Have Astros fans become so accustomed to postseason baseball that they’re not as excited for October baseball as Twins fans deprived of it for the past twenty years?
That may be the case judging by the comments of Twins star Royce Lewis, who felt the atmosphere at Target Field in the Wild Card series against the Blue Jays last week was better than that experienced at Minute Maid Park at the weekend.=
Off the back of a lights-out performance from Pablo Lopez on the mound, the Twins evened the American League Division Series with the Astros with Sunday’s 6-2 win in Houston. The Twins and Astros now head to Target Field for Games 3 and 4.
After going 2-9 with one home run, one walk and one RBI in the first two games against Houston, Lewis said Twins fans were more juiced for postseason action than Astros fans.
“I don’t want to say anything horrible, but I felt like our Minnesota fans were actually louder,” Lewis said after Sunday’s win. “They acted like they wanted it more.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had similar comments after the Twins’ Wild Card series win over the Blue Jays last Wednesday.
“Our crowd is a weapon,” Baldelli responded when asked about the Target Field atmosphere. “It’s a weapon for us. I mean, they’re still going right now. They were going before the first pitch. The crowd just never stopped. It affects us in a good way and it affects the other team. It’s a weapon.”
It remains to be seen whether Lewis’ comments are ill-fated, giving the Astros the impetus needed to silence Target Field when hostilities resume on Tuesday.
First pitch between the Astros and Twins at Target Field is set for 3:07 p.m. Sonny Gray and Cristian Javier will be the Game 3 starters at Target Field.
