Twins 6, Astros 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- On a perfect night for baseball at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins came from behind for the second straight game and beat the Houston Astros, 6-4.
Twins starter Kyle Gibson was far from perfect. He was gone after giving up four runs and nine hits in three innings. But Anthony Swarzak came in to right the Twins' listing ship.
Swarzak pitched three strong innings of almost-perfect relief, issuing only a single walk and striking out five, to give the Twins a chance.
Astros starter Erik Bedard wavered in the early innings giving up three runs, but shut down the home squad through six innings. Bedard threw 104 pitches and gave up just six hits and two walks, while striking out six.
Lucas Harrell relieved Bedard in the seventh with a 4-3 lead, and Clete Thomas led off with a double to left. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Doug Bernier and then scored to tie the game on Brian Dozier's double -- his second extra base hit of the game.
After a pair of walks, Ryan Doumit singled to center to score Dozier and give the Twins a 5-4 lead.
Oswaldo Arcia walked with the bases loaded to give the Twins a 6-4 lead.
The Astros banged out 10 hits on the night, but outside of the third inning, they weren't able to produce in the clutch.
Brian Duensing pitched the seventh and picked up the win. Casey Fien shut Houston down in order in the eighth, and Glen Perkins followed suit in the ninth for his 26th save.
NOTES: Coming into Saturday's game, the Twins bullpen ranked second in the American League with a 2.98 ERA, allowing just one earned run in their last 14 innings pitched. ... The Astros 17 combined home runs from their catchers are tied for first in the American League with Toronto -- and five behind the club record of 22. ... Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon tweaked his left wrist before the game in batting practice. He is day-to-day to start but was available to pinch run.
