"By now, these big series are old hat for most of the Minnesota Twins, who welcome the Chicago White Sox here tonight for a three-game series that will go a long way in determining the American League Central champion.

The Twins have become accustomed to playing games with all the marbles on the table. Nearly everyone on the current roster played in one-game playoffs the past two seasons — the first time any major league team had done so in consecutive seasons.

Not Matt Capps, though. This is the first time the Twins' new closer has been in the thick of a playoff race, and he couldn't be happier.

"You're almost not human if you don't get into the excitement surrounding it," he said. "But you just have to treat it like another game, have fun with it and do the best you can."

Before being traded here in a deadline deal that sent catching prospect Wilson Ramos to Washington, Capps, 26, always had been with losing teams — four years in Pittsburgh and the first half of this season with the Nationals.

Since joining the Twins on July 29, Capps is 1-0 with a 1.00 earned-run average and four saves in five opportunities.

"It's been good. The guys are treating me well, we're playing good baseball, so it's been a lot of fun to be a part of," he said. "It's a different feel but a lot of fun. Going out and competing is something I've enjoyed my whole life, and now to have something this late in the year to compete for, it just makes it a little more enjoyable."

With 44 games to go, including six against the White Sox, this series won't make or break the Twins. They should know that better than anyone. Last season, the Twins were seven games out on Sept. 6, and three games out with four to play, before tying Detroit on the final day of the regular season.

They beat the Tigers in a one-game playoff.

"These guys have been around enough to know we try to stay on an even keel as much as we can," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose club is 31-17 against AL Central opponents. "It was the same way when we were over in Chicago (last week)." "