![]() ![]() Maki briefly discussed strategy and then told López, "See you in a minute." López responded, "Yeah, you will." ![]() Pitching coach Pete Maki made a mound visit as the announced crowd of 43,017 roared to life at López's first sign of trouble. The Astros put two runners on base in the fourth inning after a walk and Michael Brantley flipped a two-out, two-strike slider into left field for a single. With the bases loaded again in the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Edouard Julien delivered a two-out RBI single to right field, but Correa was thrown out at home attempting to score from second base. After the Astros replaced Valdez, Ryan Jeffers unsuccessfully attempted a squeeze bunt that led to Lewis being tagged out in front of the plate. The Twins misfired on chances to add onto their lead. Correa's hit ended an 18-game postseason streak in which the Twins scored four or fewer runs. 5, 2004 at the old Yankee Stadium, snapping a nine-game road losing streak in the playoffs. It was the first postseason road win for the Twins since Oct. "This is a lifetime of work in the making when you see him step on the field to do these things," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. The sellout crowd he electrified for so many postseasons fell silent. "I'd have bet my house on it."Ĭorrea, after his two-run single, high-fived Twins first-base coach Hank Conger and the bat boy who picked up his equipment as Baker walked to the mound to remove Valdez. Correa punched the air with his right arm, staring at his teammates in the dugout from first base, before tapping his chest and shouting.Īnother clutch hit? His teammates expected it. Lewis, despite his balky hamstring, motored into third base. I don't want to hit them in the playoffs."Ĭorrea fouled the second pitch of his at-bat, a low sinker, before lifting an even lower sinker into center. Hit for too many double plays in the regular season. "I didn't want to hit a ground ball in that scenario. "I was going to swing under it, even if I missed under," Correa said. Astros manager Dusty Baker allowed Valdez to face Correa for a third time because Valdez is the best in baseball at inducing grounders and Correa hit into 30 double plays this year. Royce Lewis drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Correa. Jorge Polanco, after pulling a ball foul past the right field line, chose on his own to drop a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third base with a three-run lead. The rally started with back-to-back singles from Michael A. They compiled five runs and seven hits against Astros lefty Framber Valdez, who went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in four postseason starts during 2022 with two wins in the World Series.Ĭorrea, batting with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, knocked Valdez out of the game with a two-run single. Sign up for our Twins Update newsletterįor much of the season, one of the most frustrating aspects of the Twins offense was their inability to hit lefthanded pitching."He cemented himself, with this start, as one of the best pitchers in the game. "What you saw today was a true ace," Correa said. He joined Johan Santana (2004 ALDS) and Jack Morris (1991 World Series) as the only Twins pitchers to complete seven or more shutout innings in a postseason start. He spun seven scoreless innings against an Astros team that hadn't lost an ALDS home game since 2017. Once the Twins took an early lead, it was all López. Teams that take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Division Series win 89% of the time. There was no diminishing the importance of Sunday's game. He's always an excellent player, but when it matters most, he can really take his attention and channel it." "Some guys, they're giants in the lights," Baldelli said.
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