Minnesota Twins vs Houston Astros: 3 Players to Watch

The Minnesota Twins start a nine-game road trip today against the Houston Astros. They just completed a six-game road trip in which they went 4-2.

They start the road trip 1.5 games back of the Texas Rangers for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Last weekend they took two out of three against the Houston Astros at Target Field. Today they start a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Who would have thought that the Twins and Astros would both be playing meaningful baseball in September when the season started?

Three Players to Watch

1. Ervin Santana was lights out against the Astros in his last start. He pitched seven scoreless innings and scattered six hits with 10 strikeouts. The Twins are hoping Santana can replicate his last outing.

2. Joe Mauer is starting to heat up. In his last seven games he’s hitting .310 with three RBIs. Mauer hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2010, and the Twins need him to finish the season strong.

3. Miguel Sano is hitting .348 with three home runs and five RBIs in his last seven games. On the last road trip Sano hit five home runs and drove in 13 runs. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sano have the same numbers on this road trip.