The Minnesota Twins had the opportunity to break away not only from a playoff drought but also the looming curse of Minnesota sports mediocrity during the 2023 MLB playoffs during their Oct. 6 game. In trying to achieve this goal they hit a triple, not quite a home run.
In the Wildcard round of the playoffs, the Twins faced the Toronto Blue Jays in a five game series. This is off the back of an 18-game postseason losing streak. This is on par with other Minnesota sports teams who never seem to be able to make it all the way. The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl. The Wild have never won the Stanley Cup.
The Twins beat the Blue Jays 3-1 with a few standout moments for rain-drenched fans to witness. Shortstop Royce Lewis hit two home runs, allowing the Twins to end their drought in just four games.
In the next round of the playoffs, the Twins reverted back to their norm losing 1-3 to the Houston Astros ending their playoff berth. The Twins seemed disjointed and lacked discipline quickly letting two of the games get away from them. While many fans did not expect this team to win another World Series, the loss was disappointing nonetheless.
The Twins have a few bright spots ahead of them for the 2024 season, with many of their newer players playing well to finish off the year. Despite this, the quest to fully break the Minnesota sports curse will elude them yet again, and lead fans to hope for better luck next year.
Alli Hering is a senior social studies education and political science major from Apple Valley, MN. It is common to run into Alli outside or in the cage reading books instead of doing classwork. She also is a avid sports fan and loves trying new sports and activities! In the future, Alli hopes to combine her passion for writing and politics in the education realm.