The Minnesota Twins begin a critical three-game series Monday night when they take on the Cleveland Guardians in a matchup that could heavily influence the American League Central.
The Twins enter Monday night’s opener with a five-game lead over the Guardians, but a bad series could open the door for Cleveland to get back in the race. With the division potentially on the line, here are a few storylines to keep an eye on as the Twins look to lock up the Central.
1. Will Cleveland’s new faces haunt the Twins?
The Twins lost two of three games to the Guardians in a series at Target Field last week and Cleveland, in the days since, looks much different team.
The Guardians were the biggest beneficiary of the Los Angeles Angels’ purge at the waiver deadline, adding three pitchers that the Twins certainly could have used for their own playoff push.
Lucas Giolito will get the start in Monday’s opener in Cleveland but the bullpen arms could make the difference as Reynaldo Lòpez and Matt Moore give the Guardians a pair of reliable arms late in games.
This trio could cause a bit of envy for Twins fans, who watched their team stand pat at last month’s trade deadline. But if the Twins can take care of their business, the waive wire additions may not have the impact Cleveland is hoping for.
2. How will Louie Varland fit in the Twins’ bullpen?
While the Guardians are welcoming a slew of new faces to their bullpen, the Twins are acclimating a familiar one to a new role.
Louie Varland was called up by the Twins on Monday morning after turning in his first relief appearance on Thursday with the St. Paul Saints. The right-hander was solid, allowing one run over four innings. But the most encouraging development was his fastball, which jumped to 97.2 mph after averaging 94.9 mph as a starter this season.
Louie Varland
100.2 mph fastball
Painted cutter
Wipeout changeup pic.twitter.com/Ah8KyAoIE2— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) September 1, 2023
Other arms such as Brock Stewart, Jorge Alcala and Chris Paddack could also be on the way but none of them will be available for the series with the Guardians. With the Twins looking to shore up their bullpen, adding Varland could be a key addition and will be a critical development down the stretch.
3. How will the Twins manage center field?
The Twins’ options in center field are starting to dwindle and took another shot when Michael A. Taylor wound up on the injured list with a hamstring injury. With Byron Buxton day-to-day after a setback in his rehab assignment, the Twins are paper thin in the outfield and will need to patch things together.
Andrew Stevenson has gotten the first crack at filling in at center field but the results have been mixed so far. While he already has a pair of stolen bases, Stevenson is just 2-for-9 (.222 average) in the three games since his call-up.
Willi Castro has experience playing in center field but both players are a downgrade compared to what Taylor or Buxton could have provided. With the games in Cleveland expected to be close, the Twins’ defense could be a major factor this week.
4. Can Royce Lewis continue to be clutch?
Twins fans have always had high hopes for Lewis, but the former No. 1 overall pick’s performance has exceeded expectations coming down the stretch.
Lewis has become a breakout star for the Twins this season, hitting .307/.354/.521 with 10 homers, 33 RBI and four stolen bases. While his average is down since returning from an oblique injury on Aug. 15, he’s hit a different level in the power department, hitting .279/.355/.588 with six homers and 18 RBI.
What’s more impressive is when Lewis is coming up with the key hits. Lewis hit a grand slam in the Aug. 28 victory over the Guardians and has continued to come up big in key moments including a game-tying three-run homer against the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
ROYCE LEWIS GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/vEj1ZJ9U52
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 29, 2023
If Lewis continues to answer the bell, it could be enough to lead the Twins into the postseason and beyond.
5. Will the Twins finish off the Guardians?
The Twins could run their lead in the division to as many as eight games with a sweep and could take a six-game lead if they win the series.
If they sweep, their magic number to clinch the division would go down to 15 with 22 games to go and just winning the series would drop magic number to 17.
This would be big for the Twins as their remaining strength of schedule ranks 28th compared to the Guardians, who rank 15th down the stretch. But the Twins have also shown a tendency to let the Guardians back into the race, which is exactly what would happen with a series loss.
If the Guardians take two of three games, the lead would go down to a manageable four games. If they sweep, the Twins and Guardians would be two games apart entering the final weeks of the season.
With three games in Cleveland, the Twins have the chance to bury a dagger in the Guardians’ playoff hopes. If they can’t take advantage, it could open the door for Cleveland to steal the division for the second straight year.
