Postseason baseball continues with the Minnesota Twins.
For the first time in two decades we can say that, the Twins managed to win their first playoff series since 2002 last week. While it’s great to end one of the most miserable streaks in professional sports, the work has just begun.
Not only that, but the Twins ended an 18-game postseason losing streak without the energy drain we’ve seen from other long-suffering teams. There’s excitement, but the AL Wild Card game against Toronto feels more like the beginning of something than the end.
Minnesota’s reward is a ticket to Houston, where the defending World Series champion Astros await them in the ALDS. The Twins had the upper hand this year, beating the Astros 4-2 in the regular season, but Houston caused a different kind of problem in October.
The Astros are built for this and have proven through their continued success over the past decade that they are nothing to be underestimated in the postseason. Minnesota has its work cut out for it, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like the Twins have a chance.
The Twins have been stuck in series like this many times over the past few years, and the Astros knew their chances of survival were slim. It wasn’t that long ago that minor league pitchers were used in playoff series in the Bronx, but the Twins now bring a reliable all-around lineup to the series against baseball’s giants.
Pitching is a strength of the Twins, but it’s also a new experience for fans, and the offense is starting to click in the right way. Royce Lewis is a rising superstar, Carlos Correa has been the defensive guru thus far, and Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray both lead the team.
Houston is a huge team, but the gap between the two teams isn’t insurmountable.
Here’s everything you need to know to beat the Twins in ALDS Game 1 today:
The Twins and Astros have a college football game on Saturday, which is one of the reasons why Fox isn’t airing the game. Due to Big Noon Saturday, none of today’s ALDS games will be aired on FOX as both games will be aired on FS1.
Unfortunately, the Orioles’ game against the Rangers started late due to a rain postponement, meaning it will now significantly overlap with the Twins’ game. MLB Network and FS2 will broadcast the Twins vs. Astros game to begin, and once the Orioles vs. Rangers game ends, the game will switch to FS1.
