Twins in a perfect spot: High stakes, but low pressure

One of the more unusual things about the Twins' sweep of the Blue Jays in the Wild Card series is that a Minnesota team thrived as the one facing the heavier burden of expectations.

The Twins were favored (albeit slightly, according to wagering odds) to win the series at its outset and had home field advantage throughout, yet they carried the weight of having lost 18 consecutive postseason games and eight straight playoff series.

The result was a sort of defiant confidence that permeated the clubhouse and the Target Field stands — a dangerous stew, a weathered Minnesota fan might say, because the moment you start to believe is usually the time you are let down the most.

Yet somehow this year is different — at least for two games and one round. The Twins have made the game-turning plays and been on the right end of the quirky postseason moments, something I talked about on both the postgame special edition Daily Delivery podcast and on Thursday's regularly scheduled show.

Now the Twins return to a more familiar role and will headline a turbo-charged sports weekend in which Minnesota teams — including the Gophers against Michigan on Saturday and Vikings against Kansas City on Sunday — are the decided underdogs in marquee games.

Playing high-stakes games with far less pressure is a great spot for the Twins to be right now. They can carry that same defiant confidence into Saturday's series opener against Houston while playing with what one listener/reader described as "house money."

The pitching matchup in Game 1 will be lopsided, with the Twins presumably choosing between well-rested middle-of-the-rotation options while the Astros likely counter with future Hall of Famer and perennial Twin killer Justin Verlander. The Twins can come back with Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray on full rest in Games 2 and 3, but the Astros can match them with more strong arms.

Carlos Correa keeps comparing these Twins to the 2015 Astros — who, spoiler alert, lost the division series in five games.

That's not great news for these Twins, but if a competitive ALDS loss yields four World Series appearances and two championships in years to come like it did for Houston — hopefully in the Twins' case without a shameful cheating scandal and the nearly universal scorn of everyone associated with the game — Minnesota would surely take a temporary lump.

Or they could surprise us all and keep winning this year. From a fan's perspective, unexpected success is the best kind. The Twins, Vikings and Gophers will have their chances this weekend.

Here are four more things to know today:

*La Velle E. Neal III had some great insights on the postgame podcast into what to expect from Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton in the Houston series.

*Just when you thought Tanner Morgan was out of eligibility ...

*Minnesota United is slinking meekly into the enormous shadow of the Twins this season, a 5-1 loss Wednesday the latest example. The Loons' playoff streak is in grave danger, as are jobs one would presume.

*The Big Ten unveiled football schedules through 2028 with the newly configured 18-team conference. They are calling it "Flex Project XVIII," which is something only the Big Ten would do.