MLB Playoffs 2017: 5 reasons Twins will make it

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 13: Ervin Santana #54 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the game on September 13, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Padres 3-1 in ten innings. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

4. Steady pitching

The Twins have a three-game lead entering play on Friday night. Losing that lead would hardly qualify as a collapse or choke job, but their playoff chances are still very high. Generally speaking, teams that fall apart down the stretch have questionable or volatile starting pitching. It would be kind to describe a rotation that includes 44-year-old Bartolo Colon and Kyle Gibson as questionable, but at the very least, the Twins have the steady veteran presence of Ervin Santana working at the top of their rotation.

Santana will be able to pitch three times down the stretch for the Twins, and they are 18-12 in his starts. Even when Santana has not gotten the win this year, he has generally given the Twins a chance to win. In his eight no-decisions, the right-hander has a 2.68 ERA.

This has been a renaissance season for the 34-year-old Santana who leads the majors in shutouts with three. He also has five more starts with zero runs allowed. Santana isn’t flashy on the mound, but he knows how to pitch with a lead and has been around long enough not to shrink from the pressures of pushing the Twins to the finish line.

Overall, the Twins pitching staff would rank dead last among all playoff teams, and their ERA is close to 5.00 against teams with a record over .500. Getting past the Wild Card, let alone the ALDS will be a big ask for the Twins, but there’s enough there to get them to the end of the season.

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