Sarni's Scrolls MLB playoffs will be a Twin killing

By Jim Sarni

This is the year the Minnesota Twins' post-season curse ends.

I'm sure of it.

Eighteen years of frustration will be over when Pablo Lopez takes the Target Field mound against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

If not Tuesday, then Wednesday when Sonny Gray starts.

AL Central champ Minnesota has a pair of aces. Twin winners. It's a strong hand.

In fact, the Twins are my sleeper pick to win the AL pennant.

***

The Wild Card series is best-of-3, all games at the home of the higher seed.

The ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC) will televise the Wild Card Series on consecutive days -- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (if Game 3s are necessary).

Schedule

3 -- Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays, ABC... Sean McDonough, Jessica Mendoz and Tim Kurkjian.

4:30 -- Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins, ESPN... Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez

7 -- Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers, ESPN2... Boog Sciambi and Doug Glanville.

8 -- Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies, ESPN... Karl Ravech, David Cone and Eduardo Perez

***

Taylor Swift saw a terrific Sunday Night Football game.

Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won 23-20, but they got all they could handle from a revitalized Zack Wilson and the New York Jets.

NBC cut away several times to Taylor and her friends, including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, in their suite, but didn't overdo it. Fox showed Swift more times the previous Sunday.

The NFL appreciates Swift delivering elusive Gen Z viewers, who don't consume entertainment in the same ways as older generations of football fans.

"She's invited to any game she wants to come to," Ian Trombetta, senior vice president of social and influencer marketing for the NFL, told USA Today.

"It's an open invitation."

***

Patrick Mahomes upset a lot of Chiefs bettors when he slide down inside the 5 instead of scoring. KC was an 8.5-point favorite.

Colorado's second-half in a 48-41 loss to USC sank Trojans bettors. USC was the most-bet team by total bets and money. It was also the most bet under.

***

Simone Biles will become the first U.S. gymnast to compete in six World Championships this week in Antwarp, Belgium.

The U.S. eyes its seventh women's title in a row, which would break the consecutive streak record it shares with China.

Biles showed off during Sunday's all-around qualifying when she became the first woman to land the Yurchenko double pike vault at an international competition.

The U.S. men seek their first team title since 2014.

TV schedule (1:30, Peacock)

Tue. -- Men's team final

Wed. -- Women's team final

Thu. -- Men's All-Around

Fri. -- Women's All-Around

Sat. -- Men's Apparatus finals

Sun. -- Women's Apparatus finals

***

The WNBA Finals rematch between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty begins Sunday. Two Superteams...

Toy Story Funday Football was great fun. I loved Slinky the Dog serving as the first-down marker chains...

NBC's Ryder Cup coverage. Too many commercials. Social media piled on. Europe wrapped up the competition early, leaving the network with a lot of time to fill...

Late-night shows return this week now

that the writers strike is over. Expect athletes to guest...

Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake have teamed up to open a sports bar, T-Squared Social, on East 42nd St. in New York City...

ESPN will close its Seaport studios by 2025. "First Take," "Get Up," "NBA Countdown" and "Around The Horn" air there...

If MLB had bowl games for non-playoff teams... Yankees-Padres would be one I'd watch.

***

Quotes

* "She's here." -- Mike Tirico, opening NBC's Sunday Night Football telecast by telling the audience that Taylor Swift was in the house.

* "The Colorado sidelines have turned into a place to be seen, like the Kentucky Derby or the Monaco Grand Prix. It's like these [celebrities] want to be there just so cameras can get a glimpse of them." -- Newsletter co-author David Ramsey on atmosphere is like at Colorado football games.

* "They lifted that man up to the sky like he was Jesus letting him know they were going to put him on the cross." -- Robert Griffin III, analyzing replay of LSU QB Jayden Daniel's getting held up while the whistle blew for a sack.

***

Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watch