The Twins and Dodgers fell behind two games to none in the first round of the playoffs, sparking a quick exit. It was especially shocking to see the Twins go down. They went 71-33 in a four-month surge, but lost two games in two October days, and their season was all but over. When teams play a six-month marathon, that doesn't seem right. After all, contenders lose two games in a row numerous times over the summer, but it's a death sentence when it happens in the LDS. Major League Baseball came to its senses when it made the best-of-five LCS a best-of-seven affair in 1985, yet it adopted the best-of-five format when the wild-card berth was added. MLB should dump it and not compromise what a team has had to earn over a six-month span. Television plays a big role in why the current format is best-of-five. That issue could be overcome if the season ended on Friday and the playoffs started on Sunday, which would keep the subsequent series in line to start when they do. Ending the season two days earlier shouldn't be an obstacle. Cutting the season to 158 games is one option. The 162-game schedule was a perfect fit for the leagues when they had 10 and 12 members, but it doesn't work as well now. Dropping a few regular-season games won't fly with the owners, so maybe they should think a little less about the dollar and consider giving fans a few doubleheaders during the season. Doubleheaders were a decades-long tradition on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day, and giving fans a break with a few two-for-ones would be good PR. And it could give us the best-of-seven opening round that we and playoff teams deserve.