What in the heck was that?

I got to go to the Twins-Astros game at Target Field on Friday. For a game in which the Twins walked away losers, it may have been the most interesting, entertaining roller coaster I can remember being on. 

Two things that my friend and I knew we would see at the game were the City Connect uniforms (I like the associated merch, the uniforms are fine) and Brooks Lee in his second game. Both came through, as the Twins wore the outfit they said they were going to. For his part, Lee did just fine too, and finished the game, his third of his career, still batting over. 500. 

And yet, Lee was overshadowed by Jose Miranda. He tied the Twins record for consecutive at bats with a hit by going 4-4 in the game against the Astros last night. It didn't help much, because the Twins were down by 8 runs through 8 1/2 innings. But this game won't be remembered for any of that.

It also won't be remembered for Kody Funderburk beaning Cesar Salazar and having the two exchange heated words up the first base line before Carlos Santana came in and played peacemaker. This came after Jose Altuve had to leave the game after being hit by a pitch. For what it's worth, Byron Buxton was hit earlier in the game as well, and Miranda was plunked today, with no flared tempers.

It might be remembered for one of the best catches I've ever seen.

Of course, I didn't see it with my eyes, but I was there! See, here I am on the Bally Sports North feed of the catch, as Loperfido disappeared in the corner. 

Not a great angle.

And while that catch may stand the test of time, last night it wasn't even the most wild part of the night. That was saved for the bottom of the 9th, which started with the Twins behind by 8. The Twins had already replaced Trevor Larnach with Manuel Margot, but Austin Martin and Kyle Farmer had stepped in to give Miranda and Carlos Santana the rest of the night off. Margot struck out, and Martin had a single, followed by a Farmer strikeout. And then the Twins were off.

They hit  three more singles, leading to 2 more runs, and Christian Vazquez coming to the plate. Sureley, this was the end of the road. 

Nope. Vazquez hit a ground rule double. The Twins were down by 5, and Willi Castro walked to load the bases, bringing Carlos Correa, who surely thought the game was over, came up with the bases loaded. And naturally, he hit it just into the flowers to bring it to within 1. For a game that started the bottom of the ninth with an 8 run deficit, the crowd was electric.

Margot struck out immediately thereafter but the point is, it was an incredible game up until that point, full of some of the weirdest, wildest stuff that I've ever seen. 

Oh, and I didn't even mention this play by Correa, which today Glen Perkins described as his best in a Twin uniform.

Or this one, by Altuve, which made me gush, maybe because he was running in our direction before he caught it.

What a game.