Twins, Rangers want to rewrite their playoff histories today

Added on Oct 09, 2010 by Ted Sillanpaa in

MLB

The AL Central champion Minnesota Twins for anything that resembles good news. They will be the first acknowledge that’s its hard to find entering Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees Saturday.

The Twins lost the first two games of the American League Division Series to the Yankees in Minnesota. They opened the 2009 ALDS with two losses in New York.

Of the 16 teams before this year to lose the first two games of the division series at home, the only one to win and reach the next round was the the 2001 Yankees against Oakland, according to STATS LLC.

“You don’t have to mask it. You don’t have to, you know, say it in a creative way. You just say, ‘Look, we’ve got to win tonight,’” Michael Cuddyer told the Associated Press during Friday’s workout in Yankee Stadium. “You solely focus on winning Saturday. And I think, it might alleviate some of the pressure.”

The Twins hit .285 with runners in scoring position during the season, leading all big league teams. They’re hitting just .219 with RISP in the first two games of the ALDS.

“It seems like every time we score, they come back and score, so we’ve got to keep going at them,” J.J. Hardy said.

The Twins won the 2004 division series opener at old Yankee Stadium. Since then, the Twins have lost 11 straight playoff games. New York could eliminate Minnesota in the first round for the fourth time in 10 years.

“It’s not fun,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We have had a lot of pieces change, but the results have been the same. We’re in almost every ballgame. They are a great team. They find out ways to win.”

Right-hander Phil Hughes (18-8) will start Game 3 for New York on Saturday night against Brian Duensing (10-3).

** The Texas Rangers can finish their ALDS with a win in Texas today against the Tampa Bay Rays in another Game 3.

The Rangers are trying to win a playoff series for the first time in their 50 years of existence.

“All year we’ve tried to play baseball according to the way it’s been presented to us, which means you have to win all different ways,” fourth-year manager Ron Washington told the Associated Press on Friday. “But I think as we move forward and things continue to fall into place, I think people will start changing their minds and their perceptions of the Texas Rangers.”

The AL West champions play their first home postseason games in 11 years with Colby Lewis facing Tampa Bay’s 15-game winner Matt Garza.