Astros 6, Twins 5
HOUSTON - Astros left fielder Trevor Crowe, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, delivered a walk-off single to lift Houston to a 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.
Houston (46-93) salvaged the finale of their seven-game homestand when shortstop Jonathan Villar opened the ninth with a single off Twins left-hander Brian Duensing (6-2). Villar moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Crowe drilled a 0-1 change-up to left field.
The Twins (61-77) were seeking to complete a 6-0 season sweep of Houston.
Astros right-hander Jordan Lyles logged his fourth consecutive start of at least six innings, discovering a groove after allowing a game-tying, three-run home run to Twins center fielder Alex Presley with one out in the third inning.
Lyles retired 11 consecutive batters after Presley won their 13-pitch standoff, departing with one out in the seventh inning when he plunked Oswaldo Arcia with a pitch with Ryan Doumit on first.
Presley fouled off six consecutive pitchers before blasting a 3-2 fastball into the right field seats for his first home run. That was the lone extra-base hit Lyles surrendered, and the Astros were quick to reclaim his lead when they scored solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
Twins right-hander Liam Hendriks never quite steadied himself after allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning. Houston third baseman Brett Wallace doubled home Jose Altuve with the first run, and Marc Krauss followed with a bases-loaded single before Brandon Barnes added a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Wallace for a 3-0 lead.
Trevor Crowe added an RBI single in the fourth that scored Altuve before Barnes greeted reliever Ryan Pressly with a run-scoring single in the fifth that scored Carter, who singled and stole his second base of the year. Pressly recovered to work 3 2/3 scoreless innings, setting the stage for the Twins to rally against the Astros' woebegone bullpen.
Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon doubled and scored off Astros left-hander Erik Bedard (4-10) in the eighth and, still armed with a one-run lead, Bedard allowed a leadoff home run to designated hitter Ryan Doumit, his 12th of the season, in the ninth that knotted the game.
NOTES: After closing last season with more road wins (35) than home victories (31) for the first time since 1999, the Twins are 33-41 on the road and 28-36 at Target Field this season. ... Twins C Joe Mauer, placed on the seven-day concussion list on Aug. 20, was transferred to the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. Mauer, who took batting practice at Target Field on Wednesday, has now missed 15 games. ... Astros RHP Edgar Gonzalez began a rehab assignment with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League Wednesday. Gonzalez, sidelined since May 26, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday with a right shoulder sprain.
