The Minnesota Twins’ division championship felt already clinched on June 3, with preseason favorite Cleveland in the rear view mirror, 11.5 games behind. Twins media and fans were already talking World Series.
That mirror should have read “objects may be closer than they appear.”
The Indians are 39-16 in their last 55 games and cut the lead to two games heading into a pivotal four-game series at Target Field that starts tonight.
Minnesota holds a 5-4 edge in the season series between the two playoff-contending teams in an otherwise wretched A.L. Central.
While the Twins’ starting pitching imploded in 12-7 and 11-7 losses to N.L. East leading Atlanta the last two games in Minneapolis, the Indians swept Texas in a Wednesday doubleheader, 2-0 and 5-1.
Mike Clevinger (6-2, 3.07) starts for Cleveland opposite the Twins’ Kyle Gibson (11-4, 4.02) in Thursday’s opener.
Hear plenty of Twins talk on today’s “Sports Talk with Craig & John” from 3-6 p.m. today on KWSN (98.1 FM and 1230-AM), KWSN.COM, and the FREE KWSN MOBILE APP.
Renowned national baseball writer and broadcaster Mel Antonen, a South Dakota native and lifelong Twins fan, joins the show today to preview the series and offer assessment on the Twins’ chances of winning the World Series.
Well, perhaps we should scale it back to just winning the division.
