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Note to readers: Columnist La Velle E. Neal III will be updating this regularly from the Target Field press box during Tuesday's Game 3. Follow along and comment, and keep a closer eye on the action with live pitch-by-pitch updates on our Star Tribune GameView.
6:22 p.m.: Uff-da
There could be 27 outs remaining in the Twins' season, following their 9-1 drubbing by the Astros in Game 3 of the ALDS.
It was a comprehensive capitulation, as Sonny Gray gave up four first-inning runs and the Twins were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Houston's offense has been as advertised against everyone not named Pablo Lopez and must be dealt with in Game 4, or the Twins' season is over.
Twins manager Rocco Badelli has a couple of decisions to make before Game 4.
Alex Kirilloff hasn't had a hit in the series and his error in the first inning contributed to Houston sprint out of the gates. It got so bad that Rocco had Donovan Solano pinch-hit for him with a righthander on the mound in the sixth. (Actually, the righthander, Hunter Brown, is better against lefties than righties.) But I think Rocco would have given AK a chance if he was swinging better.
Matt Wallner is in that same boat, but he drew two walks after striking out twice, at least. And his big outfield arm is a plus.
They also have to examine their strategies against Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez. Altuve has led off each game by reaching base. Alvarez is clobbering the pitching staff, batting .500 with four homers. Stop pitching to the man!
And now the Twins have gotten the 36-year-old Jose Abreu hot. After the veteran deposited Gray's sweeper into the second deck in left in the first, Patrick Reusse said, "You don't help out an old guy with a breaking ball." But then Abreu hammered a Bailey Ober fastball out to left in the ninth. They've made the old man feel young again.
Houston's triple-A offense, Altuve, Alvarez and Abreu, has the Twins on the brink of elimination.
5:10 p.m.: Spring-like chill at the plate
We have reverted back to early season offense, when the Twins were hard to watch at the plate.
The fifth inning saw a leadoff walk by Willi Castro, a one-out walk by Edouard Julien and a third walk by Jorge Polanco to load the bases.
But that clutch-hitting gene is not there today. Max Kepler took a called strike three and Royce Lewis, of all people, struck out swinging to end the inning. When Mr. Grand Slam doesn't come through, you know there is an issue.
The Twins are 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and STILL have just one hit against Cristian Javier, who has wiggled out of jams all night. Some managers would have lifted him by now, but Dusty Baker likes what he sees.
The announced crowd of 41,017 is still into the game, but the Twins are making it hard on them.
4:29 p.m.: Cool breeze blowing downtown
It's chilly enough outside. We don't need any extra breeze generated by Twins swinging and missing. They have seven strikeouts through four innings.
Twins starter Sonny Gray just struck out Jose Altuve looking to end the top of the fourth. He's crafted three consecutive scoreless innings following the first-inning ambush. Caleb Thielbar did begin warming up during the inning and is likely on the verge of entering the game. Now Emilio Pagan has joined Thielbar in the fifth.
Gray was good at damage control. Now it's up to the offense. Cristian Javier has offered them gifts but the Twins won't accept them. The first two runners of the third inning reached base but were stranded. Going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in the first three innings of a postseason game is unacceptable. Javier has made a few good pitches. But Twins hitters have been non-competitive. They should have more than one hit and even more baserunners.
Alex Kirilloff and Matt Wallner might not be in the lineup for Game 4, they looked so overmatched.
4:11 p.m.: Sonny on short leash
Yordan Alvarez doubled to lead off the third inning, and there was movement in the Twins bullpen.
This is not the time of year to wait to see if a struggling pitcher can pull himself together. Sonny Gray was struggling, throwing too many hittable pitches over the plate. And Twins relievers began stretching out and getting loose.
Johan Santana was in the back of the pressbox holding court with reporters when Jose Abreu batted in the first inning. We looked up in time to see a baseball land in the stands. I watched the replay, and Gray could not have laid it over the middle any better. That was the damaging blow in a first inning during which Houston scored four runs to take early control of the game. That home run was preceded by a single, error and single that produced the first run of the game. Gray had given up three first-inning runs all season but gave up four (three earned) in the first inning on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Twins hitters chased fastballs above the strike zone and sliders that dropped below the zone from Cristian Javier. Adjustments must be made if they are to come back in this game.
The marvelous crowd is still into the game, for now. Houston fans were subdued by Pablo Lopez's brilliance in Game 2. Javier is responding in kind.
Gray got out of the third inning unscathed, but he has to be on a short leash at this point.
3:33 p.m.: Sonny vs. 'Stros
Let's see how Sonny Gray does with his second time through this Houston lineup. The first time through was rough, of course — four in the first. He's not getting the swing-and-misses that Cristian Javier is producing about every 15 seconds here. Score remains 4-0 Houston, top of third.
2:13 p.m.: What to watch in Game 3
Houston pitcher Cristian Javier twice started games last season that ended up being shared no-hitters. It appeared as if he emerged to be a capable No. 2. starter behind Framber Valdez. Houston even signed him to a five-year, $66 million extension during the offseason.
But 2023 has not been the same. On June 3, Javier's ERA was 2.84. He posted a 5.85 ERA the rest of the way. Reporters noted his fastball was down about one mph from last season. Others cited his inability to move his fastball around the strike zone. Let's focus on that. There's a theory that he needs to throw his fastball for strikes on the corners and the bottom of the strike zone to make his other pitches effective.
That's worth watching in the early innings today. Javier shut the Twins out for three innings in Game 2 of the wild-card game in 2020. Before that, he gave up a run over two relief innings in 2021.
Royce Lewis being able to play third base today allows the Twins to field their best defensive infield, which always helps, while sliding Edouard Julien to DH.
I've had nicknames for Willi Castro this year. He made the Opening Day roster because he was healthy while Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff were not. Every time the Twins neared making a roster move, he looked to be one to be sent down. But something would happen to someone else, and he would be spared. So he was, "Willi The Survivor." Castro managed to stay on the roster, provide a few timely hits and steal some bases. He became, "Willi The Weapon" and emblematic of how deep the 26-man roster had become. Now he's starting in center field in Game 3.
1:53 p.m.: Hello from Game 3
Greetings from Target Field. The gates have opened, fans are flowing in, the Astros are taking batting practice and everyone is ready for Game 3 of this American League Division Series.
Once again, I will provide live check-ins and observations during the game, so return to this space regularly for my thoughts on the action as Sonny Gray attempts to pitch the Twins to a 2-1 series advantage.
Game time temperature is expected to be around 56 degrees. It feels several degrees below that a the moment, as the pressbox windows are open. There will be a couple of trips to the back room to keep the fingers warm! That reminds me of the game where we had the windows closed while it was 45 degrees outside. Bert Blyleven walked into the writers area between innings and claimed we weren't tough enough to deal with the chill.
"We make money with our fingers, Bert, so we need to keep them warm," I replied loudly. "You make money with your mouth, and it's always warm!"
If you haven't heard, Wednesday's game will be moved from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. if the Rangers finish off the Orioles tonight. I've also gotten questions about the ALCS matchup. The Twins would be the higher seed in a matchup against the Rangers and have home-field advantage. Cross your fingers and clutch those Homer Hankies.
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