The Minnesota Twins swept the Toronto Blue Jays in two games Tuesday and Wednesday to win the AL Wild Card series. The team will advance to the ALDS for the eighth time in franchise history and play the Houston Astros, winners of last year’s World Series.
By defeating Toronto, the Twins finally ended one of baseball’s more infamous droughts, as the team has not won a playoff series since 2002 despite making nine more appearances since. There are still more ancient barriers to climb, however, as the team has not made it to the ALCS since 2002 either. That season, the Twins lost to the Los Angeles Angels, who went on to win the World Series. In Minnesota’s previous two ALCS appearances in 1987 and 1991, the team went on to win the World Series.
The Twins’ pair of low-scoring wins over the Blue Jays came down to timely hits from returning stars and superior pitching. In Game 1, designated hitter Royce Lewis made his first appearance since September 19 and hit two home runs, accounting for all three of the team’s runs. Starting pitcher Pablo Lopez allowed a run in the sixth inning but the bullpen shut down Toronto batters and carried the team home to a 3-1 victory.
In Game 2, Minnesota’s offense was similarly stagnant for most of the game, but in the top of the fourth inning, shortstop Carlos Correa cashed in with the bases loaded with a single to score the first run of the game. The Twins tacked on another in that inning to take a 2-0 lead, but the second run wasn’t necessary, thanks to starting pitcher Sonny Gray. The Minnesota ace threw five scoreless innings against Toronto and the bullpen came through again, keeping the Blue Jays in check in the late stages and earning a series victory for the team.
With just 87 wins in the regular season, the Twins did not enter the postseason with strong prospects despite winning the AL Central. They will still be heavy underdogs when they take on the Astros, but with several stars hitting their stride immediately upon returning from injury, the team appeared commanding against the Blue Jays and seems prepared for a tougher matchup.
