MINNEAPOLIS -- While the Seattle Mariners are trying to avoid an early end to their season, the Minnesota Twins need a late-season win streak to avoid an ugly bit of franchise history.The Mariners remain in the thick of the American League wild-card race heading into Sundays series finale at Target Field but cannot have slip-ups like Saturday nights power outage if they are to make the postseason for the first time since 2001.Theyre all important, Mariners manager Scott Servais said after Saturdays 3-2 loss cost Seattle a chance to advance on the Detroit Tigers, who also lost. Tonight was important, tomorrows important, the next ones important. Its just where we are in the season.For the Twins, who head into their final home game of the season with 99 losses, the task is to avoid becoming just the second team in franchise history to reach triple-digit losses. The 1982 Twins lost 102 games -- a mark that this team could eclipse with seven games to play.The 1982 Twins were the first to play indoor baseball in Minnesota, with the Metrodome opening that season. They were hard to watch but included young players like Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola, Tim Laudner, Tom Brunansky and Gary Gaetti, who formed the nucleus of the team that would win a World Series five years later.If the Twins are to avoid that dubious distinction, theyll need to keep hitting home runs. They now have 192 this season, which is the most the franchise has recorded since that 1987 World Series championship team hit 196.This is a moment when I see my team play hard and I play hard too, said Twins slugger Miguel Sano, who blasted his 24th homer of the season on Saturday.On Sunday, the Twins will send left-hander Hector Santiago (12-9, 4.82 ERA) out to face Seattle right-hander Taijuan Walker (6-11, 4.32).Working on the mound at Target Field might bring back good memories for Walker, whose only previous start in Minnesota came July 31, 2015, when he threw a complete game, allowing just one hit and striking out 11.Of course, none of that will matter if the Mariners cant score runs, which was their problem in Saturdays loss that dropped them to 1-4 against the Twins this season. Nelson Cruzs towering homer, measured at 493 feet, was their only offense.After giving up the go-ahead homer to the Twins in the fourth inning, the Mariners pitchers retired the last 15 Minnesota batters in a row, but couldnt score again.Our bullpen did a nice job of keeping us right there, but offensively we just couldnt get much going, Servais said. Obviously, Nellie hit the big homer, but other than that there werent a whole lot of chances.The Seattle loss, coupled with a Baltimore win, has the Mariners 2 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot, but the task is tougher, as they would need to leap-frog Houston, Detroit and Baltimore to get to play games after their Oct. 2 regular-season finale with Oakland at Safeco Field. Buy Ecco Shoes NZ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Ecco Shoes Online NZ . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. http://www.wholesaleecconz.com/ . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Ecco Shoes NZ Sale . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Ecco Shoes NZ Stores . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. BASTAD, Sweden -- Top-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany withdrew from the Swedish Open on Thursday because of an elbow injury, while fourth-seeded Annika Beck advanced to the quarterfinals.Kerber, who lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final earlier this month, injured her elbow during Wednesdays second-round victory over local wild card Carolina Lister. The German came through after a medical timeout, but was unable to play Thursdays scheduled match against Lara Arruabarrena of Spain.I was practicing this morning and I was not feeling 100 percent, Kerber said. Its still painful so thats why I decided not to risk it and why Im withdrawing.She said she will now focus on the North American hard-court season andd is looking to recover in time for next weeks Rogers Cup.ddddddddddddIn the quarterfinals at Bastad, Arruabarrena plays Germanys Laura Siegemund, who defeated Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 7-6 (4).Beck dismissed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia with a comfortable 6-2, 6-0 victory, and next plays eighth-seeded Johanna Larsson after the Swede defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain 6-0, 6-3.In the last second-round match, Julia Goerges of Germany fought back to defeat Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Goerges plays Italys Karin Knapp who beat 2014 champion Mona Barthel on Tuesday. ' ' '