Twins vs Astros Recap: Young Twins Fall 4-6 in Week 66 Showdown

The Twins came to Houston hungry for a win after losing 5-4 the night before. You could feel the energy shift in the first inning. Victor Caratini got hit by a pitch, and Trevor Larnach scored to make it 1-0 Minnesota. Then Ryan Kreidler smacked a single to left field, and two more runs crossed home on an error. The Twins led 3-0 before Houston even got a chance to bat. But wait—the Astros weren't done yet. In the fourth inning, things got wild fast. Yainer Diaz singled. Jose Altuve walked. Then Yordan Alvarez stepped up and launched a monster home run deep to right-center field. The ball rocketed 395 feet, and suddenly all four runs scored. Houston was up 6-3 just like that.

The Twins weren't going to roll over and quit. In the fifth inning, Josh Bell stepped up to the plate and crushed a double into center field. Kody Clemens raced home, and Minnesota cut the deficit to 4-6. This was a crucial moment for the visitors. Every run mattered now, and the Twins were fighting back hard. The game had flipped from an early Minnesota blowout to a tight battle. Houston's starting pitcher Mike Burrows was in control through five innings, but the Twins kept scratching and clawing for runs. The energy was electric. You could feel momentum shifting back and forth like a seesaw. Minnesota's pitching was getting shaky though. Joe Ryan had given up all six runs already. The bullpen needed to shut things down to give the Twins a chance to come back later in the game.

The rest of the game became a defensive battle. Eric Orze came in for Minnesota and pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts. Marco Raya threw two more scoreless innings after that. But the Astros had already built their lead to 6-4. Houston's bullpen locked it down tight. Enyel De Los Santos, Steven Okert, Bryan King, and closer Josh Hader combined for three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. The Twins never scored again. When the final out was recorded, Houston had won 6-4. The Astros improved to 43-45 on the season, staying alive in a tight race. Minnesota fell to 41-46, needing to find their footing. Yordan Alvarez was the star for Houston with his clutch home run. The Twins fought back but couldn't quite finish the job against the Astros' pitching staff.