Missed Opportunities Hurting Twins

DY21 releases some steam over the Twins recent 4 game skid...

The Seattle Mariners are 49-82. I repeat the Seattle Mariners are 49-82. I can't help but shudder as a Twins fan when I read that stat because it exemplifies the opportunity the Twins are missing currently. Everyone knew the current 14 game road trip the Twins are playing wouldn't be easy, but for a potential playoff squad this may be the point in the season where we see if the young, fun Twins are mentally tough enough to buckle down and win big games. It started out golden with the Twins taking two games from the best team in baseball, the Los Angeles Angles. From there it went downhill as the Twins dropped the next two games, both of which turned out to be winable.

I still was not worried about the two losses against the Angels, for a split with the best team in baseball isn't bad at all an now the Twins would surely bounce back against the lowly Mariners. But unfortunately for the Twins, Safeco Field seems to be a tougher place to play then a World Series Game 7 in Yankee Stadium. Earlier in August the Twins dropped 2 of 3 in Seattle and the worst part was they held leads in all 3 games. Then last night's game everything seemed to be going just fine. The Twins took a 2-1 lead after Delmon Young's big RBI single in the eighth inning. Newly acquired Eddie Guardado pitched as clean of an inning as possible, so that was left was the usual Joe Nathan shut down ninth. What could go wrong?

Well, a leadoff double and a very rare Nick Punto error forced the Twins to play extra baseball, and forced me as a Twins fan to say, "Here we go again." After Adrian Beltre's two run blast in the 11th the Twins once again blew a huge opportunity against one of the worst teams in the league and started digging a deeper hole in catching Chicago for the division.

Once again I believe this is the make or break part of the Twins schedule. The Twins still have 9 games left against the Blue Jays, Mariners, and Athletics on this road trip. To me anything less than 6 wins against these teams will be a dissappointment. I just don't know how many of these young inexperienced Twins will deal with the pressure if they start slumping against these lowly teams, while the White Sox keep winning. Once again, it's make or break time.