Twins-Astros Game 3 feels a lot like this year's home opener

Twins starter Sonny Gray last faced the Astros in an 3:10 p.m. afternoon game at Target Field not unlike the one he'll pitch Tuesday.

The stadium will be packed and loud, the afternoon temperatures brisk.

Gray struck out 13 batters and walked one in seven innings pitched on an early April day at Target Field that also was the Twins home opener after they started their season with a road trip to Kansas City and Miami. He gave up four hits and one run in a 3-2, 10-inning victory over the defending World Series champions.

Gray will start Tuesday's 3:07 p.m. game against Astros righthander Cristian Javier with an American League Division Series tied 1-1 after the teams split games in Houston.

"I don't think you can look back that far, as far as a game plan or how I'm going to attack these dudes," he said on Monday. "Hitters change, approaches change. I've changed since then."

But the good vibes and memories remain.

"There was a lot of excitement," Gray recalled. "The fans were excited. There was a good energy in the air, as there will be again [Tuesday]. That's the biggest part, feeling those feelings, going through those feelings rather than remember I attacked this guy this way. Those feelings, that's a big takeaway."

The temperature at first pitch was 47 degrees that April day, with a 10-mph wind blowing from right field to left. Tuesday's forecast calls for 55 degrees at first pitch.

"It's warmer than when we were here in April because it was freezing in April when we came through here," Astros manager Dusty Baker said during his team's workout Monday at Target Field.

Baker also remember the troublesome shadows created on a sunny day with a late afternoon start. That was April, this is October.

"I remember no one could see," Baker said. "Shadows are always a factor, especially when you're playing fall baseball. The sun's setting earlier and we're way north. We're not as far north as Seattle or Canada or Alaska, but we're north."

Neither manager was ready to name his Game 4 starter on Wednesday. Baker said it's unlikely ace Justin Verlander will start on short rest, which could set up a Verlander-Pablo López duel in a deciding Game 5.

"You want to keep [Verlander] on the best rest that you can," Baker said. "Everybody has a job to do."

Baker said his decision might depend on Tuesday's outcome and said "we're kind of still wrestling between a couple of guys."

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he'd announce his Game 4 starter on Tuesday. Joe Ryan very likely will get his first playoff start because Bailey Ober and Kenta Maeda pitched Saturday's Game 1.

Baldelli said there's a chance star rookie Royce Lewis will play third base in this series, just not in Game 3. Lewis looked spry running the bases Sunday on his way back from a hamstring injury.

"He does look significantly better than he did a week ago," Baldelli said. "That's great news for us … there's a chance. We have to figure out some things on the medical side and have some conversations. I honestly don't know."

Wednesday's Game 4 at Target Field is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. but …

If Texas sweeps Baltimore in the other ALDS, the Twins-Astros game will move to 6:07 p.m. Wednesday for television purposes. The Rangers, leading 2-0, play host to the Orioles on Tuesday night.