The Minnesota Twins ended their league-leading (and not in a good way!) playoff losing streak at 18 games and did so in convincing fashion. The Twins held the Toronto Blue Jays to one run in a two-game sweep in the AL wild card round. Minnesota now moves on to face the Houston Astros in the divisional round and hopes to keep moving on in the MLB playoffs.
There is no legal Minnesota sports betting until at least 2024, so Twins fans will have to be out of state to place a wager on their team staying hot.
Before this series, Twins fans had to deal with the dubious distinction of being the only MLB team without a playoff win since their last victory in October of 2004. The 18-game losing streak was the longest in not just MLB history, but the longest across all four major professional sports leagues. With the streak now firmly planted in the rear-view mirror, the Twins and their fans now get to move on.
The NBA’s Detroit Pistons have the current longest streak and chance to get the Twins out of the top spot. First, however, the recently hapless Pistons will need to make the playoffs. Here are the Pistons and other teams with long, sad streaks.
Longest Postseason Losing Streaks
More Winning Ahead for Twins?
The hope is certainly to replicate the magic of 1991, when Minnesota last won the World Series (against the Atlanta Braves). Amazingly, the Twins have won only one playoff series between that World Series title and this win over Toronto, a 2002 divisional series win over Oakland.
To no surprise, the Twins will be underdogs against the Astros in the Divisional Round. There are no Minnesota sports betting apps, but Caesars Sportsbook has the Twins as a +140 underdog nationally.
Houston is the defending World Series champion. They won the AL West on the last day of the season with a 90-72 record. What Minnesota has lacked in playoff pedigree, the Astros have in abundance. To upset the Astros, the Twins will need to rely on their strong pitching staff, which led the league in strikeout percentage during the regular season. If they can combine strong starts with the strong defense that held the Blue Jays to one run in two games, they will have a chance to move on in the playoffs.
The most important non-pitching pieces to the Twins are Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa. Lewis hit two home runs in the series’ opening win and Correa contributed stellar defense all series long in addition to the RBI single that delivered the win in Game 2. If these two oft-injured stars can stay healthy, Minnesota has a chance to advance.
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