‘Fall DNA’ transplanted: Minnesota is having a different fall this year.

The Minnesota Twins won Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros in the 2023 Major League Baseball postseason on October 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, USA. Minnesota won 6-2 on the day and evened the series at 1-1.

Starter Pablo Lopez and No. 4 hitter Carlos Correa led the way in the win. Lopez pitched seven scoreless innings, while Correa led the offense with a three-hit, three-RBI blast.

Minnesota was a traditional “fall underdog. They had lost a whopping 18 straight postseason games before last year. Prior to this season, the last time they won a postseason game was 19 years ago in 2004. After winning Game 1 of the 2004 Division Series, Minnesota went winless in the postseason until last year.

The trigger was a severe underdog to a particular team. Minnesota struggled whenever they faced the New York Yankees. After struggling against the Yankees in the regular season, Minnesota faced them in the first round of the postseason in each of the following years. In 2004, they won Game 1 of the Division Series against the Yankees before losing the next three. That was the beginning.

They lost to the Oakland Athletics in the 2006 Division Series, but then faced the Yankees in four consecutive postseasons – the 2009 Division Series, 2010 Division Series, 2017 Wild Card Game, and 2019 Division Series – and lost all four. During their 18-game postseason losing streak, they have lost 13 games to the Yankees, including 10 straight (three in Oakland and two in Houston). Minnesota’s overall record against the Yankees in the postseason is 2-16.

But this year is different. This year, after the Yankees failed to punch their ticket to the postseason, Minnesota swept the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 in the Wild Card Series. Not only did they end an 18-game postseason losing streak, but they also won a postseason series for the first time since 2002. They evened up the series against Houston with a win in Game 2 after dropping Game 1.

Correa’s “fall DNA” seems to have been transplanted to the team. A Houston native, 스포츠토토 Correa is a “fall veteran,” having played 79 postseason games in a Houston uniform, including the 2017 World Series championship. He’s also a fall powerhouse, with a career OPS of over .900 in the Wild Card Game and Division Series.

Correa has been the epitome of a fall powerhouse this year. While Royce Lewis’ home run show in the Wild Card Series has gotten most of the attention, Correa has been on fire at the plate, slashing .429/.500/.429 in Game 2. He had a multi-hit game in Game 1 of the Division Series, including a double, and led the team with a three-hit, three-RBI performance in Game 2. The starting shortstop also dazzled on defense.

In four postseason games this fall, Correa slashed .533/.588/.733 with four RBI. Correa has always had a strong fall, but he’s hitting at a career-high level.