Twins baseball gifted U of M students with a great deal this season. Giving students tickets for $5 each was both a great decision for the Twins and also gave more students an opportunity to enjoy baseball. As a student at the University, I also went to more games this year and enjoyed food at discounted prices, including dollar dogs each Tuesday.
Throughout the season the Twins played great ball making the games even more enjoyable. When going to the game me and my buddies would quickly catch the free light rail using our University identification. Cheering the Twins to a 87-75 record it felt like a necessity to go to a postseason game.
After the Twins knocked the Bluejays out of the playoffs at Target Field for their first postseason series win since 2002 it felt like it was time to buy tickets. Although the Twins were not able to continue their ticket deals through the postseason we were able to get a decent deal. Spending just north of $50 did not seem bad at all based on the significance of the game.
A group of U of M students and I arrived early for game 4 of the ALDS against the Astros and received our Star Tribune Homer Hankies. We then headed up to our seats to soak in the postseason atmosphere of Target Field. The festivities started with the National Anthem and the raising of the flag by a United States veteran. It then continued with an honorary first pitch when Twins legend Garry Gaetti threw to another legend, Dan Gladden. After a Twins intro video Target Field was rocking and ready for the first pitch.
After the hot start, however, things seemed to cool down for the Twins. The Astros were able to put three runs on the board and with a great play by shortstop Jeremy Peña, Houston entered the sixth inning with a 3-1 lead. However, this did not put out the fire in Minnesota as Edward Julien knocked a solo shot into the seats making it a 3-2 game.
The Twins struck first in the first inning with a home run by third baseman Royce Lewis. Royce was able to continue his postseason dominance with his 4th homer giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. At this point, Target Field was going wild. People from all over the state had come to watch baseball and Royce got them all on their feet.
It was crunch time and the Twins needed to hold off the Astros so in came the Twins dominant close Johan Duran. While Duran entered the game from the bullpen, the lights went out and all the fans pulled out their flashlights. Everyone was on their feet as he approached the mound and held the Astros scoreless through the final two innings.
However, the deep Astros squad was able to hold off all of the Twin’s attempts to score, leading to a 3-2 win and the end of the season for Minnesota. After the game, few stuck around for the Astros celebration as spirits were low. But as I and my buddies got back on the lightrail and headed back for school there were a lot of positives to look at. The Twins had captured the energy of Minneapolis and ended their playoff losing streak, along with giving a ton of guys new postseason experience that will better their future careers.
This may not have been the year for Minnesota but there’s a lot to look forward to in the future. A young lineup with a veteran like Carlos Correa will always be a team to keep an eye on. Therefore next year as a student, make sure to take advantage of these great ticket deals and support another Twins playoff run.
