If the Twins were flirting with first place this summer just to add suspense to the Central Division championship chase, then it’s time to stop with the theatrics.  With only 18 games left on the schedule, trailing the first place White Sox by one game, and no chance of qualifying for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, the local boys face Urgency with a capital U.  

The Twins have lost 12 of their last 16 games, although they did pick up a badly needed win last night against Kansas City at the Metrodome helped by Justin Morneau’s two- run home run.  The road trip that started August 21 and ended September 4 was a disappointment for the Twins winning five, losing nine. Then last weekend’s series with Detroit was another lost opportunity. 

Detroit won two out of three as the Twins lost their first home series since June 3-5 against Baltimore while ending a streak of 11 straight home series wins.  Saturday and Sunday’s losses to the Tigers were also the first time the Twins have lost back-to-back home games since May 30-31 against New York. 

Problem No. 1 is the Twins can’t hold leads.  The bullpen has blown four consecutive save opportunities and six of their last eight.  If the bullpen can be more reliable and the defense rock solid, maybe the Twins can overtake Chicago. 

Still in the Twins’ favor is that they have the White Sox here for a series September 23-25.  So far this season manager Ron Gardenhire’s team is 5-1 in Minneapolis against the White Sox.  In Chicago, the White Sox dominated, winning seven of nine games. 

The Twins are 48-25 at home, 31-40 on the road.  They need to win the three game series with Kansas City at the dome.  The way things are going that makes a fan take a deep breath in anticipation of the upcoming road games starting Friday at Baltimore, then on to Cleveland and Tampa Bay.  If the Twins revert back to mid-summer form, things could be cheery except perhaps in Tampa Bay where the amazing Rays have the second best record in the American League and are trying to win a franchise first East Division championship. 

While the Twins have to go through the Rays and White Sox to win the division, Chicago faces only one playoff contender the rest of the season, Minnesota.  As of today, both Chicago and Minnesota have the same number of remaining home and away games, eight and 10.

Condolences to friends and family of former Gopher basketball player and University of Minnesota educator LeRoy Gardner, 61, who passed away last week.  He was admired by many people in this community and elsewhere.  A memorial service will be held tomorrow (Thursday) beginning at 1 p.m. at the Estes Funeral Chapel, 2210 Plymouth Ave. North.  A repast will immediately follow at the Minneapolis Urban League office, 2100 Plymouth Ave. North.

A Gopher basketball reunion earlier this summer was the last time a lot of friends saw LeRoy who died from lung cancer.  Former Gopher Greg Troland expressed the feelings of many in a group e-mail when he wrote: “Guys, I am so saddened to hear about the passing of LeRoy.  He was such a great friend to all of us.  He meant so much to me since my first step on the University campus.  He is going to be missed by so many people not only among us but to all people he was connected with. … Thank God, I got to see him at the reunion.”

Former Minnesota North Stars executive Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners he believes it will take a new contract of at least $8.5 million for the Minnesota Wild to re-sign Marian Gaborik.  How important is it for the Wild to keep Gaborik here beyond next season? 

“It’s very important because he’s the face of the franchise,” Nanne said.  “He’s the most exciting player they’ve got.  He’s the guy that gets the most goals, generates the most offense so it’s a big thing.” 

If the Wild decide a new contract won’t happen, then a trade involving Gaborik is the team’s alternate move.  Nanne said not signing Gaborik doesn’t necessarily mean a fan fall out.  “You can’t say there’d be a fall out unless they (the team) didn’t win,” Nanne said.  “If they didn’t win after the trade that they made…it could hurt them.” 

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners recruiting strategy for next season includes junior college players.  Defensive backs Traye Simmons and Tramaine Brock, both junior college transfers, have been important to the team’s 2-0 start.  

Minneapolis natives Dan Coleman and Troy Bell will be playing basketball in Europe. Coleman, the former Gopher, left for Portugal last Saturday.  Bell, who attended Boston College, has already played an exhibition game for his team in Italy.

Former Gopher center Joel Przybilla figures to have backup duty to Greg Oden in Portland.  However, the 7-foot-1 Przybilla, who could help the Wolves’ need for a big center, is a human insurance policy for the Trail Blazers.  Oden missed all of last season, his rookie year, because of a knee injury.  Przybilla has two years left on his Portland contract, with a third year option at his discretion, a source said.

Sportsheadliners is betting its ownership in a Wisconsin dairy farm (wink, wink) on the Vikings defeating the Packers in Green Bay tonight.  Although national odds makers favor the Pack by a few points, Sports Headliners believes the Vikings’ souped up defense will be too much for Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay quarterback making his first ever NFL start.

The pass rush, led by defensive end Jared Allen, will bring pressure on Rodgers when he tries to throw.  That pressure from Allen, the defending NFL sack leader, and linemates Ray Edwards (he wants to break the NFL record for sacks in a season), Pat Williams and Kevin Williams is a physical force likely to hurry throws by Rodgers, or put him down on the sacred Lambeau Field turf.

There’s another kind of pressure Rodgers, the 24-year-old fourth year quarterback, will have to confront head-on, too.  He’s spent the summer and will continue into the fall facing a whirlwind of emotions replacing Packer legend Brett Favre at quarterback.  If there was a national vote to name the NFL player under the most pressure, Rodgers wins in a landslide.

For a season opening game, tonight in Lambeau couldn’t be any bigger unless Favre were playing quarterback for the Vikings.  But fuh-get-it.  This is the NFL, not Hollywood.  You have to settle for this scene: opening game, Rodgers’ debut, traditional rivals (Packers lead 48-45-1 including playoffs), the two favored teams to win the NFC North, and Monday Night Football with its national TV audience.

Whew! Somebody pray for Rodgers.  There likely are such prayers being said in Dairyland and not just for Rodgers.  The Packers reportedly have more injured players than the Vikings and how that plays out remains to be seen.

That’s another reason to bet the dairy farm on the Purple who likely will produce just enough points behind a patched up offensive line (see Bryant McKinney four-game suspension) and Adrian Peterson’s extraordinary running to win the game.