Odorizzi Edges Verlander As Twins Beat Astros 1-0
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jake Odorizzi pitched seven solid innings to outduel Justin Verlander, Ehire Adrianza homered off Houston's ace and the Minnesota Twins beat the Astros 1-0 on Monday night.
Odorizzi (3-2) gave up four hits while beating Houston for the second time in two starts. He walked one and struck out seven, and Minnesota won for the eighth time in 10 games. Blake Parker recorded his sixth save.
Adrianza's first homer of the season led off the third. He hit a towering, deep shot to the plaza in right field on a full count against Verlander (4-1), who allowed two hits, walked two and struck out seven over six innings.
Coming off a dominant sweep of Baltimore, the Twins faced Houston for the second time in a week. They also saw Verlander in the previous series, when he gave up one run and needed just 98 pitches to get through eight innings.
This time around, the Twins made Verlander work, and he was out after 100 pitches.
The Astros were more aggressive against Odorizzi, who had 52 pitches through five innings. Josh Reddick led off the second with a single before Odorizzi set down 13 straight.
Odorizzi had shown flashes of dominance this season but had ultimately run into trouble. He struck out 11 and gave up one run in six innings in his season debut. He followed with a short outing at Philadelphia in which he couldn't get out of the first inning.
In his next start, Odorizzi had a no-hitter into the fifth inning before losing his control, walking three batters to end his night in an eventual loss.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: OF George Springer was out of the starting lineup for a day of rest but pinch-hit for Jake Marisnick against Taylor Rogers in the eighth inning.
Twins: 3B Miguel Sano (right heal laceration) will start a rehab assignment with Class A Fort Myers on Tuesday. Sano hasn't played this season after getting injured while celebrating his team's winter league championship in the Dominican Republic. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Sano will start with partial games and eventually work himself back up, including expected stops in Double-A and Triple-A.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Gerrit Cole (1-4, 4.71 ERA) will start Tuesday for Houston and will be opposed by right-hander Michael Pineda (2-1, 5.63). Cole lost his second straight start in his last outing, giving up two runs in seven innings against Cleveland. Pineda makes his second straight start against the Astros. He surrendered four runs in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision last week in Houston.
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