#-1: Twins (Last Week: Positive Numbers). Overall, not a good week for local teams. By default I have to go with the Twinks for the top spot, although they have cooled down mightily by going 3-3. Worse yet, the bullpen has been exposed a few times in their series loss at Cleveland and series win at Detroit. And worst of all, the two big pitching free agents finally signed and, funny, neither signed with Minnesota; Craig Kimbrel signed with the Cubs, and then Dallas Kuechel signed with Atlanta.
Yet, somehow, as of press time, Minnesota is only a half-Game behind both Houston and the Dodgers for Best Record In Major League Baseball -- plus they have three more Games they need to play. Better to peak in September than in May, for sure, but somehow, they're holding on as one of the best teams in the league, and I'm still in the afterglow of, "I'll take anything good from the ballcub right now." Will the Twins' struggles continue now that they have a maximum homestand, starting with three tonight/Tuesday night vs. Seattle, followed by a trio over the weekend against Kansas City and then three versus shuffling Boston? (I am supposed to go to tonight's Mariners contest with a friend, who has tickets, but there's a good chance for showers off-and-on, so I don't know if I'll get to go.)
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -1). This is getting to be the same Loons side I have come to know and ... uh, tolerate while they get their shit together. They lost, 1-0, at Colorado, the team that has the fewest Points in Major League Soccer. Note that I didn't say they were The Worst Team In MLS. In fact, if you go by recent form, the Rapids (which have now won four-of-five) are playing better than MNUFC, and it shows. Darwin Quintero hasn't scored seemingly in ages, and there is still chemistry issues between him and Angelo Rodriguez. You know, Christian Ramirez would be scoring in bunches. Just sayin'.
There is a U. S. Open Cup match at Allianz against Kansas City, but I don't count that -- league play only. Because this is international season (the CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONMEBOL Copa America, African Cup Of Nations and European qualifiers are going on right now), the MLS is taking a break until the end of this month.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: 0). Last week may have been the most trying week in Cheryl Reeve's time with the Lynx. While they did win Thursday at home against Phoenix, it was a 58-56 nail-biter. On Tuesday the club dropped its first game of the WNBA season, 84-77 at Seattle. And worst of all, on Saturday (a day, by the way, where both the Twinks and the Loonies lost), they were defeated at Target Center in a free-TV-televised Game, 89-85 to Los Angeles. (The Jynx picked that Game to retire Lindsay Whalen's #13, and it always seems as though the home team loses Games where they have a ceremony, be it a jersey retirement or the awarding of an MVP trophy, you know?) And worst of all, in that defeat, Jessica Shepard tore her ACL and is done for the year. Shepard has shown promise of playing regular minutes in the rotation; her absence is yet another cog Reeve doesn't have as she tries to transition this team from its dynastic days.
And this team has another busy screening week when they play alternating days -- Wednesday at New York, the home tilts Friday vs. Connecticut and Sunday versus Las Vegas.
Yet, somehow, as of press time, Minnesota is only a half-Game behind both Houston and the Dodgers for Best Record In Major League Baseball -- plus they have three more Games they need to play. Better to peak in September than in May, for sure, but somehow, they're holding on as one of the best teams in the league, and I'm still in the afterglow of, "I'll take anything good from the ballcub right now." Will the Twins' struggles continue now that they have a maximum homestand, starting with three tonight/Tuesday night vs. Seattle, followed by a trio over the weekend against Kansas City and then three versus shuffling Boston? (I am supposed to go to tonight's Mariners contest with a friend, who has tickets, but there's a good chance for showers off-and-on, so I don't know if I'll get to go.)
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -1). This is getting to be the same Loons side I have come to know and ... uh, tolerate while they get their shit together. They lost, 1-0, at Colorado, the team that has the fewest Points in Major League Soccer. Note that I didn't say they were The Worst Team In MLS. In fact, if you go by recent form, the Rapids (which have now won four-of-five) are playing better than MNUFC, and it shows. Darwin Quintero hasn't scored seemingly in ages, and there is still chemistry issues between him and Angelo Rodriguez. You know, Christian Ramirez would be scoring in bunches. Just sayin'.
There is a U. S. Open Cup match at Allianz against Kansas City, but I don't count that -- league play only. Because this is international season (the CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONMEBOL Copa America, African Cup Of Nations and European qualifiers are going on right now), the MLS is taking a break until the end of this month.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: 0). Last week may have been the most trying week in Cheryl Reeve's time with the Lynx. While they did win Thursday at home against Phoenix, it was a 58-56 nail-biter. On Tuesday the club dropped its first game of the WNBA season, 84-77 at Seattle. And worst of all, on Saturday (a day, by the way, where both the Twinks and the Loonies lost), they were defeated at Target Center in a free-TV-televised Game, 89-85 to Los Angeles. (The Jynx picked that Game to retire Lindsay Whalen's #13, and it always seems as though the home team loses Games where they have a ceremony, be it a jersey retirement or the awarding of an MVP trophy, you know?) And worst of all, in that defeat, Jessica Shepard tore her ACL and is done for the year. Shepard has shown promise of playing regular minutes in the rotation; her absence is yet another cog Reeve doesn't have as she tries to transition this team from its dynastic days.
And this team has another busy screening week when they play alternating days -- Wednesday at New York, the home tilts Friday vs. Connecticut and Sunday versus Las Vegas.
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