The Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins are set to do battle in the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series, which gets started Tuesday afternoon. Because the Twins won the AL Central and the Blue Jays are a wild-card team, Minnesota will host every game this series. It is a best-of-three. Two wins gets you to the Division Series.
Minnesota spent 176 days in first place this season and their plus-119 run differential was the fifth best in the American League. That said, the Blue Jays had the better record by two wins, and an 89-73 record in the AL East is a bit more impressive than an 87-75 record in the also-ran AL Central. The Twins also have several key players (Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis) dealing with injuries entering the postseason.
You can view the full postseason schedule by clicking here, and here's the 2023 playoff bracket. Now, let's get to the important stuff for Game 1.
Twins vs. Blue Jays schedule
- Game 1: Twins vs. Blue Jays, 4:38 p.m. ET
- Game 2: Twins vs. Blue Jays, 4:38 p.m. ET
- Game 3*: Twins vs. Blue Jays, 3:08 p.m. ET or 4:38 p.m. ET or 7:08 p.m. ET
How to watch Game 1
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 3 | Time: 4:38 p.m. ET
Location: Target Field (Minneapolis, Minn.)
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
Starting pitchers: RHP Kevin Gausman (12-9, 3.16 ERA) vs. RHP Pablo López (11-8, 3.66 ERA)
Twins vs. Blue Jays odds
- Series odds: TOR +105 | MIN -125
- Game 1 odds: TOR -110 | MIN -110 | O/U: 7.5
Preview
Something has to give Tuesday. The Twins take a North American pro sports record 18-game postseason losing streak into Game 1 while the Blue Jays have yet to win a postseason game in the Bo Bichette/Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era. Minnesota has not won a postseason game since Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS. Toronto is 0-4 in four postseason games with Bichette and Guerrero. Minnesota clinched the AL Central two weeks ago and has had the luxury of resting players and aligning their rotation. The Blue Jays did not clinch a postseason spot until the second-to-last day of the regular season, so their players haven't gotten much of a break lately. Also, Gausman vs. López is as good a pitching matchup as you'll find in October.
Prediction
The Twins snap their 18-game postseason losing streak and ride López's right arm to a surprisingly stress-free Game 1 win. Pick: Twins 6, Blue Jays 1
