Hitting the Road

With the 6-4 victory over the Brewers yesterday, the Twins continued their mastery of National League teams and won their third consecutive series on the road (after starting the season with a 6-19 record away from the Metrodome). Both of those things bode well as the Twins try to remain undefeated in games I've attended, a streak that will be put to the test when I take in Saturday's Slowey/Wellemeyer tilt at Busch Stadium and again on Monday when I'm present for the Blackburn/Hochevar match-up at Kaufmann Stadium.

The Twins have been frustrating in their inability to vault above the .500 mark, but as of late they have certainly been playing better than their record would suggest. With 357 runs scored and 334 allowed, their Pythagorean W/L record stands at 40-34. That's better than their current 37-37 mark, and suggests that they've been somewhat unlucky (though it's worth noting that their Pythagorean numbers may be a bit skewed by that 20-1 victory in Chicago earlier this year).

Even with the disappointing outcome of their home series against the Astros and with that fateful Nick Blackburn error that cost them a sweep in Milwaukee, the Twins have won nine of their past 15 ballgames and are starting to perform a lot better on the road. The Tigers continue to play well and have now won seven straight games, but they'll cool off and the Twins are doing well to keep themselves within striking distance. The Tigers are preparing to embark on a nine-game road trip that will conclude next weekend in Minnesota, so the next week of baseball should help clear things up atop the AL Central.

I'm hopeful that the Twins can win their series in both St. Louis and Kansas City to end this road trip on a high note, and I'm especially hoping they win on Saturday and Monday and improve to 9-0 while playing in my presence. Either way, it should be a fun weekend of baseball in the heart of America. We'll see you next week.