The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

Before we begin, I want to take a deep breath here and welcome the slow period of The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey, where it is at its fewest number of entries; Minnesota United FC is on an International Break, so this Week's edition (at least) will be at the lowest it can be, with only two teams active.

#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1).  Blue Jays, Yankees, Bay Rays.  This was going to be the stretch of the season where this ballclub will find out what exactly they're made of.  And so far ... well, it's a 3-3 screening Week, but they still lead the Central as of press time by three Games, so it could be better and it could be worse.

Let's expand beyond the Week and talk about the previous two series.  They managed to take two-of-three in Toronto, although that one Loss was to former Twin Jose Berrios, who has had a bad season so far and yet struck out 13 Twinks over seven Innings, as if he has some lingering issues with the team that drafted him.  That 12-3 defeat still irks me because of him.  Then the squad came home and lost two-of-three to the Yanks, and the prevailing takeaway from fans is, "Well, at least we won once."  That is the harrowing depths to which we Twinks fans have Battered Woman Syndrome when it comes to facing the Yankees.  No matter that we -- my God, "we" -- had a chance to win the series capper Thursday, I guess.  Minnesota led the Bronx Bombers 7-3 after four Innings.  But starter Dylan Bundy gave way to a series of relievers who failed to the job, the worst of them being the once-formidable Jhoan Duran, who allowed four Hits the Game-winning and insurance Runs in a 10-7 come-from-ahead defeat.  The Bullpen, which was lights out and in fact carried the Rotation for the first six Weeks of the Year, has become an awful liability.

Meanwhile, there has been increasing concern over the slump Byron Buxton is in.  Or was.  He has hit two Home Runs in each of his last two Games.  I caught the second Homer against Tampa last/Friday night.  He had to dig deep to swing at the ball, and it didn't look like he got all of it, and yet it cleared left-center with several feet to spare.  Yeah, when he's not injured -- and most people aren't sure if he's playing at even close to 100% right now -- he's one of the most fearsome talents in the game.

Also meanwhile, it was revealed last/Friday night that Royce Lewis partially tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament and will be out for a calendar Year.  Oy.  But at least the Twins are not the ...

#-2: Lynx (Last Week: -3). ... who split a two-Game set at New York, beating the Liberty by seven Sunday but getting blown out by 19 on Tuesday.  The very, very bad revelation came in that Loss, however, as it was revealed after that defeat that Jynx star Center Sylvia Fowles suffered a cartilage injury in her right knee and is out indefinitely.  Donde los yikes.

They weren't winning with Big Syl; right now the team is 3-10.  But if there is no timetable for their best player to come back to finish off her last season of playing ... well, like it or not, intended from the outset or not, the tankathon might as well begin now.  This team might as well start their future without Fowles now and lose on purpose to situate themselves for a high pick in next Year's 2023 WNBA Draft, which should be loaded; South Carolina rebounding machine Aliyah Boston and UConn wunderkind Paige Bueckers (who is One Of Us!!!) both will be eligible to declare.

In the meantime, it looks like it'll be the Dark Ages -- the first time in a long time -- for the Jynx.  I forgot in last Week's survey that they hosted Washington last/Friday night, and without Syl, they Mystics ran roughshod over Minnesota, 76-59.  The only team worse than the Lynx right now, the 3-12 Indiana Fever, come to town tomorrow/Sunday night; they then host Seattle on Tuesday.