Astros 5, Twins 2: Houston Lifts Off Against Ryan

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (95 pitches, 58 strikes, 9 whiffs)
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-.247), Christian Vazquez (-.092), Willi Castro (-.045)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Longball Beats Ryan Early
Joe Ryan took the mound against the Houston Astros for the first time since facing them during the 2023 American League Division Series. Completing just two innings in that contest, and facing eight batters, he gave up a run on two hits. The Astros lineup is largely unchanged from that series, but the results have been substantially different this season.

After getting Jose Altuve out to open the game, Ryan walked Kyle Tucker and allowed Yordan Alvarez to kick off the scoring with a big fly. Down 2-0, after the first inning, Houston got Ryan again in the 2nd inning. Jose Abreu recently returned from his first trip to the minors, and he figured out enough with his swing to launch another Ryan ball into the seats. Tucker tagged Ryan for a dinger in the third inning, and he had now given up three on the day despite allowing just seven in his first 11 starts.

The Barrage Continues
Despite coming into the contest with a HR/9 below 1.0 for the first time in his career, Ryan saw regression in a major way against the Astros. Houston wasn’t done with the longball following the first three, as Alvarez got Ryan yet again, for Ryan’s fourth home run in the game. The designated hitter’s fifth inning solo shot made it a 5-0 ballgame and closed the book on Minnesota’s starter’s day.

It wasn’t until Manuel Margot started off the seventh inning with a single against Framber Valdez that the Twins put a tally in the hit column. Advancing to second base on a wild pitch, Margot scored Minnesota's first run when Jose Miranda singled and brought him home. Miranda, too, advanced on a wild pitch before Byron Buxton worked a seven-pitch walk. With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, the Twins had something cooking. But Willi Castro grounded out and one was all they would get.

Diego Does Work
Veteran Diego Castillo came on to work the sixth inning in relief of Ryan, and he shut down the Astros for two innings. Working around two hits and a walk, he struck out one and continued to keep the perfect 0.00 ERA since joining the Twins.

Finally getting to the Houston bullpen in the eighth inning, Minnesota immediately put runners on against Bryan Abreu. An Edouard Julien pinch-hit single and Carlos Santana walk had them in business with nobody out. Christian Vazquez continued his horrid season, killing the scoring chance with a double play. Max Kepler took Margot’s at bat and drew a walk, which extended the inning for Carlos Correa. The former Juice Box shortstop smacked a broken bat single to score Julien, but Ryan Jeffers couldn’t come through as the tying run.

Josh Staumont got the bottom of the inning for Minnesota, and while he continues to throw up zeroes, the velocity was noticeably down today. Topping out at 91.8 mph on his sinker, he was roughly 3 mph down from his season average. Josh Hader came on for the ninth inning and shut down the Twins in order. Buxton was robbed of a home run by Jake Meyers on a leap at the wall, but that was was the extent of a threat. Winning the series will be reliant on a win Sunday.

Notes
Royce Lewis got the day off for Triple-A St. Paul, and Sunday’s action should be his last before returning to the majors. Walker Jenkins had a three-hit day in FCL action, and Saints catcher Jair Camargo joined him on a rehab assignment, picking up a double.

What’s Next? 
Simeon Woods Richardson goes on Sunday against Hunter Brown as the Minnesota Twins wrap up a series with the Houston Astros. After an off-day on Monday, they’ll get the New York Yankees in The Bronx. Royce Lewis is expected to rejoin the team.

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