Bad News/Good News

[stringer bell]

Ten days ago it looked like the Twins were done. I read in an article or on a blog that they might even lose 90 games again this year. The Twins turned on their heels and won eight of their last ten all against teams that were ahead of them when the run started. The team has crawled past Tampa, Baltimore, the LA Angels and put space between themselves and those clubs. However, the Texas Rangers have emerged as the favorite to claim the second wild card spot. The Twins passed them for a day, but now trail Texas by a game and a half. Further, the Twins can't gain on Texas by beating them head-to-head. They have already completed their season series with the Rangers (3-3 split).

 

Texas has a good schedule from here on out. They play a majority of home games, and the only team they face that has a winning record is the team that they are chasing. The sliver of a silver lining is that if the Rangers go on a big run and pass the Astros, it will most likely mean that they've beaten Houston quite a bit and maybe, just maybe the Twins could bypass Houston, against whom they have three more games. I'm going to consider it a three-team race for two available spots.

 

To recap: The Twins have awoken from their slumber and passed a number of teams (good news). They trail Texas, which has a good schedule and is playing well (bad news). Houston might figure in as a team to catch and pass (good news) but there is only one possible playoff spot available for the Twins (bad news).

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I read in an article or on a blog that they might even lose 90 games again this year. 

Someone honestly believed that?

 

They should have been keeping up with my win tracking thread. The Twins haven't been less than 17 games ahead of previous seasons in quite some time, making 90 losses almost an impossibility.

 

It's like people forget just how long a baseball season takes to play out and how little one series matters in the grand scheme of things. You expect that from someone who's 18 years old but when you see the same people doing it every single year, you have question how they manage to make it from April to October without heavily medicating themselves.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Let's hope that Texas heat is working it's magic, and both the Rangers AND the Astros start wearing down.

[DaveW]

Rangers three outs away from losing tonight! Angels looking rough as well

[Jham]

Cleveland is really starting to roll...  As the schedule stands, we get Chris Sale twice, 7 against the firecracker Indians who will almost certainly set their rotation to have Kluber and Salazar face us twice, at Houston, and 6 with KC.  If we make it, we'll have earned it, and I'd consider us quite live.  Hard to see without the rotation catching a second or third wind.  Maybe Hughes can provide that.

[70charger]

without heavily medicating themselves.

Bold assumption, sir.

[Ncgo4]

Sano's has had 6 dingers in his last 10 games. It seems like each of them was a key hit at the time. He keeps this up for another 30 games, and our Mgr. keeps Hunter and Robinson out of the lineup and Mauer... Never mind, it's a long shot, but it's our first shot in years so I'm just going to enjoy it. I'm visiting relatives this week in Houston so I'll be at the game on Friday.

 

I was at Target Field for Sano's first, maybe I'll be there for his then latest.

[old nurse]

 

Someone honestly believed that?

 

They should have been keeping up with my win tracking thread. The Twins haven't been less than 17 games ahead of previous seasons in quite some time, making 90 losses almost an impossibility.

 

It's like people forget just how long a baseball season takes to play out and how little one series matters in the grand scheme of things. You expect that from someone who's 18 years old but when you see the same people doing it every single year, you have question how they manage to make it from April to October without heavily medicating themselves.

Maybe the real issue is that they are self medicating every year, hence the warped view.

[HitInAPinch]

Statistically,  it's still possible for the Twins to lose 90 games.  All it would take is for them to lose 22 of the remaining 31 games.  Can't imagine what it would take for that to happen....

[stringer bell]

Checked the standings today and Houston has 60 losses. The Twins have 63. If Texas does go on a run, Houston would be in play, the Rangers trail the Astros by 3 games (2 in the loss column).