Astros crush four home runs off Joe Ryan in 5-2 win over Twins

HOUSTON – The rosters have changed, the Astros have a losing record and the stakes are much lower in June than in October. Still, it’s possible to have flashbacks this weekend to last year’s American League Division Series.

Yordan Alvarez made sure of that.

Alvarez, who hit four homers when these teams met in the postseason last fall, hit a Joe Ryan slider more than 400 feet into the right-field upper deck in the first inning Saturday, then sizzled a long line in the same direction in fifth. , leading the Houston Astros to a 5-2 victory over the Twins at Minute Maid Park that looked much more lopsided than the score.

Kyle Tucker also hit Ryan, Tucker’s 19th of the season, as did José Abreu, the former AL MVP who had just one extra base hit all season, struggling so mightily that he was sent to the minor leagues for a month.

“It’s just frustrating. I don’t know where the Tucker (pitch) was, but everyone else was run exactly where we wanted them to be,” said Ryan, who hadn’t allowed a homer in his last 18 games. sleeves. “The command was there and we executed the game plan perfectly. It’s really frustrating.”

It was Ryan’s fourth career start with four or more home runs, and it gave the Twins four different pitchers who allowed 10 or more home runs. No other major league team has more than two.

“Compared to his last two starts, where he was throwing the ball fantastic, Joe worked a little more behind today, which made his life a little more difficult,” Twins manager Rocco said. Baldelli. “A couple of the home runs, the pitches are actually pretty decent pitches. They’re not pitches that you would expect in the seats. … (But) Alvarez, he’s a really good player.”

One Astro who was definitely not the same as last October was left-hander Framber Valdez, the only Houston starter to suffer a loss in the ALDS. This time, Valdez was unhittable for six innings, facing a minimum of 18 batters during that span.

Valdez struck out only four, but the sinker recorded nine outs on ground balls. And when the Twins hit the ball into the outfield, Tucker and Jake Meyers were there to make some spectacular catches, robbing Kyle Farmer, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton of extra base hits.

“Tucker made some good plays. If you have just an average right fielder today, we’re probably running around the bases, scoring a few points early and the game changes,” Baldelli said. “But he turned those good swings into outs, and we were kind of kept at bay for a while.”

Manuel Margot finally broke up the no-hitter in the seventh inning, leading off by laying down a ground ball right after a diving Jose Altuve, and Jose Miranda finally hit him on a single to break the shutout.

Was Margot aware that the Twins hadn’t had a hit in the first six innings?

“Not really. We know at some point we’re going to strike,” Margot said. Upon hearing it, Farmer said, “I was screaming for no hits in the damn dugout!”

BOX SCORE: Houston 5, Twins 2

Regardless, Valdez completed seven innings for the fourth time this season, allowing just two hits and that one run.

The Twins scored again once Valdez was gone, with Correa picking off Edouard Julien against Bryan Abreu in the eighth, but a bigger inning was prevented when Christian Vázquez grounded into a double play with two runners on base.

Houston’s defense could have prevented another run in the ninth when Buxton hit a Josh Hader fastball against the center field wall, 409 feet. Meyers made a jumper to prevent additional bases, and Buxton held his helmet high in tribute as he returned to the dugout.

“We had some opportunities,” Baldelli said. “There just wasn’t much we could do.”