The Houston Astros clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, thanks to rookie Cam Smith’s clutch hitting. Smith hit a decisive RBI single off closer Jhoan Duran with two outs in the ninth inning, marking his first career walkoff hit and helping extend the Astros’ winning streak to four games.
In a tightly contested matchup, both starting pitchers delivered strong performances. Houston’s Hunter Brown shined on the mound, allowing just three hits and two runs while recording a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings, maintaining a remarkable 1.88 ERA, the second-best in the American League. On the other side, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan matched him inning for inning before yielding two hits and two runs while striking out seven over seven innings.
In the third inning, Yainer Diaz blasted a two-run homer for the Astros, but the Twins responded in the fifth with a home run from Brooks Lee, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
There was a brief scare in the sixth inning when Brown hit Byron Buxton with a pitch, but the outfielder continued playing for that inning before being replaced due to a bruised elbow.
The Astros will look to continue their winning ways as they prepare for the series finale against the Twins, with Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson set to face Houston’s Brandon Walter.
This victory not only highlights the Astros’ resilience, especially under pressure, but also showcases the potential of their young players like Smith and Brown, who are stepping up in crucial moments. Fans can look forward to exciting performances as the season progresses.