Minnesota Twins unofficial start to postseason starts in Boston
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Twins will head to Boston on Tuesday night, with a chance to knock out some competitors before the postseason begins.
In the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of talk about how the Minnesota Twins needed to take advantage of a soft spot in their schedule. With four straight series against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, the Twins were able to create some breathing room with a 9-4 stretch that helped extend their lead in the American League Central to 5 1/2 games.
While the Twins are feeling good about their recent play, the days of a softer schedule have come to a close with Minnesota about to cross paths with some playoff contenders.
Beginning with a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the Twins will cross paths with three teams that are in the thick of a race for a spot in the postseason. While the Twins will also see the Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals in this stretch, it represents a chance for Minnesota to bury some of their key competition before they potentially meet up in the playoffs (sans the Nationals, of course).
The Twins are in this position thanks to their performance all season long, but playing against teams over .500 has been a bit of a problem. The Twins are just 26-31 against teams over .500 this season, while their fellow division leaders in the Houston Astros (34-24) and New York Yankees (40-29) haven’t had such an issue.
Adding to the situation, the Red Sox are currently in desperation mode as they sit five games back of a wild card spot in the American League. The defending world champions are also in an uphill battle as they try to make a run without ace Chris Sale as he is expected to miss the rest of the season with elbow inflammation.
Boston’s postseason hopes are hanging by a thread coming into this series and with the Twins looking to add more breathing room before a crucial series with the Indians, this weekend, it will seem like the postseason will come a little bit early for Minnesota.