In the culmination of a month and-a-half long collapse, the Minnesota Twins were officially eliminated from playoff contention Friday night at Target Field after suffering a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.
The Twins only mustered only two hits through the first eight innings, adding two hits and two runs in the game’s final frames, with three Orioles home runs digging a hole too deep for the Twins to climb out of. Baltimore’s four-run eighth inning was the final nail in the coffin, putting Minnesota down 7-0.
Entering the season’s final series, the Twins playoff hopes were bleak at best. Minnesota needed a sweep of Baltimore, and needed either Detroit or Kansas City to be swept in their final series as well. The Tigers clinched their playoff berth with a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday, and while Kansas City was shut out 3-0 by the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
The Twins, who held a 10-game lead over Detroit and had a 95% chance of making the playoffs in the month of August, finished the season 12-25, while Detroit and Kansas City got hot, with both teams overtaking the Twins and blazing their way into the postseason.
The Twins will close out their season with two games against the Orioles on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s game can be heard on 790 KFGO with coverage starting at 5:30 p.m., while Sunday’s season finale can be heard on 740 The Fan.
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