Twins just one back

[twinsnorth49]

Rangers shutout 5-0 again by Seattle today, losing their opportunity to go two up on the Twins.

 

Last nights win was enormous, only one game back going into a very winnable stretch against the Chi Sox, Tigers and Angels.

 

Win Twins!!

[Pius Jefferson]

Bad news is Texas is at home for 10 games starting tomorrow. There schedule the rest of the way is also easier than the Twins.

[Jerr]

Schedules, smeedules.....just keep winning Twins!

[ashbury]

Schedules, smeedules..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCXnXDiKoQ

 

"Consequences shmonsequences, as long as I'm rich."

[Pius Jefferson]

 

Schedules, smeedules.....just keep winning Twins!

 

At this point the Twins don't control their own density so you have to hope Texas loses. 

[stringer bell]

Remember one of Houston or Texas is going to lose in each of the seven games that they play against each other in their remaining schedules. The schedule for the Twins gets easier now, but they have to play their best baseball. Santana, Milone, Gibson vs the Sox.

[wavedog]

Texas plays Houston 7 more games so if we get on a hot streak we should pass one of the two.

[stringer bell]

 

 

At this point the Twins don't control their own density so you have to hope Texas loses. 

Yes, they do! If Texas keeps winning they pass the Astros. It is guaranteed that one of the two West Division teams will lose more games than the Twins have lost at this point.

[Pius Jefferson]

Texas or Houston loses. Only a game and half game lead but it just seems like Houston is the much better team.

[sane]

At this point the Twins don't control their own density so you have to hope Texas loses.

I refuse to be the Spelling Police, but I had to laugh when I read that.

Everybody controls their own "DENSITY"!

Just mix in a salad once in a while!

[DaveW]

The key is going to be the starting pitching, if they can keep stringing together solid starts, the Twins will make the playoffs.

[twinsnorth49]

Texas or Houston loses. Only a game and half game lead but it just seems like Houston is the much better team.

You're quite the optimist I see, perhaps your glass needs topping up?

 

Texas may have a more favorable schedule but the Twins taking 2 out of 3 in KC and the Rangers getting shutout in back to back games against the Mariners probably wasn't in the cards either was it?

The games need to be played for a reason.

[DaveW]

 

Texas or Houston loses. Only a game and half game lead but it just seems like Houston is the much better team.

Houston is a lot like the Twins, pretty young and pretty inconsistent (Not so much with pitching, but with the bats that are hot as hell, or ice cold)

 

One of them is due to "fade" a bit, if the Twins keep winning series, they should be in good enough shape.

[DaveW]

 

 

You're quite the optimist I see, perhaps your glass needs topping up?

Texas may have a more favorable schedule but the Twins taking 2 out of 3 in KC and the Rangers getting shutout in back to back games against the Mariners probably wasn't in the cards either was it?
The games need to be played for a reason.

Yeah, that's the whole thing, the Mariners at a glance are a "bad team" due to their record, but these last two games they tossed out Walker (a guy who has dominant stuff but lacks consistency) and Felix (easily one of the best 5 pitchers in baseball year in and year out overall), additionally they have who should actually be the MVP this year in Nelson Cruz (and he actually ended up missing the whole series!)

 

I believe the Mariners were likely "favored" in both games, so going into that series it was more than likely a split would happen vs any other outcome (even with the M's being so many more games behind in the standings, a lot of which had to do with injuries and Fernando Rodney)

 

The Rangers now play Oakland, another team with a bad record, but a slightly deeper look shows they have just been pretty damn unlucky. Oakland winning 1 or 2 games isn't a reach. 4 vs the Astros (good team) and 3 against Seattle where they will end up facing Walker and Felix again. Sure, they could get on fire and win 8 of 10, but in reality 6 of ten is much more likely, which means the Twins just need to match that (or beat that) which they are more than capable of.

