Astros 6, Twins 4: Walks Do Haunt

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan - 4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (91 pitches, 57 strikes (62.6% strikes))
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA (via Fangraphs): Joe Ryan (-0.49), Tristan Gray (-0.06), Brooks Lee/Austin Martin (-0.05)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

After a series win against the lowly Colorado Rockies, the Twins won the first game of the series against the Astros in a tight 5-4 win. The Twins took the field looking to climb closer to .500 and stay in the midst of the playoff picture, just over halfway through the season. They sent ace Joe Ryan to the mound; the Astros countered with offseason trade acquisition Mike Burrows.

The Twins showed a good approach against Burrows in the first inning, loading the bases with a single and two walks prior to Victor Caratini being hit by a pitch to take a 1-0 lead. Ryan Kriedler, playing center field for an ailing Byron Buxton, added to the lead with a single to left field.

The Astros made a little bit of noise right away in their own right, getting two runners on base in the bottom of the first before Ryan was able to get out of the inning without giving up any runs. 

Astros third baseman Raynel Delgado led off the bottom of the third with a double, and it looked like the Astros might score after a groundout moved him to third base with one out. Ryan had different plans, striking out Yordan Alvarez and then inducing a groundout off the bat of Isaac Paredes. 

The Astros broke through in the bottom of the fourth, however, in decisive fashion. After an RBI single off the bat of Yainer Díaz cut the Twins' lead to 3-1. Ryan struck out Nick Allen, but then walked the next two hitters, making it 3-2. Demoralizingly (and, as it turned out, fatally), Ryan appeared to be out of the inning on a called third strike to Jose Altuve, but Altuve challenged the call. It flipped from a vital strikeout to an RBI walk and brought Alvarez to the plate with the sacks still packed.

Then, Yordan Alvarez did what Yordan Alvarez does. 

The Twins answered with two two-out hits of their own in the top of the fifth, as a single by Kody Clemens and a double by Josh Bell trimmed the deficit to two runs. The bullpens for both teams were lights-out, not giving up any runs—which meant that the Twins never got any closer. For the Twins, Eric Orze and Marco Raya threw two scoreless innings apiece, while a contingent of four relievers for the Astros threw innings six through nine, finishing off with Josh Hader completing his eighth save of the season.

What’s Next?
The Twins will play a rubber match against the Astros on Wednesday evening, sending Taj Bradley (6-3, 3.98) to the mound, while the Astros will counter with Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36 ERA). 

Bradley is coming off of two solid starts against the Diamondbacks and Rockies and will look to continue a solid overall year to this point. In his most recent start against Colorado, he threw seven innings, giving up two runs and striking out seven in a Twins win. 

After tomorrow’s game, the Twins will spend an off day in New York prior to a three-game set against the Yankees.