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Bradley Strikes Out 11 as Twins Top Astros 8-3

Taj Bradley recorded 11 strikeouts over five innings, leading the Minnesota Twins to an 8-3 victory over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Thursday.

Dana Ferris

July 2, 20262 min read

MLBFinal
Minnesota Twins8
Houston Astros3

July 2, 2026

Dominant Pitching Display

Taj Bradley anchored the Minnesota Twins’ victory with a commanding performance on the mound. The right-hander struck out 11 batters while allowing just one earned run over five innings of work. His outing was crucial in establishing early momentum for Minnesota, who took control of the contest in the opening frame.

Bradley’s line included four hits allowed and three walks. He earned the win, improving his record to 7-3. The Twins’ bullpen provided support behind him. Cody Laweryson pitched 0.2 innings, allowing two hits but no runs. Andrew Morris worked 1.1 innings, securing the save and raising his total to 11. Taylor Rogers and Yoendrys Gomez each pitched a perfect inning, with Rogers recording one strikeout and Gomez also striking out one batter.

Early Offense Sets Tone

Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Bell launched a 452-foot home run to center field, driving in Larnach. The Twins extended their advantage in the second inning when Clemens hit a 399-foot home run to right-center field. The blast brought home Keaschall and Lee, pushing the score to 5-1.

The Twins added two more runs in the fifth inning. Larnach singled to center field, allowing Caratini and Keaschall to score. Houston attempted to rally in the sixth inning. Loperfido singled to left field to bring Matthews home, followed by Allen’s single to right field that scored Smith. Loperfido reached third base on the play. Allen’s hit also allowed Loperfido to advance to third.

Minnesota sealed the game in the eighth inning when Keaschall hit a 373-foot home run to left-center field. The final score stood at 8-3.

Astros Pitching Struggles

Houston’s starting pitcher, Tatsuya Imai, struggled significantly. He pitched 1.1 innings, allowing four hits and five earned runs while issuing five walks. He took the loss, dropping his record to 5-4. AJ Blubaugh pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out three batters without surrendering a run.

Nate Pearson pitched one inning, allowing one hit and two earned runs with one walk and one strikeout. Miguel Ullola worked two innings, allowing no hits or runs and striking out three batters. Bryan Abreu pitched two innings, allowing one hit and one earned run with three strikeouts.

Final Notes

The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with an attendance of 29,179. The Houston Astros finished with a record of 43-46, while the Minnesota Twins improved to 42-46.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815987

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Dana Ferris

Dana Ferris covers Anna high school and area college sports.

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