3 Twins who can keep Minnesota alive in ALDS with Game 4 performances

1. Joe Ryan can't put the Twins in a hole with a poor start

While it's easy to criticize the lack of runs -- and deserved given the hapless offensive performance from the Twins overall in Game 3 -- it's always a tough ask for a ball club to overcome an immediate 4-0 hole. But that's the situation that Tuesday's starter, Sonny Gray, put his team in on Tuesday.

Gray got shelled in the first inning, initially giving up an RBI single to Kyle Tucker but then causing real damage against his team when he hung a sweeper to Jose Abreu that the veteran tattooed for a 442-foot three-run home run, putting the Twins at a four-run disadvantage before they ever stepped up to the plate. Not to mention, it also killed the vibes from the home crowd.

Against a lineup as dangerous as the Astros', that's going to happen from time to time. With playoff livelihood hanging in the balance on Wednesday in Game 4, though, it simply can't. So that puts a mountain of pressure on the shoulders of the scheduled starter, Joe Ryan.

After posting a 4.51 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in the regular season, Ryan has yet to take the mound in these playoffs. Thus, he's being called upon in a massive spot starting an elimination game with quite a bit of rust since he last pitched for the Twins. And yet, they need him to deliver more than ever on Wednesday.

Make no mistake, this will be an all-hands-on-deck effort for Rocco Baldelli's team. Ryan likely won't be stretched far before the Twins turn to the bullpen -- the same of which is true at the first sign of trouble. But it would be a massive win for Minnesota if Ryan can come out and deliver a dominant start, which we've seen he's more than capable of. There's just never been a moment wherein the Twins have needed it more.