Can The Twins Come Back?

"It ain't over until it's over." - Yogi Berra

The Minnesota Twins have one foot in the grave. After two more gut-wrenching playoff losses to the Yankees, the Twins find themselves in a 0-2 hole going into Saturday night's game 3 in New York.

Odds are it's over. The Twins have now lost 11 straight playoff games. That streak is tied for the second longest streak in the history of baseball. They've lost 7 straight against the Yankees in the playoffs. Ron Gardenhire's record against the Yankees is now 18-56.

However, if my countless hours of watching professional wrestling, the Yankees could still make one cardinal sin Saturday night. They could let the Twins keep breathing.

In sports, when you have a team down, you need to step on their neck. As Greg Coleman says, you need to "kill a mesquito with an ax." Considering the Twins are from Minnesota, mesquito definitely seems to be an appropriate word, but they haven't been able to bother the Yankees enough to create a win.

It's going to be tough, no doubt. This isn't the time to "battle your tail off", it's the time to close your eyes and start swinging. (OK, that's bad strategy in baseball, but I digress.) The odds are against them, but how can the Twins come back?

First, Joe Mauer needs to show up. Mauer is currently hitting 2 for 9 in the series. In 39 postseason at-bats, Joe Mauer has one RBI. Danny Valencia already has more playoff RBI than Joe Mauer. This is not acceptable.

Mauer signed the mega contract this spring in hopes that he would get a ton of hits and show some leadership. So far he has done nothing but ball up in the fetal position and get meaningless hits (like the one last night in the bottom of the 9th, down three runs). He's left that job to Carl Pavano, Jim Thome, and Orlando Hudson. He's given the job of starting rallies to Delmon Young and the flat footed Jim Thome.

Mauer needs to come out of his shadow now if a Twins comeback is possible.

Second, the Twins need to score some runs in homer happy Yankee stadium. The Twins will throw out Brian Duensing on Saturday night, and if Duensing can continue his road success in 2010, the Twins will have a chance. However the Twins most valuable weapon has been the bases loaded walk.

The Twins are a lineup built on power, and the short porches in Yankee Stadium are better than the high walls in Target Field. That means that Jim Thome, Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, and all the other slumping Twins are a little excited.

Third, if the Twins are more able to hit home runs, so are the Yankees. So Brian Duensing needs to pitch well. If the Yankees treat him like the human tee, this series will be over by 8:30 Saturday night (Game starts at 7:37 CST).

Duensing has been very good for the Twins, so if he can continue his success, it will mean good things for the Twins.

Then, the Twins need to win game 3. Captain Obvious just came through, but here's the thing. A win means that there WILL be a Game 4. Game 4 would mean Nick Blackburn vs. CC Sabathia...on three days rest.

Yes, CC is a pitching machine in this situation, just ask the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 when he started routinely en route to giving the Brewers their first playoff berth since 1982. However, the Twins got to CC in Game 1. The stats don't look like it, but remember that the Twins were tied with the Yankees 4-4 when CC left the game. Then came the Crainwreck.

Which brings me to my next point. The Twins have to believe that they can beat the Yankees. No more of this ghosts flying around and keeping balls fair. No more blaming the umpires every time a strike is called a ball. The Twins have to step up against the Yankees and for once say ENOUGH!

On Tuesday night, I watched a documentary about the 2004 Boston Red Sox. They were down 0-3 to the New York Yankees, and of course they had that curse. They scrapped together a win in Games 4 and 5, got the bloody sock in Game 6, and exorcised the ghosts of Yankee Stadium.

For any of that to happen the Twins have to win Saturday night. If they can do that, the pressure falls back on the Yankees to finish the Twins off without returning to Target Field for Game 5. And if the Twins pull that off, we could be in for an interesting finish.

But do I think it will happen? Of course not, but I dare to dream.