The MLB playoffs are set and the Minnesota Twins will host the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round starting Tuesday in Minneapolis.
Final scores Sunday in the AL playoff race:
- Rangers 0, Mariners 1
- Astros 8, Diamondbacks 1
- Rays 12, Blue Jays 8
The Astros and Rangers both finished 90-72, but the tiebreaker goes to Houston and with that comes the AL West championship and the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs. Texas is the second wild card and the Blue Jays are the third wild card.
AL playoff seeds:
- Baltimore Orioles (101-61) — East champ
- Houston Astros (90-72) — West champ
- Minnesota Twins (87-74) — Central champ
- Tampa Bay Rays (99-63)
- Texas Rangers (90-72)
- Toronto Blue Jays (89-73)
Baltimore and Houston earned a bye into the second round while the best-of-three Wild Card series will feature the Twins hosting the Blue Jays and the Rays hosting the Rangers.
- Twins vs. Blue Jays Game 1: Tuesday at TBD
- Twins vs. Blue Jays Game 2: Wednesday at TBD
- Twins vs. Blue Jays Game 3: Thursday at TBD
Game 1 will feature a battle of Cy Young contenders as the Twins will go with right-hander Pablo Lopez against Toronto ace Kevin Gausman.
- Lopez: 3.66 ERA, 234 strikeouts in 194 innings, 1.15 WHIP
- Gausman: 3.16 ERA, 237 strikeouts in 185 innings, 1.18 WHIP
Lopez made one start against Toronto this season and he gave up four runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. That was back on May 27. Two of the five hits he allowed were homers to Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio. Bichette also dinged Lopez for a two-run triple.
Gausman made two starts against the Twins and got roughed up for seven runs on 11 hits and nine walks in 10 innings, though the bulk of that damage (6 runs) came in his second start. In his first outing against Minnesota he allowed just one run on four hits in 5.1 innings, though he did walk five and the Twins helped him out by going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position that day.
The Twins and Blue Jays split six games during the regular season.
