Another stunning comeback: Astros score 8 unanswered to shock Twins

MINNEAPOLIS -- Quitting must not be in a Houstonian’s DNA.

Less than 24 hours after the Houston Cougars shocked Duke with a 9-0 run in the last 35 seconds of the Final Four, the Houston Astros pulled off their own stunning comeback -- scoring eight unanswered runs to erase a six-run deficit and beat the Twins, 9-7, in 10 innings at Target Field on Sunday afternoon.

Down 7-1 after four innings, the Astros scored three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the ninth to force extra innings. Yordan Alvarez had the big blow for Houston in the ninth, belting a two-run home run to right-center off of reliever Griffin Jax to tie the game at 7. Christian Walker doubled to put the go-ahead run in scoring position with nobody out, but the Astros couldn’t capitalize, as Jax fanned the next three hitters.

In the 10th, Jose Altuve singled home automatic runner Brendan Rodgers, and Jake Meyers stole home on the back end of a double steal to cap off the comeback. Josh Hader tossed two clean innings to pick up the win.

“That was a team win,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “[We got] contributions from a lot of players. Our bullpen did a nice job keeping us in there. Some small ball, bunting guys over, stealing home, trying to find a way to win a game -- and we did.”

Alvarez teed off on a Jax fastball to tie the game. Despite entering the game hitting just .138 with strikeouts in nearly one-third of his plate appearances, the 6-foot-4, 237-pound slugger proved once again that it only takes one mighty hack to make his presence felt.

“That swing for me was very special,” Alvarez said. “I’ve been feeling good at the plate.”

Isaac Paredes, meanwhile, arrived in Houston this offseason as part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. The idea was that Paredes -- who struggled to find his footing in Chicago after being acquired from Tampa Bay at the 2024 Trade Deadline -- could help fill the offensive void left by Tucker’s departure.

After lacing a single into center field Saturday that his manager called “better,” Paredes went 4-for-6 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored on Sunday to raise his average to .242. And what’s more, he went 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position.

“He came in today smiling,” Espada said of Paredes. “And I'm like, ‘Dude, just relax! You’re gonna hit, you've always been a good hitter. Stop trying to hit so many homers and just concentrate on hitting hard line drives. Keep the game simple.’”

Last year, Ronel Blanco (0-1, 9.45 ERA in 2025) was excellent, tossing the first no-hitter of the season and leading MLB in opponents’ batting average. But he has yet to recapture that form through Spring Training and his first few starts this year.

Indeed, Blanco endured the shortest start of his career on Sunday, lasting just 1 2/3 innings after surrendering four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

“I was just missing with my high fastball early in the game,” Blanco said, “and that’s what took me out of the game.”

On a day when the Astros racked up 13 hits and scored nine runs, it was the unheralded Houston bullpen -- with four relievers tallying scoreless appearances -- that kept them within striking distance. Beyond established arms like Hader and Bryan Abreu, the Astros are seeing several young relievers make the most of their early opportunities.

“You earn my trust to get the ball in big moments when you go out there and you do what they did today, and we're gonna need that,” Espada said. “So proud of our effort. … We stayed in that game. That's a big win and another series win.”