To say Minnesota Twins fans weren't looking forward to Wednesday day game against the Los Angeles Dodgers is an understatement. For how bad things have looked so far this season, most assumed the Twins would roll over and limp to Detroit with an aggressively sub-.500 record.
Instead, Alex Kirilloff and Carlos Correa strapped the team on their back and tried to breathe some life into the clubhouse.
Tuesday game ended with Correa and Kirilloff hitting back-to-back home runs, and they turned in quite a sequel less than 24 hours later while teaming up to throw out Shohei Ohtani at home plate.
Carlos Correa and Alex Kirilloff threw out Shohei Ohtani and it was glorious
In the top of the seventh, Freddie Freeman lined a hit to right field that looked like it was going to score the tying run. Instead, Kirilloff relayed the ball to Correa who threw a dart to Christian Vazquez to catch Ohtani before he could slide into home.
Ohtani was initially ruled safe, but a challenge led to the call getting overturned. Not only was it a highlight reel play, but it preserved the Twins' one-run lead.
NEVER. A. DOUBT. 👊#MNTwins // #WeBelieveInTC pic.twitter.com/vpO4RpoYYR
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) April 10, 2024
It's a play that could not have come at a better time, not only because of the context of the game. Zooming out, the Twins have looked pretty lifeless out of the gate, failing to do much after winning the first two games of the season.
Offensively the team has been slumping, and that has had a ripple effect across the whole roster. Plays like this are essentially proof of life, as there's a good team in Minnesota that just needs to figure things out.
The good news is that things started to look right on Wednesday. Edouard Julien finally came alive, Chris Paddack was excellent in his second start, and the bullpen once again clamped down -- this time against one of the best lineups in baseball.
Maybe the back-to-back home runs from Correa and Kirilloff to end Tuesday's game sparked something, or perhaps it was their combo play to get Ohanti out. Either way, it's clear who is stepping up for Minnesota right now and hopefully that begins to have an impact across the clubhouse.