Bradley Strikes Out 11 as Twins Defeat Astros 8-3

Bradley’s Dominant Start

Taj Bradley delivered a masterclass in pitching control, striking out 11 batters while allowing just one earned run over five innings. His performance earned the win, improving his record to 7-3. Bradley faced 24 batters, issuing five walks and allowing four hits, but his ability to miss bats kept the Houston Astros’ offense in check during his tenure on the mound.

Early Scoring and Offensive Surge

The Twins established an early lead in the first inning when Bell launched a 452-foot home run to center field, driving in Larnach to make it 2-0. Houston responded later in the frame when Paredes grounded into a double play, allowing Altuve to score, but the Twins’ offense quickly regained momentum.

In the second inning, Clemens homered 399 feet to right-center, a three-run blast that extended the lead to 5-1 by bringing home Keaschall and Lee.

Minnesota’s offense continued to pressure the Astros’ bullpen in the fifth inning. Larnach singled to center, allowing Caratini and Keaschall to score, pushing the margin to 7-1. The Twins added insurance in the eighth inning when Keaschall hit a 373-foot home run to left-center, finalizing the 8-3 scoreline.

Astros’ Offensive Struggles and Pitching Changes

Houston’s starting pitcher, Tatsuya Imai, struggled significantly, giving up five runs on four hits and five walks in just 1.1 innings. He took the loss, dropping his record to 5-4. The Astros attempted to stabilize their pitching staff with AJ Blubaugh, who pitched 2.2 innings without allowing an earned run, and Nate Pearson, who gave up two earned runs in 1.0 inning.

Miguel Ullola and Bryan Abreu closed out the game, combining for two scoreless innings and six strikeouts, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Relief Support and Final Record

The Twins’ bullpen provided crucial support behind Bradley’s start. Cody Laweryson pitched 0.2 innings, Andrew Morris recorded the save with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, Taylor Rogers pitched a perfect inning, and Yoendrys Gomez closed the game with a scoreless frame. The victory improved Minnesota’s record to 42-46, while the Astros fell to 43-46.

The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with an attendance of 29,179.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815987