It’s becoming increasingly likely that the AL Central isn’t going to be decided until the final days of the regular season, and with the first-place Twins set to square off with the Dodgers in Los Angeles for a pair of games, the pressure to stay in front is increasing.
The Dodgers lead the majors with 75 wins, having won eight in a row, 15 of 18 since the All-Star break, and an incredible 30-5 since June 29. Repeat: 30 wins and only five losses since the end of June. That’s nuts.
Meanwhile, the Twins are 7-7 since the All-Star break and 14-16 since June 29.
Worse is that Minnesota is 30-35 since May 25.
It’s only a two-game series, but it screams trouble for a Twins team that was robbed of what would’ve been a huge win Sunday when replay officials in New York ruled that Gary Sanchez illegally blocked home plate. That wound up being the winning run in the 10th inning, leading to manager Rocco Baldelli’s viral “chickenshit” rant.
Minnesota leads the Cleveland Guardians by one game and the Chicago White Sox sit just two games back. Did we mention the Guardians are sending three studs – Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac – to the mound against the lowly Detroit Tigers this week?
Cleveland has to be licking their chops knowing Minnesota is quivering in the lion’s den while they get to feast on baseball’s equivalent of road kill.
Meanwhile, the White Sox get to play the Royals and Tigers for a combined seven games this week. They, too, must be salivating at the chance to finally pass the Twins.
There are still 54 games left on Minnesota’s schedule, and they just upgraded their bullpen and starting staff at the trade deadline, so by no means is it time to panic. But the comfortable position of leading versus chasing a division could be coming to an end, unless the Twins can find a way to beat the best in their home ballpark.
Game 1 of the two-game set with the Dodgers is Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. After the quick series at Dodger Stadium, the Twins stay in the L.A. area for a three-game series against the Angels.
All of this, oh by the way, precedes a gauntlet Aug. 23 through Sept. 11 when the Twins face the Astros, Giants, Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees and Guardians all in a row.
