3 reasons to believe Twins can beat Astros in ALDS Game 4
Minnesota stole Game 2 from Houston, but there's good reason to believe it won't stop there.
Game 3 of the ALDS did not go the way Minnesota Twins fans were hoping, but there’s no reason to believe all hope is lost.
It might feel that way, though, as the Houston Astros opened up a barrage on the Twins pitchers. Minnesota was shelled for nine runs, six of which came off home runs. Jose Abreu, who has a knack for killing the Twins dating back to his days with the White Sox, launched two home runs to bookended the day.
Minnesota thoroughly got its ass kicked on Tuesday, there’s no other way to put it.
While the loss stings, and stunts momentum that was building from a convincing win on Sunday, it doesn’t mean the series is over. The Twins have a shot to even the series once more and send things back to Houston for a deciding game on Friday night.
All hope might feel lost in the wake of an eight run baseball baptism like we saw in Game 3, but the Twins have a few things going for them that should give fans hope that the series is far from being over.
3 reasons to believe Twins can upset Astros in Game 4
Twins have dominated Houston’s bullpen
While the Astros starting pitching has managed to hold the Twins offense down — Framber Valdez aside — Minnesota has cooked the Houston bullpen.
So far this series the Twins have scored six runs on 10 hits off Astros relievers. A brilliant start by Justin Verlander was almost immedielty undone once the game was handed over to the bullpen, with Minnesota scoring four runs and creating tons of traffic.
Even in the Game 3 loss, as soon as Cristian Javier left the game the Twins got their first run across after Hunter Brown got into trouble.
This is all good news because the Astros are likely to throw a bullpen game in Game 4. Dusty Baker said he’s not likely to use Justin Verlander on short rest and will save him either for Game 5 on Friday or the first game of the ALCS.
Minnesota’s downfall in its two losses has been leaving runners stranded against the starters. That hasn’t happened once the bullpen takes over and it’s something that should give everyone confidence that the Twins can lean in and take advantage of a flaw in Houston’s system.
Royce Lewis
I mean, need we say more?
Lewis is on fire to such a white hot degree this postseason that simply saying his name three times like Beetlejuice might conjure up a run out of thin air. He’s not perfect, as we saw with his uncharacteristically bad game on Tuesday, but that might mean he’s primed to bounce back and go off in Game 4.
Coming into Game 3, Lewis was slashing .267/.389/.867 with four home runs and a 1.256 OPS in just four games. That’s who the Twins need on Wednesday and chances are they’re going to see him. Lewis has reached base in all but one game this postseason and his bat has accounted for four runs — most of which coming in clutch moments.
Lewis helped end the miserable 18–game losing streak with back-to-back home runs in the AL Wild Card opener, and then blasted a solo shot in Game 1 of the ALDS to help the Twins build momentum that carried into Game 2.
Royce Lewis with his 2nd home run of the game!!!@Twins | #WeBelieveinTC | #WildCard
— Box Score (@BoxScore__) October 3, 2023
pic.twitter.com/0REWWtQEG4
Royce Lewis goes back-to-back with Polanco!!!
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 7, 2023
That’s 3 postseason home run runs already for the blossoming star in Minnesota⭐️pic.twitter.com/XONZqEs8OP
Come on, how can you not be filled with confidence seeing that. Every time Royce steps into the batter’s box the crowd is already on its feet and pulsing with energy — that’s the effect he has and it’s tailor made for October.
It’s hard to believe it’s the first time he’s seeing the bright lights of postseason baseball and it already looks like he thrives under them.
No situation will require more of a clutch performance than what the Twins are up against in Game 4. Lewis has given the Twins some magical moments so far this postseason and he’ll need to tap back into that bag of tricks and return to being the superstar he’s shown the ability to be.
The Carlos Correa Effect
If there’s a player how can rally the team and inspire them to bounce back after the type of loss suffered in Game 3, it’s Carlos Correa.
The impact of what he can do for the Twins was on full display in Game 2. Correa got it done with both is bat and glove, but showed a calm veteran presence that we haven’t seen around the Twins in moments like this in the past. Down 0-1 in the series, the Twins dominated Houston so casually that it gave off the impression that they’d been doing it forever. The effortlessness of the win was a wholly new experience, and it all revolved around the leadership of Correa and the aura he has this time of year.
Usually a loss like the one that happened in Game 3 would break the team and dissolve all hope for fans that the team can fight back. With Correa, there’s a confidence that didn’t exist before, and the belief that he can help the team pick themselves up off the mat and get back into the fight.
He’s also just been really darn good this postseason. He had a clutch defensive play in Game 1 of the AL WIld Card, saving a run and helping preserve the streak-snapping victory. His bat has come to life too, as he came into Game 3 slashing .533/.588/.733 with 4 RBI and a base hit in every game so far. Even in the loss on Tuesday, Correa was one of three Twins to record a hit, and scored the team’s only run of the game.
When he’s hot, the Twins look unbeatable but when he struggles the team struggles with him. We saw that in Game 3 when he was slow to start and the rest of the Twins offense followed suit.
So goes Correa, so go the Twins.
These are the types of moments that the Twins paid Correa $200 million for. He already proved his worth in Game 2 and can earn every penny of his contract with another clutch performance to keep the Twins season alive.
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