Royce Lewis rolls into postseason for Twins with homers in first 2 at-bats

Tue, Oct 3, 2023
MLB News (AP)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Royce Lewis was unsure about his postseason status for the Minnesota Twins after missing the last two weeks with a strained left hamstring.

Two at-bats and two home runs later, Lewis is clearly ready to roll.

Lewis became the second rookie in Twins history to hit a postseason home run, following Scott Leius in Game 2 of the 1991 World Series, when he connected for a two-run shot in the first inning against Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Lewis became the third player in MLB history to go deep in his first two postseason plate appearances, following Evan Longoria in 2008 and Gary Gaetti in 1987, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

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Lewis' first homer put Minnesota in front in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series. Lewis was selected by the Twins with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft, but the start of his big league career has been interrupted by injuries.

Following his two-run drive to left, Lewis pivoted toward Minnesota's dugout to exuberantly point at his teammates and galloped around the bases as the crowd at Target Field erupted. He tapped his wrist as he rounded third base, an ode to teammate Carlos Correa's past postseason celebration to signify October is his time.

When Lewis went deep to right to lead off the third inning, he became the second Twins player in history with a multihomer postseason game. Gaetti in Game 1 of the 1987 ALCS was the first.

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