Pablo López pitched well for seven innings, and Trevor Larnach hit a two-run home run to help the Minnesota Twins secure a 6-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised López for his strong performance, noting his effective use of his changeup and fastball. López, who tied his longest start of the season, bounced back after a tough stretch of games where he struggled.
Carlos Santana also contributed with a solo home run, and Willi Castro hit a triple, aiding the Twins in their fourth win in five games.
López allowed six hits and one run while striking out six batters. Despite giving up a home run to Alex Bregman in the third inning, López remained composed and focused on his pitching strategy.
The Twins took the lead in the third inning when Castro’s triple and a walk to Jose Miranda set up runs scored by Carlos Correa and Alex Kirilloff.
Larnach extended the Twins’ lead in the fifth inning with his home run off Ronel Blanco. Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers also contributed with hits to help bring in runs.
The Astros struggled to generate offense beyond Bregman’s home run, resulting in their fourth loss in five games.
