Yankees have Twins’ number in sweep
MINNEAPOLIS – You wanted drama in the New York Yankees-Minnesota Twins series?
Well, you came to the wrong place.
The only tension in this American League Division Series was wondering whether Yankees slugger Aaron Judge would spray Budweiser on Giancarlo Stanton or whether Stanton would douse him with a bottle of champagne first in the celebratory Yankees clubhouse.
It was that kind of series. It amounted to nothing more than a bye week for the Yankees.
The Yankees – stop us if you heard this before – swept the Twins in three games, winning Game 3 on Oct. 7 5-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 41,121 at Target Field who have seen this act over and over and over again.
Well, the players might have changed, and the years have gone by, but it has all remained the same.
The Twins the Yankees.
The Yankees have now beaten them 13 consecutive times since Oct. 5, 2004, shattering the all-time postseason record against a single team.
The Twins still have not defeated the Yankees in a postseason game in Minnesota.
And with the exception of Cy Young winner Johan Santana, no Twins pitcher has ever beaten the Yankees in a playoff game.
The Twins now have lost 16 consecutive postseason games overall, tying the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks for the longest postseason losing streak in North American sports history.
The Twins tried everything to break the curse.
Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz addressed the team after their Game 2 loss, reminding them that it was no fluke they won 101 games and hit a major league-record 307 homers.
Former Twins greats Rod Carew, still cannot beat a Hall of Famer, and Torii Hunter spoke to the hitters before the game, telling them to stop relying on the home run and just concentrate on putting the ball in play.
Twins officials cranked up the volume on the loudspeakers, with music blaring louder than it ever has all season, pleading with the sellout crowd to get crazy, scream, make noise and do everything possible to turn it into the Midwest version of the Bronx Zoo.
They even turned out the lights during Yankees’ pitching changes with fans using the flashlight on their cellphones as if they were at a Prince concert.
The Twins threatened to score throughout Game 3, but except for Eddie Rosario’s leadoff homer in the eighth came away again.
Their frustrations were best exemplified in the second inning when they loaded the bases with none out against Yankees pitcher Luis Severino.
Miguel Sano, who hit 34 home runs during the season, hit a high infield pop-up for the first out.
Marwin Gonzalez struck out empty time and time on four pitches.
Jake Cave struck out on six pitches.
The Twins would have runners on first and second in the third inning, and again in the fifth, and a runner on second base with one out in the sixth and two on with no outs in the ninth, yet they couldn’t bring home a run.
For a team built on home runs, it was a recipe to be swept out of the playoffs.
The Yankees will face the winner of the series between the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays.
Pardon the Yankees for rooting for the Rays. If nothing else, they at least would like to see the series go five games, ensuring that co-aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole would have one less start in their series.
“I think our guys are locked and ready to go,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “and this time of year, look at those off days as really good recovery days and beneficial. I think we have that mind-set.”
Certainly, they proved against the Twins that their offense is in October form. The Twins’ rotation lasted just 11 innings in the three games, surrendering nine runs and permitting 22 baserunners.
Not a single Twins starter lasted past the fifth inning.
“That’s a strength of this team,” Judge says. “One through nine is going to most likely get to a 3-2 count every single time. You’re going to foul off some pitches, and then if you’re not going to pitch to us, we’ll take our walks.
“No one’s selfish, and that’s what makes this team so great. We get into that bullpen early, and when we’re able to get to a bullpen early, especially in a series like this, it helps you out not only in that game, but the next couple games down the road.”
The next road trip most likely will take them to Houston, where Verlander and Cole await.
The Yankees are not afraid. They are ready for the American League’s main event.