MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa already is aware of what these huge moments in September are like. Royce Lewis is new to this stage — however is rapidly making it his personal.
And collectively from the left aspect of the Minnesota infield, the established star and the rising one punished some baseballs — and did the Griddy — to carry the Twins a step nearer to glory.
Correa mashed the hardest-hit homer of his profession and reached base thrice, whereas Lewis crushed 4 baseballs at 102 mph or tougher — together with a pair of RBI doubles — as Minnesota continued its cost towards October with a 5-2, come-from-behind victory over the Mets within the opener of a three-game sequence at Target Field on Friday night time.
“I just feel like September is a month where I can let it all out,” Correa stated. “The finish line, you can see it out there.”
The victory maintained the Twins’ lead within the American League Central at 6 1/2 video games over the Guardians, who bounced again to beat the Angels on Friday after the Twins wrapped up their victory over the Mets.
Correa has now put 25 balls in play in September — and 14 of them have been hit at 100 mph or tougher, together with the 114.2 mph, game-tying blast to the second deck off Mets starter Kodai Senga that marked the toughest of his nine-year profession and the 111.9 mph double on a rope to left-center as a part of the Twins’ go-ahead, three-run rally off the Mets’ bullpen within the seventh.
“That’s just the Carlos I know, so it was kind of boring, to be honest with you,” joked Dallas Keuchel, who pitched 5 sturdy innings. “I was expecting like 120 [mph] off the bat.”
It has undoubtedly been a troublesome 2023 season for Correa, who has set the Twins’ single-season double play document and struggled to search out his mechanics whereas taking part in by means of the ache of plantar fasciitis. But he has an opportunity to place that each one behind him with one other sturdy September, and he stated that he’d discovered some changes on the street in Texas which have helped him — although he declined to enter specifics.
And as Correa has heated up with a .393/.452/.643 line in a small September pattern fueled by these changes, his associate on the left aspect of the infield has stayed red-hot — seemingly not slowing down in any respect, and celebrating his hits with the “Griddy” dance that has been popularized in Minnesota by Vikings famous person large receiver Justin Jefferson.
Lewis obtained the Twins began with an RBI double down the left-field line off Senga within the first inning and narrowly missed a homer within the third, and even his double-play grounder within the fifth was scalded at 102.4 mph.
After Andrew Stevenson ran wild on a chaotic play involving a double steal and two errant throws by the Mets protection that gave the Twins a 3-2 lead within the seventh, Lewis got here by means of once more with one other RBI double. This one at 111.7 mph, tacking on an important insurance coverage run.
“He’s carrying this offense, it’s plain and simple,” Correa stated. “Ever since he came back, he’s been unbelievable. He’s a special talent. I’ve seen a lot of great prospects come up and make a huge impact right away, but he’s a top-tier prospect.”
“I mean, it’s just a matter of time before I think there’s some MVP votes,” Keuchel stated.
The respect goes each methods, with Lewis throwing credit score again at Correa, who has all the time been one in all his shortstop idols, for the instance he units. Now, he will get to witness the performances when the lights are brightest which have made Correa such a feared and productive presence in playoff runs.
“I love watching him hit,” Lewis stated. “I’ve loved it since I was little. That’s why he is one of my favorite players to this day. Being able to watch him take ground balls, literally right next to him, being able to watch him hit in front, behind, wherever it is in the order, it doesn’t matter. … He’s just so professional, man.”
Together, the left aspect of the Minnesota infield is beginning to lead the cost with management, power and efficiency — and after they’re each locked in, Friday night time is what it might probably appear like.
Content Source: www.mlb.com