Championships are not won or lost in May, but if the Minnesota Twins plan on making a serious playoff run and contend for the World Series this year, the next seven games could tell us plenty.
The Twins embark on a three-city road trip with three games against the Yankees and two each at Toronto and Boston.
Since 2002, when Ron Gardenhire became manager, the Minnesota Twins are 68-104 against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays—a lowly .395 winning percentage. This is 150 points lower than Gardenhire’s overall winning percent of .546 over his eight seasons as the Twins’ skipper.
On the road against these teams the winning percentage drops to .333.
It is even worse against the Yankees. Including playoff games, the Twins are 5-26 at Yankees Stadium, a miserable .161 winning percentage.
Based on these historical numbers we can expect the Twins being swept by the Yankess and, at best, gaining a split of the remaining four games in Toronto and Boston, resulting in a 2-5 road trip.
In the same span of eight days, the Detroit Tigers play eight games, six at home against New York, Boston, and Chicago and two road games against the Western Division leading Oakland A’s.
If the Tigers go 6-2 they would find themselves leading the Central Division by half a game over the Twins on May 21st.
But this year, something feels different with the Twins.
- They lose All-Star closer, Joe Nathan, for the season and Jon Rauch steps in has converted nine of 10 save opportunities.
- Joe Mauer is shelved for six games, flirting with placement on the DL, and his replacement, Wilson Ramos, gets seven hits in his first two games behind the plate.
- Francisco Liriano is considered as a replacement for Nathan, an assignment he turns down. He is then penciled in as the fifth starter and has emerged as the staff ace.
- What at first appeared to be an inconsistent starting staff as emerged a strength for the club, with four of five starters with four victories.
The Twins still have only lost one series all season, having split the past two with Baltimore and Chicago.
Yes, this year definitely feels different, and the Twins have a great opportunity to prove they are for real to the baseball world. Nothing would do that better than a 5-2 record on this east coast road trip.
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