If given the choice between examining current events and studying the history books

We’re going back... to the future!"I’m a “history guy” at heart. Carlos Zambrano Jersey , I’m almost always going to choose the latter. As such, before each Twins season I like to comb through the franchise annals to see if any previous historical context can be given to this year’s squad.For the 2019 Twins, that means taking a little trip back to the 1980s...The year is 1986. Ferris Bueller is having a pretty cool day off, Alex P. Keaton is everyone’s favorite young yuppie, and Bon Jovi are livin’ on a prayer. Yours truly is not yet two years old, but still trying his best to support the home team...The Minnesota Twins are gearing up for their fifth season in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, under the tutelage of manager Ray Miller. Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that would define the ‘86 season for the Twins:Just two years earlier—in 1984—the Twins had made a surprise charge up the standings. Despite an epitome-of-average 81-81 record, the team was tied for 1st place in the AL West (not a typo) as late as September 23.They would ultimately finish three games back of the Kansas City Royals, and then regress to 77-85 in 1985.Offensively, the ‘86 Twins were built around a core of players thought to be entering their prime years together. Guys like Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti Mark Grace Jersey , Greg Gagne, & Tom Brunansky all received 500+ ABs and put up pretty solid numbers across the board.The starting pitchers were, well, let’s just say “top-heavy”. There was Bert Blyleven, Frank Viola, and then pray for the Teflon roof to deflate, I guess (something that did indeed happen earlier that season). Players you probably won’t remember like Mike Smithson, Neal Heaton, Mark Portugal, Allan Anderson, & John Butcher all got cracks at the starting five too, but the results were not pretty.Even worse was the bullpen http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , what with the team still firmly entrenched in the Ron Davis Dark Ages. Only Keith Atherton and Roy Lee Jackson (a name I literally have never heard until this very moment) had what could even be considered decent seasons. The rest was pretty much a dumpster fire.In September, Miller was removed from the dugout and replaced by a young, inexperienced skipper named Tom Kelly. He guided the team to a 12-11 finish when not throwing batting practice in Zubaz.So, let’s see here—a team led (at least in part) by a new, young manger, coming off a disappointing campaign, that is pretty solid offensively but features only a few established starters and the bullpen elicits gulps. To quote another 80s movie character...There’s both a good and bad ending to this little history lesson.The final record of the ‘86 Twins? 71-91, good for a nearly last-place finish in the West. An 8-13 April beginning could not be recovered from.The silver lining? The next season, 1987, ended up being pretty cool. Apparently wizard prognosticator Bert Blyleven knew it all along.Will the ‘19 Twins regress even further like that ‘86 squad, or arrive a year ahead of schedule and make some noise in the American League this year?Either way, I’m ready to find out. ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves lost the first two games of their interleague series in Boston at the end of May and faced Red Sox ace Chris Sale in the final game Kyle Schwarber Jersey , making their chances of avoiding a sweep seem fairly bleak.Mike Foltynewicz, though, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning while outpitching Sale and now the right-hander takes the mound against the Red Sox on Wednesday, this time at SunTrust Park, again trying to help the Braves avoid a sweep.Boston (96-44) improved its interleague record to a major league-best 13-3 with a 5-1 victory Tuesday night and dropped the Braves (76-62) to 8-11 against the American League.Article continues below ...The Braves have won only one interleague series in Atlanta since 2014 and their lead in the National League East is down to three games with Philadelphia’s victory in Miami.Sale doesn’t return from a stint on the disabled list until next week and the AL East-leading Red Sox will call on right-hander Hector Velazquez for the series finale against the Braves.Velazquez (7-2, 3.24 ERA) has made six starts to go with his 33 relief appearances, but hasn’t gone as long as five innings since April. His last start came Aug. 24 at Tampa and he gave up eight runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings.Foltynewicz (10-9, 2.80 ERA) will be the starting pitcher expected to have the upper hand this time.Given an early lead thanks to a three-run homer by catcher Tyler Flowers, Foltynewicz dominated the Red Sox at Fenway Park three months ago, allowing three hits and a run over seven innings while striking out seven and walking one.“He was real efficient with his pitches and stayed on the attack,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after that game. “I just loved how he stayed after it. He was throwing a lot of strikes. His stuff was really good.”Foltynewicz, who made the All-Star Game for the first time Kerry Wood Jersey , allowed a total of five earned runs in his first five starts of August before giving up five runs (four earned) in a home loss to the Cubs to end the month.A questionable balk victimized Foltynewicz in the second inning and then he allowed a two-run pinch homer in the sixth.The balk was called when Foltnewicz made a slight flinch, apparently as he spit.“Who knows what you really do out there?” Foltynewicz said. “You’re just in the zone. You can do a bunch of different habits and stuff. I just basically hawked a loogie.”Velazquez made two relief appearances against the Braves in May, allowing five hits and one run over 2 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out two.Velazquez’s last appearance was against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, when he gave up a run on two hits in an inning of relief.“We’ll see how long Hector goes,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It might be similar to (Monday).”Nathan Eovaldi was pulled after 3 1/3 innings in the series opener and the Red Sox totaled eight pitchers in the 8-2 victory.The Boston rotation will be back more to normal when David Price, hit by a comebacker last week, starts against Houston at Fenway Park on Friday and Sale (shoulder strain) comes off the disabled list in the likely role of an “opener” for now next week.Sale, who threw a bullpen Tuesday, is expected to pitch either in the Toronto series or against the New York Mets, although with a limited pitch count.“He’ll probably throw another (bullpen) in three more days and then we go from there,” Cora said. “Not sure if he’ll be the ‘opener’ but looks like next homestand.”Sale is 12-4 with a 1.97 ERA and Price is 14-6 with a 3.60 ERA.