bell and Jazz Chisholm made it 5-2 within the sixth. A bases-loaded stroll and an RBI groundout within the eighth introduced Miami inside one. Then Jorge Soler homered within the backside of the ninth to tie it.
Both groups scored twice within the tenth and as soon as within the eleventh. Miami lastly gained 9-8 on an RBI single by Jesus Sanchez within the twelfth.
Philadelphia had a win chance of 96.2% within the sixth, in accordance with Baseball Savant.
TRIVIA ANSWER
Oakland swept Minnesota 3-0 in 2006, and Houston swept a best-of-three sequence with the Twins within the expanded 2020 postseason.
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