The Minnesota Twins ran into an old nemesis on Tuesday night as Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the eighth inning to help the Houston Astros pick up a 5-0 victory at Target Field.
Verlander was in vintage form, dominating a Twins lineup that was without Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa for the second consecutive game. The right-hander sat down the first 12 hitters he faced and left the Twins hitless until Gio Urshella singled with one out in the eighth.
It was a strong night for Verlander, who allowed two hits and a walk while striking out five batters over eight scoreless innings.
While Verlander dominated on the mound, it was a rough night for Joe Ryan. The Twins’ starter struggled with his control, issuing five walks over four innings. The Astros to take advantage, scoring four runs off Ryan and never leaving the game in doubt.
With Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena collecting two RBIs each, it was an easy night for Houston. The Twins will look to rebound on Wednesday night when Chris Archer takes the mound in the second game of the series.
