3 October 2023
Pablo López showed up to the ballpark on Tuesday afternoon wearing a look of determination and the jersey of his boyhood hero. Nearly 7,000 days ago, that man, Johan Santana pitched the Twins to a postseason victory in Game 1 of the 2004 American League Division Series.
Decades of playoff misery and disappointment followed as the Twins went on an 18-game postseason losing streak, the longest in North American professional sports, that spanned 19 years and 18 games.
That all came to an end on Tuesday with the Twins putting behind an unfortunate narrative that has followed them around for years to rest. López, rookie Royce Lewis, who hit two home runs, and the Twins’ defense and bullpen made sure of it. Their efforts led the Twins to a 3-1 win on Tuesday afternoon in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series at Target Field, leaving them one win away from advancing to the ALDS.
Fans line up to enter the stadium before Game 1 of an AL wild-card baseball playoff series between the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
A day earlier, López made a point to say nothing lasts forever. If there was a group that could lean into this opportunity, it was this one.
He backed up his words by throwing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The only run he gave up came in the sixth inning when the Twins opted to leave him in rather than turning to the bullpen and he allowed a single to Kevin Kiermaier that brought home a run and ended his outing.
He walked off to a standing ovation, a crowd of thankful fans letting him hear it.
A U.S. flag is placed in the outfield during the national anthem before Game 1 of an AL wild-card baseball playoff series between the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
That crowd let Lewis hear its admiration, as well. A day earlier, Lewis talked as if he was unsure if he would be on the playoff roster because of a strained hamstring. But in his first at-bat since suffering the injury on Sept. 19, Lewis blasted a two-run home run out to left in the first inning.
Lewis, who has shown over and over again this season that he thrives in the big moments, added to that lead in his next at-bat, hitting his second home run of the game.
Thanks to some stout defense and strong efforts out of the bullpen, the Twins made sure that lead held up. Michael A. Taylor made a pair of nice grabs, one a diving snag in the second and the other a catch up against the outfield wall in the sixth inning to get Louie Varland, who inherited a jam from López, out of the sixth inning.
Shortstop Carlos Correa also prevented a run, racing over after third baseman Jorge Polanco overran a groundball. He picked up the ball and, seeing Bo Bichette racing toward home, Correa fired a strike to Ryan Jeffers at the plate, who got the tag down to end the fourth inning.
The Twins’ bullpen, given limited wiggle room, did its jobs nearly to perfection, as well. Varland got the one out he was called upon for, Caleb Thielbar pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Griffin Jax pitched around a leadoff double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to get through the eighth inning unscathed and Jhoan Duran locked it down, putting this team in the history books as streak enders.
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