Two short games and then it starts… Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t last long in the major baseball playoffs, being defeated by the Minnesota Twins in a 2 out of 3 series.
Guerrero Jr. himself helped the Jays in Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at Target Field by being flat-footed on the bases in the fifth inning. He was one of two men in scoring position at the time, along with Bo Bichette at bat. What a mistake!
Meanwhile, Quebec’s Édouard Julien and the Twins qualify for the next round and will face the Houston Astros starting Saturday.
“It’s a very good feeling, like a dream come true. “I never thought I would experience something like this in my first season in Major Baseball,” Julien reacted on TVA Sports Network during his team’s celebration. It’s incredible and to experience it here in front of an audience is completely crazy!”
For the second time in a row, Julien was in the front row of the Twins’ offensive lineup from the start. He also recorded his first career hit in the playoffs, a runaway single in the third inning. Teammate Carlos Correa led the attack with two hits and an RBI.
However, the Jays had benefited from a good start from pitcher Jose Berrios, a former Twins player. The shooter hadn’t allowed a single point in three innings before manager John Schneider made the decision to remove him from the game in favor of left-hander Yusei Kikuchi in the fourth inning. After the Twins had a two-point lead, Berrios was finally credited with a deserved point for being responsible for the presence of a runner on the trails.
“We’re just getting started”
The 24-year-old Quebec native is thrilled with the Twins’ recent success and well-served by their pitchers, and he can afford to praise his team.
“We’re just getting started, we’re young, we’re good and we’re ready for what’s next,” Julien said in an interview with the TVA Sports Network after the Twins won Tuesday night’s game 3-1 had.
If Julien is contributing to the club’s success, it is Royce Lewis, another rookie who first made an impact in the series’ first playoff game against the Jays, hitting a home run in each of his first two appearances with the club.
“This player is so incredible and I hope everyone realizes how good this guy is at baseball,” commented the Quebecer.
Lewis, also 24, became just the third player in Major League Baseball history to hit two home runs in as many appearances in his playoff debut, according to Elias Sport Bureau statistics. The first two were Gary Gaetti, also with the Twins, in 1987, then Evan Longoria with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.
Twins underestimated?
Despite this dominance against the Jays, the Twins are still an underrated club due to their youth and passion for the rest of the playoffs.
“It’s certainly because we’re based in Minnesota and it’s a smaller market,” Julien explained. We have young players, a little less well-known, but we are successful. We may have fewer big names, but Royce Lewis is doing one right now.”
Édouard Julien is also starting to get people talking. Alex Kiriloff and Matt Walner are also among the most promising young talents in Minnesota. Meanwhile, fans of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Co. are mourning the departure of the Jays.
- The Tampa Bay Rays were also eliminated on Wednesday after two losses in as many games against the Texas Rangers.