Astros Edge Twins 3-2 with Late Walkoff Hit

In a nail-biting finish, rookie Cam Smith delivered a tiebreaking RBI single off closer Jhoan Duran, clinching a 3-2 victory for the Houston Astros against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. The decisive hit came with two outs in the ninth inning, marking Smith's first career walkoff hit.

Duran (4-2) faced trouble after walking Christian Walker with one out. A subsequent two-out single from Jake Meyers advanced Walker to third base, setting the stage for Smith's grounder to center that brought Meyers home. This win extended Houston's winning streak to four games.

On the mound, Josh Hader (3-0) secured the win for the Astros, striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning. Both starting pitchers showcased their skills; Houston's Hunter Brown struck out a career-high 12 batters while allowing just three hits and two runs over seven innings. Minnesota's Joe Ryan matched him with two runs and seven strikeouts, also in seven innings, but surrendered only two hits.

Yainer Diaz ignited the Astros' offense with a two-run homer in the third inning, while Brooks Lee responded for Minnesota, tying the game with his own home run in the fifth, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.

In the eighth inning, Bryan Abreu added to Houston's momentum by striking out three batters in a scoreless frame. Brown faced a challenge in the sixth when he hit Byron Buxton on the left elbow and walked Trevor Larnach. However, he managed to retire the next three batters, including two via strikeout, escaping the jam unscathed.

Buxton remained in the game initially but was replaced by Harrison Bader in center field during the seventh inning due to a bruised left elbow, as confirmed by team officials.

With Brown's impressive performance, he now boasts a 1.88 ERA, ranking second in the American League. The series finale on Sunday will feature Minnesota's RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (2-3, 5.74 ERA) facing off against LHP Brandon Walter (0-0, 1.64).