Bradley's Dominant Start
Taj Bradley set the tone for the Minnesota Twins with a commanding performance on the mound, striking out 11 batters in five innings of work. His ability to neutralize the Houston Astros lineup early proved crucial, as he allowed only four hits and one earned run while walking three. Bradley secured the win, improving his record to 7-3 for the season. He was supported by a strong bullpen effort that kept the Astros off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game.
Early Offense Sets the Pace
The Twins jumped on the board in the first inning when Bell launched a 452-foot home run to center field, driving in two runs and giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead. The Astros answered in the same frame, with Altuve scoring on a ground ball by Paredes that resulted in a double play, making it 2-1. The momentum shifted decisively in the second inning when Clemens homered to right-center field, a 399-foot shot that brought in two more runs and extended the Twins' lead to 5-1.
Bullpen Holds Firm
After the Twins added another run in the fifth inning on a single by Larnach that scored Caratini and Keaschall, the game settled into a rhythm controlled by the pitchers. The Houston starting pitcher, Tatsuya Imai, took the loss after pitching 1.1 innings and allowing five earned runs on four hits. He was relieved by AJ Blubaugh, who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, followed by Nate Pearson and Miguel Ullola, who combined to pitch three scoreless frames. Bryan Abreu closed out the game with two innings of work, allowing one earned run and three strikeouts.
Late Inning Runs and Final Score
The Twins continued to pile on runs in the sixth inning. Loperfido singled to left field, scoring Matthews, and later Allen singled to right, bringing in Smith and moving Loperfido to third. The final run came in the eighth inning when Keaschall homered to left-center field, a 373-foot blast that sealed the 8-3 victory. The game, played on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at Daikin Park, drew an attendance of 29,179. The Twins improved their record to 42-46, while the Astros fell to 43-46.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815987
