Target Field Crowd Provides Twins with 10th Man in Series Win Over Blue Jays

A cacophony of crowd noise rained down from the Target Field seats as Jhoan Duran prepared to throw the pitch. ‘Let’s go Twins, let’s go Twins’ rang the rhythmic chant. Duran released the pitch, a 101 mph laser above the strike zone that Daulton Varsho swung hopelessly at, and inevitably through. Target Field erupted again in a swell of excitement and relief.

Much has been made of the Target Field crowd; how it stacks up, and whether the atmosphere at the Twins ballpark meets the moment with enough regularity. Here are some things noticed from Wild Card games one and two, in an attempt to add some nuance to the debate.

Ahead of the Twins first game against the Blue Jays, Dan Hayes caused a stir in an article for The Athletic in which former and current players and journalists were critical of the atmosphere at Target Field. This was bait, and boy did Twins Twitter latch on. Any argument on social media is quickly reduced to its simplest, polar terms as quickly as possible. Two sides quickly emerged; ‘Target Field is a library’ and ‘The Twins need to earn support with their play’ charged into an online battle.

The truth is, of course, there’s much more nuance to this discussion than emerged in most of the debate. For baseball fans lucky enough to be well-traveled, Target Field is a quieter ballpark, that’s not debatable. Visit Oracle, Dodger Stadium, and several others and the discrepancy is stark. It’s also true that playoff games at Target Field have been few and far between, and the Twins play in said games has been as drab and uninspiring as the October weather in the Twin Cities. There’s room for all of that to be true. Here are some observations of the atmosphere in each game.

During Game 1, I stood with several Twins Daily writers on the 100 level down the third base line. ‘If Pablo can throw a scoreless inning, and the Twins offense can do something’ it’ll get the crowd worked up’, was our shared sentiment. The crowd was immediately electrified by Royce Lewis’ two-run home run off Kevin Gausman. 

In addition to 20 years of emotional baggage associated with breaking their 0-18 playoff streak, there were plenty of moments in Game 1 to keep the crowd engaged. Gausman throwing away baseball after baseball elicited boos and loud ‘Gauuuuuusman’ chants. Royce Lewis’ second home run in as many at-bats, Carlos Correa's herculean effort to nab Bo Bichette at home plate after a botched play at third by Jorge Polanco. The pacing and spacing of these events crescendoed with the Twins shrugging off almost 20 years of playoff futility and misery. The energy was incredible.

Game 2 was a different experience, with a different context. The crowd at the beginning of game two was absolutely more quiet. Target Field was packed to the rafters. There was a nervous, horse, hungover feel to the place for a tense first few innings.

The crowd in Game 2 was more engaged with Sonny Gray than the offense, (the offense did very little until the fourth inning when Kikuchi entered the game). Gray had traffic constantly, it felt like he needed it more. When Donovan Solano walked to load the bases with no outs and Correa at the plate, everything changed. From that moment on, the crowd was electric. No play captures this more than the pickoff play in the fifth inning which served as a death knell to the Blue Jays’ hopes in the series. The stealthy creep by Correa was incredible, the dart from Gray was perfect, and the deafening noise from the Target Field crowd built the foundation on which that play was executed. In his postgame comments, Gray reflected on the impact of the crowd, noting that it was so loud, that the Blue Jays base runners couldn’t hear the instructions of their third base coach. The most important defensive play in the decisive game of the series was made possible by the Target Field crowd meeting the moment.

There’s something uniquely Minnesotan about seeking a feeling of relevance. We want our sporting heroes to espouse a love for the state. We don’t want our ballpark to be compared to Citizens Bank. The truth is, Target Field won’t be louder than Philly, LA, or Baltimore, and that doesn’t matter one bit. Twins fans, for the first time in a quarter century, are experiencing, however short-lived, a playoff run. We’re learning to create and cultivate our own special atmosphere at Target Field. In a two-game series against the Blue Jays, it energized the players and had an impact on a series-altering play. The only thing I can be certain of is it’ll be just as raucous when the Astros visit for Game 3 on Tuesday.

Did you attend either game? Watch on TV? What was your take on the Target Field crowd?