Twins snap 18-game playoff losing streak, edge Jays: Here's what we learned
When Game 1 starter Pablo López arrived at Target Field on Tuesday donning the jersey of his hero and franchise icon Johan Santana, it was clear what kind of attitude the Twins were bringing to this postseason: one of confidence, not nerves.
Ending the 18-game October skid — the longest postseason losing streak in North American sports history — was viewed as something of an opportunity rather than a burden. In representing the fellow Venezuelan ace and the last Twins pitcher to win a postseason game (back in 2004!), López wasn't ducking the dreaded history but embracing it. He promptly delivered a strong outing into the sixth inning, and the bullpen nailed things down behind him.
Rising star Royce Lewis hit two homers to provide all the run support necessary and Target Field burst into elated relief when fireballing closer Jhoan Duran got George Springer to ground out to seal a 3-1 victory. The streak is dead, and now Minnesota can advance to the ALDS against Houston with a win Wednesday afternoon.
What we'll remember
We'll get to the two Lewis homers in a minute, but how about the play from Carlos Correa in the fourth inning?
With two runners on and two outs, Kevin Kiermaier chopped one toward third baseman Jorge Polanco, who charged the ball but whiffed trying to scoop it up. Bo Bichette, who was on second, took a hard turn and broke for home, assuming that there wouldn't be any defenders close enough to back up Polanco and throw him out.
It honestly wasn't a bad assumption considering how close to second Correa began on the play, but Correa's instincts and urgency kicked in to a stunning degree and he ranged over to pick up the ball and make a perfect throw at home to nab Bichette and keep Toronto off the board.
Moments like this were a great reminder not just of Correa's defensive prowess, but also of his immense comfort in high-pressure situations on either side of the ball. Game 1 was Correa's 80th (!!!) career postseason game, the 18th-most all time and fifth-most among active players. He's been in every October scenario imaginable and will never be thrown off or fazed by even the most unusual situations thrown his way. In his words, this is the season that matters, and it was no surprise to see him show up in a big spot when his team needed it.
Correa wasn't the only veteran making stellar defensive plays, either. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor, who has quietly been excellent in Byron Buxton's absence all year long, came up with two massive catches as well.
MVP
Having been on the shelf with a hamstring strain since Sept. 19, it was expected but not guaranteed that breakout rookie Royce Lewis was going to be good to go for this wild-card series. Even going into Monday's workout, there was some trepidation on Lewis' part about whether he would be available to contribute.
Ultimately, he finished Monday feeling good enough to serve as the designated hitter. The best thing you can do when you are literally designated to hit is to, well, hit. Lewis delivered two thunderous thwacks off Kevin Gausman fastballs, one lined over the left-field fence and the other a towering shot to right field, for two dramatic homers that had an already amped Minnesota crowd ready to explode. He picked up right where he left off when he hit the injured list amid a scorching September that had helped push the Twins closer to clinching the division title. Now it's just a matter of how far he can push them in October. Speaking of which …
Inside the box score
Lewis became the third hitter ever to homer in his first two career postseason plate appearances, joining Gary Gaetti (1987) and Evan Longoria (2008). Both Gaetti and Longoria eventually advanced to the World Series in those years, with Gaetti ultimately hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy with Minnesota. Might this year's Twins squad have some similar magic? Stay tuned.
What surprised us
I understand the leashes get shorter in the postseason and Gausman wasn't exactly at his best command-wise, but it was at least a little unexpected to see him yanked after four innings and at just 73 pitches. The Blue Jays actually out-hit Minnesota on the day, 6-5, with Lewis' two homers accounting for two of the three hits Gausman allowed. I don't fault the urgency in going to the bullpen with the top of the Twins lineup coming back up in the fifth, I just wonder if using five relievers in a Game 1 loss could come back to bite them over the next couple of days should the Minnesota offense start heating up in a more meaningful way and stretching the pitching staff further.
What's next
José Berríos will take the mound for Toronto on Wednesday trying to stave off elimination against the team that drafted and developed him. He'll face off against Sonny Gray, who is coming off a fantastic regular season and will be making his first October start since he went five innings for the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS against Houston. Neither team got much going offensively in Game 1 outside of Lewis, so we could be in for another solid pitcher's duel, albeit one with even greater stakes for both sides.
Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He has covered baseball for his entire adult life, most notably for MLB.com, DAZN and The Ringer. He's a Mariners fan living in the Eastern Time Zone, which means he loves a good 10 p.m. first pitch. You can follow him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.
