Final
Astros down Twins with last at-bat heroics
Sep 5, 2013 - 1:24 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Trevor Crowe doubled home Jonathan Villar with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Houston topped Minnesota, 6-5, in the finale of a three-game series.Villar hit a leadoff single against Brian Duensing (6-2), and was sacrificed to second by Jose Altuve before scoring when Crowe's hit to left rolled deep enough to plate the speedy Villar and end the contest.
"That's how you play winning baseball," Astros manager Bo Porter said, referencing the fundamentals that resulted in the winning run.
That made a winner of Erik Bedard (4-10), who allowed three hits -- including the game-tying homer to Ryan Doumit in the top of the ninth -- and two runs over 2 2/3 relief innings.
Crowe and Brandon Barnes each drove in two runs for the Astros, who salvaged a game in the set and won for the third time in their last 10 contests. Villar, Altuve, Brett Wallace and Chris Carter all finished with two hits for the victors.
Jordan Lyles worked the first 6 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and three runs with four strikeouts.
Alex Presley went 2-for-4 including an early three-run homer for the Twins, who had won four of five. Darin Mastroianni added an RBI in defeat.
Liam Hendriks lasted only 4 1/3 frames, charged with eight hits and five runs -- three earned.
"Today was just embarrassing. I got behind guys. I left balls up in the zone," lamented Hendriks. "Whenever I was ahead, I was OK, but the rest of the time, they made me pay for it."
The Astros scored three times in their first turn against Hendriks, on an RBI double from Wallace, a run-scoring hit by Marc Krauss and a Barnes sac fly to right.
The Twins countered in the third, when Chris Colabello singled to start, Chris Herrmann walked and Presley reached the seats in right for his first homer with Minnesota and a 3-3 tie.
Crowe's two-out base hit in the fourth brought in Altuve with the go-ahead run, and it was a 5-3 margin for the hosts in the fifth as Barnes plated Carter with a one-out base hit.
Minnesota got back within a run in the eighth, as Pedro Florimon stroked a leadoff double, moved up on a groundout and scored on a Mastroianni grounder.
Doumit began the ninth with a shot to left for a 5-5 deadlock, and though the visitors had runners on first and second later in the frame, they couldn't forge ahead.
"Baseball is a game of momentum and you have to stay after it day after day things can work against you," said Crowe. "We have to battle for all 27 outs because we don't have the talnet up and down the lineup that is going to hit 30 homers."
Game Notes
Houston's one through five hitters finished a combined 10-for-21 with three RBI and six runs scored ... Krauss had been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to the contest ... Prior to Wednesday, the Twins had beaten the Astros five straight times this season and in seven of the last nine meetings dating back to June of 2006 ... The Astros head to Oakland on Thursday, while the Twins are back in action on Friday to kick off a 10-game homestand against Toronto.
- MINNESOTA: 5
HOUSTON: 6
Final
Sep 4 5:21 PM - Trevor Crowe single to left scored Jonathan Villar with one out to end the game.
Twins 5, Astros 6 Bot 9, 1 OutSep 4 5:15 PM - Ryan Doumit lead-off Home Run (12) to left. Trevor Plouffe due up.
Twins 5, Astros 5 Top 9, 0 OutsSep 4 5:00 PM - Darin Mastroianni ground out short to first scored Pedro Florimon with two out. None on and Brian Dozier due up.
Twins 4, Astros 5 Top 8, 2 OutsSep 4 4:47 PM - Brandon Barnes single to center scored Chris Carter with one out. Runner on first and L.J. Hoes due up.
Twins 3, Astros 5 Bot 5, 1 OutSep 4 4:01 PM - Trevor Crowe single to right scored Jose Altuve with two out. Runner on first and Brett Wallace due up.
Twins 3, Astros 4 Bot 4, 2 OutsSep 4 3:39 PM - Alex Presley one-out, three-run Home Run (1) to right scored Chris Colabello and Chris Herrmann. Darin Mastroianni due up.
Twins 3, Astros 3 Top 3, 1 OutSep 4 3:07 PM - Brandon Barnes sacrifice fly to right scored Brett Wallace with two out. On the play, Marc Krauss advances to second and Chris Carter advances to third. Runners on second and third and L.J. Hoes due up.
Twins 0, Astros 3 Bot 1, 2 OutsSep 4 2:36 PM - Marc Krauss single to right scored Trevor Crowe with one out. On the play, Chris Carter advances to second and Brett Wallace advances to third. Bases loaded and Brandon Barnes due up.
Twins 0, Astros 2 Bot 1, 1 OutSep 4 2:35 PM - Brett Wallace double to center scored Jose Altuve with one out. On the play, Trevor Crowe advances to third. Runners on second and third and Chris Carter due up.
Twins 0, Astros 1 Bot 1, 1 OutSep 4 2:26 PM - MINNESOTA: 0
HOUSTON: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Sep 4 2:11 PM
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