The Twins have to play .364 baseball the rest of the season to avoid losing 100 games for only the second time in the their history.[1] Through 151 games, they have played .391 baseball, but they are amidst an 8 game losing streak (including being swept by the Indians) and they recently shut Nishioka and Morneau down for the season, (though some have been ahead of the curve and calling for their shut down weeks ago). Winning 4 out of the next 11 is not a given. The 102 losses set by the 1982 team is still a possibility in this dismal 2011. So we sit in unfamiliar territory, as a team and as fans. We’re 29 games out of first place in the AL Central and we have a secure 6.5 game lead on Kansas City for that (un)coveted last place finish.
Four more wins and we avoid that triple digit loss mark. It seems it’s all we have left to root for. We’ve seen enough of the developing youth this season, (as evidenced by a dreadful Red Wings season—the Twins pulled up every last drop of talent from AAA this year), and winning games really no longer matters. Except to avoid our 100th loss. We can fixate on restoring the bullpen and enjoying the Aussie invasion in the offseason. For now it’s a matter of pride to win four more games. 2 more wins keeps the 2011 team from tying the worst record in Twins history, but 4 more keeps us in single digit losses. That’s all we have left in this season. No more making the Who Is That Guy? of the MLB look good. We don’t even need .500 baseball, just .364. 4 wins. Four wins and we can close the coffin on the season. Four wins and may the 2011 Twins rest in peace.
[1] The only other time the Twins lost 100 games was when they went 60-102 in 1982. The Washington Senators, however, have the worst record in franchise history, when they won 38 games and lost 113 in 1904.
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