Astros 4, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS -- Eight days after throwing a no-hitter, Mike Fiers delivered another gem as the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Saturday night at Target Field.
Fiers, working seven days after throwing a career-high 134 pitches and holding the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless on Aug. 21, allowed three hits and one run in six-plus innings, improving to 2-0 since being dealt to the Astros from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30. He also walked three and struck out five.
In four starts since the trade, Fiers has allowed two earned runs. The win improved his record to 7-9 overall this season and lowered his ERA to 3.54.
Down by four runs after 3 1/2 innings, the Twins had multiple opportunities to get back into the game against Fiers.
Minnesota loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but could muster just one after a double play by third baseman Trevor Plouffe helped stifle a rally.
Twins second baseman Brian Dozier led off the sixth with a double but was left stranded at third base.
The first two batters also reached against Fiers in the seventh, ending his night. But Astros reliever Will Harris sandwiched two strikeouts around a flyout to shallow right, keeping the lead at three runs.
Dozier led off the eighth with the double against right-hander Pat Neshek and Joe Mauer followed with a one-out infield single to put runners at the corners, but Neshek got Miguel Sano to strike out on three pitches and Plouffe to ground out softly back to the mound.
Mauer's hit was Minnesota's only one with runners in scoring position as the Twins went 1-for-14 and stranded seven runners on base.
Luke Gregerson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 25th save.
Houston got on the board in the third inning when designated hitter Evan Gattis swatted an RBI single down the left-field line. Gattis was thrown out trying to advance to second base, ending the inning with a runner on third.
A three-run fourth ended the night of Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey. The Astros started the inning with back-to-back singles. First baseman Luis Valbuena doubled into the right-field corner to score two, and a broken-bat single up the middle by left fielder Jake Marisnick scored Valbuena to make it 4-0.
Marisnick's hit knocked Pelfrey from the game after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs (all earned), seven hits and two walks.
Minnesota had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out for Plouffe. But he rolled into a 5-4-3 double play, short-circuiting the threat. A run scored on the play, but the inning was over one batter later when left fielder Eddie Rosario popped out to second.
NOTES: Astros SS Carlos Correa was not in the lineup Saturday. Correa missed his third consecutive game with a sore left hamstring. ... Astros C Jason Castro was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps. ... Houston recalled C Max Stassi from Triple-A Fresno. Stassi has seven hits and four RBIs in 20 at-bats with the Astros this season. ... Twins 3B/DH Miguel Sano returned to the lineup as the designated hitter and batted fourth. Sano missed Friday's game with a sore right hamstring. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer returned to the lineup after a routine day of rest on Friday. It was just the third day off for Mauer this season, who is on pace for a career high in both at-bats and games played. ... The Astros and Twins will wrap-up a three-game series at Target Field on Sunday afternoon. Houston righty Lance McCullers (5-4, 3.12 ERA) will oppose Minnesota right-hander Ervin Santana (2-4, 6.05 ERA).