The Houston Astros’ five-series winning streak came to an end Wednesday night, undone by another rough outing from Tatsuya Imai and a Minnesota Twins offense that would not relent in an 8-3 loss at Daikin Park.
Imai recorded four outs, faced 13 batters, allowed five runs on four hits and five walks, and was gone before the second inning was finished. Josh Bell and Kody Clemens hit home runs against him, driving in all five runs he allowed. A two-run single by Trevor Larnach in the fifth and a solo homer by Luke Keaschall in the eighth padded the lead.
“Stuff was coming in pretty good, just struggled throwing strikes,” manager Joe Espada said.
The collapse was particularly jarring given what had come before it. Imai had struck out 21 batters without a walk in his previous two starts. Wednesday, he threw 34 balls and 23 strikes across just 1⅓ innings.
Bell’s first-inning drive off a slider traveled deep to center field and appeared to rattle Imai. He walked two of his next three batters, then escaped the inning with two runs allowed. The second was worse. A leadoff walk and another with one out put runners on first and second for Clemens, who crushed a 3-1 fastball into the Astros’ bullpen for a three-run homer and a 5-1 lead. Another walk ended Imai’s night.
The inconsistency has become the story of his first MLB season—stretches where his slider is untouchable, followed by outings where he cannot throw strikes and the results are catastrophic.
Taj Bradley held Houston to one run through five innings with overpowering stuff, striking out 11 in a season-high performance. The Astros could not make contact in key moments, going hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position against him. AJ Blubaugh, Nate Pearson, Miguel Ullola, and Bryan Abreu combined for 7⅔ innings of relief, with Ullola impressing again with two more scoreless frames in just his second career appearance.
The Astros trimmed the deficit to 7-3 in the sixth on RBI singles by Joey Loperfido and Nick Allen, but Andrew Morris stranded Yordan Alvarez on deck with a groundout from Jose Altuve to end the inning.
Walker, Delgado Exit with Injuries
Christian Walker was removed for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning with lower back stiffness after his second at-bat. Espada called it precautionary, and Walker said he expects to be in the lineup Friday after Thursday’s off day.
Raynel Delgado suffered a dislocated right pinky finger in the fifth inning when a Larnach chopper struck his throwing hand. X-rays showed no fracture, but Delgado said he was unable to fully grip a bat postgame and is uncertain how much time he will miss. With Jeremy Peña already on the injured list with a calf strain, the Astros will use Thursday’s off day to sort out their infield options.
Houston finished the 13-game, no-off-day stretch at 43-46 and will open a series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
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