(Minneapolis) The Toronto Blue Jays will only have made it through to the 2023 major baseball series.
The Minnesota Twins completed a two-game sweep of the Toronto club in the first round on Wednesday, this time winning 2-0.
The Blue Jays lost the first game 3-1 at Target Field.
“You’re not going to get far with one point in two games,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. The Twins didn’t hit the ball that hard (Wednesday) but at this time of year, you have to be opportunistic. »
The Blue Jays left nine runners on base. They were also inattentive and unlucky.
In the fifth, Vladimir Guerrero was wrong-footed at second base as the third out, with two runners on base. Bichette was at bat.
PHOTO BRUCE KLUCKHOHN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In the top of the sixth, the bases were loaded for Matt Chapman, with one out.
He hit an arrow down the left field line, but the ball fell off the line by just a foot. On the next shot, he hit a double play ball.
The Blue Jays have been swept in the first round three times in four years. The team did not make the playoffs in 2021.
Quebecer Édouard Julien had one of the Twins’ seven hits. They will face the Houston Astros in the second round, in the American.
Carlos Correa hit a run-scoring single in the fourth. Later in the inning, he crossed the plate on a double play ball.
Toronto had nine hits, including two each for George Springer, Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk and Santiago Espinal.
The Jays made a surprising move in the fourth, removing a seemingly solid Jose Berrios from the game after he walked Royce Lewis.
The Twins then took advantage against Yusei Kikuchi, who allowed two singles and a walk in this inning.
“Jose was throwing really well. It was a tough decision to make, Schneider said. But I think the way the Twins are, you want to use all your resources. It did not work.
“I can understand that it would be doubted, that the organization would be doubted. It is not easy. It hasn’t worked for us the last few days. »
Sonny Gray of the Twins allowed five hits in five innings. He worked his way to his first career playoff victory in five starts.
In the regular season, he finished third in major league baseball with a 2.79 earned run average.
Fifth reliever, Jhoan Duran signed three strikeouts in the ninth.
He thus made the Twins’ first appearance in the second round in 21 years.
Correa played seven seasons with the Astros, helping the team win the World Series in 2017.
The match took place in front of a packed house of 38,518 people.