It got out of hand early. Minnesota Twins starter Phil Hughes gave up six runs in the first two innings, and the Houston Astros scored in the first five innings en route to a blowout win.
“Disappointing, like a lot of series have been,” manager Paul Molitor told the Star Tribune. “You win the first game, then you go back-to-back games and you don’t get 10 outs out of your starters in two games, if my math is right. It just put a lot of stress on our bullpen.”
Molitor was ejected in the eighth inning, along with reliever Ryan Pressly, for arguing ball-strike calls with home plate umpire Scott Barry.
Jose Altuve hit a leadoff home run five pitches into the game, and Houston had a 3-0 lead one inning in. They tagged Hughes for another three runs, chasing Hughes in his shortest outing in 63 starts.
“You at least want to eat up some innings for the bullpen, and I couldn’t even do that tonight,” Hughes told the Star Tribune. “All-around frustrating game.”
Brian Dozier cut the lead to 6-3 with a three-run home run in the third, but Casey Fien gave up a two-run homer to Jason Castro in the bottom frame.
Castro finished the night 2-for-3 with four RBI. Altuve and Carlos Correia, chosen one spot ahead of Byron Buxton in the 2012 MLB draft, were 3-for-5 with three RBI.
“It’s a game that you’ve got to take it personal,” Molitor told the Pioneer Press. “From myself on down the line, I think everyone needs to kind of see where we’re at and see what we’ve done and what’s our role been in putting us in this position. I know I have to look at some things for myself. Hopefully these guys realize that, too.”
[Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Associated Press]
