Listen to Twins radio call of Royce Lewis home runs in AL Wild Card Game 1
By Josh Hill
Eight teams saw action on Tuesday as the MLB Playoffs got underway, but no team carried as much baggage into the Wild Card round as the Minnesota Twins.
Specifically, the Twins carried nearly two decades' worth of baggage with them in the form of the worst losing streak in the history of professional sports. Minnesota hasn't won a playoff game since 2004 and has failed in 18 consecutive attempts to change that. It's the saddest active streak in sports, with the Detroit Pistons and their 14-game losing streak a short distance behind.
On Tuesday the Twins were hoping that the 19th time would prove to be the charm, and Royce Lewis wasted no time in trying to do his part to end the streak.
Listen to Twin radio call of Royce Lewis' first career postseason home run
In the bottom of the first inning, Lewis blasted a two-run home run into the left field bleachers to give Minnesota a lead and electrify the crowd.
As if his legend couldn't continue to grow any bigger than it already was, Lewis homered in his first career postseason at-bat. Cory Provus was on the call for the Twins Radio Network and did his part to make the moment even more special.
Can. Not. Make. It. Up! Just back from the injured list, in his 1st career postseason at-bat, Royce Lewis lines a 2-run homer into the seats in left! Check out the #twinsradio call here, @Twins lead Toronto 2-0 in 1st inning of game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Awesome! pic.twitter.com/4HUlcq79y6
— TwinsRadio (@TwinsRadio) October 3, 2023
Because it's the postseason we won't have a version of Dick Bremer and Justin Morneau reacting to the home run. Instead, Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez were in the booth for ESPN's broadcast, and had a similarly astonished reaction:
Welcome to the Land of 10,000 Rakes. 🎣🎣 #WeBelieveinTC pic.twitter.com/S6yZF97skG
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 3, 2023
UPDATE: Ladies and gentlemen, Royce Lewis did it again. Like something out of a movie, Lewis blasted another home run in his second at-bat of the game. Cory Provus couldn't believe it either.
Move over G-Man! Royce Lewis does it again, a solo homer in the 3rd to put @Twins up 3-0 in game one vs. Toronto. #twinsradio call here. Royce joins Gary Gaetti as the only guys to homer in their first two postseason at-bats as a Twin. Lewis is incredble! pic.twitter.com/BsMrZ4tqgz
— TwinsRadio (@TwinsRadio) October 3, 2023
Lewis came back in May after a second ACL tear and reintroduced himself by becoming the best offensive player in the lineup. He single-handedly won games for the Twins as soon as he was called up and finished the season with a 2.4 WAR while slashing .309/.372/.548.
It's hard to overstate how important Lewis has been to the Twins this season, and how much hope he represents for the future. Watching him waste no time in making an impact in the postseason is exactly the sort of thing fans were hoping to see and it was as glorious as we all imagined.
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