![Minnesota Twins' Luis Arraez, left, is tagged out by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as he attempted to score on a Marwin Gonzalez single in the fifth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. Minnesota Twins' Luis Arraez, left, is tagged out by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as he attempted to score on a Marwin Gonzalez single in the fifth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Minneapolis.](https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2020/09/30/JTUM7HKYTJHCFGBEGJ2S5J3QGA.jpg?w=535)
Carlos Correa hit a two-out, tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning for the Houston Astros, who produced another stifling pitching performance and swept Minnesota with a 3-1 victory Wednesday that sent the Twins to a record 18th straight postseason loss.
Nine months after Houston’s rules-breaking, sign-stealing system was revealed, the Astros advanced to the Division Series in Los Angeles. As the sixth seed, they’ll face the Oakland Athletics or Chicago White Sox in a best-of-five matchup starting Monday at Dodger Stadium.
The Twins are 0-18 in the playoffs since winning Game 1 of their Division Series at the New York Yankees on Oct. 5, 2004, a total of seven rounds lost. Since that date, the Astros are 43-35 in postseason play, winning 10 of 15 rounds with three trips to the World Series.
Kyle Tucker hit two RBI singles for the Astros and made a key throw from left field for the inning-ending out in the fifth.
Rookie Cristian Javier worked three hitless innings in relief for the victory in his postseason debut and Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth against his former team, giving the Houston bullpen a total of 9 2/3 scoreless innings in this wild card series with three hits allowed.