Minnesota Twins Wild Card Series Game 1 Recap vs Toronto Blue Jays – October 3rd, 2023

The Minnesota Twins started a 3-game Wild Card Playoff Series against the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. They were trying to break an 18-game Postseason losing streak even though that streak had very little to do with any of the players on the 2023 team. 

Quick 2023 Season Recap

The 2023 Minnesota Twins were just 45-46 at the All-Star Break and had fallen to 2nd in the American League Central Division after leading for the majority of the season.* They were swept by the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta & scored just 3 runs in the 3-game series. They responded by winning a series in Baltimore and then swept Kansas City at home but were immediately swept at home by the same Baltimore Orioles team they had just beaten. They were also outscored 24-5 in the 3-game series heading into the All-Star break. The frustration level had to be extremely high. 
*If you go by the Twins schedule, it’s 5 days. If you go by the Cleveland schedule, it’s 7 days. It’s probably because of off days for Minnesota. 

So… they did what great teams do. They got to work and figured out what they needed to fix to right the ship. They trusted their players would come through to being the team they are supposed to be. They stuck with OF Max Kepler even though OFs Matt Wallner & Trevor Larnach were pushing for playing time. He then went on a tear to reward them for that loyalty. They also didn’t make any significant trades at the deadline, choosing to keep the team the way it was and believing they could get it done. That turned into a 42-29 2nd half W-L record that included a 33-22* record after the Trade Deadline and a team that looks very confident going into the postseason.
*Yes. That means they were just 9-7 up to the Trade Deadline but after losing 4 in a row from August 8-11th, they didn’t lose more than 2 in a row the rest of the season.

2023 Minnesota Twins Schedule & Results Graph from Baseball-Reference

Here’s the American League Wild Card Series Playoff Rosters for both teams:

No Byron Buxton (injury), Nick Gordon (injury) or Bailey Ober (only 3 games so no need for another starting pitcher.)

Here’s how both teams lined up for Game 1:

Minnesota Twins Lineup:

DH Royce Lewis & SS Carlos Correa were activated from the Injured List today so they could be on the Playoff Roster & be in the lineup for Game 1

Toronto Blue Jays Lineup:

Game Recap

Minnesota Twins RHP Pablo Lopéz, acquired from the Miami Marlins for INF & 2022 American League Batting Champion Luis Arraez, started Game 1 which should tell you that trade worked out very well for the Twins.* That was likely a tough trade to make since Luis was a beloved member of the Twins and a very positive part of the clubhouse but moves like that needed to be made to get an ace or top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher.
*It worked out well for the Miami Marlins since Arraez won his 2nd consecutive batting title & the Marlins made the playoffs as well.

Toronto Blue Jays RF George Springer swung at the first pitch, fouling it down the 1st baseline but neither Twins 1B Alex Kirilloff nor RF Max Kepler could run it down. Springer then grounded to 3rd and Twins 3B Jorge Polanco double-clutched on the throw which sent it up the 1st baseline so Kirilloff had to try to make a lunging catch so his glove was in Springer’s running path and Springer stepped on the glove. Kirilloff did catch the ball but it came loose when Springer stepped on it so it was a throwing error (E5) on Jorge Polanco. Toronto DH Brandon Belt fouled out to the catcher for the 1st out. 1B Vladimir Guerrero, Jr grounded out to 2nd and Twins 2B Edouard Julien went to 1st on the fielder’s choice even though it appeared he should’ve been able to get lead runner Springer at 2nd. Toronto SS Bo Bichette popped out to right field to end the top of the 1st.

The Twins avoided a disaster with the error, what also could’ve been a bad injury to 1B Alex Kirilloff and the decision to not get the lead runner but their pitcher saved them.

Toronto Blue Jays starter RHP Kevin Gausman seemed somewhat wild from the start. Twins 2B Edouard Julien led off the bottom of the 1st. Gausman’s first pitch was on the low outside corner then he threw a high fastball & a splitter in the dirt. The 4th pitch was outside to make it 3-1 and the 5th pitch was a mistake that Julien just missed as the catcher was outside and the pitch came inside. The 6th pitch was a few inches outside to walk the first batter. Twins 3B Jorge Polanco popped up to short. LF Daulton Varsho & SS Bo Bichette collided softly as Bichette made the catch for the first out. 

That brought up Twins DH Royce Lewis, who had been on the Injured List with a left hamstring strain since September 22nd but hadn’t played since September 19th. So… two weeks without an at-bat to his 1st MLB Postseason at-bat. Royce lives for these moments though. Let’s see how it went.

