Twins are no strangers to losing to Yankees in the postseason
The Minnesota Twins made history this year, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to lose 100-plus games in one season and make it to the postseason in the next.
In 2016, the Twins went 59-103 on the year. They made a miraculous playoff run down the stretch in 2017, winning most of their games in the absence of one of their star players, Miguel Sano.
Finishing the 2017 season with an 85-77 record and second place in the AL Central, the Twins also secured themselves the second Wild Card Playoff spot and prepared to play the New York Yankees, again.
The Twins lost, what was a crazy game filled with relief pitchers and home runs, the 2017 Wild Card game to the Yankees by the score of 8-4.
While they had already made history once by securing a playoff spot, they had unfortunately made history once again with their loss on Tuesday.
The Twins tied the MLB record of the most consecutive postseason losses with 13 games. Between 1986 and 1995 the Boston Red Sox also lost 13 consecutive postseason games.
Even worse than that, at least for the Minnesota Twins, ten of those losses were at the hands of the New York Yankees.
After appearing in the postseason in both 2002 and 2003, losing the former to the Los Angeles Angels in the ALCS and the latter to the Yankees in the ALDS, the Twins once again found themselves playing the Yankees in the first round in 2004.
They were able to pull off a win in Game 1 of that division series, but lost the next three and were eliminated.
The Twins finished third in the AL Central in 2005 missing out on the postseason, but were back in the playoffs after the conclusion of the 2006 season. Playing the Oakland Athletics in a rematch of the 2002 ALDS, the Athletics got their revenge on the Twins who didn’t win a single game in the series.
If you are keeping count that is six straight postseason losses thus far, half of which were lost to New York.
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The Twins’ two most recent postseason berths, prior to their trip to the Wild Card game on Tuesday, came in the 2009 and 2010 ALDS.
Both times they were swept by – that’s right! – the Yankees – adding another six straight losses to the six they already had.
Tuesday night’s loss meant that the Twins had not won a postseason game since the first game of the 2004 ALDS.
To make it hurt worse for the players, fans and current manager Paul Molitor, all but three of those losses were at the hands of the Yankees.
According to Molitor, the only thing worse than losing to the Yankees time and again in the postseason is always having to hear a certain familiar sound. That sound is the familiar Yankees’ celebratory song, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”
"“l’ve heard Frank sing that song probably too many times, and you can’t get them back,” Twins manager and Minnesota native Paul Molitor said a mere two weeks ago."
Still, the 2017 Minnesota Twins have plenty to be proud of. No one expected them to be relevant, let alone win 88 games and a spot in the postseason this year.
Molitor and long-time Twins’ catcher-turned-first baseman Joe Mauer tried to remind the team of that after their loss Tuesday in the Bronx.
"“Be optimistic more than ever, hold your chin high,” said second baseman Brian Dozier. “Are we satisfied? Absolutely not, but I’m very proud.”"
Next: Minnesota Twins make history with Wild Card berth
Despite having to listen to Frank Sinatra yet again and tying a very not prestigious postseason record, Paul Molitor and the 2017 Minnesota Twins do have a lot to be proud of.