By the time the first pitch of Game 4 is thrown on Wednesday, celebratory essentials will have been delivered to Target Field. Beer. Sparkling water. Goggles. Rolls of plastic to cover up clubhouse stalls and keep important items dry.
This preparation is not for the Twins. It's for the Astros, now one win away from the American League Championship Series after their 9-1 takedown of the Twins Tuesday.
There's a lot of precision with these efforts. Local distributorships supply these libations so visiting teams don't have to pack it up and travel. The visitor's clubhouse at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati was stocked and ready for a party last month when the Twins visited, but they fell short there and celebrated their division title a game later at home.
If the Twins fall short one more time, their season is over.
Houston is eyeing the ALCS. The Twins are in need of a rebound following this comprehensive loss in which they didn't pitch well, committed a costly error, failed to convert a bucketload of walks into runs and couldn't keep the score close.
The loss dropped the Twins all-time record in postseason Game 3s to 1-15.
Game 4 will be a test of the Twins' resolve, and their decisionmaking. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is faced with several choices that, if made correctly, will help the Twins force a Game 5 on Friday in Houston. Here's what he needs to do:
1. Coax a key hit out of this lineup. The Twins were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday. When Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa struck out with runners on second and third in the first inning, it continued a pattern that has defined their playoffs. They are 4-for-27 in RBI situations in the series and 5-for-37 in the postseason. If they just touch the ball a couple of times, they could have scored runs. They drew seven walks in the game but had one hit going into the sixth inning. Not too many teams are going to advance in the postseason batting .227 as a team in the ALDS. Who will step up Wednesday?
