Twins welcome Angels for important 4-game series

The Minnesota Twins started today 1.5 games back of the Houston Astros for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Tonight the Twins will start an important four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels are currently 3.5 games back for the second Wild Card spot.

The Twins will look to protect their home turf as they are 43-28 this season at Target Field. The Angels are 29-41 on the road this season which is tied for the fifth worst in the American League.

Three Players to Watch:

1. Could this be Torii Hunter’s swan song? If it is Hunter’s last season under the sun he’s finishing it strong. In his last seven games Hunter is hitting .357 with one home run and seven RBIs. With the Twins just 1.5 games back Hunter could help the Twins reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

2. Joe Mauer has reached base safely in 36 straight games which matches his career-high. He’s two games away from tying Paul Molitor for the franchise record. Mauer and Hunter are the two everyday players that have experienced a playoff race in September. They both are playing their best ball of the season when it matters most.

3. Rookie starting pitcher Tyler Duffey will get the ball for the series finale on Sunday. Duffey is 1-0 with a 3.06 earned run average in three starts this month and will be looking for his third straight quality start on Sunday.

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