Astros postseason 2023: Potential ALDS opponent? Minnesota snaps 18-game playoff losing streak

Entering their American League Wild-Card Series opener on Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins held a dubious distinction for postseason futility.

They had lost 18 consecutive playoff games, including two to the Houston Astros in their 2020 wild-card series, dating back to 2004.

It’s a remarkable feat, made all the more interesting considering they may end up becoming the team in the other dugout when the Houston Astros host Game 1 of the AL Division Series this Saturday.

In front of a home crowd, the Twins earned a 3-1 victory in Game 1 of their wild-card series against the Toronto Blue Jays, powered by two home runs by Royce Lewis.

The streak has ended in the Twin Cities, but Minnesota has more work to do. One more win in the best-of-three series will earn them a trip to the Juice Box.

For Toronto, though, Game 2 on Wednesday, which airs on sister network ESPN at 3:30 p.m., is an elimination game, which the Blue Jays are 6-7 all-time.

By the way, Houston lost the regular-season series with the Twins, two games to four, and Minnesota boasts two former Astros on the roster: Carlos Correa and Christian Vazquez.

Yordan Alvarez: King of September

Sports doesn’t have to tell how great Yordan Alvarez is as a big-game hitter. So, Major League Baseball is telling everybody, instead.

The 26-year-old, who missed six weeks of the season due to injury, was named the American League Player of the Month for September.

Not only was Alvarez durable in 26 games of the last month, he boasted an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.060, which means he’s been able to become a scoring baserunner in critical spots. He also drove in 20 runs and launched eight home runs during September.

The monthly award is his second of his career, and the announcement came a day after teammate Justin Verlander earned the AL Player of the Week.

Rangers GM steaming over Astros reporter’s tweet

ABC13 broadcasted the other AL Wild-Card Series on Tuesday between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, which the team from Arlington won, 4-0.

But the game served as a backdrop to another chapter in the Astros’ feud with their AL West rivals.

The video in the player above breaks down the new wrinkle in the Houston-Texas brouhaha.

Brian McTaggart, Astros writer for MLB.com, pointed out that the Rangers celebrated with champagne on Saturday in Seattle, even though the division title was still up for grabs.

But fans know how it turned out Sunday, when the Astros stormed back to win the AL West title.

Texas general manager Chris Young took offense by the suggestion his team celebrated prematurely.

“I find it ridiculous that that’s even a subject, honestly,” Young told KRLD-FM. “This is the most professional, responsible group of players that I’ve ever been around. We had a very subdued champagne popping, but beyond that, there was – there was no partying. There was nothing outlandish.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, McTaggert appeared remorseful over his assertion.

With a win in one of the next two games, the Rangers would advance to face the AL’s No. 1 seed, the Baltimore Orioles. Houston and Texas wouldn’t be able to face off until the AL Championship Series, if both teams, of course, get that far.

2023 ALDS schedule, best of five

• Game 1: TBD at Houston, Saturday
• Game 2: TBD at Houston, Sunday, Oct. 8
• Game 3: Houston at TBD, Tuesday, Oct. 10
• Game 4: Houston at TBD, Wednesday, Oct. 11*
• Game 5: TBD at Houston, Friday, Oct. 13*

Game times TBD.