Carlos Correa Shines Against His Former Squad as Twins Level ALDS Series with 6-2 Win Over Astros

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Carlos Correa delivered a standout performance featuring three hits and three RBIs, while Pablo López threw seven scoreless innings, propelling the Minnesota Twins to a 6-2 triumph over the Houston Astros in the second game of the AL Division Series on Sunday evening.

The Twins made an impressive comeback following their 6-4 defeat in the first game of the series on Saturday. Kyle Farmer contributed to the win with a two-run home run.

The third game in this best-of-five contest is scheduled to take place in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Correa, who had been a postseason luminary during his time in Houston, has reemerged in this year’s playoffs with renewed vigor. He had expressed regret over missing the postseason last year, which was his inaugural season with the Twins.

In the second game, Correa initiated the scoring with an RBI double in the opening inning. He subsequently extended the Twins’ lead to 5-0 with a two-run single in the fifth inning. Moreover, he showcased his defensive skills by thwarting Jeremy Peña with an exceptional play for the final out.

So far in these playoffs, Correa has accrued eight hits and four RBIs across four games, significantly aiding the Twins in their three postseason victories.

López showcased his pitching prowess following his victory in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. He surrendered just six hits and struck out seven, lowering his postseason ERA to a mere 0.71.

His fastball, which averaged 95.9 MPH during the game—marginally higher than his seasonal average—proved effective in destabilizing the Astros’ lineup.

Yordan Alvarez, who had two home runs in the Astros’ Game 1 victory, managed to reduce the deficit to 6-2 with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Nevertheless, Jhoan Duran closed the game perfectly for Minnesota in the ninth.

The Astros, who managed to resist a Twins surge in the opening game, found themselves playing catch-up throughout the entirety of Game 2.

Willi Castro initiated the second inning with a single, and Farmer followed it up with a 377-foot home run to left-center field against Astros’ pitcher Framber Valdez. This marked Farmer’s first hit in postseason play, following a 0-for-10 record in eight prior games.

Valdez was replaced after the fifth inning, having allowed five runs and seven hits during his 4 1/3 innings on the mound.

Correa’s crucial two-run single elevated his total career postseason RBIs to 63, equalling the record set by David Justice for the third-most RBIs in MLB postseason history.

As Correa approached the plate, the home crowd greeted him with a mix of boos, a notable shift from the warm reception he had long enjoyed at Minute Maid Park during his seven seasons with the Astros.

One day after hitting three home runs, the Astros found it challenging to generate any momentum against López. Their most promising opportunity to score came in the fourth inning, but López extinguished the threat by striking out Chas McCormick.

Edouard Julien added another run for the Twins in the seventh inning with a single, making the lead insurmountable at 6-0.

The defending ALDS champion Astros, who had been undefeated at Minute Maid Park in Division Series play since 2017, suffered their first home loss in the Division Series since Game 4 in 2015.

Additional Notes

The retractable roof at Minute Maid Park was open for only the second time this season on Sunday night. Astros’ manager Dusty Baker revealed that the league made the decision to open it.

As fall weather sets in, the temperature in Houston was a comfortable 73 degrees at the time of the first pitch.

Coming Up Next

In the upcoming Game 3, Houston will send right-hander Cristian Javier (10-5, 4.56 ERA) to the mound, where he will face off against Minnesota’s right-hander Sonny Gray (8-8, 2.79 ERA).

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