Twins end historic playoff win drought as Major League Baseball post-season begins

WASHINGTON: Royce Lewis smashed home runs in his first two playoff opportunities and the Minnesota Twins snapped the longest post-season win drought by games in American sport history, defeating Toronto 3-1 on Tuesday in a Major League Baseball series opener.

The Twins had lost 18 consecutive playoff contests, the most in any major North American sports league, since beating the New York Yankees in the first game of the 2004 American League division series.

They were also swept out of the MLB playoffs in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Minnesota’s victory ended the epic post-season futility run and gave the host Twins a 1-0 lead in the American League best-of-three first round series, which continues on Wednesday.

“It means a lot,” Lewis said of snapping the historic drought. “And it means a lot that the fans encouraged us and they had that energy for us. They brought it and we brought it for them.”

Also winning their AL playoff opener were the Texas Rangers, who blanked host Tampa Bay 4-0 as US pitcher Jordan Montgomery struck out six without allowing a walk over seven shutout innings.

National League first-round openers later Tuesday find Arizona at Milwaukee and Miami at Philadelphia.

Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and the defending champions Houston all received first-round byes.

Minnesota’s Lewis, the 2017 MLB Draft top pick, blasted a two-run homer in the first inning off Toronto starter Kevin Gausman and tagged him for a solo homer in the third for a 3-0 Minnesota edge.

The 24-year-old US third baseman, who recovered from a sore hamstring just in time for the playoffs, matched Gary Gaetti from 1987 as the only Twins with two homers in a playoff game.

“This crowd was special,” Lewis said. “We’re