The Twins' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 3 entering this afternoon's game against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field (1:10 p.m., FSN).
Chicago has a two-game lead on the second place Twins in the American League Central Division race with Cleveland six games behind. Top two teams in each division make the playoffs; the Twins have the best won-loss percentage of any second place team, and would host a postseason series as the No. 4 seed if the playoffs started today. The No. 5 seed would be the Yankees. Panic time?
Kenta Maeda (5-1, 2.43 ERA) has been the best Twins starter this season and will face Reynaldo Lopez (1-2, 5.52) today. Maeda has allowed only 31 hits in 56 innings and leads the majors in WHIP. Lopez threw five scoreless innings vs. Detroit his last time out.
