‘A smile on my heart’: Minnesota Twins fans hold out hope after Game 3 loss
The Minnesota Twins are further into the post season than they've been in many years. That's brought fans out in droves and packed Target Field on Tuesday as the team battles in the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros.
In the parking lot across from Target Field, Robert Levandowski and Austin Kay headed toward the game. Like many Twins fans, they left work early to watch.
"I was 6 or 7 the last time they were anywhere near this,” Levandowski said.
Before this year, the Twins hadn’t won a playoff game since 2004.
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He said there's an excitement around the team he hasn't seen in many years.
"This is a different team with Pablo and Sonny there. It's a different it's a nightmare for other teams. I wouldn't want to come here especially with how loud we've been,” he said.
Target Field was buzzing at the start of the game. The Twins sold out both home ALDS games and fans were downtown early, excited to see the first home game of the series.
Game 3 was a game of runs. Unfortunately for Twins fans, those runs were Houston's. They beat the Twins 9-1.
The Astros dominated the game from the first inning, when they scored four runs, including a three-run homer.
Through the game, Houston had four home runs and 14 hits.
The Twins could not get their bats going. They were kept to three hits, and while they got on base with walks, they couldn't knock runners in. They left eight runners on base.
Plenty of fans left work early to get downtown and cheer on the team.
Among them was Darren Carline.
"I'm actually from Louisiana, but I've been here like 30-some years. So I'm a Twins fan,” Carline said.
He said he took time off work to be at the game. He likes how they bounce back.
"You know, even though they might lose a little bit, but they always come back and make you feel happy,” he said.
In Waite Park, just outside of St. Cloud, Terry O'Connell and Lori Long watched the game at Ultimate Sports Bar & Grill. The Twins were already in a deep hole.
O'Connell, who was a longtime season ticket holder, said he's loved watching the team this season.
"They've had their ups and downs. But when you got that strong and pitching, you should be in the playoffs,” he said.
Long said it's hard for her not to think back to the feeling back in 1991 when the Twins won the World Series.
"I remember driving around town after I left the bar that I watched the game with my friends. People were honking and waving at each other all over St. Cloud. I'm hoping we had that again,” she said.
Back in Minneapolis, even though the Twins were well on their way to a loss, some fans were just soaking up the atmosphere.
Kyle Feldman says he scored a ticket halfway through the game.
“There's a smile on my heart just like sitting outside on a beautiful October day watching a major league playoff game in Minnesota, like seven rows from the field. And I mean, it's just like a privilege to be here,” Feldman said.
Feldman says while the Twins lost, it's just one game.
"We know how quickly things can turn around. Like they did with game two. So hopefully tomorrow will just come out and things will go our way,” Feldman said.
The Twins and Astros face off again on Wednesday.