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.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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