Yankees, Twins renew one-sided rivalry in AL wild-card game

NEW YORK Twins star Joe Mauer remembers well all those October losses to the Yankees. So, too, do Minnesota’s fans.

Around the rest of the Twins clubhouse, though, it may as well be ancient history.

Back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, Mauer and upstart Minnesota will face New York in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night hoping to turn around what has been a one-sided post-season rivalry.

New York eliminated the smallmarket Twins in the Division Series four times from 2003-10, repeatedly dashing the World Series aspirations of a largely homegrown lineup.

“Somebody asked me earlier, ‘Does it feel like seven years? ’” Mauer said. “I said, ‘Yes, and all of that.’”

Mauer is the only holdover from that era. Minnesota now has a new batch of budding young stars, and it’s a group that’s already wrecked some history. Powered by Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, these Twins became the first team to go from 100 losses one year to the playoffs the next.

Like the Twins, New York has been fuelled by its burgeoning big leaguers. AL MVP hopeful Aaron Judge headlines the crew, which also includes Tuesday’s starter, Luis Severino, and catcher Gary Sanchez. Only Brett Gardner, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley started for New York in their last wild-card appearance, a 3-0 loss to the Astros in 2015.