TWINS TAKE THE SERIES

Clutch hitting eludes Astros as they drop series to Twins

Astros Hunter Brown, Jeremy Pena
Twins defeat Astros, 4-3. Composite Getty Image.

Jose Miranda hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth, helping the Minnesota Twins top the Houston Astros 4-3 on Sunday.

“He’s really done so many different things in the lineup for us,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He just plays. He doesn’t get distracted, he doesn’t get caught up in any anything. He’s just ready to play baseball and he’s done a nice job.”

Trevor Larnach also went deep for Minnesota, which took two of three in the weekend series. Steven Okert (2-0) got two outs for the win, and Jhoan Duran handled the ninth for his 10th save.

Miranda's sixth homer of the season — a one-out drive to left-center off Hunter Brown — tied it at 3.

Larnach reached on a leadoff walk in the eighth against Ryan Pressly (0-3). Pinch-runner Manuel Margot moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Jeffers and scored on Miranda's grounder down the third base line.

Larnach got Minnesota an early lead when he homered on Brown's fourth pitch of the game. The leadoff drive was Larnach's sixth homer this season.

Alex Bregman and Victor Caratini went deep for Houston, which lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Bregman’s fourth homer in five games — a two-run shot in the third — gave the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Houston had a shot to take the lead in the seventh. José Abreu walked with one out before a bunt single by Chas McCormick chased Jorge Alcalá.

He was replaced by Okert, and Bregman singled on a grounder to left with two down. But the Astros came up empty when Yordan Alvarez flied out.

Brown struck out seven in six innings. He permitted three runs and five hits.

“Hunter did a phenomenal job,” manager Joe Espada said. “He was really, really good, gave us a chance to win. We just couldn’t do enough to pull off that win.”

Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson, who grew up in suburban Houston, allowed three hits and three runs with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two homers Sunday after giving up just two in his previous eight starts this season.

The right-hander said it was a dream come true to pitch in a ballpark where he watched so many games growing up as an Astros fan. He also said he had too many friends and family at the game to count.

“But once we step on the field, it’s competitive nature and I can flip the switch easy,” he said. “It’s one thing watching, being a fan, but once you’re competing it’s a different ballgame.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: 3B Royce Lewis (severe quadriceps strain) is scheduled to complete a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday and should come off the injured list Tuesday. Lewis, who has been out since he was injured on opening day, has been with St. Paul since May 25.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (5-3, 4.89 ERA) starts the opener of a series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (3-2, 3.26 ERA) opposes St. Louis RHP Kyle Gibson (4-2, 3.60 ERA) in the first of three games with the Cardinals on Monday night.

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Astros beat the Mariners 4-2. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead two-run homer off former Houston reliever Ryne Stanek in the seventh inning, and the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Saturday night to take sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time this year.

Stuck playing catchup through the first 3½ months of the season, Houston has won six of eight to climb into first place all alone.

Seattle lost its fifth straight and fell out of first place for the first time since May 11.

Meyers drove a 1-2 pitch from Stanek (6-3) to right-center field for his 11th homer. Stanek opened the inning by walking Jeremy Peña, and the homer by Meyers cost George Kirby the chance at a victory after he allowed one run in six innings.

Yainer Diaz added a solo homer in the eighth off reliever Trent Thornton that bounced off the top of the wall.

Julio Rodríguez snapped Seattle’s 14-inning scoreless drought when his two-run homer off Framber Valdez gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead in the sixth. It was his 11th of the season and Rodríguez nearly hit a second longball in the eighth off Ryan Pressly only to watch Trey Cabbage make a leaping catch at the wall in right field.

It was one of two terrific defensive plays by the Astros in the eighth as Joey Loperfido ended the inning with a diving grab of Mitch Garver’s drive into the left-field corner and saved one run from scoring.

Valdez pitched 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, four walks and struck out six. Tayler Scott (7-3) got the final out of the sixth before Bryan Abreu, Pressly and Josh Hader closed out the final three innings. Hader earned his 20th save.

Kirby allowed four hits and struck out six. Houston’s only run off him came on Peña’s infield single that scored Alex Bregman in the fourth.

UNUSUAL STRIKEOUT

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez struck out to end the first inning when he was called for a pitch-clock violation for not being ready in the box prior to a 3-2 delivery from Kirby.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHPs Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) threw bullpens. Verlander threw about 40 pitches with increased intensity, while Garcia threw 15 pitches. Both are expected to throw again sometime early next week. … C Victor Caratini (hip) was expected to catch for a second straight day at Double-A Corpus Christi.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Ronel Blanco (9-4, 2.56 ERA) has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts, but lost to Texas in his last outing before the All-Star break.

Mariners: RHP Bryan Woo (3-1, 2.45) will make just his second start since June 24. Woo allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings on July 12.

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