5 things that stood out in the Twins' season-ending loss to Astros
The Minnesota Twins will be watching on the couch as the Houston Astros play in the ALCS for a seventh consecutive season after being eliminated with a 3-2 loss in Game 4 Wednesday night at Target Field in Minneapolis. There wasn't much good since the Twins had just three hits for a second straight playoff game, but we'll at least start the five things that stood out story with something positive for Minnesota fans.
Oct 11, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) celebrates defeating the Minnesota Twins with teammates during game four of the ALDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
1. Royce Lewis is Him
After a bad luck play that wasted Eddy Julien's leadoff double, Lewis battled back from an 0-2 count and unloaded on a changeup from Jose Urquidy and drove it off the facing of the second deck in the left field seats for a solo home run in the first inning.
How big was the homer? It came immediately after Jorge Polanco's soft liner turned into a double play when Jeremy Pena made the catch and then dove to tag Julien, who was diving back to second base.
"That's just bad luck," said A.J. Pierzynski, reacting to the double play.
2. Twins not making contact
Urquidy generated 13 swings and misses the first time through the order and finished the game with 19 in 5.2 innings. That marked a season high for the right-hander, who averaged 9.5 swings and misses per appearance during the regular season.
His season-high during the regular season was 15. He did it twice, including in his April 7 start against the Twins at Target Field.
Here's his game-by-game swing-and-miss strikes generated this season.
- 12
- 15
- 12
- 15
- 8
- 12
- 12
- 6
- 15
- 4
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 6
- 4
- 9
- 2
- 19
Urquidy had 19 swings and misses on 82 pitches. That’s 23% of his pitches that the Twins whiffed on. For the game, the Twins swung and missed 30 times and had just three hits for a second consecutive day.
3. Bad pitch location to Jose Abreu
Did the Twins not get the scouting report on Abreu? The FS1 broadcast crew talked a ton in Game 3 about Abreu loving the ball out over the plate and that's exactly where Caleb Thielbar and Ryan Jeffers were attempting to locate the fastball that Abreu smacked for a 424-foot, two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Look at Abreu's heat map. That ball was middle-away, right where he likes it.
FanGraphs
4. Chris Paddack’s future
The right-hander missed 15 months because of Tommy John surgery before pitching again for the Twins in September. He was lights out as a reliever, getting Alvarez, Tucker and Abreu in order in the sixth inning. Overall, he struck out four in 2.1 innings and retired the last seven batters he faced.
He signed a three-year extension with the Twins despite the injury and the move could pay off as he becomes a staple in the starting rotation in 2024 alongside Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Kenta Maeda. (Sonny Gray is a free agent)
5. Max Kepler kept striking out looking
Batting in the middle of the order, Kepler was supposed to be a guy the Twins relied on to drive in runs but he didn't take the bat off his shoulder when it mattered most.
Kepler struck out looking when the bases were loaded with one out in the fifth inning of Minnesota's loss in Game 3. And in Game 4 he was caught looking in two big moments, including the final out of the season.
Was the final pitch of the game outside? Not according to the location tracker from MLB.com. Kepler was caught looking when it was up to him to extend the game with Carlos Correa waiting on-deck.
MLB.com
Kepler was also rung up with a runner on base and two outs in the sixth inning when the Twins had some momentum after Eddy Julien's homer cut the deficit to 3-1. Kepler definitely had an argument that the called third strike was inside, but he still failed to do what every kid is taught and that's protect the plate with two strikes.
MLB.com
Kepler was 3 of 15 with seven strikeouts and zero RBI in the series.
