Are the Twins’ Wild Card Hopes Still Alive?
Get ready for a bumpy ride. After sweeping the Orioles in Baltimore the Twins get ready for a month full of make or break baseball.
Since May, the Twins have not had a winning month. In fact it has been the only winning month of the season. With a week left in August the Twins could make this their second. Despite this the Twins are two games above .500 and 1.5 games behind Texas for the second wild card spot. For the Twins to take hold of that wild card spot they will need to keep pace with several other teams that are also in the hunt.
In order for that to happen they will need to be better than average. Yes the record indicates that they are an average team but there are signs that the Twins will not be more than average.
Aug 16, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe (24) and third baseman Miguel Sano (22) celebrate the win against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The longest win streak for the Twins is only five games, which has happened twice all year. However, the longest losing streak is also five games. Again happening only twice. The month of May, they never won more than five but never lost more than two games. Nothing extraordinary. Except when added together over time it looks impressive.
The way other teams in the wild card race have been playing, the average Twins are in the best position. I know I did say that Twins will not be more than an average team but that does not mean teams around them are better.
First the Angels. They are the most similar to the Twins. Both have almost identical records at home and on the road. The Angels however are struggling for the first time. The right time as the Twins will play them for four games in September.
The Orioles are also in the same boat. Good at home bad on the road and starting to struggle. Just like the Twins, the O’s have only one month of winning baseball this year.
Down in Tampa, where the Twins will play next, the Rays are .500 across the board. After a bad July they are working on a third winning month of the season. So far the Twins have a leg up on them with a 2-1 record this year.
Finally the Rangers. They currently occupy the second wild card spot. Since July 29 they are 16-7 and 8-2 in their last 10 games. Good on the road, but average at home the Rangers are the best of all the teams in the race.
Scratching the surface, the Twins could claw their way into the wild card. Being average has its price tough. If you have been on Twitter lately it is a roller coaster ride of emotion.
If you have stuck with the Twins this far, stay tuned till the end. Make sure to buckle up. The ride is about to begin.