How Houston Astros bounce back starts with a 'Diesel' push
STONE COLD 'STROS
04 April
The Astros beat the Twins, 5-2. Photo by David Berding/Getty Images.
Christian Walker and Jeremy Peña homered and Brendan Rodgers had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Hunter Brown (2-0) gave up two runs in the first and shut down the Twins the rest of the way, allowing five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in six innings. The 26-year-old righty retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.
Bryan King, Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader pitched scoreless innings in relief. Hader earned his third save.
Twins starter Joe Ryan (0-2) allowed five runs on five hits and struck out six over five innings.
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of its home opener. Matt Wallner led off with drive to the warning track that got stuck under the padding on the wall in right-center. He reached third base on the play, then scored on Carlos Correa’s groundout. Byron Buxton followed with an infield single. He stole second and scored on Trevor Larnach’s line-drive single to left-center.
The Astros got those runs back when Walker and Peña started the second with back-to-back homers.
Rodgers put the Astros on top for good with a two-run single in the fourth and drove in Victor Caratini with a double in the sixth to make it 5-2.
Key moment
With runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, a Ryan balk moved both runners into scoring position. The Twins brought their infield in, and Rodgers chopped a single just past a diving Correa at shortstop, scoring both on a ball that could have been an inning-ending double play.
Don't miss the video below as Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan from Stone Cold 'Stros react live to the win on YouTube!
Key stat
Jose Altuve struck out five times, the first five-strikeout game in his 15-year MLB career.
Up next
RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 27.00) of the Twins will face Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (1-0, 1.50) on Saturday.
Jeremy Peña had a season-high four hits, capped by a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, to give the Houston Astros a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
JP3 for the lead!!!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/YMcU3GzjBM
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2025
The Astros trailed by 1 when Zach Dezenzo singled with one out in the eighth and was lifted for pinch-runner Chas McCormick. Mauricio Dubón’s second double of the game dropped into the left field corner and scored McCormick, tying the game and chasing Michael Lorenzen (3-4).
DUBI TIES IT UP!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/lgwkhrX4iK
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2025
Carlos Estévez took over and Peña lined his third pitch into left field, sending Dubón home and putting the Astros on top.
Josh Hader walked one in a scoreless ninth for his 10th save after Bryan King (1-0) threw a scoreless eighth for the win.
Isaac Paredes homered for a second straight game for the Astros after his shot in the ninth inning Tuesday night lifted them to the 2-1 win.
Maikel Garcia homered and doubled as the Royals built a 3-1 lead.
Dubón’s first double came with one out in the sixth and he scored on a double by Peña to get the Astros within 3-2.
Houston’s Colton Gordon allowed seven hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings in his major league debut.
Lorenzen yielded seven hits and four runs in 7 1/3 innings for the loss.
Garcia put the Royals up 1-0 with his towering home run to start the second inning. There were two outs and two on in the inning when Jonathan India then smacked an RBI double off the left field wall to make it 2-0.
The Royals had runners at first and second with two outs in the third when Jake Meyers robbed Hunter Renfroe of extra bases with a nifty catch on the track in center.
Paredes homered in the fourth before Garcia’s RBI double that bounced off second base and into the outfield pushed the lead to 3-1.
Isaac ➡️ Crawford Boxes#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/yIo7pklYL0
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2025
Key moment
Dubón’s RBI double in the eighth that tied it and chased Lorenzen.
Key stat
Peña has been great in 16 games since moving to the leadoff spot and has five doubles, three homers, 15 RBIs and 28 hits.
Peña caught up with Julia Morales after the game to talk about the big win!
The @astros take the series vs KC with a 4-3 win!
After the game JP3 spoke with @JuliaMorales pic.twitter.com/uppWfUeEZE
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) May 15, 2025
Up next
The Royals are off Thursday and RHP Hunter Brown (6-1, 1.48 ERA) starts for Houston on Thursday night in the opener of a series at Texas with RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.72) on the mound.
