HOUSTON – Here’s what Carlos Correa had to say about his poor performance in August, when he played with plantar fasciitis pain and a record-breaking number of double-play grounders en route to some of the worst season numbers of his career:
“Hopefully we make it to the playoffs and you can keep going there and it will be worth it.”
It was really worth it for the twins.
Correa, one of the greatest October players of all time, put his forgotten regular season behind him to become a Titan again in the postseason, tying David Justice for third place in American League/National League history in postseason RBIs with an RBI double and two-run single that led the Twins to their 6-2 victory over the Astros in the deciding Game 2 of the AL Division Series on Sunday night at Minute Maid Park.
That makes 63 postseason RBIs for Correa, who now trails only Bernie Williams (80) and Manny Ramirez (78) at the top of the leaderboard.
“That’s why we do it,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said in an in-game interview on FS1. “Correa doesn’t find the light, he is the light for our team in many ways. He didn’t hit in the 4 hole, but when I looked up and saw we were facing a lefty, everything looked like this – well – he wants it, so I gave it to him.
After Minnesota’s poor performance in their Game 1 loss, the Twins made a strong statement that they can compete and dominate anyone on any given day in these playoffs, including the reigning World Series champions.
They have star Pablo López, who became the third pitcher in club history to throw at least seven shutout innings in the postseason, appearing alongside Johan Santana in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS and Jack Morris in the legendary Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
And they have their superstar shortstop. For these moments they paid him $200 million.
Correa’s two-out, first-inning RBI double against Astros starter Framber Valdez gave the Twins their first lead of the series after trailing from start to finish in Game 1. When Minnesota had a chance to extend its lead in the fifth, Correa followed up again with a two-run, bases-loaded single that knocked Valdez out of the game.
The timing of Correa’s big hit couldn’t have been more significant for the Twins. Although the loser of Game 1 of a Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format won the series only 28% of the time, if that series was tied after two games, the club goes to Games 3 home having 4 won the series 28 of 42 times (67%).
All told, Correa went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a single, a walk and three RBIs, giving him an 8-for-15 mark in the Twins’ first four games of the 2023 postseason.
If only it would stop – because this postseason has already been a true highlight of Correa’s exemplary defense and baseball instincts.
There was the play in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in which he stunned the Blue Jays by sending a soft grounder into no man’s land and making an off-balance all-or-nothing throw home to catch Bo Bichette the dish. There was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s game-winning pickoff at second base that he orchestrated in Game 2. There was José Abreu’s deke that stunned the veteran as he tried to roll to second on a wild pitch in Game 1 of the ALDS.
And all of this with a bat in hand.
Correa said Astros fans came up to him and his family as they had dinner and breakfast before Game 1 in Houston to wish him luck. Then they gave him a big cheer when he was announced in the Twins’ starting lineup before Game 1.
As these two games progressed in Houston, the cheering for Correa began to wane and the enthusiasm waned. Then boos mixed in with the cheers. At the end of Game 2, he was always greeted by loud boos.
It took some time for Houston fans to remember that October Correa is inevitable.
Except now, it’s at their expense.