The Twins clinched the AL Central title on Wednesday thanks to their own 5-1 win over the Tigers as well as the Indians’ 8-3 loss to the White Sox. It’s the Twins’ first division title since 2010, putting them back in the playoffs for the first time in two years.
Wednesday’s contest was a breeze for the Twins as starter Randy Dobnak allowed a lone unearned run on one hit with no walks and six strikeouts against the lowly Tigers. The bulk of the offense came on a Luis Arraez two-run homer in the seventh and another two-run homer in the eighth from Eddie Rosario.
The Tigers’ loss clinched for them the worst record in baseball, meaning they will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
The Astros and Yankees are still battling it out for the best record in the American League. The Twins will face whichever of the two teams has the worse record, which right now would be the Yankees. The Twins have famously not fared well against the Yankees in the postseason:
- Lost 2017 AL Wild Card game to Yankees 8-4
- Swept in 2010 ALDS by Yankees
- Swept in 2009 ALDS by Yankees
- Lost 2004 ALDS 3-1 to Yankees
- Lost 2003 ALDS 3-1 to Yankees