Twins End 18 Game Post Season Losing Streak With 3-1 Victory Over Blue Jays

On October 5th, 2004, the Minnesota Twins beat the New York Yankees 2-0 in Game 1 of a best of five Division Series between the two clubs. New York won the next three games and the series. Since that 2004 series, the Twins made six post season appearances between 2006 and 2020, and were swept each time, for a total losing streak that reached 18 games.

That finally came to an end on October 3rd. Royce Lewis hit a pair of home runs to lead the Twins to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of their Wild Card Series. Lewis drove in all three Minnesota runs on his two homers, and five Twins pitchers held the Jays to just five singles and a double.

That win over New York in 2004 was at Yankee Stadium. This was the first post season win at home for Minnesota since Game 1 of the American League Championship Series in 2002, when the Metrodome was home to the Twins. Minnesota lost that ACLS to the then Anaheim Angels, who swept the next four. The Twins will try to eliminate Toronto in Game 2 of the best of three round in Game 2 on October 4th. If Minnesota does move on, it will be the first post season series win since the Division Series in 2002; that would end a streak of nine post season series losses.