If the Minnesota Twins pull off a win in Game 4 on Wednesday night, you can be sure that Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker will have some regrets over his comments ahead of the contest. There's never a good time to give your opposition free motivation and bulletin board material, but the postseason might be the worst time to hand it out like Halloween candy.
The Twins should already be as motivated as ever going into a potential closeout game. Their backs are against the wall, season on the line. Baker got coky answering questions before Game 4, though, and it could give them even more oomph.
Dusty Baker makes a bold proclamation about Game 4 for Astros
Asked who the team plans to start in an "if necessary" Game 5, Baker said that he wouldn't name a starter because the team is operating as-if that game won't be played. That is to say, the Astros want to close the ALDS on Wednesday.
While Justin Verlander is on the line for Game 1 of the ALCS if the Astros make it, it's unclear if Baker would move his timeline up for a possible Game 5 or if he would save him for that forthcoming Game 1 even if the Astros are forced into a winner-take-all Game 5.
Game 4 is ever-important, and giving undue motivation right now is, well, an interesting strategy to say the least. Obviously, the Astros expect to win, but this is a somewhat cocky way to put it out in the public eye.
Losing to the Twins would not only force a final game of the series, but it would hand momentum to Minnesota at the worst possible time. Furthermore, the Rangers await them after sweeping the Baltimore Orioles.
Houston or Minnesota will get at least one day off before that series starts on Sunday, but the Rangers are getting four days of rest. Whether or not that much rest creates an actual advantage is up for debate.
Dusty Baker doesn't think Game 5 exists. The Twins should want to give him a rude awakening and show him that it does.
Bold statement, let's see how it plays!