 

[Pius Jefferson]

 

Houston is a lot like the Twins, pretty young and pretty inconsistent (Not so much with pitching, but with the bats that are hot as hell, or ice cold)

 

One of them is due to "fade" a bit, if the Twins keep winning series, they should be in good enough shape.

 

You're right about the Astros. They've played around .500 ball since early June. To their credit they've been a little better since the All-Star break. Also worth mentioning they didn't have the fall the Twins had.

 

 

[stringer bell]

It wasn't Walker that beat Texas before Felix, it was Vidal Nuno. Secondly, it seems to me that road non-contenders in September seem to roll over pretty often. Texas plays two teams that are out of it on their homestand, and I'll be surprised if either team wins more than one game in Arlington.

[AlwaysinModeration]

And Cruz played yesterday, hitting his 40th homer.

[Craig Arko]

So whoever gets that last wildcard spot will have to earn it? Good.

 

No matter what happens, this trial by fire will pay dividends next year.

[DaveW]

And Cruz played yesterday, hitting his 40th homer.

yeah my dates were all one off

[DaveW]

It wasn't Walker that beat Texas before Felix, it was Vidal Nuno. Secondly, it seems to me that road non-contenders in September seem to roll over pretty often. Texas plays two teams that are out of it on their homestand, and I'll be surprised if either team wins more than one game in Arlington.

the twins play Detroit (non contender) Chicago (non contender), Cleveland (non contender), Detroit again (non contender), and KC who will have zero to play for.

 

The only team they play that is playing for something is the Angels.

[drjim]

the twins play Detroit (non contender) Chicago (non contender), Cleveland (non contender), Detroit again (non contender), and KC who will have zero to play for.

 

The only team they play that is playing for something is the Angels.

Cleveland is a game behind the Angels, 3 behind the Twins.

 

Twins need to dominate Chicago and Detroit if they want to make the playoffs. 7-2.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

At this point the Twins don't control their own density so you have to hope Texas loses. 

I was thinking of this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7A5xLk3hIs

[VandyTwinsFan]

 

Cleveland is a game behind the Angels, 3 behind the Twins.

Twins need to dominate Chicago and Detroit if they want to make the playoffs. 7-2.

 

There are 23 games left! You're right about Cleveland (I think). They're going to fight pretty hard.

It's also tough to have guys lay down against division opponents. I don't think any of the games going forward will be a cakewalk.

 

If the Twins continue to grind it out and win each series I'll be pretty happy, no matter what Texas and Houston do. We have a lot of young guys playing and to see them fight to the end would be very encouraging. That's a very strong finish to the season. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Someone should let Cleveland know that, for all intents and purposes, they're out of the playoff picture. I'd very much like for them to lie down and die before the Twins play them again.

[TheLeviathan]

It's just nice that these games are do or die.  That's a great environment for Buxton, Sano, Rosario, Escobar, Hicks, and everyone else to be in.  Couldn't ask for a better start to their major league development.

[Sarah]

Looks like the schedules are the same too - both teams have an off day next Monday. The 1/2 game thing always confuses me. Math is hard.  

[Headfirst]

Screw this whole football season starting thing...we got a race to the playoffs on our hands!

[bird]

 

Looks like the schedules are the same too - both teams have an off day next Monday. The 1/2 game thing always confuses me. Math is hard.

 

 

Yeah, but arithmetic is REALLY hard.

[AlwaysinModeration]

While I suppose it is technically true that the Twins do in fact control their own destiny since Texas and Houston play each other 7 times, I also would like to point out that if the Twins had managed to go 23-0 in their remaining games and failed to make the playoffs (with 95 wins) that would be really, truly amazing.

 

The reality is the Twins can go 22-1 (finishing with 68 losses) and still control their own destiny, as one of Houston or Texas is guaranteed to have 69 losses.

 

I'll let y'all decide which game you want them to lose.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Yeah, but arithmetic is REALLY hard.

 

You should spell it M-A-T-H then.