Twins break historic playoff losing streak with Game 1 win over Blue Jays in Wild Card Series

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The Minnesota Twins finally broke their playoff losing streak that made history among America's four professional sports leagues. 

Since 2004, the Twins hadn't won a single postseason contest, going 0-18, the worst playoff losing streak in American sports. 

But that streak came to and end Tuesday night after the Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-1, to take Game 1 of a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series. 

The Twins’ last taste of postseason victory came Oct. 5, 2004, when they defeated the New York Yankees to begin the American League Division Series. The Yankees won the next three games, wiping out the Twins. 

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Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after striking out Brandon Belt of the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of Game 1 of a Wild Card Series at Target Field Oct. 3, 2023, in Minneapolis. (David Berding/Getty Images)

From there, losses came consecutively in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2020 in various series totaling 15 games on top of the three straight losses to the Yankees. 

But the Twins, who won the AL Central this season at 87-75, used their home-field advantage to halt the skid.

Much of that had to do with rookie Royce Lewis, the 24-year-old third baseman who blasted two homers in his first two playoff at-bats off Kevin Gausman to give the Twins the three runs needed to come away with the win. 

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Lewis was in the batter’s box with a 3-2 count and a runner on first base in the bottom of the first inning when Gausman delivered a fastball inside at 97 miles per hour that