Down on one knee? Astudillo proposes HR

MINNEAPOLIS -- Willians Astudillo is indeed married, so he only goes down to one knee on the baseball diamond these days -- and it's usually for good reason.

On Tuesday night, that occasion was when he crushed a two-run, go-ahead blast off Dallas Keuchel in the bottom of the sixth inning. The force of the hands-in swing on a ball inside and off the plate sent him to one knee as he watched the line drive soar into the left-field bleachers, sending the Twins to an eventual 4-3 win over the first-place White Sox.

"You're really never sure what he's going to do," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Sometimes, he does more damage on pitches six inches above the zone or in or down, you really don't know. He's a guy that does cover different areas in unique ways and can throw some loops at the opposing team and the opposing pitchers."

Yes, Astudillo watched the flight of the ball from his knee-down stance, and sure, he walked out of the box and flung his bat aside toward his dugout, but if you'd believe it, there's plenty more creativity to be had there when he wants to dig for it.

How do we know this?

Ask those in attendance at the playoff matchup between Astudillo's Caribes de Anzoátegui and Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League during January 2019, when "La Tortuga" hit a similar home run that proved the game-winner. (There's video evidence, too, if you don't know anyone who was there.)

After crushing a pitch off Deolis Guerra that soared into the vicinity of the foul pole, Astudillo realized that the ball was long gone -- but there was some question as to whether it would be fair or foul. So, he decided to wait it out at home plate, going down to a knee and resting an elbow on his bat as he watched. Once the ball landed fair, he strode out of the box and began a jubilant trip around the bases.

It's clear, then, that Astudillo has his kneeling form down and would likely make Adrián Beltré proud. The version against the White Sox just had fewer theatrics -- out on the field, at least.

"Oh boy, he talks," teammate Miguel Sanó said of Astudillo's chatter when he returned to the dugout. "He never stays quiet. He never stays quiet.

"He says, 'I am the best hitter. I am the best hitter. I am the best hitter.' He got a great opportunity in the moment to hit a homer for us, and that's what won us the game."

Maybe it would have been more of a public show if Yermín Mercedes had still been around.

"I don't think I even remember seeing [the kneel]," Baldelli said. "I just saw it leave the bat and go out of the ballpark."