Major League Baseball

How to win $1,000 on Yankees vs. Twins for free

Published Aug. 21, 2021 9:35 a.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

On the 4th of July, the Yankees were a star-spangled disaster.

Way behind the Red Sox and Rays in the AL East and drifting behind in the wild-card race, the Bronx Bombers were becoming a major flop.

And yet, there was still a lot of runway left in the season for the Yankees. And they didn’t even need the entire length of it to run down Boston, passing them this week with a four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium to vault into the top spot in the AL wild-card race.

The Yankees now control their own destiny and look like a team nobody will want to play in October. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the rest of the Bombers will try to keep that up against a Twins team they have feasted on over the years when they meet in the third of a four-game set on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, FS1).

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Here are six things to keep in mind for the Twins and Yankees on Saturday.

1. Greased lightning

In a town where Broadway is a big deal, a guy named Anthony Rizzo has been the one Yankees fans have wanted since the trade deadline. Entering the weekend, the former Cubs first baseman has given a jolt in the lineup with three homers, eight RBIs and a really strong defensive first base since the trade. It added a left-handed power bat – along with Joey Gallo – and that’s been huge in taking some of the load off Judge, Stanton and D.J. LeMahieu.

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2. Fighting through

The Twins were one of the biggest disappointments through the first four months of the season, tripping out of the gate at 9-15. August has been a better month for Minnesota, going 10-7 through Thursday night’s 7-5 loss in the Bronx to the Yankees. It is the only winning month to this point that the Twins have had. Rocco Baldelli’s lineup has stabilized to a point, but they have been playing out the string for a long time.

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3. Pitching in

As much as the lineup additions have done the job, it has been the Yankees pitching that has been huge. After Thursday night, the Yankees were 14-4 in the month, but pitching to a 2.85 ERA in August. Yes, there was a flare-up during the Field of Dreams game. But other than that, it has been lights out – especially in the bullpen where the Yankees relievers had an ERA of 3.00 over the last 15 days.

4. They travel well

The Twins entered play on Friday eighth in the MLB with a road OPS of .738. That’s ahead of playoff-level teams like the Giants, White Sox, Padres, Red Sox and Yankees. Their .246 batting average away from Target Field is also seventh in the sport overall.

5. All rise

Judge and Stanton are the centerpieces of the Yankees lineup. But one thing to keep in mind – they’ve done some of their best work late in games. Entering Friday, Judge carried a .816 OPS in 111 at-bats from the seventh inning onward. The only Yankee regular who's been better is Stanton, who has a .892 OPS from the seventh inning forward in 112 at-bats.

6. Yankee domination

This series has been incredibly one-sided over the years. The Yankees have a 49-22 record over Minnesota since 2010 heading into Friday’s game. The Bombers are 28-10 against the Twins at new Yankee Stadium since it opened in 2009. It has been a historic domination of a team that traditionally plays well and is a steady playoff contender. The Twins will not be that in 2021. The Yankees story may just be beginning.

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