Twins Seal The Deal

TWINS 8
ANGELS 6

In serendipitous fashion, the Twins magic number for clinching the AL Central heading into Friday night was 1. All it took was a win over the depleted, playing out the string Angels to seal the deal. 

The Twins lineup was absurd, if you told anybody in April that this would be a lineup used by a team looking to clinch a division. Only 3 (Polanco, Kepler, Jeffers) are starters. 

But we also had Pablo Lopez on the mound, so when we pieced together a few runs to go up 3-0 you figured that was enough. But Lopez got tagged for 3 in the 5th, including a 2 run homerun by some guy batting .146. 

No matter. The Twins got the lead back in the 6th on an Alex Kirilloff laser shot over the right field wall, then bunched some hits and walks together in the 7th to pad the lead.

We had a little trouble shutting the door, as Caleb Thielbar gave up a 2 run homerun in the 8th, and then Jhoan Duran had a very messy 9th inning, frustrating a packed Target Field that was ready to celebrate.

But Duran gave up just 1 run, and induced the game-ending groundout that ended the game and clinched the Twins first division title in 3 years, and their first clinched at home since 2010. And the first one I've ever seen in person. (Came close in 2009...I was at game 162)

I have given this team a great deal of grief this year, and I'm not pretending that winning a putrid division is some monumental accomplishment, but it was a lot of fun to see Target Field packed like it was for this game.

And the Twins were clearly the best team in the division this year. They clinched with over a week to spare, despite a season full of injuries and, I think, some iffy roster construction. 

They now simply HAVE to end this absurd playoff losing streak. Regardless of which team comes in here, the Twins will have no excuse to not at minimum take 1 game out of 3. 

It's time. 


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