MLB playoffs 2023: Twins even series vs. Astros, Rangers' offensive juggernaut rolls vs. Orioles in ALDS Game 2

It was a wild one on Sunday in Baltimore. The Orioles' faithful came out in full force, and though they didn't get a win for the home team, they did get an impressive baseball show, featuring 14 hits by the home team and 11 from the opponents. After a close loss Saturday in ALDS Game 1, the Orioles fell again in a slugfest of epic proportions in Game 2.

Later, in Houston, Carlos Correa and the Twins let it be known that they won't be going down without a fight against the big, bad Astros. It was all Twins until late in the game, as Minnesota earned a win to return home with a 1-1 series split.

No. 3 Minnesota Twins at No. 2 Houston Astros, Game 2: Twins 6, Astros 2 (Series tied 1-1)

Game summary:

In a Game 2 matchup of these teams’ regular-season aces, the Twins’ Pablo López came out on top against Houston’s Framber Valdez. López, the 27-year-old who joined Minnesota in the Luis Arraez trade last winter, fired seven shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing only six hits to the usually relentless Astros lineup.

Across the way, Valdez struggled. While the biggest blow to the Game 2 scoreboard was a two-run shot by Kyle Farmer, Valdez’s recent inconsistency and lagging command might be the bigger story for the Astros’ hopes of reaching yet another ALCS. The 29-year-old lefty, who notched a 1.44 ERA across 25 postseason innings in Houston’s triumph last season, pushed for 90 pitches but made it through only 4⅓ innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks.

Valdez has struggled with walks in several recent starts, including his Aug. 25 no-hitter, and many of his troubles might stem from changes to his trademark sinker that are making the pitch go faster but not move as much as it does when he’s at his best. Granted, one bad start isn’t the end of the world for the defending champs, but persistent underperformance from Valdez would be a bad omen for Dusty Baker’s pitching plans.

By the time López’s full ace performance was done, the Twins had staged several rallies and, mostly thanks to Carlos Correa, built up a 6-0 lead that would hold, even with the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez getting his nightly homer.

Key moment:

Kyle Farmer, a multi-positional infielder the Twins acquired from Cincinnati in November 2022 for 26-year-old relief pitcher Casey Legumina, ripped one of those flatter Valdez fastballs into the Crawford Boxes in left field in the second inning.

The blast gave López a cushion and put Valdez on the ropes as the Twins sought the crucial split in Houston.

Impact player:

The narratives coming into this series all centered on Carlos Correa facing off against his former team, and in Game 2, he lived up to that billing.

His first-inning RBI double gave the Twins an early 1-0 lead. In the third, he got on base via a walk. His bases-loaded single in the fifth drove in two to make it 5-0, a margin against the Astros that maybe, finally, had the Twins feeling comfortable.

In the seventh, Correa doubled as part of the Twins’ loading the bases and then was tagged out at home to end the inning — but not before another Minnesota run was added to the scoreboard.

Finally, he finished the night with a diving web gem for the final out.

What’s next?

Game 3 is at 4:07 p.m. ET Tuesday in Minneapolis. The Astros will send Cristian Javier to the mound, and the Twins will counter with Sonny Gray, who pitched five scoreless to clinch the wild-card series.

No. 5 Texas Rangers at No. 1 Baltimore Orioles, Game 2: Rangers 11, Orioles 8 (Texas leads 2-0)

Game summary:

Baltimore took an early 2-0 lead on three singles and a walk in the first, and Texas answered — and then some. The Rangers batted around in the second, including two walks, four singles and a double, as they put up five runs. That chased Orioles rookie Grayson Rodriguez after 1⅔ innings pitched.

The Rangers’ offense didn’t let up from there. Bryan Baker gave up three consecutive one-out walks in the third, which ended his day. Then Jacob Webb surrendered a grand slam against the first batter he faced. Just like that, it was 9-2 Rangers.

The Orioles’ bats continued to make waves — the seventh was the only inning in which they went 1-2-3 — and started to cut into the deficit a bit with two runs in the fourth and a Gunnar Henderson solo shot in the fifth.

Still, the Rangers’ juggernaut rolled on, tacking on a 10th run in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the ninth to make it 11-5.

But the Orioles wouldn't go away quietly. With one out in the ninth, Gunnar Henderson walked and Austin Hays singled to bring up Aaron Hicks, who delivered a three-run home run that ultimately made the final result look a lot closer than this one felt. Two more quick outs, and the series was 2-0 Rangers.

Key moment:

After putting up a five-spot to take a 5-2 lead in the second inning, the Rangers’ offense eliminated any doubt about how this game would go in the third. With one out, walks from Leody Taveras, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager loaded the bases for Mitch Garver, who worked a 3-1 count and then did this:

Sure, there was a lot of baseball left at that point, but a 9-2 lead at any time will take the wind out of the opponents’ sails.

Impact player:

A pinnacle of postseason patience, Corey Seager became the first player in MLB playoff history to record five walks in one game Sunday.

It was part of an 11-walk day for the Rangers' hitters, who left some of the Orioles’ best pitchers looking for answers and finding none.

What’s next?

The Rangers finally get to go home, and they do so with a 2-0 series lead. After road series in Seattle, Tampa and Baltimore, the Rangers now have at least one home game ahead of them.

Game 3 of this series begins at 8:03 p.m. ET Tuesday in Arlington. The Rangers will give the ball to Nathan Eovaldi looking for the series sweep, while the Orioles will attempt to turn the tide of this matchup and earn their first victory of the 2023 postseason.