The Twins lost 6-4 to the Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS. They trailed 5-0 until Jorge Polanco launched a three-run homer and Royce Lewis followed with a solo shot to cut the deficit to 5-4. But Yordan Alvarez’s second homer of the day made it 6-4 in the seventh and that was the final score.
1. Missed opportunities
The Twins started the game with an Eddy Julien walk and a Jorge Polanco single off Justin Verlander, only to see Royce Lewis ground into a double play. Max Kepler walked to put runners at first and third but Alex Kirilloff grounded out to end the threat.
Jose Altuve then hit Bailey Ober’s first pitch for a homer and the Astros were off and running.
In the second inning, the Twins had runners at first and second with one out and Michael A. Taylor grounded into an inning-ending double play.
In the third, Julien led off with a double and then got tagged out on a ground ball to third by Lewis. Kepler then struck out to end the inning.
Trailing 6-4 in the eighth the Twins started the inning with a double by Correa only to have Matt Wallner and Ryan Jeffers strike out before Willi Castro grounded out. Correa was stranded at third base.
Minnesota was 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and they stranded eight on base.
2. Houston capitalized on mistakes
Throw a fastball in Altuve’s wheelhouse on the first pitch of the game? That’s a mistake and Altuve made Ober and the Twins pay with a leadoff homer.
Hit Alex Bregman with an 0-1 pitch? Big mistake because Yordan Alvarez destroyed Ober’s changeup that he threw right down the middle for a two-run homer in the third inning.
In the fifth, Kenta Maeda gave up a single to Bregman and then walked Alvarez and two batters later Jose Abreu drove in Bregman for a 4-0 lead, with Martin Maldonado driving in Alvarez to put Houston up 5-0.
3. Verlander’s two questionable strikeouts
It may not have mattered in the outcome of the game, but Verlander ended the fifth inning by getting Polanco looking with a curveball that was clearly inside.
He ended the sixth when he caught Carlos Correa looking with a fastball that appeared to be inside.
4. Swinging strikes and strikeouts
Strikeouts and swings and misses were a huge issues for the Twins. As a team they racked up 28 swinging whiffs and 14 strikeouts. Astros batters had just 10 swings and misses and seven strikeouts.
5. Pressure is on Minnesota
The takeaway that matters most is that Houston has taken Game 1 and applied significant pressure on the Twins to win Game 2 Sunday night. If the Astros take a 2-0 series lead they’ll have Minnesota on the brink of elimination with Game 3 back in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Pablo Lopez, Minnesota’s ace, will start Sunday night against Astros lefty Framber Valdez.
