The Twins just can’t get it done in the playoffs.
Another year, another disappointing end for the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins fell to the Houston Astros on Wednesday to bring a quick end to what looked like a promising 2020 season. Even worse? The team has now lost 18 straight games in the postseason stretching back to 2004.
Twins cursed when it comes to playoff baseball
The last time the Twins won a playoff series was in 2002. The team fell in the 2003 ALDS, but did pick up a victory in the series against the New York Yankees. Then came another 3-1 ALDS defeat in 2004 to the Yankees when this streak began.
The team has now been swept in six straight postseason series. This one was a best-of-three affair one year after the team fell in another ALDS to the Yankees. In fact, the Yankees have eliminated the Twins five teams since 2004.
The offense totally shut down in this series against the Astros. Losses of 4-1 and 3-1 add to this painful stretch of baseball for the organization.
Perhaps the play that sums up this streak best came in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday.
Byron Buxton, a player with so much potential who just can’t stay healthy, came in to pinch-run after not being in the starting lineup. The Twins trailed 2-1 with two outs in the inning and Buxton proceeded to get caught in a rundown and tagged out. Any sense of a rally was destroyed and the Astros added a run in the top of the ninth inning.
At this point it is hard to say the Twins need to start over after yet another postseason debacle. This streak stretches back so far it is hard to blame on manager Rocco Baldelli.
Fans may recall the last playoff win. It was Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS against the Yankees and Minnesota was seeking revenge. Johan Santana got the start at Yankee Stadium and the offense did just enough to take home a 2-0 win. The Yankees are 13-0 against the Twins in the playoffs since that game.
Playoff baseball is extremely unpredictable. But this is just becoming a statistical anomaly and there is no solution in sight other than to just play better. Sorry Twins fans, there are more questions than answers once again.