Twins "explode" for 11.
Two homers between Cuddyer and Hunter, six innings from Johan Santana, and the Twins are back within five of the Wild Card. Just good enough to not fall out of the race, not consistently good enough to outscore the opposition, it's tempting to still believe that Minnesota is good enough to make the playoffs.
I'm not trying to kill anyone's buzz, because when you're out by five games the situation can change dramatically if the team directly in front of you loses three in a row and you happen to capitalize. But the fact that the Twins happen to be five out of the Wild Card has just as much to do with Cleveland and Detroit's inability to run away with things as it has to do with the Twins taking care of business. The Twins aren't taking care of business. The Twins are barely above evens.
I believe the Twins have the potential to be a good team. With the addition of a couple players in key positions, I believe the Twins could be a great team. Up to this point in the season, however, they haven't shown me enough on a day-in day-out basis to make me believe they should be a playoff team.
We keep waiting for the Twins to seal their identity...are they contenders or are they not? The further the season wears on the more I believe that the Twins are neither--they're stuck in purgatory, somewhere between those who belong and those who clearly aren't good enough to make the cut.
Still the season will continue, and we'll still continue the debate until the bitter (or surprsingly exciting) end; rightfully so. In two hours the rubber match with the Royals ensues, and a series victory is always something to be happy about.
Let's go Twins!