Carlos Correa's postseason leadership gives Twins teammates reason to believe

HOUSTON – Carlos Correa built a reputation for dominant performances in the postseason, and he's left a personal mark in each of the Twins' four playoff games this month.

There was his heads-up throw that turned into an out at the plate in Game 1 of the wild-card round. In Game 2 against Toronto, he was the mastermind behind a key pickoff play to help Sonny Gray out of a jam. Against his former team in Houston, he had five hits in eight at-bats with three doubles and three RBI across the first two games of the American League Division Series.

As the Twins return to Minnesota for Game 3 of the ALDS (3:07 p.m. Tuesday), Correa's teammates say it's not just all the big plays. His presence has just as much of an influence on their success.

"A lot of guys in our clubhouse maybe don't have the most playoff experience or these big-games, big-moments experience," said Pablo López, who pitched seven scoreless innings in the Twins' 6-2 win Sunday at Minute Maid Park. "He's such an incredible source of that kind of information. He keeps you accountable. He keeps you honest."

The Twins didn't view Sunday as a do-or-die game, but they knew a 2-0 hole in the best-of-five series would have been big trouble against the defending World Series champions.

Correa, as much as anybody, knew the importance of Sunday's Game 2. One day after he said it was paramount for the Twins to give López an early lead, he delivered an RBI double in the first inning. Then when he saw López between innings, he offered advice.

"He kept telling me, 'Think about it as a 0-0 game. You're the closer of every inning.' " López said. "There are a lot of things that no one can see that he does. He keeps you on the attack. He keeps you engaged in the game. You see what it takes to be engaged in the game to keep everyone like that. Carlos Correa is as good as it gets as a leader, a player and a teammate."

The Twins remained interested in Correa after his offseason deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fell through because of concerns with his medical exams. They were comfortable with their six-year, $200 million contract, the largest free-agent signing in franchise history, because they knew the intangibles Correa brought to the team.

After winning Game 2 in Houston, Correa sat in front of reporters at the postgame podium and almost offered a warning about what the Twins need to expect moving ahead.

"I know what happens when they lose a game," said Correa, who spent seven seasons with the Astros. "I've been on the other side. I know the speech and the meetings and all the stuff that happens. They'll be ready to go in the next game. So will we."

Correa missed the final two weeks of the regular season after aggravating plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He spent those two weeks preparing himself for the postseason.

Whether he dekes a runner on a wild pitch and pulls out a deft tag for an out — as he did in Game 1 against the Astros — or gives his teammates scouting reports on the pitchers, he finds ways to keep himself in the middle of everything.

"Carlos has seen these [pitchers] a lot," said Kyle Farmer, who hit a two-run homer off Framber Valdez on Sunday. "You ask about his approach, and that's what we did [Sunday]. He put a good approach together for us, and we worked through it."

Donovan Solano added: "Playoffs, I feel like I see another Carlos. He's prepared for these moments. It inspires us like we can do something special this year, something we'll remember our whole lives."

When Correa came to the plate with the bases loaded in the fifth inning Sunday, he knew exactly how Valdez and catcher Martín Maldonado wanted to attack him. Correa lined a low sinker, one below the strike zone, into center field for a two-run single.

"Carlos is a special human," Solano said. "A special talent in his thinking. He gives us heads-ups in every situation. Even the pickoff play with Sonny, he was prepared. He's thinking a lot. He lives for this."