4 October 2023
Carlos Correa is no stranger to postseason success.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Jhoan Duran, middle, celebrates with teammates after the Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of an AL wild-card baseball playoff series Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Consider this: The last time the Twins were in the playoffs, it was Correa who hit a seventh-inning home run to break open a tie game and eventually send the Twins home for the offseason.
In the three years since, the Twins signed Correa to the largest contract in franchise history, hoping he would do just that for them. Correa, they’ve said repeatedly, is a big-time player who shines on the big stage.
And Wednesday, he did just that, driving in the Twins’ first run of the game and making a pivotal defensive play, helping send the Twins to a 2-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays that propelled them to an American League Division Series matchup against his former team, the Houston Astros.
A day after winning their first postseason game in 19 years, the Twins walked away with their first playoff series victory since 2002, sweeping the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series behind the efforts of their shortstop.
Correa stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and smacked a Yusei Kikuchi breaking ball up the middle past the reach of shortstop Bo Bichette for the Twins’ first run, riling up a Target Field crowd that had been waiting for something to cheer about. The Twins would get one more run out of the bases-loaded opportunity, with Max Kepler touching home on Willi Castro’s double play ball.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 04: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after being tagged out at second base against Carlos Correa #4 of the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning in Game Two of the Wild Card Series at Target Field on October 04, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
The Blue Jays threatened that lead an inning later. Sonny Gray, who danced out of trouble early in the game stranding a pair of runners in each of the first two innings, found himself in a jam once more in the fifth.
But with a pair of runners in scoring position and Bichette at the plate, the starter spun around and fired to Correa, who caught the ball down on his knees and lunged toward Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to pick him off second base.
The two then ran towards each other, bumping chests. The play capped five scoreless innings for the veteran starter.
In followed the bullpen, which was tough as nails in the win.
Rookie Louie Varland struck out a batter before allowing a pair of hits. Caleb Thielbar followed him into the game and gave up a slow-rolling infield hit to load the bases, but then bailed the Twins out of the jam with a double play started by who else but Correa. The shortstop was later hit on the hand by a pitch, but stayed in the game.
Brock Stewart and Griffin Jax each turned in perfect innings after him before Jhoan Duran finished off the game, the bullpen throwing 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the series.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio (8) is tagged out while running up the first base line by Minnesota Twins pitcher Griffin Jax during the eighth inning of Game 2 of an AL wild-card baseball playoff series Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)