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Don't count Twins out in New York

October 2, 2017 at 12:14AM

Four things as the Twins head into Tuesday's wild-card game in Yankee Stadium:

1) The Twins had nothing to play for in terms of positioning this weekend, but there was a bit of numerology at play. By winning two of three against Detroit, they finished 85-77 — the same as in 1987 when they won their first World Series.

2) Regardless of what happens, this year has already been an amazing turnaround from 59-103 last season. The Twins are the first team in MLB history to make the postseason after losing 100 games the previous season.

3) This is the Twins' first postseason appearance since 2010, when they were swept by the Yankees. The only Twins player who appeared in that playoff series who is still on the roster is Joe Mauer.

4) A one-game playoff at Yankee Stadium is daunting, but FanGraphs gives the Twins a 42.3 percent chance of winning and advancing to the ALDS.

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.

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