MINNEAPOLIMEDIA SPORTS | Joe Ryan Silences Astros As Twins Capture Series Victory At Target Field

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 22, 2026) On an afternoon defined by overpowering pitching, timely power hitting, and a steadily growing sense of confidence inside the clubhouse, the Minnesota Twins closed out their homestand Thursday with one of their most complete victories of the season.

Behind a dominant performance from All-Star right-hander Joe Ryan and decisive home runs from Victor Caratini and Ryan Kreidler, Minnesota defeated the Houston Astros 4-1 at Target Field, securing the deciding game of the three-game series and continuing an encouraging recent stretch of play.

The victory pushed Minnesota to seven wins in its last eleven games while Houston absorbed its eighth loss over the same span, further deepening the uneven early-season stretch for one of the American League’s longtime powerhouse franchises.

For much of the afternoon, however, the story belonged to Joe Ryan.

Working with precision, pace, and command, Ryan delivered six commanding innings to earn his third victory of the season and snap what had quietly become a six-start winless stretch. The Twins ace allowed just one run on four hits while striking out nine Houston batters and, perhaps most importantly, issuing no walks.

Ryan threw 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes, repeatedly attacking Houston hitters early in counts and forcing the Astros lineup into uncomfortable swings throughout the game.

The lone blemish against him came in the second inning when former Twins catcher Christian Vázquez lined an RBI single to briefly give Houston a 1-0 lead.

But after that moment, Ryan took complete control.

Adjusting his sequencing and pitch mix, the right-hander retired the final 16 batters he faced, systematically dismantling an Astros lineup known throughout baseball for plate discipline and postseason-tested experience.

At one point, early statistical reports incorrectly credited Ryan with matching a career-high 12 strikeouts before official scoring later finalized his total at nine. Even so, the outing ranked among his sharpest performances of the season and reinforced his increasingly central role within Minnesota’s rotation.

Since arriving in the organization, Ryan has steadily evolved into the competitive heartbeat of the Twins pitching staff, combining swing-and-miss ability with mound composure and strike-zone command that continues to place him among the American League’s most reliable starters.

Minnesota’s offense, meanwhile, relied entirely on the home run ball.

The Twins answered Houston’s early lead in the bottom of the second inning when Victor Caratini turned on a 2-1 fastball from Astros starter Mike Burrows and launched it over the right-center field wall to tie the game at 1-1.

The home run was Caratini’s second of the season and his first since mid-April.

For Caratini, the moment carried added significance.

After spending the previous two seasons with Houston, the veteran catcher signed with Minnesota during the offseason and has increasingly assumed major catching responsibilities following the long-term wrist injury suffered by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers.

Caratini finished the afternoon 2-for-4 and scored twice, continuing what has become an increasingly important stabilizing presence both offensively and defensively for Minnesota’s roster.

The decisive swing came two innings later.

With two outs in the fourth inning and the game still tied, Caratini singled and Tristan Gray drew a walk to extend the inning. That brought Ryan Kreidler to the plate.

Recently recalled from Triple-A St. Paul, Kreidler attacked an 0-1 fastball from Burrows and drove it deep into the left-center field stands for a three-run home run that electrified the Target Field crowd and gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead it would never relinquish.

The blast marked Kreidler’s third home run of the season and represented another example of Minnesota receiving meaningful contributions throughout the lineup rather than depending solely on star-level offensive production.

Houston starter Mike Burrows absorbed the loss after allowing four runs on six hits and three walks across six innings of work.

But Minnesota’s pitching staff never allowed Houston an opportunity to fully recover.

Following Ryan’s exit, the Twins bullpen delivered one of its strongest collective performances of the season.

Yoendrys Gómez entered in the seventh inning and overwhelmed Houston hitters, striking out five of the seven batters he faced while surrendering just one hit across two scoreless innings.

Then, in the ninth, Andrew Morris retired the Astros in order during a clean 1-2-3 frame to secure the first major league save of his career.

Combined, Minnesota pitchers recorded 15 strikeouts against Houston, matching the Astros’ previous season high for strikeouts suffered in a single game.

The victory also carried broader significance for a Twins club attempting to establish consistency against elite American League competition.

Houston remains one of baseball’s defining franchises of the last decade, and taking two of three games from the Astros offered another indication that Minnesota may be beginning to settle into a more balanced rhythm after stretches of uneven play earlier in the season.

The Twins now leave Minneapolis for a weekend road series against the Boston Red Sox at historic Fenway Park, another important early-season test for a club seeking to build momentum before the summer schedule intensifies.

For one afternoon at Target Field, however, the formula proved remarkably simple:

Dominant pitching. Timely power. Shutdown relief. Series victory.

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