ALDS Game 2: Yankees at Twins

Photo courtesy Minnesota Twins

The Twins are essentially in must-win mode tonight at Target Field.

It's not that the Twins can't take a lead against the Yankees in the postseason. They've done it seven straight times over the last six years. It's just that they can't hold any lead against New York, resulting in seven straight postseason losses to their arch nemesis. Same old story last night at Target Field: Up 3-0, Minnesota gave up four in the sixth, then after tying it back up in the bottom of the inning, they gave two runs right back on Mark Teixeira's homer in the seventh. Final score: 6-4.

Thus, the Twins are essentially in must-win mode tonight in Game 2. The scary thing is, even if they open up a lead, you just know their past failures against the Yankees are going to be in the back of everyone's minds. This is a significant hurdle for them to overcome. If they can do it just once, it's no longer an issue and they can move on. But until they do it, it's sort of like the Red Sox's mindset all those years when they dealt with "The Curse" against New York.

Either way, it should make for some compelling baseball tonight from Minneapolis, where all those worries about outdoor October baseball are proving unfounded at the moment. It's going to be 71 degrees at first pitch. Maybe it'll even be warm enough for Craig Sager to ditch whatever ridiculous sport coat he's got planned for tonight...

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES — GAME 2

NEW YORK YANKEES at MINNESOTA TWINS

Where: Target Field

Gametime: 6:07 p.m.

TV: TBS Radio: WTNT-570 AM

Weather: Sunny, 71 degrees

YANKEES
SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
1B Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
2B Robinson Cano
RF Nick Swisher
C Jorge Posada
DH Lance Berkman
LF Brett Gardner
(P Andy Pettitte)

TWINS
CF Denard Span
2B Orlando Hudson
C Joe Mauer
LF Delmon Young
DH Jim Thome
1B Michael Cuddyer
RF Jason Kubel
3B Danny Valencia
SS J.J. Hardy
(P Carl Pavano)

6:25 p.m. -- Carl Pavano certainly came out fired up for the top of the first, setting down the Yankees in order. And when Denard Span reached base to lead off the bottom of the inning, the Twins looked like they might be in business. But then the shortstop everyone loves to hate turned a nifty 1-6-3 double play, and that killed the potential rally.

7:52 p.m. -- Sorry for the lack of updates. Was cooking, and then eating, dinner. But Mrs. Z and I have been watching the game all along, and we've got another humdinger going on. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Twins just knotted it back up at 2 thanks to Orlando Hudson's solo shot off Andy Pettitte (who had retired 12 straight before serving that one up). Both Pettitte and Pavano have pitched well and despite allowing two runs apiece have avoided the big inning. Looks like each guy's pitch count is in check, too, so they should be able to go at least one, if not two more innings. This one's setting itself for a dramatic finish, methinks.

8:11 p.m. -- Wow, there hadn't been a manager ejected from a postseason game in five years, and there have already been two today ... with another game still to go! Ron Gardenhire got the heave-ho this time after Lance Berkman doubled in the go-ahead run for the Yankees moments after a controversial call that should have been strike three and ended the at-bat. Basically, the exact same situation that got Joe Madden tossed earlier today at Tropicana Field. The Yanks have since tacked on another run and now lead 4-2 in the seventh, still threatening to add to the lead and make life even more miserable for the Twins and their fans.

8:22 p.m. -- More wow. Jon Rauch pitches out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, striking out A-Rod and getting Cano to pop out to end the top of the seventh. The ex-Nat comes up HUGE in a crucial situation. Looks like Pettitte's going to return for the bottom of the seventh. That's a gutsy call by Girardi. Obviously he's siding with the experience factor here more than Pettitte's recent lack of innings because of his injury. We'll see how it works out.

8:59 p.m. -- Our good friend Matt Capps did not enjoy a good postseason debut just now. Pitching the top of the ninth with his team down two runs, he just gave one up and now leaves the Twins staring at a 5-2 deficit with three outs to go and Mariano Rivera on his way in from the bullpen.

9:09 p.m. -- And that does it. Yankees 5-2, winning their eighth straight postseason game against the Twins, coming from behind in all eight of them. Just like the Rangers did at Tampa Bay, they go up 2-0 on the road and now head home with a chance to sweep the series. Wow.