Jose Miranda was phenomenal again Friday night, setting a club record. Twins pitchers weren’t quite as effective.
Miranda went 4-for-4 to establish a club record with hits in 10 straight plate appearances, but Pablo López and two relievers were hit hard and the Houston Astros survived a late Minnesota rally to defeat the Twins 13-12.
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Miranda singled, homered, doubled and singled before he was lifted in the ninth inning for a pinch hitter. His third-inning home run tied the score, and the Twins pulled ahead 4-3 in the fifth on Miranda’s RBI double.
But López allowed three straight singles to start the sixth inning and the bullpen couldn’t hang on to the one-run lead. López surrendered six earned runs in five-plus innings.
Relievers Josh Winder and Kody Funderburk combined to surrender seven runs (six earned) between the seventh and ninth innings.
𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗧𝗔 𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝟭𝟬 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗪 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗔! #MNTwins #MLB pic.twitter.com/KcgDAqxv5B
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) July 6, 2024
Miranda bested a record previously held by three Twins: Tony Oliva, Mickey Hatcher and Todd Walker. A streak that began in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers with a leadoff single has raised Miranda’s batting average by 30 points to .324.
Even after Miranda was removed, the Twins weren’t done. They scored seven ninth-inning runs and forced Houston closer Josh Hader into the game. Hader took over with the bases loaded and Houston ahead by five, surrendering a grand slam to Carlos Correa. But Hader struck out Manny Margot to end it.
SENT THAT BALL OVERBOARD pic.twitter.com/DGd7OLjVwI
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 6, 2024
(Photo: Matt Krohn / USA Today)