MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins took nine wins from an 11-game home stand into the All-Star break, a midsummer surge that can boost a middling team into the postseason race.

This might not be that kind of year in the American League.

“I just wish we had more games ahead of us,” first baseman Joe Mauer said.

Ervin Santana is almost ready to rejoin the rotationå. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano are expected back soon from minor league sabbaticals. Even if reinforcements help maintain this momentum, though, the strength of the league leaders might render it moot.

Boston, Houston and New York are all on pace for 100 wins, with Seattle right behind. The Twins earned the second wild card spot last season with an 85-77 record that likely won’t come close to qualifying this time. They’re 44-50 now, 13 games behind the Mariners with Oakland, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles between them.

Catching Cleveland, which leads the AL Central division by 7½ games, is the only realistic path.

“I think we will play well. I don’t know what the Indians will do, except when we play them,” manager Paul Molitor said. “So if they win 22 in a row, it’s going to be tough to catch ‘em.”

The Twins are 6-3 against the Indians this year with 10 matchups left. The Twins get 33 of their remaining 68 games against the three struggling division rivals behind them, Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City. Still, to surpass Cleveland’s current pace, the Twins must go 46-22 the rest of the way.

“We play 162 for a reason,” second baseman Brian Dozier said. “I’ve learned throughout my seven-year career, you can’t play the game of baseball in three weeks or three months or the first half/second half. That’s not the way it’s built.”

The Twins looked built for another step forward this season, counting on natural progress from their young core, signing three veteran relievers and snatching up slugger Logan Morrison and pitcher Lance Lynn. Jose Berrios became an All-Star and Eddie Rosario has played like one, but the injuries and ineffectiveness by Buxton and Sano have been major setbacks.