Bichette on baserunning error: 'I thought I was going to be safe'
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette was thrown out at the plate as the final out of the top of the fourth inning as the Jays fell 3-1 to the Minnesota Twins in Game 1 of their American League Wild Card Series.
With two out and Bichette on second as one of two Blue Jay runners on base, Kevin Kiermaier hit a shallow chopper to the left side that got under the glove of Jorge Polanco for a base hit. Shortstop Carlos Correa came over to back up the play as the ball trickled toward the outfield while Bichette blew through a stop sign from third base coach Luis Rivera. Correa threw home and got Bichette by several feet, causing the Jays' shortstop pounded the ground in frustration.
The play kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard as the Twins continued to lead 3-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth inning.
"I mean, I went because I thought I was going to be safe," he told reporters after the game. "I was being aggressive, but I thought I was going to be safe."
"I thought it was worth a chance," Bichette added. "I thought he'd have to make a great play to get me out and he did."
The 25-year-old finished 2-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's Game 1 loss.
Minnesota scored all three of their runs on two separate home runs from Royce Lewis off Kevin Gausman. The blast made him just the second player in Twins history to homer twice in a postseason game, joining Gary Gaetti from 1987. Kevin Kiermaier drove in the lone run for the Jays with an RBI single.
Game 2 will go Wednesday afternoon from Target Field in Minneapolis with Jose Berrios taking the mound against Sonny Gray. If necessary, Game 3 will take place Thursday afternoon.