5 Thoughts: Twins vs. the Astros in the first round

Fasten your seatbelts, Twins fans

The Twins lost a rough one Sunday but still had something to celebrate. The Chicago White Sox continued the free fall to end their season with a face plant, and the Minnesota Twins earned their second consecutive A.L. Central title in as many years under Rocco Baldelli.

This season was over-stuffed with adversity and challenges, from injuries and slumps to the always-present risks of navigating a 60-game season in the midst of a global health pandemic. We will not soon forget “the COVID season,” if we’re calling it that, and we’ll have plenty of time for reflection this winter. Today’s newsletter is about looking forward. This column presents 5 Thoughts on Act 2 for the 2020 Twins.

1 – Scouting the opponent.

The Twins will host the Houston Astros in a best-of-3 “Wild Card” round series at Target Field.

The Astros season started in the offseason, when their cheating scandal was exposed for the baseball world to see. It was a simpler time. The Twins have a fighting chance to be Americ…