Royals Just Can't Solve Twins Riddle

Every team has another team they struggle with. The Royals have the Twins.

Sometimes, there is a team that does things well that you don’t and does the things you do well better, at least against you. The Royals are up against it basically every time they play the Twins because there is just some magic they have that they can’t overcome. Don’t get me wrong, the Twins are a good team. And for years before this one, the Royals weren’t. But even as a team that I don’t think you can argue against being good (though some will), the Royals continue to struggle against the Twins. I didn’t get to write about Monday’s game, but that’s two frustrating losses.

What makes them frustrating? Well, for one, there is a lack of offense. The Royals scored 60 runs during their eight-game winning streak, and it feels like they are pulling teeth to get one against the Twins, particularly the starters. That isn’t necessarily anything new for the Royals offense, which has fluctuated quite a bit this season, but as I’ve written so many times, losing without scoring feels more frustrating than losing a blowout in many ways. And for another, it feels like the Twins bring out the worst in the Royals. Maybe it’s simply that they were due for a sloppy few games after playing clean baseball all year, but the team out there the last few days haven’t looked like the team that was out there for the first 52 or so.