BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — Josh Bell homered twice and drove in four runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 6-3 on Monday night. The game was delayed 1 hour, 57 minutes by rain and lightning in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Twins leading 3-0. Bell opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second inning and added a two-run shot in the fourth. He later singled in a run in the sixth as Minnesota broke the game open with three runs. The Astros scored three times in the seventh but could not complete the comeback. Eric Orze pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, Taylor Rogers earned his first save with two-thirds of an inning, and Tatsuya Imai took the loss. Attendance was 11,488. The game lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes. The Twins improved to 22-26, while the Astros fell to 19-30.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — Josh Bell homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Minnesota Twins defeated the Houston Astros 6-3 Monday night at Target Field. Bell went 3 for 4 with a pair of solo home runs and a tiebreaking RBI single in a three-run sixth inning that snapped a 3-3 deadlock. The victory lifted Minnesota to 22-26, while Houston fell to 19-30. The Astros struck first in the top of the first inning. Jeremy Peña was hit by a pitch, Isaac Paredes singled to send Peña to third, and Yordan Alvarez walked to load the bases. Christian Walker popped out, and Zach Dezenzo lined into a double play, shortstop Brooks Lee to second baseman Luke Keaschall, to end the threat. Minnesota broke through in the second. With one out, Bell crushed his fourth home run of the season to center field, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth. Bell struck again, this time with a two-run homer to left field after Trevor Larnach singled, pushing the Twins ahead 3-0. The Astros answered immediately in the fifth when Brice Matthews singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Peña, and Christian Vázquez added an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Houston tied it in the top of the sixth when Yordan Alvarez walked and Christian Walker singled, but a double play ended the inning. The decisive rally came in the bottom of the sixth. Austin Martin flied out, but Larnach walked and Ryan Jeffers doubled to put runners at second and third. Kody Clemens walked to load the bases. Bell then singled to right, driving in Larnach and making it 4-3. Luke Keaschall followed with a single that deflected off left fielder Zach Dezenzo, scoring Jeffers and Clemens for a 6-3 lead. Houston mounted a comeback in the seventh. Brice Matthews walked, Cam Smith was hit by a pitch, and Vázquez singled to score Matthews. Peña’s sacrifice fly brought home Smith, and Yordan Alvarez singled to put runners at the corners. Christian Walker singled to center, scoring Vázquez and making it 6-3. But pinch-hitter Zach Cole grounded out to end the inning. The Astros put two on in the ninth against Twins closer Taylor Rogers, who earned his first save of the season. After Christian Vázquez walked and Isaac Paredes walked, Rogers struck out Yordan Alvarez looking and got Christian Walker to ground out to shortstop to end the game. Eric Orze (2-1) earned the win, allowing no hits and no runs over 1 1/3 innings with one strikeout. Tatsuya Imai (1-2) took the loss, surrendering six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out two. Kendry Rojas gave the Twins a strong start, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. Simeon Woods Richardson added a scoreless inning, and Andrew Morris also pitched a hitless frame. For Houston, the bullpen allowed three runs over three innings. The Twins totaled nine hits, led by Bell’s three. Jeffers doubled, and Lee, Gray, Outman and Keaschall each had one hit. Houston managed seven hits, including two from Walker and one each from Paredes, Alvarez, Smith, Matthews and Vázquez. The game was played in 2 hours, 38 minutes in front of 11,488 at Target Field. Houston next faces Minnesota again Tuesday night in the second game of the series. The Astros then travel to Chicago to face the Cubs before a three-game set at Texas. Minnesota continues its homestand with the Astros on Tuesday and Wednesday before traveling to Boston and then Chicago to face the White Sox. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Minnesota 5, Houston 4. The ELO system gave the Astros a 50.30 percent probability to win. Minnesota was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5, and the total of nine runs went under the over/under line of 9.5.

Preview: Astros at Twins MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Houston Astros visit the Minnesota Twins on Monday, May 18, 2026, at Target Field in Bloomington, Minn., with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT. The forecast calls for rain and a game-time temperature of 62 degrees. Right-hander Tatsuya Imai (1-1) is the probable starter for Houston, while Minnesota counters with right-hander Bailey Ober (2-1). The Astros enter the contest at 19-29, having lost four of their last five games. Houston was shut out 8-0 by the Texas Rangers on Sunday, with starter Peter Lambert taking the loss after allowing five earned runs over six innings. The Twins (21-26) snapped a two-game skid Sunday with a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Imai makes his second start of the season for Houston. He has not appeared in the team’s recent results provided. Ober, meanwhile, is coming off a complete-game shutout against the Miami Marlins on May 12, scattering two hits and striking out seven. He also earned the win Sunday against Milwaukee, allowing three runs over five innings. Lambert is a player to watch for Houston. Over his last five outings, he has pitched to a 2-3 record with a 3.86 ERA, striking out 27 over 30.1 innings. He allowed five earned runs in his most recent start Sunday but threw seven scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 5. For Minnesota, Ober has been effective in three of his last four starts. He allowed just one earned run over six innings against Toronto on April 30 and threw a shutout against Miami. His lone rough outing came May 6 at Washington, where he surrendered five earned runs in five innings. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 Twins victory. Minnesota is a -1.5 favorite on the run line, with the over/under set at 9.5. The two teams continue their series Tuesday and Wednesday before Houston travels to Chicago for a three-game set against the Cubs. Minnesota heads to Boston for a weekend series against the Red Sox.