HOUSTON — The Houston Astros clinched a triumphant 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins in a thrilling finish, sweeping the three-game series on Sunday. Victor Caratini played a pivotal role by leveling the game with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning before Mauricio Dubón sealed the win with a clutch walk-off single in the 10th.
As the 10th inning got underway, Jake Meyers found himself on second base and eagerly crossed home plate on Dubón’s decisive two-out single into left field, securing the Astros’ win. Starting pitcher Brandon Walter put on an impressive performance, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out nine batters over 6 2/3 innings. The bullpen trio of Shawn Dubin, Bennett Sousa, and Josh Hader (4-0) combined for a flawless 3 1/3 innings, ensuring a lock on Minnesota’s offense. This season, Walter has consistently limited opposition scoring, allowing only three earned runs across 17 2/3 innings in his three starts.
The highlight for the Twins came in the third inning when Brooks Lee smashed a home run, but it proved to be insufficient in the face of Houston’s resilience. Earlier, Jose Altuve had encountered adversity, being hit by a pitch to begin the seventh inning, followed by Caratini grounding into a double play and Meyers grounding out to end the threat. Ultimately, Cole Sands (3-3) endured the loss for the visitors.
A critical moment unfolded when Jeremy Peña initiated the ninth with a walk and a stolen base, advancing to third on Altuve’s single. Caratini’s sacrifice fly off Jhoan Duran brought Peña home to even the score, leading to extra innings.
Statistically, the Astros have been on a hot streak, having defeated Minnesota 3-2 on Saturday with Cam Smith’s walk-off heroics in the ninth. The team boasts a five-game win streak and has triumphed in 16 of their last 22 games, cementing their position at the top of the AL West with a five-game edge over second-place Seattle.
Looking ahead, Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2, 4.91 ERA) will take the mound on Monday to begin a four-game series against the Athletics, whose starting pitcher remains unannounced. Meanwhile, Minnesota will have a rest day before facing the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, with David Festa (1-1, 4.76) squaring off against Andrew Abbott (6-1, 1.87) in a three-game showdown.