• 1st pitch was called a strike even though it was outside by what looked like 3-4 inches, 0-1
• 2nd pitch was in the dirt for ball 1, 1-1 
• 3rd pitch was outside, 2-1
• 4th pitch was an inside splitter for a swinging strike, 2-2
• 5th pitch was in the dirt to fill the count, 3-2
• 6th pitch… fastball inside but…

the catcher set up outside and the pitch came inside so…

Royce Lewis Put It In The Seats!!!

Twins RF Max Kepler popped out to 3rd for the 2nd out then 1B Alex Kirilloff walked but SS Carlos Correa struck out looking to end the 1st inning but damage had been done as Royce Rolls again in a big moment.

Toronto Blue Jays 0 | 2 Minnesota Twins 
End of the 1st 

Toronto 2B Cavan Biggio grounded out to 1st to lead off the 2nd inning then C Alexander Kirk made weak contact on an outside sweeper pitcher but Twins CF Michael A. Taylor Swiftly* ran it down for the 2nd out…
*See what I did there? #ALBFF Knows & the Swifties do too, of course!

That Taylor Sure is Swift! Speed ends with D for DEFENSE!

Toronto CF Kevin Kiermaier then walked on 6 pitches but 3B Matt Chapman popped up to center field where Taylor was there again to end the top of the 2nd.

Twins C Ryan Jeffers started the bottom of the 2nd with a liner but it was caught by LF Daulton Varsho for the 1st out. LF Matt Wallner walked and Michael A. Taylor singled then Edouard Julien was struck looking at a ball because it wasn’t a strike.

MLB Umpires need to be better, a lot better. This would’ve loaded the bases.

Jorge Polanco flew out to right field to end the 2nd inning.

Twins pitcher Pablo Lopéz set the Blue Jays down 1-2-3 in the 3rd on a swinging strikeout (Varsho), a popup to 1st (Springer) & a strikeout looking (Belt.) After the half inning, Blue Jays manager John Schneider had some words for the home plate umpire about his strike zone even though Toronto hadn’t really had many bad calls at that point.

Royce Lewis led off the bottom of the 3rd and Gausman threw 3 straight low balls then Lewis took the fastball down the middle but was looking for the next pitch and he sent another ball into the seats, this time into right-center field for his 2nd home run of the day, tying a record for hitting 2 home runs in his first 2 postseason at-bats that only 2 other players have done before. 

Royce Lewis: 3rd player in MLB history (and second Twins player!) to homer in each of his 1st two career postseason plate appearances.

Gary Gaetti (1987)
Evan Longoria (2008)
Royce Lewis (2023)

h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/XASULmLXoT— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 3, 2023

Kepler grounded out to 2nd. Kirilloff lined out to left field and Correa grounded out to 3rd to end the 3rd inning but another run from another Royce Lewis Home Run has the score…

Toronto Blue Jays 0 | 3 Minnesota Twins
End of the 3rd

Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero, Jr flew out to the warning track in right-center field for the 1st out. SS Bo Bichette hit a bloop single to right field. 2B Cavan Biggio grounded out to short, advancing Bichette to 2nd. Alejandro Kirk was hit by a pitch on his right hand. He stayed in the game and Kevin Kiermaier singled to 3rd but the ball went under Polanco’s glove. Twins SS Carlos Correa raced toward the rolling baseball because he saw Bichette running hard to 3rd. Correa got to the ball, picked it up with his barehand and threw a good low throw to Ryan Jeffers to nab Bichette at the plate and keep the game at 3-0 for his team.

What does that play remind you of? “Flip” to the Game Notes section at the bottom of the article to read about it.

The Twins went down 1-2-3 all via strikeout in the bottom of the 4th, 2 swinging and 1 looking. 

Toronto 3B Matt Chapman led off the top of the 5th with a liner to 2B Edouard Julien but he may have mistimed his jump to catch the ball so it went off the top of his glove to allow Chapman to reach. Twins RHP Pablo Lopéz then got a groundout, a flyout and then struck out Brandon Belt for the 2nd time.

In the bottom of the 5th, the Blue Jays replaced RHP Kevin Gausman with RHP Erik Swanson so…

Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman’s Final Line:
4IP 3H 3R/ER 3BB 5K 2HR
In line for the Loss

Edouard Julien grounded out to 2nd. Polanco struck out swinging. Royce Lewis walked on 5 pitches so Toronto made a pitching change to LHP Tim Mayza and Twins RF Max Kepler greeted him with a single to right field the Twins manager Rocco Baldelli pinch-hit for Alex Kirilloff with Donovan Solano and he flew out to right field to end the 5th. Still…

Toronto Blue Jays 0 | 3 Minnesota Twins
End of the 5th

Solano stayed in the game at 1st base defensively for the Twins. Guerrero, Jr. flew out to center. Bo Bichetter singled on a line drive to center field. Biggio flew out to short. Kirk walked on 5 pitches. Kevin Kiermaier singled to left field to score Bichette from 2nd to get the Blue Jays on the board. Rocco then went to his bullpen and brought in RHP Louie Varland to replace Pablo Lopéz.

