Twins 3, Astros 2
HOUSTON - Left fielder Eddie Rosario delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run triple in the ninth inning and right-hander Ervin Santana shut down the Houston Astros for a second consecutive start in the Minnesota Twins' 3-2 victory Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Rosario hit a flare to deep right field off Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson (7-3) that right fielder George Springer failed to corral despite a diving try near the foul line. Second baseman Brian Dozier, who singled to open the ninth, and third baseman Trevor Plouffe (hit by pitch) scored to give the Twins (70-65) a critical two-run lead.
Santana (4-4) allowed one run on six hits and two walks while recording 11 strikeouts in eight innings. Santana surrendered one earned run on 12 hits and two walks with 21 strikeouts over 15 frames in his last two turns against Houston.
The Astros (74-62) rallied in the ninth, first behind a leadoff home run from third baseman Jed Lowrie - his seventh - and a single (Marwin Gonzalez) and two walks (Colby Rasmus and Springer) against Twins closer Kevin Jepsen. But with the bases loaded and two outs, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve lined out to center fielder Byron Buxton, whose speed enabled him to close on the line drive and make the sprawling catch.
Santana continued the momentum he established in his previous start against the Astros, retiring the first eight batters he faced before walking Houston catcher Hank Conger with two out in the second inning.
But as he would also do in the fifth inning after he lost his shutout bid, Santana closed the third with a called third strike against Springer.
Houston broke through with consecutive one-out singles in the fourth, but Santana induced an inning-ending double-play grounder off the bat of Lowrie to end the threat.
The Astros posted consecutive hits again in the fifth, but this time left fielder Preston Tucker followed Gonzalez's single with an RBI double to the left-center field gap for a 1-0 lead.
But a half-inning later that advantage vanished, thanks in large part to the Twins' speed.
After Buxton legged out a leadoff double, right fielder Aaron Hicks beat Houston starter Lance McCullers' throw to reach first on a bunt single.
Buxton took third on Hicks' infield hit and scored when Dozier rolled into a double play, knotting the score, 1-1.
McCullers surrendered one more hit before departing after seven innings, a one-out double to Rosario in the seventh. McCullers got shortstop Eduardo Escobar looking at a called third strike to cap that inning and his night, having allowed one run on three hits and two walks.
Of McCullers' eight strikeouts, five were looking, including both in the seventh inning. He threw 103 pitches, including 61 strikes.
NOTES: Twins RF Torii Hunter was absent from the starting lineup as he continues to battle a prolonged slump. Hunter is batting only .100/.194/.117 over his last 18 games (17 starts) and has not hit a home run since Aug. 7 in Cleveland. Hunter has 18 home runs this season but has been stuck on 349 career homers since his ninth-inning blast off Indians RHP Bryan Shaw. ... Astros RHP Scott Feldman began a throwing program, the next step toward reclaiming his spot in the rotation after departing in the third inning on Tuesday night with shoulder discomfort. Feldman is expected to miss at least one turn in the rotation. ... Twins DH Miguel Sano continues to deal with a strained right hamstring that kept him out of the lineup on Thursday. Sano finished 1-for-4 on Friday night, but was laboring noticeably while attempting to jog out a ground ball in the fourth inning.