[新聞] Twins better off facing Yankees in first of POs

[xiemark (aisinjuro)]

Twins better off facing Yankees in first round of playoffs
By Patrick Reusse

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

MINNEAPOLIS - The Twins' front office, the on-field staff, the players and the fans would agree on this: The goal here is to win the World Series, not merely to advance through the first round of the playoffs.

If that's the case, let me offer the proposition to bring on the Yankees now - starting Tuesday - and not later.

There is much angst aimed toward this final weekend based on the idea it is very important for the Twins to overtake Detroit and win the American League Central.

Guess what? Presuming the idea is to win everything, finishing first could be counter-productive.

There are several reasons to prefer to play the Yankees immediately, starting with this:

The Yankees might have the most potent lineup since the batting orders featured by them and the Boston Red Sox during their rivalry in the late '70s. You would rather be required to contain that lineup three times to win a division series, and not four to win the American League Championship Series.

If it was only that, three victories needed rather than four, you could lose a debate on this bring-on-N.Y. theory. There are more powerful reasons for wanting the Yankees now, based on baseball's most important factor: pitching.

The Twins' pitching will be in better shape next week than at any time in October. Johan Santana will have a week between starts when he opens Tuesday, and extra rest always is an advantage for that wondrous left arm.

Boof Bonser will give it his best shot Wednesday, and then Brad Radke will have had eight days to soothe his right shoulder when he starts Game 3 next Friday.

Radke proved Thursday that he could command his pitches after a 34-day layoff, so the extra time won't be an issue.

The Yankees are in a different circumstance. Randy Johnson was given an epidural in an attempt to gain relief for a herniated disk. The lefthanded legend is doubtful to make his scheduled start for the third game of the playoffs.

If he does pitch, it will be with a back injury that's more problematic than Radke's damaged shoulder. If he doesn't, the Twins would get all righthanders in a Yankees series: Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Cory Lidle and Jaret Wright.

There's hope in that, since the Twins went into this weekend at 61-38 in games started by righthanders - the best record in the major leagues.

There is also the case of Mariano Rivera's tender elbow. The Yankees started their latest domination in 1996. He was the untouchable setup man in that World Series-winning season, and the closer for the decade following it.

He has been the most valuable player to the Yankees, and in baseball, both in the regular season and in October during this entire run. But just maybe, the cutter will not dart quite as much next week, if the elbow hurts when he throws it.

The No. 1 argument for avoiding the Yankees next week is this: There's a chance they would get beat in the first round by Detroit and you wouldn't have to play them in this postseason.

Yes, maybe a 25 percent chance, which doesn't approach the 50 percent chance the Twins wouldn't get past Oakland in the first round. A's pitchers Barry Zito, Danny Haren and Rich Harden are a bit more formidable as a front three at this moment than Wang, Mussina and Johnson with a needle in his back.

The Twins will be huge underdogs in a division series with the Yankees. A refreshed Santana can change that by beating Wang, New York's new ace, on Tuesday night in the Bronx.

Get a 1-0 series lead, and the Twins would be facing Mussina, who no longer beats them at will, and then who knows for Games 3 and 4 in the Dome. Get a 1-0 lead, and there's a chance for the Twins to finagle a home-turf victory against the Yankees' iffy starters and get back to the Bronx with Santana pitching.

The Twins tried to pitch Santana on short rest in Game 4 against the Yankees in both 2003 and 2004. It didn't work. This time, he would make his second start in the series on normal rest and in a decisive fifth game.

Wouldn't you feel great, Twins fans, about being required to win only that game (and not one more) to knock baseball's baddest lineup in ages out of the tournament?

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c 2006 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Visit the Star Tribune Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.startribune.com

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.


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推 pleased:完全同意，雙城如果目標是WS，那就應該在 ALDS 先挑戰 NYY
→ pleased:加上 RJ 的背傷，雙城打得如意算盤就是最少能拿下 1 3 5
→ pleased:放馬過來吧！勝者為 Wang，敗者為 San
推 a1030:隔山觀虎鬥不是更好？搞不好老虎爆冷淘汰洋基
推 a1030:先打洋基，就算贏了，恐怕也要付出相當代價
推 fizeau:小王只要像對Smoltz那場一樣把比分撐住 等對方牛棚上來
推 MJvsLJ:要等雙城的牛棚？？？樓上認真的嗎？？
推 midtown:他們的報果然就是講他們的 一講就說會贏王建民 真是的
推 lwei781:他們要派自殺SP 投最後一場XD