Twins 7, Astros 5
MINNEAPOLIS -- Last winter, when the Minnesota Twins signed Ervin Santana to the richest free agent contract in franchise history, it was days like Sunday the club had in mind.
Santana pitched seven fantastic innings, scattering six hits, allowing no runs while striking out 10 batters as the Twins took the rubber of a three-game series, 7-5 over the Houston Astros at Target Field.
Santana had just one clean inning but was able to steer clear of trouble; five of the six hits allowed by Santana were singles and he didn't walk a batter.
Minnesota needed Santana's outing too. He became the first Twins starter to pitch at least six innings since Aug. 20, a span of eight games. Despite the recent rough patch by its starters, the win was Minnesota's eighth in its last 10 games.
The 10 strikeouts were easily a season-high for Santana, who fanned eight in his first start with the Twins on July 5 against Kansas City. It also turned around a horrid month for the veteran right-hander, who entered Sunday's game 0-3 with a 9.12 ERA in five August starts.
The Twins provided Santana with early run support off Astros right-hander Lance McCullers then put the game away by pounding Houston's bullpen in the late innings.
McCullers issued three walks in the first inning to load the bases with one out and Twins right fielder Eddie Rosario hit a sacrifice fly to right field for an early 1-0 lead.
McCullers retired 12 of the next 14 batters before walking designated hitter Miguel Sano for a second time with one out in the sixth. Two batters later, third baseman Eduardo Nunez crushed a full-count offering 419 feet off the facing of the second deck in left-center field, his fourth homer of the season and second of the series.
That was just the beginning.
Minnesota tacked on four more runs in the seventh off Astros relievers, capped by a two-run homer by Sano with one out in the inning to make it 7-0. The blast was Sano's 13th and gave the rookie 40 RBIs in 49 games as a big leaguer.
The big inning snapped an Astros franchise record of allowing three or fewer runs in 11 consecutive games dating back to Aug. 18.
Houston scored five runs in the ninth inning on the back of a three-run homer by first baseman Chris Carter and a two-run shot by second baseman Jose Altuve. The blast was Altuve's third hit of the day.
McCullers was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks in six innings of work.
NOTES: Astros SS Carlos Correa missed his fourth consecutive game with a left hamstring injury. Correa, who ran on the field before the game on Saturday, said he should be ready to return this week when Houston opens a three-game series at home against the Seattle Mariners. ... Twins OF Aaron Hicks began a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. Hicks has been sidelined with a strained right hamstring and could return to Minnesota this week. ... The Astros return home to open a three-game series with the Mariners on Monday at Minute Maid Park. ... The Twins are off Monday before opening a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.