It's crunch time for Minnesota's summer sports
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Edouard Julien has powered the Twins to a strong July. Photo: Elsa/Getty Images
Minnesota's three big summer sports teams will need to finish strong to make the postseason.
Here's what you need to know:
Twins
Despite a slow start, Minnesota's hitters finally came alive after the July All-Star break, led by rookie Edouard Julien and first baseman Alex Kirilloff.
State of play: The Twins' hot opening to the second half helped them gain breathing room in their race with Cleveland for the AL Central division. FanGraphs gives the Twins a 75% chance of making the postseason.
The intrigue: The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday and the Twins, after trading for reliever Dylan Floro, are still in the market for a right-handed outfielder and perhaps another bullpen arm.
- Upgrading the current roster will require trading away young prospects, and the Twins' farm system has taken a hit due to trades last summer.
- But a big hitter in the lineup could help the team notch its first playoff win since 2004.
What's next: There's 56 games left and the Twins, luckily, have the second-easiest remaining schedule in baseball.
Lynx
It looked like the season was over when the Lynx lost their first six games, but they've since won 11 of their last 18 to stand 11-13 overall.
What happened: Napheesa Collier is having another strong season and rookie Diamond Miller has provided a spark since recovering from an early-season ankle injury.
What's ahead: The Lynx will need to finish their final 15 games strong to remain in position to qualify for the postseason.
What's next: Fans should circle the Aug. 22 game, when the Dallas Wings come to Target Center. The Lynx are vying with them for playoff seeding.
Loons
United FC is on a break for Leagues Cup, but the Loons will need to heat up when they return Aug. 20.
State of play: If the playoffs started today, the Loons would just miss the cut.
- They have 12 matches remaining.
The bottom line: For those new to Minnesota sports, the local teams haven't had trouble making the playoffs in recent years, but winning in the playoffs has been much more difficult.