The Houston Astros clubbed three home runs and beat up on Yohan Pino and the Twins 10-4.
Chris Carter hit two of the three homers for the Astros, for his sixth multi-home run game of the season. Carter finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs on the night to lead the Astros.
Jose Altuve also had another big night for Houston. He was 3-for-4 with pair of runs scored and two batted in.
Pino (1-5) started for Minnesota, he worked into the fifth inning and gave up seven runs on seven hits, including the three home runs. Things didn’t go much better for Trevor May, who came out of the bullpen for Minnesota. May gave up three runs, two earned in just 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Minnesota had a strong start to the game. Pino was cruising through the first two innings and Oswaldo Arcia gave the Twins the early lead with a solo home run in the second inning. It was the first of two home runs on the night for Arcia.
Unfortunately it didn’t last.
In the bottom of the third the Astros launched a pair of homers off Pino. Jake Marisnick homered to lead off the third. Then with two outs and Altuve aboard, Carter blasted his first homer of the night.
The Astros broke the game open in the fifth inning, highlighted by Carter’s second homer of the night.
The run support was enough to give Collin McHugh his first win since June.
Kennys Vargas homered late for Minnesota, his second. Joe Mauer also was 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
The Twins will send Kyle Gibson to the mound Wednesday afternoon in the series finale against Houston’s Brett Oberholtzer.
