Yankees send Twins home after 8-4 loss in the Bronx

Minnesota now has tied an MLB record, losing 13 consecutive games in the playoffs

The Minnesota Twins lost in their one-game Wild Card matchup against the Yankees on Tuesday night to tie the MLB record for most consecutive playoff losses for a franchise with 13. The Twins did not go down without a fight, however, as the club got off to a hot start only to have the Yankees match. Let’s dive in to the action.

Brian Dozier started things off with a bang in the top of the first inning, as he launched a lead-off bomb into the left field bleachers to make the score 1-0. Yelling “Let’s go!” while rounding third, Dozier was sure he gave the Twins the early spark they needed.

Three batters later, left fielder Eddie Rosario came up to the plate with one on and one out. With a hitters count, Rosario took the off-speed pitch and hit a line drive that barely snuck over the right field fence to make the score 3-0 in favor of the Twins. The Twins went into the bottom of the first with a 3-0 lead, feeling good… and then Ervin Santana took the mound.

“I was excited about the lead early in the game, but I couldn’t get too excited. The Yankees have a lot of offense so you cannot get too comfortable with a 3-0 lead early in the game,” senior Twins fan Brock Margenthaler said.

Santana took the bump and was a shell of himself. He lasted only two innings while running the count full on eight of 11 batters and ultimately gave up four runs. When Santana was removed, the Twins had already seen their 3-0 lead get washed away and were down 4-3 heading into the third.

The fourth inning proved to be a tough one for the Twins as young, up and coming pitcher Jose Berrios took the mound for Minnesota. The young pitcher struggled to get easy outs, as New York made him work for everything. When Aaron Judge came to the plate, you could sense the electricity in the air from the New York crowd. They wanted another home run from Judge and he was determined to deliver. With one runner on, Judge blasted a high pitch deep and out of the park for a two-run shot. That home run was crucial for the Yankees as it completely busted the game open.

The remainder of the game favored the Yankees as the Twins did not manage a run after the third inning, as the dominant New York bullpen completely took over. The Twins did manage to get runners on base, but left an astounding 17 runners on base. This game would have been a lot closer had the Twins delivered some of those runners across home.

Next year sets up well for Minnesota, as this team is young and ready to breakout. Fans are excited for what’s to come.
“With a young exciting roster, everyone is excited. There is a lot to look forward to, but I would like to see them spend some money,” Margenthaler said.