The Minnesota Twins try to avoid complete collapse

State of play: The Twins are among four teams battling for the final two wild card spots, and they're one game behind both Kansas City and Detroit.

Stunning stat: On Aug. 17, the Twins were 70-53 and had a 92% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs.

• They've since fallen apart, going 11-22 over their past 33 games and now have a coin flip's chance of snagging a wild card.

The intrigue: Some fans are angry because they believe the owners, the Pohlad family, could have signed or traded to bolster their pitching staff — both before the season and by the July 30 trade deadline.

• Instead, the Twins have three rookie starters struggling to pitch more than five innings and a bullpen that has been coughing up leads for weeks.

Flashback: With an uncertain TV rights situation, Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad said in February that his family would "right size" the business.

• That became a $30 million cut to 2024 payroll.

What's next: The final six games are home at Target Field, starting Tuesday against Miami, the worst team in the National League.

What we're watching: Usually a team in a tight race for the postseason in late September would have a packed ballpark.

• But it remains to be seen if this week's games — which should be played in picture-perfect weather — will draw big crowds.
• With the Vikings off to a 3-0 start, the Lynx contending for a title and Timberwolves' training camp a week away, local sports fans have plenty of distractions.