Twins’ season ends in losing sweep

“You can feel it, it’s deflating for sure”, Molitor said. Perkins went after Zobrist with a first-pitch fastball and Zobrist jumped on it and hit a ball all the way to the wall in left-center field, which was deep enough to score the speedy Alcides Escobar from first base.

“We did everything we possibly could”, 40-year-old right fielder Torii Hunter said.

“This is a hard one to swallow”, Hunter said. The Twins entered the day two games behind the Houston Astros for the second wild-card spot. With two days left to make up ground this was as devastating a defeat as they’ve had in 2015.

A similar play involving shortstop Eduardo Escobar cost the Twins a 4-3 loss two Saturdays ago against the Los Angeles Angels. The paid attendance of 31,534 wasn’t quite a postseason crowd, but there was a palpable energy in the ballpark, with a hearty standing cheer for Santana as he walked off the mound and doffed his cap in the eighth.

“(Sunday is) going to be a meaningful game, ” manager Ned Yost said. “That’s the postseason. You know going in, it’s going to be tough no matter who you play”.

A day after eliminating the Minnesota Twins from playoff contention, the visiting Royals can lock up the league’s best record Sunday by closing out the regular season on a five-game winning streak. He allowed just an RBI single by Aaron Hicks in the third.

Kansas City Royals’ Lorenzo Cain, right, is greeted by Jonny Gomes after Cain scored on a double by Eric Hosmer in the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, October 3, 2015, in Minneapolis.

“The weather, the sun setting early, it’s a fun time of year”, Young said, “and it’s fun to be a part of it”.

Wade Davis then came on to close it out in the ninth for his 16th save.

Which, of course, many fans expect them to do this postseason, following in the footsteps of the club that took the 2014 World Series to the final out in game seven before losing to the San Francisco Giants.

Milone allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Indians in his last start, which came on short notice.

Left fielder Alex Gordon scored one with a double to open scoring.

I’m not in favor of trading T Plouffe although I think, or really believe the Twins will move him. He’ll be 40 next year, and while his offensive clip looks healthy (22 home runs, 80 RBIs, 44 extra-base hits, 34 walks), advanced metrics suggest he’s only a 0.9 WAR player and a defensive liability.

“Tommy did a wonderful job”, Molitor said. “I executed a few pitches and made a few bad ones; they were foul balls or takes tonight where other nights they get punished”. New York is a game behind the Dodgers entering play Saturday night.

The Twins will send Ervin Santana (7-4, 4.10 ERA) to the mound to face Royals’ right-hander Chris Young (11-6, 3.15 ERA) at 8:10 p.m. ET. He was 9-1 with a 3.03 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 89 innings since a loss on July 20.