As the Minnesota Twins continue their trek toward the postseason, we take a look at what would happen if the Twins faced the Houston Astros.
The Minnesota Twins are wrapping up their regular season and trying to reach that magic number. As we wait to see how the division shakes out, let’s take a look at a potential matchup with the high powered Houston Astros.
The Astros have already clinched at least a Wild Card spot. Their magic number to wrap up the West is down to one as of the writing of this article. They’re also in a heated battle with the Yankees for the best regular-season record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
And here’s a random fun fact for Trivia Night at your favorite local watering hole: the Astros hold the dubious distinction of being the first team to have three straight 100-win seasons in the same decade as they had three 100-loss seasons (11-13).
As for the Astros, well, they’re a problem. The team who won it all in 2017 hasn’t lost a step. The team has won 100 games and ace Gerrit Cole has a massive 300 strikeouts on the season. Besides Cole, the Astros rotation includes Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke.
In the field, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Yuri Gurriel and Alex Bregman all have 30-plus homers on the season. DH Yordan Alvarez is closing in on 30 with 26 bombs of his own. The worst news for the Twins? Shortstop Carlos Correa, who missed some 80 games this season is back and judging by how he’s hitting, healthy.
Despite all of the hype, however, the Twins and Astros are more evenly matched than it appears.
Consider their starting rotation. The Astros’ wicked 1-2 combination of Cole and Verlander is definitely impressive. In fact, you could make a case for either to win the AL Cy Young Award. Greinke was also brought in at the trade deadline, which has only bolstered the Astros.
But their rotation after that becomes questionable. Wade Miley has been shaky at times all season. Brad Peacock, who has an ERA north of 4.00, is on the injured list until sometime in late September. Don’t get me wrong; getting past Verlander, Cole, and Greinke is a tall order. But with the Twins’ propensity for Bombas, it’s definitely possible.
In the field, the Astros have a markedly better home record (59-20) than on the road (42-33). Obviously tying up home-field advantage throughout is high on the Astros to do list. They’re also 35-12 in blowout games, so the Twins will want to do everything possible to keep the game close.
That’s not an easy task when you’re facing the Astros offense, but necessary if the Twins want a shot at winning. The Twins haven’t seen the Astros much this season, but they do have a 4-3 record against them. The road to the World Series is almost certain to go through Houston. If the Minnesota Twins want to leave their mark on the 2019 baseball world, they have to be up for the challenge.