Twins swept by Astros, lose in 10 innings after Jhoan Duran gives up ninth-inning run again

Phil Miller, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 15, 2025

Published in Baseball

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HOUSTON – The American League’s pitcher of the month for May is having a rough June.

Jhoan Duran, who gave up only one run the previous month, has put runners on base in five consecutive appearances in June, and it has cost him and the Twins. A day after giving up a walk-off winner, Duran blew a save for the second time this season, and the Astros completed a weekend sweep of the Twins with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings.

Trying to protect a 1-0 lead, Duran walked the first batter he faced, Astros leadoff hitter Jeremy Peña, on four pitches. Duran struck out Yanier Diaz, but on Duran’s first pitch to Jose Altuve, Peńa stole second. Peña then moved to third when Altuve — reaching way out of the strike zone to make contact — dribbled an infield hit to shortstop, easily beating Carlos Correa’s desperate throw.

First baseman Victor Caratini followed with a fly ball to the warning track in left field, easily scoring Peña with the tying run.

The Twins’ luck didn’t improve in the 10th, either. After failing to do anything against Josh Hader in the top of the inning with Brooks Lee on second — Christian Vázquez popped out, Ryan Jeffers struck out and Correa popped out — Cole Sands easily retired the first two batters he faced, keeping courtesy runner Jake Meyers on second base. But Mauricio Dubón lifted a deep fly ball to the front of the Twins bullpen in left, and Willi Castro was unable to make the catch, extending the Twins’ losing streak to four. The play was ruled a hit.

Those two rallies — and the Twins’ inability to drive in any further runs after Lee’s third-inning home run, as they went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-the-weekend, scoring all their runs against the Astros on home runs — wasted an otherwise brilliant day of pitching.

Simeon Woods Richardson turned in his best start of the season, giving up only one hit and one walk at a ballpark just a short drive from Sugar Land, where he grew up. And here’s the odd-looking stat: He threw just 53 pitches and was pulled after only five innings.

That’s because the Twins prefer not to allow their youngest starters to face opposing hitters three times in a game, if they can help it. And with an off day Monday, they felt their bullpen was better equipped to finish out the final four innings of the shutout, even with Woods Richardson pitching so well.

It almost worked. Brock Stewart and Louie Varland kept the Astros off the scoreboard. But Duran couldn’t follow suit.