How Houston Astros can regain rhythm and snap skid in Minnesota
BACK ON TRACK
03 April
BACK ON TRACK
The Houston Astros will try to end a three-game losing streak when they take on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Target Field.
Both teams enter at 2-4 and will look to gain early-season momentum. Houston hands the ball to Hunter Brown (0-1, 3.00 ERA), who struck out seven in his season debut but took the loss. Minnesota counters with Joe Ryan (0-0, 1.80 ERA), who was sharp in his first outing, allowing just one run with five strikeouts.
Houston’s offense has struggled to find consistency, averaging just 2.0 runs per game during its losing streak. The Astros will look for a spark against a Twins pitching staff that posted a 4.27 ERA last season and has been solid early this year.
Minnesota, which finished 82-80 last year, relies on strong pitching and averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023. The Twins also play well at home, going 43-38 at Target Field last season.
Houston hopes to get its bats going and avoid falling deeper into an early-season hole.
Here's a look at the lineup Joe Espada is rolling with in Game 1. Mauricio Dubon will make the start in center field over Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick, which makes sense considering Meyers and McCormick's struggles with the bat.
On the road.
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Meyers hasn't recorded a hit since Opening Day, and McCormick struck out three times in the finale versus the Giants. Victor Caratini will start over Yainer Diaz at catcher, giving Espada another left-handed bat in the lineup. Diaz only has two hits on the season, so maybe the team can find an offensive spark with Caratini. Brendan Rodgers will start at second base, with Dubon penciled in center field.
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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.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
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.