Astros stretch Twins’ playoff blues
MINNEAPOLIS — Tarnished by scandal at the start of the year and below average during this pandemic-abbreviated season, the Houston Astros showed up for the playoffs with their usual confidence and poise.
Just like that, they’ve got the edge on the Minnesota Twins in an elimination game.
Jose Altuve drew a walk to force in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning Tuesday after a two-out error by shortstop Jorge Polanco, and the Astros beat the Twins 4-1 to open their AL playoff series and stretch Minnesota’s all-time postseason record to 17 straight losses.
“These guys know how to battle. They know what it’s like,” said manager Dusty Baker, after the Astros became the first team in major league history to win a game after reaching the postseason with a losing record. “They know how to win, and they take pride in what they do.”
Game 2 in the best-of-three wild-card matchup is Wednesday at Target Field.
Michael Brantley tacked on a two-run single against Caleb Thielbar in the ninth after Sergio Romo issued the full-count walk to the 5-foot-6 Altuve, who batted 127 points lower (.219) this year than his 2017 AL MVP season.
“He laid off a close pitch. It didn’t go my way,” said Romo, who has three World Series rings with San Francisco and pitched in his 30th career postseason game. “Tough pill to swallow.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli called for Romo, the fifth of six pitchers, to start the ninth. The Astros started with two singles, but Romo was about to escape with the tie preserved until Polanco’s throw to second base after a straight-at-him grounder was low to blow the forceout.
“I’m the one to wear any of that. I do feel that I put my teammates in a position they shouldn’t have been in,” said Romo, lamenting the five shutout innings by starter Kenta Maeda that were spoiled.
Minnesota and Houston tied for the fewest errors in the majors with 20 during the 60-game season. The Astros were only 18th in walks, but this one counted the most.
“It’s the same thing as a base hit,” Altuve said.
Framber Valdez, who made 10 regular-season starts, pitched five scoreless innings in relief of Zack Greinke for the victory to keep the bullpen fresh for the rest of the series. Valdez allowed his only two hits with one out in the ninth, but Willians Astudillo grounded into a double play to end the game.
WHITE SOX 4, A’S 1
In Oakland, Calif., Lucas Giolito released a brief yell of delight and marched quickly back to the dugout, his work day going just brilliantly for the Chicago White Sox.
Giolito simply dazzled in his postseason debut, stymieing the Oakland Athletics through six perfect innings and sending the White Sox to a 4-1 victory in the opener of their best-of-three wild-card series Tuesday.
“Unreal. Unreal to watch. Unreal to be behind him,” shortstop Tim Anderson said. “He put the work in. When you set yourself apart to put the work in and want to be a superstar, you want to be that dominant. The work is showing. Happy for him and hopefully he can keep it up and continue to grow as a player and as a person.
He’s our guy. I expect nothing but that from him.”
It also brought back memories of Giolito’s no-hitter against Pittsburgh on Aug. 25.
“It was a different feel though because throwing a perfect game, no-hitter is a great personal accomplishment, but we’re in the playoffs, the goal is to win the game,” Giolito said. “For me it was all about I’m going to give the team the best possible chance to come out on top after nine innings.”
On Tuesday, he didn’t allow a baserunner to the AL West champions until Tommy La Stella’s single up the middle to start the seventh. Giolito gave up one run on two hits over seven innings, struck out eight and walked one before giving way to Evan Marshall after a stellar 100-pitch outing.
“Pretty cool,” manager Rick Renteria said. “It was neat to see.”
Giolito got plenty of support: José Abreu hit a two-run homer and Adam Engel also connected for Chicago. Yasmani Grandal homered in the eighth.
Alex Colome, Chicago’s third reliever, worked the ninth for a save to close out the 2-hour, 53-minute game.
RAYS 3, BLUE JAYS 1
In St. Petersburh, Fla., beyond ace lefty Blake Snell, the small-market Tampa Bay Rays are light on household names.
On the postseason stage, the American League’s No. 1 seed showed just where all that dominance is coming from.
“Tonight was a pretty good representation of the Tampa Bay Rays — our players, how we go about winning games,” manager Kevin Cash said.
“We found success being really good in tight games. Pitching, the defense, and timely hits are the reasons for it.”
With Snell taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning, shortstop Willy Adames making splashy defensive plays and Manuel Margot delivering a two-run homer, the AL East champions opened the playoffs Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Rays will try to advance in the best-of-three wild-card matchup Game 2 at Tropicana Field, where seats will be empty with the exceptions family and friends from both teams.
“I think the biggest thing is not to press, not to really panic. That’s probably the worst thing we can do as a team,” Blue Jays third baseman Cavan Biggio said.
“It’s a bigger stage right now and not a lot of our guys have really played in the playoffs before,” the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio added, “but I think we learned from this one today.”
Snell allowed just two baserunners until Alejandro Kirk singled leading off the sixth.