Jose Miranda makes MLB history as Twins take down Astros

Jose Miranda made more history Saturday afternoon as the Twins beat the Houston Astros 9-3 at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. 

Miranda set a franchise record for the second day in a row by reaching base in 13 straight plate appearances and matched a major league record, setting the longest streak in the Expansion Era by producing hits in 12 consecutive at-bats. And he was just inches away from being the first ever to 13. 

Facing Astros starter Hunter Brown for the fourth time of the day in the sixth inning, Miranda hit a foul ball down the first-base line that was just inches away from being fair, which would have made him the first player in MLB history to record hits in 13 consecutive at-bats. 

While Miranda’s consecutive hits streak came to an end when he flied out later in the at-bat, that didn’t come before he made plenty of history. It started in the first inning when Miranda was hit by a pitch from Brown as he reached base for the 11th consecutive plate appearance. 

He set the Twins record by reaching for the 12th straight time with an RBI single in the second inning. That was part of a three-run frame that gave the Twins an early 5-0 lead. Miranda’s RBI single was sandwiched between RBI singles from Willi Castro and Carlos Santana in the frame. 

Miranda then made major league history with his fourth-inning single that was his 12th hit in as many at-bats. Only Johnny Kling, Pinky Higgins and Walt Dropo have recorded hits in 12 straight at-bats, and Miranda is the first player in the Expansion Era to accomplish the feat. 

Alex Bregman plated the first run of the day for the Astros (46-43) with his RBI double in the third inning, but Brooks Lee answered right back with his first career homer — a 395-foot, two-run shot to right-center field — that extended the Twins’ lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the frame.

Jon Singleton hit a 406-foot, two-run homer off Twins starter Joe Ryan that cut the Astros’ deficit to 7-3, but that was as close as Houston would get as Byron Buxton provided some insurance runs for the Twins (50-39) with a 367-foot, two-run homer in the seventh inning. 

Ryan gave up just the three runs off five hits while fanning eight across 5 2/3 innings of work as he improved to 6-5 on the season. Brown dropped to 6-6 with the loss after allowing seven runs off 12 hits while fanning six across six innings. 

Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands and Caleb Thielbar combined to throw 3 1/3 scoreless innings the rest of the way as the Twins rebounded from Friday’s loss. The two teams meet again for their series finale at Target Field at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.