Minnesota RHP Pablo Lopéz’s Final Line:
5.2IP 5H 1R/ER 2BB 3K 0HR
In line for the Win

Varland threw 2 pitches and Matt Chapman hit a ball to the right-center field wall but Michael A. Taylor got to it and had to jump to catch it to end the top of the 6th inning.

Toronto replaced LHP Tim Mayza with RHP Chad Green to pitch the 6th and he needed just 9 pitches to set down Correa (ground out to 2nd), Jeffers (flyout to right) & Wallner (groundout to 1st.) 

Toronto Blue Jays 1 | 3 Minnesota Twins
End of the 6th

The Twins made a defensive substitution to bring in Willi Castro to replace LF Matt Wallner. They also replaced RHP Louis Varland with LHP Caleb Thielbar. Toronto then pinch-hit for Daulton Varsho with Whit Merrifield. He popped out to 1st. Springer grounded out to short and Belt flew out to short for a quick top of the 7th.

Whit Merrifield stayed in the game as the left fielder for Toronto. Taylor struck out swinging then Toronto made a pitching change to LHP Genesis Cabrera, Jr. The Twins countered that move by pinch-hitting for Edouard Julien with Kyle Farmer. He struck out swinging and Polanco did as well.

Farmer remained in the game as the 3rd baseman and Jorge Polanco moved from 3rd base to 2nd base. The Twins also replaced LHP Caleb Thielbar with RHP Griffin Jax to pitch the 8th inning and he allowed a double to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. on the first pitch he threw but he responded by striking out Bo Bichette swinging and Cavan Biggio looking before getting Alejandro Kirk to ground out to 1st to end the top of the 8th.

Toronto replace LHP Genesis Cabrera, Jr. with RHP Jordan Hicks and he got Royce Lewis to ground out to short then struck out Max Kepler. Donovan Solano then walked on 4 pitches. Carlos Correa singled to center and Ryan Jeffers walked on 6 pitches to load the bases but Willi Castro struck out looking to end the 8th.

It was still 3-1 Minnesota heading to the 9th inning so into the game came RHP Jhoan Duran for his postseason debut…

He needed just 7 pitches to strike out the first 2 batters then walked Whit Merrifield on 6 pitches but needed just 1 pitch, a 101-mph fastball to get George Springer to ground out to 1st..

for the…

1st Minnesota Twins Postseason Win since October 5th, 2004. 

That’s just 2 days from 19 years ago. 

I know many people, including my favorite person, who were not alive then!

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Final Score
Toronto Blue Jays 1 | 3 Minnesota Twins 

W-Pablo Lopéz (1-0) L-Kevin Gausman (0-1)
S-Jhoan Duran(1)

Pitching
Starters
MN:
RHP Pablo Lopéz: 
5.2IP 5H 1R/ER 2BB 3K 0HR – 1st Win
TOR:
RHP Kevin Gausman: 
4IP 3H 3R/ER 3BB 5K 2HR – 1st Loss

Bullpen
MN:
RHP Louie Varland: 
0.1IP – 1st Hold
LHP Caleb Thielbar:
1.0IP – 1st Hold
RHP Griffin Jax: 
1.0IP 1H 2K – 1st Hold
RHP Jhoan Duran:
1.0IP 1BB 2K – 1st Save
Total:
3.1IP 1H 0R/ER 1BB 4K – 3 Holds, 1 Save

TOR:
RHP Erik Swanson: 
0.2IP 0H 0R/ER 1BB 1K
LHP Tim Mayza: 
0.1IP 1H
RHP Chad Green
1.1IP 1K
LHP Genesis Cabrera, Jr.
0.2IP 2K
RHP Jordan Hicks
1.0IP 1H 2BB 2K
Total:
4.0IP 2H 0R/ER 3BB 6K

Hitting
Home Runs
MN:
DH Royce Lewis 2 
(1st inning off Gausman, 1 on, 3rd inning off Gausman, 0 on)
TOR:
None

Doubles
MN:
None
TOR:
Guerrero, Jr. (Jax)

2-Out RBI
MN (Inning):
None
TOR:
Kiermaier

Other 
(Defense, Key Plays, etc…)
MN:
SS Carlos Correa: 
(Top of 4th)
Defense – Threw out Bichette at home

We’ll do a separate article for Game Notes!

––––– TT –––––

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