The Astros did what they’ve done on the road all year long, they won and looked good doing it. Cristian Javier gave the team five solid innings, Jose Abreu had two home runs and the Twins got wrecked at home by a resurgent Astros that looked lost in Game 2.
It is impossible to explain why they seem so good on the road and have struggled at home, but that was the story on Tuesday. They are now one win away from a date with the Rangers who swept the top seeded Baltimore Orioles. Here are some thoughts about Game 3.
Playing some small ball.
Hey, a bunt! And a hit and run! The Astros largely ignored just moving guys station-to-station in Game 2. That changed in Game 3 when they actively tried to get players from first to second, second to third, including a sacrifice bunt from Martin Maldonado and a hit-and-run involving Jeremy Peña. In the end, they didn’t need it with the long ball reappearing, but against a pitcher like Sonny Gray, it was a smart move. Not only does it create opportunities, but it forces the opponent to play damn near perfect defense. They should keep it up.
Big hits when they needed them.
Abreu had two homers and five RBIs; Alex Bregman added a solo shot of his own; and Yordan Alvarez continues to be one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball going 3-5 with two doubles and a home run, his fourth in this series. Once again, the road pays dividends as they continued to crush pitches from Twins starter Gray. They clearly had a bead on his sweeper, which was one of the best pitches in the game before Tuesday.
Welcome back, playoff Cristian Javier.
This had all the earmarks of a stellar pitching matchup with Gray and Javier, but with the inconsistency from the Astros righty, many worried which Cristian Javier would show up. Consider the fears of fans officially allayed. While Javier wasn’t perfect, he was when he needed to be allowing no runs and one hit with five walks and nine strikeouts. He also stranded seven Twins runners working around several jams, using the strikeout as he has done numerous times in his young career. Javier has allowed one hit or less in his first three career playoff starts. No other player has had three starts in their entire career. He was exactly what they needed.
The sun in Minnesota is an issue.
The shadows at Target Field are…weird. At different times they darkened portions of the field while other places were in full sun. When strips of sunlight streamed between home plate and the pitcher, particularly when the entire outfield (including the batter’s eye) was bathed in sunlight, hitting was a challenge for everyone. The Astros managed to work around it, but it must be a pain to play in that stadium all season long.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
